The Merthyr Express

MERTHYR IMPROVEMENTS. gir,—To read your occasional columns, refer- ring to the strides made in the above direction thy the members of the Merthyr Corporation, with a view to raise the high standard of the ttood old town, is really interesting to me al- though at ^resent an outsider. Strides that must reflect credit undoubtedly upon such an mterprising body as that which the Corpora- tion now oomprisea; but. with all the recent Improvements, I must confess my disappoint- tnent and surprise each time I visit the old town at the finding of one needful item not yet feeing carried out. I need but remind you of yueh item being christened "the upper throttle valve of the town." There may be a substan- tial reason for the retention of this valve, but I rve not yet come across any report in your oolumns excusing the Corporation for their delay in the removal of such an obvious obstruc- tion; which makes me feel rather suspicious of the causes. Surely, such a body of business men, with such responsibility on their should- ers, cannot be guilty of the policy of seeking luxuries first and necessaries after? Per- sonally, I have no objection to the capturing of Cyfarthfa Castle, but I fear that the calcu- lation of the future expenditure in the up-keep of such a luxury has not been given its due con- sideration. I should have thought that the rate- payers would have held the hands of the Cor- poration in this step, as they did in the re- gent attempt to promote the waterworks Bcheme, and urge them to proceed with the opening of the "valve" referred to as one of the first ne- cessities. The comments made by the commis- sioner at one of the inquiries a few yeaxs ago ought to have stirred their energies—even if they themselves could not until then see the urgent need of it. I wondered one day when driving through the town in my brougham whether the Corporation would compensate me if ray conveyance happened to collide with one of the cam causing me to lose all consciousness, and then reoover to find myself deposited help- lessly inside the window of a pawnbroker's establishment as an unredeemed article, but not for sale. While I doubt their liability I don't question the cause of the accident, nor the necessity of the removal of such cause, I may •lso add that the Corporation would be morally responsible for that or any other accident of it1, kind they've applied for power to remove the obstacle, they've had it, now what more do they want? rve also wondered whether the ratepayers only are the beneficed party in the Cyfarthfa Castle transaction; yet it appears that it must be so. otherwise the matter wouJd not have been brought to a close so easily, and with so little of the usual quibbling that talcs place in such matters. However, it's done. So now let us hope that something else will be done with like promptitude and as smoothly in connection with the throttle valve at the top of the town and that, the Corporation will not wait, for some enterprising individual to appear on this scene to do it for them. I remain, t.œf,y, VISITOR.

A MERTHYR PROTEST. Bir.-I beg leave, through your valuable paper, to call the attention of the Mayor, as j ehie: magistrate of this Borough, to the high- handed action of the police at the police- court this morning. As soon as the court opened, we ware told that there was no ad mission except on business. I always thought that a court of justice was open to the public at all tunes. A police constable infonned us that it was an occasional oourt, but I say that any court and eveiy oourt should be open to the public, and I, tor one, most emphatically protest against any infringement of the rights of the burgesses of the Borouph. The con- stable referred us. to the Chief Constable, and very 1 kely be wouJd have referred us to the magistrates. I say that it Ï6 high time it should be put a stop to. and I appeal to the Mayor to see to this. The Mayor is chief magistrate, and as such he is above all others. In no other town would such a state of things be tolerated for one moment. Wo the work- ing men axe keeping up the police, th? Town Hall, and everything else in the Borough. Is it fair, then, that we should be refused ad- mission to the court? I trust it will not ioocur again. Thanking you in anticipation, jam- Sir, yours obediently, MICfiAEL ^TALONEs "The Flats3 Georgetown, Merthyr, „ 1 June, 1st. 1909,

THINGS WANTED IN PARK WARD. Sir—Kindly give me & little space to ca!l attention to the dreadful stAbe of the road abutting Tabernacle Chapel, in Park Ward. How this ratty road has been allowed to con- tinue so long passes my comprehension; When passing down this.road' a week ago, I had the misfortune to sprain my ankle. I have spoken to many others, and they have

-:Ð 1'1 IMom how j\ delicious J Brown & Pol»on Blancmange with stewedwt on a hot summer day, and again, how cooling and 1 refreshing to eat S I And the dish is 'Just as whole- | some as it is inviting: j If you make the Blancmange according | to recipe on Brown & Poison's packets, j pure milk without water and ) boiling .or to minutes—you will learn f tow rcelly delicious a blancmange can be. This way brints out fqUy the delightful flavour found only in Brown & Poison's Corn Flour 'J

DOWLAIS ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. Sir,—The following sentence appears in' last week's Gossip: "If a profit is being made on them (the Catholic Schools) now, a much bigger profit must have b4kn realized by the managers in years gone by. Thus says ''Pol on ins." I thought, Mr. Editor, that my letter, which passed through your hands two months ago, had disposed of this fable about manag- erial profits in the past. Its main argument was to prove from the official accounts that while the managers had lost regularly year by year in keeping the schools open, they never made one penny piece out of them. We look to the "Express" to show us the correct thing in these oases. Therefore, I trust "Poloniua" will withdraw a statement which, though in no way offensively meant, is apt to mialead the uninformed. Need I add that "Poloniua" will be entirely welcome to ex- amine the account* if he can spare sp much time from his literary pursuits?—I am, yours faithfully, R. M. CANON LUCAN. Dowlais, May 31st, 1909.

