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125B THE IiEADEE, [No. 452v3STotem:beii ...
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THE BISHOP OF LONDON'S CHARGE. Whatever ...
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JOCULAR POLITICS. One unmistakable 'tend...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Lord Stratford's Parting Speech. Before ...
eye , and lie indulges in sanguine talk about the Ottoman JEmpire being intersected with railways like those of the United Kingdom or the United States . There is indeed no reason why lines like that from . Aidin to Smyrna , or from Stamboul to Adrianqple , should not be made ere long by dint of French or English enterprise . But nobody knows better than the veteran diplomatist how little of jiative spirit or perseverance is available in Turkey —• we do not say for gigantic undertakings like the ramified railways of the civilised "West , but for the most ordinary works of public improvement . It is 3 rat too clear , from the guarded but stern expressions oil which -Lord Stratford alludes to the financial conduct arid character of the Porte , that even
he has little confidence in its fidelity to tlie proanises of retrenchment and reform on the faith of which it raised several millions of jndney the other day by way of loan in England . JFar be it from us to blame Lord Stratford for trying to the last to keep his own belief , and that of others , in the eventual redemption of a race whom he has so nobly served . It would spoil the heroic completeness of the splendid part he has played in the iistory of his . time were he to show any disposition . to gave way , especially while as yet there seems no immediate cause to despond . We rejoice
moreover at the buoyancy of temperament which bids him look forward to participation , in the discussions that may hereafter arise in Parliament on foreign affairs in general . Lord Stratford has not hitherto tteen distinguished as a successful debater ; and it ds hardly probable that at his time of life he will . suddenly beeoine so . But his speech at Smyrna is full of tlie best characteristics of a thoughtful , lucid , and concentrated style ; and the House of Lords will be always ready to listen with attention and ¦ regard to whatever he may think it his duty to say on a subject which he has spent the matured prime of his political life in mastering .
125b The Iieadee, [No. 452v3stotem:Beii ...
125 B THE IiEADEE , [ No . 452 v 3 STotem : beii 20 , 1858 .
The Bishop Of London's Charge. Whatever ...
THE BISHOP OF LONDON'S CHARGE . Whatever regrets may hang around tlie memories ¦ of Charles James London , there is not the slightest doubt that Archibald Campbell Tait is the man for ihe day . The English people believe in the Bible , ^ desire to render their lives more Christian ia spirit as well as in literal . observance , but equally dislike the extremes of spiritual subjection and theatrical display which are borrowed from Home , and the repulsively cold , over homely bringing down of ihe Churqh which is exemplified in Scotland . England is neither Puritan nor Papistiqal . It Relieves itself to have derived its Christianity from
'the earliest sources , and to obey the spirit of the faith more thaa some communities who convert iheir religion into a sort of mystical pantomime , while their lives in the outer world are uninformed and unelevated . JTrom his Primary Charge to the -clergy of his diocese we gather that Dr . Tait is exaeUy a bishop for the British people—the more « o from the circumstances of the time . Tlie three treat aspects of the national religion we conceive to e these . We are more than ever open to the sarcasm of the Jfrench satirist , who said that in
England we have only one sauce , but as many sects ¦ as they have sauces in Catholic France . The upper . strata of the Church which still claims to bo considered national are invaded by innovations from Home , with the almost avowed object of recovering us for something like a reannoxatiou to that old capital of superstition ; while , in the lower strata of society , wo nave what is called in the dialect of . clergymen , *« spiritual destitution , "— -no provision whatever being made for the spiritual housing or teaching of tlie multitude . What arc the circumstances under which Dr . Trait accedes to / the command of his diocese P The late Bishop Blomfield had disclaimed—and we doubt not , intention of the 01
. sincerely — any encouraging . sincerely — any uuenuon encouraging mo Puaeyite movement in the west end of the metropolis ; but his discouragement was so oxocedingly gentle , so qualified by something like ( sympath y with the grander dignities of Oliurch ooromonial , that the Jpublio at large undoubtedly looked upon Charles James as a man who encouraged Puseyisrrx by the process called winking , © inco * the decline and death of the Bishop , the ttoise made by the Puseyitos has in some degree ¦ diminished . The most influential of their lenders iiaye either gone over to Home or fallen off , leaving the staff of officers nauoh weaker ; and the
disputes which have taken place , like that between Mr . Liddell and Mr . Westerton , Mr . Poolc and Mr . Beal , have brought as much ridicule and discredit upon the movement as . would quite suffice to extinguish it , so far as any general influence could g-o . Still , Liddell , and Poofe , and gentlemen of that colour , warm the heart of Wiseman and of Home by the zeal which they display aud by the ability witli wliich they manage to keep up certain alien pageantries under the shelter afforded by the letter of our law . On the other hand , exemplified principally by the eastern -extremity of the metropolis , we have immense crowds who never enter a church , for the simple reasons that there is
