THE ST. PAUL'S REREDOS AND THE CHURCH ASSOCIATION.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—For cool assertion, combined with dense stupidity, commend me to a bigoted society. I have just read in the City Press a long, earnest appeal of the Church Association for £10,000 to enable them to mutilate the St. Paul's reredos, and thus " vindicate the Protestant character of the Church of England " ! The German Lutheran Church, the Church of which so many relatives of our Royal Family are members, must feel highly complimented by this Association. It virtually declares that no Church can be Protestant which uses. the crucifix, vestments, and lighted candles in her service, and they must know that the German Lutheran Church uses all three, and yet is eminently Protestant. They then pay a high compliment to the common-sense of the British public by declaring that they are ',liable to pay Divine worship to these pieces of alabaster and marble. It is a pity, while they are about it, not to ask for a few more thousands, and demand the destruction of our public statues and memorials. It would be easy to get any number of affidavits declaring that people
have been seen in all sorts of adoring attitudes round the Nelson Monument, the Guards' Memorial, round the statues of Peel and Pitt, Napier and Wellington, &c. And then, just think what a field is open to them in our cemeteries ! I myself have seen hosts of worshippers round the tombs of Ducrow and Boyer, and the marvellous effigies of many celebrities. Then why stop at these? why not include effigies in stained glass, beginning with the splendid window in St. George's, Hanover Square, the Virgin and Child, /to.
But to be serious, does it want much common-sense or knowledge of the English character to feel quite sure that when people have been found to give the 210,000, and a Judge has been found to order the Crucifixion and Virgin and child to be removed, that within an incredibly short space of time hundreds of similar groups will be erected all over the land? And, after all, they only touch the mere shell, the "outward sign ;" the " thing signified " is beyond their destructive energies, with any amount of f an.ds.—I am, Sir, &c.,
FELIX FAIR-PLAY.
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