SUNDAY TRADING. Sir,—At a special meeting of the Dowlais Free Church Council, which was reported in your last issue, the following item appears: "Sunday trading was next discussed, and Mr. D. ML Oriel, Mr. I. Edwards, and Mr. H. Jones were appointed to interview the Chief Consta- ble on the matter." From which it appears that the Council are going to make themselves ri- diculous as the authorities in several towns have of late, notably Swansea, but where com- mon sense has at last prevailed, it havinb been de- cided not to interfere with those who eke out a living by selling on Sundays. An apt cartoon appears in a weekly contemporary depicting a Nonconformist preacher closing his eyes to the motor cars that are passing, and to persons en- tering a crolf link, but his eyes wide open to seo a little cnild coming out of a sweet shop, and a man purchasing a newspaper, and he makes a note of it. Would it not be wise for the Coun- cil to look at their own house? It appears to me to be a case of "straining at a gnat, and swallowing a camel." For it is a well-known fact that trading is carried on in nearlyevery I Sunday school in the town by way of selling children's periodicals and the various Con- nexional literature to the older members. Let them abolish their own trading before condemning others, who by this are oftentimes able to keep off the rates. I fail to see what harm these small shopkeepers do to these pious Nonconformists unless it is that a few half- pence which they think ought to go into their own coffers find their way into these lrNe shops. And, if these Sabbatarians are so anx- ioua to see Sunday kept according to their ideas, why not make a start by petitioning Messrs. Guest, Keen and Nettlefoms to cease working hundreds of their workmen on Sunday ? There are some who think perhaps that if this were done, it might mean that the Noncon- formist ministers would have to pay full price for their coaL Further, why does not the Council condemn their ministers and members for trading by way of using the trains and trams on Sunday, which is as much breaking the Sabbath as is selling sweets, pop, eto. I trust that the Chief Constable, Mayor and officials will not allow these bigots to influence them. For this Sunday trading is merely a matter of opinion. and what is a matter of opinion has no right to be enforced upon the general public by legislation unless it can be shown that it is for the proteotion of the public individually or collectively from injury. The feelings or prejudices of a few have no claim to be regarded by legislation at the expense of the freedom and liberty of the people. Thank- ing you in anticipation, yours, etc., SECULARIST.

"THE GROUP" AND COUNCILLOR GRIFFITHS. Sir,—Mr. Evans introduces side issues into this correspoTtdonce. If there were other compromises, so much-the worse. Every case should bo judged on its own merits. A com- promise mean? placing one's own principles at the morcy of others; ,ich an act ought not to be shielded from criticism or defended by qiiibbliag. Councillor Griffiths knows that his Ciiiai compromise with the Catholics was entirely wrong, though he finds it intolerable to be told so. Having no olaim to infaJlj- bility, it would be wise of him to admit the an-or, AS it is lam^ntdble to find a Labour !illU1 in absolute obedience to sectarianism. His case points to the danger of the clerical nei, which is spread out in the form of Catholic votes at election time, so as to scoop in support. Mr. Evans tells Nonconformists to take thoir hands off our schools. I hold no brief for Nonoonformity, but in fairness I would ask where Mr. Griffiths would find himself at the poll if his Nonconformist sup- porters went over to the other side. The toleration of Nonconformity is seen in the liberty which Socialists enjoy as members of the Free Churches. I venture to think that Mr. Eyaos c^yld friqCouncillor 1 ,o"7c_#i"t.]! Griffiths, to escape from the dilemma by ad- vising him to shake off the clerical yoke. No doubt Mr. Griffiths oould then return to the arms of the "group." Otherwise, it will take more than Mr. Evans or the mighty "Ceesar" to save this "young social reformer." —Yours, eto., A SOCIALIST.

HAS COUNCILLOR GRIFFITHS BEEN VICTIMISED? Sir,—It seems that your correspondent, "Caesar," is playing the part of the proverbial Irishman, dancing around the local political arena with his shillelah, spoiling for a fight with the I.L.P., his pet aversion. So long as he continues to trail his coat-tails in the dust fondly hoping that the LLJP. will contamin- ate itself, so long shall we be amused. It has pleased "Cirsar" hitherto to be quizzical to- wards the I.L.P. Now he blossoms forth as a full-fled°ed critic, and a defender of Coun- cillor Griffiths. "The role ia unenviable." If "Caevar" were as keenly interested in local politics as he pretend to b9. he would have known the reason why the I.L.P. dissociated itself from the action of Councillor Griffiths. Now Cav-ar" would challenge the I.L.P. to prove, etc. Understanding the "ruse de guerre," we imitate Nelson. The I.L.P. will defend Itself when it thinks fit to do so in its own way and time, not when "Caesar" would We seek to distinguish between principle and principal—Yours, etc., IL N'A PAS. I'

"NONCONFORMISTS MUZZLED AT CEFN." Sir,—The letter under the above heading in f your issue of May 29th by your correspond- I ent, "Cynlas"—who. I presume, is the author of the first paragraph—altogether fails to deal with the points at issue. He does not even attempt to substantiate the statements he made in that paragraph, as every fair man would feel bound to do, nor does he withdraw them, as every man of honour would dQ. Thus your readers will see how much he is "want- ing in courtesy and good taste," and other qualities. "Cynlas" found the facts in my letter were indisputable, and. like facte generally, very "stubborn things." Instead, therefore, of trying to disprove them, he does the other and more convenient thing—he tries to hide them in a heap of superfluous and j irrelevant* matter. But, unfortunately for J him, his letter only the more clearly shows his recklessness and audacity. "It is common knowledge that the Wesleyan Methodist As sembly meets next week at Llanidloes, when not only the Synod, but the whole Wesleyan j body in Wales, through its I will have the opportunity of registering it* < voice upon the question of Disestablishment." Is- r&oe of this fact, "Cynlas" assert* "tJie question was postponed 'sine die. Seemingly there will ho no end to his random statements and his effrontery. t Having ignored my facts and added one more to his already numerous groundless I charges, he proceeds boldly and loudly to teach the Synod the nature of its business, and the manner in which it should be con- ducted. But I hasten to aaswre "Cynlas" that the Synod needs no instruction from him I in that direction, and it has already an "order and form of business" of its own. Further- I more, the Synod will, I beJieve, always do I what it considers to be its duty, and that re- gardless of what outside Churchmen or Non conformists, or even "Cynlas"' himself, may fear or think. Of one thing I am quite certain, and that is, Wesleyan Methodists J will never act. in the manner suggested for them by "Cynlas." He would for days enjoy the kindness and hospitality bestowed by the Church friends at Cefn; but having got all he wanted, he would leave the Church premises, march off into "one of th« Nonconformist meeting-places," and there begin right away to insult and attack them, and do all that mean business—forsooth on "principle." "Cynlas" closer his letter with a reference to the late Rev. H. Price Hughes. Evidently j he has vry high opinions of the late eminent Methodist leader. It is to be regretted that your readers cannot hold very hich opinions of "Cynlas," but that i impossible, if his qualities are to be judged by his letter.— Yours truly, H. 0. HUGHES.. Superintendent Minister.

