Untitled - Electric Scotland

1 86 1-66] BISHOP GRAY S QUESTIONS 361
munion with the Bishop of Natal as should seem to admit
the validity of the excommunication. A few sentences
from Bishop Tait s speech will make his position clear :-
"
I should have been very glad," he said,
"
if in some mode
that would have avoided the appearance of difference of opinion.
we could have communicated to the Bishop of Capetown our
impression that the questions
addressed to us were couched in
such a form that it was almost impossible for us to return the
answer which he desires. ... Of course, in times of excitement,
it requires great caution and considerable courage to endeavour
to stem the tide of opinion, especially
as the common sense
which the English people generally show in all such matters
decides that the cause maintained by the Bishop of Capetown
is the right cause, however he has erred in his manner of ad
vancing it. None of us have the slightest doubt that Bishop
Colenso has published most dangerous books books of the
tendency of which I doubt whether he was fully aware when he
published them. Whether it be the case, as has been stated in
the public papers, that he is about to proceed further with these
dangerous publications, I know not ; but what he has already
done is sufficient to convince us that he is quite unfit to exercise
the office of a Bishop of the Church of England. I only wish
he had followed the judicious advice which we have given him.
I do not think he can, with any satisfaction to himself, any more
than to the satisfaction of the Church, continue to perform the
duties of the office which he holds. But, however that may be,
he would not accept our advice, and we must take the matter as
we find it. We are for the moment placed in the painful posi
tion of appearing to sympathise with Bishop Colenso, and not
with Bishop Gray. I think it most desirable to state how far I
sympathise with the Bishop of Capetown. I have great respect
for him as a man of courage, as a man of undoubted zeal in
carrying out what he believes to be true, and as a man honestly
desirous of extending the Church of Christ according to his own
views. But I hope I am not saying anything uncourteous if I
say that on every occasion on which lie has come before the
public, his conduct has made me suspicious of his own opinions.
I consider him to hold very strong opinions on one side, differ
ing from myself and more than one-half the Bishops
of the
Church of England. He is fully entitled to hold these opinions,