Bishoprics Bill. "To provide for the foundation of Majority, 15. four new Bishoprics in England."

Church and State Defence Association.

PROSPECTUS.

MANY Associations and Societies, composed of the Clergy and Laity combined, have been promoted with
the laudable object of binding the two sections closer together in defence of the Established Chuch. In
too many instances, however, there has unfortunately been a want of unison in their working, and this,
causing a lack of sympathy and support, has either led to their early dissolution, or, in case of those still
existing, to their being the representative, not of the Universal Church, but simply of a section-
Evangelical, Broad, or High, as the case may be.

In the present there is threatening a revolution, such as, without measures are taken to counteract
the disturbing influences at work, must inevitably result in the destruction of the great bulwark of our
religious liberties. It is therefore high time that all Churchmen and Churchwomen, whether High, Low
or Broad, should in view of the danger, sink their smaller differences, and putting on the armour of
God, unite together to destroy the common enemy.

The CHURCH AND STATE DEFENCE ASSOCIATION has been founded upon the broad basis thus indicated.
It admits as Members all who by prayer or work aid in the accomplishment of its objects. Branches
have been established all over the Kingdom and in the Colonies, and before the course of twelve months
it is anticipated that it will number Six Million Members. This is the glorious army whose ranks you are
solicited to join, and this is the great cause for which you are enjoined to spiritually fight the good fight.

The organization of the CHURCH AND STATE DEFENCE ASSOCIATION is perfect. It is a wonderful
exemplification of the power of united prayer. At stated times the whole of the Members are enjoined to
pray for a specific object. The organ of the Association-Church and State-gives weekly a Calendar of
Subjects for each successive day's prayer. Thus each Member of the Association knows that he or she
is but one of a mighty congregation, raising their hearts to God, and praying each in their own way for
a common object. Is not this a glorious way to fight? and can any one doubt but that such a powerful
army must conquer? Remember that "when two or three are gathered together in Thy Name, Thou
wilt grant their requests."

In addition to being a DAILY CALENDAR of instructions for prayer for the week for which it is issued,
Church and State contains Reports of Meetings held by the Association in London and elsewhere, exclusive
of general Church News, Articles by eminent Divines, Poetry, New Hymns, and Fiction of a wholesome and
edifying tendency. Apart, therefore, from being a Daily Adviser and Spiritual Guide, it is an interesting
and entertaining Family Journal. The first Number (price One Penny) is published this day. Intending
Associates will fill up the accompanying form, and forward it to the Honorary Secretary (pro tem.),
Mr. J. Sidney Tomkins, at the Offices of the Association, 5, Friar Street, Broadway, E.C. The subscription
to the ssociation. entitling Members to enrolment as Associates, and to a copy of Church and State, post
free every week, is 2s. 6d. per annum, payable in advance. There is no entrance fee or further liability
of any kind. P.O.O. must be made payable to the Hon. Secretary, and forwarded to him at the Offices
of the Association, together with the accompanying form of application for enrolment. In return a
Certificate of Membership as an Associate will be sent.

N.B.-Associates are invited to contribute to Church and State and the other publications issued by
the Association.

Mansion House and General
Expenditure Assurance Company,

(LIMITED.)

Coupon Trading System.

Extraordinary Meeting, presided over by the EARL OF SHAFTESBURY, K.G.,
at which MISS EMILY FAITHFUL in her Lecture on the

fully explained the enormous advantages to be gained by the Coupon Trading
System of the GENERAL EXPENDITURE ASSURANCE COMPANY, and strongly advised its
adoption by ALL CLASSES OF SOCIETY.

The Lord Mayor, Mr. Thomas Hughes, Q. C., and other eminent men addressed the meeting.

Trade Lists and Full Particulars, post free, on application at the Offices of the
Company,

19 & 21, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, MANSION HOUSE, LONDON.

J. ALLEN AND SON'S

PORTABLE DOMESTIC

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Hot-Air & Vapour Bath. Pure Digestive Bread within the Reach of All.