WHY A CATHOLIC CANNOT BE A SOCIALIST. 8ir,-In last week's issue of the "Merthyr Express," "A Merthyr Vale Social Democrat" stated that, what he had said on this question ought to suffice to show that a Catholic is in no way forbidden from accepting the prin ciples of Socialism, without giving one fact "for his summing up, and in defiance of the teachings of the Church, and the Encyclicals that have condemned the same. In my last letter, I referred to the Pope speaking "Ex Cathedra." I do not think "MerthyT Vale Social Democrat" understands the term, because if he did, be would not pursue his present views. Let me explain. The Pope speaking "Ex Cathedra," as pastor and supreme teach- er of the Church, is infallible; therefore, it I would be rashness, pride, and even sin for Catholics, in refusing respect to the teachings of the head of the Church. Obedience has become the first virtue of true Catholics, so the teachings of the Sovereign Pontiff are to have weight in this matter, a Catholic is pro- hibited from calling himself a Socialist. The Popes have condemned Socialism because the Church has not forgotten the Gospel and the teachings of Christ. If & Catholic despises the fatherly warnings of his pastor and the precepts of Christian law which they have invoked, if he allows himself to be deceived by the p1"Omoters of the machinatiens C1f these davs, if he agrees to conspire against the law of the Church in the perverse system of Socialism, let him seriously consider that he heaps up for himself before the Divine Judge showers of vengeance in the day of wrath, because "They who refuse to be sub- ject to the law of God are surely reputed the enemies of God." Again I say. Socialists are to be found amongst Anarchists, Nihilists, and heretics who involve themselves in dark- ness. professing agnosticism with other absurd doctrines, and who are vain in their thoughts. "For professing themselves wise, they have become fools." In the fnmous Syllabus of Errors drawn up by Pius IX we find Social- ism is called a plague. It is dealt with in the allocutions and encyclicals. It becomes im- possible for a well-instructed Catholic to ad- vocate and encourage it without contradicting the teachings of the Church.—I remain, etc., A MERTHYR CATHOLIC.

THE TEACHING IN THE MOUNTAIN ASH COUNTY SCHOOL. Sir, With your kind permission I should I like to pen a few words with reference to the re- marks made on the above subject at the meet- ( ing of the Mountain Ash Education Committee a fortnight ago. The headmaster had written stating "that three scholars who had previously II held scholarships had fallen off considerably." I quite agree with Capt. Gray that they had a perfect right to discuss the matter. I am sorry the headmaster should blame the pupils for their results. If what Mr. Lamburn said was cor- rect, "that parents had told him that the children who attended the Aberdare Schools had fallen off since attending the Mountain Ash School," whose is the fault? Great stress was laid on the constant changing of the staff. But why this constant changing? It is most detri- mental to the interests of the scholars. Mr. Lamburn was quite right when he said that "if the committee were going to give scholarships they should see that the teaching should be pro- per and efficient and given in a systematic way." In the interests of the ratepayers it is to be hoped they will do BO. I may aJso state that the language used by some of the scholars out of school leaves much to be desired. In- deed, I think the Glamorgan Education Com- mittee would do well to investigate the matter to see if there are any grounds for the dissatis- faction amongst the Mountain Ash Education Committee and others. A RATEPAYER.

FREE TRADE AND UNEMPLOYMENT. Sir,—In the last issue of the "Merthyr Ex- press," you quoted an article which states that 80 years ago 5.000 people were employed at Cyfarthfa, and £300,000 was paid yearly in wages. As that was before the days of Free Trade, can a more striking example be shown in favour of Tariff Reform? In those days there was nothing like the demand for rails, etc., that there has been since in England, our Colonies, and other countries, so that if Free Trade is of such great benefit to us, there ought to be at least 10,000 people employed at Cyfarthfa, and over £600,000 paid yearly in wages. Perhaps some Free Trade statisticians might try to prove that it is better for Mer- thyr that the works should be olosed; but it is a very unconvincing argument. An article in the "Merthyr Express" on the 15th June, 1907, stated: "Our trade returns stiil con- found the Tariff Reformer, who must almost be offering silent prayer for a turn in the tide of national commerce, if only to give him just a chance of proving th&t he is not such a lying prophet G.9 these returns make him out to be." Then follow a lot of Board of Trade figures, and you state: "The iron, eel, and coal trades occupy leading posi- tions," and that Mr. D. A. Thomas said "that we had not yet reached the zenith of pros- perity." All I .wish is that some of the dreamt-of prosperity would come to some of us in Merthyr. A Socialist lecturer in Thomastown Recreation Ground on Sunday said that in 1908 there were 13,000 more pauper inmates in Great Britain than in 1907. and I believe he said 18.000 more out-door It paupers. Is this the result of your boasted prosperity? Some time ago you stated that the proportion of unemployed in New York State was greater than in this oountry, but you forgot to state how many of the unem- ployed there were of newly-arrived immig- rants. The total number of immigrants to the' United States in 1907 was 1285,349, whilst 235,092 persons emigrated from this country, and only 31.696 from Germany, with a 50 per cent. population greater than ours. For the five years ending 1905, the number of workers in thp New York State increased over 16.000, and the earnings increased over 127,000,000 dollars. In 1907 the percentage of unemployed Trades Unionists in Germany was 1.5: in Great Britain, 4.2. In 1908, Ger. many. 2.9; in 1908.. Great Britain, 7.8. In I 1846. Mr. -aid: will not be aj riiI ÅlL¡ .will shsaM4 jA I. t,7"V_L less than five years to follow your example." Sixtyf-four years have passed since then, and the only thing the European powers have done has been to increase their tariffs on our manufactured goods, and to secure our home market. Thanking you for inserting previous letters,—I am, yours truly, TARIFF REFORMER.

