The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-06-09 00:00:00

VISITATION OF. IRE_ AItCHDEACON OF

BAIASIMEIY-:

The Vim. Archdeacon Hooy held his annuol
tation at St.. Thomas' Church on Tuesday. Divine
Service was celebrated at half-past ten o'clock, the
prayers being read by the Rev. L B Walrond,
curate of fit. Martin's, and the sermon preached by
the Rev. Prebendary Renard, rector of St. Thomas
At the conclusion of the service the clergy re-
paired to the chancel, when their names were read
over by the registrar, after which the yen, arch.
deacon delivered his charge. He prefaced his
remarks by expressing his regret on the death, since
last year, of the Yen. Archdeacons Macdonald and
Drury, and then proceeded to say that the nem
measures which had periodically claimed their atten-
tion had already been before Parliament, and bad
for the present been disposed of. He 'Wed that
the bill for the abolition of church-rates had been
defeated in the House of Commons by • majority
greater than on some former ocourioas, but still by
so small • number that a renewal of the attempt
might be anticipated. It was generally understood,
from what had paned, that no compromise would
gray those who had caused the agitation, for the
Liberation Society had declared that their object was to
take the faggot stick by stick, and that they regarded
the matter of church.rates but as • gram of sand cow.
pared to a mountain. It mast be admitted that
they slowed their intentions like men, and all that
churchmen had to do was to be prepared to resist
their attacks. The real question now at issue was
whether the Church of England shood be the estab-
lished religion of the country. In reference to the
Burial Bill, the Ten. archdeacon said it had been re-
jected by such • majority that be hoped its pro-
moters would not renew the attempt. A greater
encroachment on the privileges of the Church could
not be conceived. If dissenters were to be buried
on the side of the church, let it be enacted that the
ceremony take place without the services of the
Church. In the new cemeteries the dissenters
posioured an equal portion of ground with church.
men, and, therefore, there could be no possible
grieve/me. The history of diaper in this country
showed, that up to • comparatively resent period no
service was read by dissenters at the grave. In
fleo4land meek we. the uses eves at Om present day.
A bill having reference to ecclesiastical dilapidation.
had been submitted for the approval of the arch.
bishop and bishop, and he considered it an improve-
went upon the former bill, inasmuch as it proposed
to relieve none of the parties concerned, and was lees
compulsory and inquisitioral. Some perks, how-
ever, were unsatisfactory, and he recorded as a
grist drawback the omission of any provision for
the deport of money received on account of dilapi-
dation& He was of opinion that no bill on this
subject would work satisfactorily, union some
principle upon which dilapidations were to be
estimated could be properly agreed to and esta-
blished. All these matters had her unfortunately
cast in the shade by the recent promulgation of
opinions horde to the faith of the Church; and what
had startled them more, was the hot that the
oaslaught had been made by one holding high
station in the Eatablishment. The cue was a sad
one indeed • but they might derive Donald from
the circumstance that these terrodox opinions had
been universally condemned by churchmen, both ley
and clerical. It was not his intention there to
enter into any examination of Bishop Cokoso's book,
because the most complete answer had already bees
written by the most able and profound theologians.
A subjoin& of great importance and on. that must
from time to time force itself on their notice was bow
I false doctrine was to be dealt with in the Church'
There eould be bet one opinion amongst them, that it
was ionerible to conceive anything more unrtigao.
tory than the present position of the Church, when
it bad to der with such oases. When the doctrines
of the Chen* and of Holy Scripture itself were
distinctly and openly denied by any of the clergy,
how was the evil to be met The national Church
must undoubtedly stand on a broad basis, but at
the lame time there were bounds which its ministers
ought not to be allowed to transgress with impunity.
But how are they to be dealt with "The courts
are open said some, and let them be tried by the
laws of the Church in courts constituted for that
poss." What were those laws, and where were
to be found? Why were they mixed rip wi
ancient canons, statutes, decrees and ordinances—
both irroodeol and provincial—and it must be
admitted that the Ecclesiastical lawyer had great
difficulty in searching them out, and bringing them
to bear upon the offenders. He considered it-
therefore, the duty of the clergy, and of the church-
wardens,—who had special cause of complaint when
there was any promulgation of doctrine contrary to
I the Thirty -nine A rticlea—to make their voices heard,
demanding a reform of the Ecclesiastical laws and
courts. The manner in which prooeedinxa were
protracted, and oasts recurred, demanded •
remedy. The rem archdeacon entered at
considerable length into the state of the law in the
time of Henry the Eighth and Edward the Sixth,
and having argued that the reformers never intended
it to remain without improvement, observed that be
had given notice of • motion on the subject in con-
vocation. His object was to direct attention to the
evil, but his motion might not come on for two or
three years. There ware doubtless many opons
as to the manner in which false doctrine grid be dealt
with; but he had felt it his dry to resist the recent
attempts made to renew the power of censure by con-
vocation, which had now been in abeyance for marry
years. Not that be did not think the baoks in question
deserving of mosure,but because he did not see where
such a system was to end. It would not be difficult
to draw up a long list of books, propounding
the err news as Essays mid Reviews and The
PoirlesicA Critically Xrantined, but they had only
been • laughing stook to every (Aorta sean, not
only in Enhland but in Europe. The yen, arch.
deacon cautioned them not to allude to such publica-
tions in their pulpits, because they could not be re-
feted in a few words,and minable( might be done by
a mere allusion. In conclusion be appealed tx his
rev, brethren to layer& all prejudices and sormicious
of one another, and to labour with fidelity and
dilipoce for the salvation of the souls committed to
their charge.