22 JANUARY 1881, Page 3

The Archbishop of Canterbury has published a letter, written on

the last day of the old year, to Canon Wilkinson, in which he admits that "it certainly may be fairly taken to show that there must be some exceptional difficulty in present arrange- ments, when clergymen, of otherwise unimpeachable character, think it their duty to run the risk of having their usefulness iu their parishes rudely interrupted by the authority of the law, rather than yield" to their Bishops the usual deference. This is obvious enough, and the plain reason, of course, is that these clergymen have found a certain ritual, which they believe to be required by 'the rubrics of their Church, a popular missionary instrument, such as it is not easy otherwise to replace. The Archbishop expresses himself very moderately, and as heartily

anxious to meet and settle the difficulty. It is easy enough to do it. The Public Worship Regulation Act must be, wholly or in the main, repealed, and liberty of ritual within very wide limits allowed, wherever the clergymen and the congregations concur.