The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-18 00:00:00

THE IRISH CHURCH.

Somewhat late in the day the first step towards a
general consultation with regard to the Irish Church
has been taken. The bishops having in their late
resolutions appealed to the clergy and laity to suggest
some mode in which bishops, clergy, and people
could take counsel together, the committee of the
Lay 'and Clerical Association—a society lately esta-
blished to watch over the interests of the Church in this
emergency—have sent a circular to every parish,
strongly urging that at the coming Easter vestries
synotialueii should be chosen $, Lo ,0.,11 L. aura
moned to diocesan conferences by the bishops.
They advise that not more than three should be
selected in each parish, and that these should be
the persons most fitted by their reputation for
wisdom and their steadfast support of the Church,
for gravely considering whatever problems the
conflict against her enemies may originate. or her
future position require them to solve.
The Archbishop of Armagh has issued an address
to the clergy of his united dioceses, in which he sug-
gests that they should, on some Sunday in Lent,
impress on their congregations " the duty incumbent
on us 411 of humbling ourselves before Almighty
God, under a sense of the many sins, negligences,
and omissions on the part of the Church and of the
nation, which in former times and to the present
have tried His patience and forbearance, and
have merited His displeasure ; and to point out to
them how earnestly they ought to join in the prayer.
Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences
of our forefathers,' and Turn from us all those evils
that we have most righteously deserved." The Arch-
bishop adds : " And as the Houses of Parliament are
about to reassemble, it appears to me that you should
also endeavour to lead your congregations fervently
to pour forth their prayers on behalf of the Legis-
lature." The Primate of the Irish Church admits
that it has been guilty of sins, but we presume
the confession is of the usual vague kind; not at all
incompatible with angry resentment if any special
sin were charged,

THE ENGLISH CHURCH UNION.

English Church Union, the recent Ritual judgment
At an important and numerous meeting ot the
was most vigorously discussed. Dr. Pusey was t
principal speaker, and was received with
an
enthusiasm which must have astonished him,
well-
accustomed though he is to hearty receptions.lie
read an elaborate argument to shevv- that in matters
spiritual and ecclesiastical the Privy Council ought
to have no jurisdiction, that the recent judgment
Called upon Churchmen to defend the principle
on which the Reformation of the English Church
Was based—the appeal to Primitive and Catholic
antiquity—and that measures should be taken to
promote a reform of the Court of Final Appeal.
Mr. Orby Shipley was for ignoring the Reformation
om,
altogether, and moved an amendment to that effect,
which was lost. Mr. Perry, one of the Ritual
Cmissioners moved a resolution enjoining caution
upon Churchmen in the use of rites which have not
been specifically declared legal, and caution upon the
council of the union in defending suits arising out
of such use. It would seem, therefore, as if the
High Church party had been taught prudence by the
recent judgment, and will pause in the development
of ritual, whose latest manifestations by extreme
men led to the recent legal uroceedines and to the
condemnation, not only ot ceremonies of extreme
men, but of Lime 1110aulabu ritual or men who depre-
cated extravagances. This inference is confirmed by
the fact that certain of the speakers at the union
declared that though they did not consider them-
selves morally bound by the ritual judgment, they
thought it expedient to obey it.

DISTRESS IN 'WOOLWICH.
There appears to be considerable distress in Wool-
wich, although the military reductions contemplated
by the present Government have not begun to take
effect. In order to alleviate this distress, orders
have been issued to send 1,000 shirts weekly,to be
made by the widows or wives of soldiers having
families to support. In the Royal Laboratory
Department of the arsenal a considerable number of
men, women, and children have been entered during
the present week to expedite the completion of
15,000,000 cartridges required for the service,