THE UNFROCKING OF MR. SMYTH-PIGOTT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2503, 17 May 1909, Page 2

THE UNFROCKING OF MR. SMYTH-PIGOTT.

• ■ ‘ ” » « A SOMBRE CEREMONIAL

The disposition. froih holy orders of the Rev.- John Hugh Smyth-Pigott, the head of the A gap em ones, Spaxton, was solemnly oronouneed by the Bishop or Bath and Wells in the Cathedral of Wells on March 6. It was an unusual and sombre ceremonial, of which, so far as the diocese of Wells is concerned, there was no record of any precedent. The previous like sentence pronounced was at Durham in 1897. Mr. SmythPigott did "not put in an appearance. At the hour'fixed for the beginning of the ceremony the organ pealed ioi tn a mournful dirge, and the bishops, minor clergv lay officers, and choristers slowly wended their way from the vestries to the choir. The procession, in addition to the diocesan, included t-lio Bishop of Exter, Bishop of Stirling (assistant to the bishop of the diocese, Chancellor C. E. Holer, Chadwyck-Healey, C. 8., K C., Archdeaconl Brymer (of \\ells), Prebendary Goudge (principal of the Wells Theological College), Prebendary Beres-ford, the Vicar of St. Cuthbert s, Wells the Rev. G. A. Hobs (Vice-Prin-cipal of the Wells Theological College), the Rev. J. M. Alcoclc (acting chaplain to the Bishop of Bath and Wells), Chancellor Holmes, and Canon Church (Wells). The bishop of tho diocese was in his full' robes, and with his Court he took up a position inside the altar THE BISHOP'S PRONOUNCEMENT. After seating himself in his channear the altar the Bishop said: • 1 oiasmuch as the Rev. John Hugh Pigott, or John Hugh Smyth-Pigott, of the Agapemone, Spaxton, in our diocese, holding no preferment, hath greviously offended against the laws of God by open and notorious sin, whereof he hath been fully convicted,, we liave met here, m the presence of God, and of this congregation to depose him from that office which he hath misused, and that publicly, that others may be warned neither to receive his ministration nor to follow his example; and that yc may know that this, our act, is rightly and justly done, we shall now give and promulge sentence in your hearing.” Thereupon Chancellor Chadwyck-Heal-ey approached the bishop, and handed him a document containing the words of the sentonce. Before reading them the bishop said: “This is the ease of one who has brought, as many people think, great shame and sorrow not only on the Church of England, but upon tho whole Christian community. In our procedure all that the ecclesiastical law allows of has been undertaken and carried through its various stages with scrupulous care, and the full statutory time has been allowed for appeal against tho judgment which it was my sorrowful duty to pronounce last January. As a corollary of that judgment I have a still more serious sentence to) pronounce to-day. . To some it may appear a strange fact that no charge lias been made against the defendant for the blasphemous utterances with which he is credited. Upon this I would urge that there is a grave doubt whether under the Clergy Discipline Act, under which the late proceedings were taken, a prosecution for blasphemy could be included ; if it could not have been included it is not easy to see how any other punishment could have been imposed that it is my painful duty to inflict.” THE SENTENCE. The Bishop, standing before his chair, “facing the people, and in the hearing of the people,” thereupon read the sentence: “In the name of God. It was a long formula, which set forth that the Consistory _ Court had before it charges against Pigott of “immoral acts, immoral conduct, and immoral habits,” and of “adultery and unclean]in ess and wickedness of life,” and that lie was “found guilty of the said offences.” It was declared that lie made no confession or acknowledgement of the said offences, and had “greviously sinned against Almighty God, and caused grave scandal to the Church, and to his holy orders.” The sentence concluded: Therefore we, George’Wynclham, by Divine permission Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells, first calling on tho Most high God of Heaven and earth. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and setting Him alone boforc our eyes, do pronounce, decree, and declare that the said Rev John Hugh Pigott, or John Hugh Smyth-Pigott, being a priest and a deacon, be entirely removed, deposed, and degraded from the said offices of priest and deacon respectively, and we do hereby, by the authority committed to us by Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, remove, depose, and degrade him, the said Rev. John Hugh Pigott, or John Hugh SmythPigott-, from all clerical offices and orders of priest and deacon respectively by this our definitive sentence and filial decroe, which we give and

pronnilgc by these presents. The Bishop then signed the sentence and delivered it into the hands of the registrar, directing him to preserve and record it in the registry of the diocese. Then the Bishop, with outstretched hands, said- aloud to the congregation the prayer“ And now forasmuch as God our Heavenly Father is all powerful and all merciful, let us may to Him that He will of His great love grant to our erring brother true repentance and amendment of life, and to us, and His whole Church pardon and peace.” With head bowed and in a subdued voice, the Bishop next led the people in prayer,, and there was recited the psalm “Out of the deep have I called unto Thee. O Lord.” Clergy and congregation joined in further prayers, and when they were over the Bishop, with his right hand raised and the left holding hie crozior, blessed the kneeling worshippers. ,