A gentleman of the name of Johnstone, who dates from
Burleigh Street, W.C., is entreating English laymen and clergy- men in our Church to sign a long narrow strip of paper addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, on which is printed a declaration that the undersigned renounce all Christian communion with Dr. Colenso until such times as he repents of his errors. We suppose that the Bishop of London and all who refuse to sign this slip of paper,—the Bishop of London told Dr. Gray he was in communion with the Bishop of Natal,— will be subsequently held up to opprobrium as sympathiz- ing with heresy. Mr. Hope Johnstone asks not only for signatures, but stamps. For our own parts, without agreeing with the Bishop of Natal, we intend to put the slip of paper in the fire, and to send no stamps to 11 Burleigh Street, W.C. We venture to disagree very profoundly not only with the Bishop of Natal, but several other English Bishops, on various theological points,—but as far as we can see, there are few better Christians on the bench, as regards the spirit of Christian charity and zeal by which they are possessed, than Dr. Colenso; and if we were to cut ourselves off from communion with him, we should be soon embarked in a most hopeless attempt to construct a debtor and creditor account of Christian failings and graces for all the other bishops of the English Church, — a task to which the labours of Hercules would be a trifle.
Previous page
