The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-21 00:00:00

him." The. Bishop, without noticing any of the facts
placed liceere him by the memorialists, assumed the ' '
gift of intallioility, and, declaring he was satisfied Mr.
tiennett was attached to the Church of England,
decided contrary to the evidence and against the
law ; and determined to institute him with-
out further examination. The memorialists were
disapirited, but did not despair. They wrote to the
Bishop again, and meths another request. They had"
already received one answer, which was not particularly'
courteous or conciliat'ry; tint it was a model of episcopal
kindness es compared with the second. This second lets
ter wasee" I am ri cows ed by those clergymen.and-laye
men who presented the memorial requesung your Lord-
ship not to itsiitute Mr. Bennett, to express their deep 11
regret tbot you still intend to proneed with the institua
tion, though he has not retracted any of those doctrines
and opinions cited in their memorial; and which have
created so much alarm. At the same time we 'thank
your Lordship fir giving us the credit of objecting 'to
him only from a sense of duty. And on the recogni-
tion of ibis principle we now trust your Lordship will
so tar oblige us as to stay institution for the short period •
of a fortnight, in order that we may deliberate caltatY
on a matter ot such great importauce, and consider
ther or not we may take further steps." Was that 'an,
unreasonable request—coming, as it did from a congree,
gation under the Bishop's spiritual charge, deeply'
moved upon a religious qeestian, and showing a degree
,"30,
of solicitude upon it for which a b ishop might have
been expected to feel some sympathy ? What was the:.4
reply ? Some days elapsed bef ,re it was received, and then.{;
way as follows:—" Rev. Sir,—l beg to acknowledge.;..,.;;
the receipt of your letter, and remain your faithful ser-
vsnt, BATE{ and WELLS."--(Hear, hear, and, a laugh.)
Be (Mr. Elorsonatt) would net eumment upon that reply.
Lew
—(Hear. hear.) These gentlemen had presumed to es:
ercise the right of private judgment, which he presumea
was distasteful to their Bishop; and they received their,
reward. He recollected reading that Archbishop Laud ;le
had said on one occasion that he hoped "to live to see 1
the day when the proudest gentleman of England would
,S,
l*:.A
stand uncoverei before the meanest priest." He thouget-
this reply of the Bishop breathed the spirit of Laud;
though he hope] the gentlemen of England would not
bend to it.—(Hear. hear.) The Bishop, however, bad
instituted Mr. Bennett, vitae was inducted into the vicar'
age of Frome, v.thereehoef htehredae
liningslargeincatzethpesidapbpyotinble
State, withpatroneg
went of several curates; with those opportunities of e,
using his influence which were given to ministers of
the Established Church in a position of authority. And
what was the first public act of Mr. Bennett after his in-
duction? The House would rem( mber that when he had
resigned St. Paul's, Knightehridge, and St. Bernabas*
Pimlico, three curates of the latter church sent in their re:
signation in a public letter, addressed to the Bishop df '
London," in which they said, " Having heard that it I,t, „e
your Lordship's desire that the services in the chtiroo:
should be performed in a manner different from that ire"
which we have hitherto had the privilege of enjoying .as
them, we beg to resign our cures into your Lordship stiese
hands." Signed, first, by the ft-v. Mr. De GeZ;
the first act of Mr. Bennett, as vicar of Frome, was to sak
dismiss the popular curate whom he found established-
there, and to put in his place that reverend gentlernaue
Mr. De Gex. Now, in what position did the parishion-
ers of Peonies stand? The place was excited; the clergfeee
had memorialised; the laity had protested; the NoneelL'ete
tormisis bad held a public meeting—(A. langle)--ln-e4)
which they had raised their voice on behalf of Protest-;A
antism against what they considered a new " Papal age 'ee
gression. '-a(Rear, and a laugh.) This was a questiona3,le
in which the Dissenters bad as strong an interest as thiilee
members of the Establishment.—(Loud cries of" Beare
from the Liberal side.) They might not be amenelelo,se
to the discipline of the Established Church; but wir_°,l4l ift)
would deny that Protestantism had been deeplti°7
debted to them, and he believed that they would fortivse.
