, 1881-10-30


t t1oh 70 the tl.en,., had failed to bring about
t!ie release Of the rector Of the parish.''
several s,a clergynen Of the Church Of England
,;1,. HIesei,t sid Expressed their sympathy
asalnst the authorities. Mr.. Knox Little. the
puputar and eloquent rector of St. Albans.
.'iahciaesttC. was declared to be 4 full-blown
1!Itu1,lSt, Yet ne was left .undisturbed while
AT. ufeen was la1lguislli1ig in prison.
iNrEh'ES11oS OF THE ARCHBISHOP: OF
YORK,
.,l IN These ne circumstances it is not wonderful
that Dr- THOMSON Archbishop Of York.
"lth!n whose Jurisdiction Manchester is sit
uated, should have been tempted to make an
GlioIt 70 secure the releAse Of Mr. Green
Nliat the Archbishop actually did he iliul-
selt has stated with tullness and clearucss in
I letter to the editor of the London Times,
w INQUIRY the Archbishop found that the
Way " Tie rt:lr2Se WAS to apply to the Judge,
with the consent Of the prosecutor lr was
useless, however, to expect the consent of
the prosecutor, unless some assurance would
De given that Mr.. Green would not resume
on re*sanlns lis freedom. the course against
which the suit had been undertaken: and
The Judge was not to be expected to diserctl-
II the process nt his court. It was vain also
10 expect that Mr. Green. who had lnade dis
obedience Il matter Of conscience when
he M Was lree, would assume an attitude Of
opeu1ence Tor the mere purpose OF regaillills
his liberty. What then was to be dune:'
" hat was wanted w:ls some M0tle Which
would ut one and the same time secure the
co'sscllt OF the prosecution and satisfy tic
Archbishop thought he il;td hit upon. It
WAS an OLD and recognized principle of the
iAi1g|icatl Church that ri1ualistic changes
should not bn made without the consent OF
tie Bishop. This principle lasl again and
again been asserted i'll convention. 1t lad
been sanctioned and approved by the Pan
Anglican Conference some years ago. The
Archbishop wrote to Mr.. Green, requesting
him to express TO linn his willingness to put
himself ll the hands Of his own diocesan, tho
INshap Of Manchester How the Bishop Of
Manchester Ntight rule in this case, Mr.,
Green, although he might have Ills s1lspi-
cionS was not to be supposed to know. 1t
was ieasonaoie M .n to- conclude that luis ruling
entirely according to Mr.. Green's wishes lie
culald have oheycd, rs it were, under protest;
such i course was not unreasonable. More
over, it offered 10 the imprisoned priest Il
means Of release from prison without the
sacrifice of principle.
Mr.. Green. however, did not choose to see
it i'll that light. lie had refused to put hilll-
self III lhe hands Of lis own Bishop two anua
then he wonlti not tlo now. So ended the
we'll -lntentiOneti services Of the Archbishop
Of ! l0rk, and Mr.. Green rnllallls it: prison.
All those. however, who take any Interest in
ical life will agr1t. with: the Archbishop in
saying that his Intervention III the case has
not been wholly III vain 1t proves that tile
cell from which his fricllds and Sy1npatl.iZers
would gladly !pad the prisoner, forth is
locked on the inside. Mr. Green insists on
continuing Il minister i'll the Anglican coln-
lnunloll, and yet lle will nat :u:ccp1 the ruling
nf tile .Arcl,t>!sl.op'S court. nor the opinion nf
the assembled Bishops OF the Anglican coul-
'snunion throughout the world. nor the deter
1tOn of the Archbishop Of the province. l;y
this his latest act. the Imprisoned rector III
Miles Plating has mt only proved hi1n-
self impractl':lh!e and incorrlsibl'.., but add
seems to be the prevailing feeling,
Submission to Episcopal authority is u1e Of
the cardinal principles OF tue English Church.
Mr.. t;reen has violated and fepnttia1ed al
such authority. 1t requires no large amount
ot presciunce 10 be able. to for,ttii that such
Il state OF things calillnt continue TO exist
without seri4lfS tletfilnent to the cause IF
religion inside the English Church estab-
lishMent.
1t is generally felt that il the Church is not
to bc held up before the world as all object of
contempt. the Legislature ,nust step in and
amend the law, as it Atfects the holders Of
practically bc no end to tins state. Of things
Mr. Green must remain in prison for life I'LL
less lie changes Ills views or the law is
changcd; nor is there any limit tu the posi-
Ole humber OF similar eases. 1t has already
been shown IN these columns that the law
las already nterfered largely with the mat
ter Of ritu:tlisni, but Will, no great success.
1.-The Public Worship Regulation Act" was
passed in 1874. This act created Il special
court; with u special, Judge for the trial Of
created. trouble than :lllayed it. Some
months ago the Government was i'll
duced to appoint Royal Commission
to inquire into the workln. uf the ditfsrel't
ecclesiastical courts of the Church. That
commission has not yet reported. III last
session Of Parliament Il bill was Introduced
by Earl Beauchamp III the lio,lse OF Lords
in order to meet this very ease Of Mr.. Green.
the interest Ut Il Quaker, who had been, i'm
prisofied for refusing to pay Church rates.
1t provided for the release Of Il prisoner held
for contumacy, after SIN months llprlstti-
sent Lord Bcaucl!amp's bill did away with
this qualification. 1t was felt, however, that
such 4 measure would bc Intellectual Ill
striking at the root of llle. disease. 1t pro-
rillel for the release Of the prisoner ut the
end Of six months, but it did not prevent the
repetition Of the o]|enstf AMI subsequent mi
rrisOnlncnt. Hence tile Lord Chancellor
added I'LL anlel!tlhnent providing that sec7
OIu act OF stisObetlience after release should
involve the forfeiture ct the offenders beile-
flee In this shape the bill went to the House
of Commons, but toward the end nj August
when it CAME before the Wear1ed members 1Ur
4 second reading: it WAS disposed or DS Il
c0iiiiI ont.
Tic defeat OF the measure. it was felt by
those interested i'll the settlement OF THESE
clerical difficulties, was Il misfortune. It's
ptssasc would have matte all emil ot Inc
Green scandal, and it would have made 1dc-
u,1ate provision for the e1fectual punishment
of future n1fe,.ses The House ut Commons,
however, is ncyer particularly fond ut cccIe-
Siastical questions and the lrlsll Liant plli
had exhausted both its strength .;I1d Its
loudI, ami generally demanded. ;tl,d the pre-.
sulnptlol, is that both the Arctbis!lops will