SOLUTION OF THE RITUALISTIC DIFFICULTY.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 148, 24 May 1879, Page 3

SOLUTION OF THE RITUALISTIC DIFFICULTY.

The rational alternative to a compromise which no one really desires (says the ‘ Spectator’) is for Parliament to give up all thought of enforcing uniformity of ritual, and to content itself with ensuring that, so far as is possible, no congregation shall have a ritual which it dislikes forced upon it. At both ends of the established Church, congregations arc liable to be placed in his unpleasant position. A Ritualist incumbent succeedes a Low Churchman, and forthwith positions, dresses, music arc all changed. For a year or two, perhaps, there is more or less of a conflict in the parish ; but after that time, those to whom the change was distasteful cither come to like the innovations, or go off to another church, in which they can still get, the kind of service they like, and a congregation gradually grows up to which the new ritual is throughly grateful. Then an Evangelical incumbent succcecds the Ritualist, and the whole process is reversed. Once more the existing congregation is offended and scattered, until in course of time an Evangelical congregation is again got together. Both these cases yield a fair cause of grievance. So long, no doubt, as such very opposite views are contained within one and the same church, there must be some cases of hardship. But the hardship might be very ranch lessened. An incumbent can have no right to force alterations down the throats of Ids congregation ; a minority of a congregation can have no right to impose its wishes upon the majority ; a majority of a congregation can have no right to prevent the minority from getting what it wishes, if it can be done without inconvenience to the majority. The application of these three rules to ritual controversies would have a wonderfully calming effect. The first two might be reduced to practice by a provision that no deviation from the ritual already established in any church should be permitted without the consent of two-thirds, say, of the habitual congregation. The third rule might be reduced to practice in part by a provision that the two first should only be applicable to a fair proportion of the services held in the church, and in part by freedom being left to the minority to maintain a chapel of case, in which services to their taste should he performed by a curate appointed by the '.htrtvcily'Tit but nominated and paid by