: ' 



THE 



MONTHLY MAGAZINE, 



POLITICS, LITERATURE, AND THE BELLES LETTRES. 



VOL. XV.] OCTOBER, 1832. [No. 82. 



COUNSEL FOR THE CLERGY. 



ALL is not over with the church. Let the clergy take the advice 

 which we presume to offer them in this article, and if bright and pros- 

 perous days are not yet in store for them, we have no gift of prophecy. 

 Providence sometimes uses the humblest instruments for the noblest 

 purposes : what, if it were reserved for an obscure contributor to a 

 magazine to restore churchmen to their long-lost place in public affec- 

 tion, and renew the lease of the church-establishment just as it is on the 

 point of expiring for ever ! 



Let us calmly consider what it is that has brought the church as by 

 law established into that general contempt and odium wherein the 

 dangers which menace it consist. It is simply, the belief, which has 

 injudiciously been suffered to root itself in the public mind, that the 

 principles of that institution are essentially anti-national ; that the clergy 

 are a body constitutionally actuated by illiberal and selfish principles ; 

 that they have ever been a barrier to the improvement of the country, 

 financially, politically, intellectually and morally ; and that they have 

 never scrupled for the advancement of their own sordid schemes, to 

 abandon the paths of morals, or trample upon the precepts of religion. 

 With respect to the bishops, in particular, the empire has been suffered 

 to lie under the impression, that their influence has never, except in rare 

 instances, been honestly or patriotically exerted ; that out of Parliament, 

 they are as idustrious in the service of mammon, as if it was to propa- 

 gate the worship of that divinity that the church was instituted and 

 endowed ; and that in Parliament, they have always been leagued with 

 the plunderers and oppressors of the people, in supporting every 

 measure and ministry, by which most profit might be secured to them- 

 selves, and the great interests, not only of their country but their 

 species, might most effectually be depressed and thwarted. It has come 

 to be generally taken for granted that the church in all its orders, from 

 the prelate to the vicar, has ever been the ally of despotism, the patron 

 of abuse, the relentless persecutor of all, who, eschewing the ecclesiastical 

 spirit, have put themselves forward from age to age to reform society or 

 enlighten their fellow-men. History, it is asserted by many, and con- 

 tradicted by few, contains the confirmation of this grave charge in every 

 page ; and even experience is boldly appealed to, as if our own times 



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