Untitled - Electric Scotland

432 LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP TAIT [CH. XV.
Alban s, I venture to challenge your sympathy and assistance.
The law, by vesting in me the patronage of the benefice, makes
me a trustee for the Church of England in general, and for the
inhabitants of the district in particular, and in that character I
approach your Lordship. ..."
The Bishop s reply was as follows :-
" MY
TJie Bishop of London to Mr. J. G. Hubbard.
"FULHAM PALACE, July i8///, 1868.
DEAR MR. HUBBARD, I have very carefully perused
your letter bearing the date of the 22d of May, but the finally
revised copy of which, as you are aware, only reached me within
the last few days.
"You scarcely require to be again assured, after all that has
passed between us privately, of the sympathy which I feel with
your disappointment that the services of St. Alban s Church,
Holborn, have been conducted in a manner so different from
what you approve of, or my regret that Mr. Mackonochie, on the
various occasions on which you have appealed to him to submit
the points of difference to the decision of myself as his Diocesan,
or to the arbitration of some other third party, has uniformly
declined any such reference. The natural result has been that
the mode of conducting divine service at St. Alban s has become
the subject of litigation in the Courts, and though the Dean of
Arches has pronounced judgment, the parties who have moved
in the prosecution of Mr. Mackonochie are not satisfied with that
judgment, and have appealed to the highest Court of the Church
and realm.
"
Under these circumstances, you will not be surprised that I
prefer, in reference to the points which you have brought before
me, to wait for the ultimate decision of this case. I have for
some time past been of opinion, and have taken public occasion
to express my opinion, that the evils of excessive ritualism, which
at present give so much distress to many attached members of
the Church of England, cannot be remedied unless, either by the
decision of the Courts or by fresh legislation, some new method
is secured for the exercise of controlling power on the part of the
Ordinary.
Believe me to be, yours very faithfully,
"A. C. LONDON."