Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-01
ssRET.s'

Grew"
In this land of religious liberty
where the separation of Church and
State is one of the cardinal principles
of our institutions, all men of the cloth,
whatever their creed, are spoken of OF
addressed as Reverend" The hum
blest laborer In the Lords vineyard
may claim the title until deemed by
consent unworthy to wear it. But our
English cousins are not of this way of
thinking. They are squeamish about
the indiscriminateu use Of titles, whether
IN or outof their Established Church. In
the eye Of the law, which regulates
things spiritual as well as temporal, a
dissenting minister can be only plain
Mr.. so and so-vith no Reverend"
handle to his name. Thus has it been
sOlemnly decreed of late, by no less a
dignitary than the Chancellor Of the
Diocese Of Lincoln. The case grew
out of the following inscription which
Henry Keet, a Wesleyan Minister,
placed upon a tombstone: "In loving
memory of Annie Augusta Keet, the
younger daughter If the Rev. Fl,
Keet, Wesleyan Minister, who died at
Owston Ferry, May II, 1874, aged seven
years and nine months" A very harm
less inscription this, one would think;
but the Vicar of Owston Ferry forbade
It's erection in the parish churchyard.
He objected to the terms Reverend"
and Wesleyan Minister" as being
illegal. Appeal was made to DR..
Wordsworth, the Bishop of Lincoln,
who sustained the Vicar. The appeal
was then tlken the Archbishop of
Canterbury, who expressed regret that
the objection had been suggested. An
application was finally carried to the
Chancellor Of the Diocese Of Lin
coin for citation to the
Vicar Of Owston Ferry, order
ing him to allow the erection of
the tombstone, with its inscription.
On this application the recent decision
has been given. Concerning Mr.. Keet,
the Chancellor said: He might have,
and probably had, many estimable
qualities; they might esteem the mo-
tive that had led him to offer himself,
however enormously and without COM
mission, to minister in holy things;
they might remember with sorrow the |
many historical palliatiOns for the rise |
and existence of his sect; but his claim |
Of his Office was an admission that be |
was a schismatic, and the claim to de- |
scribe that Office, or the ofice-bearer,
as being, as such (and no other reason |
was given, worthy of reverence, - was
a claim to have schism honored instead |
of lamented over. Bearing in mind |
the general law of the Church, and the |
history Of the Wesleyan Methodists, J
be doubted much whether the words I
wesleyan minister" alone would not
be unlawful, and he was of opinion
that to describe a person as being
"Reverned Wesleyan minister" might
be made the means of disseminating
doctrines inconsistent with those Of the
Church.
All this has naturally given great
offense to the Nonconformists, and |
even many Cburchmen declare that the
matter has been carried too far. The
case has been placed by the Wesleyans
in the hands Of their Committee of
Privileges, charged with the manage
ment of all questions touching the re-
Iation of their body to the State. One
Of their leading ministers has said IN
public address that if 1t should cost
10000 to place the word reverend"
on the tombstone it would be done.
1t is somewhat remarkable that the
express the strongest con-
demnalion of the decision. DIR. Little
dale has published a letter in which he
claims that ritualistic clergymen have
always addressed Wesleyan ministers
by the title Of Reverend" Neither
Bishop Wordsworth nor the Vicar of
Owston Ferry is a Ritualist., The
Church Times, one of the most extreme
IF the English Ritualist papers, has
aiken the side Of Mr.. Keet. The case
will 90 up to the Court of Arches, Of
which Sir Robert Phillimore, the father
# the Chancellor Of Lincoln, is the
Judge. If decided there adversely to
.Irs Keet. the Wesleyans will, undoubt-
IL ,- = n the PTivv Council