The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-05-11 00:00:00

THE ORNAMENTS RUBRIC.

To tke Editor of the Salisbury and WineArster Journal.
Saa,—lt was not without considerable pain that I found
myself obliged to leave the recent Synod, in order to fulfill
an imperative engagement in another part of the diocese,
before the conclusion of the discussion on ritual. I was
very anxious to protest against the do-nothing :whey advo-
cate' by Lord Nelson, by any vote at least if not by a few
words of argument; and, lest my absence should have been
misintorpretel by any friend or foe, who may chance tc
have remarked it, I ventured to address • short explana-
tion od its Cause to one of the Dorset county papers. My
letter on the subject has, however, in common, no doubt
with others, been refused admission, and I therefore
appeal to your greater liberality to afford rue a little
space.
To me, I confess, this strange revival of the eastward
position and thevestanents has always presented itself in a
very simple airert.. To their Long desuetude toy own expe-
rience in the ministry of some 40 years, and of course a
muck longer periool of observatlon--during whfrh I hove
never set eyes on either one or the other in a Protestant
Church—is trier-41.1y conclusive evidence; and it is not
unnatural that I should enquire with some anxiety what
this struggle far their reatoration means
Mr. Bennett, of Pavane, who is about as likely to he aide
to answer this owe:Abel, tells ns, with regard to the
distinctive vestments, that they involve the doctrine of a
propitiatory seerollice in the Lord's Supper, anol a
sotrificiny priedlowni Thal the same admission, in respect
to the eastward position, is made in "The Ritual Reason
Why."
. _ .

If this be so the effort to revive them is intelligible
enough, albeit it is not tinlikely Is, " [cid to a wide and
lamentable rent in the Church of Eastland," in a direction
zgLisite to that which the Bishop contemplated in using
words, awl to iniss.e A hear; burden on the con-
sciences of many who think with me, that the doctrines
In question are altogether opposed not only to the
standards of our Church, but also to the "lively oracles"
of I iml.

—But others, leu, solvaneed, or less outspoken, than Mr.
Bennett, maintais that these inunsenbt all,l this postare
are matterx of indiference —in fart, that they mean noth•
tog; and, if this le indeed the case, surely all this stir
about them ix the ixost wanton and unjustitiahle agoes.
sion on the peace cf the Church that history has ever
recorded. Such advocates as these, if not themselves ultra.
Ritualists, are unmistakeably ;slaying into the hands of
those who are, and whose avowed object ill to de-protest-
antize the 4 'hutch of Kngland. and to entangle U 4 again in
a bondage (non which God in Its mercy set six free at the
tilos .4 the blessal Iteformation. - . .

If the Purchas judgment he reversed I mie no hope of
avoiding our disruption. except is swed and decided legis-
lation. _

I am. Sir.
Yours faithfully and ahligial,
C. W. Risings's
Bingham's Melcomlie, Dorelissisr. May 1. lull

THE EHUR( fl MISSIONARY SOCILTY

The annual meeting of this socicy was hell ;av l.y,
I n Exeter-hall. the Earl of Chichester in the chair. The
report read by the secretary we. received with repeated
applause. The last year hail been a highly successful one;
the ordinary income of the year hid been .Cl7l,KirilB.:bl.,
and the ordinary expenditure £l7l,:bEl 6.1. It waa
regretted that the supply of atudents was a little less than
had been expected. In Sierra Lesne the local imsociation
had raised IX2I, the largest sum yet raised. Altogether
the society had 157 stations. 211 Earopean and 131 native
and rountry•born clergymen. 23 European laymen school-
masters, lay agents, printers, it 7., 12 European female
teachers, exclusive iitiasionaries wire% 20.111 native and
country-born christiatt catechista and tearlieN of all
classes not sent from home. The number of communicant.
was 21,407. lis addition it was stated that the society had
withdrawn from 78 stations, chiefly added to parochial
establislunenta in the West Indies of transferred to the
native church in Sierra Leone, coataiuing 10 native
clergy. 4.358 communicanta, and 12,8ritischolars. The Earl
of Chichester, as chairnian, was glad to hear there had
been an increase of CLOW in the funds, which he
conaileral as a goad sign of the spiritual state of the
Church of England. In every country there had been a
marked success in missionary labour, and in this country
there was more interest taken in the work.

PHOTF.ST AGAINST RITt'A LISM.
I A memorial 11.4 been presented to the Archbishop of
Canterbury by the Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff
, of Kent on behalf of nearly 2,000 communicant laymen of
that diocese, by whom it was signul. Among these are
ten Peers, lire Peers sons, four laronets, and '4l niagiw.
trate& They protest in strong terau against the introduc-
tion of eucharistic vestments and the adoption of the east-
ward position at the Cf' numuniun Table by the clerzy when
officiating at the administration of the lord's Supper.

- -
THE WELSH 1-tßotla DISPUTES.
The ironworkers' colliers of DowWs have resolved to do
to work on the 1.5 per cent. reduction. This will enable
the ironworkers to resume work also. Mr. If. Lloyd.
appointed umpire between the colliers of North Wales and
the coal Owners, haa awarded a reduction of 10 per I -cot.
on witILCA Iron the let instsnt, the masters notice having
been for 15 per cent. It is anticipated the award will be
accepted.

The ookia c...,,t cirridar contains the annuuncenient
that the Quemni visit to Aldershot is postponed in conse-
quence of a came of scarlet (ever having recently occurred
in the Royal Pavilion there. •