The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-10
DIR. PUSEY ON CONVERSION.

DIR. PUSEY ON CONVERSION.
The celebrated DR.. Pusey has written a
long letter to the Archbishop of Canter.
bury protestant Episcopal) on the subject
I OF the following resolution passed by the
recent Lambeth Conference at is the de-
liberate opinion Of the Conference that no
minister Of the Church is authorised to
encourage the practice of habitual con-
fession." DR.. Pusey had previously asked
for an explanation of the words "author
jzed" and 'encourage," but only elected
from the Arch bishop the statement that he
had no authority to explain the words
which received the sanction of the assem-
bled Bishops. Nevertheless, it is with
the precise meaning of these two words
that DR.. Pusey feels himself particularly
concerned. He says: "It would be new
thing to me in my old age to be censured
by one hundred Bishops for what have
done for seme forty years uncensured,
with the cognizance of the Bishops in
Oxford, London, and Exeter, and where
Bishops to whom explained my practice
were leading Bishops of the Church of
England-Bishop Wilberforce, Bishop
Bloomfield and Bishop Phillpotts. have
over and over again maintained nv prac-
tice publicly, and none of our Bishops
ever found fault with me for what did"
DR.. Pusey is evidently not disposed to
attach much Importance to the proceed
ings cf the Lambeth Conference. He
cannot regard it as having been in any
sense Synod, nor acknowledge that
Bishops in the Colonies or United States
baVe any authority or Jurisdiction over
the English clergy. He regards the re-
cent gathering as an aggregate of individ-
ual Bishops, each, according to his gifts,
having his own individual weight, but in
no sense a representative assembly. He
proceeds to say: .If this Conference had
authority over the con nscience of the English
clergy, ard if it had meant, on mature
consideration of the subject, and of our
to condemn what have done
for the coed of souls; then + should have
felt that had no alternative except to re2
sign my Office" DR.. Pusey then deals
with the question of the real meaning of
the words in the Resolution, "babitual
and expresses his opinion that
the Bishops did not intend to condemn
more than what they considered ga formal
habitual routine of confession with little
or no penitence," adding, "this unhappily
was not expressed" If such were the real
of the words in the resolution, we
agree with DR.. Pusey that it would have
been we'll to have explained it more fully,
for, as the Resolution stands, it is certainly
of another and q simpler inter-
probation. He is, however, satisfied to at
tach to it the meaning already Indicated,
and adds, sit may, perhaps, be fair test
of the meaning of the Resolution that we
light substitute the word encourage for
discourage and 10 one opposed to the
use of the word confession among US could
object to it. Had it run that mo minister
of the Church is authorized to discourage
the use of habitual confession to priest,
no one ought to have excepted against or
for it., for the Church of Eagland has not |
one word authorizing such discourage |
nent." 1t would be satisfactory to know |
If the Bishops are content to accept the
explanation which DR.. Pusey bas himself
supplied of their Resolution, after in vain |
asking for theirs. Towards the conclusion |
If his long and carefully reasoned letter, |
ae says: "Your Grace will allow me, in |
,oncl usion, to repeat that my own object |
rom the fret was, by Code grace, to teach |
earnest repentance to neglectful genera !
ion, half asleep; that the Prayer Book,
lot J, taught confession. AS began, 80
lave continued.S