This article appeared regarding the dismissal of A.Frederick Cruse as the Parish Clerk of Frome Selwood in The Protestant Magazine, Volume IX, April 1847. Published on behalf of The Protestant Association.
A circular, containing some printed papers, having been sent to the parish clerk of Frome, as well as to many others, the following was the reply received :—
“Frome, Conversion of St. Paul, 1847
Sir,—I duly received your truly Protestant papers. I shall not waste much of my time in reply ; it will be, perhaps, sufficient to state that I have fully made up my mind not to join in any kind of way, with ‘Associations’ of Heretics and Schismatics in reviling the holy Roman Church, our Spiritual Mother, to whom we are undoubtedly indebted for all the good we ever received,—Would that our Church were half вo holy.—It is indeed high time to speak boldly and plainly,—These are days of rebuke and blasphemy, when everything that is Catholic (and therefore good) is abused and ill spoken of. It would be well if those professing to be members of the Church of England would, (instead of magnifying the errors and imperfections of our Mother Church,) first of all examine themselves, and their own Church, the peculiarly isolated position in which she stands from the rest of the Christian world. Is the English Church, I would venture to ask, so pure, so holy, so Catholic, in allowing, as she does, alas ! such lamentable goings on ; such false doctrine and heresy to reign triumphant within her pale ?
With regard to the ensuing election, I acknowledge that a great deal depends upon it,—I should be most happy however to give my support to a Catholic rather than to a member of the Protestant Association, for I firmly believe that it would be infinitely better for this country to have a Catholic rather than a rationalistic Legislature, as it certainly portends to be.
I remain, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
A. FREDERICK CRUSE,
Parish Clerk of Frome Selwood.
To the Secretary of the Protestant Association.”
As such a very extraordinary production had the appearance of a hoax, a letter was addressed to ascertain if it had been written by the party from whom it purported to come, and a reply was received in the affirmative, dated Frome— •
“Anniversary of the murderof King Charles the First, by the Puritans.”
As it did not seem clear to which of the parishes in Frome the writer was clerk, a copy of the correspondence was sent to Archdeacon Law, who. on the 6th of February, wrote back as follows :—
“Weston-Super-Mare, Feb. 6,1847.
SIR,—I beg to acknowledge the receipt of the letter which you have addressed to me, by order of the Committee of the Protestant Association, and also the receipt of a copy of a letter written by the parish clerk of Frome.
I am exceedingly shocked to find that letter full of sentiments and expressions which betoken estrangement from the Protestant Church of England, and. attachment to the corruptions of Popery.
I write by this post to make full inquiries into the matter.
I have the honour to be, Sir,
Your faithful Servant,
HENRY LAW.
To the Secretary of the Protestant Association.”
On the 1st of March, the Archdeacon again wrote as follows :—
“Weston-Super-Mare, Mar. 1,1847.
Sir,—May I request you to inform the Committee of the Protestant Association, that I have fully inquired into the case of the Parish Clerk of Frome Selwood, and that in consequence of the sentiments expressed in his letter to the Committee, he is dismissed from the office which he held.
I have the honour to be,
Your faithful servant,
HENRY LAW.’,
A copy of Mr. Cruse’s first letter, with the following, has been, we are informed, extensively circulated in Frome, and has given rise to a correspondence published there, but which it were too long here to transcribe :—
“In consequence of the sentiments expressed in the foregoing letter, the Rev. Charles Phillott, Vicar of Frome Selwood (under the authority of the Archdeacon of the Deanery of Frome), has dispensed with the services of Mr. A. Frederick Cruse, and forbidden him henceforth to perform any of the duties connected with the office of parish clerk.
Frome Selwood, Feb. 26th, 1847.”
