THE CRISIS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11173, 15 March 1899, Page 3

THE CRISIS IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Sib, — In your leader of lasfc Saturday

appear certain statements with regard to the Church of England which require correction. You say that the "endowments, ground rent charges, tithes, and such like, produce an income of about five and three-quarter million of money for tbo maintenance of the bishops and clergy of this favored Church." The total income from tithes and rental of lands acquired by the Church before the Reformation is £1,049,204. From tithes, rental of lands, interest of money acquired since the Reformation, .£2,251,051. There is besides State aid of upwards .£500,000 towards the education of the poor, and last year the voluntary contribution, we were informed by you, totalled .£7,500,000. The salaries of the clergy amounted in 1870 to .£3,486,212 (I do not think that now they total .£2,250,000 more), and the education of upwards of 2,000,000 children takes over .£3,000,000 more. The rest of the vast sum is spent in buildings, churches, schools, charities, relief of the poor, and missions. Second you state that "it is an interesting fact that these endowments have been enjoyed by the Church since the time of Queen Ann's bounty in 1703." What on earth has Queen Ann's bounty to do with the Church's possession of, or right to its own ? In very early times the Popes of Rome claimed certain gifts from any Bishops consecrated by them, and these gifts wore afterwards commuted for a money payment. Gregory the Great abolished thi3 at the beginning of Iho seventh century ; but in the year 1255 it was revived in a more comprehensive form by enforcing tho payment of tho first year's income of any benefice to the Pope. At the Reformation a new and juster valuation was made in 15.(5, which is still in force, exempting small benefices from payment of these anuates as as they were called, and ordering that they should bo paid, not to the Pope but to the king. Queen Ann's bounty was the resignation of this form of Royal revenue to commissioners to form a fund for the augmentation of small stipends. As I said before, what has Queen Ann's bounty to do with the light of the Church to her revenues. As to the statement that the total private benefactions to the Church since the time of Queen Ann only produce an income of .£184,000 the announcement made by you in your colnmns that the total offerings last year amounted to .£7,500,000 is sufficient answer. Lastly of disendowment. No doubt the majority can do what it • will. Still the inalienable character of endowments has ever been recognised by English law, and there is some idea of justice and right still lingering in England. I do not therefore, agree with the writer oi Saturday's leader that the Church ol England will soon be robbed of tho benefactions of our pious forefathers, whatevei the Daily Chronicle may say.— l am, &c. E, ROBERTSHAWE. March 13th, 1899.