THE SECESSION OF THE REV. STOPFORD BROOKE

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3240, 8 December 1880, Page 3

THE SECESSION OF THE REV. STOPFORD BROOKE

trom the Church of England was explained by the rev. gentlemen to his congregation at Bedford Chapel, Bloomsbury, ou October 17. The chapel was densely crowded. The building is a private «hapelbelonging to the Duke of Bedford, by whom it is leased to the Rev. Stopford i*fo°ke. A printed circular in the pews explained tJie changes and omissions made in the njorning and evening services, in order to shorten the services and fiee them from doctrinal forma to which Mr Brooke can no longer assent The morning text was Mark ix 50, "Saltis good," &c. Thje preacher said that since he last met them he had left the Church of England. In a paper he had ■sent to the congregation lie had «tated that his reason for leaying the Church was that he had «easedtojbelievethatmiraclcswere credible;

and, since the English Church founded its whole si hem i of doctrine on the miracle of the Incarnati m, disbelief in that miracle put him outside the doctrines of the Church. Politically the Church was mixed up with the old aristocratic system which was perishing so rapidly, and the very essence of which was in opposition to all the moving and livißg forcasof society. The theory of the Church was an aristocratic theory. It ministerad to the imperialistic conception of God, which has done so much harm as depotism or caste systems of any kind had done to society. Tho way the Church worked in society proved what we said. It had forced the Dissenters from its forms, and exposed them to social stigma, scarcely beginning vow to bo removed. He was speaking of the thoory of tho Church, aud not of the better feelings of Churclnneu. Many had tried to promote union with Nonconformists, but had failed, aud every such effort would fail, because the theory of the Church was too strong. He could no logger remain identified with a body condemned by every political principle he held, aud the very existence of which he opposed. His second reason was that tho Church claimed an outward authority over the faith of men. It was a system based upon a creed which crystallised past religious thought, and made it still more rigid in articles or upon the iufallible authority of the Bible. Mr Brooke enlarged upou this theme at considerable length. In the evening the text was "Let tho dead bury their dead," and the object of the discourse was to vindicate the changes made in the Church of England Liturgy. He omitted the Creeds, ho said, because they asserted what he did not beliove, because as tests they wero needless aud harmful, and because they attempted to reduce infinite truths to liuite propositions, and to express spiritual truths in intellectual forms. The world was weary of creeds and of complex theories of religion. Mr Brooko preached in a black gown iv tho morning, aud in a surplice in the evening.