Widnes Examiner. — 1891-06-27 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

STATE PRIESTIS'M : SOME STRANGE ' CONTRASTS.  Sir,—Kindly permit me •now to bring my remarks on this subject to a close. 7. There is certainly nothing recorded of the acts and -words of Jesus that coUld even be wrested to countenance , the idea that he ever intended that his church should be a great political institution, and his ministers highly alaried and livened °dicers of State. On the contrary, the principles which he taught and exemplified in his walk and conversation before men were about as oppo• site to such things as they could well be. The institu• tion which he planted with his life and watered with his • tears and blood was a heavenly, spiritual church, whose fundamental and controlling law was supreme love to , God and man. Sucha church could never require or receive aid from kings, politicians, and other men of the eworld ; and could only accomplish its purpose by the ~effectual working of the Divine Spirit in the hearts and , consciences of men, turning them from darkness into light,and from the power of Satan unto God. Moreover, • such an institutiou was, from its very nature, sure to -excite hatred and persecution,wherever it found its way and was seen to yield the peaceable fruits of righteousmeas. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also,-said Jesus to his followers ; and after an experience of forty years Pael was constrained to record his conviction that he that will live godly in this present world =lust suffer persecution. Of course, a spiritual, unworldly church of this kind -would, find little or no favour with people who seem to have their portion in this life, and could never provide places and endowments for right reverend and most :reverend,Lcrd Bishops. But ecclesiastics have a keen eye for the present as well ao for the future, and an ,ardent desire to make the best of both worlds, if at all .possible. And being men of learning, and mighty in the scriptures and other ancient lore they have set up an institutienwhich they call " the,eiaurch," which suits their purpose admirably. They are, of course, too loyal to Jesus to repudiate his headship altogether, but with a -fine sense of expediency they haveput him into the background. Ever since the days of that potentate of in-famous memory, Henry the Eighth, who threw off allegiance to Rome and set himsa up as Tope, the Kings and queens of this country have posed as heads of the church and defenders of the the 'faith! The reverend fathers are amongst the warmest and most energetic supporters of -these pretensions, and gladly make solemn ,oaths offering the sovereign's supremacy in all matters ,civil and eceiesiastlcal in this realm—although the master whom they profess to follow has commanded them to swear not at all! Having thus set up their head, no matter what character may be, the good bishops pray for him daily., and several times on Sundays, as a" most religious and gracious majesty " ! (The value of these devotions may be -roughly estimated by the revelations of the recent gambliag scandal at 'Tranby Croft.) And again, when the royal armies go forth to plunder and destroy people ,who have Eever injured them, and whose faces they have never seen' the reverend peace. . makers conveniently forget their Lord's injunction to love their enemies, and do good to them that hate them, and insult the Divine Majesty by invoking His blessing upon men whose occupation is to rob and murder His own creatures! But worse still. When the carnage is - over, when tens of thousands of brave men have been cruelly slaufhtered, other thousands wounded and maimed for life, and multitudes of widows and orphans added to the pauper roll, these reverend apostles of the Prince of Peace set their bells a ringing, and chant "Te Dennis" for a glorious victory! But awful and blasphemous as all this is, it has its uses for', Church and State." The pride and ambition jf Ccps,ar Rye, much gratified by the proceedings, and his