Litchfield enquirer., 1869-05-06

Ill that or adjoining Parishes" We'll, what then! He is ameaable to Eccle siastical au
 thority, who are the sole arbiters and iudg. es in cases between a R ,ctor and his pa- rishioners. and whore only he c.n proper
 ly make defence. Under these circum-
 stances, I appeal to yon as . man having the instincts and breeding of a gentleman,
 when persons claiming to have had grev- ances at the hand of our Rector have been repeatedly requested to appeal to the prop. CT authorities, and have repeatedly had pledges by members myself included) if
 they wonld 50 legally appeal if he was de- cided in the wrong. and he afterwards per- sisted ill that wrong, we would use all our influence to compass his removal And
 when these persons have steadily refused
 to make such canonical appeal, but have
 continued to assail him otherwise, ssmind
 you where he could not with propriety re- ply" ask you, Mir. Editor, on your HONOR, have I used too strong language in the | ", consider these questions as of vital impor- tance to us, not only as involving the prin- ciples of our Church Government. but par ticularly to us as parish holding as we do a valuable church property given by the late N. s. Wheaton, D. D., on the sole coa- dition (forfeitable otherwise) that we walk with the Protestant Episcopal Church and commit no schism. One cor rection: When I quote from your cores pondent, "these most devoted members of the Church" your Imps of the Press make me say "monks of the Church." I wish the correction to be made, as I have noth- ing but kind feelings towards every one. We would say we are no favorers of ex- treme notions in church government, but a,s in favor of as liberal construction of Rules and Canons as is compatible with LAW AND ORDER. -~F @A4 7&ta
 ''"'s- RALPH BUCKINGHAM.
 Upon MT. Buckingham's candid and gentlemanly statement of facts, we feel bound to retract what we said fortnight since, attributing to some one else the au- thorship of his former letter. He has pleaded his cause so we'll that we imagined he must have made canon law study and writing business. The questions raised 1T, ID this discussion. are i'll pardon some. 'nlng more by way of reply. - -.s I
 The strictly personal part of this con- ;roversY we wish to dismiss as quickly as possible. We think it evident that the present minister of St. Andrews Church, cannot be considered Rector ,f that parish, in accordance with the can ,ns and usages of the Episcopal Church. h the first place, he has never been elect sd Rector by the parish. A vote was in Iced passed authorizing a gentleman to procure minisler Ia term, by the way, 1sed in the Episcopal Church to designate . clergyman employed only temporarily. By a verbal arrangement minister was engaged. Cauon V, of this Diocese, treat
 ing of " Clerical Settlement and Reno gal," provides that "on the election of Minister into any church or parish," the vestry shall send certificate thereof to the bishop. Gould the Vestry of St. Au- lrew's have sent such certificate in this case? In the next place, the minister has never been st instituted" an essential pre- requisite according to English precedent. Turning from canon law to the Connecti gut statutes, the case presented is even clearer still It is not claimed that any but a verbal agreement was made, which the minister assumed to be perpetual be- cause the term of its duration was not spe- cifed. The law itself fixes the term of such contract atone year. Otherwise, it would have no effect, whatever, for the Statute of Frauds so called. makes inope- rative $ any agreement that is not to be performed within the space of one year from the making thereof" unless in wri- ting. $ Nor can tho clergyman i'll question
 
 claim that he has been ssseatsd according to the usage of the heldenomlnatlon of Chris tians to which h. belongs Rev. Stat. Tit. r.. Sec. ;2Oa Whatever, therefore. may have been tie intention of the par ties,it is evideB that the Marbledale So ciety has, at present, no minister legally or economically :. settled. '9.4a aa .o aaisagad
 The general euestion regarding thea-e act authority fsted in the Rector, of a Connecticut paish is one of considerable interest. Of tie English parson, or rector, Blackstone says, .1 x. asas EiUow tsHe is caIld parson, persona because by his person ;he church, which is an in visible body, 5 represented; and he. is in himself bod ycorporate, in order to pro- tect and defenl the rights of the Church (which he peBonatesl by a perpetual suc- cession. He il sometimes called the rector or governor ofthe Church" Bl. Com, 3S9. SaiAaa = ss'' '''1 ' 7s,'' '''Aa <. n
 The The EngliyI rector is < presented by the person, oining the $ living" to the bishop, Tie. according to English law, two further rauisites are necessary; .sntsf
 eff the bihop hath no objections, but admits the ptron's presentation, the clerk
 f,.;notI ~, ss,nniffAd is nexk if, la i,,Sfifted