RITUALISM IN WELLINGTON.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 174, 8 May 1869, Page 5

RITUALISM IN WELLINGTON.

There is a great row in St. Paul’s Church just now. The Rev. Mr. Ewald, who succeeded Mr. Maxwell as incumbent, is sup posed to have Ritualistic tendencies, and has introduced some of them into the services. He intones the prayers, and has what is termed full choral service. When he commenced this the Yestry remonstrated, but he talked of their being prejudiced, and asked them to try it for six months and see if they and the congregation did not like it by that time. If they did not he promised to give it up. The six months expired recently, and a meeting of the Yestry was held last week, when it was found that the six month’s experiment had only strengthened the dislike to the way the service was conducted. The eleven members of the Vestry present were unanimous in requesting the clergyman to resume the ordinary style of service, but he pleaded for three months more, saying he did not believe the congregation objected. The Vestry declined to comply with the request, and then Mr. Ewald took a different stand—wanting to know what right laymen bad to interfere with the clergyman as to the way he conducted services, and saying that the New Zealand Church regulations left that entirely to the Minister. The Yestry could not see this, and reminded Mr. Ewald of his promise, but ultimately the meeting was adjourned for a fortnight without anything definite being done, Mr. Ewald, lam told, suggested that, as a means of trying which party was strongest, those who objected to the choral service should be asked some Sunday to speak the responses, psalms, &e., to see if they could drown the choir. This original proposition was not adopted. There is sure to be a great row over the matter before it is settled—a second Bishop-of-Dunedin affair. I know that a very large number of the congregation of St. Paul’s strongly object to the new style of service, and are determined to use every effort to prevent its being and, if unsuccessful, will cease to attend that place of worship. Winruiapa Mercury.