v>^^„.
IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
//
(./
4rj
^T #, ^ //,.,
:a
y.
1.0
I.I
11.25
'- ilM
|5 "'"==
;^ lis iiiiiM
M
2.2
JL4- ill 1.6
6"
V]
<^
/i
/
c':
e-J
V
/A
vl
►>v-^
rilUlUglcipiUL
Sciences
Corporation
23 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80
(716) 872-4503
A^
\%
^^
\\
%
v
^
%^
;■%''''
6^
*J.
V m^..
^
Lsf i^
CIHM
Microfiche
Series
(IMonographs)
ICI\/IH
Collection de
microfiches
(monographies)
Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques
Technical and Bibliographic Notti / Notat techniques et bibliographiques
The Institute has anempted to obtain the best original
copy available for filming. Features of this copy which
may be bibliographically unique, which may altar any
of the images in the reproduction, or which may
significantly change the usual method of filming, art
checked below.
D
D
D
n
Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur
Covers damaged/
Couverture endommag^
Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restauree et/ou pelliculie
Cover title missing/
Le titre de couverture manque
Coloured maps/
Cartes g^ographiques en couleur
Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
I I Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noirt)
n
n
Coloured plates and/or illustrations/
Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur
Bound with other material/
Relie aver d'autres documents
Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along inteiior margin/
La reliure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distorsion le long de la marge interieure
Blank leaves added during restoration may appear
within the text. Whenever possible, these have
been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutiai
lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le toxtt,
mais, lorsque cela etait possible, ces pages n'ont
pas ete f ilmees.
□ Additional comments:/
Commentaires supplementaires:
This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/
Ce document est filme au taux de reduction indiqui ci-daiioui,
inx i^y ^Bv
L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il
lui a eti possible de se procurer. Les details de cet
exemplaire qui sont peut-£tre uniques du point de vue
bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image
reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification
dans la mithode normale de f ilmage sont indiqu^s
ci-dessous.
□ Coloured pages/
Pages de couleur
□ Pages damaged/
Pages endommagtes
□ Pages restored and/or laminated/
Pages restaurees et/ou pellicultes
Q Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
Pages decolor^s, tacheties ou piquees
Th»
tot!
n
Pages detached/
Pages detaches
Th«
po«i
of tl
film
Orifl
bogi
th«
•ion
othi
first
•ion
oril
HShowthrough/
Transparence
Quality of print varies/
Qualite inegale de I'impression
n
Continuous pagination/
Pagination continue
Th«
shal
TIN!
whii
Map
diffi
•ntii
bogi
rtghi
roqu
matl
dudes index(es)/
Comprend un (des) index
Title on header taken from:/
Le titre de I'en-tite provient:
issue/
□ Title page of issue
Page de titre de la
□ Caption of issue/
Titre de depart de la li
livraison
vraison
D
Masthead/
Generique (periodiques) de la livraison
26 X
30X
^^^^
.^\d
1
J
j
12X
16X
ax
24 X
28X
32 X
qu'il
t cet
t de vue
ige
iation
|ue$
Tht copy filmed h«r« has b««n raproductd thanks
to th« gsnsrosity of:
Library of the National
Archives of Canada
Ths imagss appsaring hora ara tha bast quality
possibia considaring tha condition and iagibiiity
of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha
filming contract spacifications.
Original copias in printad papar eovara ara flimad
beginning with tha front covar and anding on
tha last paga with a printad or llluatratad impraa-
sion, or tha back covar whan appropriata. All
othar original copias ara flimad beginning on tha
first paga with a printad or llluatratad impres-
sion, and ending on the last paga with a printed
or llluatratad impression.
The last recorded frame on each microfiche
shall contain tha symbol — ^> (meaning "CON-
TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"),
whichever appliaa.
Mapa, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at
diffe'ent reduction ratios. Those too large to be
entirely included in one exposure ere filmed
beginning in the upper left hend corner, left to
right and top to bottom, as many frames as
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:
L'exemplaira filmA fut reproduit grAce A la
gAnirositA da:
La bibliothique des Archives
Rationales du Canada
Las images suivantes ont AtA raproduites avec le
plus grand soin. compte tanu de la contrition at
de le nenetA de f'exempleire filmA, et en
conformity avec les conditions du contrat da
filmage.
