Untitled - Electric Scotland

1863-67] THE BISHOP AT LAST INHIBITS 505
they are confined to earnest appeals to the conscience, especially
of the unconverted, and fervid expositions of the love of Christ
for souls. Whether they would assume another character if all
restraint were removed, I am not able as yet
to decide. But it
will easily be understood that I am unwilling to run the risk,
without necessity, of turning the eccentric, and I hope passing,
excitement of certain persons who attach themselves at present to
the peculiarities of his system into a life-long slavery to the
Church of Rome. ... In the whole treatment of this case, feel
ing that the responsibility, which is great, rests entirely with me,
I must, while thanking Mr. - - and his friends for any informa
tion they are able to communicate, request them to rest contented
with the assurance that I am quite alive to the gravity of the
circumstances which have been brought under my notice."
It would be for every reason undesirable to enter into
the particulars of the controversies that ensued. Enough
to say that at length, owing in part to the action taken by
Mr. Lyne in respect to a lady whom he proposed to
"
solemnly excommunicate from our Holy Congregation,"
the Bishop found it necessary to issue the inhibition which
had long been asked for. Such importance as the matter
may have consists in the evidence of the Bishop s patient
and considerate treatment of a problem which created at
the time a very wide-spread controversy and excitement.
The following letter has reference to the Bishop s views
upon the subject of Confession. A clergyman holding a
Continental chaplaincy had been requested by a young lady
to receive her to confession,
"
as she had not had an oppor
tunity of going to confession for some months past."
clergyman informed the Bishop
receive her :-
"
I told her," he wrote,
"
The
that he had declined to
that I was not conscious of pos
sessing authority from my Church to comply with her request,
as I considered that our Church only contemplated private con
fession in the case of extreme sickness, or of a conscience troubled
with the sense of some special sin. But as I did not gather from