Untitled - Electric Scotland

244 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. x.
such strictly legal interference as I have indicated. I have the
honour to be, sir, your most obedient faithful servant,
"
A. C. LONDON."
The Bishop s correspondence with Mr. Mackonochie,
which is alluded to in the foregoing document, was of the
most cordial and friendly kind. Mr. Mackonochie, whose
name was afterwards to become so famous in connection
with ritual matters, was curate in charge during Mr.
King s temporary absence, and had a most difficult task
to discharge.
On September I5th, 1859, the Bishop writes to him
" MY
DEAR MR. MACKONOCHIE, Let me thank you for your
interesting letter. I trust that by God s blessing the efforts you
have made will not fail to produce their effect, and that this dis
graceful state of things will soon be ended. I am sure that the
manifestation of the kindly Christian spirit of conciliation, at the
same time that you show your determination not to be intimi
dated, must have its effect. ... I cannot but feel much for the
very difficult position in which you are placed."
But it was with Mr. King, and not with Mr. Lowder or
Mr. Mackonochie, that the Bishop had to deal, and the
suggested arbitration proved
a matter of the utmost
difficulty. For a long time it was impossible to bring
about any agreement between the Rector and the Vestry
as to the points on which the Bishop was to arbitrate, and
so serious had the riots become, that it was found neces
sary for the public safety to close the Church entirely for
some weeks. After endless correspondence, the Bishop
succeeded in obtaining a quasi-promise, limited, however,
by many provisos, that the controversialists would accept
his decision ; but no sooner was it pronounced, and the
Church re-opened, than the noting
was renewed with
greater fury than before. The presence of a large force
of police for some Sundays put a curb upon the violence