New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-02
EPISCOPAL RITUAL.
ANCEs IN THE CHURCH SERVICES.

.- CoNrRASTED WITH THOSE OF TO-DAY.
The mode of conducting divine service In
Protestant Episcopal Church not only varies III o'
ferent parishes but has been so steadily changing as
whole during the past 70 that as rendered any
where today it would present strange features 10
tbe worshiper OF the last century There have been
five causes both for this steady alteration that has been
taking place and for the present variations OF use l"
different parishes One OF these causes Is to be found In
the remarkable growth and spread Of High Cburch prh
cples since Bishop Hobarts day. 60 years ago. III tne
subsequent growth and spread OF the oxioru views
during the past years. in the consequent spread
OF Rtuaiism Caholicity In the last fifteen years.
second cause is doubtless be found In the general
advance every where In ehetical taste, which SHOWS
itself in improved architecture in the decoration OF
parors OF public halls, OF the saloons OF steamboats,
and even in such little matters as advertising circuar'
which printed In polychrome
third arises from the fact that the service as
an outward ceremonial, must take its shape somewhat
frou the structure aud arrangement OF chances which
with growth High Church views have themselves
been constantly varying In the past GO years.
A fourth is this: The Church Is living body'
She has her customs, aud, without defining many OF
them, carries them along with her down through time.
The consequence is rubrics have never In the past
or in any form OF the Church, been exhaustive IN
in their directions it practically possible to make
them been necessary, for instance. to
define by the Of the Psaer or the Tie
Deum should be read alternately by minister and pee
pie, or sung antiphonally by tho cantories ana
decanisIdes OF the choir There Is no rubrc Tor
the insertion Of hymn at morning service between
the Gospel the This custom arose Tor the
purpose Of filing up the interval while the clergyman
was In the vestry changing his surplce for the
gown. churches therefore, nowadays, where the
surplice is changed, will be found inserting the
hymn according older custom. between the Epste
and the Gospel instead OF between the Gospel and the
sermon the ground that the Gospel which announces
the "good news" and the Creed which Terminates 1t,
and the which explains and enforces 1t prac-
ticay unit which should not be broken in upon
by hymn. There directions too as to what shall
be before and after the sermon at evening prayer
and as TO what kind Of blessing shall be given at the
From the fact then that certain customs not
specified by rubric may fall into gradual decay In one
century and become slowly gathered up again at sub
sequcnt period. variations arise in the service
fifth cause of steady alteration in the past half CEN
tury and of cotemporaneous variations n the rem
derng the service Is to be found In the resolutions
and action of the General Convention For instance,
number years ago the Convention permitted the sing
ing of selected in any service provided they
taken either from the Bible or the Prayer Book
Hence while In churches ntroit Is sung before
the Holy Communion the Benedctus before the Conse-
Grafton the Nunc Dmttis after the Blessing and the
Invocation of the Trinity given before the sermon. In
others they each mode being equally authorized
and diversity being the result. The Convention also has
again and again authorized the division OF the services
Hence 1t has followed that while in many churches the
morning Prayer Ltany and Communion are still said all
together long in others they separated
and said at different hours.
A brief account of the main changes that have oc.
cured in the last 20 will not be without interest
II the reader goes back 1890 he will fnd almost in
variable Arrangement Of chancels and corresponding
rendering OF the service. He will find a structure
known as Three Decker &" either standing in and
filing up the chance standing without the chanccl
and at the head Of the center alley This fabric con-
sisted Of three compartments connected one over the
other. The upper compartment lofty pulpit with
sOundD board it, Below and front Of this was
q readng-desk. consisting of center with two wings
Still further below and front Of the reading was
an Enclosure the clerk OF the parish II the struc
ture stood in the chance the communOn-table would
stand floor making the whole quadruplicate in
stead trpcate II 1t stood without the chance the
table would occupy the chance behind being hidden,
TO great extent, from the cong egation by the lofty
and composite Three Decker" The " Three Decker"
was always painted white. The service would be rend
cred somewhat follows The two clergymen and
clerk would take their respective stations In the
structure; the clerk in his pew below and dressed
in his secular attire; the clergyman who was TO
render the service standing in the readinglesk
above the clerk, and attired in white
plice and black stole; while high up in the pulpit
would he the preacher arrayed in his black gown The
prayers would be read by the ocant from wing of
the readingdesk aud the lessons from its ofer central
descend from the desk and pass either behind the sruc
ture into the chance If the holy table stood there,
round in front Of the structure and below the clerks
pew the table stood there. The singing confined
solely TO hymn or q metrical psalm The responses
and said by the clerk alone, the copgrega
tion taking part. One part OF the attire Of the
preacher black thread gloves with the enger OF
the right hand slit open for the purpose OF facilitating
the turning over Of the leaves of his sermon
The first radical change from all this-a change not
uuac ompaned with violent opposition and the charge
Of "Reminiscences the novelty, rather the restora
ton chanting Of the TIE Deum and of the cances
after the first aud second lessons in morning and even
Ing prayer instead of the alternate reading of them by
minister and CLERK. Another radical change the
rendering and the responses by the people
themselves and the suppression and abolition of the
clerk
subsequently about the year 1s4o the following alter
alton In the arrangement OF chancels began to prevail
with correspou ling changes the rendering OF the
vice. The Holy Table placed 10 the center Of q
shallow sanctuary against It's east wall. The pulpit,
separated from its aes-the readiDgdesk and clerks
pew-was removed SIDE where II stood Just with
out the chance rails Another pupitlise structure,
sometimes OF the pattern with the pulpit except
IN hight placed correspondingy without the chan
Gel rails other side In this latter structure the
mornins and evening prayer and Ltany were said
Some years etterward there still another stera-
ton Many churches adopted the plan OF deeper chan
eel than had been prevailing The end Of the chancel
made apsidal. The altar, instead Of standing back
against the wall brought forward and placed the
apss, while around. behind it, and against the wall
of the ehance seats for the clergy the center
being for the Bishop. The chapcel rail was removed
beneath the chancel arch and carried further
toward the altar while IL and the chancel arch
placed each side either single double stall
with kneeng-desk for the clergy who said the