The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-11-19 00:00:00

that opportunity Makes the man ; and but for the Great
Fire of 1666, which devastated the City and destroyed
old St. Paul's, very few people would ever have heard of
Sir Christopher Wren. But the hour had come, and
the man; a new cathedral had to be built, and Wren
was the architect intrusted with the task. Happily
his plans were not cut down by the luthorities for the
sake of economy, and the result is the grand structure
which is the pride of London and the admiration of
the world. Wren was also fortunate in being blessed
with length of days, as well as with riches and honours,
for he lived more than half a century after the fire,
anl witnessed the completion of his colossal work,
-dying at the patriarchal age of 91, having lived, exclud-
ing the Commonwealth, in the reigns of six Kings and
Queens of England.

THE IMPRISONMENT OF THE REV.
S. F. GREEN.
In London on Monday night a crowded meeting of
"Churchmen of South London" was held in the
Masonio-hall, Camberwell, to protest against the in-
justice of detaining Mr. Green in prison for loyal
obedience to the Book of Common Prayer during the
sitting of a Commission to inquire into the legality of
so-called Ecclesiastical Courts."
The chair was taken by Mr. J. A. Shaw Stewart,
who was supported by, amongst others, the Rev.
Arthur Tooth, the Rev. T. B. Dover, Berdmore
Compton, R. W. Enraght, Dr. Piaillicnore, and the
Rev. C. E. Brooke.
At the outset of the proceedings a letter from Mr.
Green was read. In it he said :
"The steady and persistent explanation to the world
of our aims and objects will, in the long run, engage
the public attention, and then, when that is secured,
we may look for justice."
The Chairman characterised tile imprisonment of
Mr. Green as a discredit to the age in which we live,
a blot upon the honoured reign of Queen Victoria, and
a disgrace to the Ministers of the Crown, if there was
any way of getting him out.
Dr. Philimore moved the first resolution, as
follows :—" That it is the opinion of this meeting
that the Public Worship Regulation Act is an
infringement of the liberties of the Church of Eng-
land, and a gross injustice, and therefore ought to be
repealed.-
He said the Act referred to had been passed in
panic and passion, and those who passed it could not
have considered in what a dilemma it would put
devout religious men. There was one law for those
who had a long purse and a certain amount of
fanaticism about them, but quite another for the
devout, the poor, and the disinterested in this
matter. In looking for the repeal of the Act they
ought to remember that the present Prime Minister
was a determined opponent of it. With that fact and
the assistance of Lord Salisbury and Sir Stafford
Northcote there should not be any difficulty in getting
the Act repealed.
The Rev. Arthur Tooth who was very warmly
cheered, in seconding the resolution, said legislation
was all very well, but there were limits to it. When
legislation was not wanted it was quite certain soon to
lead to injustice. There was this about this Act—
that it was intended only for the section of the clergy.
They had heard this very often, and the cftener they
heard it the better, because there was still a vast num-
ber of English Churchmen who had not yet appre-
ciated the reality of this statement. If the Church
did not destroy the Act, they might take it for certain
the Aot would destroy the Church. Once for all they
did not intend to be quiet until their prosecutors left
them alone or repealed the Act.
Mr. B. W. Allen supported the resolution, which
was carried amid cheers. The other reLolution passed
was to the following effect :
"That this meeting, deeply sympathizing with the
Rev. S. F. Green, humbly petitions Her Majesty
that, awaiting the issue of the Royal Commission to
inquire into the constitution and working of the
Ecclesiastical Courts, she will be pleased to order his
immediate release."
Recently an appeal has been made to the Church-
wardens of the Kingdom to join in a protest against
the imprisonment of the Rev. S. F. Green, The Com-
mittee has received the following reply from the
Churchwardens of Binstead, Isle of Wight :
"We beg to observe that Mr. Green is not in
prison for an ecclesiastical offence, but for showing
contempt for the law of our couritry. Mr.
Green has been told by the Archbishop of York
that he can obtain immediate release from prison
by undertaking to obey his bishop, but that he
refuses to do. We consider that of all people the
clergy should take the lead in setting the example of
obedience to the laws of the country, instead of taking
the lead, as they do now in many instances, in setting
them at defiance. We, therefore, as members of the
Church of England as by law established, have no
sympathy whatever with, any clergyman who will
neither obey his own bishop nor the laws of the
land, and we decline joining in any agitation about
Mr. Green, whose immediate release is in his own
, hands."