THE RITUAL QUESTION.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIB,—There is something sad and pathetic about the hasty utterances and false logic of the extreme sacerdotalists, and for this reason, that if their hopes (viz., of Disestablishment) are realised their most cherished practices will certainly be declared illegal. I do not think it can be doubted that (whether we like it or not) the mass of Englishmen are Pro- testant to the backbone, and in the resettlement after disruption their voice will inevitably be heard. The very proportions of those concerned in the present ritual question illustrate this. The incumbents who burn incense are (say) three hundred and eighty. Allow that six hundred and twenty more are in sympathy with them, and we have yet about twelve thousand beneficed clergy, High and Low, with their generally united congregations, who have no desire what- ever for what is called in question. Is our Church to be wrecked by and for such a comparatively small proportion of its body ? It would be well if our excellent friends would bear in mind (1) that the great body of English people who are neither followers of Kensit on the one hand nor Lord Halifax on the other have not yet spoken; (2) that Englishmen, from their innate love of discipline, will never understand a line of action which involves disobedience to a superior ; (3) that the clergy have sworn before God to obey the godly admonitions of the Bishop, which admonitions many of them are now preparing to disobey ; and may I add (4) as an old-fashioned High Churchman that, after all, extreme ceremonialism is an exotic born under sunny Southern skies, and, like compulsory confession, it will never commend itself to the hardier, manlier nature of the Teuton races ?-1 am, Sir, &c., J. G. CHESHIRE.
Witohain Vicarage, Isle of Ely, October 11th.
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