Morning journal and courier., 1891-03-21
RITUALISTIC TENDENCIES.
pr. Harwoed on the Religious Spirit
 of the Day.

Dr. HaTWOo0 on the HGu31OuB Sp1f1t
 of the Day.
 In the last but one of the limited Lenten services held in St. Paups church last night, Dr. Harwood of Trinity spoke on '"The Increased Regard for Ritual" He was assisted by Rev. MT. Nichols of Trini- ty, Rev. MT. Brown of St. Luke's, Rev. MT. Lines of St. Paul's, Rev. MT. Means of St. John's, Rev. MT. Vibbert of St. James, church, Fair Haven, and others.
 During the past forty years," said he, ] Ca great change has taken place. Half century ago everything was very formal; the church furniture was stiff backed. Churches were very dreary places. The music was unmusical and infrequent. Still there was much Christian activity, the l clergy were jealous and the prayer-book | loved From 1920 70 1S40 there was great growth. There were disputes about apos- tolic succession, the authority of the sacra- ments and the like. One side seemed to lead to Rome, tho other to the ideas of the reformation. There was but little change in the ritual; that stage was not yet reached. But when Newman went | over to Rome the Oxford movement was broken and it's members dispersed. What remained was a great sensitiveness against Rome. Soon, however, the liturgical feel ing came to to the surface, and since the whole aspect of churches has changed. The churches and their appurtenances are more 1 elegant and everywhere there is an increas- l ed regard for ritual. People love it and enter into it's spiritual meaning more than 1 ever before. Now is this with or without doctrina1 significance? However ornamen- tai or unornamental the service, the matter | is still the same The differences do not affect theological doctrine.
 ''Nearly everything unwholesome and dangerous to the church is involved in some new ritual practices connected with | the Lords supper. Let us now look at the church as it was in the thirteenth cen tury, when it was in great splendor, and magnificent cathedrals were being built. In all countries the service was substan- tially the same. There was high altar at the east end, in which were employed the finest marbles and precious stones, and on | it was a colossal figure of Christ upon the cross. Before it priests and their attendants shouted the story of the passion, and at the mystic words "this is my body" the host was elevated and clouds of incense and thousands of people bowed their heads and worshipped the present Lord In this act the priest, in | liS pC1ACI a1u CuO PooplO D, Ioo DOcil SiOAIS two wonderful things; they had been changing the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and offer ing it as an expiatory sacrifce-and this is the belief of the Romish church to-day. The church went on it's way of power, heed less of warnings, till the storm broke, and England emerged with new prayer book. Mass was abolished-the name and thing and The order for the administration of the Lords supper took it's place. Many church books and appurtenances of all sorts which suggested the Church of Rome were abolished with it. There was no reminiscence of mass for three hundred years. Now a reaction is taking place not exactly Romish, but altogether new. The majority of both clergy and people have no sympathy with it. It seems to stife religious sentiment. One important consideration remains-a church move ment never comes alone; and in deed with this comes an extraordinary activity, such as the world has never seen. Christian associations, schools, hospitals, homes and all sorts of benevolent purposes are on foot. The religion of our day is not of the closet, but seeks sunshine and society. Let us hope that time goes on we shall be able to hold on to the good that has come down to us while we win fresh laurels in the warfare for God and | man."