The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-15 00:00:00

THE VICAR AND THE CHURCHWARDEN.

THE Rev: JaiiN TTAtii is Vicar of the Parish
of Enfield, and Captain CHARLEs BOSANQUET. is
Churchwarden. Mr. BOSANQUET has for upwards
of a quarter of a century been residing at Enfield.
As a pious and benevolent man, he seems to have
been moved to make sacrifices to secure some
measure of spiritual Ministration to a large ..and
poor iiOPrilatiori, in the neighbourhood of
in that parish. To that end he devoted.a—Small
house there possessed by him, and had it con-
verted into a chapel for the performance of ser-
vice according id the rites of the Protestarit
Church of England. In 1855, the Chapel Was;
unfortunately, burnt down: It was rebuilt by pri-
vate subscriptidris; ancl.re-opened in 1858: Or the
funds so raised ter that iiiirpese r. ilosAtLitrEi
procured between seven and: eight hundred
pounds. These subscriptions were givenV.par-
,,
ties of purely Protestant sentiments, and. in the
belief that the services were performed
in a mariner Consonant to ". thcii feelings:
They never antibipated What tolloWed:
i fable
opening services the celebration of ,Divine wor-
ship was conducted in a manner which rendered
it impossible for the Protestant founder and
friends of the chapel to continue their attendance..
The Rev. Mr. HEATH selected a gentleman of
the name ofEVAS.s to officiate, whose
church views and practices gave rise• to Mich
subsequent Unpleasantness, and to some most
painful scenes; which we are about to mention.
The tomintinidii-table *as ehahged:
A "slayer-
altar" was placed OTI " the altar," or what had
Inmunion-table,
been properly communion-table ; the white cloth;
which alone ought to cover the co
was almost entirely concealed; flowers were in-
troduced upon " the altar" in great abundance ;.
the usual time of preaching was changed, and
the sermon was introduced into the middle of the
service ; the officiating minister appeared in gaudy
vestments, having two crosses, embroidered in
gold and silver, on the front, and. one on the
back; he turned his back to the
congregation in
the celebration of the Communion;
he made
move-
ments which seemed to refer to the elevation of the
Host; here a choral service was added, and the
organ was ordered to play during the Communion
Service ;--so that altogether the se •
rvice was more
similar to that of Roman oC th aChapels than
of the Reformed Protestant Church of
England.
Mr. B9,sANauET and his friends who had so
handsomely assisted in
rearing the sacred edifice
felt extremely disappointed. Remonstrance with

the Vicar and Curate having been found to be in
vain, Mr, BOSANQUET addressed a. letter to the
Bishop of London calling his lordship's attention
to the manner in which the services were being
conducted, and a memorial was also signed by the
principal inhabitants, protesting against these
superstitious forms. The bishop sent down coin:-
missioners to inquire. On receiving their report
the Bishop pronounced his opinion on the
subject, and directed certain alterations of the
mode in which the services were aonducted-.
Among other things his lordship ordered that
the table should only be Covered With a clean
white linen cloth, so as to be Visible to
the Congregation; and that the musical ser-
viees at the time of the Communion should be
' discontinued. Instead of complying with the
orders of the Bishop and the wishes of the
parishioners, the Vicar and his Curate continued
the services in their most objectionable form.
' The ChttrehWartlar, believing that he was simply
doing his duty in carrying out the Diocesan's
judgment, renioVed the super-par find
took away the grand Fringe, This
he did before the commencement of the service.
This led to two assaults by the Vicar upon the
Churchwarden—the one on Christmas Day, and
the other on New Year's Day, both last—on
which occasions the latter, while sitting in his
pew, was violently laid hands on by the former
and turned out of the chapel, Vvithou.t any want-
ing or reAtiest that he would :withdraw peaceably.
The reverend gentlernan also th'onght it necessary
to shut up his,Churchwarden in the vestry. The
Vicar was called on to offer an apology, bat as
he declined to do so the matter had lately
came before a jury for damages in the Coart of
Queen's Bench. The Rev, W. lEATH affects a
" conscientious difficulty" in submitting his mode of
conducting the services to any tribunal—not even
to the Bishop of the Diocese, or to the Archbishop
of Canterbury. As the proprietor of the ground
on which the chapel stands, Mr. HEATH asserts
and has exercised his right to close the chapel
altogether. The suit in the Court of Queen's
Bench was nominally for damages, although the
Churchwarden again expressed his willingness to
accept an apology, This also was again declined.
The Lord Chief Justice pointed out that there
was bat one other coarse left 'open to the parties,
unless the trial Was to be proceeded With. There
could be no doubt; his Lordship said, that prac-
tides for the most part observed in the Roman
Catholic ritual, and which were not, until the
innovations of recent times, a part of the Protes-
tant ritual, were highly offensive to a large
portion of the Protestant community. 'ln this
case persons had subscribed their money under
the expectation that Divine Service would be
perforated at this chapel according to the mode
Of the Protestant worship; but finding the set,-
vices were stich as strongly to resemble the Roman
Catholic mode; they conscientiously say that; as
Protestants, they ;could not participate in them.
Under the circumstances his Lordship considered
sonic compensation should be made to those sub-
scribers who objected to the mode in which the ser-
vices were perforMed. It was also suggested that
it be referred to some gentleman of the bar to say
to whom the money that had been subscribed for
the erection should be tettirried, and to dispose
of the other matters involved in the litigation
then pending. This was mutually agreed to;
and, for the present; here the matter rests. In
-
few words the Vicar has agreed to buy off the
Protestant objeetions, and become sole proprietor
of the chapel, with right to please himself as to
the manner in which he shall therein perform
service. The next step, it is to be hoped, will be
the withdrawal of his license by the Bishop, and
then there Will be an end of the Clayhill chapel

