SIR, —This business of candles in Church arises aptly enough at
Candlemas. While agreeing in the main with Mr. Thomson, I must suggest that he overstates his case when he writes: "Candles have always been used as a part of Christian worship, as a perusal of the New Testament will show."
In common with Janus, whose comment started this correspondence, and many others, I peruse the New Testament, but can find in it no reference to candles in Christian worship; if there had been, the Reformers would not have abolished them. Apart from the institution of the Lord's Supper, there is mighty little in the book abopt the rites and ceremonies of Christian worship; and the references to candles are three: (i) Our Lord's parable drawn from everyday life, as at Luke viii 16 (ii) In the desolation of the new Babylon forecast in Revelation there will not even be a candle (iii) In Heaven, also pictured in Revelation, there will not be any need of artificial light.
None of these passages could possibly be used as precedent or authority for' the presence or number of candles on an altar in church today.
Mr. Thomson's case would be sound if he confined himself to saying that candles have been used in Christian worship from very early times. In the catacombs the-Christians would have had no alternative, and clearly the ritual lighting of the fire at the Greek Easter goes back
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