Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-04
TIE GREAT QUESTION.
The DisestabIishment OF the Church OF
England.

The political armament at the present mo-
ment, is nevertheless one that will be-
come 30 in the not-very-far future. Ihe
Established Church, as national lnsti-
tuition, is interwo oven with the Constitu-
ton. The Church and state are, as II
were, twin sisters. The sovereign IS the
head OF both, being especially in respect
Of the church "in all causes and matters
ecclesiastical supreme Ile blsoops'
large proportion OF whom have seats "a
the House of Lords, are nominated ana
virtually appnir ted by The Grown. sucn
nominations being - 'lIt l., and Ieius-
al 10 accept them entails penal cousc-
ouences upon the nominal electors qua
converts a mere nomination INTO IL
rect appointment, making assut ance
doublv sure. The church patronage -
for the most part in the bands OF the
Crown, clerical " lay corporations, and
private individuals, the people. as a body,
having no voice in the appointment OF
their ministers. There are not, perhaps,
half dozen pieces Of church preierment
throughout England and Wales in the be-
stowal OF the Pensioners. The aggre-
gate revenue is enormous, OF which, how
ever, there is no valid return authorlta-
lively made. The stipends OF the clergy
Of all grades vary from Goldsmith's coun-
=
mate OF all England. clad in purple and
line linen, with 4l5,O 900 annually, TWO pal
aces and 1900 acres Of valuable land
within twelve miles or the metropolis.
Taking rank next to royalty, endowed
with a vast patronage. ootl cciesiastlcal
ard civil. fne appointment OF Metr0p0u-
tan is sara lo be- Tie most lucrative piece
OF patronage in the gift OF the British
Crown. Ia WeaI or IN woe, in sickness or
b. We D. ts.f. ran HH ~ 4 - Of
safely eushrined for the remainder Of his
life. n has attained the summit Of his
ambition. he can rise no bizher; and, as
an Archbishop of Canterbury was never
Vet known 20 resign. It may be said he
can sink no lower. An institution like
this, permeating the length and breadth
Of the land, having tO1tuOld in every
parish. influences social circles 70 the eX-
tent that every Weil-tO-io tradesman is
ambitious 10 devote at least one Of mis-
family TO the clerical profession, and max
ing suitable provision for such offspring
by the purchase of the right OF appoint
ment tn the cure OF souls. How,
then, is it possible efectually to
deal with such a problem In the So
cial-political situation Of the present
dayf
tits true John Bull can scarcely be
said 10 love parsOn as be is reputea to
dearly love a lord, for a recipient OF
tenth part of an0ther's hard-earned profit,
whether that other belong to his commu-
mon or not, can scarcely be so popular as
the free and easy fox hunting, Open-hand-
I'd, and perhaps eXtraYagant specimen OF
the hdute nObleSsg. 1t is true the tIthes,
now committed TO a rent charge, If abOl-
ished tomorrow would reappear in the
shape OF increased rent TO the landlord,
who would hardly tolerate their ABSORB
tton by the tenant, and even now the
great TectOral tithes are PAYABLE to the
land owner and not TO the clergyman in
some parishes. having been thus apprO-
briated, or rather misappropriated. from
almost time immemOrial, but never so
scandalOusly and so totally Invested OF
all participation, both by church and poor,
as since the Reformation and the DAYS of
that great defender Of the faith, Henry
Will But as these appropriations have
long since acquired the sanctiiy of prl-
vate property they cannot now be di-
verted.
That the Church Of England would have
succumbed long since through her own
inherent corruption, had she not been
checked in her downward career by the
timely Intervention Of a cOusiderate Leg
islature is placed beyond dispute. A few
facts briefly narrated will serve to make
that evident: put the question now is
whether, even though disestablishment
be a desideratum in the abstract, it can
be accomplished without bringing down
with it other fabrics cOntiguous-inter-
woven, though not identical. Let the ei-
forts made TO save the church from inner
ent collapse during the last seventy years
speak for themselves. Suffice it TO say
that during that period statutes innumer-
able have passed the Legislature commu-
ting tthes to rent--charges calculated
upon averages of prlces-placing the bad
" managed church property Of Deans and
Canons in commission; also that of Arch
bishops and Bishops VINO were diverting
the church's revenues 10 the interests OF
their families; creating new parishes, en-
downing them and building churches out
Of the surplus funds in the hands of the
Commissioners from various sources, es-
peciaily from the former; creating new
b shOprics out of the episcopal fund: di-
viding the spoil OF rich rectOries and ap-
plying 1t TO the endowment OF district
churches In the same locality, and absorb
ing rectOries without cure OF souls into
the general fund for distribution. All this
and mucn more than can be even briefly
limited at in this article have added TO the
church's usefulness, healed scandals. and,
IN one word, Infused into ecclesiastical
institutions new life and vigOr that alone
have saved them from sheer destruction.
Private patrons have had, however, TO be
1ndemnitied and in many cases 10 be even
subsidized.
The result is that church property is
COW fairly managed, but a great social
grievance still exists, Neither Is II
mere sentimental one. 1t is true that the
fOX-huntiDg parsOn or the racing and bib
ulous Rector IS "A being Of the past. Nom
residence ishO longer permitted, except
In favor nf university professors or Deans
and CanOns Of cathedral or abbey church.
IS. Pluralists have died out for the most
part, never again 30 be resuscitated, but
the ecclesiastical funds, even in the hands
OF the Comm ssiOners. are devoted strictly
10 ecclesiastical purposes, from a partici-
patton IN which the churches OF ali other
cOmmunions are studiously excluded.
Disestablisbment followed bv. or rather
accompanied by, abandonment. as in tire
late Irish Church establishmept of AN
property transferred at the Reformation.
leaving unapproprated whatever volun.
tary gifts have been bestowed since that
era BY the piOus beneiactions Of the
church's own children, would appear TO
be fair and reasonable, but that which
was accomplished IN a country where the
established church was the church OF The
minority may not be 80 easy Of accom-.
plishment, where that institution is the
church n not Of an aggregate majority vet
OF number greater than any one nom
conforming spci, and interviewer with
temporal interests aud social influences,
frequently more difficult to combat than
any abstract theory Of wrong or principle
oI injustice. But that disestablishment