NEW ARCHBISHOP.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 5

NEW ARCHBISHOP.

CONFIRMAtIO^I : ' I FUTILE PROTEST; . VDR. LANG AGOTSED-OF^ROMANISING?'. (BT .TELEGUAPH—PRESS jASS.qfllAtipN-^pPrBIGHT.j ii/i.; Londbn;,iJanuary„-,21...„, After a. futilo objection-by of the. Mr. John Jfensit,'w.ho.; r .jiinjself. notorious by his. crusade.,against,Ritualism, in the Church' of Englahd-4-allegihg "that Dr.' Cosmo Lang, the of York, is : a -'Ronianisor," the commission of bishops' appointed by the Archbishojr jf; Canterbury, confirmed Dr. Lang's' election. ;..;.,,.;, ...,.;

PROCESS OF" GONFIRMAttS '' . By the .ancient Canon Law, wkose,,forms are still-observed, the election of abisliop or archbishop, has to. be; confirmed by .the' assent, of the people. \ The process-of> confirmation is- • this: The archbishop,"by his vicar-genera),"pub-"' lishes a notice of the day of confirmation, and cites all opposers, if there be any, to.object-,to' the election. , Several times: in recent years have objections been.offered, but in no .case have they teen successful. ; Tlie'usua'l prbclam'a-' Hon made by the officer of the court, ib: "All manner of persons who'shall or will, object, tothe confirmation of the election of to be bishop (or archbishop), and pastor of- the Catheidral church of —7, let them come forward and make their objections.in duq "form;of .'law,, and, they shall be heard." The maimer in which these objections should be heard and .considered is by no means dear;' and the question has been frequently discussed.- Sir R. Phillimore, the well-known ecclesiastical lawyer,.6tates"that. in the making of bishops the freedom-, of election by the clergy is controlled-by the'letters' missive, and the confirmation.is'nullified :b'y this interpretation : (tho^-Vicar-General in the oase of Dr. Temple; Bishoj?'*'of' Exete'r)'-"6f the royal mandate to confirms Still, the'forms'are not useless and to be abolished, for so long, as they remain they constitute;-a-;perpetpal.,ad-mission of the canonical mode of procedure." The Vicar-General,-'in -the case of' Bishop Temple, practically ruled that no matter what the objections were, he was .compelled to confirm by the royal mandate. • ■•'■■•' ; •;'.-; The generally accepted: definition of a 'TJoinaniser" is one who'in." ; the'form'of teach-, ing- or ritual endeavours to introduce into.the Anglican Church doctrines.and ceromonies of a distinctively Roman Catholic character, and contrary to tho letter : or. spirit of,.the Book .of Common Prayer. Such conduct is not'unnaturally regarded as disloyal to the. Anglican Church.. There are three great historic parties inthe Church of England—High; Low; and- Broad —each of which emphasises;a: special-aspect ofAnglicanism, and the High Churchman must not be confused with tho ; "Romaniser." ...The hew archbishop has always-been, regarded as a High Churohman of that modern sohool'which is endeavouring- to absorb some', of'.'the.distinc-' Hve"elements of the.' Evangelical nhtl: Broad Church parties, to 'cultivate- friendly relations,' with other religious bodies, and _to'maintain the comprehensiveness of the Anglican -Ghuroh. Referring to Dr. Laing's.selection, .the:"London Daily Telegraph" ri said':—"The appointment may be considered an entirely hon-ppliti-cal, and though it is, generally'-'speaking, 'unexpected, it is quite the best, from.the Church point, of .view, that could have.;beeri made.":.-' lAn outline of the .-views,'of the-new-;-arch-: bishop on certain ritual and'ceremonial matters, is given under the heading of "Religious Activity," on page 14.1-.,, .-■ . 1: ,..;-; ~,.-;.:.'-.