A NEW RELIGIOUS COMMUNION.

Inangahua Times, Volume IV, Issue 29, 15 June 1877, Page 2

A NEW RELIGIOUS COMMUNION.

The Whitehall Review is responsible for the following; extraordinary statement : —We make public the astounding fact that a section of members of the Church of England hare taken measure* for founding what will be nothing ehe than a new Anglican Communion. This reiolo* tion has been oome to, as need hardly be said, in consequence of the action taken by the Anglioan prelates, under the Public Worship Regulation Act— a measure which not only ' Ritualists' so called, but High Churchmen, such as Wayland Joyce, Prebendary Irons, and West, of Wrawby, regard with the most extreme disfavor. The intelligence which we nor, for the first time, make known to the community at large, will we venture to predict, induce a feeling of surprise, if not of consternation, in the minds of Churchmen of all shades of opinicn. in comparison with which the alleged " Intrigue with Rome "^— the circumstances of which were published, with more or less accuracy, in January, 1876— sinks into insignificance. How, it will be asked, is this " New Communion " to be established in this country P By what machinery will it be set in motion ? What will be its reason of existence— what its standing point? We proceed to answer these questions seriatim. In the first place, a brand-new archbishop, with a rery ancient title, is to be consecrated by one or more foreign prelates. Secondly, two suffragans, each with titles from old English sees, are to be consecrated simultaneously, but (as we are given to understand) independently, and are to begin their conjoined labors in England, in the High-Church interest, in July next. We hay» the names of the sees in our pos* session, but we withhold their publication for the present. The difficulties at* tendant upon the consecration of the archbishop and his suffragans (as far as regards any interference with existing jurisdictions, whether Popish or others) will be surmounted by the ingenious plan of consecrating them upon the high ?•»». The new prelates, aa it is asserted, hare either been already consecrated or they will be consecrated Tery shortly. We now come to another phase of this extraordinary but perfectly veracious story of the creation of a new communion in England and the valid consecration of three new prelates without the sanction of, or the least reference to, the British Legislature or the Established Chwrch. The new communion is reported to be founded onthe faith of the undivided Church before the schism of East and West with all reasonable and 1 obvious deductions there* from. In other words, the- formularies of this new ecclesiastical body, based upon the dogmas of the Latin and the Greek Churches will be acceptable to both. A brief " Sacramentary has been officially drawn up containing the order for the administration of the Seven Sacraments. We have been allowed to inspect this " Sacraraentary," or " Manual ot essential rites," which contains exact and express directions for the administration of the Seven Sacraments. Without entering into details, which we are not yet at liberty to do, it may be said that the manual contains instructions for the use of the chrism or prayer*oil as in the GlWiilnd Roman Churches. The ceremonial, Judging by the eonJenUof the

"Saciamentarj* (which, however, is called by another name, iegmMam the SSS/wBI, ** think, fe^ff^fe wpreisWe and elaborate, and by afteii addition*— not «^ W- *n52KS2£ i The three creed* of H» W^^^J^W and of th» Church of Bng IB JB|2?Hf Apostles', the Athaoariaa,! |^W ?II W[ —will continue to l»e «•* aW 1 Communion, Finally, jmd "^9/J^p sort of cold comfort tUM • jJ^ISBES glican bishops, the neMl JUM^MHP" be non^aggressire and destructive; while its cbierpaWfl wui only claim jurisdiction over those who are ready to render them obedience. In these days an undue trenching oa liberty of conscience is always dangeroos. A sehoolmaster'a rod does not suit grswn«up men. The bishops migbt have rwaemoered that ia, .ndtitiOQ. . .&. 12,000 bencficed parsons there are no less than 8000 unbeneficed clergymen— to we suppose the new spirtaal Intruders will look for support.

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