The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-07-15 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

THE Revision or 'rem Lrronor.—Oc Tuesday the
annual meeting of the Association for • Revision of the
Prayer-book and a review of the Aces of Uniformity was
held at Willis's Rooms, King-street, kit. James's; Lord
Ebury in the chair. The Rev. It. Binglunn, incumbent
of Quesnaborough, read the report. which stated that
the association had now several blare+ societies coo-
operating with it. The cease they had in hand was
making way, as evinced by the debates in the House
of Lords on Lord Ebury's motion for • Royal commission
of inquiry, and in the House of Commons on Mr.
' Bonverie's Clergy Relief Bill. They were oonildent that
it would, if constantly kept before the publics lead to an
expenaion of the National Church, • relief of conscience,
and a Christian comprehension. The income from all
sources was £lB9 is, and the expenditure £206 2e. 44.,
the deficiency being supplied from a balance of
£32 9s. carried forward from the last audit, as that
there still remained in hand the sum of £l5 12s. lid.
The liabilities amounted to about £7O. Lord Ebury
moved the adoption of the report. In introducing his
, Bill, he said, be had acted independently of the associa-
tion, but its views and opinions would always have the
greatest weight with him. The noble lord conelnded
his address with as earnest appeal to the friends of the
movement for increased pecuniary assistance. The Rev.
C. Minton seconded the resolution. No one could say
that the Rnbrical arrangement's of 200 years ago ware
suited to the present time; and with respect to the
revision of the matter of the Prayer-Look, the case was
strongly in their firronr: There were some who looked
upon it as if it had fallen down from Heaven, and as
almost of Divine authority, so that it was rashness, if
not impiety, to touch it. At the Revolution eminent
divine.; attempted what the association bad now in hand,
but failed in it. In brief, they were trying to complete
the work of the Reformers, to undo the work of the
reactloniste, and to perform what was attempted by
'lsllotson, Tennison, and Burnet. The motion was agreed
to. The Rev. C. Gridlestone moved the next resolu-
tiop, to the effect that the meeting was impressed with
the necessity of combined and persevering efforts in the
clause, so as to secure an alteration in the laws of
uniformity. He regretted that Churchmen and Dissen-
ters, prtfessors of a common Proteetantiem, were not
united as one church. He did not expect the bishops
would ever move in the matter, for they had left the
abolition of slavery, the humanizing of the criminal
oode, and the other reforms of the day in the hands of
laymen. The Rev. Mr. Carr Glyn seconded the motion,
whiab was nnatrimensly approved,
RESIGNATION OF A CLEIGYMAN.—The Rev. Chris-
topher Nevile, rector of Thorney and Wickenby,
Lineobishire, has resigned his two livings, on account of
conscientious steeples iii referenee to the Liturgy. At
• meeting held in London on Tuesday where he made
this announcement, he stated that he was ordained 30
years ago to those livings, but that on account of his
scruples relative to subscription, be had now formally
placed his resignation in the hands of the bishop. He
added that be could not help thinking that the church
establishment was in danger. The dissenters were
entering upon a great struggle far the separstion of
church and state, sod if churchmen went into it with
the church based upon the Prayer Book and the Bible,
it would undoubtedly be defeated, and he hoped with
all his heart it might. When the church property was
gone, the bishops and nervous clergy would rue the
day when they did not accept the mild counsels of Lord
Ebury, who had unsuccessfully struggled for liturgaial
revision.
_

COAL VACANClllB.—Wiltabint Rev. W. Mac-
donald, deceased. Deanery Rural: Of the Descry of
Mutford, near Lowestoft; Rev. F. Cunningham,
resigned. Chancellorship: Of the Diocese of Carlisle:
Von. W. Jeckeon, D.D., promoted. Faringdon, Devon-
shire, dio. Exeter; value 462 with residence ; patron
Bishop of Exeter: Rev. C. H. Collyns, dowelled, June
3. Vicarages : Brading, Isle of Wight, dio. Winchester:
value £250 with residence, patrons, Trinity College,
Cambridge; Rev. I). I. Heath, deprived. Bishop's
Cannings, Devises, Witte, die. Salisbury: value £290,
with residence, patrons, Dean and Chapter of Salisbniy;
Van. W. W. Macdonald, deceased. Ealing, Hants, dio.
Winchester: value £630, patrons, Trustees of Rev. W.
J. Philips, deceased, Junel2B. Coracles : Choddinton fit.
John, Oldham ; Rev. A Keene, incumbent. Cheadle,
Cheshire ; Rev. R. Watt, incumbent. Droxford, Hants
Rev. J. A. Colpoys, ineumbene—CiericolJeursial.
MORNINCI or THI Paaeen 800/4—irm several weeks
pest there has been a series of street preaching and hot
exhortations in Bedford by Nonconformists and free-
.poketi preachers, who set themselves up as bright and
shining lights to expose the iniquities of this respectable
town. Up to a certain time Bedford was reputed to be
far above the average in point of order, decorum, and
religious obeervanee. The only cause of complaint was
occasional bitter hostility to the Established Church,
expressed by certain class of Diseenrers. Of late, how-
ever, certain "hot gospellers" have most unwarrantably
set forth to blacken the reputation of the town, and to
denounce its inhabitants; as • terribly wicked and
idolatrous people. A constant sowing of seed of any
kind is certain to produce fruit some day or other, and
• long tuition by political Dissenters must be expected
to produce results twiddle to the church against which
their attacks are directed. The Dissenting virulence
against the church hea at last hadn't. culminating point.
True, the church has not been pulled down and the
highway repaired with its does', as over-zealous
schismatics have desired to ace; but Bedford has just
witnessed an act which cannot but be regarded as the
foretaste of what unbridled fanaticism and unquenchable
hatred to the church would rejoice to see accomplished.
Among the street preachers who have been making
exciting harangues in the public places of this town is
a Mr. Jones, who was in the first instance brought
down from London by two Bedford persons. On
Sunday afternoon he directed his fulminations more I
particularly at the church, and the vigour with which
his congregation sang the hymns very seriously inter-
ferred with the comfort of the clergyman and congre-
gation assembled in St. Peter's (thumb clone ;
but in the evening the preacher became still more
excited and more extravagant in his remarke A
vehement denunciation of the forms of the church
and • condemnation of the Book of Common Prayer
were the chief topics of the evening's discourse, and
as the ehurehee and chapels emptied Mr. Jones's oon-
gregation enlarged; and about 9 o'clock he gave a
practical illustration to his discourse by snapping a heifer
match and then letting fire to a Prayer Book, acceno.
paneing the act with an expressed wish that he sould
serve the Talmud, Koran, the Mass Book, and seine
others in a similar manner. Some portion of the
audience were shocked at this exhibition of wild
fanaticism, and expressed themselves strongly upon the
matter. Others, not content with • remonstrance,
closed in upon the preacher and his baptised neophytes,
and tried to remove them from the green to put as 'rid
to nob scandalous proceedings. Others, again, caring
less, perhaps, for the interest, of religion than for •
spree, suggested that has own plan of baptism by
immersion should be tried upon himself. A rush was
then inade to take him to the river, and • most dis-
orderly rout took rlace. The mob seemed undecided
in its course, and some quietly disposed persons advised
that he should be allowed to retire. The suggestion
was received with an indignant about of" Baptise the
fellow ; duck him." One person said Jones had a right
to do as he pleased, and be immediately received •
pummelling for his pains, sad • sort of running souffle
took place. The crowd surged down Dame Alise-street,
then back again towards St. Peter's, and • move
was made down the High-street in the direction
of the bridge. soy persons here inter.