Untitled - Electric Scotland

3 2o LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. xn.
that inasmuch as the suit before the Privy Council was
now concluded, the consideration of the subject, which had
for three years been discontinued, pending the judicial
decision, should be resumed, and a committee appointed
to report upon the volume as a whole. This motion
gave rise to a memorable debate, and in particular to a
weighty and learned speech from Bishop
Thirhvall of
St. David s, who opposed with all his might, as did the
Bishop of London, the reopening of the discussions in
Convocation. Referring to the above-quoted declara
tion, which was then in process of signature among the
clergy, Bishop Thirhvall pointed out that the document
was so worded as to declare, not merely what those who
appended their names to it believed, but what was, and
always had been, the doctrine of the Church of England
on the subject.
"Am I to suppose," he said, "that the framers of this declara
tion believe that the youngest literate or illiterate, they
often mean nearly the same thing who has been last admitted
into Deacon s Orders is competent to express an opinion upon
the subject which has occupied some of the ablest and most
intellectual minds for the last two years ? And the young
deacqn is adjured by the love of God, and as a part of his
bounden duty to souls, to do what ? ... If Dr. Pusey is not
able to satisfy us with his authority on such a question, will the
name of this young deacon do anything towards it ? Will any
number of men signing it ? If they are the names of persons of
equal learning, equally competent to judge on such a very
difficult question, I admit they will, but otherwise I cannot con
sider these names, whatever be their numbers, they are said to
have exceeded 12,000 I cannot consider them in the light
of so many ciphers, which add to the value of the figures which
they follow ; but I consider them in the light of a row of figures
preceded by a decimal point, so that however far the series may
be it prolonged, never can rise to the value of a unit."
single
1 Chronicle of Convocation^ April 21, 1864, p. 1532.