New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-14
RITUALISM

The Royal Commissioners appointed to in
auire into the rubrics. orders, and directions
for regulating the course and conduct of
public worship in England have submitted
their second report. The first report dealt
with the matter of vestments; the second
discusses the subject of candles and incense.
1t is singular document-grave as might
become the high dignitaries of the Church by
whom it is submitted, but grave with kind
of official seriousness which provokes n smile.
The report is accompanied by Blue Book of
CSC pages, containing the evidence taken by
the Commissioners. The report itself covers
little moro than half column of The Times.
Candles, we are told, set in candlesticks, have
been on communion tables time out of mind;
but the usage of the Church for three
hundred years is against the use of lighted
candles in the celebration of the holy COM
muniOn. Incense has been an abOmination
until the present century, and the instances
of its introduction are very recent and very
rare. The Commissioners might, in view OF
the evidence before them, have felt justified
in dsmissing the subject as of insufficient
Importance for the royal attention. They do
not however. They recommend that the
usage of the last three centuries in regard
to vestments, lighted candles, and incense
be held to be the rule of the Church,
and that restraint be put upon those vOlat-
ing this usage. On complaint of parishoners
that the rule is disobeyed, the Bishop is to
be bound to investigate the case, and take
order forthwith for the discontinuance of the
violation. if it shall be found existing. Should
the decision of the Bishop be unsatisfactory,
appeal may be carried to the Archbishop, and
from him to the Queens Majesty in Council, if
the parties interested in the complaint choose
to push it so far. The complaint must be
made by one or more Wardens of church or
chapel, or by at least five resident parishioners
who shall be househoders and members of the
United Church. The Commissioners declare
themselves anxious in no degree to curtail the
rightful liberties heretofore enjoyed by the
clergy and aity of the United Church, but they
are solicitOus that the customary and general
harmony of worship may not be injured by the
introduction of novelties which please the few
but do not edify the many. Accompanying this
exceedingly mild report are five Others, one of
them longer than the original, which diligently
and successfully pick it to pieces. Two di-
vines, whose names are appended to the main
document, protest against the clauses that adj
wise legislation on the subject, deprecate par
ticular enactments in regard to usages or Orna-
ments are convinced that the ritual of the
Church must be regulated by living authority,
and are persuaded that good sense and good
feeling will meet every emergency that may
arise -Four other gclergymcn, sharing these
opinions, decline a6Xing their signatures
to the report. Two mOre-One of them,
A. Z. Stanley, Dean of Westminster, fore
most among the liberals in the church
decline TO join in any recommendations
which have for their single object the attain.
"ment in the services of the Church of rigid
uniformity in matters not essential" They
submit that the use or the disuse of incense
and of lighted candles cannot be classet
among essential matters, having in themselves
no doctrnal significance, and admitting of no
uniform Interpretation. When they give offense
to the parishioncrs, they may justly be restrained