EBBW VALE CURATE'S PROTEST. Sir,—Kindly allow me a small space in your valuable paper to protest against the habit and conduct of certain people, who de- light to congregate outside St. Mary's Church (Victoria) on Sunday evenings, apparently with the one desire of treating with con- tempt and ridicule the proces-ion of St. Mary's Church surpliced choir. I may men. tion that the Church, so to speak, does not lend itself to a procession without the choir marching from the vestry around to the main entrance of the ohureh, a distance of several ya-rds; and it seems as though this little act has caught their imagina.tion. If they pos- sessed a grain of respect, they would certainly refrain from congregating together especiaily on the way home from their respective places of worship, and creating scenes mo-t unseem- ly for a Sabbath day. I doubt whether the ministers of the particular denominations are aware of their attitude, otherwise I feel suro they would forbid h practices. It is vain I' to talk of religious equality, or even to think of peace, when young men and oven little boys, whose hearts or souls are vested, as it were, in this particular sphere of Church work. and yet made an object of soorn and ridicule by people—alas! professing Christ- ians, too-just returning from places of wor- ship. where they. too, perhaps, had been Hinging praises to the same Being. The Cburchpeople of Victoria 8.re in no mood to be trifled with, and this barefaced conduct only froes to show that we have no intention of submitting to people possessing small views- and cramping prejudices, who?e one desire is to deny oommon justice and freedom to Churchpeople. Those who laugh and room may have their services conducted in the manner they think best, and we demand the samo privilege.—I am, etc.. R. H. WELLS (Curate).

WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT. Sir,—Last week I took my leave of "An thropos" by pointing out to him that Augus- tine found Christianity anu a Chr,.tian Church at CantClrbury on his arrival there. I pointed out to him the absurdity—silliness or cruclenesB, if he likes—of calling a personal gift from a petty kinglet in Kent "State en dowment"—the sonorous term used by the Liberationist to-day for Church property. De then proceeds, not relying this time on the "great Makower," to say: "The Church which was established was not the old British Church. but a branch of the Roman Catholic Church founded by Augustine. by whose instructions and prescription it organized. Turning to his allegation in the foregoing quotation, permit mo to submit the true history of the planting of the English Church. The Church of Rome, practically had nothing to do with the English Church, beyond the fact of founding it, till after the Norman Conquest. Gregory founded a missionary church, and during the period of Augustine exercised- jurisdiction over it, i.e, he was consulted about every- thing. In our own day, we talk of "mission. ary jurisdiction"—the conditions under which a daughter church exists until it has three bishops of its own. Then, it can consecrate more bishops, and has "her seed in herself." The new church is independent of everybody in every way. and only bound to the mother church by filial affection. Such was the case with Augustine. The rule of Rome was not imposed on the infant Church of England. Augustine did not receive even his consecra- tion from the hands of the Church of Rome. The relationship between him and Gresrorv after his consecration clearly proves the separ- ate existence of the new body. The many questions sent by Augustine to the Roman bi-hop, and the answers received demonstrate the truth that both reg vrd d this fact as a. fundamental one, and at the time of the Re- formation the Anglican Church returned to this primitive condition as is witnessed by the claim of the XX Article. Here are Gregory's words: "You know, my brother, the custom of the Roman Church, in which you remem- ber you were bred up. But it is my opinion" (observe, not command, but opinion), "that if you have found anything which may be more acceptable to Almighty God, whether in the Church of Rome, or in that of the Gauls, or in any other Church, you should carefully select it, and industriously teach to the Church of the English, which as yet is new in the Faith, what you may have collect- ed from the several churches. For things are not to be valued on account of the place of their origin, but places are to be loved for the sake of good things. Let the minds of the English be habituated to it, as to their custom or use." MOIDTruIEm, Mgr. Duchesne, Dr. Collins, and others have shown that thia is genuine, and no amount of verbi- age can giet over the fact that Gregory recog nizea in the passage three independent churches—thoee of Rome, Gaul. and England. "Anthropos," therefore, has failed in hie con- tention that the English Church was "a branch of the Roman Catholic Church." "The very organization of the Church as a diocesan institution was an importation from Rome." This quotation is another instance of the reck- less assertions of my opponent. Originally fixed diooeses, such as we have, were un- known. The diocese was the tribal kingdom and varied in size with the fortunes of the kingdom in war. Let the "great Makower' speak: "Even in the Roman period, British Bishops are mentioned. Thus the Bishop of London, the Bishop of York, and a third Brshop were present at the Council of Aries (314). The effect, however, of settlements of pagan Teutons was to drive the Bishops from tha eastern parts of the island. In the west- em parts which remained Keltic for a longer period, centres of ecclesiastical activity still subsisted and developed by degrees into Epis- copal seate. In the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms there was at first one bishoprio for each king- dom, except that in Kent a second See was at once created side by side with Canterbury." (See also Willis Bund, Celtic Church, p. 218.) And yet, according to "Anthropos," diocesan divisions were an "importation from Rome!" Speaking, then. of the Anglo-Saxon period, the; English Church was independent of Rome, as was also the British Church. Both. like all other churches in Christendom, were episco- pally ruled, and they had divisions constitut- ing, as far as the exigencies of the times al- lowed. diocesan areas under the jurisdiction of Bishops. The union of the two churches before the Norman Conquest was the result of causes, not political, but associated with the natural development of Christian charity and teaching. It was to subdue this united church and bring it to subjection to Rome— at that time a very different Rome to the one ruled over by Gregory—that the banner of William was blessed by the Pope of Rome. whose policy was to secure supremacy over aM churches and states in Christendom. Will your correspondent. "Anthropos," kindlv note that the bulk of the ancient endowments of the Church were voluntarily piven to her during this period. The endowments given after the Conquest went to the monasteries, which institutions und-er various pretexts ap- propriated a great deal of the Church's pro- perty. As to the question of Establishment. I must put to "Anthropos" the question—Do you know where you are? He quotes Brewer, edited by Dibdin, to prove that Henry VIII. established the Church, and yet throughout his letters be speaks of the Church as estab lished from the days of Augustine. Dealing with quotations, I must enter a strong pro- test against the method he has of adducing his so-called evidence. The severe rap across the knuckles administered to him by Mr. Godfrey in the matter of an alleged state- ment by Dr. Freeman ought to have made him careful; but the rebuke was lost. In his last letter, he quotes half-a-dozen lines from Brewer on Establishment, and the opening sentences of Dibdin's note on the question. Now, Sir, Brewer's book contains 120 pages dealing with the question, and the Note re- fers to the treatment as a whole. The sen- tence from the latter refers to the whole ex- position and Dibdin in his very next sen- tence adds: "We shall be very liable to get into confusion, if we limit ourselves to this one aspect of the m&tter." Then follows, a closely reasoned argument to show that the Church was always established. I chaDenge "Anthropos'' to prove that I am wrong. Let him give Dibdin's plain, unvarnished opinion. Honesty in controversy demands that he should do so. Worse still is his answer to my quotation respecting the origin of tithes from Easterby. He answers this by giving the exact words of Gregory's letter, and he essays to prove that tithes originated with Augustine by meam of his version of the letter of Gregory. This celebrated letter do not mention tithes at all! And, "mirabile diotu," "Anthropos" actually puts the word in the letter. Here is what Gregory wrote. as given by Plummer, in his "Bedæ Opera Historical: "Respondit Gregorius papa urbis Romee. M09 autem sedis est ordinatie episoopis praecepta tradere, ut omni stipendio, quod accedifc, quattuor de be- aut fieri portionea. The words un- doubtedly refer to the offerings made at the altar of a church served b- a body of men living together in community. There is no mention of tithes, and the word was without any warrant whatsoever, interpolated by "An- thropos" for the purpose of—shall we say arriving at the true facts of the case? Your correspondent cannot, without mist quoting, or putting undue strain upon the simple mean- ing of words, quote one single author of repute in support of the exploded theory that the State endowed the Church. If such evi- dence is procurable, it would have been pro- duced on the floor of the House of Commons: but Mr. Balfour's challenge^ on this point was not taken up because it could not be met. Neither can "Anthropos" meet it. His other point will receive due attention— Yours, etc* CHURCHMAN.

