The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-02-18 00:00:00

MR. WARD'S CASE

On Thursday at one o'clock the convocation met at Ox-
ford. Between 1200 and 1300 members of the university
were present, although only about 1100 voted. Amongst
the distinguished persons present were the Earl of Rom-
ney, Lord Faversham, Earl of Eldon, Lords Kenyon,
Sandon, and Ashley, the Bishops of Llandaff and Chi-
chester, Rev. Drs. Tait, Hook, and Moberley. Mr. Ward
bad previously ascended the rostrum from which he was to
deliver his defence.
The passages from Mr. Ward's book which have been
already published were read by Dr. Bliss. The Vice-Chan-
cellor then spoke to Mr. Ward in Latin, when the latter
Commenced his defence in English. He commenced
_ Heb_y
protesting against the legality of the whble proposal.
stood before them the advocate of opinions which he knew
the great majority of them viewed with extreme suspi-
cion ; yet the matter before them had no more to do with
the question whether or not the opinions be expressed weretrue or false than whether the style in which he
expressed
them was good or bad and the composition itself dull or
interesting. No theological determination was ever hinted, but simply thequestion were these passages or notincon-
sistenteo with certain formula which he subscribed
ttloerwh e
not he took his degree. Now persons not only m
competent to form a judicial decision in thicsacase t
case,but who
before they heard it actually pledged their vote under a
general feeling, that by so doing they were
putting down
Mr. Ward and popery in that university. Anything
.like
a full defence, on such an occasion, must be impracticable.
Instead of two months, two years would not have been
sufficient. If any one would look at his book, they would
find that the opinions he expressed respecting it had no
more to do with articles and subscriptions than they bad
with the wars of the Roses. He must say, then, that he
had not had fair play, when if ever there was a case in
which it should have been allowed, it was when they pro-
posed to inflict so severe a censure. They would act most
injudiciously—most fatally to the English Church. if they
did affirm this resolution. For the sake of the Church of
England, of that church to which they were joint mem-
bers, he beseeched them to pause. The effect of their af-
firming would possibly be far greater than they imagined
in accelerating a crisis which might end in the premature
destruction of the present fabric of the English Church.
He frankly admitted that at the time he took his degrees
of B.A. and M.A., he entertained opinions widely diffe-
rent from those which he now held. He admitted that if
the convocation should express extreme disapprobation of
his Opinions it must have great weight; but he denied that,
as then constituted, that house had any more power than
a private individual to declare.what was The sense of the
Church of England. Moreover, he could not but fear that
a vast number of them had mixed up in their mind ques-
tions which were utterly distinct, and were unable to give
themselves wholly to the question before them, because of
their intense conviction respecting a questionqus with which
it bad nothing in the world to do. Thequestion was, was
it the intention of the Church of England that her formula
should be subssribed in a natural sense. The argument he
was prepared to maintain was, that if such was her inten-
tion, it was a sense in which no person in the world could
subscribe to them. There have been two parties for a long
time accusing each other of dishonest subscription. Now
he believed one side was as honest as the other, and that
all this difficulty arose, because they had no living, breath-
ing, evangelical Church government. Believing that the
opinions he had recently advocated were the very truths of
the gospel, he believed also they would grow and increase
if they were allowed fair play. He wished them to show
equal confidence in the truth of their opinions. This was
the one thing he had urged throughout his work, that they
should cease from this disastrous civil war, and turn their
united weapons against the common enemy. Let them
"endeavour, each according to his opportunity to carry out
their principles in waging war, interminable war, egainst
worldliness, covetousness, self-seeking, and ignorance.
Be willingly staked the truth of his opinions on the issue
of the experiment • why did they shrink from staking the
truth of ti.eirs ? It was
ex-
clude heretics from he the duty of every church to pale, when she was deeply disturbed
by their intrusion; but if the Evangelical party could hope
to exclude from the Church of Bollard all whom they be-
lieved to be strangers to the true gospel, or, if high church-
men could hope to exclude those who denied baptismal
regeneration, as well as those who denied the benefit f
the English Reformation; the case would be oifferent. No-
lisp Ch..--,thing was more probable than 4-1,-..., - •

Luat toe fabric of the Eng-
_....en would fall to pieces, if they began taking out
a singh! tone. He, therefore, implored them to consider
well what they were doily's, when they were about to take
a step that might terminate so disastrously.
Dr. Grant then Dron...-i t--

~.,,posea an amendment, that the pas-
sa,zes tr,,m the work were worthy of grave censure ; but
that Convocation declined to pronounce judgment on the
nature or decree of the offence.
The Vice-Chancellor said this motion could not be en-
tertained.
Soon after the Vice-Chancellor put the question, when
on a scrutiny the numbers turned out to he—for the con-
demnation of the passages 777 against it 386 It was,
th• retore, decl ire pa
against Mr. 'Ward.
The Vice-Chancellor then proposed the second propo-.
sition—that for the degradation of Mr. Ward.
Mr. Ward then addressed the Convocation, also in
Engh He said,-1 have only to say, with respect tc,
this particular mode of punishment, that for myse If, what-
ever ethers may think of my opinions, I have shown by
My acts and my words that I am most anxious, most de-
siro4, and tr ost ready, I 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 possess, to
the service of the Church of England, if I may be allow-
ed. It must at the same time be remembered that cer-
tain persons, not holding the opinions that I hold, have
renounced
into orders and left the church and have entered
communion with the Church of Rome, and yet have
kept their degrees of B.A.
appear that theive
se and M.A. Therefore it does
proposed proceeding towards me, who
h not renounced the Church of England, but am ready
to
with, is harsh when compared with what has been
done
for thethem.thank-
characterppity afforded me f justice to m
opinions before so o
many doingm Yembers of a
church towards which I do feel the deepest attachment.
w ethe question was then put, and on a scrutiny the votes
found to be—for Mr. Ward's degradation 569 ;
against it, 511.
When the Vice-Chancellor put the third proposition,
the senior procose and put a veto on it. The pro-
ceedings then terminated
13/I"r* W. E. Gladstone M.P., was among the Non-
_acels on both propositi'ons. His cry
!p_ the theatre was observed to be particularly energetic.
of "Nonplacet"
mr• Newman did not vote, nor was he present.
1)4111"e the IVon-placets were—Archdeacon Manning,
Tlric; "°"k, Archdeacon Robert Wilberforce, Archdeacon
~,,, rPe, Dr. Grant, the Rev. John Keble, the Rev. John
in•ller, Dr. Air 1-
-sauerly, Dr. Gresly, and Dr. Pusey.
f Among the Placels were Archdeacon Samuel Wilber._ dcn."' Lord Ashleyr,.Lord Sandon, the Bishops of Llan
alfand Chicheste
about. Ward hss doffed his cap and gown, and appears
Oxford in the ordinary dress. It seems that there
`1! t:iritroversy on ipoint also. The University auh
titles maintain that Mr. Ward should now wear a scholar's
.
litr no RS an undergrauate, and a member of a foundatioant.
4 the other hand, his legal advisers are of opinion, that