The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-02-18 00:00:00

TEE VOYSEY APPEAL CASE.

The Judicial Committee on Saturday pronounced
judgment in this long-pending appeal of the Rev.
Charles Voysey, vicar of Healaugh, near Tattoo...ter,
Yorkshire, againet a decree of the. Chancery Court of
Yoi It, admitting certain articles charging him with
publishing and promulgating alleged heretical doe.
trines, contrary to the law of the Church of England.
in a work entitled, "The Sling and the Stone."
Letters of request were granted by the Archbiehop of
York, and the case came before the committee on an
interlocutory decree, but it was arranged that the
entire case should he heard. The appellant appeanid
in person, and mad a long printed volume of his
defence, 'A' hich occupied several days On the original
hearing in November, the Committee consisted of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Li r 1 Chancellor,
Sir J. Colvile, Sir J. Napier, and Sir R. Phillimore.
The counsel for Mr. Noble, the promoter, were the
Solicitor-General, Sir Roundell Palmer, Dr. Tristram,
Mr. ArchiFald, and Mr. Cowie. During the hearing Mr.
Voy sey declined to retrac t the tic ctrines he had presched
and published. The charges were set forth in 38 article*.
The judgment of the Chancery Court of York was riven
in December, 1869. The charges, as stated by the judge
of that Court, were that " Jesus Christ had not made any
atonement or reconciliation for Bin ; that He had not
made any sacrifice, and there WWI no need of any sac-
rube; that Jesus Christ did not suffer in our stead, and
to suppose that he did so suffer was a revoli Mg popular
belief ;" further, that "Jeans Christ is no more very
God than we are ourselves; that every man is in the
tame condition of having the universal divinity infused
through him." There were further charges for ex-
cluding him from his office of a clergyman in the
Church of England. Mr. Voysey bad alleged that the
worship of Jeans Christ was idolatry, and the ',warns.
tion an idolatry.
The Committee consisted of the Lord Chancellor,
Lord Chelmsford, and Sir Robert Phillimore, who
heard the case with the Archbishop of Canterbury
(now absent on the Continent). Besides their lord-
ships, Sir James Colvile, Sir J. Napier, and Sir L.
Peel were present. There were also several ladies
present, accommodated with seats, and there was a
good attendance of the public, but not a great crowd.
The Lord Chancellor, in giving judgment, re.
capitulated the facts of the case as to the proceedings
at York, and the appeal to her Majesty in Council
when it was agreed that the whole case should be heard.
His lordship then referred to the several charges in the
articles. The charges were contained in thirteen
articles, the rest being of a formal character. The
charges might be classified unier three heads :-1. 'The
alleged errors as to the reconciliation for sin by Christ.
2. Alleged errors as to the Godhead of our Lord Jesus
Christ and the Holy Trinity ; and 3, the authority of the
Holy Scriptures. lie (the Lord Chancellor), before he
discussed those charges, would state the law as laid
down in the case of The Essays and Reviews," in
which Lord Westbury gave the opinion of their lord-
ships. After reading an extract from that judgment
his lordship proceeded to refer to the passages in " The
Sling and the Stone," which were cited in support of
the charges. lie also referred to the several articles
of religion which it was alleged Mr. Vosey had
offended against by his writings. His lordship then
took thestirst head, an to the atonement and sacrifice
for sin, which Mr. Voysey denied, bet their lord.
allies held that he had fended against the Articles
of Religion, and, therefore, the charge on th at
head was established. He then proceeded to consider
the t.econd bead, as to whether the alleged Divinity
of Christ and the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation and
the worship of the 'Trinity was idolatry. He (the Lord
hancellor) contrasted the Articles of Religion with
the teaching of :CI r. Voysey on the subject, and read
extracts from "The Sling and the Stone" to show
that the Articles had been contravened. His lord.
ship then dismissed the other head—the authority of
Holy Scripture—and read an extract from Lord
Weetbury`e judgment in 'The Essays and
Reviews, "as to the ecclesiastical law OD the subject
On one point the charge was not made out as to the
Scriptures. Their lordships had no doubt the charges
were abundantly established, and then referring to the
great mysteries of our religion, and the latitude
allowed, their lordship/ held that the charges had been
proved, and that their lordships would admit the
articles. The sentence they should recommend to her
Majesty would he cue of deprivation of his living and
costs. His lordship said Mr. Voyeey had, on this
hearing, declined to retract ; but another opportunity
would be given him, as he was absent, to retract within
a week from this time. The Lord Chancellor added
that a draft of the judgment had been submitted to
the Archbishop of Canterbury, and he concurred in it.