Lea axemplaires originaux dont la couverture en
papier est ImprimAe sont filmis en commenpant
par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la
darnlAre paga qui comporte une empreinte
d'Impression ou d'illustretion, soit par la second
plat, aelon le cas. Tous las eutres exemplaires
originaux sont filmis en commenpant par la
pramiAre page qui comporte une empreinte
d'imprtMsion ou d'illustretion et en terminant par
la derniAre pene qui comporte une telle
empreinte.
Un des symboles suivents spparaftra sur la
derniire imege de cheque microfiche, salon le
cas: le symbols —^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le
symbols ▼ signifie "FIN".
Les cartes, pienches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre
filmis i des taux de reduction diffirents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour itre
reproduit en un seul clichi, il est filmi i partir
de I'engle supirieur geuche, de gauche A droite,
et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre
d'imeges nicessaire. Las disgrammes suivents
illustrent le mithode.
1 2 3
32 X
1
2
3
4
5
6
THE
RESOLUTIONS
•#•
OF THE
VINCIAL
OD
CSfcAiW-jST OBEDI&NCE TO
The. Ornaments Rubric.
B Y
A Thus and Loyal Church of England Man,
PRICE B CENTS.
®orottt0 :
CAXTON PRESS : T. HILL & SON, PRINTERS,
COR. KINO AND JARVIS STKKET8.
1881. »
THE
^^^olutian^ of the f tavinml ^jjnod
AGAINST, OBEDIENCE TO
"The Ornaments Rubric,"
I
Those who took any interest in Church matters in 1867
and 1868, will readily recall the agitation which was at that
time awakened in the minds of sincere but ill-informed
Churchmen, on the subject of Ritualism. An organized
campaign was inaugurated among the Low Churchmen of
the Diocese of Huron, su])i)orted by their sympathizers
elsewhere. The clergy who were not in accord with this
movement will be able clearly to recall the feelings of
annoyance they experienced at finding their parishes flooded
(often by a secret agency which they could not always de-
tect), with untrue, exaggerated, and inflammatory papers,
containing the most alarming statements of the treacherous
and dangerous designs of the High Church clergy. Every
effort was made to secure in the various Dioceses such a
representation in the Provincial Synod, which was to meet
in Sept., 1868, as would secure the adoption of some such
legislation as would put a check upon their supposed inten-
tion to Romanize the Church.
The Churchmen of Toronto, who were perfectly aware of
the nature and objects of the attack which was to be made
upon them at the Provincial Synod, resolved to meet it in
a generous si^irit, and endeavour to disarm the approaching
conflict of anything like bitterness. They knew quite well
that the Toronto delegation was in their own hands, and
that they coidd send as their representatives whomsoever
they pleased. With a magnanimity, more generous perhaps
than wise, they j)laced the present Dean of Toronto where he
has never stood before or since— high on the list of clerical
delegates. They sent Dr. Fuller (now Bishop of Niagara),
the late excellent Mr. Givens and others who they were
quite aware were pledged to the anti-ritual agitation.
When the time arrived for the meeting of the Synod, the
discussion, which every thoughtful person regarded as sure
to be productive of harm, seemed likely to be postponed.
The alarming illness of the Metropolitan, Bishop Fulford,
filled all minds with anxiety, and his death a few days after-
wards, cast for the moment an awe and solemnity over the
members of the Synod, in common with the whole commu-
nity. Still, the minds of all were filled with the thought of
the exciting topic which was to be brought under discussion,
and which apparently no consideration of feeling or propri-
ety could postpone.
The strength of the excitement may be measured by the
fact, that as soon as the body of the Metropolitan had been
consigned to the grave, one so full of love and gentleness as
the late revered Saltern Givens, should have precipitated
the debate.
How that debate raged for days, it would be as painful
as it is unnecessary, to tell. It was marked by very stron^^
feelmg, and the journal affords humiliating proof of the
incompetency of the Provincial Synod of that day to desd
under such circumstances with the subject.
This retrospect is necessary to show the animus out of
which its ultimate proceedings grew, and to afibrd additional
proof of the worthlessness of its final decision.
6
We hIuiU now proce^nl to examine the cliiuacter and
weigh the binding force of that decision itself.
1. The Provincial Synod has repeatedly declared that the
Church in Canada is an integral part of the Church of Eng-
land. If the Provincial Synod is prepai-ed to abide V)y that
declaration, it must be content to accept its consequences.
