The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-07 00:00:00

THE GORHANI CASE.

BIRMINGHAM, MAT 6.—A small section of the
members of the church of England in V.'s town
itho are favourable to the views entertain.d by the
Lhstop of Exeter, have endeavoured to stir up an agitation
on the subject of the decision in the Gorham controversy;
in eor.stqueuce the Hon. and Rev. 0 Yorke (brother of the
Earl of liudwiche) wrote to the 11(shop of Worcester on
the subject. The followibg is the reply received from his
lordship:

"t 4, Grosvenor-place, May 1, 18.50.—My dear Yorke,—
I am sorry to hear from you that an attempt is now making
to agitate the public mind at Birmingham upon the late
judgment of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Cettecil,
and I therefore trouble you with the followiag obiervations
as the emote which induce me to thick that there is no
pound for such agitation.
by that judgment no point of doctrine was deckled, or
even called en question. Nothing more was determined
than that the variance on trio part of Mr. Gorham from the
articles and formularies of our liturgy, If any, was not such
as to justify the Biihop of Exeter in refusing to institute him
to • benefice to which he had been presented by the crown ;
and in justification of such a detetmination, it was proved
that opinions similar to those proiessed by Mr. Girrhem had
been held by our early reformers, as well as by Usher,
• Carleton, Pears n, and other eminent divines, who had,
nevertheless, been permitted to retain their preferments.
" When it is notorious that upt.n this abstruse subject of
baptismal regeneration the church is now divided loco two
opposite parties, would it not, I would tele, hove
been more disci ert to have allowed the same kneed. u to
difference of opinion, which has hitherto been permitted, to
I have continued, and whin would exclude neither party from
the church, rather than by strict dogmatical detinkions to
drive one or the other of them I'4o schism? By the judg-
ment in the Gorham case no one's freedom of opinion was in
any degree fettered. Those who believed that rrgeaeration
in, iriably accompanied baptism, as well as those who con-
ceived that a pm :misfit act of greet was necessary in the
Cale of intents for its fit retelei. 0, 02100tatall have perteraned
their saviour's work in their several spheres of uselulress,
allbougt, they might not exactly concur in opinion upon an
avowedly difficult subject.
On these grounds I regret much that it has been thought
• necessary to create such an agitation upen this seject, not
only in my own diocese, but in, I believe, nearly every din.
cue in the kingdom. Sirce' however, this hoe been one, it
becomes certainly the duty of these who have Leen placed in
authority to allay it as far as they can. With this view the
bishops have already held three meetings, which have been
very numerously attended, and they are to meet again on
Monday next, when probably tome final result may be de-
termined; but all their exertions will be in vain tidess the
clergy themselves coo be persuaded to look upon those of
their brethren who may entertain different views from them-
selves upon certaia abstruse points of doctrine, wish the
spirit of reconciliation and forbearance. —I am, my deer
Yorke, yours affectionately, (S:gned) U. WOUCESTER.