The Bishop of Manchester has refused to institute Mr. Cowgill,—Mr.
Green's curate,—whom Sir Percival Heywood had presented to the living of Miles Platting,—the reason being, as we believe, that Mr. Cowgill refused to accept condi- tions which Dr. Fraser attempted to impose on him, as condi- tions sine, qad, non of institution. In attempting to impose such conditions, we believe that Bishop Fraser has gone beyond the law,—the Solicitor's Journa/ is clear on this point, —and we are sure that he has done all that in him lay to prevent the compromise offered by the late Archbishop to the Church from being accepted thankfully by all parties. The essence of that compromise was that till the Ecclesiastical Courts Commission had reported, there should be a truce,—no more prosecutions, and no more squabbles. An example set by Archbishop Tait might surely have been followed without loss of dignity by Bishop Fraser. And it is with real pain that we see a man who has done so much good at Manchester forcing on his own episcopal quarrel at all costs, and doing all that in him lies to prevent the pacific settlement of a dispute which threatens sooner or later the very existence of the Church of England.
