Show A SUIT I 1 OR THE LORDS A vicar who to administer sl directed so to do by the courts london daily news yesterday morning the case of swayne vs benson clerk again came before lord penzance Pen zance the dean of arches the facts of the case were the respondent the rev percy george benson vicar of hoo had in May 1888 refue to administer the sacrament of the holy communion to one of his parish boners mra swayne mrs swayne was a member of the church t england baptized confirmed and married according to its ceremonies monies the alleged ground of the refusal was that mis was in the habit of attending a wesleyan place of worship at the instance of mr swayne proceedings under the church discipline act were accordingly commenced against the respondent A commission was duly appointed by the lord bishop of rochester to inquire into the charge the was alleged to the statute 1 ed ward VI c 1 the unanimously reported that there was good ground for instituting further proceedings subsequently the respondent wrote a letter which was published on feb 9 last in the rochester and chatham journal entitled schism at hoo which letter contained the following statement 1 I am prepared to re ceide to holy communion any day on condition that she acknowledges her error and promises amendment but I 1 firmly believe that wilful behum 1 I am not now considering the many cases where it is unintentional is a sin none the leas sinful because spiritual and not carnal it ia worse than idle nonsense to pretend that schism and its mis ct fruits are something quite invisible intangible or undo finable they are as open and notorious as the fruits of any fleshly sin gross as a mountain open palpable and nothing will induce me with my eyes open ta give the holy communion to one who expresses no sorrow for these sins and gives no promise of amandon ing them lord penzance Pen zance in delivering ind gement said that the court looked to the respondent for an answer to the facts which had been fully proved before his lordship but the respondent had not appeared and had left the court without any explanation of his conduct mrs tewayne had a right to be admitted to the sacrament and the refusal by the respondent of that right was an offense offence against the ecclesiastical law the order would be that the respondent be suspended ab office el a beneficio benefi cio for one year and pay the costs of the proceedings the order would not however elude the court from considering coni dering any application that the respondent might make if he should in the interval admit mrs swayne to the sacrament |