Page:A Pastoral Letter to the Parishioners of Frome.djvu/21

13 individuals unconnected with this parish; nor to be disturbed by the slanderous notices and criticisms of those who write anonymously; but these memorials are matters of public, open accusation, and demand at my hands some reply, both for the satisfaction of those who have signed the memorials, as well as of those who not having signed them still may be rendered unhappy at the representations conveyed in them.

It is indeed a matter of no ordinary moment that five clergy serving in a parish should combine to represent to their Bishop that one who is appointed to come among them as a fellow labourer is unfit so to do by reason of unfaithfulness, or unscriptural teaching. It is a very fearful thing when not only the laity, but the very clergy are thus shown to differ among themselves, and those who should be "apt to teach and gentle, not striving," should be found leading a popular outcry. It is, alas! just fulfilling what I said in the outset of this letter,—how miserably divided we are in the Church of England.

The memorial states, that those whose signatures are attached to it, "owe it to, to their flocks, to their children, to their servants, and to themselves, to protest against" my appointment; that they "solemnly repudiate" my teaching; that they "consider such professions of opinion" as I have at various times made, "as directly at variance with the spirit which pervades the articles of our Reformed branch of Holy Catholic Church; and as Churchmen who would 'keep the faith' they deliver their consciences by protesting against them." They again say that they "are among the many who regard such views as those which they have cited as perilously unsound;" that they cling to the hope "that the Marchioness of Bath would not make any appointment which would be otherwise than agreeable to the inhabitants of Frome, and conducive to their spiritual benefit."

These opinions are subscribed by 56 persons out of a population of 12,000; and out of these 56, as I said, five are of the clergy of the town.