RELIGIONS PERSECUTED IN ENGLAND.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2445, 19 January 1881, Page 2

RELIGIONS PERSECUTED IN ENGLAND.

Considerable excitement lias prevailed in clerical circles over the arrest of the Kev. J. Pelham Dale, and the llev. 11. W. Enraght for disobeying the inhibitions of tlie Court of Arches. The writ for the arrest of Mr Enraght was served early on the morning of Nov. 27, and shortly afterwards the following notice was posted on a board near the church railings .—“ Your vicar will be arrested this afternoon at 1.30. Train leaves for Warwick Gaol at 2.4.”

As the hour for the arrest drew nigh, the crowd outside the church gradually increased, and the apparent purpose of the notice having been served it was taken down. Between twelve and one a number of Mr Enraght’s friends arrived at the house to witness his arrest. The sheriff's officer on his arrival was ushered into the drawing-room, where he was joined after a short delay, by Mr Enraght, who wore his cassock. The officer having produced the writ for Mr Enraght’s arrest, the latter, amid the cheers of his friends, delivered the following written protest:—“I solemnly protest in the name of God and the Church of England, against your arresting me or interfering with me in any way under the authority proceeding from the Court of Lord Penzance, whose jurisdiction over me in spiritual matters Ido not acknowledge.” Mr Harris one of the churchwardens, addressing the sheriff’s officer, also said, “In my name and in the name of my colleague I most empathically protest against this arrest.” The arrest having been completed, Mr Enraght aud his friends lilcd out of the room into the churchyard, which was crowded, and there was another great concourse outside. Immediately the vicar appeared among the crowd there was a tremendous cheer, accompanied by deep groans for a certain member of the congregation who instituted the proceedings which have culminated in the arrest. On reaching the churchyard gate the vicar motioned to the crowd that he wished to address them, and immediately there were cries of “ Silence” and “ Hats off.’ Mr Enraght, who spoke in a firm, clear voice," said “My dear Brethren,— You are, many of you I am sure, puzzled to find out what your vicar is going to prison For. I have lived quietly among you for more than six years, trying, in God’s name, to serve you. I will not keep you long in explanation, but will just say what Mr Gladstone, the present Prime Minister, said thirty years ago, in his pamphlet on the Koyal ‘ Supremacy,’ and the words were reprinted by him in 1877, ‘that we Churchmen have long been suffering from a gross violation of the true constitutional and legal order of things in Church matters, and therefore of our strict rights as Englishmen.’ Now you well know in Birmingham there are many persons enlightened and honest enough to desire progress and improvement where abuses exist, and to cry ‘ Forward ’ in all such matters. There are others, ‘ dog-in-the-manger ’ people, ever ready to stop improvements and keep up abuses if they can. Well, then, the Church Association, in Birmingham aud elsewhere, are trying their little best to keep up, abuses in the Church that thereby they may destroy the true position, doctrines, aud worship of the Church of England. They have got some bad legal decisions, and I am sorry to say our archbishops and some of our bishops are on their side. Hence the present storm. It is because thousands of English clergy and hundreds of thousands of the laity long agreed that they would not stand this any longer that I am now going to gaol. With God‘s help aud your assistance we shall break down the blind, misguided, and unchristian attack on Jesus Christ and His cause in this land. I ask your very earnest prayers on my behalf and tor the English Church, that we may do God’s will; and may God bless you all! We will praise God for all his mercies ‘by singing ‘ the doxology before I go.” The doxology was then sung by the crowd, and amid great excitement the vicar and the sheriff’s officer, accompanied by the churchwardens and a few personal friends, then left for Warwick bv train.

"Mr Dale, who is still a prisoner in Holloway gaol, has now given instructions for the institution of legal pro-, ceedings with respect to his release from prison. The petition to the Queen for the release of the above clergymen continues to be signed by sympathisers of all shades of opinion. Several persons have put their religious profession after their names. Among them are many Dissenters. Twenty thousand signatures are appended to the document. A cablegram to hand announces that both clergymen have been discharged from custody, it having been found that the writs under which they were arrested were defective.