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 PASTORAL LETTER 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY 
 
 NATIONAL CHURCH 
 
 AND THE WORK OF THE 
 
 CHURCH DEFENCE INSTITUTION.
 
 THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY AND THE 
 NATIONAL CHURCH. 
 
 Lambeth Palace, S.E. 
 May 11, 1S81. 
 
 My Reverend Brethren, and My Brethren of the Laity, 
 
 Attention has been recently called to certain " Practical Sug- 
 gestions relative to the Disestablishment and Disendowment of the 
 Church of England " circulated by the Liberation Society, a body 
 which has risen to considerable political importance, and which 
 has committed itself to an almost fanatical hatred of all Established 
 Churches. 
 
 I find in the programme issued by this body, on page 11, the 
 following, amongst other, proposals as to the Church of England ; 
 that, as soon as may be, Cathedrals, Abbeys, and other monu- 
 mental buildings should be placed under national control, and be 
 maintained for such uses as Parliament may from time to time 
 determine; that all old Churches, meaning thereby Churches 
 built before the year 1818, should be vested in a parochial board 
 to be elected by the ratepayers, which board should have power 
 to deal with them for the general benefit of the parishioners, 
 power of sale being given. 
 
 Taking these proposals as specimens of the legislation which 
 the advocates of Disestablishment desire, I think we have some 
 reason to be thankful for the plainness of their utterances. It 
 is quite possible that many persons, not fully acquainted with the 
 real designs of this body, may have incautiously acted or spoken 
 in such a manner as to give the impression that they were to 
 some degree in sympathy with its miscalled liberal designs; but 
 the overwhelming majority of the people of this country looks, I 
 am persuaded, with no favour on the project which the body I 
 allude to is formed to promote, and its intentions have only to be 
 clearly stated that they may be repudiated by both the great 
 political parties in the kingdom. Meanwhile the fanatical spirit 
 which has dictated the programme of the Liberation Society 
 must not be despised because its recognised supporters may be 
 comparatively few. 
 
 In page 15 of the " Practical Suggestions," to which I have 
 referred, we read: " It has been already stated that these sugges- 
 are not to be regarded as an exhaustive statement of the various 
 points which would require to be dealt with in connection with 
 
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 3 
 
 the Disestablishment of the English Church. It is necessary to 
 add that there are also subjects, which, though popularly asso- 
 ciated with such a change, have no necessary connection with it. 
 The most important of these is the Succession to the Crown, 
 under what is known as the Act of Settlement. The exclusion 
 of members of the Roman Catholic Church from the throne of 
 Great Britain is a political, quite as much as an ecclesiastical 
 question, and must be dealt with on its own merits. It was left 
 untouched when the Irish Establishment was abolished, and 
 may, in like manner, be left untouched when those of England 
 and Scotland are disestablished also." 
 
 Now, it may be perfectly true that the English people are as 
 little prepared, at the present moment, for giving effect to the 
 destructive theories of this Society in reference to strictly eccle- 
 siastical arrangements as they are to embark on that other im- 
 portant subject, which is foreshadowed by the above statement, 
 viz., the re-opening of the question of the Succession to the 
 Crown under what is known as the Act of Settlement. It is 
 now, however, obvious that the earnestness with which these 
 views are propagated can no longer be safely ignored by any 
 well-wisher of his country. Large sums of money have been 
 subscribed to further the dissemination of these and such-like . 
 principles throughout the land. Not only in great towns, but 
 in small country towns and villages, Lecturers of the Liberation 
 Society gather together meetings, often of very illiterate persons, 
 to whom they recommend such schemes as I have mentioned by 
 exaggerated statements as to the condition and working of the 
 Established Church. 
 
 It constantly happens that this work is systematically carried 
 on in towns or parishes without even coming to the knowledge 
 of those who would be competent to answer the unscrupulous 
 statements which are sown broadcast among the less educated of 
 our people. The newspapers advocating the views of the Libera- 
 tion Society, many thousand copies of which are circulated 
 weekly throughout the whole kingdom, are not usually read by 
 persons able or willing to refute by a plain statement of facts the 
 allegations they contain. 
 
 Churchmen have thought, and wisely, that the best defence of 
 their Church was to be found in the quiet, conscientious discharge 
 of duty ; and every Clergyman and layman attached to the 
 Church of England will do well to remember that if he fails in 
 his religious duties he thereby strengthens the hands of those 
 who seek to destroy his Church. Still, it will not, in my judg- 
 ment, be wise longer to overlook the attempts which are certainly
 
 now being systematically made, with vigour and perseverance, in 
 so many neighbourhoods, to pervert the judgment and alienate 
 the loyal regard of our people. 
 
 The Church Defence Institution is ready to give whatever 
 assistance is desired in order to meet these attacks. While 
 scrupulously avoiding all agitation in the many places in which 
 we are thankful to believe there is peace, its object is to supply 
 in a cheap, popular, and convenient form, sound and accurate 
 information as to the history and condition of the National 
 Church, and, when required, to furnish competent Lecturers, who 
 may follow the agents of the Liberation Society in their inroads, 
 and expose the fallacies they would palm off on the ignorant. 
 For such purposes as these, however, the Institution requires 
 greatly increased support. Its annual income is at present quite 
 insufficient for the performance of the work it is called upon to 
 do. A meeting, largely and infiuentially attended, has lately 
 been held at Lambeth Palace, at which the necessity for such 
 exertions has been clearly demonstrated; and I think myself 
 justified in appealing to all Englishmen, to whatever political or 
 theological party they belong, provided they love the Church of 
 England, and desire that its ministrations should continue to be 
 a barrier against ignorance, infidelity, superstition, and vicious 
 living, to assist in saving the minds of our people from being 
 led astray, to the great injury of themselves and the generations 
 that are to succeed them. 
 
 I remain, 
 
 Your faithful Brother and Servant, 
 
 A. C. CANTUAR.
 
 
 MBv* 
 
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