HIGH OR LOW CHURCH?

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 368, 20 April 1910, Page 5

HIGH OR LOW CHURCH?

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEES. To the average outsider thoro didn't seem anything inflammatory in the question asked |,j. Mr. W. D. Bedford at St. -Marys Hull ! ; wt night. "Jf I „j ve ' a pair of brass candlesticks ,f or the further adornment of the altar in our ■beautiful church, wi',l anvone provide the necessary caudles lor thean?" Xow Mr Bedford had set the usually dignified meeting of parishioners in .roars earlier in the meeting when lie referred to the choir. He ],:inted out that the report stated there were 51 Members of tte elioir, hut in enumerating the voices only 4S wvre accounted for. -Was it proposed, he n-'ked, to hold a merowJal 'service over the missing three? Some of those present remembered tlie joke when the -second question was asked, and iauighed. Others took it verv seriously, and far a time it seemed that tlm congregation was going to air its opinionl very freely.' -Air. John Cook was the first speaker. In an earnest speech he expressed the hope that the request would not lie. acceded to, so long as they claimed to he a Protestant cliurcli. 'He might he. termed a Low Churchman, hut his ideals were high, and could not he gauged by his attitude towards this ornamentation and adornment. He conk! ,soe nothing to warrant the use of candlesticks on the altar.

Mr. Skinner interrupted the speaker with a. suggestion that flie meeting go into committee. Last year, lie pointed out, they had had an unseemly squabble about tin' presentation of a banner, and the whole of the discussion was reported in the Press. The publication of that report didn't do the cliiurcJi any good. Mr. Cook seconded. Mr. Sllunv thought Mr. Bedford was only 'having his joke with the meeting. Mr. Bedford denied the soft impeachment, and -mid he was in real earnest, about, the matter. Tim vicar pointed out that the meeting was quite ignoring the fact that a question had been asked of the chairman. No one else had the right to reply to it. Mr. R. C. HiiQflies said he must oppose) the motion. He was not afraid of his views receiving publicity, and he didn't see why they should be expressed in committee. A public discussion on a> matter of I'lin kind should prove beneficial. The motion to go into committee was carried. Mr. Bedford subsequently withdrew his oll'er.