Transcribed from the 1850 William Pickering edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org A LETTER TO THE REV. WILLIAM MASKELL, A.M. BY 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. p. 3My 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 p. 4this 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. Let me, however, here say in the very outset, I am not by any means about to attempt an answer to your letter; a task for which I am, in the first place, not qualified, and in the second place, not disposed. I feel the difficulties you bring forward too much myself to be prepared to ignore them, though I will not say I go with you in the whole of the positions you are concerned to establish. But it is became I feel the pressure of many of them so strongly; because, much as the names of Mr. Keble and of many who take the same line of argument with him, are to be revered, nevertheless, I am at a loss to make up my mind that they have established an unassailable position in denying the competency and authority of the court of the Committee of Privy Council, that I am the more anxious to say a few words upon one point which appears to me to have escaped your notice.