Untitled - Electric Scotland

242 LIFE OK ARCHBISHOP TA1T [CH. x.
of those whom you represent to prosecute the Rector for wearing
garments which (I grant not unnaturally) offend his parishioners,
I shall be ready when called upon to afford you all due facilities
for the commencement of your lawsuit as far as my authority
extends.
"
I need scarcely say further that if you have any charge to
bring forward of unsoundness of doctrine, or any distinct viola
tion of the law of the Church which you think you can sub
stantiate, I shall be ready at once to hear and investigate it.
"
With respect to the Rev. F. G. Lee, of whom you complain,
that gentleman has no leave to minister in my diocese, and I
have required intimation to* be sent to him to desist from so
officiating till he obtains my formal authority. I have written to
Mr. Mackonochie, who is a licensed curate in the parish, desir
ing him to take the service in the parish Church till the Rector s
return.
"
I have thus stated to you what is the legal power I possess
of interfering by my authority personally to enforce obedience
on both sides of this miserable controversy, and I shall now sum
up my decision as respects this legal power. On the one hand,
I call on the churchwardens, at their peril, to do their duty in
preserving order in the church, and bringing offenders to justice,
according to the Statute. On the other hand, I prohibit all
unusual vestments, such as you complain of, in the celebration
of Divine service. I am ready, when I can, summarily to en
force their disuse, and if you desire it, I am ready to further
your prosecution, in a court of law,
myself reach summarily. Any other complaint
of those whom I cannot
of violation of
the Church s law I am ready at once to investigate, on its being
distinctly pointed out. I do not consider myself entitled in law
to order the alteration of the hour of service which you may
desire.
"You may feel at first surprised that my power as Bishop
should go no further than I have notified, but on the whole, for
my own part, I do not consider it an evil in the Church of
England, that incumbents of parishes are invested with so inde
pendent a responsibility, which, I am bound to say, in most
cases they exercise wisely for the good of their parishioners, and
which it would not be consistent with our manly English spirit
to see suspended by an arbitrary extension of episcopal dominion.
As [I have said, it is not by compulsory force of law, but by