now suffering? We gladly reply to his query, not in the anticipation of bringing him, or any like him, within the simple boundary of Common Sense, where alone flatulent foolery is not penned, but to set forth our leading crucial grievance in plain terms-In the year 1833 a State Court of Final Appeal in matters ecclesiastical was constituted, without consulting the Church, and without the smallest reference to Convocation. This enactment directly violated the principle of that great Constitutional Statute-the Statute of Appeals (24 Henry VIII. chap. xii.) which rightly and reasonably maintains that Spiritual Causes ought to receive their final decision from Spiritual Authority. The lay Judges of this Court need not be Churchmen: just now one of them is a Jew: others are Dissenters, and others are avowedly non-Christians. Such a Court, by consequence, is a gross violation of the fundamental principles of the Constitution in Church and State; it is an interference of the Secular Power in a sphere beyond its own; while the constitutional rights and action of Convocation are calmly ignored. In such a case, therefore, the limits of obedience are reached. Surely," as Mr. West of Wrawby (following the noble Bishop Gray) has publicly remarked, no one has any right to call disobedience to the decisions of such an unconstitutional Court Lawlessness.' Such disobedience is rather a most strong and faithful love of law; but of law enacted constitutionally." Men of any true and abiding principles will refuse obedience, because they feel in their conscience that it would be unfaithful to the divinely-given and therefore independent Authority of the Church in spiritual matters to recognize the power of this merely Secular Court. They will do exactly as Mr. Tooth of Hatcham is doing. That is our reply. And the position set forth in it is that position which we, with thousands of the laity (quite independently of the clergy), are resolved to take up. When foolish and superficial people prate about "consequences "Look at the consequences !" they exclaimwe reply in perfect confidence, "Principles are ours: and we can well afford to leave all the consequences of their faithful application with Almighty God." For sacrifice and suffering we are quite prepared. For only by these can we hope to win.

OUR

(

UR readers will already have noticed with thankful admiration that Mr. Tooth's policy is the exact antithesis of that adopted by Messrs. Mackonochie and Ridsdale. The former utterly ignores the new Parliamentary Court; Mr. Ridsdale acknowledged it by pleading before it and obeying it. Mr. Tooth is thus distinctly acting on principle; and the whole Church is in debt to him for his manly, bold, and upright policy. May God and the Saints uphold him! It is deplorable to find a prelate like Bishop T. L. Claughton consenting to become a creature of Dr. Tait's new Lambeth Inquisition, and morally grovelling at the feet of the exDivorce Judge. He writes to Mr. Tooth as distantly as if he were his Lordship's breeches-maker. But this enlightened age affords us many painful exhibitions and gyrations even amongst our Fathers-in-God.

The Catholic Revival at Home.

The Bishop of Bangor's appointment to the Deanery of his Cathedral is very satisfactory. Mr. Edwards, the new Dean, (the right man in the right place,) is a sound Conservative Churchman.

On Friday in Ember Week just past, the Rev. Courtenay J. C. Bulteel, pluralist vicar for nearly fifty years of Holbeton, Ermington, and Kingston in Devonshire, presided at one of those rollicking entertainments-an Annual Hunt Dinner at Ivybridge. No sigh from aggrieved parishioner!

We hear that several London Vicars have determined that if they are in any way interfered with in the conduct of their services, by being prosecuted at the instigation of the Church Association, they will close their churches throughout the week, only performing the actual Sunday services which can be enforced by law.

A new church is about to be built on the confines of the city, in the neighbourhood of Finsbury-square. We regret to hear that the foundation-stone is to be laid on Thursday by a lady, instead of as it should be-by a Bishop, not that this need excite much surprise in these days. The church is to be dedicated to St. Agatha, and the incumbent-designate,

the Rev. F. C. Wills, is a brother of the well-known dramatist.

The way in which Churchmen have buttoned up their pockets since the P.W.R. Act came into operation last year ought to speak volumes to those in authority. We understand that the C.B.S. is appealing earnestly for funds, being utterly unable to make any grants; the E.C.U. finds money come in very slowly for the Folkestone appeal, many members having declared their resolution not to throw any more good money after bad; but rather to contribute towards the relief of clergy who may have the courage to resist. Several projects for new churches have been abandoned, and work generally in numerous parishes is carried on with difficulty, through the failure of the Offertory.

We are glad to announce that the hitherto unrecognized merits of the Rev. E. A. Hillyard, who is an excellent parish priest and a most effective preacher, have been, in some measure, rewarded by Mr. G. H. Strutt, a member of Lord Belper's family. Mr. Hillyard, on Mr. Strutt's nomination, becomes Vicar of Bridgehill, in the Diocese of Lichfield, worth about £250 a year and a house. In a farewell Address to his parishioners at St. Lawrence's, Norwich, Mr. Hillyard, adverting to the P.W.R.A., stated "that had he remained at St. Lawrence's, and the law prevented his carrying on his services as he had been in the habit of doing, he should have removed with the congregation to the schoolroom of the parish; and that no alteration in his mode of conducting service would be made by him in his new parish.”