niiis~ri~@.

The great mistake of the Protestant gentlemen
who built the chapel was, in omitting to secure
the ground: It belongs to the Rev. Mr. HEATa,
and no amount of litigation can take it from hiin.
The freehold ought to have been placed in the
hands of trustees: The remedy now to be applied,
namely, that of the sttbscribers getting back their
Money; is but an awkward shift, to say the least
of it. They have, by reason of this blunder;
probably lost an opportunity of affording sound
Protestant ministrations to a neglected locality.
Let all good Christian people who in future
would apply their money in a manner consonant
with their feelings, learn a lesson.
As to the Coridtiet df these reverend disturbers
of the peace, we need say little, after giving shell
a full narrative of the facts as stated in court.
They speak best for themselves. The plea of
"conscience" was well met by counsel, when he
remarked that if the mode in which the service
should be .perforined in Clayhill Chapel Was
really a inatter of " ConsCierice kith the Vicar;
how did it happen that he had not iritkotitieed the
. same form into the parish church, where a form of
worship was used to which Mr. BOSANQUET and
his friends had no objection P Perhaps the true
elipianation is id he rolind in the fact somewhat
'Sarcastically alluded to by. the Lord chief
Justice, when he said, " There might 'be a
higher power of control over the parish church
thah there was over the chapel." What
a pity it is that these ‘i coiiselefitiadi adherents
to obsolete and obnoxious forms of mediaeval times
seem to have forgotten, or learnt to despise, the
implicit deference and obedience anciently held
to be due to the dideft; di the bishop. When the
Protestant people of an Irish town feEeiltly
showed some want of submission to the dictation
of a Bishop, whom they looked upon as an enemy
to Protestant truth, many reverend gentlemen,
Who sYnipathised with the Bishop exclaimed, with
upturned eyes and npiiited lianas, Uptegsite of
pious horror, How irreligious and profane ! but
when it comes to their turn, the authority of a
Bishop is absolutely nought except in so far as it
agreeii iiith their " consciences," of whatever
stuff these clerical comihoditie9 may be composed.
-We have no wish, however, to say one weltd td
aggrarate existing diversities of opinion. We
would rater tifge iipon tier& and laity the
necessity, especially under preselit eiretithstanees,
of strenuously endeavouring to discover sonid
mode by which they shall agree to differ about
mere matters of form. This is not the time when
q.ctrehmeri can afford to be disunited. Complete
and hearty 'anion and co-operation in defence

of the rights of the Chtreh can alone sate
them from grievous mutilation, if ndt from

destruction. When an insidious and determined

foe, marching under the banner of " church-rate

abolition,' advances to undermine an important

outpost, merely as the first step to an attack upon
the citadel of the Church, it is high time that we

should hear no more of those most painful and
unseemly bickerings in sacred places and in

profane courts of lctiv. The question of the day
is not as to this of that inritter of detail in our

national forms of worship, but ds th the very

existence in any shape of such an institution tts

a National Church. Let all who have a due

sense of the blessings conferred upon the State
by its holy alliance with the Church, take

warning from the case above cited, and arouse

hemselves to a full sense of their responsibility

in such an emergency as the present. United
we shall conquer—divided we shall fall. The

Church expects that all the faithful, at this

critical opoch, shall DO THEIR DUTY.