It is one only, out of a considerable number of " Provinces,"
which make up the Anglican Communion, and one which
can hardly be regarded as a very important })art of so great
a body, whether we consider the number of its clergy or
the extent of their theoloyical and ecclesiastical learninjr,
or the wealth, social influence, opportunity of observation
or spiritual attainments of its laity, who occupy so power-
ful a position in her Synods, yet if the anti-ritual resolu-
tion of 18G8 is to be regarded as binding on the consciences
of the clergy, it is deay, that the effect of the rough and
ready action of this insignificant "part," is, to repeal the law
and usage of the '* whole," a law and usage which have
existed from time immemorial ; and though for a time the
usage was allowed to become obsolete, yet the law itself,
after all the struggles' of the Reformation, still exists, and
in " perfectly unambigMous language," stands to-day in the
very fore-front of eveiy cojjy of the Prayer I^^ok of the
English Chui-ch. When the Legislature of a t ;)lony, is
acknowledged to have by its own assumj)tion, the power
of freeing its inhabitants from the obligation of obeying
an Imperial Statute binding upon the whole Empire, then
we may be disposed to consider the power of the Synod of
a single Province — and that of no very distinguished cliar-
aeter — to abrogate the Ornaments Rubric, which has been
accepted by the whole Chui'ch, and thus alter the Prayer
Book.
2. From this general consideraton we now pass on to
6
lixamine briefly the principles of the Provincial S3'notl
itself, as set forward with great solemnity at its first
formation, and since continually repeated in its autho-
rized Reports. " We acknowledge the Book of Common
Prayer and Sacraments, with the 39 Articles of Religion,
to be a true and faithful declaration of the doctrines con-
tained in Hol3'^ Scripture ;"" and this declaration (as set out
in the Prayer JJook) the Synod with great emphasis asserts
• that it will transmit to posterity — and then, for unsound
reasons, supi)orted by inconclusive arguments, and glaring
misquotations, which are the fruit not of dishonesty but
ignorance," the said Synod with a most wondrous inconsis-
tency proceeds in a hurry and panic to alter in very impor-
tant particulars the very Prayer ]3ook which it had just
declared to contain a true and faithful declaration of the
doctrines contained in Holy Scripture, to every letter of
which, every clerical member had declared, ex animo, his
unfeigned assent and consent, and which they had just
asserted their firm and unanimous resolution to transmit to
their posterity. It would be simple dishonesty to try to
escape from this ludicrous dilemma by saying that the Reso-
lution was against ritual and not against doctrine because,
by the confession of all parties, the struggles of la^e years
derive all their importance from the fact that ritual symbo-
lizes and expresses doctrine. .
3. But we are not yet finished with the *" Declaration."
Surely no one ought to understand its proper duties and
functions, together with the limits of its power, as well as
the Synod itself. Here then are its own views on these
points : " It is our earnest desire and determination to con-
fine our deliberations to matters of discipline, to the tempo-
ralities of the Church, and to such • regulations of order and
modes of operation as may tend to her efficiency and ex-
1
tt'iiHioii. " And tlicii it proeeedH to act in a way whieli
plainly i-oiitnidictH this "desire and detcM-niination," by pro-
ceodinju; to pass ri'solutions on a snhjt'ct entirely beyond the
liuiits to whicli, Hccoi'dinj,' to its own statement it resolvetl
to eonHnu itself, thus adding a second self-contradiction to
the first, and practically proceeding to alter that which
it proi)os(>d to h'lnd <lown to posterity intact and unchanged.
It is dirticult to conceive that inconsistency could go much
furtlnu'.
4. Having been driven by i«, senseless panic, to meddle
with and pnicticfally change what it had professed its unani-
mous resolution to preserve unaltered — and moreover, hav-
ing been lod to <h'id with matters far beyond the limit to
which it had o.vpr^v^sly determined to restrict itself, the
examination of the resolutions and amendments brought
into diHcusHit)n shows its own marvellous incompetency to
deal, in sueh ctircuuistances, and under the exciting influ-
ences which then prevailed, with a subject so important.
The Report biought in by the Committee, to whom the
memorials and petitions against " ritualistic practices " had
been referred, was nuirkcnl by common sense, and had it
been adopti*d would have done much to save the rejaitation
of the Synod. Hut a not very wise amendment to a canon,
which hud nothing to do with the subject, containing very
aVjsurd stat(unents, v i.ljh it is not worth while to criticise,
precipitated a debatt^ which did not tend to raise the char-
acter of the Hynod, either for wisdom or charity. To allay
the excitement- which was running very high—the Upper
House sent down from its calmer atmosphere a resolution
which is worthy of some consideration. It is to be found
on page 47 of the Journal of 1868.
