The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 18, 1870.

PROSECUTION OF THE VICAR OF FRW-LE.
The case of " Sheppard v. Bennett " was resumed yes-
terday in the Court of Arches, before the Right
Honourable Sir R. Phillimore, the Dean. The defendant,
who is prosecuted for the promulgation of doctrines in
his published works, contrary to the ecclesiastical laws of
the Church of England, was " called " three times, but as
on Thursday did not appear.
Mr. A. J. Stephens, Q.C., proceeded with his case on
the part of the promoters of the suit. He commenced by
drawing the attention of the court to the Second Book of
Homilies, published in 1563, which was a reprint of the
First Book, published in 1547. This book, he submitted,
would be found strongly to support his position, inasmuch
as it was dealt with by the Thirty-nine Articles. The
Book of Homilies contained a large number of questions
and answers, in which the doctrine 'of the Real Presence
was discussed. The doctrine contained in these homilies,
however, was the same as that which would be found in
the Prayer Book of Elizabeth, and, as he had said, the
Thirty-nine Articles. The learned council then proceeded
to read lengthy exacts from the book in question, in refer-
ence to the " worthy receiving of the body and blood
of Christ." In page 444 for instance, it was stated
that it was well known the meat we sought for in the
Lord's Supper was spiritual food, for the nourishment of
our souls, and not the body, and that the faithless could
not deal with that precious body. Having traced the
various opinions expressed by the reformers from the pub-
lication of the " Homilies, he observed that in 1603
James 1., with a view to counteract the principles
of the Anabaptists, added to the Prayer-Book
the doctrine of the Sacraments. It " would
be seen by reference to the Catechism that the
meaning of the word sacrament, as referred to by the
Tractarians, was erroneous, and that it simply meant
an ordinance. The word sacrament occurred in the
Catechism five times, and the first question was how
many sacraments has Christ ordained in His Church. The
answer was two only, as generally necessary to salvation,
i.e., Baptism and the Lord's Supper. By this it was
evident that the word sacrament was only to be construed
as ordinance. The next question was as to the meaning
of the word sacrament, and the answer was, an
outward and visible sign. This expression of
visible sign could only apply to an ordinance.
The learned counsel than pointed out the distincticn em-
bodied in this meaning of the word Sacrament, according
to the doctrine of the Church of England defined by the
authorities he had quoted as compared with that of the
Roman Catholic belief. The Catholic doctrine was that
the body and blood of Christ was really and corporally
taken by the faithful. But what was the meaning of the
word faithful? It was sometimes applied generally to all of a
certain class of belief, but in the 28th article of the Church
of England, it meant to apply to to those who right
worthily and with faith received the Sacrament. The
words natural body, used in the declaration at the end
of the Communion Service, were capable of double appli-
cation, and that this was the case he should prove by the
words of St. Paul.

THE EDMUND'S SCANDAL.

This case was brought before Mr. Justice Wiles on
Thursday. His lordship deferred giving judgment. The
question raised by the defendant was whether the
ne w statute to abolish imprisonment for debt
did not include debts due to the Crown. The
defendant had been found indebted to her Majesty, and
at the instance of the Attorney-General had been
arrested and was now confined in Whitecross-street Prison.
He applied to be discharged on the ground that the new
law extended to such debts. His lordship announced yes-
terday that the case required further consideration before
he gave judgment.

The Dean of Arches asked Mr. Stephens whether he
intended to prove an ambiguous word by reference to the
Scriptures.
Mr. Stephens said be only intended to do so by way of
illustration.

The Dean of Arches would not say that the learned
counsel had not a perfect right to do so, nor that he should
refuse to listen to and make a note of his argument, but
he would suggest whether it was not opening a very wide
field.

Mr. Stephens said if the learned judge would allow him
a locus, he would proceed with his argument by passing
over that point for the present, taking time to consider
whether or not he would ask his lordship to hear him at a
later period of the case. He then continued his
reference to the authorities. Bishop Hooker
held that the body and blood of Christ was
not given to the mouth for the nourishment of
the body, but merely for the nourishing of the spirit.
The opinions of the Bishop of Exeter were in strict
accordance with this position, and he submitted that not a
single divine from the time of Edward VI. down to the
last thirty years (passing over, of course, the reign
of Mary), had held the views of Mr. Bennett. The next
point touched upon by the learned counsel was that of
the sacrifice. He finally alluded to quotations from the
expressed opinions of the Bishop of London, now
Archbishop of Canterbury, and other eminent
modern divines, to shew that the principles
enumerated in Mr. Bennett's plea for toleration in the
Church of England, were considered to be, by them, con-
trary to the principles of the Reformation. He instanced
especially the statement that except a man eat of the flesh
of the Son of Man and drink of His blood he had
no life in him. Mr. Bennett contended that
in the Lord's Supper there was an outward and visible
sign of the body and blood of Christ on the Table of the
Communion. He cited numerous other authorities to
prove that Mr. Bennett's teaching of the Visible Pre-
sence was not only irreconcileable with the doctrines of
the Church of England, but was even ultralßoman.
The learned counsel's address was not concluded at the
rising of the court, and will be resumed to-day.

COMPULSORY VACCINATION.

Our jealous preservation of individual freedom has
hitherto prevented our submitting to a general ordinance
of compulsory vaccination for small-pox. The efficacy of
Jenner's method has survived all popular clamour against
its enforcement in Europe, and by cable telegram we find
that it has proved a thorough prophylactic during the late
visitation of the disease in Paris. It is somewhat startling
to learn that the Health Board of Brooklyn report fifty-
six cases during the month of May, and since that several
deaths have resulted from small-pox alone in that city.
The deaths have occuared chiefly among the German
families of a section of the Eastern District, and the
utmost difficulty has been experienced by the officers in
inducing the friends of the patients to allow their removal
from the crowded accommodation of their homes to the
public hospitals. The course of a malady so dreadful
ought to be carefully watched and no exaggerated senti-
ment of " independence " allowed to interfere with
measures fer its prevention.—New .York Times.