THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1430, 13 December 1886, Page 2

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

A very remarkable summary of " Th« Voluntary Contributions of rhe C'lurch •*f England for 24 ' ears " had been going the round of the English papers ia relation to tnernmour that an attempt was Incontemulvion to bring about a disestablishment. It ia compiled fmm official returns for the years 1860- 1884. and shows that, without taking into account the funds raised for certain dl tlnotiva Church Societies, institutions, and charl ies, or for parochial pu> poses, or for founding and maintaining middle-class schools, or for supporting Onuroh elecr-hoode, or for assisting societies and institutions not of a distinctive Church character (all of these representing a very la r ga additional sum) —the voluntary offerings of th- Church of Kng J and for relig us and charitable purposes amounted to the mormons snm of 681,573,237 —more than Bl£ m llions sterling. or at t e rate of over millions yearly. Among the Individual uems were the following Church building and restoration, endowments of benefices, building of parsonages, establishment of burial grounds (all grants from Church Hooleties and Corporations being excluded), £35,175 000; elementary education. £21,362,04; societies for the promotion of education bv literature and other agencies, £987 841; temperance work, £128.590; additional curates, £2,543,296 ; Home Mission Societies, £BBB 623 ; Seamen's Mission, £352 688 ; Üburoh Extension Societies, £1,2.19 603 ; Bishops' fund for chnroh extension, £l 056 054 ; charitable work (distinotivelv Chmoh ->f England Institutions), £3,818,200; 01er K y charities, £2 101,364 ; Foreign vllssions (exclusive of contributions locally raised abroad), £10,100,C00. All these are, it should b > observed, entirely "voluntary” contributions This is a noble record, and forcibly demonstrates the continued vitality of the yfuerkble national Obnwh,