The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-02-01
MONDAY, FEBRUARY !, 1873.
DisestabIishment in scotland.

In Scotland an ecclesiastical agitation
is now prevailing, which is likely to end
with the disestablishmORt.Ot the 'statg
Church. Tboeatablished Church is what
is known as the old Kirk Of Scotland. 1t
is Presbyterian in It's fOEm Of government.
But the majority even OF the Presbyte-
rians are outside Of It's limits. For q
long period there has been number Of
Independent bodies OF that persuasion.
A little more than thirty years ago, over
the question oipatronagC, struggle arose
which ended in the formation Of the Free
Church, In certain cases churches have
been built or endowed by individuals,
To them and their heirs, as a consequence,
the right Of nomination Of ministers
when these churches become vacant, has
been reserved by the law. The secession
of the Free Church grew out Of an attempt
by patrons to force upon congregations
ministers, who were totally unacceptable
to the mass Of tho people, AMI even
to the ecclesiastical bodies, whose duty
it Is to induct them into office. The
General Assembly, the highest Church
court Of the country, declared that no
minister was to be imposed on con-
grcgatiUn, when majority Of heads Of
families and communicates should dis
emf from his admission. The case was
carried to the Civil Courts, 1t was there
decided that this act of the General
Assembly was beyond the constitutional
powers Of that body, and this decision
was confirmed by the House Of Lords.
The end was the withdrawal Of nearly
five hundred ministers headed by DR..
Chalmers, and the formation Of the Free
Church. This heroic step was taken IN
1873. The Free Church has now about
thousand ministers and congregations.
1t and the other smaller Presbyterian
bodies, together, have more members than
those Of the old Kirk. There are also
EpiScOpalians and various other non
Presbyterian denominations in Scotland,
besides many persons who have no con-
nGcIion with any church, The establish
ment, therefore, in u decided minority.
The present agitation arises out Of an
attempt to heal the separation which took
place on account Of patronage, In n
country where there il an established
church, ecclesiastical matters enter li.
rectly and largely into politics When
D'lsraeli lately came into power, he
thought that Il would be stroke Of policy
for his party to remove the old ground Of
dtssension between the Free Church and
the Mother Kirk, anil to bring them to-
gether again in one organization In
Parliament, billwOs accordingly passed,
which abolished patronage aud provided
that the ministers should he called by
maiorityoitho "adherentsp Of thcvpious
congregations. But this has proved to be
entirely unsatisfactory. twas seen that
"adherents" might he such US to throw
the control into the hands Of people who
were as Objectionable as patrons. It left
the way open for all shades Of opinion TO
be represented. The end might be n lati-
tudlnarinnism like that which Is troubl-
ing the established Church Of England.
The rusnlt has been to raise still more
fundamental question. II is that Of the
establishment itself. To this tho United
PrcsbyteriOns long have been openly OPP
posed. They at once took the benefit Of
the present opportunity to attack the cx-
istGnce Of n State church. For atirne the
Free Church hesitated 10 Join them In this
part Of the warfare. But al length they
concluded To pursue the same course,
and now the fermenL is felt everywhere In
the land Great meetings are held. The
newspaprsarc filled with the discussions.
The measure which the government
adopted rs a matter Of political policy Is
apt to eml in the speedy downfall of tho
establishment. A State church cannot
stand the test Of popular discussion, ca.
pcCiNlly when It's adhGreRLs are n minor