The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-17 00:00:00

to say whether there is any doctrine involved in
your using the chasuble?—l think there is.
What is that doctrine ?—The doctrine of the
Sacrifice.
Do you consider yourself a sacrificing priest?—
Yes.

In fact, sacerdos, a sacrificing priest ?—Dis-
tinctly so.
What authority have you in the Prayer-book
for that ?—That again would involve a long answer.
It has been so interpreted by our divines, the
divines of our Church from the time of the Re-
formation downwards.
Then you think you offer a propitiatory sacrifice?
—Yes, I think I do offer a propitiatory sacrifice.
Do you use confession 2—Yes.
On what occasions ?—On all occasions.
You do not, then, confine confession to the two
occasions mentioned in the Prayer-book, that of
persons wishing to attend the sacrament and in the
visitation of the sick ?—I do not confine it to that,
but it virtually is that, because the Communion,
being every day, persons coming to that may, of
course, require important spiritual advice any day.
Do you use any form of absolution ?—Yes.
What form ?—The form provided in the Prayer-
book in the visitation of the sick.
You know at one time that was allowed, but that
in the second book of Edward VI. the permission
was withdrawn, does not that amount to a prohibi-
tion ; does it not, by implication, prohibit the use
of it ?—I cannot answer that off-hand, because
there may be some other succeeding alterations in
the rubric which I am not aware of at the present
moment. But when we are told to give absolution
we.must give it in some form, and, seeing that we
have no other form provided but that, it seems
natural to recur to that.
Where are you told to give a form of absolution?
—We are to give absolution.
Where ?—ln the address to the people in the
service of the Holy Communion. They are invited
to " receive the benefit of absolution, together
with ghostly council and advice."
Is it not said " by the ministry of God's Holy
Word ?"—We give a form of absolution in matins
and evensong which is involved in words. By
parity of reasoning we should give a form of abso-
lution to those that are penitent.
There is none provided by the Church. There
was one provided, but it was withdrawn, and the
very wording was changed at the same time. " Let
him come to me . . . . and open his grief ;
that by the ministry of God's Holy Word he may
receive the benefit of absolution, together with
ghostly council and advice." Is not there a dis-
tinct meaning in absolution by the ministry of
God's Holy Word ?—I should think that was the
meaning, that the priest pronounced it by the
authority of God's Word.
Whately, I think, says there is no form provided,
bat that God's Word is to be applied according to
the case of the penitent. You mix water, I believe,
with the wine ?—Yes. I pour in a small quantity
of water, two or three drops.
On what canon or what authority do you do
so ? Have you any authority in the Prayer-book
for doing so ?—There is no authority in the Prayer-
book. It is done by the authority of the Catholic
Church ; and the Prayer-book does not forbid that
which is the usual custom of the Church.
Are you not aware that that is violating the
custom of our Church of England for nearly three
hundred years ?—No ; I am not 'ware of that.
For what purpose do you use the lights—as sym-
bolical, or to give light 2—As symbolical.
Earl Stanhope—Who is your diocesan ?—The
Bishop of Bath and Wells.
I understood you to say that you had not re-
ceived any objection on the part of your diocesan ?
—I have not received any objection.
Do you apply that to the former bishop as well
as to the present bishop ?—The former bishop died
within a few months after I came ; therefore he
had no opportunity of objecting. Our present
bishop has been bishop from within a few months
after I went there.
So far as you know have any families that were
in the habit of attending your church before these
alterations ceased to attend subsequently to them ?
—When I first came to the parish a great many
left the church, but that was before I opened my
mouth. Since that time Ido not remember any
leaving; perhaps there may have been one family,
but I do not remember more than one.
Have any of those who left the church returned
to it since, and do they now attend it ?—Not only
have a great many returned, but a great many
Dissenters have been brought into the Church.
There is hardly a month but I receive in some way

members of Dissenting families into the Church. -
I think you stated that out of 5,000 people in
your district, as many as 3,000 probably belong to
the Dissenters ?—I am afraid they are either Dis-
senters or of no religion at all.
With regard to the subject of confession : in re-
ceiving oral confessions you conceive you are only
fulfilling the words which the Church puts into
your mouth in the exhortation in the Holy Com-
munion ?—Decidedly.
Nothing more and nothing less ?—Nothing more

and nothing less.
The result of your experience is that the use of
the vestments tends not merely to a higher style
of service, but to practical result in the edification
of the congregation ?—Yes ; I think that the pro-
gress we have made in the tone of the devotion
of the services, and in the general character of the
people, and their constant attendance at prayers
and services of every kind, is attributable to the
increased care we have bestowed on the ritual
observance.
Bishop of Gloucester—You mentioned your use
of vestments. I should be glad to know whether
you regard these vestments as representing a doc-
trine, or simply worn honoris causes?—l should say,
both. The honoris causes would involve a doctrine.
Mr. Hubbard.—You stated that you lifted up
the elements after consecration; to what extent do
you lift them up ?—lt may not be to the same ex-
tent every time ; nor can each celebrating priest
elevate them to the same height ; there is no
rule about it ; it is simply a gentle elevation.
Some elevation is inevitable ?—Yes.
You must raise the cup and the paten from
the Communion table in order to perform the act
of consecration ?—Yes ; one elevation takes place
before the consecration, and there is another
elevation after the consecration. There are two
elevations. The priest cannot take up the cup
without an elevation. That is not for the purpose
of adoration.

In either case do you elevate the paten or the
cup with the view of presenting them to the ado-
ration of the people ?—Yes, distinctly, in the latter
case. It signifies to the people that the act of
consecration has taken place.
That, in truth, is the fact which you wish to
express to them by raising it up and presenting it
to their notice ?—Yes.

__-
In the case of the consecrating prayer, do you
pronounce it as a whole, or do you make a pause
after the consecration of the bread in order to
make any prostration ?—We never use any pros-
tration, only kneeling.
Do you, after the consecration of the bread,
make a pause in the consecration prayer for the
purpose of making a kneeling ?—There is no pause ;
it is a simultaneous act.
It is not an absolute kneeling, but an inclination
only ?—Yes ; what is called a genuflexion.
Does a genuflexion mean touching
the ground ?
—Touching the ground with one knee.
Dean of Ely—l think you stated that you had
vestments, incense, and lights?—yes.
In what order did the introduction of those
things follow each other ; were they introduced
simultaneously, or one after the other ? The
lights were first introduced.
For how long were they used ?—I should say
for ten years. The next was the introduction
of the vestments according to that invitation ; and
the next was the incense.

The incense was asked for as well as the vest-
ments ?—Yes, but not publicly.

How long ago was that ; was it some consider-
able period after the introduction of the vestments ?
—Three or four months afterwards; it seemed to
follow in natural order,