(Laughter.) Lord KING remarked, he was quite sure that the sentiments expressed in the petition were those of the old women of England. (Much laugh. ing.) The Duke of SUSSEX, on presenting a petition from Bristol, in favour of the Catholic claims, took that occasion to express his gratitude to Ministers for the manly and honourable conduct they were now pursuing in regard to the Catholics, and to assure them of his most cordial support. The Bishop of BRISTOL was of opinion that the present ruinous condition of Ireland was owing to the Catholic religion, the priests of which faith resisted all attempts to introduce a religious system of education. The demoralizing effects of their sacramental abominatious, and other superstitious institutions, were evident in that country. Their Church had tampered with the articles of the Decalogue, and omitted that which condemned idolatry. (Hear, hear.) The Duke of CUMBERLAND said, it was a source of painful regret to him to differ from the Noble Duke at the head of the Government, for whom he entertained the highest respect; but the question was, whether this country was to be a Protestant country with a Protestant Government, or a Roman Catholic country with a Roman Catholic Government. (Hear, hear.) The moment Roman Catholics were admitted into Parliament, that moment it ceased to be a Protestant Parliament; and though he was as much a friend to toleration as any one, he was not prepared to admit Catholics into Parliament, or the Cabinet, or into high confidential situations. (Hear.) Lord GREY was sorry to hear such an avowal from the illustrious Duke; but he must deny that the question was whether the country was to continue Protestant or to become Catholic. The measure in question, on the contrary, would, in his opinion, eminently serve the Protestant interest, by quelling factions and removing dangers; and the colour which the illustrious Duke had given to it would not, he hoped, be suffered to affix itself to it out of doors, where it might do much mischief. Lord ELDON highly approved of the constitutional language uttered by the illustrious Duke; and he should maintain with his latest breath, that if they once permitted Catholics to enter that House, it must cease to be a Protestant House of Lords. (Hear.) He should treat with contempt all the obloquy attempted to be thrown upon him either within or without that House. Lord PLUNKETT was pleased to see that the Learned Lord had dealt in assertions only, and had not graced his remarks with a single argument. Those were the worst enemies of the State who rested the basis of the Constitution on the principle of exclusion. It was a gross misrepresentation of the Revolution of 1688; for all that the Patriots of that day aimed at was the ensuring the succession of a Protestant Sovereign; and the Catholic Peers were not by that Revolution excluded from Parliament. (Hear,hear.) Their exclusion was the work of Titus Oates, in the reign of Charles II., founded on the infamous fable of the Popish Plot. The Clubs called "Brunswick" should be entitled "Titus Oates' Clubs." (Hear, hear.) The true principles of the English Constitution were, that the Government should represent the interests of all classes, and that people of all sects should have a right to enter Parliament, and enjoy offices of State. At the Unions with Scotland and Ireland, certain oaths were required to be taken only "until Parliament should otherwise direct," and now his Majesty deemed it time to relieve his Catholic subjects from their disabilities, for the safety and general happiness of the empire. (Hear, hear.) Lord REDESDALE was astonished to hear any one advocate that the advisers of the King should not be Protestant. The LORD CHANCELLOR deprecated this premature discussion, observing, that when the proper time arrived for discussion, he should be able to prove, that the measure now censured would produce none of the evils prophesied to the Protestant Constitution. We cannot conclude this report, here necessarily broken off, of proceedings on the Catholic question, without enforcing on the attention of the Dissenters of all classes, and particularly those of our own persuasion, the necessity as well as the duty of petitioning in favour of Emancipation. We trust that we shall not hesitate to solicit those privileges for our Catholic brethren which they scrupled not to solicit for us. "Oh! but we differ so widely in sentiment." Granted-as wide as the Poles: but what has that to do with the question? It is the broad principle of religious freedom that we, and all other classes of Dissenters, ought to contend for; the giving to every mau the enjoyment of his opinions without let or hindrance. But it may be argued, and has been argued by some amongst us, "What is the use of Petitioning? We have it from authority that the question will be entertained by the Legislature. It is quite safe in their hands, and any interference of ours would but imply distrust of their sincerity." This might be true were there no petitious on the other side; but such reasoners ought to bear in mind, that it is by petitions only that the Parliament can come at the sentiments of the people. If, therefore, these are all on one side, they will naturally conclude this to be the popular side, and will, or at all events ought to, take their measures accordingly. We know it is the wish of the liberal party in both Houses that petitions should be set against petitions. Again, therefore, we say-Petition !