The death of Dn J. Merewether ' on Thursday, after a
lingering illness; places the Deanery-of Hereford- at the gift of Ministers. Dn Merewether held the Deanery eighteen years.; he was a protégé of William the Fourth, Sam the time when the late King resided at Busby as Duke of Clarence.- His opposition to the appointment of Dr. Hampden, as Bishop of Here- ford. is freshly remembered:
Sixty-four-of the. clergy of the Archdeaemn7 of Exeter have published protest on the subject' of the Gorham' decision'.
ey recite that theSacred-Synod of this nation, commonly called Convo- cation, is recognized by the. constitution and laws of thirerealm ; that the civil power, without consent of the aforesaid Sacred Synod, has created the Judicial Privy Council to be supreme court in matters-of doctrine and con- troversies. of faith; and that this court has in the-Gorham case declared that the Church of. England " does- not require her clergy to believe,. as.a neces- sary article of faith, that.everry infant baptized into her communion is by baptism regenerate" : therefore, while.yielding reverent and peaceful obe- dience to the Queen as." supreme governor in these her realms, over all persons andln all causes, 'as well ecclesiastical as temporal," yet in this case, " as in the presence of God," they "'do solemnly repudiate the opinion or position that the civil power of this realm lath, or ought to have, any authority or rightfid power to. appoint a' lay court of appeal in matters affecting the Church's faith or doctrine, without the sanction and consent of that Church in Sacred Synod. assembled," &c. They utterly reject; refuse, deny, and repudiate, the doctrine contained in the decision on the case of Gorham ,• and declare that the Book of Common Prayer doth fully and unequivocally teach, "as the Holy Catholic Church ever has. taught, that without. any sort of uncer- tainty, hypothesis, reservation, contingency, or doubt, the gift of regenera- tion and the remission of sins is in all cases bestowed upon infants in and by Ole-sacrament of holy baptism duly administered:"
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