Page:A Pastoral Letter to the Parishioners of Frome.djvu/22

14 I am sorry, deeply sorry, that anything which I may have at any time said or done should have wounded the consciences of these persons. I am quite aware that many things may have been injudiciously said and done by me, indeed I feel very keenly that my deficiencies and short-comings in the arduous post of a Parish Priest in London have been very great. I am sensible that many things written in my books have been misunderstood and have done harm where I meant them to do good. Moreover, as to differences of opinion, I am bound to respect the consciences of all men, and wish most sincerely to do so, claiming only in return the same liberty of conscience for myself; but I would put it to the great body of the parishioners who have not signed these memorials, and to those also who have signed them, whether upon reconsideration they as private clergymen or laymen can rightly be judges in this matter? Let us candidly look at the case as it stands:—One private clergyman writes in a book certain opinions concerning Religion. Five other private clergymen say that they, as members of the Church, "solemnly repudiate" what he has written as being "unscriptural," and "perilously unsound."

My brethren, there are two parties here, and the two parties differ. But who is to judge which of the two parties is right? I might as well say, "I, on my part, solemnly repudiate what they teach as unsound and unscriptural," as they solemnly repudiate what I teach. I might as well say, that I deliver my conscience by protesting against them, as they against me. Now, were I to do so, it would not follow that the protesting party must be right, and the other wrong of necessity. When two parties contend, there must be a judge between the two, which judge is of course to be neither of the contending parties; but one legitimately appointed and recognized by all. This judge as you know is primarily the Bishop of the diocese, and ultimately, the Church. And I think, my brethren, you will readily perceive, that such judgment has already been pronounced; first, by what the Bishop has said