Invaluable for all who wish to preserve health, or who suffer
from Bronchitis, Influenza, Gout, Rheumatism, Lumbago.
and various forms of Skin Diseases.

THE LANCET, February 23, 1878-"This instrument is very complete.
It is portable, and can be packed in a box less than twelve inches
square. It is cheap, and it acts promptly."

MEDICAL TIMES AND GAZETTE, September 20, 1877.-"Deserves to be
much more widely known and used than it seems to be at present."
MEDICAL EXAMINER, October 11, 1877.-" It is not, perhaps, going too
far to say that such a contrivance as Allen and Son's Portable Turkish
Bath should find a place in every well-regulated household."

SANITARY RECORD, July 27, 1877.-"Will be found a luxury, as well as
a valuable remedial resource.'

Also Inventors and Manufactors of the

INVALIDS', NURSERY, and HIP BATH COMBINED,
BRONCHITIS KETTLES, FOOD WARMERS

for INFANTS and INVALIDS, &c., &c.

Illustrated and descriptive Catalogue of useful articles for Bath-room,
Nursery, and Sick-room post free for three stamps.

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This great want of the age is attained by using the genuine WHOLE
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machinery, by

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Price 2s. 6d. per stone of 14 lbs. Five stone sent carriage paid.
Special terms by the sack.

SILKS AT WHOLESALE PRICES.
PATTERNS POST FREE.

1,000 pieces of BLACK SILK, consigned by a Lyons firm for Sale at
Manufacturer's Prices (no length of less than Eight Yards cut), full 30
per cent. under ordinary retail prices.

BLACK SILKS.

50 pieces, 1s. 11d., usual price, retail, 28. 9d.

Recent Elections

The Sunday Society

Church News

The Congress

The Isle of Cyprus

The Church in Parliament
The Morning of Life
Calendar for the Week
Advertisements

[PRICE ONE PENNY.

cannot be maintained "without a Church Reform

PAGE. wide and deep." The fact is, there is an unreality

I

3

in our present Church Establishment; it is different

5 in Fact from what it professes to be in Theory. When

6

8

9

conceived at the Reformation, the nation was sup

posed to be co-extensive with the Church. In theory 10 it embraced every member of the State; and its laws and canons were made accordingly. No toleIration was then allowed to those who should dissent from it.

II

II
II

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14

15-16

12 The State, as a godly parent, provided for the 13 uniform Christian teaching and worship of its sup14 posed obedient children. If this were so, or con14 tinued so now, all would be just and right; that is if the State fulfilled this its religious duty, according to God's revealed truth and with consistent practice. And a great blessing it would then be to the nation! DISESTABLISHMENT OR CHURCH REFORM. What a blessing is it now, when properly carried There is more in this question than at first out and improved, that every Parish is provided sight may be obvious to some. Those who are with a Church, and a minister to conduct public worliving in retirement may not be aware of the ship in it, and to be the spiritual instructor and tendency of the general opinion of the nation respect- adviser of its inhabitants! So that no individual can ing our Established Church at the present time. say he is destitute of these religious advantages; And those who are quietly enjoying its benefits are and no part of our land is left from want of teachers naturally averse to the thought of being deprived of to lapse into heathenism! Yet, in the progress of them, and thus cherish too sanguine a hope of their events, theory and facts have differed. As time has safe continuance. Both of these may be ready to gone on, men's opinions have changed; and diverse say, why should there be either Disestablishment or conscientious scruples as to modes of worship and Church Reform? Yet far-seeing and thoughtful forms of Church government have led some to differ men, who are conversant with the popular mind on from the Established Church. This has called for, the subject, take a very different view of it. Thus, from time to time, and has led to a progressive the late Dean of Canterbury, in one of his late degree of toleration. But at the present day those essays on "the Church of the Future," has these accommodations of its theory to the changed condiwords on the severance of the Church of England from the State-"History has for ages been preparing its way; . . . God's arm is thrusting it on, and man's power cannot keep it back." Lord Shaftesbury, a man full of years and of experience in matters ecclesiastical and civil, expressed his opinion in a speech before a meeting of the Pastoral Aid Society in 1873, that the Church Establishment

tion of our population are very far short of what they ought to be, to render it an efficient and acceptable Church system to the whole nation. In the first place some of its canons are become obsolete, and some parts of its ritual (excellent as it is as a whole) require to be altered to avoid needless repetitions in our worship, and to make clear what is doubtful and gives occasion to hurtful disputations.

