MR. MAURICE AND RITUALISM.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—One fact is worth a hundred conjectures. Twenty-two years ago, I owed to Sir Edward Strachey'e good offices an intro- duction to Mr. Maurice, whose friendship I was thenceforward permitted to enjoy, though our meetings were infrequent. Some time afterwards I became curate to the late Rev. J. C. Chambers, of St. Mary's, Crown Street, Soho, the compiler of " The Priest in Absolution," of which so much has been said recently. This church, then crowded to the doors by the poorest congregation in London—the present attendance is counted by units, and not many of them—was in the van of the Ritualistic movement, as it then was, and differed only in degree, not in kind or principle, of ceremonial from the most advanced churches in England to-day. Notably the sort of prominence was given to the eucharistic rite which Sir Edward Strachey characterises in a fashion that calmer thought will lead him to regret. Nevertheless, Mr. Maurice was kind enough to accede more than once to the incumbent's re- quest, made through me, that he would preach at the church during certain special courses of sermons. And neither then nor afterwards did he raise any objection on the score of the cere- monial observances, which he certainly would have done had he regarded them as Sir Edward Strachey does. I owe too much to Mr. Maurice's teaching not to be jealous for his honour, and I think the ascription of intolerant and irreverent sentiments to him is an aspersion thereon, even though made by so old a friend.— I am, Sir, &c., 9 Red Lion Spore, IF. C. RICHARD P. LiTTLEPALE.
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