On the Third Sunday in Lent the Archbishop of Canterbury preached at Surbiton for St. Peter's Home, Isle of Thanet. It was anticipated that there would be a great rush to hear the Presbyterian successor of St. Thomas à Becket and of Laud; so the Vicar and Church wardens determined at once to keep the congregation select; and allow elbow-room by admitting only by ticket. This illegal course proved, however, thoroughly unnecessary, as, the weather being unpropitious, Surbiton Churchmen preferred. stopping at home to venturing out in the cold to hear the author of the P.W.R. Act. The Primate was ten minutes late in arriving, and preached upon Repentance, of which "this season of the year speaks to us."

One of the Curates at Shoreditch Parish Church has been got rid of, or compelled to resign, which means much the same, because he was guilty of three offences, than which nought can be so heinous in the sight of a churchwarden or a vestryman. First, he dared to make the Holy Sign which was traced upon his forehead in unconscious infancy; secondly, he dared to bend the knee before the Presence of his Lord at the Altar, and thirdly, he had the awful audacity to hear confessions in church.

KEBLE COLLEGE, OXFORD.-The following are the arrangements for the consecration of the College Chapel on St. Mark's Day :-The Blessed Sacrament will be celebrated at 7:30 a.m.; Special Service in chapel, with sermon by Dr. Pusey, at 11.30; luncheon at 1.30; laying the foundationstone, at three; and Evensong, with sermon by Dr. Liddon, at five. The hall and library are the gift of an anonymous donor, and will cost about £50,000.

EVADING EPISCOPAL RULE.-We quote the subjoined advertisement from the Rock:-"To Clergymen of the Church of England.—An eligible opportunity is offered to a zealous clergyman desirous of conducting the services of the church in their entirety to a devotional con

to be independent of Episcopal Rule. The church is in a large and

which will be said in the north chapel.

The Vicar of St. Jude's, Whitechapel, announces a lecture to be delivered in his church on Wednesday evening, "on Novels and Theatres."

It is reported in Clifton that a well-known Broad Church Dean has forwarded a handsome donation to Mr. Henry Jenkins towards defraying

the cost of his attack on Mr. Flavel Cook.

At the East Grinstead Sisterhood, Queen's-square, of which Dr. Littledale is the Chaplain, the Exposition and Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has been the chief Lenten devotion.

Lord Salisbury has nominated the following Commissioners under the "Oxford University Bill: "-Lord Selborne (Chairman); Lord Redesdale, Dean Burgon, Sir Henry Maine, Mr. Mountagu Bernard, Mr. Justice Grove, and Mr. Matthew Ridley.

THE WILBERFORCE MEMORIAL.-The Rev. A. Cazenove, Secretary of the Wilberforce Mission, states that there are four clergymen working in three districts with a population of 15,000, and one layman in another district. They have two iron churches, and a third ready to be erected as soon as a site can be procured. At present the house is full, districts too far off to be worked by those residing in the house. but if they had larger funds they could employ two more clergymen in

REFUSING THE SACRAMENT.-The Rev. A. S. Pinder writes in the Guardian:-" With reference to 'E. G.'s' letter, I beg to state that, after private warning, I openly repelled from the Holy Communion a sexton, who was living in open adultery. On reporting the case to Bishop Phillpotts, his secretary replied to this effect:-Before the Bishop can express his approval of your act, he desires to be informed on two points:-1. Whether the fault is notorious; and 2. Whether it has given offence to the congregation.' Having satisfied him on these points, he allowed the step which I had taken."

A CHURCH MISSION.-With the sanction of the Bishop of Winchester a Mission has been held in all the parishes of Southampton, with the exception of two. The Mission was inaugurated in Holy Rhood Church by the Bishop of Guildford; and the Rev. George Body, assisted by three other clergymen, conducted the services at the parish church. At St. Michael's the Missioners were the Revs. R. Linklater and L. W. Jones, and they were met by the vicar and choir at the old parsonage house, and conducted in procession to the church, singing "Onward, Christian soldiers," when the spiritual care of the parish during the Mission was assigned to them. In the factories and other centres of industry in the parish the working classes have received the Missioners very heartily.

ST. NINIAN'S, PERTH.-We are informed that Provost Burton has requested the concurrence of the Bishop of St. Andrews in the nomination of a clergyman who is highly qualified for the post of Precentor of St. Ninian's Cathedral, Perth. The appointment lies in the Bishop and Provost conjointly. The Bishop declines, in the anticipation of the General Synod, to make any permanent appointment. He further declines to sanction even a provisional arrangement, unless the ritual of the Cathedral be immediately curtailed in several additional particulars, over and above those conceded by the Provost in 1874, in the hope of finally satisfying his Lordship, after the announcement of his determination to postpone his resignation. The Bishop further declines to hold the Chapter meetings ordered by the statutes to be held at the four Ember seasons. Notwithstanding, however, the insufficiency of the clerical staff, we are gratified to learn that the attendance at the services is gradually increasing, and that the finances also show a marked improvement upon former years.-Scottish Guardian.

