PARISH MEETING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 209, 2 October 1878, Page 4

PARISH MEETING.

A meeting of the parishioners of All Saints was held !nst night to consider the desirability of adoring Ct HymriH Aocient «nd Modern," There was a largo attendance, mot Snly tho parishioners, but many sifters being present, a RpecUil interest being aUachcd (o the subject under discussion from the fact ofOudge Thomas having published a pamphlet late on Saturday eight, in which he made certain eravo charges against the Incumbent of having introduced objectionable innovations. The Rev J. A. Newfh, the Incan?l>en», having opened (he rac-flin^ witl, prayer, proceeded io sny that tho events of the last 'two or three days had been of a particularly trying nature, grave misapprehensions being apparently entertained with reference to what had been going on uuder hie ministry. He desired to do away with the ridiculous idea that the little changes which hud bfco made, find which actually consisted in putting a stop. to the singing of a doxology and tho tloin^ away with one of the hymn? had been "made not by bins but the choir. He was not surprised when talking to the Bishop a day or Vwo a<ro to hear him say that he regarded the Incumbent hb an autocrat io. "hie parish. Were it not so, he certainly would not havo accepted the office. He might euy that he was :;o oovica in the Church, this beiDg the sixth cure he had held. He had no intention of takiDg up the cudgels for *' Hymns Ancient and Modern " until Judgo Thomaß had thrown down the gauntlet, but when his pamphlet win published and the challenge delivered, and he, the minister of the parish, was held up to his congregation in the most contemptible light, he felt compelled to come forward and show that he was able to take care botii of himself and his flock. Mr Ashcroft moved that an earnest request be made to the Incumbent to adopt "Hymns Ancient and Modern" for the use of the congregation. Attached as he wus to the hymnal, and much as he admired it, both for its musical and literary excellence, he should not have come prominently forward in the matter but that in tho first place many ladies and gentleman had expressed a strong desire that it might be adopted, and in the second that it had called forth a pamphlet from Judge Thomas, which ho could not characterise in nny other way than as the most wretched production he had ever seen. If to be a Prote3tant involved making baseless and untruthful charges, he wouid rather not be a Protestant; if to be shocked at such hymns as were to be found in that volume was an essential to Christianity, he would prefer not to be a Christian, it was said to be a Ritualistic book, which he denied, and it was alleged that io adoption was advocatei with a sinister desimi to introduce Ritualism into the church thus castiug a grave reflection on the candour and honesty of those desiring its introduction. As for the innovations in the services, he must say that although in regular attendance at Ail Saints' for some years be was quite ignorant of what they were. In Christ Church they had adopted the unmanly plan of introducing an Appendix, the contents of i which wera almost without exception hymns culled from the volume to which auch strong objections were now raised. He thought it far better that they should apeak out openly iG the matter, and that they were bound to do ull id their power to undo the mischief wrought by the Judge's pamphlet, the effect of which would be to weaken the hands of their young pastor at a time when he needed all their sympathy and Support. Judge Thomas moved as an amendment, That no Buch change as that, now proposed is nece3?ary. He must deny altogether the imputation of attacking the minister. He did not do thai, but he did attack a system. He opposed the introduction of u Hymns Ancient and Modern " on several grounds. One was the cost. The church was already greatly in debt. Itß ordinary expenditure was £389, which was barely rnet'^by its ordinary revenue. Then there wa3 a sum of £245 owing to the Diocesan Fund, £ 100 to Captain Rough, and £100 on account of the Sunday School. The interest on these loans, together with the sums owing to tradesmen, was £131. That was one orjection, but only a minor one. The most important one was the teaching of the hymns. He appealed to those who were making the propoeal not to force them on him and those who thought with him. It was not a matter of like or dislike, but one of principle, and he was sorry to find many of his friends insisting upon pleasing themselves without considering the feelings of others. " Hymns Ancient and Modern " was the Ritualistic book, and the Ritualists, who never neglected an opportunity of ecibrcing their viewe, considered it as a great triumph when once they got it introduced into a church. The Bishop of Wellington speaking of the book, aaid its theology was milk and water while it insidiously led to the precipice of Popery, over which you would fall before you knew where you were. Having read the quotation in bis pamphlet from the Bishop of Nelson's Visitation Address in 1875, he proceeded to read one of Sankey'a hyuinp, which he regarded as really beautiful. He said that, while the Incumbent had admitted that there had been innovations in the services, Mr Ashcroft denied that there were. This would justify him in retorting some of the |HH$ words fchftt had been used towards

" n ! e '?' k" at what he wished was to see Christian unity and not dissension, oligbi; though these innovations were, ! they were incessant, and, accompanied by fiio introduction of tlio proposed hymnal they would be most dangerous. He made the direct complaint against the choir that the changes mede interfered with the devotion of the congregation, that they tended towards withdrawing the service from the congregation to the choir, from the poor people to the musician, from simplicity to ritualism. The speaker then asked, what is ritualism? and proceeded to replj- <o the question at great length. It really seemed that° the teneral tendency was to believe that the church belonged not to the congregation but to the choir, and that in their worship art was to take the place of heart. He therefore appealed to them to return to simplicity, and to those who preferred high musical services not to allow their tastes to interfere with the religion of others, but to indulge those tastes in other places but the Church. He appealed to the Incumbent. Than the minister of a parish none occupied a grander position. Everyone in trouble and distress came to him for advice and sympathy, and his heart should be the centre of those of his parishioners. Itwas an enviable position but ono of deep responsibility, Mr Thornton seconded the amendment. Dr. Boor was a liberty to say that the Bishop had declined to be present, but bad told him that if he had been he would have asked the Incumbent not to introduce " Hymn* Ancient and Modern," but at the same time had it been the wish of the majority of the congregation he would have made no attempt to prevent it. He felt bound to say that whatever Mr Newth bad done had been at the expressed wish of his congregation. There need be no apprehension of their becoming ritualists. He believed they were all opposed to it, and he thought they were quite able to take care of themselves in this respect. Indeed, they would never have thought of it had it not been for Judge Thomas' pamph'et. The Kev. J. C. Andrew would not have been at the meeting had it not been for Judge Thomas' pamphlet. That gentleman said he made no charges against the Minister, but surely they were plainly enough expressed in his pamphlet. He himself had been in the habit of assisting in the services of the Church for some years but he entirely failed to see where there had been any innovation. "What then became of the Judge's charges? The Rev. J. A. Newth said that he fully believed Judge Thomas had no intention of prejudicing him with his congregation, but as a matter of fact he had done so, and so had placed him in ji most difficult position. Judge Thomas' amendment was then put to the meeting and rejected by nearly five to one, and the original resolution was carried. The proceedings then terminated.