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England is damaged by their continuance. The defenders of the impost are content to resort to the oft-repeated fallacy of their being a common law burthen upon the land; whereas every ecclesiastical lawyer replies that they are a tax upon each person who contributes in proportion to the land he occupies. Others reiterate the, well-sounding plea that the body of the parish church belongs to the parishioners, and that they are consequently bound to repair it. Jews as well as Christians are, under this system, admitted to vote in vestries and to act as churchwardens. The evidence before the Committee of 1851 goes to shew that, excepting in so far as their civil rights are involved, the Dissenters generally are quite willing to forfeit their so-called property in the fabric, if that proprietorship entails the keeping it in repair. And, after all, the Dissenters waive no principle by abandoning the repair of the Churches to Churchmen. The fabrics, as well as all the property of the Church, have been regarded in the light of a trust; delegated to her by the State, and which, when any other denomination becomes predominant, may be transferred from the Church of England to that denomination.[1] It would only be a fair return for this trust that the denomination to which they are thus confided by the State, should keep them in repair at its own cost.
- ↑ See the speech of Mr. Bright upon Sir W. P. Wood's amendment to Mr. Trelawney's motion upon Church Rates, March 13th, 1849.
