Page:The "Conscience Clause" (Denison, 1866).djvu/50

46 It may be impossible, in these evil times of worldly wisdom, decaying principles, and failing faith; it may be impossible in this country of ours, where men seem to have set up two chief idols to worship—intellect and money—may God in his mercy avert the issue—to persuade the Civil Power not to do so grievous a wrong to the Church of England as to insist upon a "Conscience Clause" as a condition of assistance out of the Parliamentary grant to her Parish Schools. It may be impossible to bring the Civil Power to see that the wrong is not one to be measured only by the refusal of money to which the Church has an indefeasible right, but also by a measure larger and deeper far; by the temptation which such refusal carries with it to put aside conscience and to betray trust. It may be found impossible to arrest the downward course of the Civil Power. May God forbid for all our sakes. But if this shall be found to be impossible, it is never impossible for Churchmen to be content to be without the assistance, and to suffer the civil wrong rather than to sell their conscience and the trust committed to them by the Church for a reputation for liberality which is false, and for a sum of money which stains their hands.

For the rest—desiring earnestly the co-operation of Church and State in the great matter of the Education of the People—I appeal; I appeal from the Lord President of the Council, the Vice-President and the Secretary of the Committee of Council on Education, to the Queen in Council. I appeal from a Department of the Administration to the Crown in Parliament. I appeal from all those who would exchange "Church and State"—than which there is nothing better—for "State Church," than which there is nothing worse. I appeal from those Churchmen who, directly or indirectly, by abandonment or by compromise, surrender the deposit of the Faith, and depart from the Church's Law. From all these I appeal to the Church, and to the Church's —

Appello Ecclesiam et Ecclesia; DEUM.