The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette. — 1871-11-21 (Dorchester, Dorset, England)

NOT. Which of our great preaohers, bishops or presbyters, bas ever had the honest boldness to protest against aristocratic vice in an aristocratio sesembly ? How many on the contrary have been willing to accept the money of these splendid Sinners for church purposes, and whits:eloquent in their praise of their costly donations, been carefully silent as to their sins? How is it that we see the names of racing men and others on the pages of our religious societies? It ii because the oburch has thought more of their patronage and money than of their souls, and so men living in every kind of dissipation and extravagance are deluded into believing themselves Good Churchmen. By some, no doubt, it is thought so excellent evidence of the good influence of Modern Church Principles that the Jockey Club hes determined not to have recce in Passion week. There is no doubt that the old-fsehioned Puritan influence would never have effected this. But what noble hypocrisy is this? Does it make any difference whether • man commits murder, or robs his neighbour, on Sunday or Monday Is the rascality of the whole raelog system say better the week after Easter than the week before? But here we see one little but plain evidence:, of the fact that Modern Church Principles have lowered and are lowering the truths of Christianity to suit the tastes of the rich and the great, and not one protesting voice is raised gesint,t it. Lament over the eimeation of the poor. ye bb-hnps and great churchmen: weep over the drunkenness and vice of St. Giles: provide homes and reformatories for poor dirty Haymarket : but do not say • word about Belgravia; shut your eyes °irefully as the noble builder (irons of your churches drives by with some one, not his wife, by his side, if unfortunately you meet them in St. John's Wood. Once upon • time a bishop left a church where he had just confirmed about • hundred young persons, and entered the carriage of a rich lthded proprietor, at whose house he was about to stay. One of the confirmed remarked, "Hu lordship has just been warning us sigainst keeping bid company, sod now he has gone to be the guest of the biggest blackguard in the county." N.B.—la that district a "blackguard" means a men who uses bail language: This unholy alliance Isetw.en the church and spferufiel ries: must be broken off, if the chinch is ever to exercise a beneficial influenoe on the upper elaavoe of aoetoty, and thereby ',vein the respect and confidence of the other portions of the Donsmutat,. If things continue as they ere, the result is only a question of time. In France one hundred years ago, the nobility were steeped in vice, and thereby were the objects of the hatred and contempt of the middle and labouring elegies. The churehmen, wealthy, powerful, and proud, were hand and glove with the noblest. And when the latter brought down ruin on their order, did the church escape? The nobility may Imagine that they can afford to despise public opinion, I and the church may turn away her eye. and gay "Am I my brother's keeper r but unless there be • great I change " lie who ordereth all things in Heaven and in I Earth," will show that lie will not be mocked; and wleu that time comes "Judgment will begin at the Hobo of God." Even now we see the utter want of fixed principle; the mixture of " Imbecility and hisehiavolism" in our leading statesmen, most of them nurtured in Modern Church Principles : let Ul be sure of this that they will be the instruments in God's l hands of destroying the system that has withheld from I them "the Truth," which it was pledged to teach, and will use their own birthright privileges to deprive their { successors of theirs. Been now, if some one of our gnat churchmen were to stand out boldly and protest against the vices of the great, and refuse to "hays any fellow. ship with the workers of iniquity," the whole country would join in his praises, and ho would find himself armed at came with a power of influence for good which few men have enjoyed. But is that reAll to be tonsil?  MR.