The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-13 00:00:00

hand the exaction of a rigid uniformity moat be produc-
tive of great vexation and mischief." The memorial
concludes by requesting the persons to whom it
is addressed to vindicate the primitive and Catholic
character of the Church disparaged by the judgment, to
claim for themselves the liberty now denied, and to relieve
them from the contradictions, the difficulties, and the
iangers in which they are placed by the late interpreta-
tion of the law.
This memorial is followed by six resolutions. The first
and second are formal. The third is to the effect "That this
meeting does not recognie the existing Court of Appeal
as competent to declare the law of the Church upon either
loctrine or ceremonial, and that while the fundamental
principle of connection with, and reference to, the practice
)f the Church Primitive and Catholic is disregarded, the
meeting nevertheless acknowledges the duty of submitting,
ander protest, to the law of the land upon that law
being put in force, so far as such law is expressed
in the decree of the said judgment, and until
such law shall be further declared or amended." The
rourth resolution expressep the meeting's deep regret at
the late decision, and sees in it " a call to use their respec-
tive positions in the Church and in the world to spread in
all possible ways the doctrine of the Real Presence." The
fifth expresses joyat the knowledge "that all manner of denial
or deprecation of the doctrine of the sacraments has issued
only in the truer understanding and the wider and heartier
acceptance of the doctrine itself. The concluding resolu-
tion complains of the hardship of condemning Mr. Macko-
amble to costs in an action which he did not originate, and
on matters which bad not been previously tried, and which
many eminent counsel had declared to be legal.
The CHAIRMAN then called upon Mr. Turner to move
that the report be considered, remarking that it was merely
'formal mode of getting to the business of the day.
Mr. TURNER then moved the consideration of-the report,
which was seconded by Lord ELIOT, and carried unani-

mously.
The Rev. W. H. MAYOw then moved the adoption of
the memorial, which was seconded by Mr. BURCHAM,
who said he had looked with great interest to the produc-
don of the report, which, after hearing it read, ho felt
would be very comforting to all true Churchmen. They had
waited for the report of those whom he looked upon as the
leaders of the great Catholic party of the Church of Eng-
land—(hear, hear)—and that report he felt would be
considered highly satisfactory. If they only remained
loyal to their Church, he felt there was a grand future
before them.
The resolution, on being put to the meeting, was carrier
unanimously.
The Rev. W. H. MourNEux moved the third resolution
in a very eloquent speech. He counselled them to bow to
the decision ; and he advised his brethren to submit to it,
and not to wait until monitions had been served on each
clergyman. (Hear, hear.)
The Hon. C. L. WOOD seconded the resolution. He
said what the Church of England wanted was more free-
dom ; but he did not by that mean that there was to be a
separation of the Church from the State. (Hear, hear.)
The Rev. E. W. BENNETT, of Frome, expressed his
regret at being obliged to differ from any of those who had
been among his dearest friends for many long years of his
life. He did not think he ought to be called a disobe-
dientsubject of the Queen because he chose to obey the
law of his God and his Church in preference to that of a
court. That decision was not the law of the land. The
Court of Appeal had not to make the law, but to inter-
pret the law. It was not possible for that court to
make a new prohibitory law. Therefore he held
that their judgment was not the law of the land.
He should propose to insert as an amendment these
words : " Therefore this meeting is unable to reconcile
submission to the present decree with its paramount and
primary duty of obedience to the Church, and can only
wait in patience the providence of God." (Applause.)
The Rev. Mr. LE GEYT seconded the amendment.
A long discussion followed.
A show of hands was taken, and the chairman declares
the amendment to be lest.

A division was called for, but on seeing that the
majority was against him Mr. Bennett yielded, and the
amendment was negatived amid some hisses.
Various amendments were afterwards passed, and on
the subject being closed, the original resolution stood as
follows :—" That this meeting does not recognise the
existing Court of Final Appeal as a court qualified to
declare the law of the Church of England upon either
doctrine or ceremonial. That with respect to this parti-
cular judgment of the said court in Martin v. Mackono-

.
chie, the meeting finds, among other things, that-that
judgment disregards the Church of England's funda-
mental princip'e of connection with and reference to the

practice of the Church primitive and Catholi3 ; and at
the same time this meeting, feeling the great difficulty
of the present case, thinks there are many reasons why
those who have used the ceremonials or practices now
_ _ _

condemned by the Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council may be anxious to wait rather than to give imme-

diate effect to the decision so pronounced, and considers
it is a matter best left to the individual judgment and
circumstances of each priest who has been accustomed to

use the ceremonials in question."
Other resolutions were passed as follows : " That the
clergy and laity present at this meeting deeply lament the

late decision of the Judicial Committee (.1 the Privy
Council, and see in it a call to use their respective

positions in the Church and in the world to spread in all

possible ways the doctrine of the Iteal Presence, and

would use all lawful means in its power to teach

the doctrines sought to be impugned in this

prosecution." "That this meeting, having regard to

the experience of the Church of England for the

last twenty years, rejoices in the knowledge that al]

manner of denial or depreciation of the doctrine of the
Sacraments has issued only in the truer understanding

and the wider and heartier acceptance of the doctrine

itself." "That, having regard to the circumstances of
the case, and to precedents of the court, the

condemnation o( Mr. Mackonochie in all costs, both
of the original suit and of the appeal, appears to this

meeting to be a course of unusual and excep•
tional severity, inasmuch as the defendant did not
originate the litigation ; inasmuch as the defendant was

only testing the legality of ceremonial which had pre-
viously never been condemned—in one part of which,
viz., the two lights, he was upheld by the opinions of

many eminent counsel ; and inasmuch as the defendant

had been sustained by the court below on the points

uow ruled against him, and had yielded immediate sub-
mission as to the points on which he had not been so

sustained "