In the next place the population has outstripped the think most expedient to cherish religion in it as the provisions of the Church of the State. But chiefly means of promoting the well-being of the nation. the number of Nonconformists of various shades of As the majority in England and Wales are in favour opinion is so great, that as members of the State of our Reformed Episcopal Church, which for the they call for a larger share of consideration and a last 300 years has been established here, it is right higher status in the religion of the country. As was that our rulers should continue to maintain it, strongly stated by the late Dean Alford, "the as the Church to be adopted by the State; while at Church of 300 years ago, with all her dead enact-the same time it tolerates every other denomination ments and her incongruities with present reality," is of conscientious religionists.

be first chosen by the Cathedral body, and then subjected to the approval of the Sovereign. The present system of patronage should be so altered that no Incumbent should be forced on a congregation, if objected to by a majority of its communicants, and if the objection is allowed by the Bishop to be a valid one.

as unsuited to the present times "as if a regiment In the Church's union with the State the Sovereign were to be sent out into nineteenth century warfare, may still be its temporal head. Some change in the clad in the cumbrous armour of the ages of chivalry." mode of selecting bishops should be made; and Another sad evil has grown up within the Church their numbers should be increased to suit the herself, which loudly calls for some reform. That is Church's present need. Perhaps they had better our unhappy divisions; chiefly arising from those called Ritualists, who, from a desire to give to our outward worship more life and more pleasure to the senses, have introduced many novelties in worship, having a Romanizing tendency; especially as they are symbolical of, and connected with a teaching of, doctrines allied to those of Rome; as the opus operatum virtues of the sacraments, the confessional, absolution, and other points. The tendency to Romanism of these novelties in our Church is manifest; both from the numbers from the Ritualistic representing the whole Church, clerical and lay; party who have become Roman Catholics, and from the acknowledgment of Monsignor Capel, of Archbishop Manning and other celebrated members of that Church. Some of the Ritualists feeling the restraint of the State laws irksome to them, in resisting their innovations which are at variance with the principles and rules of the Church, and with the authorities they have swore to obey, have joined Nonconformists to try to procure the liberation (as it is termed) of the Church from the State.

The only remedy to prevent or retard Disestablishment in the present abnormal state of our Church, is a timely and suitable Reform. What should that be? And how is it to be brought about? Let a few thoughts on those grave points be considered.

All the laws and regulations of the Church should be at first made or altered by the united decision of both houses of a reformed Convocation, properly

and then they should be confirmed by the decision of both Houses of Parliament and the Sovereign. After that they should be binding and put in execution by legal State power. In that case there would be no need for bishops, as such, to sit in the House of Lords.

The present endowments of the Church should be continued to it; yet they should be so judiciously used and so liberally distributed as the need of different Cathedrals and Churches may require, to ensure the efficient discharge of their duties for the best advantage of their respective members. The present church buildings and parsonage houses should still be retained for the use of that Church for which they were set apart. It does not seem right that any endowments once devoted to religious purIst. What reform is needed to save the Church poses should be alienated from those purposes. It from ultimate Disestablishment? Its connection is true that they are considered to be at the diswith the State requires to be modified and reduced; posal of the State; yet it should only be to promote so as to be accommodated as much as possible to the object for which they were at first given, accordthe present various religious views of the popula-ing to the present religious views of a majority of tion. It is conceived to be the duty of the rulers of the nation.

a professedly Christian country to do what they In the next place our Church Prayer Book should