THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 285, 17 July 1873, Page 7

THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

(From the London '"Telegraph" April 1&.) Many influential members of the Church of England think that, at the present moment, an authoritative statement of the position and prospects of the Church cannot fail to be interesting to the general public. The following paper, which is in no sense controversial, and in no wise reflects upon other religious bodies, but simply aims at giving some account of the history and present condition of the Church of England from a churchman's point of view, has been contributed by a clergyman holding high office in the diosese of Canterbury. It is published in the " Daily Telegraph," whh the approv.il of His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury — with whose recently delivered charge it is in accoi'd.-mce — though the writer alone is responsible for the statements and the accuracy of the statistics. Viewed externally, our organization remains what it was a thousand years a»o. Professor Stubbs has shown this in his masterly introduction to the volume of " Documents Illustrative of English History." The English race who came to these shores in the fifth centuary, and formed the group of kingdoms commonly known as the Heptarchy, were heathens. Their gradual conversion to Christianity was the first bond of union, the first means of giving the people a place in the commonwealth of nations. Archbishop Theodore gathered the kingdoms of the Heptarchy into one National Church, and the portions which were placed each under the spiritual care of n priest named the parishes. Thus the. unity of the English race began with the Church, and was adopted by the cival power. The mighty religious change ""Inch passed over Europe in the sixteenth centuary did not shake the external fabric of the Church of England. Papal supremacy was repudiated, but tiie dioceses of the bishops, the parochial arrangements, remained the same. Many of the parochial registers begin before tho adoption of the Euglish Liturgy; and the visitor to Lambeth Library, who may notice on the shelves thn official records ef the Archbishops will see the great folios lettered "Warham," " Cranmer," " Pole," " Parker," without any indication of the change which had passed through the mind of the Church over which they presided. The history of the Eeformation itself lies entirely out of the scope of the present essay ; but a very few words on the history of the Liturgy may not be out of place. It is based on the ancient forms and liturgies. Some portions are taken from Scripture, others are as old as the Apostles, others can be traced back as far as the first five centuries. Other parts, again, were composed by the Reformers of the sixteenth centuary. The first change made at that epoch was the change from Latin to the vulgar tongue. The Litany, almost in its present form, was first publicly used in 1544. The first complete English Prayer Book was published in 1549 ; a second edition, considerably revised and altered, appeared in 1552 ; a third in the reign of Elizabeth, in 1559. On that occasion, under the Act of Uniformity, it was accepted by all the clergy except about two hundred. The exceptions taken by the Puritans led to the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, and this to some unimportant modifications in the Liturgy. The same Conference, however, started another work, the authorised version of the Bible, which was published in 1611. By-and-by came the Great Civil War. The use of the Liturgy was forbidden, the Throne, was subverted, and England long before was governed by a military despotism. At the Restoration of Charles IT. the Liturgy was again restored, but subjected once more to revision at the Savoy Conference. Then also was passed, for good and evil, the existing Act of Uniformity. At the Revolution of 1689 another revision was undertaken, and the suggestions have been recently published by Parliament, but they never became law. The Ritual Commission of 1837, and the legislation which has already sprung out of it, the Act of Uniformity Amendment Act, are too well known to require further mention. The apologist of the Church of England, it need not be said, repudiate altogether the notion that it dates only from the sixteenth century. Its members believe in " One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church," aud declares that it did not forfeit its part in that Church by renouncing obedience to the Roman See. It cannob be denied, however, that the history of the Church of England since the Reformation exhibits changes nun! conflicts of opinion. The taunt has been cast at the Church that it upheld Royal prerogative under Charles 1., and drove away his son ; that it was Whig under Wiilliam 111.. i and Tory under Anne. But the reproach will not be thought disgraceful by those who remember that public i opinion iv nations ebbs and flows in

