The Lower House of Convocation of Canterbury during its last
Session was curiously vacillating in regard to vestments—with respect to which we have said enough elsewhere—and curiously obstinate and mischievous in its action on the Atha,nasian Creed. With regard to this Crew, what it has done,—with the assent of both Houses,—is to make its effect and significance a good deal worse than before. It has appended to this creed a synodical de- claration "for the removal of doubts, and to prevent disquietude," which is certainly of a nature to increase doubts and ensure dis- quietude. This synodical declaration states that the Athanasian Creed " doth not make any addition to the faith as contained in Holy Scripture," which is just what we hold that it certainly, and indeed—if it be an " addition," to draw an inference much disputed by very learned men—confessedly, does. As the Bishop of Peterborough says, in an excellent letter to Thursday's Times, the only relief which Convocation has found for the consciences of clergymen who dislike the Atha.nasian Creed, is to cram down their throats an additional article, affirming the very thing they doubt most, that it is a mere echo of Scripture. It might be almost as well said that the liberal curses of a crowd are nothing but the echo of the Judge's sentence.
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