The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-26 00:00:00

THE BISHOPS SYNOD.

Emma, Jetta 25.
Ilia lordship arrived in Exeter from Kingsbridge ,
on Saturday last, and proceeded to the palace, where he
has remained during the week. In consequence of rumours
prevailing that there was likely to be a procession of an
uncomplimentary statute to the bishop, his lordship's secre-
tary, Mr. Ralph Barnes, bad a conference with the mayor
and eitr magistrates on Tuesday, the day preceding the
synod The superintendent of police, Mr. Steel, had visited
the palace twice, to aware the bishop that proper precautions
should be taken to preserve the peace , but the tranquillity
of the town this morning rendered any proceedings unneces-
sary. Great numbers of clergymen arrived in Exeter on
Tuesday evening, and up to the hour of meeting, from all
perm of Devonshire and Cornwall. A couple of policemen
mem an duty near the cathedral door, around which were
closet 20 or 30 men, a few women, and quantities
Illabos. Divine service commenced shortly after 10
oroltreir. TlMelmeel of the cathedral was filled, princi-
ple/1y with doosposts. There were several ladies and
spectators present. His lordship occupied the throne, and
appeared in good health. There was a full choral service,
and the Rev. Prebendary Hole preached a long and elabo-
rate sermon from the text, 2nd Timothy, chap. 1..
13th and 14th verses : " Hold fast the form of
sound words which thou hest heard of me in
faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. That
thing which was committed unto thee, keep
brood
e Holy Ghost, which dwelleth in us." The sermon
occupied shout an hour end twenty minutes in the
delivery. The reverend company then took the sacrament
with the bishop, after which a procession was formed by the
members of the synod, with the bishop at their head, to the
Chapter-house.
On arriving at the Chapter-house the bishop opened the
synod by en address, in which he stated generally his rea-
sons (as they have already ;been published) for calling his
clergy together. His object was to revive friendly and con-
fidential communication with his clergy on all important
points affecting the church. He wished to unbosom him-
sell, without the slightest reserve, to his brethren in Christ,
as he hoped they would to him; and in the peculiar crisis ,
in which they were now placed, ho wished to ittro to the
presbyters that prominent and important position to erbkili
all ecclesiastical history assigned them. The right rev.
prelate then congratulated the synod upon the willingness
with which his call had been answered by thirty out of
thirty-two deaneries, and proceeded to bring forward the
declaration (altered, as given below, from that published in
Saturday's Lspresa) on the subject of baptism. This decla-
ration he said he had slightly altered, in consequence of
various communications which hail been made to him from
different quarters; but, although altered in words, it was
essentially the same in principle.
The declaration, as altered, was then read by his lord-
ship's chaplain, and a discussion followed, in which muny
members of the synod took part, and eventually the decla-
ration was ordered to be reprinted and placed in the hands
of the members, and its discussion postponed till the follow-
hip da.
he synod then suspended its sitting, in order to attend
the afternoon service at the cathedtol, and resumed at four
o'clock, when the synod took into its consideration the fol-
lowing declarations

DECLARATION.

" Deeply deploring the cases of defection from our com-
munion, which have occurred in the last ten years, even
among the clery—which cases, few as they may be, in com-
parison of the whole number of our clergy, are yet numer-
ous when compared with those which have occurred in our
church at any former period within the last 190 years—we
hereby solemnly record our own hearty, and, with God's
blessing unalterable attachment to the church in which He
has called on us to serve; cordially accepting its doctrine
►s set forth in its articles of religion and Book of
Common Prayer and administration of the sacraments—
and thankfully acknowledging its ministry by bishops,
priests, and deacons to have descended to us in unbroken
succession from the Holy Apostles. And we further record
our full conviction that secession from this church, being a
sound part of the catholic church, to any other religious
community, is in itself an act of schism, and, as such,
perilous to salvation ; and that secession to the Homan com-
munity in England is not only an act of schism, but in-
volves also the abandonment of truth fur error."
" 111. DECLAMATION.
•• • '