THE CHURCH BEFORE AND AFTER THE REFORMATION. Sir,—I am not without hope that I shall, in this letter, enlighten even "Churchman" with regard to the meaning of Establishment, No itttailksnt maa btiisx* thjtt there J is no fundamental difference between the Churchi previous to the Reformation and the Church; after the Reformation, as it would involve that! there is no difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. What Parliament did with respect to Church property was to with draw it entirely from the support of the old re- ligion—which was made illegal, and, as far as possible, suppressed—and appropriate it wholly to the support of the new religious system which it had itself set up. By legal or political con- tinuity I simply mean that the State retained its control of the New Church as well as it had controlled the old, subject to the jurisidiction of the Pope. But as far as a religious body is concerned, Freeman, strongly as ho insists on the legal continuity, admits that "It is quite possible to argue, either from the Roman Catholic or from the Protestant side, that the Reformation really made so great a theological change that the religious body which existed after these changes cannot be said to be the same religious body as that which existed before them" ((Disestablishment and Disendowment, p. 14). This was the view held until compara- tively recent times, since the Disestablishment movement has threatened the Church of Eng- land with the loss of its ancient endowments. Sir Robert Peel, in a speech in the House of Commons, on April 21st, 1825, said: "It must be recollected that the temporalities of the Church of R.ome had been transferred to the Protestant Church. It was impossible that a Roman Catholic should not consider the dis- pcssession of his Church of its temporalities by the Church of England as an act of great injus- tice." Multitudes of first-rate witnesses could be adduced to prove that a great change took place from the national and religious standpoint. While the Church, previous to the Reformation. was the national church in the sense that it was consistent with tho State, or rather that it wag the only church then in existence in England, it was not the national church in the sense that it was of British origin, and distinguished by peculiar British characteristics, but rather it, was a portion of a vast organisation. Makower, who has been misrepresented by "Churchman," lucidly defines what the change was. He says, "The real changes which ensued relate almost exclusively to the connection of the national church with the Pope; they consist in the com- plete abolition of all Papal authority in Eng- land, and in the transfer of almost all rights of government previously exercised by the Pope to the English sovereign. But herein was in deed an alteration of the constitution of the Church in the very point which must be regard- ed as decisive. The peculiarity of the Romish Church as that Church had developed with tho progress of time, lay not so much in the dis- tinctive character of its offices and the determin- ation of the rights and duties attached thereto, as in the existence of a central power outside tho various nations, a power which claimed to stand above them and persistently sought to weaken all civil powers which did not yield to its ever- growing pretentions. Now, the Reformation, in eradicating this element o £ disunion, and declaring all ecclesiastical interference from without to be inadmisible, must be regarded as having produced a fundamental change in the constitution of the Church." ("Constitutional History of the Church of England," p. 176). This calm and impartial judgment of an histo- rian of European reputation is sustained by the historical appendix to the report of the Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical courts (1883), drawn up by Dr. Stubbs, another historian of European reputation, which says: "As a part or the Catholic Church, the English Church was constantly drawing in elements of novelty and growth, which, however good or mischievous they may now seem, became part of its consti- tution by reason of its organic connection with foreign churches. The Church cf Eng- land was not, even in Anglo-Saxon times, merely the religious organisation of the nation, but a portion of a much greater organisation. The exact limits of its relation to foreign churches were possibly disputable, but the fact of the incorporation was admitted on all sides" (Re- port of the Royal Commission, pp. 22, 23). Dr. Stubbs further says, in his "Constitutional His- tory," "In the general legislation of the Church, the English Church and nation had alike but a small share; the promulgation of the suc- cessive portions of the Decretals (the letters written by the Popes for determining matters of controversy, and having the authority of law) was a Papal act to which Christendom at 1arge gave silent aquiescence, tho Crown as- serted and maintained the right to forbid the introduction of Papal Bulls without a royal licence, both in general and particular cases; and the English prelates had their places, and the ambassadors accredited by the kingdom and the estates had their right to be heard in the general councils of the Church. But, ex- cept in the rare cases of collision with the na- tional law, the general legislation of Christen dom, whether by Pope or council, was accepted as a matter of course." ("Con. Hist. vol. iii., p. 348). Mr. Gilbert W. Child, M.A., in his introduction to his "Church and State under the Tudors," says, "The Western Church was, and remained until the Reformation, one and indivisible, and the fact that it had its own laws and its own organisation prior to and inde- pendent of the very existence of any nation of modern Europe, was in itself enough to pre- vent its becoming, in any intelligible sense of the word, national. It extended into all the na- tions of Europe, and was national in none of them" ("Church and State," pp. 9-11). Dean Milman is equally explicit, and says that "with all the Teutonio part of Latin Christendom, the belief in the supremacy of the Pope was coeval with their Christianity, and was an article of their original creed as much as the Redemption itself' ("Latin Christianity," vol. iv., p. 4). Every archbishop and bishop at that time took an oath that they would be "faithful and obe- dient. to the Holy Apostolic Roman Church and our Lord the Pope. Dean Hook admitted that the Church in England, "from that time (1417) the Church of England to the time of the Re- formation, was to be accounted only as a branch of the Church of Rome" ("Lives of Arch- bishops," vol. T., p. 103). Dr. Byle, the Bishop of Liverpool, is more explicit still. He saya: "The three hundred years which immediately preoeded the Reformation is a period when the Church of this land was thoroughly, entirely, and completely Roman Catholic; when the Bishop of Rome was the spiritual head of the Church; when Romanism reigned supreme from the Isle of Wight to Berwick-on-Tweed, and from the Land's End to the North Fore- land; when the ministers of religion in Eng- land and the people were all alike Papists" ("Principles for Churchmen," p. 357). What becomes now of the hysterical statement of "Churchman" that "It is as clear as the sun at noonday that, from the start, the English Church was independent of Rome." Evidently, he wants to rub his eyes, for his noonday has turned into blackest night. Tho most zealous partisans cannot claim that there is any religious and doctrinal continuity. All that can be claimed is a. political continu- ity, and all that that involves is that the en- dowments of the Church previous to the Re- formation were Parliamentary property. But if it could be proved otherwise, that the en- dowments of the Church were private benefac- tions given to the Church independent of the State, it would be of no avail for the present holders of the property, "for the ancient en- dowments were certainly created in Roman Ca- tholic times, and were appropriated to Roman Catholic purposes. The present holders have, therefore, .not the shadow of a. claim to the pro- perty on the ground of its original gift or ap- propriation. Their title an exclusively Par- liamentary one. In the exercise of its absolute authority on the property for the good of the nation. Parliament took it away from the Ro- man Catholic Church, and appropriated it to the new Protestant religion established by law. So long as the Protestant Church remains estab- lished it win be entitled to retain possession of the property; at the moment disestablishment comes its title will be gone, and Parliament will have to make a fresh appropriation of the property for the benefit of the nation at large." Disestablishment cannot take place without disendowment, because endowment is a colla- teral element in establishment; and this proves that Church property is publio property. and different to the property of Dissenters, or else it would retain it after it has been dises- tablished, as Dissenters retain their private property. Mr. Gladstone could make no dis- tinction in principle between public endowments of the Church and those of private origin. In a speech delivered in the House of Commons on March 23rd, 1869, he said, "Why are we to establish in this Bill a separate category for pri- vate endowments, and dividing them from the mass of what we affirm to be national pro- perty?" And, he added, "I suspect that if we were to examine these endowments we should find that there were multitudes of them given to the national Established Church because it was the national Established Church, and, there- fore, the endowment must follow the fate of the national establishment." Private gifts given to the Established Church stands in a similar posi- tion to those of any other national institution, e.g., the National Gallery or the British Mu- seum. No one doubts that private gifts to these institutions become national property; equally will purchases made with the nations money: and in principle it is the same with the gifts of individuals to the National Church." Sufficient has been said to show that there is no religious continuity between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, and that, therefore, the Church has no claim to property given previous to the Re- formation on the ground of private or volun- tary benefactions; that the only continuity is one baaed on the power of Parliament to estab- lish and disestablish. As "Churchman" has proved that the Church was established by la.w previous to the Reformation, and as it has been proved that that Church was not the same Church as was established by law a.t the Re- formation. it follows that the property given to the Church and enforced by civil enactments previous to the Reformation, can be claimed only on the ground of public property. This is the only continuity that sensible and disin- terested men can recognise.—Yours, truly, ANTHROPOS.

