TOPICS OF THE DAY
THE CHURCH IN BIRMINGHAM.
THE ideas of an Established Religion and a -Monarchical Govern- ment have hitherto been so closely connected in the minds Of a very numerous class of persons in this country, that they are still apt to consider dissent from the Church as synonymous with dis- affection to the State. By these persons, the refusal of the Dis- senting parishioners of Birmingham to vote the necessary Church- rates will be viewed as a fearful sign of the times, and as directly tending to oveithrow our political as well as ecclesiastical institu- tions. These apprehensions, however, we believe to be in a great measure unfounded; though it is very natural that they should be entertained by men whose habits of thought were slavishly formed under the old Tory rt:winze. But the great mass of Dis- senters have always considered. the Established Church as a nui- sance, to be abated as soon it could be done without endangering the stability of the British Constitution. It is evident, therefore, that its overthrow would not tend to render them disloyal or dis- satisfied subjects, but would have a directly contrary eil'ect. - The attachment of the High Church play to the Government which should countenance such a project, might indeed, be shaken ; but we are convinced that not only the Dissenters of all denomina- tions (forming perhaps one half of our population), but that large and influential class of Churchmen who admit the injustice and discern the impoliey of compelling one man to pay for the :a.ipport of another's religion, would hail with gladness any plan of reform which, while it secured the enjoyment of existing rights, would render each sect chargeable with the support of its own clergy. It is a weful mistake to suppose that the prosperity of England is bound up in that of the Church and its corruptions. No: a government of King, Lords, and Commons would still be main- tained—the interest of the Debt would be regularly discharged— our fleets and armies, if necessary, would again go forth conquer- ing and to conquer—the skill, industry, and honesty of our arti- sans and merchants would remain unhnpaired—ay, and the pure doctrines of Christianity would be eloquently inculcated and ex- tensively practised—even though the Episcopal Church should fish from its high and palmy state, and be reduced to a political equa lity with the other religious sects in the land; and even though her dignitaries and ministers should be compelled to rely alone on the well-merited affection and voluntary munificence of her wealthy and sincere disciples for their honourable support.
This news from Birmingham has not surprised us. We have for many years past been expecting a movement of this description
• on the part of the Dissenters. The only wonder ought to be, that it has not taken place before. As long as the Church numbered a decided majority of the people in her ranks, the refusal to pay
• rates and tithes would have been impolitic in the extreme; and would have only served to defer the period of the emancipation from the control of the Church, which must always have been aimed at by the Dissenters. But it is the character of English- men to suffer injustice, even of the mildest description, only until there is a fair chance of escape. from it. It is manifest that the Non-conformers have had for some time past the power in their own hands to compel a reform of Ecclesiastical abuses. Hitherto, however, they have been generally quiescent ; and we have beard much more grumbling at the forced payment of Ecclesiastical dues of all kinds from Churchmen than from them. The cause of this apparent apathy lies in the fact of the agricultural population, who are generally of the -State religion, being the principal tithe- payers. These are the men who suffer most from clerical exac-
tions and the mode in which they are made. If the Dissenters. were farmers, and hence perpetually in contact with the tithe-col- lector, we are persuaded that the system would have been indig- nantly, perhaps forcibly, abolished long ago : but as they reside chiefly in large towns, and are, in many parishes, mulcted in a very small amount, the stimulus to resistance has been wanting, or, at any rate, has been very weak. The case is now altered: their blood is up—they scent the game, and in full force and high spirits they are cheering one another on to the death of their old stepmother the Church.