the best bulwark against encroachments upon the
Protestantism of the country.—(Cheers from the •
conformist Members.) It was not then to be sneered at
that the Dissenters had protested against Mr. Bennett's' ae
appointment. Men of most respectable character and
position in Frome had absented themselves from the',r7i:i
church, and the trustees of a Church school, twelve
number, had resolved that the children should 'not attendie.
the church. The people ot Frome knew what had hap"
peeled in London. They knew that two of Mr. Beneasit
nett's curates had gone over to the Church of Romee'and;eie
while ministers in the Church of England had madell6l,4o
of every opportunity their position in it might afford .& •
them to make converts to the Church to which they 1011°,,,;;?, •
themselves haeteuieg, They knew that in the pitfall'
St. Barnabas Mr. Bennett had established a convent
Sisters of Mercy (as it was called), and that every one y
of those ladies had gone over to the Church of Rofne:e.ter.
They knew also, that among the members of his con- eFe
gregation many had gone over, not obscure in station; •ot
and they naturally dreaded the same results ott
Promo. They knew also that the evil bad nee!
rested with the seceders themselves; that though --
many had by leaving one church and entering another
found rest, others had not been so happy. He spoke le
the hearing of those who could bear testimony to the
truth of the statements he now made—of those W 11,2
knew the family afflictions, the domestic sorrows Which
had been occasioned, and the social distrust which tbell
abuses had generated. They bad heard of pareeer4
ag
baonies—they had heard even of broken hearts; an
such things d occurred in London, why shoud the?
nut occur in Frome? And where was to be , found the
remedy? The Bishop of Bath and Wells told them that
the parties were satisfied, but were the people of Vg:
land satisfied? Were the peelic and the Protestants of
England satisfied? Was Parliament satisfied? 14°
would rather ask, was there to be no redress for three
things, and where etas it to be found? Not certainly ill
the morality of our clergy—not in the consciences of ou;
prelates. Our clergy, alas! were too much mistrusten,
and our prelates were too deeply tainted, The laity,ht
England, thank God, were yet sound.—(Hear, beef')
The laity of England were the Church of Englenetj
they constituted its soundness and its hope; and it en
for the laity of the Church of England to bestir tees
selves on the present uccasion.—(Hear, hear.) Al 3,
how could they so legitimately bestir theniselresee,",
through their repress ntativee in Parliament? •°`'Z
prop. sad, therefore. that the House of Commons, !
rePr°, •
senting the laity of England, should•lay the petition
.11,
the foot of the Throne, and pray of the Queen that he eei
would add one more to the many claims she had alresei,, se,
estahliehea upon the love and admiration of her faithittl.
subj, cts by becoming the protector of her people and Or ~
their religion, by assisting them, not against aseaultS
from without, but against treachery from within—not
ettgweicrisbtutrtibewasvobw.end
ue nil we u riles yo fs
otnhse—C( bhluereerh, t'
Vra)g—atinhastt
even when those enemies were found in high plateese,„:
and though they might be dignitaries of the Church, shei
would compel them to obedience of that law which tli,eelit
Bishop of Bath and Wells had so wantonly repudiated
on this occasion—that she would evince her sense of the•
great scandal done to the Church of which she west':
head, and show herself the true defender of that fo';:'
and that liberty by which her throne had been es""-.
blished.—(Hear.) The Hon. and Learned Member cone
eluded by moving that "An humble address be Ore.
septed to her Majesty, praying that she will be gra; 4
cloudy pleased to direct inquiry to be made whether
respect was paid to the decrees the constitutions en:
canons ecclesiastical of the Church of England in the.;
recent institution of Mr. Bennett to the vicarage' a::
r'y
Frown." e
After a slight pause, ,
roe. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
and said—Sir, I do not think it possible to ex
the impartance of the question which the Hoc.
