The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-21 00:00:00

THE KNIGHTSBRIDGE CASE.

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY
COUNCIL.-(THIS DAY.)

Present—The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop
of London, Lard Wensleydale, Sir J. Pattison, Sir
W. H. Manic, and Mr. Pemberton Leigh.

In consequence of its beinz known that the judicitl
committee of the Privy Council would give jadg-
went this afternoon in the long pending suits insti-
tuted by the churchwardens of St. Barnabas and St
Paul's against the church decorations, &a., adopted at
these places of worship, a large number of respectably
dressed persons attended, and the court was denedy
crowded.

Mr. Peinhertou Leigh read the judgment of the corr.
mittee from a printed document. It was a very ela-
borate judgment, entering fully into the ancient
usage of ornaments, &c in the Church, both
previous and anterior to the Reformation, and also to
the law, usage, and custom adopted at and since the Re•
formation, as well as the opinions of the ancient
reformers as to the propriety of the use of crosses, altars,
&c., and occupied one b.itir and 20 minutes in reading.
The judge took the ohjec ionable articles seriatim,
and Ar,t as leg& rded St.. Barnabas. First,
as regarded the cross as an ornament of worship, their
lord-hips were of opinion that the cross, as distinguished
from a crucifix, had been loi.g
.in use as an ornament
of the Church, and • that when the cross was used
merely as an emblem of faith, and cot as an ob-
ject of superstitious reverence, it was still allow-
able. Considering the cross on the chancel screen,
at St. Barnabas, in the former light, their lordships ad-
vised her Majesty to reverse the judgment of the courts
below, and to all 'w its continuance. With regard to the
et me altar, their lordships were of opinion that it must
be removed and substituted with a maTeable table of
wood according to the ordinary meaning of the
term table, so as to allow of its being moved from time
to time,, according to the requirements 'of the Cele-
bration of ditims service. Their lordships considered
that the wooden cross . attached to the Cable of St.
Paul's was inconsistent with the spirit and letter
of the regulations, and they recommended that
the decree cf the Court below in reverence to it
should be affirmed. They advised the reversal'of the
sentence with reference t the credence table, believing
it was authorised by the Rubric and Prayer-book. Their
lordship; saw no reason to interfere for the reversal'ef
the sentence below with regard to the covering of the
commnion table during divine service ; but they
affirmed the sentence requiring the table to
be covered with a fair, white linen cloth, with-
out.e embroidery or lace attached to ft-- At 8
at_ I
judgments of the courts below bad been moos emriuld;
altered, their lordships decreed thatldcosts against
of the sentence in thoe courts as awarded etbat, io those
the appellsnts should be reveree
each party should pay
cases as well as in the pre,'
theircone
rchbishop Canterbury
rtyh entireeand
the
Lrwenncceostosf.
pre-ent Bishop of L,
thT,,bAa judgmeennttboafd
d accordingly as it met the views of
was much applsude
o' 'the Church present.
The decision of tt°oOuncil on each of the points
the various sections •