TWO BISHOPS FALL OUT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 28 August 1929, Page 7

TWO BISHOPS FALL OUT.

WRANGLE IN CONVOCATION. CArSTIC ARCHBISHOP. REBUKE FOR DR. BARNES. The decorous calm of tlie Upper House cl Convocation of Canterbury way dramatically broken recently by a. passage of arms between the Bishop of St.- AI bans. Dr. N. M. B. Furse, and the Bishop of Birmingham, Dr. E. W. Barnes, in which the Archbishop of Cantor imry. Dr. Cosmo Bang, intervened to administer a rebuke, to l>r. Ramos.

During the Braver Book debate on the previous day. the Bishop- of Birmingham had spoken at- length in explanation of his general attitude towards the proposals privately agreed to- by the episcopate. When the discussion was resumed the Bishop of St. Albans delivered a. characteristic fighting speech. Dr. Furse- protested against J)r. Barnes’s suggestion that the_ Upper House .should endorse- the way in which lie was administering his- diocese. He alluded to Dr. Barnes’s reference to a statue of the Madonna and Holy Child as a ‘‘statue of a female and child." fie quoted from a- recent sermon by tlie bishop in which Dr. Barnes had said that the bishops were making concessions to religious barbarians. Tlie Bishon of Birmingham at this point rose to protest against partial quotations, and appealed to the president.

The Ai eh bishop, intervening, remarked that the Bishop of Birmingham so frequently used language of a, vehement kind that he must- not be surprised if iniv of' his brethren wished to- call attention to its implications. “We should not,” remarked his Grace, “allow our time to be taken up- by considering what the Bishop of Birmingham does or does not mean.” Further angry exchanges- occurring between the two bishops brought the Archbishop once more to his feet. Tn his concluding sneech to the Hon se-. the Archbishop made an appeal to the Bishop of Birmingham, “in the interests of the Church.” He spoke of the indignant protests- he had received from writers at home and abroad respecting the- way in which the bishop had been wounding .the consciences of so rniuiv of his brother churchmen. His Grace begged Dr. Barnes to endeavour to refrain from the use of provocative statements. “Such language.” lie said-, “cannot advance hi.s calling, and does a great deal to disturb the whole movement of life in the Church of England at the present time. 5 Cater, when the Bishop- of Birmingham wa-s replying to the strictures passed noon him. a- number of bishops rose and were about to-leave- the-cham-ber. The Archbishop inquired where they were going, and they replied that the'v were about to attend a- meeting of the Ecclesiastical Commission. Tb? Archbishop requested them to resume their seats, which thev did. On a- division. the Archbishop’s resolution was carried bv 23 votey to- 4. Tlie Bishoo of Birmingham’s rider, by leave of (ho House, was withdrawn. The president then proceeded to the Lower House to explain the resolution. The Bishops’ -oronosaJs were = so endorsed bv the Lower House of the Convocation'pl' York, and approved by the I'npc-r TTouse.