Читать книгу The English Church in the Eighteenth Century - John Henry Overton - Страница 11

 Fair prospect at the beginning of the eighteenth century 279

 Contrast between promise and performance 279

 Shortcomings of the Church exaggerated on many sides 280

 General causes of the low tone of the Church:—(1) Her outward prosperity 280(2) Influence and policy of Sir R. Walpole 281(3) The controversies of her own and previous generations 282(4) Political complications 282(5) Want of synodal action 282–4

 Pluralities and non-residence 284–6

 Neglect of parochial duties 286–7

 Clerical poverty 287–9

 Clerical dependents 289

 Abuse of Church patronage 290–2

 Evidence in the autobiography of Bishop T. Newton 292–3

 " " " Bishop Watson 293–6

 " " " Bishop Hurd 296–7

 Clergy too much mixed up with politics 297–8

 Want of parochial machinery 298–300

 Sermons of period too sweepingly censured 300

 But marked by a morbid dread of extremes 301

 Political sermons 302

 Low state of morals 303

 Clergy superior to their contemporaries 304

 The nation passed through a crisis in the eighteenth century 306

 A period of transition in the Church 307

 Torpor extended to all forms of Christianity 308

 Decay of Church discipline 309–310

 England better than her neighbours 311

 Good influences in the later part of the century 311–2

CHAPTER IX.