A NOVEL FUNERAL.-The Sussex Express thus describes the funeral of the Rev. J. C. Wilks, Vicar of Woking:-"In compliance with the request of the deceased, the funeral took place at the unusual time of half-past seven in the evening of Friday. The vicarage being only a short distance from St. John's Church, no hearse was used, the coffin being borne by four tradesmen of the village, who were preceded, not by an undertaker, but by about twenty Freemasons of the Local Lodge, of which the deceased was the chaplain. The mourners included Mrs. Wilks, the eldest son, a daughter, and the churchwardens. opening portion of the service was read in the church and the concluding portion at the grave. Although the night was very dark, no other lights were used for the interment than those inside the church, an additional lamp being placed in the east window, immediately under which was the grave. After the coffin had been deposited in its final resting-place, the choir sang the hymn "Abide with me," and at the close of the ceremony, Mrs. Wilks, turning her face to the assemblage, said, 'In the name of dear Jesus, I thank you all.'"

The

CHURCHES CONSECRATED AND RESTORED.-The Archbishop of York has consecrated a church at Rybill, and the Bishop of Ripon one at Girdlesome, near Leeds, erected at a cost of over £4,000. The north aisle of St. James's, Derby, has been opened by the Bishop of Lichfield, and the Bishop immediately afterwards held a Confirmation in the church. The Bishop of Bath and Wells has reopened the parish church of Odecombe, restored at the cost of the late rector, the Rev. G. Bale. Some good stained-glass windows have been erected, but, at Mr. Bale's request, no "human figures" have been represented. The old rood loft and porch have been retained, together with the curiously-situated fireplace outside it, the object of which created so much speculation amongst the archeologists when they visited the church about four years ago, and will no doubt continue a puzzle for future generations.-The church of Oldberrow, near Birmingham, has been restored and reopened by the Bishop of Worcester. The seats are all open, of English oak; and instead of a chancel arch, there is a richly carved oak screen, with a jewelled cross on the top.-A temporary church, with the dedication of St. Saviour, was "opened" by the Bishop of Guildford on Thursday last, in the parish of Stoke, near Guildford. The altar is at the west end and the entrance at the east; all the seats are free, and the singing is led by school children.

GODLESS SCHOOL BOARD EDUCATION.-Illustrative of the kind of education imparted at Board Schools we quote the following:-"Wandsworth. In a case of assault, a little girl, nine years of age, was examined as a witness. Mr. Bridge inquired if she was acquainted with the nature of an oath. The father said she was well educated. Mr. Bridge then questioned the girl, who said she did not understand the nature of an oath. She went to school. She never heard of the Bible, nor said prayers. Mr. Bridge declined to have her sworn, and said she appeared to be receiving a Godless education' in the school." In the House of Commons Mr. M. Brooks having called the attention of the Vice-President of the Council of Education to the above, Viscount Sandon replied :"It is now a condition of the Government grant that it should not be made in respect of any instruction in religious subjects. The former provisions for securing some religious teaching in State-aided schools as well as the examination of the children in religious subjects by Her Majesty's Inspectors, are given up under this Act, and the duty of the Education Department is now confined to securing that the requisite amount of efficient secular instruction is provided in all elementary schools. I cannot think, therefore, that any responsibility whatever can be held to rest with the Education Department respecting such a case as this to which the Hon. Member for Dublin has called my attention."

HOME TRUTHS FOR LAY CHURCHMEN.-The Rev. R. H. Baynes, Vicar of SS. Michael and All Angels, in a sermon, which he preached on the tenth anniversary of his entrance on the living remarked:-"The blessed privilege of the early Communion every Sunday throughout the year has been enjoyed only on an average by some eighty or nicety communicants, out of a population ranging from six to seven thousand. It is the somewhat curious inconsistency of our lay brethren that in parishes where the daily service is not, they call out clamorously for it, and in parishes where this high privilege is afforded, they hardly ever avail themselves of it at all! The truth cannot be denied; our Roman Catholic brethren, and our brethren of the Separation, on these points are thoroughly in earnest, and thankfully embrace the opportunities and

ARCHBISHOP TAIT'S INQUISITION.-A Cornish Vicar thus writes to the Western Daily Mercury:-As if these fetters were not enough new ones are being forged, and Archbishop Tait and Lord Penzance are rivetting them. Every movement of the "Parson," every word, every gesture, however innocent, may be turned by a private enemy (and what God-fearing minister of the Gospel does not give offence to some one in doing his duty ?) into a plea for persecution, for fine, for deprivation. A reign of terror has been inaugurated among the Clergy to which I can find no parallel in English history since the age of Mary 1., and. Gardiner, and Bonner. Even the persecution of the Puritans in 1632, was not so unjustifiable. The Inquisition appears ready to take root in free England, after it has been turned out of Spain. If Archbishop Tait thinks the principles of the Reformation so strong that they can only be bolstered up by religious persecution and espoinage he has a far lower idea of them than I have. Truth does not need spies, nor heavy prosecution subscriptions, nor judges to support it. There is a good deal in the Bible to be said for the Low Church side-let that be said and let us have more liberty instead of mcre slavery. The noble John Wesley was driven from us because he was too zealous; our Bishops ought to learn by the mistake of the last century. We want more Wesleys now and fewer Bonners in the Church of England.