Many circumstances have conspired to produce this change,
and to render the present period particularly hazardous to the Establishment. We have before alluded to the avowed determi- nation of the people to follow up the reform of our political, by a remodelling of our ecclesiastical institutions. We have also noticed the insane conduct of the Bishops in opposing the former, and in only making a sham attempt at the latter operation. The feelings of the nation at large were unquestionably indignantly ex- cited by their conduct. But the Dissenters had for some time previously been excessively and peculiarly annoyed in another way. We refer to the additional burden imposed upon them by the building of new churches, the act for which passed a few years ago. Not only was a million of the public money appropriated for this purpose; but a perpetual increase of Church-rates was also entailed upon the Dissenters by .a measure which was expressly taken to diminish their importance and prevent their increase. Now it is not in human nature—certainly not in the strong-nerved humanity of Englishmen—to suffer such oppression with -patience. Accordingly, we find that altercations,- ill blood, and finally the strong measure of refusing the rates for the old churches, as well as the new ones, have resulted from this sagacious attempt to check the progress of Dissent., Those who have had an oppor- tunity of observing the working of the Church-building Act, will
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measures should Pe. They may be thus generally and briefly etiquette and verbal accuracy. He must, if he would avoid such stated—the retirement of the Bishops from Parliament, where blunders—for it is worse than ridiculous to term it any thing else their conduct is usually odious to the nation and discreditable to than a blunder—be content in future to attempt less ; and in his themselves ; the abolition of tithes, 'sinecures, and pluralities; and attempts, to introduce a portion of that lucidus ordo which he that a reform of the Ecclesiastical Courts, the laws and regulation of neglects to choose his task discreetly will never attain to. which are as annoying and abominable as the ingenuity of man Now for the irreligious argument. When the English Cholera could invent. It cannot be denied, however, that every possible Bill was in Committee in the Commons, Mr. Buiscok: moved the exertion may now be made too late to save the Establishment— introduction into the preamble of words to the effect that the that, after all, it will perhaps be deprived of its exclusive privi- Cholera was an infliction of God. The following is our own note • leges, and reduced to the same state as the Episcopal Church of of the debate that ensued— North America. We have no time or space to show, that this is M far from being a discreditable state. But if the diffusion of Chris- a bleisin'' of God. He would oppose the amendment.
tian doctrines be the main and essential duty of Christian minis- tors, we are well assured that the Church of England, as at pre-
sent constituted, can boast of no superiority over her Transatlantic " Mr. BRISCOE, however, on the entreaty of _Lord Altlzorp, withdrew his daughter. motion; protesting that his only reason for calling the disease an infliction of We have one word of friendly counsel to bestow upon the Dis- God, was that it had baffled 1111111(In shill."—Speetator, No. 190.
senters. "Your (Tame, gentlemen, is not an easy one to play. At This was on Wednesday the 15th of February. On Thursday present you are driving matters rather too furiously. The wealth, the 16th, the Scotch Cholera Bill was introduced ; into the pm- intelligence, pride, and spirit of the Churchmen, will yet present amble of which Lord Advocate JEFFREY moved to insert the formidable obstacles to your design, if you entertain such, of words " by the interposition of God." On this motion a debate overthrowing the Establishment. Your best and most eflicient took place; of which it is only necessary to give the following ex-
allies, if your projects are rational and moderate, will be found tract— amens, those cool-headed Reformers who still love and revere the "Mr. HII3IE objected to the words : they were uncalled for by any feature of Church, as the grand depository and safeguard of the pure doe- the bill or the disease. trines of the Protestant religion,—though they deplore and would "It would appear that, in resuming his seat, Mr. Hume had uttered the remove the blots which obscure her original brightuess. If you word 'humbug, not to the House, but to the member next him. On the pre- amble being read, Sir ROBERT INGLIS complained of this; and Mr. III131E re- exasperate this party, and drive them by your precipitancy to plied—' It was not usual for honourable members to mention publicly words coalesce with your opponents—the advocates of things as they which were not intended for their ears. However, as the honourable Baronet are—your success, should you succeed, would be attended with took the trouble of informing the House that he had said it was 4 humbug' to disasters to the nation at large, for which the abolition of church- set forth in an Act of Parliament that it had pleased God to afflict the country rates would be a miserable compensation. Proceed, then, with with a pestilence, he ought to have also stated that he added the words ' cant caution, for your own sakes and the nation's. There is a Coin- them ; and assure the honourable Baronet, that he looked with suspicion upon mission appointed to inquire into the state of Church property and the religious professions of people who, like the Pharisee in Scripture, were over- the mode in which clerical duties arc performed; and this Coin- ostentatious in the display of their sanetity."—Spectator, No. 190. mission is said to be an honest, searching, and zealous one. Now, Subsequently, Mr. J. E. GORDON expressed a hope that the will it not be both fair and prudent to wait for the result of its question would be pressed to a division, in order that the names of labours, and the proceedings of a Reformed Parliament, before those who thought fit to reject such an amendment mkt be put resorting to such extreme measures as refusing to vote the rates, on record, and the names of those who stood up to vindicate their and thereby closing the church-doors ?" principles might equally ,be known. Mr. HUME on this said, that
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