like manner — that this ceaseless change seems to be the condition of national life appointed by God. Nailing the pendulum of thought at one end, or at the middle of the arc, will only hinder the material and spiritual progress of men. Whig and Tory are such oscillations of the pendulum — each represents a portion of the truth ; so do the theological principles which even now divide us into parties. English people care comparatively little, however, for abstract or antiquarian questions. The most important question to them in this matter will be, " What use has been served, and is being served, by the Church of England as by law established T First, the organization of the parochial system provides better than any other system could for the spirituil instruction and the material wants of the people. In how many parishes — not only in the country, but in the poor districts of our great towns would not the poor acknowledge thankfully that there are kind words and useful advice to be had, both to the whole, and yet moi'e to the sick, which are out of the province of the Poor Law guardians ? They will tell you that pulpit is not the only place for teaching Christianity — that, in the hour of misfortune and at the couch of sickness, there are those who are "still at hand without request," as Dry den wrote of the good parson long. George Herbert said that the country parson should constitute himself " the standing counsel of the parish," extending his usefulness to every concern of life; and the exhortation has not altogether fallen short of fulfilment. Moreover, let the reader meditate \ipon the great political changes which have passed over the country during the last 20 years — changes which the present writer at least has rejoiced in — and judge how needful it is that we lose not sight of the unity of the body. In the strifes and conflicting interests of classes the Church, so far as I can see, offers the best means at oue disposal forr allaying social bitterness and keeping alive throughout the. land the memory that we are all brethren. This parochial organization, which is already made to our hand, is as old, as we have seen, as the nation itself, and will not have done its work until the nation itself shall pass away. Yes, at this moment — and the Euglish people even now are endorsing the assertion — the Church of England stands as a witness of the uuity of the nation, a visible symbol of our common life which God himsolf has given to us, a confession on the nation's part that she can rest only on Him who is the Life and the Light of men. Here seems the place where we may fitly introduce a " Balance-sheet of the Church of England." It has been furnished to the writet, who has had no opportunites of gathering the facts. It will be seen, inter alia, that the average income of the parochial clergy — and that they are thoroughly hardworking men as a body all agree — does not amount to £300 a year. The incomes of the prelates by no means equal those of eminent City merchants, while the calls upon them are incessant. " I was a rich man when I was Master of Harrow" said the late Archbishop of Canterbury to the present writer, " and I have been a poor man ever since." And, at any rate, the Church expends nearly as much upon the education alone of the poor as upon the maintenance of the clergy. average annual receipts. Endowments. Tithes and rental of lands- £1,949,204 14 Tithes, rental of lands, and interest of money investments acquired for the maintenance of the clergy siice the Reformation - 2,251,051 0 State Aid. Share in Parliamentary Grant for the education of the poor - - - - 508,599 0 Voluntary. Parochial collections and subscriptions - - - - 3,182,400 0 Contributions to London ( Church Societies - - - 400,000 0 Contributions to miscellaneous Church Institutions, other than schools, and not included in parochial collections - 600,000 0 Contributions in aid of church building and restoration, not included in parochial collections - 500,000 0 School payment of parents 762,898 0 Total - - £10,154,152 14 AVERAGE ANNUAL EXPENDITURE. MAINrEANCE OP THE CLERGY. 1. Diocesan and Departmental work. Net salaries of 2 Archbishops, 26 Bishops, and 70 Archdeacons - - - £138,556 0 2. Cathedral work. Net salaries of 30 Deans, 127 Canons, 120 Minor Canons, 600 singers, with many lay officers and servants - - - - 201,605 0 3. Parochial work. Net salaries of 13,041 rectors and vicars, and 5706 curates 3,146,051 0 Taxes, «fee. , on the endowments <if Ihe clergy , other than income tax, and those paid usually by occupiers. - - - - - 714,043 0 Education of the Poor. Education of 2,044,406 scholars in Church' schools, with training of teachers, &c. - - - - 3,051,573 0 Miscellaneous. Church institutions other than schools - - - - 1,000,000 0 Jlelief of poor from Church 1 collections - , , - , 400,000 0

Fox elgn missions- - - - 500,000 0 Current Church expenses 352,000 0 Church building and restoration 050,000 0 Balance 324 H Total - - - -£10,154,152 14 One remark occurs here br-tmv passing on. It wouM take us long to go through the list of " Church institutions" referred to above. They may be found in "Low's Handbook of Charitieß." Many of them are given in the halfpenny almanac of the Christian Knowledge Society. There is one among them of which I knew nothing unHl I came to live in a seafaring town, but having now made acquaintance with it, how could I speak of it too highly ? I menn the " Missions to Seamen"" I have here a large population of sailors, rough, hardy, brave. Even as I write there is a great wreck lying within sight, which some twenty of these sailors a tew nights ago brought through a storm by means of the lifeboat, saving all the crew's lives with unimaginable toil and risk. They loaf about and work hard by turns, and of all lives I suppose theirs is the most irregular as regards times and seasons. The " Missions to Seamen. " institution has built them a handsome room whither they can retire in idle hours and smoke and read. It provides a Scripture reader for them, and any Sunday evening the visitor may find them and their wives entering with all their heart iuto the Church of England Service and singing to their harmonium in such a way as many a fine congregation might envy. Is not such a blessing as the Church has thus been able to confer upon them a real and great blessing! (To be concluded in our next.)