New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
Already ONCE MORE.

~ ,.io,r nv, M means invariably found in men of
his cloth II is long since we have seen SUCH
striking and clever sketches OF Englsh pehs''h'
life as he has presented. While 'hlS latest pooh
i, far less descriptive and narrative IMAM ohoSc
which preceded it, the reader VIII ma Ill IL h''er
of deep interest. if he desires L" nc informed
concerning tha, movement in England which seems
10 point directly. If not Immediately, toward me
nisestoblishment Of the Anglican Church. DIR.
rso,n.s first two papers deal with the trials Of
n country parson. and here we ma iiih DIT MS
host 81 far rs charm of composition goes. The
snimaIism Of the Norfolk peasants and small
farmer, is strongly brought out and, lnfercntlaly
the enormous dficulty-it might almost he SAID,
the hope cssncss-of elevatne what they call 'heir
minds TO q spiritual plane. Apparently 'hese
stolid and stupid ycomen are as incapable OF think
inc nc community q Central African natifcS
would be: and. what is particularly dlsconrag-
ing. they are characterized by an absolute want OF
dclicacy which seems TO indicate the absence Vi
any foundation whereon to puiid hleher W.
,elonmcnt. DIR. Jessopp says: Il think no one
who has not tried painfully to III ana leao o'r''
can have the least notion OF the difficulty 'e
country parson has to contend with In the eN'ic"'
,iinness of the stratum in which the rural lntieoO
maya. Their absolute ignorance of history
amounts to an incapacity Of concciving the reah'S
ot ANYTHING that may have happened III past 'iinc'
What their grandfathcrs have told thcm' 'i'"V 10
10 them history everything before thai Is ho. -
much as fable: it is not romance, IL Is 'o'n',''
void. it is cl aos. The worst OF IL Is 'n'' '"'S
have no curiosity about the past. Inc S"",' "
true of their knowledge of anything appf''c"in"
10 the rudimcns of physical science II SIMPLY
does does not exist. belief IN the I'ocni"i0
system is universal in Already
II this dense ignorance were all II "o"'" NC
- hove
had enough. but il is not all. lhere H.
Dr .Jessopp. one salient de1ect in the East
Annlan character which presents an almost III
superable obstacle to the country parsoh WI" Is
ouxious 10 raise the tone of his people, ana 70
awaken a respons; When he appeals to their coil
sciences and their feelings. The East Angina"
is Of all the inhabitants Of these Islands. most
wanting in native courtesy. i'll deHcacy OIL iccl
ing. and in anything remotely resembling Io-
mantle sentiment" And he SAYS of the NOT
foil neasant. Refinement of feeling he is
quite incapable Of. and without III the e"s'
wishing TO he rude, gross or proianc, ne Is oi.''
all three at once quite innoccntly during I'VE
Jtinutes' talk. | have had things SAID 10 me ny
really good and well-meaning men ana women
in Already that would make susceptible people
swoon II would have been quite idle 10 re-
monsfrate You might as well preach OF duty
70 an antelope" Might not foreign mlSSioh-
10 the South Seas. for instance-b" more e~7
couragng and more fruitful than cure OF sue"
souls" Yet DR.. Jessepp has found that II h''c
can he done in the way OF purely spiritual III
struction there is wide field for secular labors,
and many means of inlprcsSing and lnnuehclhS
the people outside of the church mlnlstratlons
His account of the trials of a country parson III
sucb surroundings is not less instructive than
interesting and it shows, among other Things,
that at the present time the country parson is
aca6 in
heavy odds against him. His income is dmln-
ishnu wear by year, and his expenses are not
decreasing His position is becoming more and
more anomalous and poor as he is. rural opinion
condemns him because his impoverishmcnt has
not kept pace with that of the small farmers of
late years
But the most interesting part Of Dr. JeSsopps
book is his examination of the parsons freehold.
here he takes strong ground against the existing
situation. holding that the pcrpctuity of tenure
which the parsOn enjoys is altogether
against public policy. and harmful also TO the
incumbent himself. AS the law stands. a clergy
man on the Establishment is invested for life,
and no matter what happens-if he becomes
a drunkard. hopeless cripple, or
dsgraces his parish he cannot be
turned ont. This, DR.. ,Jessopp stoutly maintains,
is monstrous and scandalous state of things Ii is
also demoralizing 10 the clergy, for the incumbent
of a living is too apt, knowing himself provided
for permanently, to sink into sloth and Tenouncc
ambition, becoming a mere fossil, and byword
and injury to the church he represents The
Doctor would have this changed by putting the
disposition of all lvngs. and the control OF the
Ecclesiastical Fund, in commission, and making
all livings tenabe only during good behavior, and
to be vacated for cause. A secondary issue is
the strange but seriously Just question-who OWLS
the Church of England? DR.. JessOpp declares
that he has been unable to find this out. and that
he has never met any one who could answer the
question. In practice the pars0n who holds a
living controls the church connected with it, and
the improperly and danger OF such an arrangement
appear in the fact that any person ca make what
ever changes lie pleases in his church: that Is can
restore" dc. alsh. destroy the most precious
archaeological treasures, replace ancient wood
carvings with stucco, take brasses from the floor
and stick them on the walls-in short, spoil the
noblest old ecclesiastical edfces in the country.
Not only can this be done. but ii has been and
is being done. and DR.. Jcssopp gives several In
stances. clergyman ignorant OF architecture
and well-stocked with srlf-cOnccit may do III
calculable and irreparable mischief and the aston
ishing fact appears 10 be that there is authority
10 stop such icOnOcast. The church is his
freehold, and he can do as he likes with it, That.
at least, is the conclusion 10 which DR.. Jessopp
has been forced. Whether any reform can be
secured short Of Disestablishment, however. lie is
not certain Naturally he regards with the dis
may SO radical a measure must provoke in an
elderly and therefore conservative thinker, the
consequences OF the sweeping change proposed
forcsladowed: but it is plain that he does not
believe the existing situation t0lerable ten
able. The influence Of the Anglican Church, he
thinks, is declining, and he endeavors to point
out the causes of this decline; but it happens
that some Of the fundamental points Of any
practical scheme Of reform appear 10 be incom-
patblc with the continuance of the Establish
mcnt. lie would have the tithe-chargc put d-
reetly upon the land and make the landlord
sponsbe for its payment. For he still believes