A LAYMAN'S PLAINT.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 613, 30 June 1881, Page 3

A LAYMAN'S PLAINT.

(T6 the 'Editor of the MoTJKT ; IDA CHiiOinoLEj , : Sir,—Whilst giving credit to:;tbe;R.eyU.: J. Davis, and to bis predecessor, the Rev. J. Hobbs, as Ministers of the' Episcopal Church "in desire of their Bishop, 'tij'render* the : services of the Church more attractive by forms and rituals, that may or may not have been in vogue some 200 'years ago. I would fain ask .them'and others if they are wilfully shutting their eyes to this- important fact—namely,; that they are doing'more" I harm to the welfare of the souls of members of their congregations than all"—the embellishment and ceremonial .now introduced can possibly do good ? I will take the'more charitable view, and say that they are doing as they are told, and {devoutly ;believe, -it ; to be for our good. But as a member of the church I will ask whether, if the means now adop•ted she =;wplfare .congrega ions are such as to drive even - one frpmcthe.church, will, there :not be as much sorrow among angels over bis backsliding., as, there would be over one ;sinner that repented'? 1 ; With 'all ;due"reverence I say it. I do not think that one additional soul will be saved by the 'intro-duction-of banners, .extra genuflection, or any otberofthe rituals now being' imported into the plain,'simple,*but beautiful 'service of our church ; but I am -thoroughly convinced that these', innovations, \ wluch have crept, and are creeping, slowly but surely into the service, are losing to the Church of England numbers of her congregation]' land, j what is worse, is causing numbers to stay | away from tHis or any otberiforrn: of worship There are many who do not care to give up the habit, (to:-give: it no higher name) of attending church. Men and women who previously have felt in Tiheir r ,hearts ;that it is good to do as their fathers' have 1 idbne,' li good ' to attend in this their adopted country theser- 1 vice .they hadfbeen ~accustomed to a,ttend in; their native town,—who, I say^at'first looked! on with a kin'd bf pained amusement at some] slight difference in the form of worship to! . that to , which . they 'were accustomed, i excused the innovation to some extent, ' at! first, perhaps on the plea of • its beitig : a par- ■ tici'lar feast, fast, or., other holy-day. But! to their intense pain and sorrow, tKey : 'find, I i in course of time, that these innovations,; embellishments,' rituals.'or by whatever: pame they may be called, or form they may; have, taken, were, slowly .becoming a .portion! of every service, and increasing to iih.6 extent 1 of altering, at least "outwardly, the service! they were brought, up reverentially to con-| aider perfection. The results that I have just stated—namely, of -some leaving .the church, and of others remaining but with thoughts at variance with what they see and hear—may be of minor importance. But alas for those more important results ; or, perhf ps . I should say, alas for those whose teachings cause the minds of others to be so upset as to leave them open, even against their will, to receive the opinions of clever men, who, taking advantage of minds disturbed, feed them with the insidious common- sensb arguments of free-thought and unbelief, thereby overturning, perhaps altogether, but at any. rate so weakening, th9'effects of -their fathers', early teaching as to leave them with minds deseased, and sorely requiring 'careful ministration, without ritualism on the one hand to upset them, or free-thought on the other to'damn them.' "' ' 1 , ■ ' ... If suoh are, or may-be, the results of a modem "ritualism in Naseby, I 'would'appeal to thq.se reverend' = pastors who indulge in lit to look at the question from a more .material view. Is the Espiscopal Church in New Zealand in a flourishing or wealthy condition ? Certainly. snot.' It is dependent, and struggling.- » Is this, then," a, time, to upset? the minds of those who would willingly aid and foster the progress of the seet to wliich they belong ?: From , a common-sense point jof view L> should say, No. Let, then, the clergy, cherish, .and'encourage those,of their congre-;' gation who. would; unless disturbed,'willingly follow in the footsteps of their fathers, rather than with untimely innovations, play so .innocently into thehands of those clever disseminators of free-thought at a time when such agencies;, are} stalking unopposed, through thej land, ridingrampant over the ' doctrinestaughtsin the Bible.—lam, &c.', j sr.* ,j .j.,. Deiven feom'BLOme. ,;-