UNION OF CHURCH AND STATE. (From the Rev. Baplist Noel's Essay.)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 323, 3 July 1849, Page 3

UNION OF CHURCH AND S TATE. (From the Rev. Baplist Noel's Essay.)

The union of the Church with the State ie doomed. Condemned by reason ond religion, by Scii|>Uuc umi experience, how can it be allowed to injme the 11..110.1 much longer? All the ma.n principles upon which it retts are unsound. ' Ils State salaries, its mjnuiiucy, it s patronage ( its compulsion of (lajmcnls foi t.to pupport o f,religion, are coivlenmul l>y bulb the jnccnU'iii^ and c precepts of the word ot God. We b>vubiCii that "sheds a blighting; influence upon 1 ieiai.es, in< cumbents, curates and other tuembcra of churches. 111 1 adds little 10 the number of pastors, it » hlnbutes them with a wasteful disregard to the wants of the population, and it paya least those whom it ought to pay most liberally. It excludes the Gospel doia thousands of parishes { it perpetuates corruptions in doctiino; it hinders all scriptural diicijiline ; it desecrates the ordinances of Christ, confounds the Clnnch end (he world: foments schism among Cbristi ns, and tempts the ministers of Chiist boui in and out of the esla« blishnasnt, to be eager politicians* Further, it enibarra»ses successive Governments, maintai is one chief clement of revolution in the couutiy, rendt-rs the icfortnation of the Anglican Churches hopeless, h nders the progress of Ihe Gospel throughout the kingdom, and strengthens all the conupt Papal establishments of Europi. Worst ol all, it "grieveb" and "quenches" the Spun of God, who caunot b« expectid largely to bless the ChurUiea which will not put away their sins. ]3ut when it shall be dcslioycd, we have reason to hope that the Churches will revive in religion speed, ly. Sound docttine will then be heard from moM. of the Anglican pulpits ; evangelists will go forth into every part of the land ; scriptural discipline will be restored; schism will be mitigated; Christian ministeia will cease to be political partizans 5 we may look for a larger effusion of the Spiiit of God ; and England may become the foremost 0/ the nations in godliness and virtue. Let all who love and tear God arise to accomplish this reformation. The work which our mat tyred forefathers began in the face of the dungeon and the slake, let ua in their spirit complete. If any one is undecided icspeciing tlie principles advocated 111 this work, let him compute tlu arguments adduced by Hooker and Waiburton, by Chalmers and M'Neile,by Gladstone and Birks, on the one side, with those advanced by Dick and Graham, by Ballantync and Conder, by Wordlow, Vinct, and Gaspann on the other. Let him study the history of the Free Churches of Scoiland and of Vaud. Let hun attentively examine the phenomena of Sv»te Churches in Scotland, in Switzerland, and in France. Let hun examine, as they ar« developed by Mr. Bdird, the grand results of spiritual liberty in the United fetates. And let him determine his conduct without regard to interest, fashion, or friendship, m loyalty to Cb/ist, and as ac« countab c to the heart-searching God. Since many will hold back from even nn eximitn. tion of truths which entail mmueutous consequences to themselves, each, disciple of Cluist wtio as»cit«m« tlie separation of the Churches fiora the Stale to be his Master's will, must count it an honour to serve htm singly if need be in this conflict. Gnat events in history have waited on the actions ot a lew intrepid men. Hampden, by his resolute resistance to an act of tyranny, awoke in his country men the spiiit which, becuted our liberties. The gallantly ot Clive saved our Indian empire. Luthev long thought and liiboured almost alone. The extensive revival of the last centuiy was owing, under God, to Wesley and "Whitfield, with very few companions. Let each member of the establishment, therefore, who comprehends this du'y, determiue that he will, without waiting for the decision of others, do hia utmost in the name ol Christ to secure the freedom of the Anglican Churchts from ilia fetters of the State. Members of congicgations, who already ma'nt&in your ministers in co.mexiou with tha Union, «y which your own functions are abandoned and your ministers fe'tered, release them, and recover your own sacred rights, by declaring bat you will be fiee. A few such instances in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Birmir.gh.im, would awaken ihu whole nation to their duty. With greater confidence I address my brethren 0/ the Free Churches, Independents and Baptists, W<sleyans, and member! of the Free Uiuich of Scoland, let us all, with united voices, from Caithness to Ci mwall, claim, in the name of Christ, the Chrictian liberty of the Bntifh Churches ; and this generation may yet see accomplished a second Reformation nioie spiritual and not less exclusive than the ih=U Above oil, let us take care to fulfil thi& duty iv a Chiiiiian spirit. No religious cause nquires incligious means for its advancement. Let us disgrace ourselves by no railing, condemn all personal invective and be guilty of no exaggeration, for these arc the weapons of the weak and the unprincipled ; but urvting with all who love; the Redeemer, let us recognizu with gratitude the work of the Spirit with.n the eblahlWiment as well as without it. Ani with much ypiyt>r, with constant dependence on tlie Holy Spun, wiih <i supreme desire to glorify God, and wiih an abundant exercise of faith, hope, and love, which arc our appropriate armour in every confl ict, let Wo pci severe m our efforts, till the bles ing of Gid renders our Vnuenph a decisive step towards the evangelization of th« world. There has been two more incen li.iry fires in tt e county of Down. On Sunday night a home at Mulln' brack, from which the late tenant had been ej c ted* was burned down. The pro. nctor, Mr. M'Crcigntr had offered the tenant liberty to sell hia into ; re3t ; bu the man refused. A house of Mr. Nicholson s, a 1 - Louzhuni, was also burned. The Western Star £ aya font " Mr. Henry P. Moaguer, the yonu K er brother of T. F. Maagher, and lute a hh t i>tenant in the National Guards ot Rome, immediately on the discovery of the Pope's, flight, tb.ew down his commission, and followed the exiled Foutifl U» the Neapolitan frontier. He is now s aUoned about the Pope's person at Gaeta " We have now to record the death of another antlBritish iuUniHl— the Irish Examiner— uf.cr a bruf but flurried existence of five months. It was not without talent or energy, but ii lacked the necebs.f/ Btamina for the support of lite. The public read, uw did not buy it,