The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-10-08 00:00:00

ecclesiastical inttlligence.

THE BISHOPS SYNOD AND THE CHURCH.
The tact that our ecc.esiastual rulers have chosen
the present moment for their meeting, puts us in mind
of the Vomit. Emperor, who, when Rome was flaming
in a conflagration which he himself had caused, amused
himself with playing on the lyre. While the church is
ton to pieces by their own imbecility, whilst heresy
and schism are making havoc of it, and robbing her of
the people's respect, these venerable triflers have been
holding • an•ree and roe iersavoer. in which not one
single question of importance could really be discuased,
and which has produced a pastoral letter couched in
language most offensive from its burlesqueing the
language of the %pestles, um! cent •ining nothing but
truisms known to every child. There is. indeed, a pro-
test against the Church of Rome, and such a protest;
no mention of Transubetantation, of the beastly con-
fessional, or of prayers and masses for the dead. Any
mention of these little trides would have thinned the
numbe, sof those wIt•• subscribed their names. The
only two things against which they could agree to pro.
test were the Universal Sovereignty of the See of Rome,
anti the worship of the Virgin Mary. No doubt they
protest against the former, as some of them wish to
be supreme themselves; and, for ourselves, we don't
see much difference between Roman and Anglican
tyranny. We are =melees, to find some names attached
to the protest against the worship of the Virgin Mary,
when the Rishop of Salisbury has the "Rite of Sarum"
dedicated to him, and that worship is being gradually
introduced into some Churches of Oxford by means of
painted windows, in which the Virg.n is represented,
with the words Are Mario prone Oer.a.
But acme circumstances connected with this Episcopal
gathering are truly ludicrous. Take the following:—
At the kort day's consultation of the Pan-Anglican Synod.
the Bishop of Salisbury presented a memorial signed by Dr.
Posey. Dr. F. O. Lee. the Rev. ill. Its. homy hie, the Rev.
T. W. Perry inth of the Ritual Commissioners). and • lanes
Pond& r of other clergymen. exprer.he of sorrow at the one-
eontlnued divisions in Christendom. They pray that steps
may he taken to promote intercommunion between the
Church a England and the Orthodox Church td the East.
The secrecy which it has been determined to mattitsin In
moral to the proceedin es within the calls of Lambeth
Palace ham been opt.. the present date remarkably well kept
and It is only as the Conference breaks up and its members
mingle with society that information will prolably be pro-
coral. The Guardian state., oo the authority of a correspon-
dent, that at the administration of the Communion at
Lambeth on Tuesday, "the elements consisted of bread made
from corn grown at Bethlehem. and sine from Jerusalem,
which had been sent as a present specially for the maroon&
The service nes simple and unadorned, but gravely impressive,
the responses, we are informed, being • moat univocal and
grandly strong.'"
Here we have the Bishop of Salisbury doing the bidding
of Dr. Pusey and C. o, soul presenting a memorial which
has really for its object the union of our Church with
the Romish apostacy. They call it Christendom they
mean Bishopilom ; but, as the Church of Rome treats
them with the utter contempt they deserve, we may
leave these pitiable individuals to play at their union
game. And 'the elements consisted of bread made
f rom corn grown at Rer hlebem, and wine f rom Jentsalem."
Was there no water from Jordan for their Apostolic
fingers! and for their winding-up tea party' To make
the farce complete they should at least have ridden in
procession on Jerurdens pities! And it must be •
great comfort to all churchmen to know that "the
service was simple and unadorned, but gravely int-
presaire, the responses, we are informed, being meet
' univocal and grandly strong ' " Surely it must have
been " Jeames himself" that furnishkd the Ousrlion
with this choice piece of information. Seventy Bishop-
power of response no doubt was "grandly strong." Oh
that Peter Plymley still survived to embalm them
Episcopal heroes in his pure English wit! Seventy
educated men playing at Apostles, with bread from
Bethlehem, and wine from Jerusalem. No wonder
their voices were "grandly strong," and the Apostolic
blood boiling in thew veins. .Ind yet how very con-
descending great men can be at times, ride :
The co.wenszione had been final for that day In the expire-
Winn that the Synod would have been brought to a con.
cloOon on Thumbs, night; but the bishops continued their ,
deliberations on Friday. and consequently were not present at I
Its opening M. three o'clock. There was a lam uteodanee of
elemt men anti laymen, who walked about and conversed for
to- hour., watthel by a number of ladies from genera-
, &hoot eve of the bishops arrived In • body, and occupied the
platform. The Primate, the Bishop of London, or the Bishop
blford, Introduced each colonial and Amerhan bishop to the
In•rting. and a succession of warm receptions ass accorded
them. Loud cheers greeted the Bishop of New Zealand, and a
I dill more enthusiastic tiemonstrati .0 the Bishop of Capetown.
