The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-04 00:00:00

THE ROYAL SUPREMACY.

TO THE VENERABLE THE ARCHDEACONS MANNING
AND WILBERFORCE, AND THE REVEREND FRO-

YESSOR AIILL•
My Reverend Brethren,—Making it a rule to an-
swer- printed letters through the medium of the press,
I thus do myself the honour of acknowledging yours,
without date, just received, being the circular which
you have deemed it decorous and prudent to issue
against the " royal supremacy?'
It would be unb3coming to question either the
wisdom or the motives of divines legitimately ap-
pointed to such high position:i as you individually
occupy ; but you will excuse me for decliniog to re-
cognise the self-election which invests you with an
universally inquisitorial power, or the authority
which, exceeding royal suorernacy, summons the
clergy of the whole realm before the judgment-seat
you have spontaneously ascended.
That, on a recent occasion, the judges were not ex-
clusively ecclesiastical, must, I should apprehend, be
a source of much satisfaction to every free-born
Briton who revolts at the lash of despotism being
wielded by the proud and unscrupulous over the
humble and conscientious; nor would the untainted
clergy, or the religious public, lock with pleasure or
confidence to an alteration in the law, when not alone
congregations, but dioceses, are filled with distrust by
a retrogade movement which dims the light of the
Gospel, and affords the best plea for dissent ; when
misapplied learning, instead of aiding religion, would
pervert it, and, causing the sun to go back on the
would replace the intelligence of the 19th century
with the superstition of the dark ages. And I should
consider myself as highly criminal were I to permit
any signature to be affixed to a document the ostensible
object of which, I feel convinced, is but a cloak to
ulterior and most pernicious designs.
I rejoice in the liberty wherewith Christ bath made
us free, and detest the intolerance which would deny
to any other denomination that glorious privilege of
Christianity conceded to all; but I deem it perfectly
compatible with this my cherished feeling to hail
the Reformation as the day-star from on high, and
guard with jealous care against the covered approaches
of that nondescript section of the Church which,
supplying so many deplorable instances of• vacilla-
tion, might be designated, in the worth of Jacob,
" unstable as water ;" which, forgetful of the spiri-
tuality of our faith, would clog religion with obsolete
forms, and place as much value on monograms and
symbols, on genuflections and ecclesiologieal arrange-
ments, as the Jews did on the traditions of the elders,
which superseded the word of God and made it " of
none effect." But a step more is wanting to inhibit
the circulation of the Bible without note or comment,
or, as in ancient days, restrict it to those of privileged

degree.
I have the honour to be, my Reverend Brethren,
yours,

E. TIGHE: GREGORYi
Chaplain t) his Excellency the Earl of Claren•
don, and Rector and Vicar of Kilmore, Meath
Paget Priory, liilcocir, Ireland, Sept. 14.

A PRACTICAL JOKE.
During the last harvest a couple of friends called
in a farmer, whose laud is situate within a few miles
north-west of this city. It so happened that the
master of the house and all his household were busy
in the corn-fields ; not a soul, old or young, male or
female, was to-be seen. After roarning up stairs and
down stairs from one room to another, the two friends
departed; but just as they gained the turnpike-road,
they met the farmer himself, whom they blamed for
leaving his home and premises so unprotected; "in-
deed,' they added, "3 ou must not be surprised if
anytainr= has been stolen, for we met a couple of
vagabonds owning trona the house." " Oh, no,"
quoth our jocund farmer, " we are all honest here."
Ia the afternoon, cn the assembling
.of the fatally
around around the dinner-table, the Mistress discovered that
a highly-prized silver goblet had disappeared off
the sideboard, and the nouve was soon in an up-
roar ebout the missing tteasur,,. "Tile two vaga-
bonds" flitted across the fArtner's mind. horses were
saddled and tnesseng.as dispatched to the Leomin-
ster, Hereford, and Weobley police-stations. The
lodging-hhases were searched, and the pawnbrokers'
shops,were vijited ou the morrow; but no tidings of
the goblet could b 3 gained ; therefore our farmer,
who hai.e. strong dash of philosophy in his composi-
tion, gave it up as irrecoverably lost- About a fort-
night afterwarue, as he was sipping; his brandy- and-
water in one thoie superior hostelries for which
this city is famous, a friend who was seated by him
offered for a glass of wine to ',AI him where he might
find his stoles goblet. The o;Ter, though received as
3 joke, was of coun,e accepted, and the terms agreed
to. " mz," sal i the informant, " and look in the
corner of the kitchen window-curtain, and there you
will find tied up your lost treasure. " - Now this cur-
tain, it appears, is rarely moved, which accounts for
the goblet not having been discovered. A light in-
stantly flashed scram the owner's mind —the two
friends who had cautioned him against thieves were
" the two vagabonds" who had robbed his premises, or
rather pla:ied upon him this practical jzke. The
" treasure trove" restored his good humour ; and he
readily forgave the practical joke, especially as the
practisers liberally paid the expenses incurred by the
loliee ittquiries.—llereford Times.