THE VICAR OF ABERCYNON 'AND THE REV. M. JENKINS. Sir,—Inasmuch as the Rev. M. Jenkins de- liberately refuses to furnish your readers with plain, straightforward and direct answers to the simple questions asked by me ia my two previ- ous letters which appeared in the columns of the "Merthyr Express," I now respectfully sub- mit to the fair judgment of the community that I do not consider it a just action on my part I to you, Mr. Editor, and the many readers of ) your valuable paper, to carry on this corres- pondenoe further with a gentleman who poselr •vades the questions at issue. I may adu Ikai J ftp fluids |ysfifttsi to tfea oi Mt: 1-

—ill- 11 LSI I INN r it's a wise woman who bu-ys Puritan Soap Purlfàn Soap saves. g It saves because it lasts longer. a L It lasts longer because every tablet has gone | through a special process to make It last longer. | It saves because it contains olive oil. ft No other household soap contains olive oil. H H The olive oil save3 the clothes — keeps white linens nice and white 9 jg —prevents shrinking of woollens—keeps the hands nice too. ■ I Tliese are True Savings. THOMAS, Brlstol. B

THE VICAR OF ABERCYNON AND MR. CLEMENT EDWARDS, M.P. Sir,—In the columns of the "Western Mail" for Friday, May 28th, Mr. Clement Edwards, M.P., is reported to have stated, among other misleading and fallacious things, in the course of his speech in favour of the Government's Spoliation Bill of the rights and property of the Church in Wales, delivered at Noddfa Chapel, Mountain Ash, that he advocated Disestablish- ment of the Church of England on the grounds that "a man's personal belief was a matter be- tween himself and God, and no secular power had the right to interfere with a man's personal beliefs." I respectfully ask, are Nonconform- ists free from spiritual restrictions? If so, what explanation can ME. Edwards offer re- specting the following statement contributed by the Rev. Baldwin Brown, the well-known In- dependent Minister, to "The Nonconformist," of March 24th, 1881, re the Huddersfield Chapel case, Jones v. Stennard, argued before Vice- Chancellor Hall, February, 1881: "Let us for very shame have done with the tone of lofty superiority which we are so fond of assuming with regard to creed-bound churches. We are ourselves more miserably bound than any of them. They. at least, have ancient creeds, and are judged with some relation to the develop- ment of Christian thought. But ours is arrang- ed for us, apparently by a committee of a so- ciety, with the aid of an unofficial circular to a few ministers and laymen, and it will be dealt with according to the strictest letter, should it ever be brought into court." Further, will Mr. Edwards inform the community what is meant by the following undeniable facts in law: "Par- liament, as well as the State Law-oourts, has power to interpret, and give a definite meaning to the doctrines set forth in Nonconformists' trust deeds." See 7 and 8 Victoria, Chap. 45. And lastly will Mr. Edwards deny that Noncon- formist places of worship are exempt from pa- rochial rates and taxes so long as they are used exclusively for public religious worship? See 3 and 4 Will. IV., o. 30, and whether it is a fact that the rate and tax collectors grossly neglect the performance of their official duty in not demanding the payment of rates and taxes from the chapel authorities whenever any of their places of worship are used for political meetings?—I am, etc., J. D. ELLIS JONES, Vicar of Abercynon. May 31st, 1909.

DISSENT DECLINING! Sir,—Is Dissent decaying? Are the compara- tive figures published by Mr. Morgan Jenkins in any way reliable to-day? If these figures in- dicate the progress of Dissent to-day one would expect to find each denomination rejoicing and expressing gratitude with such results. But on going into the matter I find that on all hands there is great dissatisfaction with the present methods of the sects in Wales, and weeping and wailing at their failure. The "Christian World" recently contained a confession made by the Rev. Francis Jones, Abergele, a well- known Calvinistic Methodist. Speaking of the depressing outlook of present-day Dissent, he admitted that:—"At the present moment there are no more men in the churches taking part in the services than before the revival, and fewer attended the Sunday schools, the society meetings, and the prayer meetings than six years ago. The flowing tido has receded, and left exposed to the world the wreckage of non- fulfilled promises covered by the slimy influences of decay." The Rev. J. H. Shakespeare, secretary of the Baptist Union, admitted recently that "Year after year the population increased, but their members declined," and that "they are not holding their own in town or country." Dr. Campbell Morgan, at the meeting of the Bap- tist Union, on April 30th, last, "Wished to God they could get rid of statistics for ten years, as it would give them a chance." Dr. Morris, Treorky, not long since, drew a sad picture of the "Pagan Rhondda"—a valley Mr. Morgan Jones evidently delights in. The "Baptist Times" now consoles itself by stating that "Sta- tistics at best are a poor measure of spiritual results." What will Mr. Morgan Jenkins say to these recent statements by his co-religionists? And I would ask him if it is honest to quote the inflated figures produced by the Welsh re- vival as evidence of the strength of Dissent to- day? Is it not deceiving an easily deceived pub- lic to produce empty seats as a test of numerical strength and spiritual progress? Mr. Morgan Jenkins has the audacity to tell us that the Church in Wales is an "alien Church." Alien, indeed! Every church which claims her fellowship in the Catholic fraternity must be prepared not only to show that she is not schismatical, but also, and before that, to meet two legitimate challenges—to vindicate her orthodoxy, and to vindicate her orders; that is, claim to be within the historical succession of the Church's life. "Let them produce," says St. Tertullian, "the account of the origins of their churches; let them unroll the line of their bishops." I am prepared to meet this challenge as far as the Church in Wales ia concerned. Is Mr. Morgan Jenkins prepared to do the same on behalf of Welsh Dissent? We will then see, Mr. Editor, who are the "aliens."—I am, etc., B.. MADDOCKS. Penarth, May 31st, 1909.

