WHAT OUGHT TO BE DONE FOR THE CHURCH ? 553 



many" of those who hold the sacred office, is, the confounding religion 

 itself with its forms and circumstances ; and because the truth of God is 

 unchangeable and eternal, they regard all its appendages, and the mode 

 of teaching it, as bearing the same high and immutable character. 

 Hence, when any change is spoken of in services or circumstantials of 

 the church, these men take the alarm, and speak as if the church her- 

 self i.e. her doctrines, or the essential parts of her constitution, were 

 about to be removed or impaired ; and their notions evidently are, that 

 we must either take the church as she is, with every incumbrance and 

 imperfection, or not at all that to touch her even with a view to remove 

 the dust from her walls, or the damp from her floors, is a sacrilegious 

 attempt to effect her ruin. Now let the reader judge whether these indi- 

 viduals, who are constantly trumpeting forth their own praise, and the 

 praise of each other, as being the only true churchmen, are indeed her 

 friends ; or whether that title does not, in justice, belong to those who 

 are equally attached to her doctrines and the fundamental parts of her 

 constitution ; but who, from the purpose of increasing her usefulness and 

 her influence, would remove abuses from her; and, in order to adapt her 

 more fully to the wants and habits of the present generation, would give 

 a more popular character to her services, which must afford her great 

 advantages over dissent with the general population, who, we reiterate, 

 are not disposed, of themselves, to forsake the church, but are driven from 

 her, partly because many live at a great distance, and partly because her 

 worship is so formal and uninteresting, as to be both tiresome and un- 

 profitable. 



In reference to the proposed change in the law requiring a licence, 

 and by that means the facilitating the establishment of subordinate reli- 

 gious assemblies, in neighbourhoods situated a few miles from a church, 

 we are aware that a difficulty will present itself to the minds of many, as 

 to the impossibility of obtaining clergymen to officiate on such occasions, 

 should the number be greatly increased, as it would be, if the plan were 

 once adopted. . We may remark in reply, that the difficulty of supplying 

 these places would not,in all probability ,be so great as atfirst it may appear. 

 It should be remembered, that there are in the church of England, at the 

 least, from eighteen thousand to twenty thousand regularly ordained 

 clergymen, and it is not unreasonable to believe, that amongst such 

 a number, many would be found ready to perform a little extra duty, if 

 it could be done, in the assurance that it would promote the salvation of 

 man 'and the interests of the establishment. We are aware that some 

 of the clergy regard their talents merely as marketable, and not to be ex- 

 ercised except at a stipulated price : but we have too high an opinion oi 

 the whole body to think this is their general character, and we feel confi- 

 dent that, as they are the first to contribute liberally, according to their 

 means, to the religious and benevolent institutions in the kingdom, so they 

 would come forward gratuitously, if necessary, to aid in a plan which 

 should have for its object a compliance with the divine command, which 

 is to go into the highways and hedges, and compel men to come in and 

 partake the blessings of the gospel. Are not our clergy the foremost to 

 support missionary societies, for the sending of Christianity abroad, and 

 would they be less disposed, if the opportunity was given, to spread it 

 amongst their fellow subjects at home ? we are strongly persuaded those 