— and let no time be lost in doing so. Society for the Relief of Protestant The anniversary meeting of this Society, (iustituted 1733,) will be held on Wednesday, the 1st of April next, when a sermon will be preached at the Old Jewry Chapel, removed to Jewin Street, Aldersgate Street, by the Rev. Isaiali Birt, of Hackney. Service to begin at 12 o'clock precisely. The friends of the Society will afterwards dine together at the Albion, in Aldersgate Street. LITERARY NOTICES. The Rev. S. Wood is preparing for publication a "Grammar of Elocution." Conceiving that one great cause of our having so few good readers and speakers is the want of a good work on the subject, Mr. W. hopes in some measure to supply the deficiency. Avoiding the diffaseness of Walker, and the technicality of Chapman, he will endeavour to bring together in a brief compass all that is really valuable in the most approved writers on Elocution, and thus to produce a work which shall be at once complete in its details, and yet not too bulky for practical purposes. To the Grammar will be added a large Appendix, coutaining passages marked for reading; and the whole, though of general application, will be specially adapted to the use of students for the ministry. will be published, edited by the Rev. J. In the course of the present month R. Beard, price to subscribers 88., to non subscribers 98., a volume of Sermons for Family Use, intended to aid and recommend the Observance of Domestic Worship; contributed by the following Ministers see Advertisement. : CORRESPONDENCE. We hope to receive the first of the three papers promised us, by the 10th. The writer may rely on their being "wanted." Some articles intended, and two announced, for insertion, are unavoidably postponed. The Memoir of the late Charles Baring, Esq., was not received in time; nor the Letter to the Rev. W. Thorpe. A Review of the Parish Priest's Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the state of the Curates of the Church of England, in our next. The Publications on the "Suttees" have been received; but they seem to have been delayed by the way. We could not make room for any account of the meeting at Coventry. THE MONTHLY REPOSITORY AND REVIEW. NEW SERIES, No. XXVIII. APRIL, 1829. STATE OF THE CURATES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.* THE Church is in danger! Such is the fact, as asserted by competent authority. Of Dr. Parr it is reported by his biographer Mr. Field, "He was dining some years ago at Hatton in company with several clergymen; and among them was an Irish dignitary, who talked long and loudly of our excellent Church,' of our venerable Establishment,' in whose fair face, it should seem, he could discover neither spot nor wrinkle, nor any such thing.' Having suffered him to run the whole length of his line with no other interruption but a smile now and then of pity, or a frown sometimes of displeasure, Dr. Parr rose at length from his seat, and after puffing in clouds for a moment or two, laid down his pipe; then resting one arm on the table, and enforcing all he said by the ponderous movements of the other, he broke out into a vehement declamation on the state of the Church, painting in glaring colours the grievances under which it was sick, though he hoped not dying,'-especially in the unequal distribution of its revenues-in the mysticism of some parts of its creed-in the absurdity of some of its articles -in the servile spirit too prevalent both among its higher and lower clergy, and in their obstinate resistance to the most reasonable and desirable improvements. He insisted that the Church was fast losing ground, both in the esteem of the more reflecting part, and in the affection of the great body of the community. Unitarians,' said he multiply and calmly persevereMethodists multiply and rage and swagger-High-Churchmen hate and abuse both, and deny the necessity of reforming themselves. The Church Is in danger; I own it,' said he; but let them look to it who have brought it on, and who will not adopt the only method for saving us. Reform!' cried he, Reform, I say, is the only safety for our Church. As sure as the uprooted tree must bend, or the tower undermined must bow, so surely our Church must fall, unless it be refixed in the good opinion of the people.' Then turning to the reverend dignitary, Sir,' said he, I give you your choice-reform or ruin and mark my words-within twenty years that 6 * The State of the Curates of the Church of England: a Letter addressed to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. By a Parish Priest. choice, whichever it be, must take effect.' Of similar import is the testimony of the "Parish Priest." "I consider the Church to be in danger, but more from internal than external enemies; and I conscientiously believe that it may be truly predicated of her, that her most dangerous foes are those of her own household. She has no bulwark but her moral strength; and I am persuaded that things cannot go on much longer as they have done, without imminent peril to her best interests, if not to her very existence." We Once more, then, the Church is declared to be in danger. We must confess that we have no such love for her as to feel alarm at the outcry, nor any such reliance on the declarations of her doctors as to expect a speedy dissolution. We rather fear-to use a phrase of hers, the application of which has often puzzled us no little-" as it is now, so it shall be, world (corruption) without end:" that is, as long as Church and State are united. have begun to suspect the symptoms of dissolution which the Church is from time to time said to manifest; and though those who are admitted to her privacy assure us that she has for a long while laboured under periodical returns of the falling sickness, there is too much reason to think that the old lady feigns ill, and imposes upon her medical advisers, in order to excite our sympathies and awaken our pity, that we may bear with her many frailties, and soothe her maladies with the cordial of gold. There are some hundreds in this kingdom who obtain a comfortable living by exposing to