The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-04-18 00:00:00

SERVICES IN LONDON CHURCHES
ON EASTER SUNDAY.

The services on Laster Sunday at the churches in
which what is called advanced Ritual prevaiis were
invested with more than ordinary importance by the
fact that the settlement sulrposed to have been effected
by Sir Robert Phillimore a judgment has been upset,
the promoter having appealed to the Judicial Com-
mittee of Privy Council. It was understood that
pending the final decision of the highest authority the
Ilituslists were resolved upon the most fearless " de-
velopments." How far tide rr'eohstinrn hae been carried
out will be al rietrent I torn tine perusal of the subjoined
particulars 01 what occurred hi their principal churches
on Sunday :
At St Allian'a, Hollewn, the appearame of the church
&trine Fass;on tide was stellar gly severe. All colon'
lett violet wail, (Mulled from the " mortuary!' The rich
eltsr carpets aril it 0 kneeling loot, both for the pr trots
mot people, Were gone. The Dessai hangings hunt been
tahel 10,1). The clunicel 5' endird coroure lights hal been
removed. The Epistle and Gospel lecterns alone remainied,
aid the appearance of the sanctuary was bare arid deserted.
The altar was vested in the customary violet cloth. Upon it
stool the two light, li,tween them were placed the two
three-branched I 111 e littles, 0 hich are need at math, Reit
runners rendered neisicaPy, the calellesticke of all these
leen, ended in crape. In P let Suellay, on either side of
the oft', lighte, were f. id, no glass vase, e Lich held the
cone, patios, willow and iile,reena doing duty
for palm, in houndir 40i 0114 event of the day. On the graile.ne
'm• ledge beldiel, and airline the altar were pinned nem larger
stint fmir smaller en-eel palm branches from the Holy 1.11111,
wheh, recently dried and Imported, retained their fresh
jellow brie. The change t &cued en Solidity was great. of
Ltevn,er every vestige of the black drapery end vinilet hangings
had irsappeared. The celenicd slats aunt carpets were re-
placed, and the altar hangings were again produced. The
alt ir was literally covered with beantiful cut flowers,
arranged in bouquet., and was supported on either side
by tinting greeinhense Bowers in pots. The sanctuary
standard cared lesticke hal liven restored, and eince their
temporary withdrawal the candles which they hold had been
Cr' erre; ged in chisttrs of lives and threes with much
elf octiveness. Tine alter itself ha,' a frontal of
cloth of grit 1, Fuel the Epistle and Gospel lecterns were
covered with white cloth awl surrounded also with
geraniums, semlces, armee omit Oth,-rhoth.liSe planto in pots.
The striking feature ill the altar decorations, however, was
one that was used on Sunday Inc the first time. From the
corner of the altar eastward projected framework running at
aii angle westward, auni end ihg in a tall brass candlestick for
a single light. This-framework acted as a sort of half en-
closure for and protection to the altar, arid is called wiogs.
They are hung temili white cloth and snrmomite•l by a row
of wax c dune.. Behind the altar is a lozenge-shaped mural ,
enclosure for the east-end cross. The lines of the candles ,
were made to meet the two horizontal angles of the lozenge,
In, follow the lower slope as it epleoaches the al ar by a set
of three light camilesticks constructed on a slope of the !
same pl in. and then to zigzag back again by a set lof Severn.
breach lights, which ended in a triangle of clustered lights.
The veutments used at the High celebration were of cloth id
gold, and the 'mailers carried in procession or placed be-
hind the pulpit, itself decked with a handsomely worked
cloth, were those of the Resurrection, of our Blessed Lord in
Glory, of the Virgin, and of the arms of St. Alb.. The
only change it) the order of the services since last they were
determined is an addii i-nn, the singing of the gradual between
the Epistle and the Gapel, and the singing of a hymn instead
of music only being played dursig the reception by the
people. On Palm Senday the gradual sung was the touching
Stabat Mater," "By the Cross sari vigil keeping," and the
comnitinion hymn was the grand rhythm of Si. Thomas
Aquinas, " Adore to devote, latens Deltas" Prostrate I adore
Thee, Deity unseen" On Sunday the church was crowded with
worshippers to the very porch doom, and long before the
High Service persons were leavieg the church doors unable
to find admittance' Mini unable to find even standing room.
If anybody expected to witness obvious differences in the
conduct of divine service they went away disappointed from
St. Alban's. The nse of incense, indeed, Was intermitted in
obedience to the requirements of the judgment in the Court
of Arches. Sir It. Phillimore's judgment was also bowed to
in what is known es the "mixture of the chalice," end the
mingling of weter with the wine was 71.0 performed as a dis-
tinct ceremonial. observance. But of this fact, as of the
contrary, had the judgment been violated instead of obeyed,
perhaps net one tithe of the worshippers had the faintest
idea. Inn. other respects the order of the Holy Communion
was c titled out exactly ns formerly and the reports a bruit
fresh developnieets wens proved to 148 equally false with the
hope tif anybody entertained b t that great vteible changes in
the service would he wit freebie.
'l'he preacher at St. Allian't replied at great length to the
"•euperncial writings that have lately appeared in a certain
evening newspaper which circulates in the beet society." its
said that tbe gentleman who Ilan' penned those writings had
displayed an amount of ignorance with regard to questions
of rlootrlre end polemics that went' have excited neivereal
ridicule had he been dealing with politics. liis only weapon
was supercilious banter ; he used the language of a reified
infidel, whose feeble ignorance in matters of faith was per.
tectly astounding.