" Whereas the Bishop of Rome bath taken upon himself to
name the town of Plymouth, in the arehdeaconry of Totnes,
in our diocese of Exeter, to be a see in subjection to the said
Bishop of Rome ; and this is professed to be done for the
greater convenience of the " Popish recusants," or refusers
of the catholic communion of the church in England.
" And whereas the predecessins of these recusants, in or
about the twelfth year of Queen Elizabeth,did notoriously,
in obedience W orders from Rome, renounce communion with
the church in this land, which they hail theretofore main-
tained, although our church, from which they thus separated
themselves, did then hold, and has always since continued to
hold,whole and undefiled." that catholic faith, professed
in the Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed, which the church
of Rome itself, in the third aesaion of the Council of Trent,
recites and sets forth as the true faith—saying that " with
such recital alone, as with a shield against heresies, have
the ancient fathers before now drawn unbelievers to the faith,
overthrown &reties, and confirmed the faithful, it being
the firm and single foundation, against which the gates
of Hell shall never prevail;" neither can it be proved,
which God forbid, that our said church had, at the time of
such separation, nor since at any time bath, lost the grace
of the Holy Sacraments.
" And whereas it is notorious, that in order tokeep the said
separatists in obedience to Rome new articles of faith,
added to the said creed, contrary to, the seventh canon of
the third General Council of Ephesus, were imposed and in-
sisted upon as necessary to salvation.
" And whereas the government of, and ministrations for,
the said separatists, were at first and for many years not
under any bishop ; and afterwards, for more than 200 years,
were directed by bishops having their titles from ancient
extinct secs " sts partibutt itylc!elitsm," and exercising pre-
tended spiritual jurisdiction in England, as vicars apostoli-
cal, so called, of the Bishop of Rome, thus treating this
realm as under the jurisdiction of Rome ; which vicars epos-
tolieal were either bishops without WI, ordained as such,
contrary to the sixth canon of the General Council of Chal-
cedon, and to the known rules of the catholic church ; or
else, being ordained as bishops of sees in the Eastern church,
without the concurrence of the metropolitans, were so or-
dained in direct violation of the fourth and sixth canons of
the first General Council of Nice. _
. _

" And whereas the recent pretended appointment awes in
England, and particularly of the see of Plymouth, by tho
Bishop of Rome, contrary to the second canon of the second
General Council of Constantinople, has been manifestly de-
signed to erect the said separatists into a church, in opposi-
tion to the true catholic church in England, by nominating
sees without ths concurrence of the metropolitan—for the
so-called Metropolitan Archbishop of Westminster is no
metropolitan, having been set up contrary to ancient cus-
tom, and to the sixth canon of Nice, in evident violation of
the old metropolitan sees of England.
" For all these reasons we, the Bishop and clergy of the
diocese of Exeter aforesaid, do hereby declare that the said
appointment of a see of Plymouth by the Bishop of Rome,
being contrary to the canons of the catholic church, is ma-
nifestly schismatical and void; that sets up altar against
altar in our said diocese, and usurps the primacy of England.
And we further declare, in respect of this and the other
differences which, unhappily, during 300 years, have divided
the churches of the west, that we desire to renew the appeal
under which we and our fathers have so long continued, to a
lawful and free council of the whole church, whenever such
council may be had, commending our cause in the mean-
while, under Him who will come to be our judge, to the
earnest prayers and to the enlightened and impartial in-
quiries of all good Christian people."
The Ant of these, on the motion of the Rev. C. C. ➢ar-
tholomew, was carried by a large majority, only nine or tea
hands being held up against it.
The third declaration was carried rent die.
The synod adjourned at half-put Ave o'clock until**

Oa the 26th and 27th the following subjects will be con-
sidered, so far as time shall admit :
" 1. Education according to the principles of the church
of England. Schools for the poor, middle schools, training
college of roasters at Exeter, of mistresses at Truro. Inspec-
tion of schools.
"2. Catechising—best mode of carrying out the require-
meats of the church, as stated in the rubrics and =none.
"3. Cautioned pastoral superintendence of the young who
hero lift school, especially the encouragement of the living
tefgeMon of young agricultural labourers, on • plan at once
eisammisal, and under regulations for self-discipline in
college. (See Parochial Work, by Rev. C.
"4. t 18471 the number of authorised teachers and
aselitants of ministers by the ordaining of permanent dea-
cons, especially of teachers duly recommended from the
Training College at Exeter.
" 6. Assistance of lay parishioners to the parochial clergy,
especially by encouraging voluntary association for good
works.
"6. More frequent divine services in churches on week-
days. Dee observance of the days appointed by the church
to be kept holy. On Ascension-day, the Lord's Supper to
be always administered.
" 7. Um* frequent celebration of the holy communion.
" 3. Separation of services—especially in connection with
Use two immediately preceding questions.
"9. Public performance of public baptism of infants; and
right of parents, giving due notice, to require the public
bees of their children on holy days.
111. Care to be taken in reminding sponsors of their real
reermibility, and correcting false notions of that respon-
sibility. The encouragement of bodies of persons (especially
Sunday-school teachers, district visitors, and other lay pa-
riskiness) agreeing to undertake the office of sponsors in
cases where it shall be found necessary.
" 11. Churthing of women after illegitimate birtho, under
what regulations ?
" 12. Whether the office of burial ought not to be always
folly, sad equally, performed over all that are buried—(ex-
opt the taking the corpse into the ehurch, where there is
of infection) :—advising the minister, who may
doubt whether the party to be buried fall within any of the
exceptions of the first rubric before the office of burial, to
refer his doubt, with as little delay as possible, to the bishop,
for his solution, according to the direction contained in the
preface' Concerning the Service of the Church.'
" 13. Selection of metrical versions of psalms and hymns.
" 14. Receiving persons into the church from the Roman-
ist schism in this country, or from other schismatical com-
munities—after previous reference of the several cases to
the bishop for his direction.
" 15. Whether to re-marry those, who, having been pre-
roiously married before the registrar, may desire the blessing
t f the church ?
" St. Glavin, Way 23, 1851." " li. Emus.