The Judicial Committee of Privy Council gave judgment in the
Ridsdale case on Saturday, the Judges present being the Lord Chancellor, Lord Selborne, Sir J. W. Colvile, the Lord Chief Baron, Sir R. Phillimore, Lord Justice James, Sir Montague Smith, Sir R. Collier, Sir Baliol Brett, and Baron Amphlett, with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishops of Chichester, St. Asaph, Ely, and St. David's as assessors. The judgment in the main affirmed that of the Court below, with one important exception ; the higher Court held that the essential question as to the eastern position was that the communicants should see the minister break the bread and take the cup. In the absence of clear evidence that such a position interrupted the sight of the communicants, therefore, that position must be tolerated, and as such evidence will rarely be forthcoming the Eastern position is quasi-legal. The use of Eucharistic vestments is, however, declared forbidden by the broad meaning though not by the direct wording of the law. We have commented on this decision, which will be believed to be a politic rather than a legal one, elsewhere, and would only add here that Ritualists should consider carefully before they decide upon a policy of resistance to the law. There is no point upon which they will carry their people with so much difficulty as that of vest- ments. The English are very impatient of symbolism of any kind, .and very unapt to understand it, and in the case of vestments their crassitude, as the clergy consider it, is deepened by a certain element of ridicule. They think it womanish to make such a fuss about clothes.
Previous page