MR. HINGESTON-RANDOLPH ON THE ECCLESIASTICAL FEES BILL.-- All the doubts and differences which have arisen as to the payment of these obnoxious fees since the Church-rate was sacrificed, are to be settled offhand by fining all the willing horses who are content to serve and make the best of a plundered and dilapidated office, to the tune of five shillings sterling, giving them, at the same time, power to reimburse themselves out of the voluntary offerings of Churchmen. But let Churchwardens take notice that they must themselves provide this five shilling stamp for visitation day, and settle the business at home, afterwards, as best they can. Other provisions of the proposed Act are equally obnoxious, their effect being to rivet more securely than ever on the necks of the clergy and laity the iron yoke of a system of exorbitant fees under which they have long groaned, such as the abominable fees demanded from the clergy at their ordination, and from parishes (that is to say, now-a-days, Church parishioners), when new or additional Churchyards are consecrated. But the worst thing about the Bill is the fact that, whatever other purposes it may be intended to serve, its main object is to provide a salary for the ex-Divorce-Court Judge, under another too notorious Act, which threatens to tear the Church of England to pieces, its operation being simply to afford a machine for the unscrupulous agitators of the (so-called) "Church Association" to work, -a machine for suppressing zeal and earnestness, for undoing all that has been accomplished by the great revival of the last forty years, for depriving the poor and ignorant of such teaching as may reach their hearts through the eye (as if the whole body were an ear!) and for painting all churches, ministers, congregations, and doctrines with a uniform coat of Puritanical drab! Of course this monstrous policy will prove an utter failure in the long run; to say nothing of the Master's interference, common sense, common honesty, and ordinary fair play must eventually come to the rescue of the oppressed in such a country as England; but, meanwhile, there will be deplorable work throughout the land, strife and confusion, blasphemy and profanation, injustice and tyranny everywhere!

PROSECUTION OF THE REV. A. TOOTH.-The Bishop of Rochester having given his consent to the prosecution of the Rev. A. Tooth, two memorials have been sent to the Bishop, one expressing regret that legal proceedings have been taken, and asking the Bishop not to allow Mr. Tooth to be hindered or limited in his work in the parish, has been signed by 1,454 persons, of whom 1,335 are resident parishioners, and the remaining 119 members of the congregation not residing within the boundaries of the parish. The other memorial, requesting his Lordship not to authorise the institution of any proceedings against the Rev. A. Tooth until the appeal now pending in the St. Peter's, Folkestone, case is decided, has been signed by the churchwardens and sixty-two men, either parishioners or regular communicants of the church. In a letter to the Bishop Mr. Tooth writes:-"I cannot allow the validity of the grievance of certain of my parishioners. Some 1,450 of my parishioners and members of the congregation will shortly approach your Lordship by a petition, telling you that they are not distressed by the services and teaching of the Church; they pray that no difficulty may be placed in my way to limit or hinder my work in my parish. On the other hand, it is I who have real ground of complaint against the three chosen champions of ecclesiastical order and Christian verity. One has left the parish before the fray has commenced, and has relieved himself already by his own act, of clerical intolerance; another indiscreetly admitted to me the weakness of his claim to the protection of the Church, admitting that the good offices of the Evangelical clergyman of his own choice sometimes fail to edify him, and that he finds the exhortations of a Wesleyan minister more to the point. I really do not care to examine the morality of the cry Aggrieved Parishioners;' its worthiness has so often been disproved. It is true they have the legal advantage of me, and I will not dispute it.... Under the circumstances it ought not to be a matter of surprise that I should have my misgivings about accepting your Lordship's invitation to submit to the P.W.R.A., even though I have the singular advantage of knowing the judicial determination' before my case is heard. It is not often that the defendant in criminal proceedings has thus early the mind of his judge before argument has been advanced and the case heard."

FRAGMENTA.-The Rev. James Vincent Vincent, Dean of Bangor, died on Wednesday, at the age of eighty-four; and on the same day the Rev.

