Its Connection with Church and State. 1 1 3 



tenure, nor did he foresee the necessity that would arise of a 

 redistribution of its proceeds in some other manner than what 

 he originally intended. How far the State has powers of in- 

 terference is still a fiercely contested point, but that her inter- 

 vention has been an absolute necessity over and over again, 

 no one we think would care to dispute. What, it may be 

 asked, were the intentions of the original benefactors in de- 

 voting one-tenth of their substance in this manner ? Clearly 

 the maintenance and support of a religious community holding 

 certain doctrines as to the Christian religion. But in those 

 early times this religious community included the whole 

 nation ; the Church and State were different aspects of the 

 same corporation. Gradually, however, large masses of the 

 nation renounced the Church's teaching and tenets, and en- 

 rolled themselves into various sects. A recent attempt has 

 been made to stretch the term " National Church" into covering 

 the whole mass of the religious sects. Therefrom a claim is 

 set up to a partition of this portion of the original Church's 

 endowments amongst all the denominations of Christians who 

 belong to this country ; as though the original donors of tithe 

 had dedicated their wealth to the National Church per .se, and 

 not to the National Church because it upheld their particular 

 views of Christianity. On the other hand, it seems equally 

 absurd for the ecclesiastical party to resent State interference 

 as a violation of private, and vested interests. Where would 

 the Church's property have been now without that inter- 

 ference '? It was the action of the State that prevented 

 seignorial spoliation in the early days of the parish movement. 

 It was the action of the State that regulated and perpetuated 

 the various modes in which produce was titheable. It was 

 the State that secured to the Church by 2 and 3 Ed. VI., c. 13, 

 § 5, her tithe dues on barren and waste lands after being 

 brought into cultivation. It was the State again which 

 awarded, by means of the 18th and 19th century Inclosure 

 Acts, the lands and corn rents in lieu of tithes ; and it was 

 not through her fault that Henry VIII. robbed the Church 

 and poor of their dues at the Reformation. It was she who 

 upheld tithe payments in the times of Cromwell, when the 



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