Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

Priest-craft befooling people to give money.

117

get the people to make the provision in alms, by paying curates in the very churches in which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners ought to make every provision required. We find in such churches curates paid by the Pastoral Aid Society, or the Society for Additional Curates, and other sources. Sometimes two, and even three curates are paid by the societies in the same church. Such churches become little cathedrals under the rector, as if he were a bishop, over the curates, who, when he is not sufficiently worshipped by them, sends them about their business. The four holy clergymen are always quarrelling about how little each is to do. Now people should subscribe this money to support the poor vicars, who are ignored by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. These are bound by law to make spiritual provision in populous places. Let them, therefore, make it by paying the curates in such towns; and let the alms of the people be given to starving and ignored vicars, and the souls, in country parishes. Those who advocate societies get more money and importance for themselves, than if the money were given to maintain vicars or to provide for souls in robbed parishes. Crafty societies!

CHAPTER XVII.

A maniac made by monks, as if to reclaim land for bishops-The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, that is, the bishops cure souls only according to "statutory definition "—The amount of work done by vicars when following the example of his guides, the bishops--The "Lorne Fund," like all other funds for poor vicars, not being as valuable a remedy as it might be.

S

OME land, situated in the Flitcham Parish, was called "the snoring manor" by the monks, because a man, on whom they imposed a penance of not shutting his eyes for three days and three nights, was found snoring away, lying down under the hot sun at mid-day, on an unreclaimed common. He was never afterwards a happy man, nor was he steady in his head, owing to the effects of the persecution which the monks had inflicted upon him for not having done the penance. So, in his seclusion caused by the monks, he reclaimed this land, which was ever afterwards called the "snoring manor," and which fell into the hands of the bishop, being granted to him by Edward VI.

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, who are the soulcurers, assisted by a few laymen, are now receiving the benefit of this land, as it was sold to redeem land-tax,. as stated already, on the episcopal estates, which are now in their hands. The Bible tells the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the soul-curers, to minister to souls;

The way the Bishops cure souls.

119

to do their duty toward all men, even an Irishman; to fear God, and to do as He directs, in rendering to all their dues; to meet all claims, moral as well as legal, and those claims which are legal indirectly as well as directly; and to withdraw from everything which prevents them from fulfilling God's requirements. I have no reason to think that they do not attend to all these duties and to all right things. But, in their reply to my appeal for help in consideration of their being benefited by the land of my parish, they virtually say, "We work for souls by act of Parliament, in the making of which we ourselves acted our part. We get the benefit of the land of your parish, we own, but as the profits were transferred by one of us to ourselves, a little time before we passed the statute, by which we arrange to save only those perishing souls from hell, the feet of whose bodies walk on our soil, we leave your souls uncured and unsaved." Here is the letter to this effect, sent by all the bishops, through their able and worthy secretary, when I asked help, and when I enquired in what parishes the lands are situated, whose occupiers were benefited by the land of my parish, that I might appeal to the inhabitants to help my church :

-

(Copy of Letter.)

Ecclesiastical Commission,

10, Whitehall Place, London, S.W., 9th April, 1880.

(Flitcham V.)

Dear Sir, I have received your letters of the 22nd ultimo and 7th instant, in which you appear to enquire where were situated the particular portions of the episcopal

120

Statute Law the Bishops' Bible for souls.

estates of the See of Norwich, the land-tax on which was redeemed by means of the appropriation to that purpose of the monies realized by the sale of the Manor of Snoring, and I am to state that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England are not prepared to undertake the investigation, which would be necessary in order to elicit these particulars. The information could in no way affect the Cure of Flitcham in its relations with the Commissioners; for, as already explained to you, the transaction in question took place long before the existence of this Board, and no local claim on them, in favour of the Cure of Flitcham, could be based thereon.

Such claims are of Statutory definition, and are restricted to property which is, or has been, vested in the Commissioners, while the Manor of Snoring never was vested in them.

I am, dear Sir,

Yours faithfully,

GEORGE PRINGLE.

The above means that the bishops, the soul-curers, will do nothing, but what the statute law, as interpreted by themselves, and which was partly made by them, forces them to do.

Tithe-owners and landlords are condemned by all for not maintaining vicars, for the reason that they receive profits out of land under their spiritual charge. But from the foregoing let me never hear landlords and lay-rectors condemned more than others; for these fall back, in justice, on the protection of statute law to hold their possessions, crying out like as the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the

Saving Souls by "Statutory Definition."

121

soul-curing bishops virtually do, "away with your moral claim, our standard is 'statutory definition.""

It would be a good thing to petition Parliament to require these Ecclesiastical Commissioners to make known the nature of the claim, which every Living endowed by them, had upon them. It would be a good thing, also, to petition Parliament to pass a law to compel the bishops to endow Livings in parishes, where the Crown settled land upon them, even though they sold that land afterwards, as in my case, to redeem land tax on their other lands. It really looks as if Flitcham were the new Jericho, which, with its builder, were cursed (Josh. vi. 26).

Following the example of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, that is, the bishops, by doing only what is of Statutory Definition, I need not have a sermon at all at the second service, and my sermon at the first service need not give me a sore throat for its length. By Statutory Definition I am to administer Holy Communion three times a year, and I need not administer it oftener. By Statutory definition my first service can be held at eight in the morning, being the first hour to begin the service of marriage; and my second service can be held at the worldly feasting hour, in the evening, to prevent people from getting drowned in hell, like Noah's congregation, of whom it is written, "they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all" (Luke xvii. 27). By Statutory definition, I can exclude music and singing from the service of the church, and I need not teach a Sunday school. By

« ÎnapoiContinuă »