66

W. Conway, Canon of Westminster and Rector of St. Margaret's, died at the age of sixty.-Lieut.-Colonel J. B. Hardy, R.A., has been appointed Secretary of the E.C.U.-The Dean of Chester has discontinued the services in his Cathedral on the ground that they interfere with the progress of the restoration.-Mr. T. N. Leeson and Mr. T. G. Swindill, Dissenting preachers, are about to seek ordination in the Church. Last week the Bishop of Manchester authorised the Vicar of St. Ann's, Turton, to allow the burial of a Quaker in his churchyard without any service.-Mr. Gladstone has in a letter expressed his opinion that the time for the disestablishment and disendowment of the Church of England has not yet arrived -The Morning Post says it is not improbable that the Rev. Dr. L. G. Mylne, who was recently nominated to the Bishopric of Bombay, but who has not yet been consecrated, will be transferred to Calcutta, and that another appointment for Bombay will be made.-The Archbishop of York has become a total abstainer.The Blessed Eucharist has not been celebrated in the parish church of St. Keverne, Cornwall, since Christmas Day, 1874.-A proprietary chapel is to be built at Clifton for the Rev. Flavel Cook.-On Sunday week the snowstorm rendering it impossible for the curate of Moorsholme to reach the church, the parish clerk conducted the service, and preached an eloquent" sermon.-The Bishop of London has issued a letter to the clergy of his diocese asking for an offertory for the St. James's Diocesan Home for Penitents during Holy Week. Last year, at some East-end Churches, on Maundy Thursday, the collections realised over £500.—In the Consistorial Court of Lichfield the new Chancellor has isued a faculty for the placing of a metal cross on the super-altar of the parish church of Santbrook, and for allowing a memorial window to be erected in the chancel to a non-parishioner, to both of which objections were taken by the people's warden.-The Bishop of Lichfield has waived his opposition to the scheme for the commutation of the Lichfield capitular property. The tombstone to the memory of the daughter of Mr. Henry Keet, of which the Vicar of Owston Ferry refused to sanction the erection, because on it Mr. Keet was described as Rev.," has been erected, in pursuance of the decision of the Judicial Committee.-The testimonial to the Rev. Flavel Cook amounts to over £1,000.--A stainedglass window and a recumbent statue is to be placed in the parish church of Kensington, in memory of the late Vicar, Archdeacon Sinclair.— A painted glass east window is to be erected in St. Mary's, Southampton, to the memory of Bishop Wilberforce by those (amounting to more than 100,000) whom he confirmed.-The Rev. Sydney Turner, late Dean of Ripon, has been reinstituted to his living in Gloucestershire.The Bishop of London has issued a Commission to consider the expediency of destroying three more of the City Churches.-At a special service held in the chapel of his palace, the Bishop of Salisbury has three ordained ladies to work in his Diocese as Deaconesses.-A peal of eight bells is about to be placed in the parish church of St. Mary, Thame.The parish churches of Skipworth, Tadcaster, and Thirsk, are about to be restored, the latter at a cost of £13,000.-The progress of the scheme for the proposed peal of bells in St. Paul's Cathedral is very satisfactory. The Grocers', Cloth workers', and Fishmongers' Companies have each presented a bell; and a gentleman has undertaken to provide the money for the chimes.

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Letters to the Editor.

"As 'Brevity is the Soul of Wit' so short Letters are certainly more readable than long ones. In my judgment an Editor should not be pestered with any which are not brief, concise, well-written, and to the point; signed, openly and honestly, with their writers' names.”—CHARLES LAMB.

IS THE ARCHBISHOP STILL NATIVE LEGATE OF
HIS HOLINESS THE POPE?

SIR, Mr. Carter, in his letter to the Standard, (Mar. 11, 1876) exposes the fallacy of the statement that the new Lambeth judge has become legitimately a judge of the Provincial Court of Canterbury because he is appointed by the Archbishop. Let us, for the sake of argument, suppose that there is no fallacy at all, but that the new Lambeth judge is exercising, by virtue of a delegated authority, all the ancient, original, inherent jurisdiction of the Archbishop, what then? As Dean of the Court of Arches he has no authority in the province or diocese at large. Neither can this defect be supplied by any new enlarged jurisdiction by delegation of the Archbishop, because the Archbishop himself has no right of original jurisdiction except in his own diocese. And the new judge, as Official Principal of the Court of Arches, has no original jurisdiction in ecclesiastical causes. Archiepiscopus non potest deputare Officiales foraneos in diœcesi Suffraganeorum suorum. Nam cum ipse Archiepiscopus non possit in tali diœcesi sedere, non potest ibi Officialem constituere, nec potest ibi aliquid exercere quod concernit potestatem Judicialem. (Lyndwode, Mandatum Archiepiscopi, p. 277, Ox. 1679.) The Archbishop cannot depute strange officials to hear causes in a diocese of his Suffragans. For, since the Archbishop himself cannot sit to hear causes in any such diocese he cannot constitute an Official there, nor is he able to exercise anything there which concerns the Judicial power. This assumption by the Archbishop, or his deputy, of original jurisdiction in another diocese is based solely upon his ancient claim of being Legatus Natus of His Holiness the Pope. "The Archbishop of this Realm before that Act, (23 Hen. VIII. c. 9), had power Legantine from the Pope, that is, not only over the whole Province, but concurrent authority with every ordinary. This authority Legantine is now taken away and utterly abolished." (Godolphin's "Abridgment," p. 102.)

