The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-05-25
DISESTABLI SHMENT OF THE
CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

England comes Without surprise. The Radical, the
! Labor, the Nonconformist and the National mem
bers, however much they may differ on other ques-
lions, agree in their determination to bring about
the separation of the church from the state Among
the moderate of the Liberals many who
share the views of the labor leader Mr.. Keir Har-
die, and his followers on this important question.
Manifestly the vote Of the house on Mr.. Everets
motion for separation is result of the contest
the education bill To that the church,
as we pointed out in article few weeks ago,
materially opposed and it has consequently in
Cured some of the political wrath which turned
the House of Lords Like the attack on the
| House of Lords, the resolution against the estab-
! lished church has too much the appearance of re
venge to be of moral disadvantage to the premier,
Sir Henry Campbell Banneunan.
Had the education bill not been a factor in the
political situation, opportunity for the house to
express its sense on the subject of disestablishment
would probably have been presented by the church
itself.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and many of the
bishops perceving the writing of the armless hand
on the wall decreeing the doom of establishment
would anticipate the calamity by suggesting to the
government bill which would leave the endow-
ments of the church intact But now the acrimon-
ious spirit evoked by discussions over the educa-
tional bill will be satisfied with nothing short of
disestablishment and disendowment.
On May 8, 1871, Mr.. Mial, one of the Liberia
ZIONIST members of the house. moved a resolution
for the disestabshment of the church. 1t was de-
feated after telling speech against it by Sir Roun
dell Palmer, afterward the first Earl of Selborne
Fourteen years later Sir Roundell's Defense of
the Church of England against Disestablishment
and Disendownment" was published. That work
still holds the place it Immediately took the best
statement of the case against separation and ex-
preparation. In 1873 motion for disestablish
ment was again introduced and defeated, Mr.. Glad
stone opposing it. Disestablishment on the Irish
plan would, he said cost the nation 90,000,000
pounds sterling, that is $490000,000 This is what
would have to be paid as matter of legal JUS
tice, in compensation for the life incomes private
endowments, fabrics and advowsons that would be
surrendered. The parliamentary recognition of the
rights of the clergy, and the duty of the state in
the premises is in striking and honorable contrast
to the mean and contemplate robbery perpetrated
by the French government, the other day, on the
clergy of France.
Disestablishment of the Church of England is
not regarded by all churchmen something that
would necessarily be, disastrous to the church, even
if accompanied by disendowment, which would be
regarded spoilation. In 1874 Mr. Gladstone,
who the year before had opposed a disestabGshment
resolution, said he did not share the dread of dis
establishment that was probably entertained by
most churchmen. He was never afraid of it after
1880, says his biographer, Mr. Morley.
When, under the Eighth Henry, England broke
away from the Unity of Christendom, she abol
ished far as it was possible the integrity of
Christianity and established local national re-
ligion with adulterous King Supreme Pom
tiff, she made void and opposed the prayer of our
Divine Lord that "there shall be made one fold and
one shepherd" and contradcted St. Paul when he
appealed to the Christians of his time to be Scare
full to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace. one Lord, one Faith, one baptism" She
took the churches and abbeys with their lands
robbed the converts and perverted the sacred build
ings of the Catholic church into temples of hereti-
cal worship, and put to death expelled the bish
ops and priests who refused to conform to the hui
man institution henceforth called the Church of
England. From the proceeds of this spoation she
endowed her ministers, her deanerys, canonries and
pretenderies, and made ample provision for the
support in perpetuity of the churches, bishops,
deans and clergy of the new faith, the religion
of England
This support influential and numerically
strong body of men, now in parliament threaten to
take away when they shall have accomplished the
dlsestabllshment OF the church. that IS the separ-
alton of the state fro mthe Church of England and
reducing it to the plane of the sectarian churches
of the kingdom now sunnorted nv voluntary offer
ings.
The effect of disestablishment and disendowment
may not be seriously felt for fifty years. not before
the present generation of Church of England clergy
shall have passed away. When that happens the |
church will have passed from dominant to a mil
liant creed and like the other sectarian bodies will
have to struggle and fight for It's bread.
1t is possible that under the stress of rough
weather. the waring parties now within the church.
the High Church, Low church and Broad church