New-York tribune., 1900-06-21

u,ss formed in 1S43. declared I'VE quit a viii
+ed establishment. but would rejoice in return
. "a a pure one Each church has become
= its nractice thoroughly consistent in uphold
,rg the principle that churches should be main
+ained by voluntary support and not by State
s,d Voluntaryism has been successful as a
t,,siress policy In one church in the other.
and whatever may have been the original rea-
CONS for breaking away from the established
,-dar there is no longer any trend Of opinion in
+be direction Of State aid for religion or State
..arserance with ecclesiastical discipline. The
rr,,+ed Free Church will represent with GU
,nrrative force the principle Of Voluntaryism
against Establishment. 1t may not do this ag-
qressivelv for a decade, but the moral influence
., the new amalgamated organization will be
exerted strongly IN favor of disestablishment.
The Established Church in Scotland since the
revolt Of 1S43 has been steadily recovering its
ground and extending its sphere Of usefulness.
State aid enables II TO keep ministers in service
in remote districts Of the Highlands and among
the islands where Voluntaryism is not repre-
sented and through the liberality OF its mem
bers over four hundred churches have been
built and endowed during the last sixty years,
and large funds have been created through vol
untary gifts Of increasing membership. It
ts the largest and richest religious communion
in Scotland, and If disestablished and olsen
dowed would not find II difficult TO devise an
efficient system of voluntary support. 1t has
been kept steadily upon its defence by the
schisms and cleavages Of the last hundred and
fifty years. and. like the Established Church in
England, It has succeeded in justfying its exist
ence by multiplying its activities in overcrowded
factory towns and in lonely reaches OF the
coast. Important reforms have been brought
about within the Establishment, lay patronage
has been abolished, the independence OF ecclesi-
astical courts has been worked out and each
congregation chooses its own minister. Evils
and abuses against which DR.. Chalmers and his
associates protested sixty years ago have dis
appeared from the Established Church. and
much has been done to render religious services
more attractive by the improvement OF church
music, the employment Of trained choirs and
the improvisation Of a liturgy. There may be
a ritualistic movement in the Church Of Scot
land. and without doubt there is not a little
German rationalism preached from the pulpits
but the Establishment on the whole is managed
with practical intelligence. business capacity
and religious zeal.
THE ESTABLISHMENTS PREDoMINANCE.
The Established Church will be doubly on its
guard now that the two most formidable cham
pions Of Voluntaryism have joined forces. and
= will increase its efforts 10 disarm Liberation
as q national Church commanding the respect
Of Scotchmen. Its membership exceeds that Of
all the other religious conmunions combined, for
according TO the registrar-general's records 1t
ministers 10 a population Of 1.S74,393, whereas
the United Free Church Will represent ,324. 703,
the Roman Catholic Church 415.323 and the
Episcopal Church 11195S Neither the Roman
Catholics nor the Episcopalians are Liberation
lists; the former would be satisfied with the Hol-
land compromise Of State support for all
ligious bodies, and the latter do not wish TO
have the question Of Disestablishment raised in
Scotland whence it will have be transferred
10 England. The United Free Church will be
the natural rallying ground for the Dsestab-
Hshment cause Voluntaryism is the bond which
has brought two powerful bodies Of dissenting
scotchmen together, and it is the raison d'etre
Of the new church, since II is the only real line
OF separation between the United Free Church
and the Established Church in Scotland.
I. n. r.