no room for them ; that they cannot dress to go there decently ; that when they go , they led humiliated by being reduced to an humbler position ; an . d that the mission of the clergy has heretofore been conveyed to them chiefly in a jargon with which they had little sympathy , aud not at all in the simple language of the great , founder of Christianity or of common human feeling . Our readers will remember the attempts made by many men of earnest conviction and social influence to open tlie special services , and we remember the manner in which Mr . Edouart , of St . Michael ' s , used his parochial authority to forbid the opening of Exeter Hall on the ground that it would compete with his own shop ana carry away his customers . " We have a state of things , therefore , in which the clergy who are zealous have deviated to Koine or have
upon legislation . The impression is gaining Rrounfl that we have had almost enough legislation For th Church ; they must rely upon their own action They are not to look to him for sanctioning the doctrine that they can niakc the sacraments of the Church " superstitiouscharms , " or aiTogalinn- autlio rity wliich would make the clergy despots over the laity . . The whole spirit of his discourse is summed up in a passage on the general position of the Church , in terms which show that if the nationality of the Establishment is to be regained it must be worked out by men who invoke its action in the spirit of Bishop Tait : — ,
" What we want rather is , to take things as we find them now ordered , and make the best of them . What we want ia , that our machinery ,. ' such as it is , be worked in the best possible way , rather than to be striving perpetually after new experiments for altering it . After all , the Church ' s usefulness far more depends upon the conscientious discharge of duty than even upon tlie appliances of our ecclesiastical arrangements being adapted to the best possible theory . "
close corporations of their own peculiar circles , while indifference has been shown to the noii-pewpaying public , and some of the ten thousand gentlemen in black have resisted the direct means for opening the Church of England as a kind of free trade which will interfere wit ! 1 their own connexion . A Bishop of London at such a juncture has to take a clear , unmistakable , and practical course , with reference to the Romanising reaction , to rally the established clergy in favour of the mission to the multitude , arid to reconcile the"doubts of selfish interest with the zeal for the interests of the
Church and of the nation . He has to undertake that task at a time when Parliament is ([ uarrelling about the abolition of church rates , which the greater part of the public desire , but whicli even tlie landowners resist . He has to do it when the whole people are calling for national education and cannot agree upon the religious clauses of their bill ; when , in short , we all of us want many admirable works to be accomplished , but cannot agree about the means to accomplish them . He has to rule over a divided diocese , to collect the reports of conflicting parties , to steer
between legal perplexities , and to unite plain common sense with , undoubted piety of the orthodox standard . The task is so difiicult , that some might have pronounced it impossible ; but few tilings arc denied to earnestness when it is rendered perfect by full information and simplicity of mind . Bishop Tait is not blind to the diittcultics of his course . He sees , for example , how impossible it lias been to reconcile every shade of religious and political sincerity , and urges , by strong fact rather than language , that it is for the genuine interest of the clergy , as it is their duty , to make themselves 1 1 • 1 » « . •* all H * I leaders in education that effort
extending , so every , to extend education may extend their influence ; and he reminds them that they have greatly gained rather than lost influence by tlie nationul efforts made under the superintendence of the educational department of the Privy Council . This is true , especially when we consider the olergy in their religious and social aspect rather than in their purely sectarian capacity . While admitting the imprnoti * oability of settling the qncslionof church rates as the Church would wish j desiring rather than expecting an endowment of the Church which would render it independent of reluctantly conceded rutes ; looking to the churches as they actually arc , with their do not
empty pews left vacant for persons who come to church , while there is no room for the poor , he asks whether , without fresh legislation , some effort could not bo made to dovise a system by which unoccupied scata might bo regarded us available for the poor ; t \ nd he poiuts to the great cathedrals under the special services as newly opened to the most numerous classes of tho people Prom a sect , which has twisted particular passages in the Soriptuio , in tho Churoli ritual , or in tho books of our divines , he appeals to the whole spirit of tho national faith , and oorroots " isolated passages " by " the moderate sentiments which wo find breathing through the works quoted when wo view them as u whole . " He tolls the clorgy that they must not rely
Jocular Politics. One Unmistakable 'Tend...