This resolution, regarded in the light which has since
been thrown upon it, is a remarkable document. At the
8
beginning, tlus Synod in cautioned iigiiinst Ifgislating on any
^ of these things which are legalized hy the Onianients Ru-
bric, lef^t they abolish not only a law of the Prayer Book
but a Statute of Upper Caaada, which many believe to be
yet in force, and yet at the end tln^ Bishops wish the Lower
House to unite in their Lordships' unanimous agreement to
express disapprobation of what many believe both Church
and State enjoin, and their dct(!rmination by every htwful
means to prevent the use of that which the Imv itself dis-
tinctly legalizes. The next point to be observ(nl in the
" unanimous " opinion of the Upper House, is their effort
to commit the (Jlnirch in Canada to tlus nxist utter Ei'as-
tianisnj. Although, in Canada, free from all obligation to
obey the judgments in matters ecclesiastical of the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council, we are exhorted to await
their decision on such sidyects as lights and vestments, and
rule ourselves accordingly. Their Lordshi'is had either
forgotton, or were unhappil}' ignorant of the struggles of the
greatest of modern Bishops — the Metropolitan of Capetown
— with that miserable Committee, and of his fornnda whi<?li
has received such wonderful and disastrous justiticntion
since : !' We must destroy the Privy Council or the Privy ^
Council will destroy the Church of England." They en-
deavored to use the spiritual authority of the Provincial
Synod for the jnnpose of enslaving us to the secular autho.
rity of a court, which for the purj)ose of conciliating piddic
opinion, has garbled documents, has transposed dates, has
made jissertioViS which are only saved from falsehood by the
more charitable theoiy of ignorance ; whose decisions, ac-
cording to Sir J. T, Coleridge, are *' a gross miscarriage of
justice," whose judgments, according to Sir Fitzroy Kelly,
" are judgments of policy and not of justice," and whose
interpretations of plain rubrics are so hojjelessly contradic-
9
tory, that Lord CainiH liinisolf in liis speech in the Houko
of Lords said, that not a h»ynien oidy 'nt even a lawyer
would find it so impo.ssihh! to reconcile tiuin, thut thou^di
professedly final, they could not in n'ality l»e so. After
they might have known and ought to have known HiHlutp
Gray's struggles with this most uidia]»py Court of liniil Ap
peal, whose blunders and crimes have at last compelled the
issue of a Royal Oommission, they nevertheless unanimouMly
agreed to urge the Synod which was, and is (tliMuk (lod)
free from its jurisdiction, to place itself under the domina
tion of this most unhappy and incompetent trihumil.
But even this does not exhaust the ])roof of the imminent
peril of allowing hasty legislation on exciting matters, ev i,
by the House of Bishops. If we had not the certified re-
port before us, it would be impossible to credit th(} Itlunders
which were niade. L(!aving the guidance of " Her Majesty's
Highest Courts," and the que.stions before the Privy Coun
oil, the Bishops venture to propose a resolution of their own
motion, and at the very first step plunge headlong into an
inconceivable mistak?. They actually base their resolution
on a plain and imdeniable misquotation of the Pmyer
Book, in which mistake they " unanimously agree." Their
exact words are as follows : " Whereas, the Rubric at tlm
end of th( Communion OfKce enacts that the bread .shall be
such as is usual to be eaten, the use of wafer bread is hereby
forbidden."
Of course, any one who can read his Prayer Book and
understands plain English, can aee in a moment that they
failed to do one on else the other. The Rubric at the end
of the Communion Office makes no such enactment as theii-
Lordships assert it to do. It says, that in the want of
something better, " if, shall tiuffi,ce that the bread shall l)e
sucli as is \isual to be eaten." That did not mean adulterated
10
baker's bread, for it was *' bread prepared for the commu-
nion," and Archbishop Parker enjoined it to be made in the
form of wafers. The Bishops were at that time manifestly
unaware that there is incontestible evidence to show that
such bread " during tlie tirst portion of the Reformation
century, was the rule of our Church, and during the re-
mainder of it a recognized custom." (Beresford Hope's Wor-
sliip in the Church of England, p, 240.) When on its
'unanimous adoption" by the Bishops, this marvellous
resolution was sent down for the concurrence of the Lower
House, the same persistent blunder was embodied in the
amendments of (the then) Archdeacon Fuller, Dr. Balch,
and Kev. Mr. Bleasdell, a proof that some of the leaders
there were not much better prepared than the Bishops had
shown themselves to be, to deal in such an off-hand manner
with subjects of such great importance. It is somewhat
amusing to observe that, between the 15th September and
the 18th, during which the debate was going on, the Bishops
discovered the mistake which they had " unanimously ''
made, and came to the most lame and impotent conclusion,
that because the Church of England says that the bread
which is usual to be eaten — as long as it is the best and
purest that conveniently can be gotten — shall suffice,, there-
fore every other kind is henceforth to be forbidden. O I
marvellous. Non sequitur.
