The Express.
London, England, 1864-10-25 00:00:00

HAYMARILIT.

THD Swann. MADEMOISELLE DE BELLE ISLE Meson.
Howe and Yuma . Mesdames Beatrke sad Angel—ON THE
SLY. Mews aucknone, gown and Gordon ; Mesdanle4
Snowdon and Fitzwillon.—And BACCHUS AND ABIADNE

P&U(C~ 9.

TRW Erma, BORN TO .GOOD LUCE Mr. D. Murray.
And 1111 STRUTS OF LONDON. Means. Vining, I. W. Ray.
D. Fisher. D. Mnrray. J. Nelson. H. Forrester, and H. Mellon
Mrs li. Marston. Mims Barnett and Gwynn*.

LTCIOII.

TINS Er 1.1316, THE 1 flips BUTTERFLY. Messrs.
} eehler, Ryder, Middleensb, Charles, Mclntyre, Raymond,
Clifford, Collett: limes Carlotta Leclsreg, M. Henrade, L
La, euti, and B. Larenu.—C.ommenos at hart-put 7.

ttAITA/11!IA.

Tins Ernanoß THE MOTHER'S DYING CHILD. Mrs. S.
Lane. -Sinning by Mr. Albert Steele, Madame Cons^n. and
Miss Annie HadeLtte. And iliE MILLAR AND HIS
MEN.—Coinnience at di.

HIGH WATZE AT LONDON-BIUDGZ.

.
fan DAY M 1 ei....AJternom, 101 411 e.
Tv liolutow Mandl's, 111 IMa.....thernoca, 11l 495.

LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25.

Ir is not • good sign that the charges of the
Bishops of our Protestant Church are becoming
more and more like those " Pastorals " and
" Allocutions " which the Pope of ROME has
scattered of late years in such profusion. There
is the same feminine excess of sensibility to oppo-
sition, the same propensity to indulge in broad
accusations against the age, and to quarrel with
its modes of thought and its organization of in-
telligence, expressed in the same shrill treble in
both classes of episcopal literature. Bishop
Wics..ll has added another to the list of charges
which are but long chidings of his times. He is
not so disconsolate as his brother of Gcorcrsrea
and BaurroL : nature and grace appear to
have contended in its composition, and we sus-
pect that if the shadows in his picture are relieved
by lights not to be found in that drawn
by Bishop Eiracorr, we owe it to his
happier constitution, while the shadows represent
the sad temper which Bishops think appro-
priate to these latter days. There was a cheery

assurance in one of Bishop WIGE.I.II'S earliest
episcopal utterances--the confidence expressed to
his clergy that if he only knew Hebrew he could
confute his erring Colonial brother—which pro.
raised well for the diocese of Rochester, and which
is not altogether absent from this charge. Still the
Bishop conforms to the fashion of the day a great
deal more than becomes one of the heads of the
Protestant Church. He cannot resist dwelling on
the "painful subject" which has formed the staple
of so many episcopal addresses. Men of repute,
be complains, have sent out writings in opposition
to the " old doctrines," and the wicked periodical
press has carried them into the homes of the com-
mon people, where their effects are pernicious.
Men's minds have been harassed by distrust., per-
plexity, and alarm. This is the dark side of the pic-
ture. But on the other hand, the gainsayers have
been encountered in their most devious paths by
men of truth, power, and learning equal to their
own, and even humble believers have been able to
furnish conclusive answers to many of their objec-
tions. Moreover, the diocese has not been found
wanting in the hour of trial ; no deep impres
'ion has been made, no serious damage done
by recent heretical treatises to the faith
of the Church. Bocking has not been
ahaken, nor Hedingham seduced by subtle wiles,
Epping is firm, and Tendring sound in the faith.
The clergy have been prompt to support their
Bishop ; when he inhibited Dr. Coxr-Nso they
approved, and when the PILIMATX explained away
the Privy Council judgment they prepared an
address. " The heart of the spiritual body," Bishop
WIOILAM testifies, "is wholly unaffected for evil "
by the false teaching that has been so rife.

We venture humbly to suggest to the Bishops
whether, if so little harm has been done by the
erroneous doctrines lately taught, it is worth while
to make so much ado about it, whether in fact all
unnecessary outcry ie not injurious. It seems to
us that, if Bishop WIGRAY is correctly informed,
this incessant agitation is extremely unwise.
Every age has its perils and difficulties.
When the chief clergy feel inclined to lecture the
age and the periodical press on the subject of
heresy, they would do well to remember that the
cause of the mussiness they feel lies within their
own Church ; and the reflection should moderate
their censures. They would do well, moreover,
to consider, as the public are sure to do, the very
unequal conditions under which the warfare
between the advocates and defenders of the old and
new tenets is carried on. The Church has splen-
did rewards for those who distinguish themselves by
maintaining the doctrines of HOOEER, PEARSON,
and WA ERLAN ; while those who would
modify them are marked men, cut off
from the promotion to which their learning and
piety might be supposed toentitle them, and happy
if they can escape molestation from their brethren
more fortunate in their beliefs. The significance
of recent episcopal appointments is not to be mis-
understood, and is not misunderstood by the
younger portion of the clergy—the rich endow-
ments of the Church, it is seen, will be adminis-
tered for the encouragement of one tendency of
theological thought. We do not say that this is
to be complained of ; we merely observe that it is
• thing of which the world takes note as constitu-
ting an inequality of terms in the contest between
the clergy of the new and old schools. And ,