Page:Church courts and church rates.djvu/7

 A LETTER, ETC. ETC.

,

intention of the present Government, announced by the Solicitor-General on the 6th of April last, to introduce a measure for the reform of the Ecclesiastical Courts, induces me to address you upon a subject of deep interest to the Church of England and scarcely less important to the nation at large.

There are few who do not acknowledge the necessity of some reform, even while they would preserve the existing tribunals; and, among those who see the need of a more sweeping change, are some who, with the Solicitor-General, would incorporate the present Diocesan Courts into their new system, while others are for transferring all questions of public rights and property from the present ecclesiastical judicature to temporal tribunals. I am so convinced that any attempt to remodel those ancient Courts and suit them to the requirements of the times, would be less advantageous to the Church, and would after all be far less effective in a public