BISHOP JULIUS AND AMATEUR LAWYERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 918, 10 September 1910, Page 10

BISHOP JULIUS AND AMATEUR LAWYERS.

Sir,—ln your issue of September 7 there appears an announcement of tho Bishop of Christcliurch at the institution of the Rev. 11. 1). Burton. It seems from the Bishop's remarks that there has been somo .opposition to tho attitude taken up by Rev. H., D. Burton. . In your issue...of Saturday lastit was reported that ho. publicly stated that he intended t0... use Eucharistic vestments, and also said that "nicense" was allowed under the-'. "Ornaments Rubric." I. naturally thought somo of the ministers of the .Evangelical school would have challenged these statements but I have not seen any comments on these matters. It,-will be observed when any of these innovations, is started if there is any opposition to theni tho, old nrguinent is used that they are - practised in Erigknd. ■ '. Unfortunately, soma of: them arc, but we do not want in .Dew Zealand the- strife they stir up in Britain. The Bishop, tried his best to "whitewash" the position, taken up by tho Rev. H. D. Burton. Such remarks as "such''has .been. my. habit,!' "in. this way 1 'can work' 1 beat fori.God and His Church," aro a lame attempt to prop up Ritual-' ism,, and for a man like Bishop Julius to use such words passes my comprehension. To read between, the lines, this is uttered because' Mr. Burton pro-, poses to , use "Eucharistic' vestments"when administering the Holy Sacrament. ■ The Bishop, in his remarks about amatour lawyers, seems.to imagine that nobody knows anything .about the law governing theso matters except Bishops.- I shall quote a lawyer who, I think, at any rate'commands respect. Sir Edward Clarke, who is right at the, head of tho legal profession in England, writing in '.'The Times" (London), makes a protest against the Bishop.or Winchesterfor permitting-illegal' practices in,the parish church of Thorpe.near;.Staines, wherein the vicar had used the pulpit and 'school-for teaching the distinctive doctrine of the Roman Church. Sir Edward explains that a' ■how-vicar, was appointed in 1907, and gradually introduced vestments and ceremonies, which changed the outward character of the\ service; . The vicar's. ••-nurchw'ai'clen cited twelve 'practices', to the Bishop which had been judicially condemnedjas: illegal by the King's Ecclesiastical Court. It-took the Bishop four months to give his decision. He is after the style of some colonial bishops, he announced that ho had requested -tlio vicar to desist from four of them, and had received his-promise to do so. As to-the other ■ .'-'grave '■illegalities, Sir Edward, adds, the Bishop-gave no directions at.-jalh. .The churchwarden took legal advice as to.taking--proceed-ings-; under .. the : (Public., Worship Regulation Act, and. '".'while...' the 'representation, under that : Act. was : being' prepared an , important incident occurred. The vicar, at one. of the services ;on Sunday :■ February- 20, in liis sormbii quite, categorically taught the,. dogma of Transubstantiation,' according '.to -..tlio, torms of tho .Roman : Church. The Bishop wrote to the vicar\ .andyon.. a.lator Sunday he closed :his ; .sermon' by recanting liis former' teaching on Transubstantiation.: I wonder what Bishop Julius would*say to this' vicar's recantation?: I do not know whether. your valuable paper finds its .way ;.to. the : Bishop;. I know;nt finds its way to most of tho. Diocefip of -Wellington and. that will serve the purpose as ' well.-. Now, as. to the remarks of - Mi\ Burton that incense is allowed under the "Ornamehls :R-übric,":.--.'.'What,,. is, v ...aimed - at,, ,by. ■most of- the -High Church party;- is v -to try and legalise tho: ceremonial. use of .incense.. There, is no objection to - theuse. of. incense asjar.'as. tho Church of England is concerned if used for fumigatory purposes ;/,;but' .tliere is no ,law to allow the cercmbnial.'.ufie of in!censb at or. during "divine service. 'Nevertheless,.some of,tho clergy,usurp all authority;" and use lhcenso ceremonially in some of the churches, in England' to-day. 'I '.think ho would be .a bold man who would advocate the':use of;,:it ;.here. 'in Now Zealand '.'for fumigatory purposes, .as with the advance of sanitation' it would be'quite unnecessary, though I have been informed that it has been used in the Diocoso of Wellington, I do not Know whether cere.inoniously, or not. It is small wonder that the Now Zealand churches are; so poorly attended .when such practices aa these .'are carried on':—Tarn, etc., .;'.-:■ ;.':,- rTHOS:.M. MILLIGAN. V, ', Taitvillej September 8, 1910. ,' [This letter has been slightly curtailed.] '•'.-'.' ...