THE ROMANIZING PARTY-BISHOP BLOMFIELD ON SECESSIONS TO ROME-CHARGE OF 1846-PAPAL INFALLIBILITY-ESSEX ACCIDENT TO BISHOP BLOMFIELD IN 1847-ITS RESULTS-DR. HAMPDEN MADE BISHOP OF HEREFORD-DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP THE GORHAM CASE-BISHOP BLOMFIELD ON BAPTISMAL REGENERA- TION-HE DISSENTS FROM THE JUDGMENT-EXCITEMENT IN THE CHURCH-THE BISHOP PROPOSES A NEW COURT OF APPEAL ST. BARNABAS, KNIGHTSBRIDGE-SERMON AT ITS CONSECRATION -CHARACTER OF ITS RITUAL-THE PAPAL AGGRESSION- LORD J. RUSSELL'S LETTER-DISTURBANCES AT ST. BARNABAS -RESIGNATION OF THE INCUMBENT-BISHOP BLOMFIELD'S CON- PRIVATE AND DOMESTIC LIFE OF BISHOP BLOMFIELD-HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE-CHARACTER OF HIS MIND-HIS IN- DUSTRY-HIS INTERCOURSE WITH HIS CLERGY-AND WITH LITERARY MEN · HIS HUMOUR - HIS VIEWS ON AMUSE- BISHOP BLOMFIELD'S MUNIFICENCE IN ALMSGIVING-KINDNESS TO THE CLERGY-FORGIVING DISPOSITION-SEVERITY WHEN NECESSARY -TESTIMONY OF CANON DALE-AND CANON CHAMPNEYS-NOT NARROW IN HIS SYMPATHIES-HIS FRIEND- SHIPS LASTING HIS WORK IN THE PARISH OF FULHAM-HIS AFFECTION OF THE EYE-SIGHT IN 1855-PARALYTIC SEIZURE- PROGRESS OF HIS ILLNESS-PROPOSAL TO RESIGN HIS SEE-DIF- FICULTIES IN THE WAY-BILL INTRODUCED INTO PARLIAMENT A MEMOIR OF BISHOP BLOMFIELD. CHAPTER I. THE TRACTS FOR THE TIMES"-CORRESPONDENCE-RUBRICAL OBSERVANCE-AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTRY-BISHOP STANLEY AND CLERICAL SUBSCRIPTION-PUBLICATION OF TRACT XC.-VIEWS. OF BISHOP BLOMFIELD ON IT-ROMANIZING TENDENCY OF THE TRACTWRITERS-SERMONS ON THE CHURCH. No history of the Church of England in the first halt of the nineteenth century, should such a work ever be written, can pretend to any completeness, which does not give a very full account of the origin, rise, and progress of what is commonly known as the "Tractarian' movement. For the purposes of the present work, it will be sufficient to notice those parts of it with which the subject of this biography was most immediately brought into contact. The publication of the 'Tracts for the Times,' originating with a knot of zealous Churchmen, alarmed by the troublous aspect of the days which preceded and followed the Reform Bill agitation, did not, for some few years, create any great excitement, or bring many. new questions before the Bishops for their decision. But as early as 1837, Bishop Blomfield's correspondence shows the first trace of the effect of the Tracts; and it will be well, as an introduction to what was, perhaps, the most stormy period of the Bishop's life, to quote at some length from his letters at this time, in order to illustrate his views on the questions which now came into prominence. To a Clergyman of the Diocese.-Rules with regard to Sponsors. 66 EAST COWES CASTLE, Oct. 10, 1834. "DEAR SIR,—It is undoubtedly true that, according to the rules of our Church, other persons than the parents ought to be sponsors for children presented at the font. The Rubric requires it by implication, and the Canon in express terms; and all possible efforts should be used to bring the people to a compliance with this rule. But I do not think that a clergyman would in every case be at liberty to refuse baptism to an infant because the proper number of sponsors was not complete, independently of the parents. Cases may be imagined in which the parents might not be able, with all their endeavours, to find persons willing to become sponsors for their children; and it will hardly be maintained that admission into the Church of Christ should therefore be denied to the children if the parents themselves will undertake the office of sponsors. It seems to me that the right course to pursue is, to be as strict in your observance of this rule as you find it possible to be, so as not to refuse the sacrament where the parents are unable to procure proper persons as sponsors. If the parents themselves are religious people, and have no religious friends to undertake the office, I should say |