JOCULAR POLITICS . One unmistakable ' tendency of the " men of the time" is to adopt with emphasis Sir Walter Scott ' s advice to the young writer of his period—to "be , above all things , run using . " Every ¦ one acts upon the presumption that this enlightened country must not merely be instructed , interested , and governed , but that it-must be tickled ; and in Parliament and on platforms very dull gentlemen , utterly destitute of wit , and completely insensible , to humour , awkwardly force themselves , as a matter of public duty , into deplorable facetiousness . In one direction those new tastes of a society , which docs not like to be 1 oh < t serious , arc likklvto
be amply gratified . After the . treaty with , China comes Mr . Albert Smith l ' roiii China .- after the war we are to have an " entertainment . " TJ-ie wag is an inevitable addition to ( lie cam )) followers of our day . First the shouts of triumph : next the roars of laughter . Each crntiiry bus its own methods of celebration . In other ages they took a campaign tragically , or sentimentally , us the ¦ case might be . When t no despatches announcing the glorious victory had been read , Ihe Poet . Laureate was sent for , that , lie might be enthusiastic 10 order . Or , sometimes the Laureate was not equal to his work , aud we know what great results followed to literature from the Minister ' s trudging up - those innumerable stairs to Mr . Addison ' s lodgings in
the Haymarket to procure the celebrated ' copy of verses" in honour of Marlbrough , and the ' ins whom the Duke covered with profit able parly glory . The China war , with the China treaty , has not as yet , suggested anything more enthusiastic or emotional than a pro-missionary speech irom the Bishop of Oxford . No talk of illuminations , monuments , & c . Not . even waggons of silver rolling through the City to the Mint . Perhaps it is- lcit that the victories were too easy and smooth , ami that who mot with no resist mice might
conquerors be made ridiculous bv promotions or decorations . At any rate , those who liuve held the opinion that the war had its ubsurd sidu in rather loo strong relief , and who consider that it was umleriaken in n spirit of volatile savugery by a invoious Minister , will seo but a legitimate semicnco iti " comic" materials being drawn from it «» the behoof of the metropolis by tho witly gciiUcmaii who so long-at tho Egyptian Hall 1 ms obligeI us with farcical views , taken i ' rom Mont Wane uuu
elsewhere , of the -nineteenth century . , Our only fear is that tho comic ealorcr to . 1110 public graving to grin , may be . ^"^^ 'Evil the exuberance wirti whicli ho is likely to rovtlin the fresh Held for fun . Having " done M » 0 J ° . and got into Asia , with all its mysteries and » iwttitios to bo travestied and parodied , Jin i » 'j . y » J sprightly in excess . Now , unconscious v , no « having n " purpose " in his tumbling ami >»»»«"" to bo a public teacher in spite of himsell . " ° f . ° nil flisnnsiwUn lmlinvn that tho " Jlowcry | IUI" »
crowded wil . h the most ridiculous nice uiulu p sun , and it may bo tmid that wo have , >»• ° J own fashion , very imperfectly conqutJivil them , u »«¦ > in duo manner , anil in proper ^ "T i H wo claro make " gnino" of them . Wo »« d r ° ig Elgin to luko thcin duwii . tliou / rli tlm grcnV « ' 111 . ;]" pcrhnps got at by the rigours of a dip lomatic ) U-s « ^ operation , not being born quite in * : A ' r '" ' i ,. k ( iiils and now wo Jmvo Air . Smith to lake < ho Gel . » »« "J " off . " He huu doubtless brought homo tho ob \« uj costumes and properties—things which nmy oouw
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 20, 1858, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20111858/page/18/
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