Some Aspects of Disestablishment. Edited by H. C. Shuttle- worth,
MA. (A. D. Innes.) —The first of the five essays by "Clergymen of the Church of England," which Mr. Shuttleworth has here collected, adding one from his own pen, is written by the Rev. Percy Dearmer. Mr. Dearmer's name does not appear in the Clergy List of 1692, and we may suppose, therefore, that he is very young. His youth possibly accounts for the arrogance of his language, but it might have put the editor on his guard. Such foolish, hot-headed talk can be of no use, except by way of " shocking example." Of this kind must be the claim of the Rev. Mr. Fillingham (priest, 1890, the Clergy List tells us) to state the case of Disestablishment pare and simple. Anything more feeble, and we must add, vulgar, than this essay cannot be imagined. "The money is wanted elsewhere," says Mr. Filling- ham. For what ? To keep children longer at school, and to provide old-age pensions. It is open to argue that the money for the maintenance of a Christian ministry might be found elsewhere more profitably than it is found in endowments. But
it must be found somehow. If the State seizes tithe and glebe, the nation, unless it economises religion altogether, must find an equivalent. However, Mr. Fillingham may be safely referred to his neighbour, Mr. Reaney, who disposes of the Liberationist argument in a very emphatic way. Mr. Hancock discourses on "Welsh Disestablishment," and Mr. P. H. Peach on "Church Reform." The editor sums up in a sensible contribution, which contrasts very favourably with the work of some of his con- tribut3rs His proposals are (1) Right of Lay Churchmen to a. share in Church Government ; (2) Abolition of the Abuses of Patrcnage (with expression of private belief that the parish should elect its parson,—a dismal failure, we may say, wherever it has been tried) ; (3) Redistribution of Church Endowments ; (4) Relaxation of the Act of Uniformity.
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