Archdeacon Denison has again been distinguishing himself in his militant
character. At a large meeting of the English Church Union, held at the Freemasons' Tavern on Tuesday, he declared his belief that little good would come of the Church of England so long as it continued to be established, and expressed his opinion that the time had come "to break with the Bishops." This was in reference to the declared intention of some Bishops not to licence curates for churches where the full Catholic ritual was to be carried out. The Archdeacon declared that blas- phemous language was talked about "stamping out" Ritualism as the Privy Council talked of stamping out the cattle plague. For his own part, he was now obliged to do the work of a large parish without a licensed curate, and he intended to get laymen to help him read the lessons, preach, and do everything except "hearing confessions, proouncing absolution, and administering the sacra- ments." In other words, the Ritualist Archdeacon is going to back up Dean Stanley's procedure in Westminster Abbey by his example and authority. That will be an important gain for the cause of the laity and common-sense ; —so we hope that the Arch- deacon will proceed to set the example of ecclesiastical rebellion, and "break with the Bishops." One never knows where to look for allies of freedom. It is a mysterious dispensation that secures us a very sturdy one in the Archdeacon of Taunton.
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