Voice of the Protestant Churches.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 524, 23 April 1851, Page 3

Voice of the Protestant Churches.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has returned the following re;i|y to an address from the archdeacons and clergy of the diocese of Canterbury :—: — Lambeth, Nov. 21 1850. I am much gratified by receiving the addreas of the archdeacorn and clergy of my diorese of Cnnterbury, " protesting ngainit the act of aggression upon our •luirch recently committed by the papal see." I was well aware thai the cleruy of my diocese were animated by the same sentiments which have l>ecn so gencr<illy expressed by the church of England roncernin< this extraordinary measure, and I hare waited for your addrris, considering that it would afford the most suitable oppoitunity of declaiing my own sentiments upon the occasion. You justly observe that the appointment of bishops to take ipiritunl charge of the several counties of England and Wales is in direct opposition to the statutes of a country which affirm that no foreign prelate or potrntate hath, or ought to have, any jurisdiction or authority within this realm, in which the queen's majesty, under God, is the sole »upreme governor. " When a foreign potentate assigns particular districts of the realm to be ruled over by hi« episcopal delegates and nominees," he certainly asiumes to himself a pre-eminence and power which are opposed to the spidt and purport of our law. We therefore hare just reason to declare our indignation at the present invasion of our rights, and the assumption on which it is avowedly grounded, that our protestimt communion is unound, and even heretical. But whilst we are indignant, we need.not be surprised. All religions, whether false or true, must be in a certain sense nggrensive if it is sincere ; and it is the known clmracteriitic of the Roman catholic religion to be not merely aggressive, but encroaching, and to rest satisfied with nothing short of abaolme domination. We shall therefore act wi.'-ely if we look around us and inquire whether any peculiar circumstances amongst ourselves may have caused the present tune to appear to the court of Rou.e a favourable opportunity for the movement of nhich we complain. Ten years have elapsed since I thought it necessary to warn the clergy of another diocese against the danger of adopting principles which, when carried out, tend naturally to those Romi-ii errors, against which our forefather* proiested, and which were renounced by the Anglican church. The result has proved that this judgment wai not harsh, or the warning premature ; on the contraiy, certain of our clergy professing to follow up those principles, have pioceded onward from one Romish tenet and one Romish practice to another, till in some congregations all that is distinctive in prote&tant doctrine or prorestant worship has disappeared. Other circumstances might be mentioned, such, for instance, as the titles and precedence allowed to the Roman catholic dignitaries in Ireland and our colonies, which have afforded some color to the belief that a change had come over the spiiit of •ur land, and that an act of Rotnibh aggression might be ventured without risk of serious notice or national opposition. Happily the event has proved that the errors were on the surface, and confined to few ; the heart of ths nation adheres to the Word of God, and rejects the traditions of men. Our first duty, therefore in the present crisis is to letrace our steps wherever they have tended towards Romiih doctrine or Romish superstition ; and, whilst we appeal to the legislature to protect our church irom foreign invasion, to be especially careful that we are not betrayed by enemies within. But another duty is incumbent on us, of still greater urgency. The corruptions of the Romish church »re very congenial to the human mind, and especially to the uneducated, unuwukened mind. Amongst the population of our crowded towns and our remote villages, too many, unhappily are little nble to test the truth of any religiou whuh is proposed to them by its only sure standard, the Bible. These may easily become a prey to teachen so subtle, so bkilftil, so insinuating as Romuh emissaries are known to be. There 15 likewise a constant immigration from Ireland of men who have imbibed superstition from their cradle, and hy companionship, or alliances among their fellow-workmen, are too likely to aid the exer* tions of priests und Jesuits, of nuns and sisters of charity. It becomes doubly Decesiary for the clergy to guard their people against this danger hy every means through which scriptural knowledge may be diffused amongst them; acquaintance with the scriptures is the bure defence against Home ; the laity must lend their aid and supply the means of adding to the number of clergy, together with a provision for household visitors end scripture readers, without which it is impossible to make head against the ignorance and apathy of an untaught multitude. If the recent assault upon our' cliurcu should thus become the means of extending scriptural instruction, the measure which was designed for our injury may, under a gracious providence, result in an eventual good. The enemy hat shown that he considers we have a weak point. It is our business to strengthen that point, and guard it from attack ; and not to allow the ignorance of any part of our population to betray them into the hands or Rome. The clergy who have addressed me, may depend upon my using whatever influence belongs to the high office and station to which I have been called, to maintain her majesty's " royal prerogative and titlr, and to assert the rightful claiua of the church of Englaud." And I have full confidence that they, on their part, will never be wanting in their endeavours to render harmless nay attempt which may be made to weaken or subvert the protestant faith of which they are the appointed guardians. J. B. Cantuak,