5. The Resolution, therefore, in the form into which it
was finally thrown by the late Dr. Balch, passed, and re-
maiiis a very painful and humiliating monument of three
tilings : — i. The inconsistency of the ProAdncial Synod,
with its solemn declaration of principles, ii. Its transgres-
sion of the limits of action which it had distinctly laid down
for itself; and "iii. : Of its entire incompetency, under cir-
cumstances of agitation and excitement to discharge wisely
11
and well the task which was forced upon it by a few agita-
tors. Its panic-stricken action has never been considered
or consented to by four Dioceses out of the nine whicli con-
stitute the Province, and therefoi'e, can never bind them to
accept its decision. Therefore to regard it as law, would
land us in the absurd conclusion that observancer, which are
perfectly legal in one Diocese, would involve us in criminal-
ity, if carried out in another Diocese of the self-same eccle-
siastical Province.
6. There can be little doubt that there is a latent feeling
in many minds that the whole transaction was something
of which the Provincial *" nod has very good reason to be
ashamed. The pfoof of this is to be found in the fact that
no one at any subsequent session has ever in the most dis-
tant way alluded to the subject, or ventured to bring it up
for confirmation. If the alteration of a mere local canon
requires to be confirmed before acquiring force, (see Art. 25
of Constitution) no one can well deny that the alteration of
a Rubric of the Prayer Book of the whole English Cliurch,
and what is certainly an Act of Parliament in England,
and is thought by many — the Bishops say — to be an Act of
Parliament here, must at least require the observance of the
same form before we can be called to submit to it.
7. This Resolution was of course a mere device to escape
a difiiculty arising from a culpable and wholly unwarranted
agitation. Had it been capable of confirmation, it would
still be powerless to bind the conscience or influence the
action of the clergy, because they bind themselves to submit
not to any mere ''resolutions" of the Provincial Synod but
only to formally enacted " canons," passed in accordance
with its declaration of principles, within the sphere of its
legitimate authority and in accordance with its laws. This
is no canon at all. It is a mere unconfirmed '* resolution "
• 12
contnullctiii^ the principles, exceeding the powers, contra-
veniiif,' iho nih^w of order, vitiating the Constitution of the
I'rovinciul Syuoil, and casting discredit on its competency.
it would have l)een a needless work to have broken such a
woitldcHH lly on the wheel of common sense and consecutive
argunuMit, IiimI it not been sought to invoke the supposed
sanction of the Synod to support the mere deductions of
private judgment, and neutralize the law of the Prayer
liook by that wliicli is no law.
Thu attcunpt to enforce such an unconstitutional proceed-
ing on tlu^ part of the Synod would be to sound its death
k.iell. I\I,(Mi, who had any regard for the safety of the
('liiwvli, tht) maintenance of her rights and liberties, and the
preservation of their own self-respect, would refuse to attend
its meetings, or to recognize its authority. And when ''a
part," even though claimiugtobe ati ''integral part," attempts
as in this cvwh, to usurp the powers and functions of " the
whole," it will find that in grasping at the shadow of an
illegitimato authority it lost the substance of what it miffht
justly fhiim.
It took the Clmrch of England exactly 110 years to ar-
range her reformed system of faith and worship. It took
three days for four (Jaiia4i<ui Bishops, a few Canadian and
Americfun Priests, aided by the recondite, theological, and
eccleHJastieal h)r(! of sundry merchants, lawyers, editors,
civil eiigiueerH, railroad and bank directors, to make an
attempt, a[)parently -satisfactory to themselves, to repeal
what had (^luiured for more than thi-ee centuries since the
Hefoiuiatiou, and centuries before.