Smyrna times., 1899-02-08
ANTI.RITUALISM IN ENGLAND.

Led by Sir William Vernon Har-
court, who, since he has abandoned
the leadership of the Liberal party. has
given up a great deal cf his time and
energy to developing true theological
rage, the anti-ritualists party in Eng
lano is gaming new strength day bv
Gay. Yet, on the other hand. such in
cldents as the interruption of the con-
secratlon of the Bishop of Bangor in
London ON Tuesday week, and even
the great public meeting held in Lon
don on the same day, do not mean that
the rltualists are cowed by any means
On the contrary, they are glorying in
what they term their persecution at tba
hahds OF those unwilling to accent tba
teachings of the Church." and they
resolved recently in London to stand
by their colors and abate not a iot oF
'nelr practices nor give up their con.
Tlctlons' Contumacy from them NAV
De expected, open OF hidden; SO the
question is not SO much matter Of
Their disobedience inside the church as
1t Is how long this disobedienca will
go unrecognized and unpunished.
Ihls is sO-called "crisis in the
church of England" which the cable.
gram refers to, and which Sir William
harcourt hammers from day to dav.
ana which his followers throughout
England are determined shall be solved
Dy fuIl enforcement of the law throuoh
the bishops and by the punishment of
al the clergy who offend against the
law. Sir William contends that tbe
"hOle trouble of what he calls the law |
leSsness rampant in the Church is due
10 the defiance of the law on the part
OF the rltualists and the dereliction of
the authorities who should enforce the
law 1t is not, he holds, question of
the lack OF law or authority, but a mat
Ter OF VIII and courage on the part of
the bishops, who have plenty of law on
their side and can enforce discipline if
they elect so to do The difficulty. ac-
cordlng to Sir William, is that many
bishops wink at ritualism and invent
complications that do not exist as n
reason for their inability to SUPPRESS
the practices SO abhorrent to him and
the great body of the church in Eng
land.
These attacks on the bishops have
lea them to take up again the question
OF the reform of ecclesiastical cOurts
on the lines laid down in the report of
the Royal Commission of 1888. and in
next week the convoca-
tlons OF York and Canterbury will dis
cuss a bill which, if approved. will then
go before Parliament. The plan in
general establishes diocesan courts.
allows any grieved parishioner to initi-
ate proceedings, subject to the bishop's
veto, and provides for an appeal from
the diocesan or spiritual courts to a
body OF lay judges representative to
the crown. This plan is said bv
some OF the critics to be an organiza-
tlon OF unreality;" Sir William. as has
been SAID, believes there is law enough
at present for all emergiences. while
the spectator, after admitting that
the situation suggests that the church
has exhausted its legitimate machinery
Of action, is yet disposed to trust to the
as at present. But the anti
ritualists declare that it is the com
PLEASANT bishops who are to blame for
the arrogance and pretensions of rit-
1allsm, and that reform through them
is unlikely.
The situation is most curious, and t
5he result of the controversy will be
with keen interest on this side |
of the Atlantic, since the success of '
'he disciplinarians will mean a great |
1eal to the anti-ritualists in America.
If Sir William succeeds in his crusade t
he rltualists will not be able to con-
lnue in orders as members of the S
clergy of the established Church. as he i
las small patience with their appeal to g
tradition and ancient usage as against |
he attitude of the Church and the ex- t
slant laws, which are the result of the C
reformation. He would turn them C
'ut instanter. The crisis is real, there p
ore, and the issue does not want for v
lighters on either side of the contro-
ersy, as the cable dispatches show
rom day to day. Philadelphia Press. f