Untitled - Electric Scotland

-*S 4 LIFE 01- ARCHDISHOr I
AIT
[CH. xn.
When the formal letter of the Bishops was first pub
lished in the newspapers, it was unfortunately not accom
address to which it
panied by a copy of the particular
was a reply, and to this mistake may be traced not a
little of the misunderstanding evidenced in some parts of
the following correspondence. 1 The omission was soon
rectified, but the mischief had been done.
Canon A. P. Stanley to the Bis /top of London.
"Cn. CH., OXFORD, Feb. 16, 1861.
"Mv DEAR BISHOP, I do not know when I have been more
to the document
startled than in seeing your name appended
which this morning appeared in the Times.
" You have yourself expressed to me in a manner so decided
as to allow me to repeat your opinion in various places, that you
saw nothing seriously to condemn in Jowett s Essay and hardly
anything in Temple s.
"You also gave me to understand when I was at Fulham
(and thus effectually prevented me from taking any active step in
the matter) that no measure could be taken by the Bishops
except a general recommendation to the clergy to preach the
truth more actively. This second communication I considered
confidential till now.
"
I consider that the subscription of your name to this docu
ment (especially paragraph 3) is in direct contradiction to what
you have said to me on the occasion to which I refer. How can
I explain this ? What can I say in your defence ? Ever yours,
publication of these reminiscences of pioceedings
"
A. P. STANLEY."
which he has himself
described as "most confidential" (Life, iii. 114). Strange to say, they have
been incorporated, as though they were authoritative records,
one popular
"
History of the Church of England."
in at least
1
It may be thought that this correspondence is reproduced at unnecessary
length, and that the more personal part of the controversy might well have
been omitted. But after consultation with the Bishop of London, and with the
biographer of Dean Stanley,
course that the whole correspondence should be left intact, as serving to throw
it has seemed to all to be the fairest and wisest
light upon the private and personal, as well as the official, side of the charac
ter which this Biography endeavours to portray.