Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-04
Quarrel in an English Church.

For considerable time past the Episcopal
Church of England has been divided into
two parties-the Puseyi;es, or followers of
DIR. Pussy, who are in favor of decking the
Communion Table or Altar with flowers,
candlesticks, and crosses, chanting the
greater portion of the service, clothing the
officiating clergyman in snowy vestments,
auricular confession, &C., &C., and the low
church, or anti-Puseyite party, who are
opposed to the introduction of these new
forms and ceremonies as subyersive Of the
simplicity and purity of the church The
controversy between these two parties has
been carried on with intense acrimony and
has given rise to an amount Of bad feeling
and strife which every friend of true reli-
gion must deplore. In one of the principal
churches in London-St. Georges in the
East-the controversy has been carried to
the extent of an open row, requiring the in
tervention of the police. The rector of the
parish IS, it appears, a Puseyite, while the
majority Of his congregation are strongly
opposed to the principles which he profess
ses. He has decorated his church with
crosses and flowers, is in the habit of wear
ing snowy vestments, and insists that the
litany shall be sung, or ''ntoned," The
congregation object to all these innovations,
and are peculiarly avcrse to the choral per-
formances, and 10 such an extent do they
carry their aversion that on several occa-
sions recently. when the choir have COM
menced to chant the litany, they have inter
rupted the service by groans, misses, whist
ling, stamping on the ground, and other
noises and gestures of the most unseemly
characters Appeal has been made to the
Bishop of London to quell the disturbance,
and he ordered the church-wardens, whose
business it is to preserve order and decent
behavior in the church, to use their authori-
~ to prevent such unseemly and reprehen-
sible conduct. The church-wardens, how
. ever, who are decided anti-Puseyites, and
are as DESTROYS rs the congregation to put
stop to the rcctors innovations, declare that
they cannot control the rioters, and since
they have avowed that they will not inter
fere, the police have been frequently called
in TO arrest the hissers, hooters, and whist
lers who thus desecratc u church devoted to
the worship of God and the preaching of his
Gospel The congregation have also reques-
ted the Bishop to forbid the rector from wear
ing the yestments to which they object, and
from ''intoning" any portion of the church
service. The Bishop has not, however,
granted the request-not because he does
not wish to do 80, but because he does not
conceive that he has the legal authority to
insist that the prescribed form of prayer be
read and not sung, or that the rector shall
dress himself in any particular manner
He has expressed his opinion in the most de-
cisive language that the wearing of vest
ments, in his church, is piece of childish
mummcry;" but it seems that his opinion is
not binding on rector, although it is upon
the subordinate clergy.
However illjudged may be the conduct of
the rector to insist on the introduction of
outward forms and ceremonies which can
not, certainly, be considered vital to the in
terests of religion, or the integrity of the
church, his obstinacy does not furnish any
excuse for the indecent conduct of those who
disturb divine worship by catcalls aud other
expressions Of Misrepresentation in use in the
galleries Of low theatres. Public morality,
respect for religion, reverence for the House
OF God. regard for themselves, ought to de-
ter them from persisting in u course by
which all these considerations are set AT
nought ana dcspised. Wash. Constitution.