The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-14 00:00:00

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" TO THE REVEREND TYR PROCTOR.

persons. What would hare been the position of the cafe, if, in-
stead of this, the judges had been formed from a body of even
the most respectable members of the Protestant Association!
There could be no doubt what would have been the result. It would
have been impossible to keep out of their minds the general impres-
sion, not that they were deciding on some nice question of law, but
on a wide and large general principle. A still greater difficulty
with which he had to contend was, that the very nature of his
argument required a length of time for its development. Instead
of his having to speak within the time to which the courtesy of the
Convocation had extended his license, he would require many
hours to develop fully his views. He had, however, some time
since circulated a pamphlet containing his general defence.
He hoped that all those who were now assembledto judge him had
read his pamphlet. But do doubt there were many who had not.
Then how was he placed ? Tbose persons would have had no
means of hearing what he had to say in his defence, and from the
nature of his argument and the shortness of time, he would not be
able to impress it on them at that time. After some farther ob.
serrations on the peculiar position in which he stood, ➢lr. Ward
appealed to the members of Convocation on the injustice that would
be done him by their premature decision. It was impossible that
many of them could be aware of the grounds of his defence,
yet many were prepared to say "placet," or " nonp/acet,"
at
the case might be. Mr. Ward concluded in the following words:
—" And lastly, for the sake of the Church of England, for the
sake of that Church of which we aro joint members, I beseech
you to pause before you affirm the proposition before you ; it may
possibly have an effect far greater than you imagine in accelerating
a crisis that may end in the premature dissolution of tht present
fabric of the English Church. It may seem strange in me, who
may be considered myself to have contributed so much in the
same direction by the work I have published, to claim at the hands
of others that caution and temperance which they may think I
have been ♦ery far from showing myself. And yet, if my book be
really read through, and not judged by a few one-sided extracts, you
will find nothing in it at ail inconsistent, but rather the very re-
verse, with the appeal I am now making. A paper put out by
a parochial minister in this town has painted in vivid colours the
evil and the distress which must be caused by any reckless com-
pulsion, on men who are unprepared far it, to choose their side.

I believe that experience will show that he has undor-stated, nor
over-stated. the amount of the evil. I believe very few of you
realise the perplexity, the distress of mind, which would be felt
by members of opinions much different from my own, if these who
are now urging on their measures of exclusion should succeed in
their attempts, and whether the balance of parties which now
Mists, should compel every one to take his aide with the defeated
or the victorious, the seceding or the established party. Nothing
can be a greater misconception of the general drift of my work than
to consider it as having any legitimate tendency at ail parallel to
this. So far have I been from urging the sudden and premature
adoption of those opinions which I myself must fully hold, I have
been even clamorous in urging on the consciences of my brethren
that it would be a plain sin in them were they to attempt to do so.
A steady and regular growth in belief wit naturally be accompanied
by a steady and regular progress towards true opinions; but the
attempt to leap as it were at one bound from error to truth will, I
am sure, in the present stale of men's minds, precipitate not a few
in the gulf of hopeless scepticism. I ask you to let our present
framework remain, as far as in you lies, that under its pro-
tection numbers of humble and dutiful souls, who are quite unable
to choose for themselves a side, and shrink appalled from the strife
of words now raging among us, may gradually develop into that
which they cannot suddenly become—deeply-rooted believers in the
whole truth. I protest that if I thought, as most of you think,
that there my ultra and Roman opinions were wrong, I should
think I could not do them a greater service than by measures of
punishment on him who holds them. Such measures give momen-
tary strength even to a weak cause, and an ephemeral popularity
to a naturally unpopular party. It is because I believe from my heart
that the opinions I have humbly advocated are the very truths of
the Gospel, that I believe they will grow and increase among us,
if they be allowed fair play ; do you show equal confidence in the
truth of your views ? I wish Nothing better; it is the one thing
I have urged throughout my work, that faithful servants of God
should cease from this disastrous civil war, and turn their united
weapons against the common enemy. Let ' Evangelicals' and
' High Churchmen,' each according to his manner and opportuni-
ties, carry out their principles in promoting their own holiness,
and waging Implacable war against worldliness and covetous-
ness, and self-seeking, and heathenish ignorance. Depend
upon it, in proportion as they do so will they find them-
selves in a wonderful manner approaching to union with each other
and with the truth. I gladly stake the truth of my own opinions
on the issue of this experiment. Why will you shrink from so
staking the truth of yours ? Will you say it has ever been the
maxim of the church to exclude heretics from her pale and rule,
where an unity, otherwise deep and universal, is disturbed by the
intrusion of one heretical party. But is that the case with us ?
If Evangelicals could hope to exclude from the Church of England
all whom they believe strangers to the Gospel; or if • High
Churchmen' could hope to exclude those who deny our baptismal
regeneration, as well as those who denounce the English Re-
formation, the case might be different. Nothing, indeed, is more
probable than that the fabric of the English Church may fall to
pieces if you begin taking out enly a single stone; but a fabric,
large in extent, and yet homogeneous, in its composition it will
not be one, or any thing in the least like it, merely because you
succeed in dislodging one among its innumerable discordant
materials ; and I do implore you then to consider well what you
do when you take this first step, which may lead to so disastrous
an issue. Let your decision, at least, be the result, not of party
and excited feeling, but of calm, and solem deliberation."
Mr. WAttp then handed in a Latin protest.
Dr. GRANT, of New College, then rose to propose this
amendment --

