The Express.
London, England, 1858-11-17 00:00:00

r parish where changes are intended, in order that
,tt
might not be blamed or misrepresented as if they o
to introduce any IMCailliVa or improper dleowation, and that
they might be safe in keeping within the law—always,
they had any doubt, to take the Bishop's or Arch 1 7
advice before they give their consent to the intended chan
If this were omitted, many difficulties would be very lik l
toy
arise." Further pointing out the difficulties which beset
young pastor, his lordship especially referred, as an exam
to those questions as to the authority and claims of the
ministerial of " which have in these dam grown to se
Importance burl as has soercely ever before attached
to them in our church niece the reformation." M
the risk of being tedious, he thought it risk le
ester somewhat at length into tble matter. "The silentie;" he
observed, "of the char* of England formularies as eompend
with the fulness of the church of Rome in treating of syste-
matic contessiou Is itself, to rcy mind, as free
argument to show that the mind of our frcaliguablCratA
is quite against the practices now sought to be tee.
traduced." Authorities were then quoted illustra,ing the •
treatment of this subject at other periods in the history
of the church. The following are portions of PG,
lordship's observations upon this branch of hie charge
" What I do utterly disapprove of, and what I feel eon,
strained most strongly to protest against, is something 'NT
different from the common pastoral Intercourse whi*,
Is Indicated in the three passages of the payer-book I
have cited, and which the church always must uphold.
It Imp been said that I have not explained messy
when I have spokes against a systematic introduction of the
medresion' as opposed to each common pastoral
=me. But I really believe, even those who take
this ebteetion-.wel, when they reflect, allow—all ma
of comma discernment must know and distinctly
nlise—the difference between the pastoral intercourse I have
spoken of, end that which le now endeavoured to be est
u.• amongst
_ us, under the name of the Confessional. If any
so preaches to his pen le as to lead them to up-
iicTatitit=the proper and aft way of a sinner's roc:g-
rilled= with Gad LtYeooak embolden to • priest, and
by mean priestly etrion—if he leads them to
believe (I use the flinstration. I have found employee
by an adman-of the Coshesiosal) that as the Greek
thumb bas mod by eaglectieg preaching, and the'
church of EOM by not encouraging the reading of
the scriptures, so our church has hitherto been much
to blame for not leading her people more habitually
to private auricular onfession—if he thus stirs up the
on of ardent and confiding spirits to have recourse
t:rmte a mediator between their souls and God, and wbat
they come to seek. hie aid, receives them with all the elaborate
Calton which is so likely unduly to excite their
,i and for which there is no authority in the
eh 's rules of worship—taking them into the
of his church, securing the door, putting on the t=
vestments, causing them to kneel before the cross, to
address him as their ghostly father asking a string of
questions as to sins of deed, word, and thought, and
imposing his penance before he confers absolution
—then the man who thus Ma, or—even if some of
these particular circumstances are wanting—of whom gene-
ral practice this is no exaggerated picture, is in my judgment
unfaithful to the whole spirit of the church of which he is a
minister. And If it no chance that the person thus
brought under his influence be a female, and the
questions which he asks perhaps with the beet
intentions, bat, under such circucestanam, with the
most deplorable want of sound discretion include
minute inquiries into sins of impurity, he cannot be
ennead if his conduct is condemned as beingfag
great scandal on the church. My reverend
I know that I carry you and the church of
pb),Zl
with me, when I 'sprees my strong asap ef - -
such practlose. I do met earnestly treat that fin I.
zealous, self-denying men who have felt
t=
incautiously to encourage inch practioes, will
consider with thermiedves, and brims Gad, that am
are not adillg all they ought. Depend upon it, real filth
in the Leed Jesus Christ, sun se the church at -
England holds to be the effeeinel muse of the sours
salvation, is not strengthened by *aching oar people
thus to lean upon the unauthorised mediation of man.
And let me say plainly, also, to any who may be
engaged in the attempt to introdum such • system
amegst us, that I rejoice to have a full conviction '
that they are Isbourlog in a hopeless task. The over.
wheiming majority of our pious and intelligent clztelei
whichsoever of eer acknowledged schools of th
siatiment they belong, me well as of our batty, is deter-
mined to resist it. We may be ready to admit that the
clamour retied respecting the confessional Is often tar
wise; but quite indeyeadently of any clamour, there
steads • firm resistance of good and thoughttur!form
who know and value the character of our
sad love it for its apostates! and Bible Molt-
Mg. so sophistry on this subject will be able to
nabbed. If there were any probability of those who
adman these innovations succeeding In their stamps
to Indoctrinets the body of the clergy, User name
would but be ruin; they would soon find themselves
deserted by all but a very small minority of the
flocks, and our church would soon become a church
of clergy without laity. Bat there is no such probe-
=We, the clergy, know wherein our strengthovate.
