BISHOP OVERRULED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 30, 4 August 1931, Page 5

BISHOP OVERRULED

CASE OF BANNED CURATE

THE CHURCH SACRAMENTS

IMAGE AND VERSES

(From "The Post's" Representative.) "V — LONDON, 4th June. The Archbishop of Canterbury has overruled .■■ the Bishop of Birmingham I (Dr. Barnes). In November, 1929, the patrons of ( St. Aidan's Church, Small Heath, Birmingham, one of' whom ia the Bishop of Truro (Dr. Prere), presented the Eev. George Doyle Sinimonds, assistant icurate of St. Mary's Tyne Dock, County Durham, to tho perpetual curacy of St. Aidan's. Dr.,Barnes refused to.admit Mr. Sim- F •monds unless he gave an undertaking llc not to have Benediction or other Ango- th Catholic services hot authorised by the Prayer Book. The trustees took tho to matter to the Chancery Court, and last g: April, when Mr. Justice Bennett or- pc ordered Dr. Barnes to institute Mr. Sim- pi monds tho Bishop retierated his inten- ci tion of going to prison rather than yield a in spiritual matters to the authority of ai a secular court. - . 01 The question was-left in abeyance -for hs some time, but on lOta February Mr. si Justice Maugham, in the Chancery Di- ac vision, directed a writ to be issued to Dr. Lang, to. admit and licence "a fit and proper person to the benefice." "SOUNDNESS IN TAITH." Dr. Lang, in a letter to Dr. Barnes, explains that having examined Mr. Sim- ~ monds, he is satisfied "as to his spiritual V. learning and soundness'in the faith as it is held in the Church of England . . I ' and, in particular, that, as regards the 1 Holy Communion, he does not hold and will not teach the peoplo that any ador- a ' a tion 'ought to be one unto tho sacra- c< 1 mental bread and wine,' or 'unto any . " corporal presence of Christ's natural [ flesh and blood.'" ■ * Mr. Simmonds had informed him that £• ' at St. Aidan's there has been and was ' no continuous reservation of the sacra--5 ment, "and, consequently, no services ' have been or are held in connection with 1 the reserved sacrament." ' ' -r 1 The Archbishop states that Mr. Sim- * ' monds will still be subject to the Bis- ' hop's veto, and to the suits promoted 3 in the spiritual courts for any cere--1 monies or practices alleged to be illegal. The letter concludes: "You will, I am ' sure, believe me when I say that it is * very distressing and, indeed, painful, to me to be thus obliged to intervene in i tho administration of your Diocese. But c I must not allow personal feelings to r a affect what seems to me to be my duty." ° DR. BARNES'S REPLY. In reply, the Bishop submits that 3 "the existing situation is unparalleled 0 and that your Grace is, in fact, making { g a precedent." ', '" d Quoting a statement in the Arch--1 bishop's letter, the Bishop adds: "I o would inquire why it is 'manifestly unf just' to ask a man presented to a church . where grave irregularities take place, o contrary to the law cf the land and i a the Bishop's express directions, whether \ !• he will cause, such grave irregularities t- to cease." ' Referring to the Archbishop's re- < ls minder that Mr. Simmonds is still sub- < *•" ject to the Bishop's veto or action in ■ 10 the Church courts for illegal ceremonies, ' 19 Dr. Barnes says: i "This suggestion of further litigation :o, troubles me greatly. The recent litiga- " tion has been a scandal. ... As your *l Grace knows, I personally will not try 1(1 to restrain ecclesiastical disorder by a" process of law." c" Dr. Barnes recalls the rojection by Parliament of the Rovisefl Prayer Book »s, —and tho doctrine of reservation—and concludes: c, "The St. Aidan's patronage trustees have in effect claimed to decide that th reservation shall be continued at St. n- Aidan's Church, contrary to the will of >n 'Parliament. I must with respect point )n out that unless by a more complete rs examination your Grace assures yourns self that Mr. Simmonds will not adopt id reservation at St. Aidan's your present lie action will make it possible, for the decision of Parliament to be overruled ts in any instance where the Bishop is not or willing to bring a legal action against a clergyman whom your Grace may admit." In a review of the dispute, which he sent■ to the Archbishop on 14th May, Dr. Barnes stated that at St. Aidan's there was an image of the Virgin Mary, in front of which were framed the following verses:— Blessed Lady, when I pray, To Our Lord Who loves you so, )ri Will you toll me what to say? LO, You're His Mother, so you know. Ir" Then when I have done my best, Will you pray to Him for me? m And just tell Him all the rest i es I could not say properly. ■ht Dr. Barnes's comment was: "His •n. Grace will, I trust, agree that the liter■iia ary style and the theology of these: verses are aliko deplorable. I would all finally urge upon his Graeo that tho icl- orrors and puerilities to which I have ar- drawn attention do very great harm to the .Church ia Birmingham,'* j