Untitled - Electric Scotland

1856-60] CASE OF MR. POOLE 223
was the parish of St. Paul s, Knightsbridge. The Rev.
Alfred Poole, one of the curates of the parish, was
accused, at the instance of several parishioners, of
habitually asking outrageous questions from persons who
came to him in Confession. The Bishop investigated the
matter, and came to the conclusion that the accusation
which had been made was unsupported by the evidence,
:md ought to be dismissed. It was elicited, however, that
Mr. Poole s views on the subject of the Confessional had
led him to adopt practices which the Bishop regarded as
at variance with the teaching of the Church of England
on the subject. The Bishop accordingly wrote to Mr.
Poole as follows :
"
While I fully admit that the statements you have made to
me tend to make me look with much suspicion upon the par
ticular evidence laid before me, I regret to say that, quite inde
pendently of that evidence, I am led by your own admission to
regard the course you are in the habit of pursuing in reference
to Confession as likely to cause scandal and injury to the
Church. . . . Under the circumstances I feel I ought to mark
my sense of the impropriety of what you describe as your
practice, and I shall therefore feel myself bound, though with
great pain, to withdraw your licence as curate of St. Barnabas,
and shall send you formal notice accordingly. I earnestly pray
that this solemn protest on my part against a course in which I
believe you have departed from the spirit and practice of the
Church of England, and assimilated your mode of dealing with
your people too much to the system of the Church of Rome,
may cause you to pause and reflect on the dangers to which such
a course of action as you have adopted may expose both your
self and those over whom you exercise influence ; and I trust
you will allow me to add that I shall at any time be glad to give
you my best advice and assistance in the difficulties in which
you are involved. I remain, reverend and dear Sir, yours faith
fully,
A. C. LONDON."
Mr. Poole replied in a long and perfectly temperate
protest against the Bishop s action. He asked for a