Learned Gentleman has brought under the censiderat. h's;
of the House. And, Sir, when I think to what a Our
of discussion the present 'debate may give rise if Pei
House sanctions the motion of the Hon. and Learn_
Gentleman, I confess I look to the future of Fatal:ore,
tary duty as one rife with elements of no slight inti
rest—with elements of discussion which may prodtlol..
aggerant;
very important effect, and one not anticipated, upon pot .`
Lion out of doors.—(Hear, hear.) Sir, I myself sPiee-03-
prepared now to offer any opinion upon the e'r—teee
stances to which the Honourable and Learned Gen-n-a •
man has called our attention this evening. I feel, rkr.
I have never felt more acutely,
t 4
the inconvenience o'
popular assembly like this being eaged in diseustian,
such as that to which we have near listened—(ll°l%ft
hear.) But, Sir, I must confess that as I listened totite4
address of the Hon. and Learned' Gentleman, I. wai,.o4
much struck with the inadequacy of the Proposal heiel
has made for dealing with the subject- to Which he hags ,
referred. According to the lion. and
man, a very great gib-Tow° has Learned Gentle-
been experienced
and that too °
some of her Majesty's subjects* " their.'
spect to matters which are calculateu to interest_t
feelings in a matter the ;poet acute.—(Hear, hear.) 1:!
I do not understand that the flon.datidf Learned Gentle'. t
man has really propoeed "Yrrme yr or the griever) he_
that aAn humble address e.preeen ed to her Maje
he has alleged. The propositionb beforet the Hanoi:11:1
praying that she will begraciously pleased to direct h_n_
see whether doe respect was
quiry to be indons arid ea ecclesiastics] 0' e
decrees of the constitutions canons ar •
e England in the recent institution 01°'
the Church oLot,
Bennett to the vicarage 01 Frome."
Now, I thinke atz°
new." to this address, the House would do Wi„. ,
before lose _
'der 'whether, by agreeing to it they will etifor-e;#
to consider oee
able to cope • - aid to tne,
!Ash any authority with the circumsten r
one, for hear.)
this motion, and that haquiry is made
referred.--(fe;
made in accordoe7;l
the House assents t..*+.l
with it. Suppose, in fact, that her Stleies":
to whichstuhpep
issues this Commission of inquiry, it will bo accoug:if
anonguylt
doo noneffoettro
have_m u ees
one
ruy! hexer"pco The
den
icbc
ayotminoo; he homnoaroyi tfybient to
inquiry
unwilling
qthuei
svoi
teinroynthteh e individualsstiantf(omr metnahtteiyoonfmttih:eebyt trinr
eoegnatit..l i."o"epda*;.
hear)rtoe mi
n
tob obtainae—(Hear,
subject
Learned Gentleman If, that •s
of
=self, it appears to me • os'
of these two alternatives must occur—either there 111
present ex;sting a remedy for these •alleged ievalica
or there is not.—(Hear, hear.) I epeak, of course, see
such a eubjeet with a d ference which must best beeertsiel
any Mealiter of' this House who has not the panic t'''
learning which applies to these questions. I eallisli'
but believe, however—l have alwa d rstood—et 0.4
ys un e
titer e must be an appeal from a prelate who seTere
contravention of the canoes of the Church—that .r.)Tel
must be an appeal to the Archbishop.—(ll'ar,
And if the coohduct, of a prelate is so subject
to
t;ii
superior revision, I think an appeal ought ,t°
place before there is any interference on the pa,
WA-
the House of Commons.—(Hear, hear.) I think deg
such an appeal should be had in preference to 1161Poio
t a tribunal which is confessedly inadequate to tos
w
the desimd result.—(llear, hear.) SJ, I 100_4. a
many persons are of opinion that there is too gr 0:,,,..
Newt.), ,rded in the institution of clergymete
tO rote
fives; but I do not wish to give an opinion or ehfer....,.00.
any controversy an that subject on the present_tjeOoe
It could shown that d
anion
shat such an ry 6 I
litthjeC'
and thit menY are of p o noon that this Is a proper ape atisd
to legislate °nein order that some check mat
giUd-01124.40X14Wattaliiitblithedr .Datikfaorw'