New-York tribune., 1877-03-13
RELIGIOUS LIFE IN GREAT
BRITA IN"
DIR. HALLS LECTURE AT YALE.

| THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH or ENGLAND-ITS ORR
| GIY-rTs wEAKNEsS-ELEMENTs OF STRENGTH.
| fFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUSEl
new HAVEN, March 9.-The Rev. DR.. John
Hall Of New-York this afternoon delivered the first OF
course three lectures before the Theological School
the subject of Religious Life In Great Britain" Dr.
Hall Is not stranger here: Two years ago he was the
Lyman Beechcr lecturer and last year he delivered
special OF lectures The Relation of the Pastor
to sabbafhschooI Instruction" Besides this he has at
different times spoken before the whole university on re-
lons topics In the present lectures he Will treat Of the
National Church OF England Of the Nonconformists OF
Scotland and their allies and OF the history andcondton
of religion in ireland In the lecture to-day he said;
In passing judgment upon the Church of England, We
should all and especially ministers, be lbcra-minded
ana charitable. There are different kinds OF wisdom
There the wisdom OF the daily newspapers very good In
its hearty treatment OF questions but at fault III the long
run. There iJ the aer-dlnner wisdOmwhcn one is In
the humOr TO speakof anecdote biography, and usra
ton. There Is, again, the world wisdom-seen III the
of acute mind, win affirm that such thing Is
10 be. because have always noticed IT,, but who
has failed to make allowance for those modifying niu
cnces which arc necessary in the formation OF true Judg
But better than all these and next to that which
from inspiration, is the wisdom derived from hon
est, dspassoato history Church history is therefore
necessary In the fOrnatiOn OF theological mind
Upon these general lines view Of religious life IN Ed
gland will De taken. Is there any why We should
be interested in her rel zion She Is tine mother OF us ALL
ami we are living over again the life which fathers
lived in England. While there has been but little
since the Reformation tie change in the English race
brought about by her extensive colonizatOnhas been
immense The number oil EDgisl-5pea@llS people mas
greatly increased and look upon those who can
not speak English barbarGDs. We are good people
20 trade WITH and for this reason knowledge Of EgIsh
is making its way among the influential classes OF The
best nations of the earth. We are apt to think hard OF
England because OF her extensive cOnquests But our
tiGatmcnJ Of the Indian forms almost an exact parallel
ana hehsOry vi 200 or 800 wears To come viii say that
1t was an cXigccy for the safe possession oi hat "hIch
We already had.
To understand the condition the Established Church,
we must go back TO the English Reformation. The
Romish Church had power not only the conscience
but also the property of the people The question
finally took this shape: II we TO continue to be
strong nation must throw of the power Of the Pope
OF Rome They therefore counted ont" the Pope and
counted iii" Henry VIII. The religious power, thus
crude and incomplete placed in the hands OF the
monarch, and the English Church came to stand whore
We now see it, The monarch the head Of the Church.
and by him bishops tie appointed. The
best liyIngs in the whole country under the CON
troll OF the civil power, which thus welded mig ty in
ueuce LII instances ' tendency was iOr good but
IN the majority OF eases I0r Dad. OuI Oh lnlS
cXgency came the SHAPING Of tie English Church
atrns a is WITH Ti 6n TI S9rnr ira feelihe But it
was found necessary To prOyiGc for another class
rcinctan to mike the least charge in the iorm OF Tor
ship. The Old nomenclature therefore. was unchanged
The cardinal dropped but the grading OF the other
officers remained always the same IAe buildings ana
many theological terms were retained In forming our
opinion of thc English Church must tasc all these
tings which she received from the manu- "a history, mo
account Because OF TIN, compromise She was always 10
fiAd trouble with earnest and intelligent Prcesants
l ifs VINO y,ar i,,I,ne, to nav for fine zach
ing OF tOse religious cnrts which they could not APP
prove. For all this the Established Church Is respon
bic.
Trouble was also found in the Mcthodiss, who were
numerous and strong Many of them found no fault
with the doctrine ~ the Church or its organization But
longing and earncstnes they were driven ont
by cOllICSs 1t is noticeable that wherever there has
been great GOODNESS in the religion OF the Church. the
Metbodsts have in and supplied their places. In
many they do recognize the Methodist preacher
or minister but in addressing them will the form
"Nr" instead OF the " Rev" John Smith Indeed, often
times persons not supposed to be properly married
or buried whore Methodist ministers h9ye olicated.
This Is source OF annoyance. Indlgnity and dis
grace are put upon the 4lrhodsts, and they do not
All these are acting for the G!se~tabiisl-
mont OF rhc Established Cnrch. They are elements
Of weakness. There Is stll another, and that il the
Alienation OF the middle class III cons Iuncc o the su-
uccl,0Tsnes ot the aIi't0ciacy The lowest class i
dcurnGcnt upon The highest, and there are many
churches composed Of these two, while the ildr claS
strength The drst is round in thc universities. Their
Wei~ty and scholarly training their lectures ana re-
IGous literature, thcir contact win tAe D's lHd' oi
England give them IN niiuelcc "A!ch cannot Dc es'-
mated
Another element OF strength is in the paroch,l ar
rangcmerl The lana divided up into districts Ior
ecclesiastical PURPOSES and some held RESPONSE
bic for the religious education Of the people. Time
gre lily modified this. There time OF such moral !
dcadness ia the Church that for years the clerymen
were Iitr distin. .dislcd from the sguires. II
saidn. Joke that they the NHrol, Ianrols Is, and
0siroi> of the country Tnc wnr; the wesley; and
WAlcllclds rcnedrd this a.d aid much 10 save the
Causcn Of England IL 4 'ncr Tor GOOD " lille t!c
not Ja possible this country, il
would br ell II Our Poescu. churches came 10 some
understanding Uy which IA" people were better 10 1kcd
after with Whole ciTy bo-ure one. lie feels that hr
.0Oud feel hns. Il responsible, and would work accord
irglv \ third element of strength l. the idea NJ The
Right Cnuch wicn peryadcs ,hc masses of the clergy
and people.
The Church IS divided into parties. vast number of
devoted aud holy persons, who urged spirited warfare
AGAINST the slave trade and for the abulti OF slavery
and WHO organized missionary societies Laid Lhc fouGda
tior for the Evangelical or LOW Church party Thsparty
now is sinking in scholarship ANA has less power for
GOOD than 1t had twenty-five years ago. The Broad
CIrchmen are often SPOKEN OF in cCrOgat0ry terms.
1bc conflicts between the various parties have tend
ooy and. The .ll Church Is Improving III nuSlc,
cr6uir,g its churches and caring Tor the poor What
now An. toe prospects Ot the Established church. TWO
tlin. must be done. Her relations 70 IN" STAT" must ne
abused and there must be cleaning of hrr i9;Mlu,S
from The amblG lGlty which now cnes 10 thcAl Mhat Is
sip Ioiugi many respects adapting ftrSeI 20 tht
real wants of her people Her cathedrals are 'beiLG
oppard TO the working classes and an eiOrt Is made TO
brpg tns!n under the influence OF the Church An I'M
ruIrl stylc of prcachuL-luo TO the ProtcStauts-is
uotipod Her minister's, mlnyof them instead Ot speak
ug with an alr of authority and power, now speak rs
Eug gll- men, III simple ana tHectFe IAN
Lastly greatest source OF strength IS IN the
rvnug li,nl preachers, who form large part OF her
c,rrsy They are not scholarly and show want 0f exc
csls they have that erestLeSS WHICH constituted
the heart OF the Reformation
r-------------------
THE NEV-BEDFORD STRIKE CONTINUES.