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"government in the document which they have published in "reference to this transaction."—(Reasons, &c. p. 35.)

Such, however, is not the case; the "Statement" proposes acts at the same time that it expresses opinions; and though the Prussian divines may not be fully satisfied with the latter, the Prussian government, at least, has no reason to feel itself rebuked by the concessions involved in the former.

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The German document, it will be remembered, describes the Bishopric at Jerusalem as a point of union for Evangelical Christians, adding Therewith, however, German Protestants in particular vindicate the independence of their Church, in reference to their peculiar Confession and Liturgy." The true question therefore is, whether the "Statement" does or does not admit the practical conditions of union thus described. If it does, the substance of the matter is disposed of, and while one of the contracting parties is allowed to use the language least likely to give offence in England, it would be hard to deny to the other a similar protection in Germany.

Let us then take the following passage from the "Statement:"

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"Congregations consisting of Protestants of the German "tongue residing within the limits of the Bishop's jurisdic"tion, and willing to submit to it, will be under the care of "German clergymen ordained by him for that purpose, who "will officiate in the German language, according to the forms "of their national Liturgy, compiled from the ancient Liturgies, agreeing in all points of doctrine with the Liturgy of "the English Church, and sanctioned by the Bishop with "consent of the Metropolitan, for the special use of those congregations such Liturgy to be used in the German language only. Germans intended for the charge of such congrega"tions are to be ordained according to the ritual of the English "Church, and to sign the Articles of that Church and in "order that they may not be disqualified by the laws of Germany from officiating to German congregations, they are, "before ordination, to exhibit to the Bishop a certificate of "their having subscribed, before some competent authority, "the Confession of Augsburg.

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"The rite of Confirmation will be administered by the

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Bishop to the catechumens of the German congregations, according to the form used in the English Church.”—(pp. 8, 9.)

Now wherein does this differ from the scheme of the Prussian document?

Germans are to be ordained, who, before ordination, are to produce evidence that they have signed the Augsburg Confession, and after ordination are to use a German Liturgy.

Congregations of German Protestants are to be at liberty to place themselves under these clergy, and the members of such congregations (except those who are described as "catechumens,")* are to be subjected neither to examination nor confirmation.

Here then we have the proposed links of a complete spiritual affinity between ourselves and the German Protestants. Dr. Alexander, a priest of our Church, having become gifted through the hands of our Bishops with the apostolical power of ordination, is to bestow the grace incident, under God's mercy, to the exercise of that power, upon German candidates for orders. The persons thus ordained are in their turn to become the channels of grace to others, those others being congregations of German Protestants. Who that believes in the communion of the saints can in this case distinguish between Palestine and England, or can doubt that the Germans who are invited to receive the Eucharist from the

* The word "Catechumen" I presume describes persons not yet admitted to full Communion either in Germany or at Jerusalem. Such at least seems to be the only sense of which it is capable in the case of persons who havę been baptized as infants.

It is curious to observe how the notion of " Establishment" confuses that of the Church. It seems to have reached even so far as to make men think that the Church of England is not at all concerned with what is done in her name, or by her members, beyond the Queen's dominions. And yet nothing can be more certain than that if she be in any sense a spiritual society, and not merely the creature of acts of parliament, any doctrinal errors and any violation of ecclesiastical principles sanctioned by her in one part of the world, must of necessity affect her character and constitution everywhere. And so on the other hand, if it be in a spiritual sense right to unite with Foreign Protestants at Jerusalem, the same duty exists wherever our Communion comes in contact with them, whether at home or abroad.

hands of the priestly descendants of Augustine at Jerusalem, are thereby called to as close a spiritual relationship as though it were proposed that they should kneel beside us at the altar of Canterbury or St. Paul's?

Nor is this all. The unity thus designed to be constituted might exist without any, or with imperfect, visible tokens. We believe that there is an unseen tie which binds together all portions of the Catholic body, and which nothing but wilful sin can unloose. Error, accident, worldly policy, may cause ecclesiastical divisions between churches, but schism and heresy alone can sever the inner relationship once constituted through the ordained communication and right reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The branch of our Church in Scotland, and our half-disowned brethren in America, were long in an outward and ecclesiastical sense divided from our Church; but none who hold Catholic principles can doubt that they have always been spiritually one with us. Moreover, in this ecclesiastical sense, we are ourselves more or less separated from the Latin and the Greek Churches, but we cannot acknowledge that we have forfeited that community of unseen blessings, which we with them have derived from our Lord through His Apostles, except upon a principle which affirms our Church to be in heresy or grievous schism, and so renders her unfit for our allegiance.