1 On the motion of the Bishop of Oxford, thanks were voted
to the Archbishop of Canterbury. who pronounced his Messing.
The bish-ps then left the platform for the body of the room,
anti the nosserrozioow was prolonged hall an hoar.
What patience those ladies have to be sure! to sit for
two long hours in • gallery looking at • lot of clergy-
men walking about • room and talking! Of course, the
clergy and laity did not look up at the gallery in return.
And, at las., what bliss the bishops absolutely de-
scend it from theplatforrn into the body of the room, as
if they had been mere aortal.. We remember in our
boyish days going to see "the Bearded Lady." Great
was our admiration as we looked at her sitting an •
platform. but when she came down, and came close to
us, and even shook hsculs with us, and permitted us to
touch her beard, we went home well satisfied with
our investment of our last sixpence What must have
been the ecstacy of these clergy and laymen ? how well
was their patience rewarded, when the bishops trod the
game floor as themselves, drank tea out of the same
teapot, and permitted them to touch the hem of their
broadcloth! Whatever be the secret object of those
who have called tapther these conference, we quite
agree with Si 0.0.'s last admirable letter, and especally
with these his concluding words: "I have no fear that
Episcopal authority can !vamp out the light of our
religious freedom. I have some apprehension, lest, in
making the attempt, itself come to serious grief." Any-
thing more likely to excite the indignant contempt of
the people at large then these ridiculous evidences of
the superstitde and trifling conceit of these esulesiastios
it is difficult to imagine.
But let us turn to the state of the Church itself :
Excessoincsinor.—(Froto A ries Bireesinotans (Jaretre.)—
The ',WOAD reams at Manchester has taken all IWland by
zzrisr and aroused all amount of eopular igorithet
nag ilwae secret agents of rebellion which has hardly been
gaited forth by any of the more &arrows, hut at the same
tone more distant, perforrnanrx. of the Brotherhood. We are
by no means certain, hrareve•, whether the teclei Weal re-
volutionists in Birmingham hare not during the pant week
estahlithed as valid a claim to public denunciation as the
politlcal rerelutionista of Manchester. It le true that there
been no physical violence exerted. no prima ran entathed
In, no policeman shot. But physical violence, after all, is
more endurable then the exercise of *ritual tyranny.
Bludgeons and donee are ugly weapons, but they are not so
fatal as reerdotal pretensions permitted to acquire power;
revolvers are deadly, but an Ernulphue curse fulminated by a
priest Is by many degrees more !woeful then the bullet of •
°titled eamegin. The event to Witith we refer seem., even
pa, to be hardly generally knownonoch be eenerany believed.
Incredible as It somas, however, vs believe that the aCcoUlat
given of the proceedirsgs at St. Alban's temporary church In
Dyrookastreet by s correspondsnt, whose letter amend in
our Thursday's haus, Is literelly true. It teems this on
Wedneedsy evening last, Immediately before the service, and
~,ano a youth was engaged in lighting the candles on the
ognmunion.table, the Rev. J. 8. Pollock, habd d in ful
can...Ocala entered from the matey, and, alter bowing MI
heont of the connuntiy i un„1....„0n-talth o
l•ipro.rele
memberi alongathtLinialcommfro th.
Don 11 .sing discovered the object of his search, who was •
woman In the habit of frecLuttg the merviceen,.he addressed.
The
was .ieeeam
person addremed
her by name "iduire'd pail at the ennonotement, but
wed that eta was Innoesnk The elOOOttlatthiOslOr bad*
her not dare to Kook, but to rise end leave God's house. The
victim urged that God's bouss wee free to all, and refuted to
addlog, that be could not turn Mr out. Mr. Pollock
then turned and addramed the congregation. "1 charge you
all,' he said, "the tettlihil In God, not t 3 speak to or
bold interoates with this wiesie—tbs IT rollario