CHURCH AND STATE.
TO TUE EDITOR OF TILE SEECTATOR.
Islington, 13th May len Sul—The question of the separation of the Church of England from its con- nexion with the State, and the substitution, as in America, of the Voluntary Principle in religion, is beginning to attract some attention, as indeed its impor- tance well deserves ; and as it is a subject which cannot be dismissed altogether, but will obtrude itself on our notice whether we like or not, it may be as well to grapple with it at once, and see if we cannot arrive at some certain and satis- factory conclusions respecting it. So very short a period has elapsed since the notion of a separation of the Church from the State has been laid before the public mind, that that mind has not yet had time to art ive at any very clear views on the subject: this is una- voidable, for great changes in opinion are always effected slowly, and it is, ac- cordingly, not to be wondered at if many strange ideas should be floating on the surface of society in reference to this question ; and if I can succeed in dispelling some of these, the object of my address will have been answered. The first ilea that appears to have taken possession of many minds is, that the separation of the Church from the State involves the utter destruction of that Church, the putting down of the clergy of the Establishment, and the pulling down or otherwise appropriating the various sacred edifices belonging to it, and thus diminishing the means of religious instruction that the community would enjoy. Were this at all likely to be the effect of such a disjunction, it would be a matter of duty in every Churchman, and indeed in every really Christianized mind to prevent it as far as lies in his power ; but I trust I shall suc- ceed in showing, not only that no such evil need be dreaded, but that the Church of England, in all that she has really valuable, would be a gainer by the separation.
As a proof, then, that an Episcopal Church with all its dignitaries and orders, its creeds, rites, and ceremonies, may exist, ay, and flourish too, without any connexion whatsoever with the State, we need only look to the United States of America. There is a Church upon the Voluntary Principle, which under the influence of that principle maintains its ground and a very high degree of re- spectability amongst the neighbouring Churches. Now this the Church of En,,hrod does not do ; for, notwithatauding her riches and her great worldly influence, it is a notorious fact that she has for very Many years past been losing ground both in numbers and in power,—the various non-established sects that surround her (some of which are much her inferiors in several respects) having increased in a much greater ratio. This is pat ticularly the case in Ireland, where, notwithstanding her acknowledged superiority in every thing that would at first sight be supposed to render a Church influential, she cannot even snake head against Catholicism,—an old and nearly worn out spiritual despotism, and
i which is only endeared to the Irish from the contrast of the endless exactions of the Establishment. So the then from the connexion of the Church with the State being a source of strength to the former, the very reverse is the case, and those accordingly are its best friends who endeavour to dissolve it,—be it always understood, however, with as little concussion and with as complete a consider- ation of existing circumstances as possible; above all, let none of those who are the present recipients of stipends (be the amount what it may) be disturbed in theii present arrangements. Two striking defects, both arising from the connexion of the Church and the State, are the fur:quality of remuneration fur services and the existence of a large number of sinecurists. Whilst sonic, as the Bishops and the higher dignitaries, arc vastly overpaid, by far the larger portion are greatly underpaid ; whilst no inconsiderable number who receive large incomes would be puzzled to state what services they render in return. Now these are further sources of weakness which the Voluntary Principle would remove altogether, whilst the real hard- working labourers in the vineyard, the curates, would be benefited by the dis- solution of the connexion of the Establishment with the State,— for no volun- tary system would leave them so ill provided. On the other hand, the Esta- blishment would gain in strength by her working members being placed above the reach of necessities, which at present weigh them down and impair their usefulness as spiritual guides.
If the condition of the great body of the working Clergy then would be im- proved by the proposed measure, so also would that of the laity, by. the greater efficiency of the services they would receive ; and it might then be fauly expected that the Establishment would no longer lose ground as compared with other sections of the Church of Christ, but by an equal energy and,:in some respects, a purer doctrine regain her spiritual ascendancy—(I use the word in a good sense)—whilst the source of her weakness, her political ascendancy, would be abandoned.
The efficient control over the conduct of their pastors, which is exercised by the different sects, is not a little conducive to an elevated tone of morals, acting and reacting on pastor and flock. Thus an establishment like that of the i English Church is also calculated to weaken, and, without wishing to draw in- vidious comparisons in this respect, it may be said that the power and tempta- tion to fall away from righteousness with impunity in this world is far greater in the pastors of the Establishment than out of it ; and no one will deny that this is a fearful consideration. With great respect, I remain,
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