But the "Statement" contemplates an ecclesiastical as well as a spiritual, a visible as well as an invisible relationship. Assuming the substantial identity of our Articles and Book of Common Prayer, with the German confession and liturgy, it proposes to enforce the use, concurrently, of both sets of formularies. It requires as a duty of the existing portions of the Anglican Church in the East that they should acknowledge in Bishop Alexander the same centre of unity which he is to supply to the German Protestants. "His spiritual jurisdiction will extend over the English clergy and congregations," as well as over Prussian Evangelicals. And lest this union between the Anglican Church and the Foreign Protestants, through their respective representatives, should be in any sense capable of being deemed casual and local only, Bishop Alexander himself is recommended to the Oriental Churches

as "a Bishop of the United Church of England and Ireland," is looked to "as the means of establishing relations of amity" between us and them, and the final link is perfected by his being declared* "subject to the Archbishop of Canterbury as his metropolitan."

How then can it be doubted, that upon the basis of the proposed plan the Prussian Government was justified in saying that "Evangelical Christianity should present itself, under the protection of England and Prussia, to the Turkish Government, as an unity?" And if this can be legitimately done by the proposed means-if an Anglican Bishop, under the metropolitical direction of the Primate, can enforce subscription to the Augsburg Confession concurrently with the thirty-nine articles, can direct the substitution of a German liturgy for the Book of Common Prayer, can admit German Protestant congregations unexamined and unconfirmed to the Eucharist surely it is too much to stand trifling about words, and to distinguish between prospective and present unity, time being only to bring about the external act, not to change a single principle which sanctions or forbids it.

On the whole, then, I think it undeniable that the Prussian document is supported and confirmed in all material points by the "Statement" published by authority. And therefore the objections to which the former is exposed cannot be eluded by the latter. For the details of those objections I must refer my readers to what I have already written: while for a confirmation of the grounds on which I placed them the "Statement" itself may be appealed to. My readers may remember that I was at some pains to establish, construc

* In other words a Suffragan of Canterbury. Episcopus Archiepiscopo seu Metropolita obnoxius, is the gloss of Zaccaria on the word Suffraganeus-v. Onomasticon. The whole framework of the scheme described in the "Statement" recognizes the Anglicanism of Bishop Alexander's position; nor is it any valid objection to say, that the act of parliament, by placing his orders upon the same footing in this country as that on which American and Scotch orders now stand, implies a contrary view. The law respecting clerical intercommunion in general, and particularly regarding colonial orders, has, since the passing of the American Acts, become involved in too many perplexities to allow of any such inference being satisfactorily deduced from this clause taken alone, and in opposition to the general tenor of the scheme.

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tively, and by analogy, the true character of Bishop Alexander's authority-the "Statement" considers this point too plain to be argued, it says unhesitatingly: "His spiritual "jurisdiction will extend over the English clergy and congregations, and over those who may join his Church and place themselves under his Episcopal authority in Palestine, "and for the present in the rest of Syria, in Chaldea, Egypt, "and Abyssinia; such jurisdiction being exercised, as nearly "as may be, according to the laws, canons, and customs of the "Church of England." (pp. 8, 9.)*

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My readers, indeed, must not suppose that I think this "Statement" can make law any more than I can myself. It is neither a canon, nor an act of parliament, and therefore, if it had laid down the direct negative of the above proposition, the legal principles which affect this case would have moved on as steadily without its sanction as with it. But, as furnishing independent testimony to the construction which I had put upon the law, it is far from being unimportant. have said that there is but one kind of spiritual jurisdiction implied in the act. The "Statement" speaks but of one, and subjects to that one all the members of Bishop Alexander's communion, whether Anglican or others.

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I have maintained that the jurisdiction in question must be exercised, as closely as local circumstances will allow, according to the English canons. "The Statement" goes even further; for whereas I had, and still have, doubts as to the extension of mere temporal laws into the new diocese, it sends thither not only "canons," but "laws and customs," which words, I presume, include the Acts of Uniformity and Supremacy, Cawdry's Case, Viner's Abridgement, tit. "Prohibition," Comyns's Digest, tit. "Prerogative," et hoc genus omne.

The "Statement," then, has confirmed my view of the general principles which govern Bishop Alexander's duties and liabilities. It makes the English Church responsible for his acts, and it subjects him to her discipline. Of this discipline

* Of the power of the Bishop, with the consent of the Metropolitan, to frame local canons for the peculiar wants of his people, I need say no more than that it is of course subordinate to the general law of which the above passage is a declaration.

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