Pastoral letter of the Archbishop of Canterbury : on the national church and the work of the church defence institution

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PASTORAL LETTER

OF THE

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

NATIONAL CHURCH

AND THE WORK OF THE

CHURCH DEFENCE INSTITUTION.

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY AND THE
NATIONAL CHURCH.

Lambeth Palace, S.E.
May 11, 1S81.

My Reverend Brethren, and My Brethren of the Laity,

Attention has been recently called to certain " Practical Sug-
gestions relative to the Disestablishment and Disendowment of the
Church of England " circulated by the Liberation Society, a body
which has risen to considerable political importance, and which
has committed itself to an almost fanatical hatred of all Established
Churches.

I find in the programme issued by this body, on page 11, the
following, amongst other, proposals as to the Church of England ;
that, as soon as may be, Cathedrals, Abbeys, and other monu-
mental buildings should be placed under national control, and be
maintained for such uses as Parliament may from time to time
determine; that all old Churches, meaning thereby Churches
built before the year 1818, should be vested in a parochial board
to be elected by the ratepayers, which board should have power
to deal with them for the general benefit of the parishioners,
power of sale being given.

Taking these proposals as specimens of the legislation which
the advocates of Disestablishment desire, I think we have some
reason to be thankful for the plainness of their utterances. It
is quite possible that many persons, not fully acquainted with the
real designs of this body, may have incautiously acted or spoken
in such a manner as to give the impression that they were to
some degree in sympathy with its miscalled liberal designs; but
the overwhelming majority of the people of this country looks, I
am persuaded, with no favour on the project which the body I
allude to is formed to promote, and its intentions have only to be
clearly stated that they may be repudiated by both the great
political parties in the kingdom. Meanwhile the fanatical spirit
which has dictated the programme of the Liberation Society
must not be despised because its recognised supporters may be
comparatively few.

In page 15 of the " Practical Suggestions," to which I have
referred, we read: " It has been already stated that these sugges-
are not to be regarded as an exhaustive statement of the various
points which would require to be dealt with in connection with

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the Disestablishment of the English Church. It is necessary to
add that there are also subjects, which, though popularly asso-
ciated with such a change, have no necessary connection with it.
The most important of these is the Succession to the Crown,
under what is known as the Act of Settlement. The exclusion
of members of the Roman Catholic Church from the throne of
Great Britain is a political, quite as much as an ecclesiastical
question, and must be dealt with on its own merits. It was left
untouched when the Irish Establishment was abolished, and
may, in like manner, be left untouched when those of England
and Scotland are disestablished also."

Now, it may be perfectly true that the English people are as
little prepared, at the present moment, for giving effect to the
destructive theories of this Society in reference to strictly eccle-
siastical arrangements as they are to embark on that other im-
portant subject, which is foreshadowed by the above statement,
viz., the re-opening of the question of the Succession to the
Crown under what is known as the Act of Settlement. It is
now, however, obvious that the earnestness with which these
views are propagated can no longer be safely ignored by any
well-wisher of his country. Large sums of money have been
subscribed to further the dissemination of these and such-like .
principles throughout the land. Not only in great towns, but
in small country towns and villages, Lecturers of the Liberation
Society gather together meetings, often of very illiterate persons,
to whom they recommend such schemes as I have mentioned by
exaggerated statements as to the condition and working of the
Established Church.

It constantly happens that this work is systematically carried
on in towns or parishes without even coming to the knowledge
of those who would be competent to answer the unscrupulous
statements which are sown broadcast among the less educated of
our people. The newspapers advocating the views of the Libera-
tion Society, many thousand copies of which are circulated
weekly throughout the whole kingdom, are not usually read by
persons able or willing to refute by a plain statement of facts the
allegations they contain.

Churchmen have thought, and wisely, that the best defence of
their Church was to be found in the quiet, conscientious discharge
of duty ; and every Clergyman and layman attached to the
Church of England will do well to remember that if he fails in
his religious duties he thereby strengthens the hands of those
who seek to destroy his Church. Still, it will not, in my judg-
ment, be wise longer to overlook the attempts which are certainly

now being systematically made, with vigour and perseverance, in
so many neighbourhoods, to pervert the judgment and alienate
the loyal regard of our people.

The Church Defence Institution is ready to give whatever
assistance is desired in order to meet these attacks. While
scrupulously avoiding all agitation in the many places in which
we are thankful to believe there is peace, its object is to supply
in a cheap, popular, and convenient form, sound and accurate
information as to the history and condition of the National
Church, and, when required, to furnish competent Lecturers, who
may follow the agents of the Liberation Society in their inroads,
and expose the fallacies they would palm off on the ignorant.
For such purposes as these, however, the Institution requires
greatly increased support. Its annual income is at present quite
insufficient for the performance of the work it is called upon to
do. A meeting, largely and infiuentially attended, has lately
been held at Lambeth Palace, at which the necessity for such
exertions has been clearly demonstrated; and I think myself
justified in appealing to all Englishmen, to whatever political or
theological party they belong, provided they love the Church of
England, and desire that its ministrations should continue to be
a barrier against ignorance, infidelity, superstition, and vicious
living, to assist in saving the minds of our people from being
led astray, to the great injury of themselves and the generations
that are to succeed them.

I remain,

Your faithful Brother and Servant,

A. C. CANTUAR.

MBv*

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