Perhaps no other Church in Christendom was so much influenced by the Wesleyan revival of religion. The evangelical leaven imparted at that time, assist- ed by an intense antipathy to Romanism, has spread through the whole Church, so that ritualistic and Broad-Church elements are almost unknown within its bounds. This fact is the more striking as some of VIII.— X x
the most influential prelates have been, and are, Er.g- lishmen of High-Church tendencies.
By Gladstone's disendowment act, known as the "Irish Church Act, 18G9," it was provided that on and after Jan. 1, 1871, the " Church of Ireland" should cease to be established by law. A corporate body, named "The Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ire- land," was appointed, to which body were intrusted all the temporal affairs of the Church, until such time as the representative body of the Church should supersede - them. This corporation -was endowed with extensive powers for carrying out the purposes of the act. They were freed from all restraints of the courts of law. and received all the powers and privileges of the High Court of Chancery. The Commissioners were ordered to . ascertain the amount of yearly income which any per- son, lay or clerical, derived from the Church, and " to pay each year to every such holder an annuity equal to the amount of yearly income so ascertained." This annuity was to continue, even though the annuitant should become disabled from attending to the duties of his office, "by age, sickness, or permanent infirmity, or by any cause other than his own wilful default." All laws were repealed which would hamper the Church in exercising the utmost freedom in self-government. The ecclesiastical laws existing at the time of the dis- establishment, including "articles, doctrines, rites, rubs, discipline, and ordinances," were to continue binding on the members of the Church, as if subsisting "by con- tract;" except that nothing in these laws "should be construed to confer on any bishop, etc., any coercive ju- risdiction whatsoever." It was also provided that no change should be made in the laws of the Church, so as to deprive any person of his annuity.
By a convention of bishops and representatives of the Church, held in Dublin in 1870, a constitution was agreed upon. The preamble asserts a belief in the in- spiration of the Bible, and a determination to preserve the " three orders of bishops, priests or presbyters, and deacons in the sacred ministry." It contains also a protest "against all those innovations in doctrine and worship which, at the Reformation, this Church did dis- own and reject."
The supreme court of the Church is the Generul Synod. It consists of three orders, viz., bishops, clergy, and laity. It is also divided into two houses, viz., the House of Bishops and the House of Representatives; the former consisting of all archbishops and bishops, the latter of 208 representatives of the clergy and 410 representatives of the laity, all these to be elected for three years. " The bishops shall vote separately from the representatives; and no question shall be deemed to have been carried, unless there be in its favor a ma- jority of the bishops present, if they desire to vote, and a majority of the clerical and lay representatives present, voting conjointly or by orders; provided al- ways that if a question affirmed by a majority of the clerical or lay representatives, voting conjointly or by orders, but rejected by a majority of the bishops, shall be reaffirmed at the next ordinary session of the Gen- eral Synod by not less than two thirds of the clerical and lay representatives, it shall be deemed to be carried, unless it be negatived by not less than two-thirds of the then entire existing order of bishops." The General Synod has power to alter, abrogate, or enact canons, and to control any regulation made by a diocesan synod, so far as may be necessary to provide against the admis- sion of any principle inexpedient for the common inter- est of the Church.
The Diocesan Synod consists of the bishop, of the beneficed and licensed clergymen of the diocese, and at least one layman, called synodsman, for each parish in the diocese. The bishop, clergy, and laity sit and de- bate and vote together; but six members of either or- der may call, upon any question, for a vote by orders. If the bishop dissent from the other two orders with re- spect to any proposed act of the synod, all action there-
PROT. EPISC. CII. OF IRELAND 090 PKOT. UNION OF GERMANY
upon is suspended until the next annual meeting of the synod; and shmld >uch act be then reaffirmed by two thirds of each of the other orders, and the bishop still dissent, it is submitted to the General Synod, whose de- cision is final.
The representative body consists of the archbishops and bishops, of one clerical and two lay members for each diocese, and of such number of other persons elect- ed as shall be equal to the number of dioceses. I his i Board of Trustees, holding the temporalities of the Church.
There is a Committee of Patronage in each diocese, consisting of the bishop, one lay and two clerical mem- bers. In each parish there are three persons named parochial nominators. When an incumbent is to !»• appointed, the Committee of Patronage and the paro- chial nominators form a Board of Nomination, presided >,\ er by the bishop, « ho has an independent and also a casting vote. This hoard nominates a clergyman to