, 1881-05-29
SIMOSY IN THE CHURCH,

SIMONY IN THE CHURCH.
A PUBLIC SCANDAL DENOUNCED In THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Neu lor. HrEllI.
It is singular to observe with what tenacity
the advanced England OF to-day. tile land Of
common SENSE, the vauntel home of liberty,
Ind the recognized parent of free institutions
the world over, cli11,s to principles, CUSTOMS
Rni Institutions which are fully representa-
Five OF the, spirit of the feudalisln Of the Mid
die Ages. In llo country in the world is the
contrast between the old and new-the OH
rushing tendency Of the present and the eau
THUS conservatism OF the past-so yividly
and so forcibly presented. There is the leret1-
itary monarch, and there is the House Of
Lords, for the most part lis yet what it orig
inally was, the representative OF hereditary
rights; but there is the House of Commons,
which has now almost absolute power. III
crowded, bnstling London the stranger finds
himself ever and anon near to some
sacred editice, whose quaint architect
ure carries linn back i'll memory to
the time when modern Europe w;ts just
dawning into light and whose worship has
changed but little in many hundreds Of
years, or he stumbles into the courts OF law.
where medieval forms anu ceremonies are
still i'll the ascendant; and London i'll these
particulars is but representative or example
OF England as whole. Revolutions have
not been wanting in England; but revolu-
lions in England, as compared with most
other countries, haze been cautious and con-
serya1iye. There has been destruction, but
the destructive spirit has always been held
tn check, and. as Il rule, limited to the neces-
sites Of the situation. Hence it IS that i'll
England there Is SO much that Is old along
II .nf eo NAH NOWHERE
w2s limited above, is this tenacious adherence
10 ancient rights. privileges. and customs
more conspicuously revealed than Ill the
ecclesiastical system which Is Known Us the
national Church: and i'll nothing in the na-
tionai Church is this fea:ure more str!kingly
revealed than in the methods which still pre-
vail in The disposal OF benelices.
III the House Of Commons, just before the
s5tll, there was a very lively debate on the
manner III which siulony Is practlceu Ill the
asp'sing Of bcletlces, Or, as It Is more gen
orally p!rased, in the Slle Of advowsons. III
ber for !Iu'lGerstielti, WAS the originator, ana
In wIlicl! he took the Drincipa! part, great
liberty of speech was used. 1lr. leat!ia1n
called attention to the lately-publlShed report
Df the Royal Con1nission,--a commission
which was appointed Ito inquire INTO me
law and practice As tu the sale, exchange, and
resignation OF ecclesiastical benefices." 1t
appears FROM this rcpor: that matters are tae
reverse OF credtablc to the English Cnurch,
Of to the English Government 1t is the Gus
tom to auyertiscfur sale aslyowS0llS,-t1l Is.
the right to the next presentation to the par
ish, yicaraye, or rectory, as 1t may oe; aiatl
there are some agents am, some propl1etoIs
Of so-'alled newspapers who driSe Il llo1flsli.
hundreds of liyincs are in the ope., market.
a1ld parishes are thus placed ai
he mercy Of 6rokerS joh1bsrs' ftn',' anu
Sn1jr, l. !,
with few thousands in Ills pocket can cor
suit one Of half a dozen regular organs. gq
to regular agent and have the choice o.
some hundreds of living5s, i'll most cases Win
dtatc|s: vacated. It is a singular feature 9t
the present state Ut things that the tfaae IS
carried on for the most part by the clcrsy-
men; 1t is stated positively tllat some t"0.
r|s t of the patronage OF the cnMrc'' a' ,;it Is III
who gave evidence before the Commission
stated that tile proportion with which he nan
70 deal was seyenty-three cerlcal as ase',ise 1se
lorty-elght lay patrons. AS ploo. ~ 'tny 10y
twas stated that on or about the sa',le tl1e
II publication. the Prcfcrmcnt CiTcutdT az
;ertiscd 1l0 Iiyings tor sale, tile frot,o t,.,
rWronagc Gazcffc adycrtIsed ioo, aiiu n.e
EEaIc Eaf Registcr adver3ssa s ;ie io use | of
N this way. 1t was brought OUT III evldehGe l
oy the Commission that those parishes IL.
which the clergyman was the patron were ':1 tS
Why h9 aot se'Sf it eats5uk Was sske in the House
pf Commons. Had they not pousnc tin',
their parishes with price, and were uey
not their own? and so long rs hes u'"
their duty there was no law ab"ye lneN,.
Even tie Bishops we're powerless to illustrate
the evils Of clerical patronage. 4 case vas ,;'s
ttted III the course Of the debate + was ,nG .J
case Of ST. Giles, Camberwcll; There na1
oeen I sequcstratoE anu tAe blSn0p " cfut .ha
parish. it was brought to the attention .,td OF
t6e Lords by Lord St Leonarls, qnt 9!lt,,sae sie
Bishops fcrsook him and fled; Dr: Wlloei,
sum which Welded s4oo a year; but wlia19
happened? The absent vicar returned :;lm
elaliled to be his own cur1te; 1t was also
iectared to be no uncommon thing Tor clel-
md otherwise, TO obtain grants from, recog-