The English Church Union, in their meeting on Tuesday at
145 Cheapside, continued to support Mr. Tooth, and to talk of Disestablishment as the alternative for the repeal of the Public Worship Regulation Act. For our own parts, we do not at all object to the latter alternative ; but if it be practically impossible, which we suspect it is, how are the Church Union going to bring Disestablishment about? By seceding in large numbers? No doubt that would do it, if the numbers were large enough but even granting them 2,600 clergy in the English Church Union, how many of them would secede? And if, as is not unlikely, the Ridsdale Appeal Judgment to a large extent invalidates the Purchas Judg. ment, bow many would secede then? Or do they think that the laity will be more anxious to disestablish the English Church, simply because it has in one or two extreme cases really "put down" Ritualism ? We do not at all like the Public Wor- ship Act, but Disestablishment would in some respects have been more popular if that Act had never been passed, than it is likely to be now.
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