Ittttro to t4t ittitar.
THE ST. DAVID'S DIOCESE CORRESPONDENCE.
Abergwili, Carmarthen, 27th August 1851.
Sm—I must request you to correct an oversight into which you have fallen in your remarks on the correspondence between the Archdeacon of Cardigan and myself which the Archdeacon has recently published in the limes.
You suppose me to have "promised to aid in the development of the Church machinery which is deemed essential to its action elsewhere" ; and that "I do not repudiate the promise ; I only tail to remember it." You seem to have been misled by the expressions which I used in reference to the Archdeacon's own report of the contents of a letter addressed to him by ma in 1843, of which letter I had kept no copy, and therefore, as I observed, "could not say whether that report conveyed exactly the same impres- sion as the original would." If you will look again at the letter itself, which is published in the correspondence, you will see that it does not contain the remotest hint of a promise of any kind. And this letter was the first and last communication which the Archdeacon received from me on the subject previous to our recent correspondence. I had no occasion to point out this fact to the person who was in possession of .any letter, and still less to " re- pudiate " a promise which, when the letter itself was produced, it was so perfectly evident I had never made. It is apparently in consequence of this mistake that you conceive my answer to the Archdeacon's questions to have been an "evasive " one. As you have not explained wherein the evasion consists, I need only say that' cannot understand how my answer could have been more distinct or more directly to the purpose. Another point as to which you have quite misapprehended my meaning, is when you suppose me to have "treated the organization of my. Church with slight." No expression fairly liable to- such a construction is to be- found in the correspondence on my part. I may attach greater importance- to one branch of the archidiaconal functions than to another, with a view to the improvement of the condition of my diocese, without slighting either ; and I may set a very great value on both, though I look for little benefit from the manner in which they are likely to be administered in a particular case.
Belying on your usual candour for the insertion of these remarks in Tour
next number, 'I remain, Sir, your obedieat servant, C. ST. DAVID B.
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