WHY MEN ARE DRIVEN TO DRINK. Sir,—Man e life is full of trouble and tempt- ation. He comes into this world without his consent, and goes out of it against his will. His journey through life is rocky and beset with strange and contradictory experiences. When he is little, the big girls kiss him, and when he is big, the little girls kiss him. When he is a ooy, he wishes he were a man, and when he is a man, he wishes he were a boy again. If he is ia politics it is for graft; and if he is out of politics, you can't place him, and he is no good to his country. If he gives for oharitv, it is for show; and if he does not give, he is stingy. If he dies young, there was a great future before him; and if he lives to an old age, he has m.'s-ed his call- ing. If he is active in religion, he is a hypocrite; and if he takes no interest in re- ligious matters, he is a hardened sinner. If he 6hows affection, he is a soft specimen; if he shows none, he is a cold-blooded proposi- tion. In order to be entirely healthy, a man must eat nothing, drink nothing, smoke no- thine, and- see the air is properly sterilised before breathing. Under all the above dis- couraging circumstances, do you wonder that he is often driven to drink? I don't.—Yours, etc., T. JONES, 1 Plummets-Tow, Tredegar.

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had similar accidents. I hope the members for the Park Ward will take this matter in hand, and see that this horrible ftate of things is immediately remedied. If they will call upon me any night during the week, I shall be pleased to accompany them; and if it is late and the moon not out, I will provide them with a lamp each to lighten their path. If ever they needed a lamp for their feet, they will need it then. Afterwards we will wend our way to Dane-street, opposite the school, and here again they will find the state of the road more horrible still than the pre- ceding dangerous spot I have mentioned. Another matter should be attended to with- out delay, and that is to place four burner" in each lamp in this ward. In fact, the whole ward is insufficiently lighted. Another great grievance we are suffering from is the great distance we have to go in order to send a t-gletrram—tliree-qnartors of a mile to the General Post Office. Surely, the size of the town warrants the extension of telegraphic facilities to the more important telegraphic facilities to the more important sub-offic. of which Brecon-road is one; and as we are dealing with postal matters, a pillar letter box at the bottom of Lancaster Terrace would be a great public convenience. The predecessor of our present postmaster granted an extra pillar-box to the inhabitants of Twynyrodyn. It came about a month be- fore the election of a member for the Town Ward, and it was stated' in your .columns that the convenience had been conceded at the request and through the influence of Alder- man J. M. Berry. I call upon oar Park Ward members to trse their influence in like manner for the benefit of our ward, so that when they seek a renewal of the confidence of the voters next November or after, they will be able to show something to their credit by way of service to their constituents If they do not, they will remind me of the verse: ''Alas! unconscious of their fate, The little viotima play; I No fear have they of ills to oome, No thoughts beyond to-day." —I am, yours truly, T. GWYTHER.

ply setting forth the truth and exposing error, I to supply your readers with a short, concise, definite summary of historical facts derived from I indisputable authority of the origin, founders. and the countries where the Presbyterians, In- dependents, or Congregationalists, Baptists. I Quakers, Wesleyans, and the Salvation Arm) emigrated from prior to their coming to the Principality of Wales, and I will further pro duce proofs which cn Ilnot be disputed by any student of history and law of how the denomin- ations which call themselves 'Free Churches" are legally founded upon Acts of Parliament, protected by Acts of Parliament, and controlled by Acts of Parliament, and I challenge tlif llev. M. Jonkins, or any of the rev. gentlemen who may belong to the august body of the so- called Free Church Council at Abarcynon, t' disprove such historical facts and proofs devoid of historical foundation. These his- torical facta and proofs dealing with the above religious bodies will, by your kind permission, r, appear in the columns of your next issue. I venture to think that after their careful peru- sal by the intelligence of Abercynon, and the inhabitants of those districts which are so ad- mirably served by your excellent paper, the only conceivable and rational conclusion arriv- ed at will be that the Church in Wales is an ancient and venerable institution, indigenous of the solid hills and the picturesque valleys of Cambria Wen from the earliest dawn of the planting of Christianity in Great Britain, and that the different Nonconformist bodies enu- merated above are of recent growth in our land, and aliens in every sense of the word in the Principality of Wales. In conclusion I wish it to be clearly understood again, that the forth- coming historical facts and proofs are supplied by me not in the spirit of defiance, or in any way to cause offence to those concerned, among whom I have a host of staunch friends, but in defence of truth, historical accuracy, justice, and instruction, which is justly due to the mat- ter under consideration.—I am, etc., D. ELLIS JONES, Vicar of Abercynon. May 29th, 1909. |