It follows that the spiritual power over the whole Province which, for the sake of argument, have assumed as existing in the Court of Arches

by delegation of the Archbishop, that same Court is not competent to exercise, unless it can be shown that the supremacy which the Pope formerly exercised over the whole Province is still resident in the person of the Archbishop.

York was another of these Native Legates; and what I have set forth about the Province of Canterbury equally applies to the Province of York.

By an unprecedented and unprincipled assumption of power the P.W.R. Act pretends to subject the clergy of both Provinces to one Parliamentary ordinary, whereas the Province of York is as wholly independent of the Province of Canterbury as of any Province in the Moon.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has been in various ways wrestling with the Constitutional law of England both in Church and State; and if it does not infallibly break his neck in the end it will be the first case of the sort on record. EDMUND HUFF.

Little Calthorpe, Louth, March 23, 1876.

THE FINANCES OF THE A.P.U.C. SIR,-Having perused with satisfaction the letters headed "The Present Position of the A.P.U.C.," and feeling a deep interest in, and sympa hy for, the cause of "Reunion" I venture, as a Churchman, to ask the following question of those whom it concerns:-Has the A.P.U.C. published any statement of receipts and disbursements for the last six years? If so, where can it be procured, and what is its cost? THOMAS HENRY H. HOBBS.

16, King-street, Covent Garden, March 23, 1876.

THE FOLKESTONE CASE. SIR, There are two examples of very gross legal mismanagement in this case which deserve public attention:

1. The accusers ought to have been brought face to face with the accused; and our E.C.U. counsel should have insisted on this, urged the point, and appealed against any adverse decision of the Judge of the pseudo-Arches' Court, to the Queen in Council.

2. The question "What is a member of the Church of England?" ought to have had an answer. I am informed of a report that two of the Folkestone prosecutors, and one of the witnesses, have never been christened. Surely this must have been known to the defendant and his legal friends, and ought to have been raised. THEODORE J. PRESTON, LL.B. Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, March 21, 1876.

WHAT IS YOUR POLICY?

SIR,-I like your Prospectus, as far as it goes; for it expresses my own old-fashioned sentiments well and clearly. I hope, however, that you may have something more than words to recommend. Your contemporaries are too much devoid of principle to influence me; and don't seem to own any policy.

If you have none yourself, I hope that you will at least admit the suggestions of people who have. And, as a contribution to the first number, I would recommend three leading political points for earnest consideration, as part of a good, sound practical policy for all Church of England people; and particularly for the Church Union and Defence Society.

I. That the clergy and laity should resist the Public Worship Regulation Act by suffering; and reject the jurisdiction of the New Parliamentary Judge,-neither Anglican, Catholic, nor Christian. II. That a strong and united political agitation should be got up for the election of three persons, by the beneficed clergy, to any vacant bishoprick (from whom the Crown should choose one,) and so get rid of the root of most of our evils-the sham and solemn imposture (under the blasphemous invocation of the Holy Ghost, now performed by Cathedral Chapters. The discreditable "Oath of Homage" made in their licences by our demoralized prelates before an ungust lady is the complement of the Conge d'élire. III. The constitution of a fair legal Final Court of Appeal.

My name would add no weight to my suggestions. I prefer, therefore, that they should be judged entirely on their merits. If any one wants to know my name, it is in your keeping, Mr. Editor. Either give or withhold. AN OLDFASHIONED TRACTARIAN OF THE DIOCESE of Salisbury. Salisbury, March 8, 1876.

EPISCOPAL JURISDICTION.

SIR, I feel deeply thankful that at last we have a Church paper which will speak out, and which will base all its arguments upon undeniable principles. I think nothing can be better than to take the great principle of authority as the foundation of everything. And doing this we must be firmly resolved to purge out the principle, or rather the practice, of Erastianism, which is only another name for false authority, from the Church of England at all cost, and at all risk. As you say, we may fail in our attempt; but, anyhow, the attempt is worth making.

Erastianism is, I suppose, the vorst spirit that has ever entered into the Christian Church, or any portion of it. If we can succeed in driving it out of the English Church I have little doubt that her condition immediately preceding and subsequent to the expulsion will be pretty much the state of the child out of whom Our Lord cast the devil, in the 9th chapter of St. Mark, " And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him; and he was as one dead, insomuch that many said, he is dead."

One very important thing in building up true and real spiritual authority will be to clear away all mistaken ideas about authority. This is on the principle that you can never erect a stable edifice without first clearing away all rubbish and laying a good foundation.

The question, then, which I am particularly anxious to see ventilated in your columns is the following:-Have the Archbishops and Bishops of the Church of England any spiritual authority, or jurisdiction, other than that which they derive from the State or from Acts of Parliament? I suppose there must be some arguments by which the affirmative of this is maintained, but I have never been able to learn what they are.