At the Church of St. Lawrence Jewry, which has become
so famous in connection with Cie services that precodeil the
Pan-Anglican Synod, theism congregations which attended
morning and evening had the advantage of hearing two
bii.hops, in the niorhing the Bishop of Capetown, and in the
evening the Bishop of Oxford. The altar was very chastely
decorated, and the cidours appropriate to the season were
used, lint there were no coloured stoles, no incense, and no
candle. on the altar. The announcement that the Bishop ef
Oxford would preach in the evening brought together an
immense congregation, so large indeed that the church WO
densely crowded half an hour before the time aptointed for
the commencement of the service. At seven o'clock a pro-
CCISMOII emerged from the side chapel, singing with great
vigour the Easter Hymn, "Christ is risen." The procession
consisted of upwards of sixty aurpliced chorister., twenty-
two boys awl forty men, the Rev. R M. Comm.
B D., vicar of St. Lawrence, the Rev.,. W. Gedge, and
three other clergymen, the Bishop of Oxford, the Bishop
of ..apotown, mai the Lord and Lady Mayoress. The
procession moved slowly down the centre aisle the altar,
with the exception of the Lord al ayor, who as alderman of
the ward took his seat In the stately pew appropriated to
hint. the Bishv selected for his text the OM d chapter of
St. Paul's Xpistle to the Colossians, part of verse one,
" Riowt with Christ." Ile concluded with an earnest appeal
on behalf of the Soelety for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts. At the close of the sermon the Rev. Mr.
Cowie stood on the alter steps and said ho begged to inform
the congregation that the Church of St. Lawrence was not
open for the purpose of catching mere stragglers, or to give
people mere intellectnal treats, last for real Christian work,
anil it was nii use for them to listiin to the Wien Mg eloquence
of the Bishop of Oxford unless they contriboted liberally to
the ohji it for which he had pleaded. A,ter the collection
of the i.feebly the procession was reformed, and moved
' away from the altar, singing "For thee, 0 dear, dear
Country," as a recessimial hymn.

St Andrew's, Well-street, was crowded to suffocation at all
Its chief services. The passages were tilled with people
standing, and the offertory collectors could scarcely make
their way stand the uhurch. The floral decorations were
lavish and costly. Tim new reredos, which is only partly
candela], woe adorned US its ledge with azaleas and
geriniunis growing in pots. nair bouquets of rantelliftS and
aunnis were placed 011 the TS table, and the screens were de-
masted with legends and garlands of wild Mowers—Prim-
roses and daffodils. The pulpit wan most tastefully adorned
with designs In each panel, firmed of moss with arunis and
other flowers, and the font was also decorated with an
npricht cross it flowers surninird, ii by a crown. At the
first vespers of the reviles] the anthems were—" Why seek
ye the living anions the deal?" by Hopkins. the organist of
the Temple Church, mei the " liallelidAh Chorus from
Beethoven's "Mount of Olives." The preacher woe the Bee.