" That the passages now read from the book entitled " The
Ideal of a Christian Church Considered" arc worthy of grave cen-
sure, but that Convocation declines to express any opinion upon
the good faith of the author, or to exercise the functions of an
ecclesiastical tribunal, by pronouncing judgment on the nature or
degree of his offence."
The VICE-CHANCELLOR informed Dr. Grant that no pro-
position could be made that had not been previously agreed
on by himself and the Hebdomadal Board.
Mr. DENisoN enterest his protest against the whole pro-
ceedings,.and Mr. BonE, of Christ Church, entered a protest
against them, as affecting the right and propriety of the
proceedings.
The VICE-CHANCELLOR put the question, when there was
a roar and counter-roar of Placcts and Xon-placets. A
scrutiny was then ordered. The numbers turned out after-
wards to be--for the proposition, 777 ; against it, 588. It
was therefore declared against Mr. Ward.
The 'VICE-CHANCELLOR announced the result, saying
" Major; parti placet."
' The VICE-CHANCELLOR then proposed the second proposi-
tion—that for the degradation of Mr. Ward.
Mr. WARD again addressed the Convocation, also in English,
He aid,Tl have only to say, with respect to this particular mode
of punishMent, that for myself, whatever others may think of my
opinions, I have shown by my acts and my words that I am most
anxious, most desirous, and most ready—l may say, most eagerly
desirous and ready, to devote all my energies, such as they may be,
and whatever powers of mind or action I may pt./less, to the ser-
a vice of the Church of England, if I may be al.owed. It must at
the same time be remembered that certain persons, not holding the
opinions I hold, have renounced orders and left the Church and
have entered into communion with the Church of Home, and yet
have kept their degrees of D.A. and M.A. Therefore it does ap-
pear that the proposed proceeding towards me, who have not re.
nounced the Church of England, but am ready to serve it, is harsh
when compared with what has been done with them. At the same
time, I must ever be thankful for the opportunity afforded me of
doing justice to my character and opinions before so many members
of a Church towards which Ido feel the deepest attachment."
The VICE-CHANCELLOR then put it to the vote as before
with the same result.
The Rev. N. ELLISON, of Balliol College, addressed the as-
sembly in Latin, in opposition to the motion.
A scrutiny was then taken, after which the Vice-Chancellor
declared that the proposition had been affirmed.
The numbers turned out to be—Placets, 569 ; Non-
Placets, 511.
The VICE-CHANCELLOR then proposed the third proposi-
tion, for the condemnation of Tract 90.
The Senior Proctor rose and said—" Nobis Procuraforibus
non placet," upon which there was a storm of counter-cheer-
iug and hissing for some minutes.
The proceedings then terminated.
Mr. Ward's speech occupied somewhat snore tban4in hour.
He spoke with remarkable rapidity, but at the same thito with
great calmness and self-possession—with the air of a -snail, in
fact, who felt a deep conviction that he was right. As he left
the theatre he was cheered by the tindergraituAtes outside.
The Vice-Chancellor was saluted most indecorously with
hisses from the same source.
The decision against Mr. Ward on the second proposition
could scarcely be said to have been expected. Towards the
opening of Convocation, however, the opinion began to gain
ground that Mr. NVard would be defeated.
It should be stated, that the Fellows of Balliol voted
unanimously in favour of Mr. Ward on both propositions.
The following address to the Proctors is in circulation, and
has beensigned by nearly 300 names, among which are Mr.
Gladstone's, Judge Coleridge's, Dr. Hook's, Archdeacon
Manning's, Sir W. Heathcote's, &e. :

" We, the undersigned members of ConvocatiOn, understanding
that you have resolved to put your negative upon the pialio!lti_ ye-
latingto the Ninetieth Tract, in Convocation, on Thursdif, the
13th inst., beg leave to tender to you our cordial thanks for a de-
termination which we consider to have been &minded by the
principles of our academical constitution."