I am not, of course, referring to the episcopal character stamped upon a Bishop by his consecration to the episcopal office, in virtue of which

he possesses the power to ordain and confirm. But I am speaking of that which differentiates Bishop Tait from Bishop Jenner. Is there anything except State regulations, Acts of Parliament, the Royal Supremacy over the Church of England, and the like, which makes the obedience of a priest or layman living in the county of Kent, due in spiritual things to Bishop Tait rather than to Bishop Jenner? Let us suppose, for the sake of argument, that a clean sweep were made to-morrow of all State legislation affecting the English Church, what would be the relations which, in the event of such a contingency, would exist between Bishop Tait on the one hand and the faithful clergy and laity of Kent on the other? Would those relations differ in any respect from the relations which now exist between them and another gentleman living in their county, who, equally with Bishop Tait, is in episcopal orders Bishop Jenner?

I should exceedingly like to see my dear friend Mr. Edmund Huff, who is, in my opinion, beyond all comparison the ablest canonist in England, bringing his great learning to bear upon this subject.

I believe some have thought that the obligation of an English priest to obey the Bishop in whose Diocese he may minister, is based upon the oath of canonical obedience taken at ordination. This is undoubtedly the case; and from an Erastian point of view this basis is all sufficient. But then, unfortunately, it may be easily shown that the oath of canonical obedience itself rests upon no higher ultimate sanction, or authority, than Acts of Parliament. This is virtually the case in the whole of England, and actually so in about one-third of the Dioceses of England and Wales. THOMAS W. MOSSMAN.

We have lately heard from Dr. Pusey of the negotiations which he and the late Bishop Forbes were carrying on at the time of the Vatican Council with certain French Bishops, but most persons, I think, are ignorant of, or at least have forgotten, another precedent for seeking union with Rome which I disinterred when looking over some old files of the Church Times this evening.

In the Church Times of March 18, 1870, I find the following somewhat characteristic letter:

"Sir,-There is, I hear, a paragraph in the last number of the Tablet, which denies that any Committee was ever named at Rome for dealing with Anglicans, and ridiculing the notion that the presence of Archbishop Manning upon it (supposing it had been formed), would have induced any Anglican to avoid it.

"There has been a good deal of severe criticism by the various Roman Catholic journals on the accuracy of each other's information from Rome; and the Tablet has been frequently contradicted by its contemporaries.

"Allow me to say briefly that I have the best possible means of knowing that the statement I have mentioned above is incorrect.

"I myself received a special invitation to the Council last autumn, for the express purpose of conferring with a committee on Anglican difficulties. It was transmitted to me through an eminent foreign divine, one of the Theologians of the Council. 1 accepted the invitation, explaining carefully that I was not going in any official capacity, but merely as a private person, willing to lay before the authorities in Rome the exact condition of affairs here with more fulness of detail than outsiders could do. "On this understanding 1 was to proceed to Italy so soon as the Council should be fairly at work.

"In the meantime a paragraph appeared in several newspapers here to the effect that the Committee with which Anglicans were to treat had been named, and that its leading members were Archbishops Manning of Westminster and Spalding of Baltimore, and Cardinals Cullen and Reisich, four pronounced Ultramontanes.

"Upon this, I wrote to Rome to know if the fact were so, and pointed out that the nomination of such a Committee, if true, was a declaration of war, not a protocol of peace, and that if any business was to be done, some prelates, less definitely committed to an extreme policy, ought to be named instead. The reply I received admitted the fact of the appointment and proceeded to defend it.

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My rejoinder was, that we knew over here perfectly well what such a Committee would say and do, without the trouble and expense of going to Rome to hear it; and that for my part, having regard to the policy and language which Archbishop Manning habitually adopts towards the Church of England, I, as a priest of that Church, could not, as a matter of loyalty and self-respect, present myself before any Committee from which he was not formally excluded. To that letter, written now many weeks ago, I have received no answer. Hence I am still in London, and not in Rome. "Your obedient servant, R. F. LITTLEdale.

"111, Ladbroke-grove, W., March 15, 1870." Now, Sir, it seems to me that Dr. Littledale really missed "a great opportunity" if the statements in the above letter are correct. This qualifying clause is not unnecessary, for there seems to be some dispute

about the facts.

"A special invitation to the Council" is perhaps a somewhat magniloquent way of describing an opportunity for conferring privately with some individual members of the Council: but, however, there can be no doubt but that if Dr. Littledale was really invited to such a conference, the Church of England owes him very little thanks for having failed to attend it on such very insufficient grounds as those given in his letter.

It was, I venture to maintain, contrary to all the rules of good manners and of etiquette for Dr. Littledale to dictate to the Roman authorities who should represent them in the conference: it was enough, surely, that they made no objection to his representing the Anglican side of the question.

Again: to suppose that Archbishop Manning, as Archbishop of Westminster, was not to be a member of a Committee specially concerned with affairs in England, was most ridiculous. I do not wonder that Dr. Littledale's letter remained unanswered.

It is a pity that Dr. Littledale did not muster up courage enough to go to Rome. He seems to have anticipated a bad time of it when brought face to face with Archbishops Manning and Spalding: but an advocate should never despair of his cause. And I am quite sure that the Doctor's anticipations as to the reception he would meet with at Cardinal Manning's hands were quite unfounded, and have been allowed by him to influence his actions and his theology to too great a degree. I can assure him, from experience, that he would have found the Archbishop of Westminster full of kindly sympathy for the difficulties and perplexities of Anglicans.

