We have just received from Canon Trevor a long and
clever letter, which will be found elsewhere. It comes too late for any careful criticism, and perhaps does not need it, for Canon Trevor proves too much. He gives up Convocation as Church authority that cannot bethought fit to reform either the rubrics or the doctrinal conditions of the Church. He gives up the fitness of Parliament for the same purpose. Moreover, he finds it intellectually impossible to define a layman of the Church of England,—and criticises,— to some extent, we think, justly and effectively,—the test we sug- gested,—that, namely, of the appearance of the bearer's name on the register of the voluntary Church-rate. What, then, Canon Trevor arrives at is, that the Church is absolutely a fly in amber, that it has no organisation, and can have none, by which it could properly reform either its rubrics or its doctrinal tests. It must simply stick in the mud; two or three centuries old, in which it was deposited at the time of the Reformation. Well, if that were so, all we should-bay is, Pray let it be disestablished and disendowed as soon as may be. To enforce an obsolete law which you are unable to impose, is a situation too painful for any body, but puzzles of the imagination which prove to a strong man that walking is impossible are best solved by getting up and walking off.
Previous page