DEATH OF THE EARL OF ABERDEEN.

We deeply regret to announce the death, at half-past
one o'clock yesterday morning, of the Earl of Aberdeen.
He had been long in extreme ill health, and for the last
few days had been sinking rapidly. His sons, Colonel
Alexander and Mr. Arthur Gordon, were present at his
death, which took place at Argyle-house. His eldest
son, and the inheritor of his title :and estates, is, We
belive, in Egypt. Lord Aberdeen was in his 77th year,
having been born in Edinburgh in 1784.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FRANCE.
(FROAI OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, 14th Dec., 1860.

The fact is now undoubted, that the Emperor
has begged Francis 11. to discontinue the useless
contest which he continues to wage with so
much spirit, and has intimated ta4 his ex-
Majesty that artless the reconariendation be
complied with, the protection of the French fleet
will be instantly withdrawn. Now, as Louis
NaPereoil is the only real friend of whom Francis
can boast at preSent, of possessing, there is
every reason and hope for belieVing th it the
latter *ill abt linen the advice: '
It is alto Otte trite; as forrheo4,theritictied;
that the Emperor 3 s 'Using his utmost endeavour
to induce Pius IX. to come to terms with Pied-
mont, though it is not considered likely that these
efforts will be successful. It is stated that the
idea which the French Government takes of the
Italian question will shortly be developed in a
new pamphlet, which is immediately to appear.
This brochure, it is confidently asserted by those
Who are, or Who fancy they are; in the secret,
will contain a most pressing entreaty to the
Austrian Government to treat for the cession of
Venetia; iy the sole atid last remaining Meaas of
accoMplishitift a solution of all the dil:Acul-
tieg telatiVe to the destiny of the new Italian
kingdom. This same pamphlet, so important in
its general character and as regards the source
from which
,the author derives his inspiration,
returns, in some degree, to the Utopia of an
Italian Confederation, but the desire which it
expresses on this point is a little less ardent than
formerly. It is by the same author as Le Pape
et le Congres, Napoleon 111. et l' Italie, &c.
An interviEW is spoken of as having taken
place a few days ago; between the Emperor and
one of th archbishops who is Most in favoUr at
the TuilerieS: The Prelate in question; who said
he believed he Spoke the sentiments of his col.-
leagUes, urged ttpon. His Majesty in the most
earnest manner the, (hay .of his adiiptin* and
actilig:,resortiter upon a policy favourable to the
Holy see; did putting a stop to the attacks and
encroachments of Piedmont. The Emperor, while
indulging in some expressions of regret that the
policy of invasion had prospered so largely in
the hands of Victor Einmanuel, did not hesitate,
it is said, to let his most reverend visitor under-
stand :that, so far as the restoration of the tem=
poral power of the Pope to its former limits was
concerned, there remained no other means or
arms available but prayer. ,
Some of the French journals here lost no time
in testing the extent of liberty and discussion
permitted under the new Press _Regime. The
Anti de In relgin especially has signalised itself
by a wonderfully free-spoken leader, on the Eta-
peror's policy in general and two painphlets are
expected daily to appear---one a " letter to the
Senatei'' by M. le Comte d'Hausscinville; and
another, which will be found , very well worthy
bf attention , entitled ‘tAsiir la dOttstieutfori We 1852
decret chi 24 Nov.," the author of which •is
M. Leonce de Lavergne.
The transactions at ,the Bourse were few in
number ; and the market for Rente closed at 5
cents below the closing prices of the previous day.
The last prices for Rente was 68 73, and the
41 9 50.

LATEST NEWS.

(BY BRITISH AND IRISH MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)

FRENCH NAVAL MOVEMENTS.

Oh the 11th instant the Imperial line-of.battle
ship Fontenoy, lying at Toulon, received orders
to proceed to Gaeta; to replace the Alexander.
The Eldorado frigate 'edits Totiloti oh the
lath for Alexandria, With two million francs in
specie and an immense quantity of stores for the
fleet and army in. China.
The Ulloa will shortly leave for the same
destination, also carrying two million francs in
specie and whatever stores the Eldorado may be
unable to take.