PARISH CLERKS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3643, 16 March 1883, Page 4

PARISH CLERKS.

In the occasional services, marriages, funerals, <fee, AA'hen there is no congregation nor choir present, the clerk's assistance is almost indespensible. Well does the writer remember being called, Avhen a neAvly-fledged curate, to solemnise a Avedding in a village church Avhen there Avas no clerk present. Iv an eA'il hour he placed an office book in the hands of one of the party, requesting him to read the responses. The residt was painfully ludicrous. His oavii graA-ity aud still more that of the rest Avas severely tried, as tho uninitiated substitute blundered through the visiclcs, readingstraight down the parts for the minister and people alike, with a broad north-country accent, after this fashion: —" ' 3lmister— be unto them a toAver of strength. Answer —From the face of their enemies.' " The book Avas quickly closed, or tho ceremony could not have proceeded. When all Avas over the unfortunato sAvaiu was doubtless "chaffed" unmercifully by his friends for his abortive attempt at clerking-. It need not be added that the rash experiment lias never been repeated. Still, making every alloAvance for these exceptional cases, can there be a doubt that, as a rule, our public services are much heartier and more real without such artificial help ': The miserable duet betAveen parson and clerk is now coniparatively rare, and Aye may be very thankful that it is so. The danger in some places seems to be lest the choir should assume the functions of the clerk, and, being too ambitious, and not adapting their music or their reading sufficiently to the tastes and capacity of the congregation, they may silence those Avho aa-oulcl otherwise join audibly hi the sendee, and so become representatives, instead of leaders, of their brethren. Certainly, the grand peculiarity of our Church of England worship — its congregational character—must at any cost be maintained as far as possible. Neither in Rome nor amongst Nonconformists do the laity enjoy the privilege of taking a distinct and audible part in the prayers as avcll as praises of the sanctuary. For no consideration let them forgo their birthright. Rather let them rise to a higher appreciation of its value. It is Avhen all, rich and poor, old and young-, learned and unlearned, unite Avith heart and A'oice in supplication to their common God and Father through the one Mediator that we seem to approach nearest to the ideal of heaveidy service, aud can almost catch the echo of the countless multitude of tho redeemed, as they cry, '' Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."—Churchman's Shilling- Magazine.