The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-23 00:00:00

"PRO DEO ET ECCLESIA."

To the very Rev. the Dean and the very Rev. the Chapter
of the Cathedral Church at Exeter,.
The Memorial of the undersigned, George Anthony Denni-
son, M.A., Vicar of East Brent, Archdeacon of Taunton.
Showeth,—
I. That it is currently reported and believed that
the Rev. Frederick Temple, DD., head master of
Rugby School has been recommended by the Prime
Minister for the vacant Nee of Exeter.
11. That your memorialist. in the year 1861, moved
for a committee of Lower House of Convocation of
Canterbury to examine and report upon the book
called "Essays and Reviews," and that he was chair-
man of the committee.
111. That it appeared to him then, as it appears
now, that the essay of Dr. Temple, being the prefatory
essay of the book, has passages heretical in terms; and,
further, that it contains the substance of the entire
volume.
IV. That it was, and is, impossible for him to conic
to any conclusion other than that the volume was so
devised and arranged, that the remaining six "Essays"
or "Reviews" should proceed to develop in tletad the
principles laid down and indicated in the prefatory
"Essay" of Dr. Temple • the several subjects being
assigned to the several writers by an anonymous editor,
conversant with, and, perhaps, initiating, the entire
scheme; and that all necessity of intercommunication
between the several writers being thus avoided, each
one of them was enabled to say that he was answerable
for his own "Essay," or "Review," only.
V. That your memoralists has shown by an an-
alysis of the volume, published by him in 1861, that it
is impossible to come reasonably to any conclusion
about the structure and composition of the volume
other than that herein above stated. The analysis
was endorsed by men of high position and great ability
in sections of the Church not agreeing with that section
to which your memorialist belongs.
VI. That your memorialist has not at hand the
records of Convocation, no as to enable him to go here
into the details of progeedings in the two Houses of
Convocation upon the book: but that he is able to
state that the Lower House, at his instance, condemned
the book upon the report of its committee.
VII. That Dr. Temple has not recalled his Essay:
nor retracted the heretical passages in it: nor dis-
claimed sympathy with the other "Essays" and
"Reviews," being its complement and development:
nor even expressed publicly his sorrow for having writ-
ten and allowed it to be published.
VIII. That, regard being had to the facts herein
above stated, your memoralist is compelled to say that,
if the appointment of Dr. Temple to the see of Exeter,
or to any other see of the Church of England, shall be
carried out, a direct and intolerable offence and treason
will have been committed against Christ and His
Church; and thereupon it will become the duty o
every Churchman to labour actively and steadily to
dissolve all connection between the Churgli and the
State.
Your memorialist therefore respectfully prays that
you will withold your official sanction ot, and concur-
rence in, such appointment.
And your memorialist will ever pray.
GEORGE ANTHONY DENISOV,
Vicar of East Brent. Archdeacon of 'Lawton.
Leeds, Oct. 14, 1069.