Smyrna times., 1911-04-26
FORMER SMYRNA RECTOR
MAKES STIRRING ADDRESS
REV. CHARLES II. HOLMEAD CUR
ATE OF ST. JOHNS WILMINGTON
Answers Questions Regarding Ritual
Favors Intoning The Service And
Burning The PaschaI Candles

Preceding a strong sermon on
"The Dynamic Power of the Resur-
rection," in St. Johns Church, Will
mington, Sunday morning, the curate,
the Rev. Charles H. Holmead, form
erly rector of ST. Peters Church,
Smyrna, created quite a stir and no
little enthusiasm by the manner in
which he handled an explanatory ad-
dress, made in answer to questions
the eloquent curate had propounded
to him recently by some of the st.
Johns congregation in regard to
matters pertaining to the ritual of
the Episcopal church. The attention
of the Episcopalians of the country
has been directed within the past
few weeks to Norfolk, Va, where
the rector of one of the large chur
ches, the Rev. Mr.. Steinmetz, he
cause he insisted on intoning the
service of the church, was reprimand-
ed by the bishop of Southern Vir-
ginia. and later compelled to omit
the chanting in his services. At
the morning service at st. Johns,
Sunday, the Rev. Mr.. Holmead be-
gan his remarks with the statement
that there is no prescribed ritual in
the Catholic church, making clear
to his audience the fact that all the
ritualistic customs of the church are
the result of tradition, and not of
any written law. He dwelt on the
fact that some people are very prone
to criticise the ritualistic observ-
ances of the church, and are very
ready to rise up in rebellion if the
form of worship is governed by
ritual, or is trifie more elaborate
than they deem necessary.
Believes Ritual Should be Carried Out
The speaker declared that if the
traditional ritual of the church was
carried out as it should be, in the
Episcopalian churches of Wilmington
the paschal candle would be burning
to-day and would burn until the as
cension forty days after Easter,
which, according to the Rev. Mr..
Holmead, are the greatest forty
days in history as they mark the
time which the Christ spent on
earth in the resurrected body. "Men
and women" he declared, "are
very ready and in fact, very anxious
to have great worldly displays-to
have gorgeous displays and elabor-
ate banquets, with brilliant lights
burning on the tables and everything
carried out according to the set,
though unwritten, law of society.
Why then," he asked, "should not
some of this brilliancy and form be
used in the worship of the Lord, il
it may be used to such great extent
and with so much additional effort
in the qualification of our worldly
desires?" In speaking of the mat.
ter of the service of the Episco
paIian Church being intoned by the
clergyman in charge the Rev. Mr.
Holmead laid special emphasis OF
the fact that this intonation is ac'
cording to the ritual of the church
The dictionary meaning of the wore
"intone,' he asserted, is 'to recit
or say in a monotone" The ritua
of the church instructs the rector t
"say" certain passages and accord
ing to the speaker Sunday morning
that is exactly what the clergyma
is doing when he intones them.
His Intention to Intone the Services
The eloquent curate closed hi
preliminary remarks with the asser
tion that all the high dignitaries G
the church and many of the clergy
men are living up to the ritual
these matters, even though some {
them are not. 1t is his intention
he declared, as he has always done
to intone the services of the church
In his sermon on "The Dynami
Power of the Resurrection, til
Rev. Mr.. Holmead told of how Ii
resurrection of our Lord is reveale
in the physical, the moral, the il
tellectual and the spiritual life I
man, bringing out the fact that
all these phases of life, the best
a result of the resurrection of IL
Christ, which makes il possible f
us to be born anew.
DR.. Caleb r. Layton Practicing Agai
After twelve years of service
State politics, DR.. Caleb r. Layt'
has decided to return to the practi
of medicine and is now fitting !
Offices at Georgetown. DR.. Layt'
declares he is still an "insurgent
Republican.
Geo. w. Turner Remodeing Proper
George w. Turner is remodeli
the brick double dwelling betwe
his residence and Mrs. Voshell a
is fitting It up into fine residen
with fpont v,or~h