The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-14 00:00:00

PARISH OF ST. DAVID, EXETER.
At a numerous and highly respectable meeting of the
parishioners of the parish of St. David, assembled in
Vestry on Thursday, the 12th day of December, 1844,
duly convened for the purpose of considering the Bishop
of Exeter's Pastoral Letter, and to take steps relative
thereto as such meeting should determine—B. T. Rad-
ford, Esq., in the chair—the following resolutions were
adopted :
" That this meeting, in the first place, fully recognises
the duty of ready and hearty obedience by the clergy and
laity to the legal requirements and Godly admonitions'
of their Bishop, earnestly wishes to maintain that reve-
rence so justly due to his high and holy office, and dis-
claims all desire to interfere in matters appertaining
solely to episcopal jurisdiction.
" That, influenced by these feelings, this meeting
deeply regrets that a Pastoral Letter, addressed to the
clergy alone, should contain imputations so undeserved
by, and injunctions so obnoxious to, the laity at large,
as to demand and justify their respectful, but strongest
remonstrance and opposition.
" That this meeting with confidence appeals to the
public and private charities of this city and county, and
to the experience of the ministers of this parish and of
the clergy of the diocese generally, whether the uni-
versal objection that exists to the revival of the offertory
can justly be stigmatised as proceeding from preju-
dice, selfishness and worldly-mindedness ?' and this
meeting emphatically protests against the application of
any such epithets as wholly uncalled for and unjust.
" That this meeting desires to express its highest
esteem and respect fer the valued ministers of this pa-
rish, and its entire satisfaction with their accustomed
mode of performing Divine service, and its strongest ob-
jections to any change not sanctioned by the united
voice of the heads of the Established Church ; and this
meeting respectfully submits to the Bishop and to their
ministers, that all such innovations will be highly offen-
sive and objectionable to this parish and, it is conceived,
to the whole body of the laity, for the following (among
other) reasons :
" 1. Because the offertory (although necessary and
proper when used before the poor-laws were enacted,
and at a time when the suppression of monasteries left
the poor little other resource), has long been discon-
tinued on sufficient grounds , and thus usage, which in
ecclesiastical matters is but another name for law, adds
the fullest sanction to the reasons for dispensing with it.
" 2. Because there are abundant and daily increasing
means of exercising private charity and benevolence, and
it is therefore inexpedient to close every sermon with an
address to one only of the Christian duties of the con-
gregation, which is calculated unduly to exalt that duty
and to weaken the eppeals of the minister to the hearts
and consciences of the congregation on the more mo-
mentous subjects connected with man's salvation ; the
faithful preaching of which must result in that faith which
will be known by its fruits, and cannot fail to abound in
every act of benevolence.
" 3. Because the revival of this practice will afford ex-
cuses and reasons for withholdingCaid in the numerous
daily appeals to the benevolence of the laity, and direct
their resources into channels they may neither contem-
plate nor approve, as in the recent case of the curate of
Hurst, in Berkshire.
" 4. Because the offertory and other innovations pro-
posed will produce and sanction the very changes ' the
Bishop desires to prevent, and destroy the unity he seeks
to maintain, by creating diversities of practice in the
country generally, as well as discord and disagreement
between ministers and their flocks, and between parish-
ioners themselves, who may respectively differ as to the
propriety of such novelties.
" 5. Because any change in the long-established forms
and practices of Divine worship should have the sanction
of the Queen as head of the Established Church, and the
united concurrence of the highest ecclesiastical autho •
rity, and be simultaneously adopted by the whole Pro-
testant Church of these realms, and not confined to one
diocese.
" 6. Because the strong objections of the laity to the
revival of obsolete and useless forms deserves respect, as
evincing the progress of pure spiritual religion, and of
attachment to our Protestant Church; which feeling must
be therefore endangered or weakened by disregarding
the voice of the people, who naturally view with suspi-
cion and dislike every apparent approach to the Popish
views of a party now disturbing the peace of the Church,
and which party commenced its career by reviving un-
meaning and superstitious usages.
" That for the foregoing and other reasons, so ably
advocated by the Chancellor of this diocese and by Dr.
Bull (to whom are due the warmest thanks of every
friend of the Church), this meeting protests against the
present adoption of any of the changes referred to in the
Bishop's Pastoral Letter, and respectfully, but most
earnestly implores his Lordship not to risk the allegiance
and affections of the truest friends and firmest supporters
of his Church for things in themselves (as his Lordship
admits) indifferent, but, as associated with error, of vast
importance to all who value the truth. And this meet-
ing further entreat his Lordship, while thus respecting
the wishes of the people, to co-operate with the heads of
the Church in the general establishment of such uni-
formity as shall effectually prevent the introduction of
Tractarian errors, allay prevailing fears, and insure the
affection, obedience, and respect of the people to our
national Protestant Church.
" And this meeting, considering that the present occa-
sion should be improved to the restoring and perpetua-
ting of unity and peace to our Church throughout the
land, strongly recommends that parish, city, and county
meetings be forthwith held, in order respectfully, but
firmly to express the apprehensions and wishes of the
friends of the 'Church on this momentous subject, and
to petition our most gracious Queen to adopt such
measures as her wisdom shall devise for the accomplish-
ment of this most happy end.
" That these resolutions be forwarded kr the church-
wardens to the Bishop and to the ministers of this
parish, accompanied by suitable notes ; and that the
same be printed, advertised in the public papers, and
extensively circulated.
" That these resolutions be signed by the chairman en
behalf of this meeting.
" That the thanks of this meeting be given to the
churchwardens for their promptitude in calling this meet-
ing, and to the chairman for his conduct in the chair.
( " Signed on behalf of the meeting.)
" BENJAMIN TUCKER RADFORD, Warden."