The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-26 00:00:00

An Episode of the Colenso

Soon after Dean Douglas had commenced his
opening address after the trial of Bishop Colenso,
The Archbishop of Grahamstown (Merriman),
interrupting the Dean's argument, rose and said :
I feel constrained to make an inquiry. I hope I
shall be pardoned for doing so ; and will give my
reasons. I have come from a distant part of the
province in the hope that I should here meet the
Bishop of Natal, and that in the course of these
arguments, and by our remonstrances, but still more
by brotherly intercourse with your lordships, be
would be induced in some measure to retract, or
modify in some way, the very painful statements
which we have come here to examine. But, al-
though he is not here present, we are exceedingly
glad to find that he has employed a gentleman to
represent him, but in respect to whom I should
very much wish to know whether we have the
hope that in adducing these proofs—the citation
and the formularies upon which we found our argu-
ments—we are addressing one who, like the Bishop
of Natal himself, would give due weight to them;
whether Dr. Bleek—l believe that is the name of
the gentleman ; I have never seen him before, and
therefore I can have no possible objection to him ;
on the contrary, I am exceedingly glad to see him
here—whether he is r member of the Church of Eng-
land, or of any communion which will recognise the
formularies of our church, upon which the whole of
our arguments are founded. I hope I shall be per-
mitted to put that question—of course through
your lordships—before we proceed further with the
argument.

The Archdeacon (Badnall] of George—l hope I
shall be allowed to supplement what the Archbishop
of Grahamstown has said to this effect, This is
the first occasion upon which I have had the plea-
sure of meeting Dr. Bleek. I did not even know it
was he who sat down at the table. Therefore lam
sure he will acquit me of every vestige of personal
feeling ; and, not residing quite so far from Cape-
town as the Archdeacon of Grahamstown does, I
may be allowed perhaps to say that I have heard
his name mentioned as that of a gentleman, not
only not a member of our communion, but of a
gentleman very well known to sympathise in the
very strongest way with quite the freer sort of So-
cinianism. Ido not intend even the slightest per-
sonality; but unless that be expressly denied, I
cannot help asserting in the strongest way my sur•
prise at the extraordinary fact that the Bishop of
Natal, a bishop of a Christian church, should have
chosensuch a representative. Therefore I beg to sup-
plement what the Archdeacon of Grahamstown has
said, and to join with him in requesting that the
question may be decidedly put. We do not at all wish
that Dr. Bleek should absent himself in the least
degree. On the contrary, I am sure I only
express the feeling of the Archdeacon of Grahams-
town, and of the dean, as well as myself, when I
say that it is our sincere hope that every indul-
gence may be given to him. But still, returning
to the point that has been raised, I must request
that the question may be put.
The Bishop of Capetown—Dr. Bleek, you have
heard the question put by the Archdeacon of Gra-
hamstown ; if you feel inclined to answer it you
may do so.
Dr. Bleek--I came here to perform certain for-
mal acts in connection with the inquiry going on,
not for the purpose of any inquiry being made as
to my opinions. I did not come here as a member
of the church in any way, but merely to read this
lettei and to do some formal things. If this court
is to be converted into any other purpose than that
which I am instructed not to recognise, then I have
no business here.

The Bishop of Cipetown—The question proposed
to you was, whether you, as the agent of a bishop of
the Church of England, were a member of that com-
munion; or whether, if not a member of that church.
you held the faith of the Church of :England on
these subjects.
Dr. Bleek—My lord, I decline to answer that
question. They have no right to ask such a ques-
tion.