We trust to hold oar ground from Moying the
emilidence of our people while we teach them Christ's teeth;
we feel that we shall justly lose their confidence if we
strain after the unwarranted Muncie of a medideria
priestly power. I cannot but earnestly treat that the der. •
amine on this edijatt which have Way arisen, sad wile
the improper beat which has been excited, will be ever-
, ruled by God to make men more centime how they trifle with
I any of these dangerous weapons, by which some of our elergy •
have been disposed of late vainly to think that they mighl
stmenthen themselves while borrowing from the armoury/if -
Boar. But if any will not be stayed by mild remonstrant* •
sad of warning, those invested with authority
la the church must use the other means of influence
which they find their position gives them to pre-
vest evil. How that influence shall be wielded in
eases, it must rest with the bishop's own
to decide, whether in some lees penal form,
or neeeenerily by severe exempla of discipline, such se
it km greatly penned me alas to feel myself constrained to
use against a zaslousand pious and truly well-meaning, but
mistaken brother. All I can distinctly intimate on this pub-
Ile Is, that if what I deem a dangerous systematic in-
vitation and admission of their people to confession is endeav-
oured to be maintained by any clergymen in this dot=
shall feel myself bound to watch his priced Ogg very
and shall hold him moat deeply responsible for say
evils that mune; considering carefully, in each particular
case. what power the law gives me to correct what is amiss."
Amongst the succeeding topics of the charge wen the
Exeter Hall services. His lordship expresses his regret that
the incumbent ef the parish had taken such • mistaken view
of his reponsibilities as to oppose those services. The step
• hes best takes of recommescing those services.
" I was not consulted saes cttsg it, and have in
so way given it my • , though I have re-
fused, se at present advised, to forbid my
from thus officiating. One brunt of the legislature,
the whole bebope of the church, so fa as their opinion was
mode hams is parliament, hays pronounced that some
week sinless were needed ; and I dared not take upon
myself the responsibility of placing any obstacle in the
way, provided, as their promoters contended, the merrier
were not contrary to law." His lordship, after alluding
firths Westminster-abbeyeervlcea, exprt toted his fervent hope
for the success of the rut effort which they were In some
sort Inaugurating that day—namely, the use of the spas
beneath the dome of the cathedral on Sunday evenings.
"The old historical associations of the preaching, el
Paul's-cross are to be transferred to this spot," ask his
lordship " God grant that wisdom may be gives me to
seleot at preschere that the hearts of the people may be
sated to avail themselves of these noble opportunities, sad
the result may bee great outpouring of His grace." Towe-
l:lg elm the subject of the churches within the say
des, We kinship said he was of opinion that ell those MeV
who ere retained for the city should be obliged to reside
within its limit., and that it should be seen that the population
of each Fetish was sufficiently numerous to give a fair ma-
critin the pariah church. "The flea thing to be
" is to secure a better appliostics of the ü-
bang endowments of the clergy end churches for the be-
nee' of the city end its immediate neighbourhood, to be abets&
by a union of benefices. But such a union woad, of ovum,
leave several, perhaps as may es twenty-eight, chumbes
useless. The question arises—What shall be done with
these Provided no building which is architecturally beau-
tiful, or miserable from Its associations, be removed, I see
not why the churches, where not needed, may not
be graduelly taken down as they cease to be
used: Having referred to various forms of Cher -
dee effort to which the clew should lend their aide
his lordship in coachmen remarked, that the princifieeb•
had laid down were as important for the laity as the clergy.
" We should," he observed, " fare very badly without the
aid of our ohurcliwardens. They are the link in
our ecclesiastical system between the &rut
the great body of the laity. The mode of their
even when its results produce what looks like an anomaly,
is the standing memorial of oar ocenezion with the
body of the nation. It is • satiefectioa to me to believe that
chow* moat
Ttowaosof our par:. hate:tit, ashwordis fosoullyaroachohgoroo,wledgedbolp in the
toato
Meg,. nate race cannot be allowed to booms unit:spar.
teat without • dem Injury to the church. I b ave now to thank .
these tor their Mad aid. It is • wise arrangement that • •
hbleap amid have laid before him, at his visitatioe, both
deeleal and lay returns to his inquiries. Let us never kffili
that there Is some truth la the common saying that that le
a clergyman's and there is • layman's mode of lookieg at
almost every one of the great questions of the day. The .
and the laity will arch be likely to gain • claim view of truth
bstatictpowy
übyatititat
kingioon
otholienot:aciansimmolttokNawt
whthilhoroftheeal
common work and slang►h we may view it in ditarest
aspeota, we require melt other's help io doing It, and ereshmil
nor. I truer, fail to hive each other's prayers."
The charge was preceded and followed by a prayer eem-
ainglylidoeagegednoendt themselves
naeliftgasevil
posed for the occasion, and the seseanbly were d
with the talon, pronounced with remarkable Mu*
ano

The first of a series of meetings, determined on
by the Council of the Northern Reform Union to egileil
the rations dleraiots of Newcastle, was held on Weft
night in the large school-mem of Me. David Adams, Weft?'
street, Arthur's- hill. Notwlthatendiag the very inclemssi
and unfavourable state of the evening, there was a fah d-
ecadence, principally of writhe rues.