Page:Distinguished Churchmen.djvu/416

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
364
DISTINGUISHED CHURCHMEN

violations of Church laws, as Protestants conceive them. The first great Ritual case was that of Liddell v. Westerton, which had reference to proceedings at St Barnabas' and St Paul's in London. The next case, in 1868, was that of Martin v. Mackonochie, in which the complaints were of the elevation of the sacred elements, of the use of altar lights, and of the introduction of the mixed chalice. That case was tried by Lord Cairns, and all the proceedings complained of were condemned. Then there was the case tried by Lord Hatherley in 1871, viz., that of Hebbert v. Purchas. In that the use of the mixed chalice was condemned, likewise the introduction of vestments and wafer bread, but the use of holy water was not proved. In the same year there occurred the action against Voysey, and six years later the case of Ridsdale was dealt with by Lord Cairns, with the result that vestments were again condemned, and also the use of wafer bread, but the charge with regard to the hiding of the manual acts was declared not proven. Coming to more modern times, there was the decision of Archbishop Benson in the case of Dr King, by which he practically made everything lawful of which the Bishop had been accused, his contention with regard to lights being, that if they were lighted previous to the service, and not specially as ceremonial ornaments, there was nothing illegal. The Times described the Lincoln judgment as distinctly moving the centre of gravity