Untitled - Electric Scotland

1860-64] ACTION OK THE BISHOPS 281
On January 2Oth, 1861, the Bishop s Journal has the
following entry :-
"
Jowett has been with me for two days. The unsatisfactory
part of his system seems to be that there is an obscurity over
what he believes of the centre of Christianity. As to the out
works, the conflict there is of comparatively little importance ;
but the Central Figure of the Lord Jesus, the central doctrine of
the efficacy of His Sacrifice in fact St. Paul s Christianity is
this distinctly recognised by the writers of his school ? I have
urged both on him and Temple, who has also been with me,
that they are bound to state for their own sakes and for the sake
of those whom they are likely to influence what is the positive
Christianity which they hold. It is a poor thing to be pulling
down. Let them build up.
"
Lord, fix my own heart and soul on the great Christian
Verities. Thou knowest my failures. Breathe into my heart Thy
Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ. Amen."
Early in February, while the addresses and memorials
in various forms were still flowing in, the Bishops met in
force at Lambeth, and decided on replying to one of these
addresses in a joint letter, which might serve when pub
lished as a virtual answer to all the remonstrants, whatever
the form of their respective appeals. The particular
address to which they thus replied was one which ema
nated from a Rural Deanery in Dorsetshire. It will be
observed that its objection to rationalistic teaching is
couched in general terms, and that there is no express
reference to the obnoxious volume :
We wish," said the memorialists,
"
(irace and to all the Bishops the alarm we feel at some late indi
to make known to your
cations of the spread of rationalistic and semi-infidel doctrines
among the beneficed clergy of the realm. We allude especially
to the denial of the atoning efficacy of the Death and Passion of
our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, both God and Man, for us
men and for our salvation, and to the denial also of a Divine In
spiration, peculiar to themselves alone, of the Canonical Scriptures
of the Old and New Testament.