Untitled - Electric Scotland

1860-64] THE ESSAYS CONDEMNED 305
sufficient grounds
for a
"
synodical judgment" upon it.
Bishop Tait opposed this step with all his might. After
the joint Episcopal Letter already published, any further
attempt at solemn condemnation would, he believed, defeat
its own end by giving the book an undue importance.
"
"
A grave and weighty document," he said, has already gone
forth to the whole country, and in my judgment
it has as much
authority as any document bearing upon this subject is ever likely
to have. An unusual concurrence of opinion among the whole of
the Bishops of both Provinces has declared the danger which is
apprehended to the Church of Christ from the rash and irreverent
promulgation of doctrines likely to do harm to young and thought
less minds. What more would you do ? . . . If it is the clergy
you are considering, well, I do not think they are likely to be
much misled by the book, and they have naturally and properly
a very high estimate of Convocation ; but in rny intercourse
with the laity I do not find that there is such high and reverent
regard for Convocation as is, no doubt, to be desired. I own I
should be surprised, for example, if the many barristers in
London among whom this book has circulated, were to consider
that the book was one whit worse than they thought it before,
because it had been solemnly condemned by Convocation. . . .
Even the protest we Bishops have already made has had the
effect of causing this book to be much more generally read than
if we had let it alone. When one of the Popes was asked to
recommend a certain book, No, said he, I will not recom
mend it, but I will do for it what will have a greater effect, I
will condemn it. . . . I believe we are of the same mind still as
we were when we signed your Grace s letter, namely that the
book as a whole is full of error. But I do not wish by appointing
this Committee to prolong needless discussion or to induce the
Lower House to engage in a profitless and mischievous alter
cation." 1
The Bishop was, however, in a minority. The Com
mittee was appointed, and in due time the Bishops received
from the Lower House a formal Resolution,
"
that there are
sufficient grounds for proceeding to a synodical judgment
VOL. I. .
Chronicle of Convocation i March 14, 1861, pp. 555-559.