CHURCH OF ENGLAND SERVICES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 87, 12 April 1875, Page 2

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SERVICES.

To the Editor op the 'Evening Mail.' Sir — Your correspondents, " Spes in Crucem," and the Ven Archdeacon Thorpe, Embolden me. to ask whether it is possible that men in Anglican orders can be induced, even by Episcopal authority, to hand over the Book of Common Prayer to be mangled by a General RynoJ, composed for tho most part of Episcopal nominees. •• Ye take too much upon you, you sons of Ztruiah." What right, has it ny body of men, however consti uted, to take the buildings and endowments expressly given to the Anglican Church, and hand them over to another Church which we know nor of— nay! whieh has yet to be (onftituced, whose ritual has yet to be settled ? Unfortunately, tha clergy in Now Zealand are too much in the hands of tbe Bishops, and the Bishops too much of one mind. The old rrea th of the Church is being taken 'from us. In. its place we are reque-ted to aceept a miserable mongrel We«leyani6m. Peter we know, and Wesley we know, and Knox we know ; but who are these ? Cm it be trup, as one of jour correspondents asserts, that, unknown to nine-tenths of us, our connexion with the Church of England is severed ? Theee gentlemen are undermining the Church, though doubtless with the best intentions. Seme Of us will join the Roman Cnurch others, preferring the artic Uu: adulterated, will' become Methodists. The reason for the existence of our Church is cut from beneith it. The General Synod has, unknown to most of us, cut off the historical tio wbich st 11 bound us to the history of the English Church, and for which someof our lorefather.-t have given their blood. The next step contemplated seems to be the admission of stiango rituals al the discretion of anv hotheaded Levite. Let all Churchmen, who love their country and its Chur.h, protest a?ain.l thit abuse of Episcopal authority. Because ve have "changed our stars," it does not follow that we should change also our manner of worshipping God at the bidding of men, who , are, to say the lea*t, superior neither in into - leet. education, zoal, or piety to those who at Home do not desire to lay a finger upon thu Prayer Book to alter ic. Let us know under what laws the Church is to live or let it di *. This anarchic change and leaping ih the dmk is intolerable. Yours, &e., A. B. C. Nelson, April 12, 1875. • * 'P.S. — One may sleep through the sermon, whatever it be. But surely we fhould huve Prayers all have agreed to join in.