My chief object, however, is to call attention to the fact that Dr. Littledale, in 1870, was engaged in what it is the fashion to call "an Intrigue with Rome." Dr. Littledale, with the knowledge of this in his mind, must, I am sure, have felt for me when reading in the Church Times (for I assume that he reads the Church Times) such articles as those headed "The Frying-Pan and the Fire"; and "The Bubble Burst" If he happens to know who the writer of those concoctions is, he should, if he has any chivalry in his nature, remonstrate with him. I wonder that Dr. Littledale, in his letter to the Morning Post of Feb. 8, did not allude to his being "specially invited to the Council" in 1870. The impression his letter conveyed to my mind was that, since writing an anti-Ultramontane pamphlet called Unity and the Rescript, in 1865," he had looked upon Re-union as impossible. As he was writing partly "as a matter of mere personal vindication," he ought not to have omitted all reference to his own correspondence with Rome in 1870. We can only trust that an opportunity may again present itself for obtaining a discussion of Anglican difficulties by persons authorized by the Holy See: and also that the representatives of the Church of England on that occasion will not be so faint-hearted as to give up the attempt as hopeless before it has been commenced. March 20th, 1876. PRESBYTER ANGLICANUS.

LETTER FROM ROME.

ROME, Wednesday, March 22, 1876. Several I can give no explanation of the loss of my last letter. new Cardinals are to be made at the next Consistory on April 3rd and 6th, Father Franzelin, S.J., a very eminent theologian, and Monsignor D'Avanzo amongst others. The Archbishops of Cologne and Vienna, and the General of the Franciscans are also to be elevated to the purple later on; though some report that this will happen shortly-at the latest during next month. Several important gifts of Peter's Pence have been made to the Pope as well from Bavaria as from Frauce and Ireland. . . . The sympathy expressed for the sufferings of the noble and venerable Cardinal Ledochowski, who is still here, has been very remarkable, and is not unreported in Germany. The Cardinal is a most handsome and dignified man. The number of visitors to him has been considerable, and

of the highest rank. On St. Patrick's Day his Eminence dined at the Irish College, and met with a most respectful and hearty reception. His health was proposed by Monsignor Kirby. The Irish have kept their patron's feast with great devotion--more especially at the church of St. Isidore, where High Mass (at which I was present) was celebrated by the Bishop of Grace Harbour, and Father Fitz-Maurice preached an able discourse. Lord and Lady Ripon left Rome last week, and so did the Archbishop of Vienna. But the English visitors are very numerous; and amongst High Church persons it is a common practice to attend the parish churches. Many of them have improved in their demeanour and bearing-not before a change was wanted. The

letter of "Presbyter Anglicanus" caused a good deal of interest and curiosity here; where it was first attributed to a Canon of Oxford. It has been translated into Italian; and may be published. Several theologians have read it. It marks an obvious advance in the Reunion movement. The canonical supremacy of the Pope was the first thing flung away at the Reformation, and it will no doubt be the last thing taken up again as reasonable and valuable in the new reformation of the National Church of England. Many feel that Hurrell Froude's saying "that the Reformation was a limb badly set, and must be broken again ere the patient can walk steadily," was a very wise remark. Affairs with you cannot remain as they are very long. The string is being pulled too tightly. With certain of the Ritualists, so-called, Dr. Pusey's old vantageground (the Council of Trent carefully explained) is now given up. Toleration or union with the friends of Ven Bismarck and Vou Döllinger will never satisfy anxious souls. The Jesuits take a great interest in the English movement. They are the most Conservative of all the clergy, and speak well of "Presbyter Anglicanus." He and his friends, if they want to succeed, should agree as to what concessions they want, before they write about concession. Everything that could be granted would be granted. If only those who want anything granted would explicitly say what it is, they would do well. Coming disestablishment in England will split the National religion into three. Your friends should face this obvious evil; and, as to appeals, if you have them from Bishop to Archbishop, why not from Archbishop to Pope? National Churches are the homes of tyranny and the breeders of Erastianism. Vale. 1 will write again. J. S. D.

Don Carlos, as was to be expected from his manly character and power of self-restraint, avoids ostentatious display or a diffuse repining. He who can bear defeat well is fit for victory; and perhaps the lessons which Charles VII. may learn, if he choose, in exile may prepare him for the time when his country, weary and exhausted with revolution, may call upon him with one voice to ascend the throne of his fathers, and to protect the altar of God. Spain, Catholic Spain, can never forget him, whose cause, in defeat or victory, is the cause of God, Country, and King. - Westminster Gazette.

[We are authorized to state that there is no foundation whatever for the assertions of some of our contemporaries as to the future movements of His Majesty King Charles of Spain, respecting which we understand that absolutely nothing is yet decided. It is probable, however, that Don Carlos may shortly visit Scotland.]