their fellowsubjects a misformed limb or a half naked body; and the Church of England is not less informed than other beggars of the means of moving the compassion and opening the purse-strings of "a generous public." We are not surprised that the lame, the halt, and the blind, of the fraternity of beggars should find the means of taking from our pockets wherewith to subsist. These we see in their own proper persons-their defects we may behold their distresses we may scrutinize-their wailing we may hear: in a word, they are flesh and blood-visible and tangible realities. No one but a Berkleian can question their existence. But who, what, or where, this said Church is, we never could learn. What is its gender we know not; and we had almost thrown our pen down in despair of discovering whether to nuncupate the Church he, she, or it. Nor does our ignorance arise from lack of inquiry. We have searched for ourselves; we have consulted the learned; but we are profoundly ignorant whether the Church be masculine, feminine, or neuter. It is somewhat strange, if the Church be a real ens, that no one should have been favoured with a sight thereof; but such, upon inquiry, we learn is the fact. In our days of ignorance, we thought, with the Scriptures, that the Church was a body of Christian people; but we find we were wrong. Next, we imagined it was a steeple-house; but this would not answer the descriptions given thereof. Our American brethren made us hope to find the Church even amongst the Unitarians of their land; but the bishops of England were shocked at the idea. We have, in a word, searched every where, and searched in vain. That about which so much noise is made-whose name is with millions a powerful and stirring charm-which by turns flourishes, declines, and threatens dissolution-we are bound to believe, even amid our ignorance of its nature, is a real existence. Perhaps, deep hidden from the vulgar gaze in the archiepiscopal palace of Canterbury, the Church may be preserved in a shrine over which, as upon that of Isis, is inscribed, "I am all that has been, is, and ever shall be; no mortal has ever raised up the veil with which I am covered." Being thus unknown, how comes it to pass that the Church excites so deeply the pity of the people, or awakens their rejoicings? Alas! men are swayed by names; and this same unknown and unknowable Church, like the idol deity of many a savage tribe, receives the adoration of its worshipers, because so it was before we were born, and a superstitious fear precludes the thought of its being otherwise. We have sometimes thought that Church might mean Churchmen-and the interests of the Church, the glebes, the stalls, and the larders of the clergy. To this idea we have been led by analogy. Philosophers talk of body and substance; but what are body and substance when qualities are taken away? They discourse very luminously of an abstract idea of a triangle; but then "it is neither oblique, nor rectangle; neither equilateral, equicrural, nor scalenon; but all and none of these at once." With Bishop Berkeley, I have to beg "that the reader would fully and certainly inform himself whether he has such an idea or not." If not, then, I imagine, I have some authority for thinking that the word Church is Churchmen written short. Of substratum apart from qualities we know nothing; of abstract triangles we are profoundly ignorant; and in the same way we think, with all due modesty, that a Church without clergy, emoluments, and dignities, is a word without a corresponding reality. We say this with all due modesty, for we fear it is a heresy to identify Church and Churchmen. Leaving every one at liberty to think as he pleases, we return to inquire wherein the danger of the Church lieth, and what are the remedies proposed for its cure. The Church, it seems, is unsound within; her constitution is decayed and corrupt. We put it to our author whether it would not be more merciful to let the old lady die in peace, undisturbed by the nostrums of this or that empirical practitioner. No! says the Parish Priest; "I would say of her from the bottom of my soul, Esto perpetua!" may she live for ever. And therefore our author feels, and very properly feels, the necessity of her having a good constitution. We believe that the Parish Priest is among the most respectable friends of the aforesaid Church. He himself informs us, "I am no radical, no enthusiast, no speculative reformer. I belong to no party; I am connected with no society; I am neither Whig nor Tory, Orthodox nor Evangelical, High-Church nor Low-Church, Calvinist nor Arminian, Liberal nor Bigot, according to the perverted signification in which these terms are used; but I am really and truly a staunch member of the Church of England, a loyal subject to the King, and I trust an humble and laborious parish priest." The vouchers to his character are in his work. The pamphlet is evidently the production of an honest, independent mind. From such a writer we may hope to learn wherein the Church is indisposed; his statements are worthy of credit, his prescriptions worthy of consideration. The pamphlet of the Parish Priest was occasioned by the perusal of a work entitled Horæ Catecheticæ, the production of a clergyman named Gilly. In this work Mr. Gilly insists on the necessity of public catechising in church, in imitation of the Roman Catholic clergy, whose uniform practice, we are informed, it is, both abroad and in England; and in imitation also of the foreign Protestant clergy, in whose hands public catechising is said to produce the most happy effects. It places the rising generation in the view of the minister; it gives them in their tenderest infancy the advantage of his paternal protection, and causes them to be sent to church, to be publicly instructed * Locke. |