Church Reform: The Only Means to That End, Stated in a Letter to Sir Robert Peel, Bart., First Lord of the Treasury — John Shaqi
Church Reform: The Only Means to That End, Stated in a Letter to Sir Robert Peel, Bart., First Lord of the TreasuryCarlile, Richard
Religion
Church Reform: The Only Means to That End, Stated in a Letter to Sir Robert Peel, Bart., First Lord of the Treasury
Carlile, Richard
Bible -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Church and state -- Church of England; Rationalism
Each paltry sect now considers its tenets as a Catholic Faith; but
the truth is, as Dr. Oeddes well observed, "that what is Christian
is Catholic, and what is Catholic must be Christian;" but then, this
follows, that neither Christianity nor Catholicity will bear a union
with the word dissent, unless the dissenter be an intelligent corrector
at the same time: they are adverse to every admissible idea of
undiscussed dissent. All standing dissent is of the devil; while
Christianity and Catholicity are of God and Heaven. The multiplication
table, the elements of Euclid, the doctrines of the Trinity and
Transubstantiation, the proved analysis and composition of all known
substances, are Catholic doctrines, from which nothing but ignorance can
dissent. The whole of the present Church Ritual is a mass of words
that conceal a truth; but that truth is not known in the Church, cannot
therefore be used or worshipped, and the words can only be deemed the
lumber of the memory: treating man as man treats a parrot, teaching him
constantly to exclaim "pretty Poll," without giving him understanding
whom or what "Poll" personates.
If I were to sit in Church through a morning or evening service, I
should have a perfect understanding of all the words used, and,
consequently, should be worshipping according to the limit of THE WORD
there presented; because I have in me the spirit of revelation.
But this is not the case with those who now attend the Church, their
attendance is upon form, ceremony, mystery, hypocrisy, which is the
real meaning of the whole present business of the Church: hypocrisy,
or dramatical acting, set forth in a mystery, without a mixture or
accompanying revelation; and like the flimsy gildings of a theatre,
or the spangles of an actress' dress, gilded over with a little moral
exhortation, that you may observe or not, as you please, so as you are
a cheerful payer of all dues, rates, and oblations. The first revision
wanted in the Church is a translation of the revelation from the dead
language of its mystery, into language comprehensible by all. Consequent
upon such a revision would be, that the parishioners would take the
management of their own Church Property into their own hands, and
recover and hold THEIR MOST SACRED RENT OF TITHE, on recovery of the
knowledge that they are the first and inalienable proprietors of the
land.
My subject is so far novel as to justify a little repetition. That twice
two is four need not be repeated; but where the human being is enveloped
in a cloud of verbose mystery, that cloud can only be dispelled by
continued flashes of moral lightning. So I will return to methodical
statement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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