that we do not care, for the sake of convenience, how a thing is done, so long as it is done that if the church neglects to reform our Prayer Book we are quite willing for the State to interfere and do it for us -and we are bound to accept from the State whatever of ritual or of doctrine it may at any time be pleased to decree. That the present Act is harmless, is nothing to the point; there is the principle involved, and if we give it up our independence is gone, and we shall be nothing more or less than an Act of Parliament church, separated from the rest of Christendom. It is no union of Church and State if the Church loses its identity, and becomes merged in the State. Another reason for remaining as we are, and not making any change, we have in the probability that before the end of seven years Convocation may take up the matter, and give us a Lectionary much more perfect, and free from some of the objections which have been brought against the too hasty production of the Royal Commission. We shall promote this end by keeping to the old. Lectionary. No doubt we shall in a year or two be called upon to make a return as to our practice in this respect. If it should be found from the statistics obtained that a large number of the clergy have adopted the State use, then may we say woe be- * tide the church. If, on the other hand, we will have nothing to do with State meddling in the Church we shall rise in the estimation of politicians; whether they like us or not they will, at any rate, see that we cannot be ridden over rough shod, and acknowledge that our position must be respected. In assuming an independent, faithful, and honest course of action it is quite evident that we must not look for the countenance and support of the bishops. For the last thirty or forty years the Catholic movement has advanced not only without them, but in spite of them. So it seems it must be in the future. The tone of our Episcopate has no doubt been raised both in faith and practice, but this is owing to the movement from below working upwards. The bishops have yet much to learn, and the lesson must be taught as of old by those whom they ought to lead, but who, not being led to the battle, are compelled to be the foremost in boldness and independence of action. It rests with the clergy, backed by the faithful laity, to set a good example. It is no use holding the true faith in our hearts, if with our hands we are ready to offer incense to the idol of the State. THE TRIUMPH OF TRUTH. ['Church Herald,' June 19, 1872.] HE Bennett Judgment continues a leading topic of the day. And we cannot conceal that, upon the whole, we are glad that this is the case. Not that any decision of such a tribunal as that of the Judicial Committee can at all affect the real question that was involved in the case adjudicated upon. But it is not without great practical importance, however theoretically it may be of little account, that in the highest Court of Appeal which the State has instituted, and where one does not look for much sympathy with Catholic Truth, especially as regards those holy mysteries which that Truth developes, there should be found a necessity to affirm so great a doctrine as that of the Real Presence in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar; or, if not formally to affirm, at least to recognise it and to tolerate it, as a doctrine the holding and the teaching of which violates no Canon, contravenes no Formulary of the Church of England as a branch of the Catholic Church. It may be quite true, as one for whom we entertain the highest respect has kindly taken the trouble. to impress upon us, that "to indulge in any raptures in public, in consequence of the judgment, or in any kind of exulting demonstration, would be bad policy, because inconsistent with our principles as Catholic churchmen; and we do not wish or expect the world even, let alone the church, to learn doctrine, or ritual, or anything else pertaining to the things of GOD, in such a quarter. We ignored," our friend continues, ."the last judgment, and the Low Church party will ignore this. And so Privy Council judgments on church doctrine will come to be altogether ignored, which will be a good thing. The more exultation, the more it would seem as if we thought that Catholic doctrine was quivering in the balance,-which would certainly not set forth to the world our faith in the Truth, or much confidence in ourselves." With all this, in the main, we are not indisposed to agree. We have felt from the first how desirable it is to shape our conduct in the matter, as Church journalists, as much as possible by so sound a principle as that which we have here transcribed exhibits. Still it is not unimportant to keep in mind such a result as that of the judgment in question, and to dwell upon it, and point to it, in so far as is consistent with such a principle; for certainly the moral effect of such a judgment by the Judicial Committee is by no means insignificant, even in the interests of Catholic Truth, and of the |