EXCLUSION.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."[
Sia,—If I have misconceived or misrepresented in any way Dr. Field's attitude with respect to the admission of Nonconformists to the Holy Sacrament, I sincerely regret the injustice I have done him, and tender him my apologies for the mistake. I presume, rather " implicitly " than " explicitly," from his disclaimer that he is in agreement also with those who hold that non-compliance with the rite of Confirmation by any one should never carry with it the penalty of exclusion ? Perhaps I may be permitted to observe that I read the reference to " Jews and other non-Christian people," not as tho main thesis of Dr. Field's letter, but rather as an argument and illustration cited in opposition to the Spectator's position in respect to the closer union of the Church of England with the people ; and for a broader and higher conception altogether of her great spiritual responsibilities. May I point out to my various correspondents that I am in no way opposed to the rite of Confirmation per se i' On the contrary, I see no valid reason to be urged against it. It in no way offends the teaching of Christ. But it should be a purely voluntary and not compulsory act. All I contend for is that the spirit of Christ's teaching shall not be tampered with, and the essential and the non-essential transposed. If only all the Churches of Christendom would test their particular dogma with the words : " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His," wo should most certainly approach far nearer to a common agreement in the fundamentals of things spiritual than, unhappily, we reach now. I think that the last paragraph in " J. E. A.'s " letter, and all similar contentions, can be best met with the reply that whore the Prayer Book, for example, or any canon of any Church, conflicts with the Testaments, then must we be guided by the latter alone, the Gospel being the one source from which all spiritual authority is derived. The Prayer Book derives from the Bible—not the Bible from the Prayer Book.—I am,
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