The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-18 00:00:00

THE I:PISCOPAL MANIFESTO.

A writer in a contemporary says the manifesto
of the Bishops, which appeared in our columns on
Saturday, is a remarkable document.
It is one of a class, and must be viewed in con-
nexion with its predecessors. On three previous
occasions we have had compositions of this kind.
The first was the famous episcopal protest against
the elevation of Dr. Hampden to the see of Here-
ford. It was subscribed by some of the most con-
spicuous of the present members of the Bench. It
ended in the humiliating spectacle of the most
eminent subscriber being forced within a few
weeks publicly to eat his own words, and in the re-
ception of the so-called heretic into the episcopal
circle which now avails itself of his aid to persecute
others. The second was a denunciation, issued in
the panic of the " Papal an ression," and signed by
all but two of the wisest of the Bench, to prevent
the assumption of English titles by the Roman
Catholic hierarchy. The results of this declaration
are too well known to require description. The
third was a censure pronounced by the four Primates
of England and Ireland on a body of High Church-
men who had ventured to condemn the proselytising
practices of Bishop Gobat. Whatever may have
been the effect of the document of Bishop Gobat,
it has not affected in the least degree the opinions
or the ecclesiastical position of the clergy against
whom it was levelled.

The present manifesto has pecularities of its
own. It is an unqualified condemnation of certain
opinions, without any indication of what these
opinions severally are, or how widely the condem-
nation is meant to extend. It attacks, or appears
to attack, five living clergymen, of eminent learn-
ing but diverse sentiments, in language almost
amounting to a libel, without drawing any distinc-
tion between the writers, without specifying either
the precise charges against them or the formularies
of the Church which they are supposed to contra-
dict, although the highest ecclesiastical tribunal in
the country has of late twice affirmed that without
such specification charges of this nature cannot be
entertained. It intimates that the gravest doubt
exists as to the possibility of visiting the publica-
tion of those opinions in the ecclesiastical courts;
and yet, notwithstanding this doubt, it ventures,
without a trial, to pronounce a condemnation which
nothing but the clearest legal proof could justify.
It gives no indication of the opinions of any one of
the subscribing bishops on any one of the points at
issue, although it is perfectly well known that on
these points many of the bishops are widely at
variance with each: other, anti that some of them
have published opinions coincident with those con-
tained in the book which is condemned.

And this document, so grave in its character and
its results, if it means what it says, is suddenly pub-
lished without any warning to the persons accused,
although some of them have the strongest claims
on the courtesy and the justice of those who thus
accuse them ; and it first finds its way into the
public journals through the hands of a country
clergyman, who does not even publish the address
to which it is an answer, and which alone could
render it intelligible.

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