THE QUEEN VERSUS TRACTARIANISM.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 561, 30 August 1851, Page 3

THE QUEEN VERSUS TRACTARIANISM.

At a gi\at Meeting of Church of England laymen, held in Freemasons' Hall, London, at which Lord Asjlii-kt picsided, an Address to the Queex was adopted, pi'aying her Majesty, as Head of the Chuich, to interpose for the purification of the Ch.irch of En[d:md from the novelties in principles and ptacticc which the Tractarian clergy have introduced, and which, in numerous inst uu'e ', ha\ c sit\iml os a platform by which to pass | fro-n Protestantism to the communion of Rome. The Addres-i received the signatures of about .seventy pecr-3, and considerably more than one hundred members of the House of Commons, and altogether was signed by behceen three and four hundred thousand Churchmen. Her Majesty's reply was communicated by means of the following important Letter, which Sir Gkorge Grey, as Secretary of State for the Home Department, addressed, by the Queex's command, to the Archbishop of Canterbury: — " Whitehall. April, 1, 1851. "My Lord Archbishop, — I have received the Queen's commands to transmit to your grace the accompanying Addiess, which has been presented to her Majesty, signed by a large number of lay membpr9 of tho United Church t f England and Ireland, including many members of both Houses of Parliament. " Her Majesty places full confidence in your Grace's desire to use sucli means ns are within your power to maintain th<* purity of tho doctrines taught by the clergy of the Established Church, and to discourage and prevont innovations in the mode of conducting the services of the Church not sanctioned by law or general usage, and calculated to create dissatisfaction and alarm among a numerous body of its members. " I am, therefore, commanded to place this Address in your Grace's hands, and to request that it maybe communicated to tho Archbishop of York, and to the sufliagan bishops in England and Wales, who, her Majesty does not doubt, will concur with your Grace in the endeavour, by a judicious exercise of their authority and influence, to uphold the purity and simplicity of the faith and worship of our reformed Church, and to reconcile diifeiences among its members injurious to Us peace- and usefulness. " I have the honour to be, " My Lord Archbishop, " Your Grace's obedient servant, G. GREY. " UisGrace the Archbishop of Canterbury."