The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-20 00:00:00

A DIVISION AMONG THE RITUALISTS.

published which has passed
on the 12th, and the Rev. C. F.
A correspondence is
London Docks. It is very
between Archdeacon Denison, chairman of the
Ritualists' meeting
Lowder, of St. Peter's,
long, but the substance of it may be stated in a few
words. • Archdeacon Denison complains that Mr.
Bennett and Mr. Lowder (who was formerly Mr.
"Rcunett's curate) " should. while holding their posi-
tion under the law, refuse to declare that they owe
obedience to the law when it decides against them
upon a matter not of faith, but of ceremonial." Mr.
Lowder, in replying, says : "You could scarcely sup-
pose that when you had placed so trusty a weapon
(the memorial) thus carefully wrought, tempered,
and sharpened, into the hands of earnest men, who
are in the thick of a very serious warfare, that having
admired its workmanship, we should wilfully destroy
its beautiful edge and point by casting it to the
ground." He concludes by hoping that nothing may
hereafter occur to hinder the Archdeacon and himself
from " fighting together the Church's battles for free-
dom from State oppression." The Archdeacon answers
that it is a strange way of uniting men to ask one side
to sacrifice the principle upon which they stand. He
adds : " The effect of your proceeding is necessarily
the contrary one. It has already done damage in
this respect which I do not look to live to see
repaired. It has sadly weakened our hands, because
it has formally disunited us. I will not, for one, act
with men who hold their position by law, but
will not submit to law. When the connection
of the Church of England with the Church
Primitive and Catholic is in terms denied by
the law of England, or when we, its bishops and
clergy, are forbidden by law to teach primitive and
catholic doctrine, we can, by God's help, unite in
leaving that position." He admits that " certain
links which bound the Church of England as esta-
blished by law to the Church Primitive and Catholic
have been broken by the law;"
but, he asserts, "many
links remain untouched. Bishops and clergy are
allowed by law to teach some of the worst heresies,
but the liberty of teaching the truth of the Church
Primitive and Catholic is not denied by law. It is
a bad position, doubtless, but it is not the worst.
These being the facts of the case, I hold my position,
and obey the law. You hold your position, and
resist the law. How is it possible for us to unite in
any course of action for amending the law ? Which
of us is bound by the religion we teach to give way,l
leave to yourself and to others to judge. There
can scarcely be a difference of opinion as to which of
the two correspondents occupies the more logical
position. Both are ministers of a Church in which
certain laws prevail. The laws may be bad laws, and
it is competent in that case fur both to remain in the
Church and endeavour to get them altered. But
until these are altered they must be obeyed. If con-
science forbids obedience, . conscience should counsel
secession. Conscience can, under no circumstances,
counsel disobedience so long as a man has power to
set himself free from the obligation to obedience.