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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1394.

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TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1394. POLITICAL DISSENT. The Bishop of Llandaff was very severe yesterday in his episcopal charge on the "political Dissenter." WTe confess that we entirely fail to see why a Dissenter should be less worthy of respect because he happens to take a keen interest in politics. We grant that Dissent was in its inception neither political nor doctrinal in its character, but disciplinary. This was especially the case with Dissent in Wates. The early Welsh Nonconformists of the Commonwealth era did, it is true. take a deep interes t in the sturing* events which markcdthat period of English history; bat their main quarrel with the Established Church was not political or doctrinal, but—.to is ad- mitted by the Rev. Stephen Hughes in li s c, Argument" to the "Canwylly Cyiiiry -)ii points of Church discipline. Those who have paid any attention to the history of the early Welsh Methodists must come to the sama eo. elusion. William Williams. Pantycclyn, in his elegy on the death of Howel Harries, speaks with affection of hen artielau Eglwys Loegr (the ancient articles of the Church of England), Daniel Rowlands lived and died a member of the Established Church, and Thomas Charles was only driven out, against his wish, on account of differences on the points of church discipline. But the fart that the main quarrel was on points of discipline does not imply that there were not also political differences. Indeed, one of the many evils which attend upon the existence of a State Church is that politics become inextricably mixed up with religion, and that all who dissent from the Establishment are driven to taRe sides with one party or another in the State. It does not matter where and when you find Dis- sent, you will invariably find that the orthodox will always drive it into the arms of some politiooA party. Take, for instance, the Wycliffe or Lollard movement in England. Never waa there a more truly spiritual leader than Wycliffe, and yet we find that he- was so persecuted by the orthodox party that he was driven, in <»lS-clefenoe, into the arms of John of Gwmto who had no reel sympathy with his religious vienre, but who made use of him to, serve hi»-own piirposesj andof the revolution- ary ^followers of Ball and Tyler,-who equally mft^ rifiiw»f Jri^proto«t>>ifrainst.the corruption of the-interests of the [Rebellion o £ 138&. Or tab..tbe iiistory oLLuther^Zwingli, and klalyin, the Protestant Reformation in England. It would be folly to-say that Luther would not have succeeded without the help of the Elector of Syptony. Mortal man canuot limit the power of a fine enthusiasm in a good cause and absolute and fear- j 1 S3 confidence in God; but in spite 1 of his strong faith and utter fearlessness, even Luthar did not disdain to make use of the po Lieal opposition of certain of the German Princes to the Holy Roman Etnpcror. The orthodox clergy of the time might with truth have accused the Lutherans of being political dissenters." In France, the leader of the | Ku ,u jnots was Admiral Coligny. He was a great political leader as well as a religious re- former but who enn deny to the man who died for his religion on St. Bartholomew's bloody day the titla of a true martyr iv.ul religious reformer ? In iact, as '°ng as the Establishment ie supported by the State, those who seeedo from the Establishment must be tinned with politico colour. Howel Harries and Daniel Rowlands wore Liberals and though Jolrti Eiias, in later times, opposed Catholic Emancipation, he was accused in his early days of sympathising with the French Jacobins. Orthodox Churchmen in all ages and at all times have been fond of branding religious reformers as mere political zealots. The founder of Christianity himself was put to deatlt not because Eo avowed himself to be a Son of Goditit because He was accused of being an enemy to Crasar. Welsh Nonconformists n ed no therefore, be alarmed at theirritating and small-minded bickerings of the Bishop of Llandaff. They are only suffering the taunts which have always bwen levelled against the most earnest-and zoalou3 Christians of every age. The history of Wales during the last two centuries, and the vast sums of money that have been expended during that time on building chapels and maintaining religious worship in the Principality, are enduring monuments of th3 religious zeal and spiritual activity of Welsh Nonconformity. Wo can therefore bear with equanimity the cheap sneers of a Bishop, who h a Stats official in receipt of State funds, and who takes advantage of his position in the Home of Lords, not to advance the spiritual interests of the nation, but to aid and abet a political party in -.laving off all reform and blocking all progress. It is a sight for the gods, truly, to see a Bishop with a seat in the House of Lords reproving dissenters for being" political." It is a case, once more, of the devil reproving sin. J!? au.

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YvORKANp'WAGKSr

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