A Letter to the Rev. William Maskell, A.M. / How far the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council commits the Church of England by its decision, even allowing it to have jurisdiction in points of doctrine

Transcribed from the 1850 William Pickering edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org
THE REV. MAYOW WYNELL MAYOW, A.M. VICAR OF MARKET LAVINGTON, WILTS, AND LATE STUDENT OF CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD.
HOW FAR THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL COMMITS THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND BY ITS DECISION, EVEN ALLOWING IT TO HAVE JURISDICTION IN POINTS OF DOCTRINE.
Second Edition .
LONDON: WILLIAM PICKERING. 1850.
My Dear Maskell,
In these “last days,” in which “perilous times” have “come,” it seems a duty, to be somewhat less nice and scrupulous as to any charge of presumption or lack of modesty to which a man may lay himself open by making known his thoughts upon the great matters which now agitate us, than would be the case at another time. One whose name will add no weight to any thing he may say, might well shrink under ordinary circumstances from commenting upon your recent letter, and appear, even to himself, over-bold in supposing he can add any thing to the views therein expounded. But the very pain with which we approach these topics is some warrant to express our thoughts; inasmuch as it is, I think, something of a guarantee that whatever is said, will be, at any rate, not said lightly. Most heartily do I desire to adopt and echo your words “that the enquiry on which we are all engaged is far too great to admit of any personal consideration; and our aim is not to win a victory, or to prove that we ourselves are in the right, but to discover the truth, and point it out to others.”
If then I imagine a line of argument tending to elucidate this truth, has been partially overlooked in the expression of your views, I trust I shall stand excused, both by yourself and any others who may read this letter, from the charge of a too great boldness in writing it. The crisis and exigence of the time is, as it appears to me, too great to allow us to stand upon niceties, or permit any thing to be kept back which may even by possibility be found of service in indicating the line of duty.