A CHURCH STORM

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 110, 12 May 1914, Page 5

A CHURCH STORM

QUJESTION OF EARLY COlt-

"APEENG THE ROMAN

CHURCH."

[PROI£ OUR COHRESPONBENT.] GHRISTCHURCB;, May 11. A[fc the. annual meeting of the fcarishieners ■of St. Peter's Anglican Ohui'ch (Tomuka) and St. John s (Winchester), held at Ttemuk&, Mr tr. L. Twentyman, a retiring vestryman, ■took exception to the introduction ot early Oommunion, which he described as "*,peing the Roman Church," and not in accoi'dance with Church of -England teaching. He also resenited, he said, the reported, utterance of the Bishop-in-describing as "lazy swine thttse who. .did not see eye to eye with, ihim in tbas matter.

. Exception was also taken jto a remark of the Rev. Mr Norris (the tfica*) in a recent sermon, suggesting that those who did not attend early -Oomtnusiion "were afraid of a bit of •frost:' 1 Both -these expressions, Mr Twentyman urged, were unjustified. The Vicar ruled <the discussion out *of order, a<nd deprecated the open -discussion of such a subject as Communion, which discussion he considered hurtful in the extreme. History, he said, did not bear out Mr Twentyman's contention as to early being thef "apeing of the Roman Church,- for the Church of ) England had celebrated it for many years. . A lady member said ithat she would ■ very much like to • see the Communion celebration in the evening,, arid after' some discussion it was resolved to ask the Bishop to sanction [Communion in the evening.

No motion was passed. In reference to early Communion., Mr Twentyman remarked that the Bishop had already been approached by another parish on ithis subject, and he had declined the request on the ground of ancient Roman usage, which did not permit celebration of the Communion after sunset.

(Replying to this implied forecast, the Vicar pointed out thajt it was the parishioners' bounden duty to loyally accept whatever decision, the Bishop might make on the subject, and to avoid anything in the shape of hard words and controversy. Other discussions took plac>© to the subject of the shifting of fhe church organ and the ringing of the church bells after morning service "to the disturbance of other church services. The atmosphere,- generally was electrical. ,

Mr Bates, a prominent parishioner, openly suggested to the Vicar the advisability of giving gome thought ,$o the caiuses- for the increasing emptiness 6f the church. •'