ANOTHER EIRENICON.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.'l
SIR,—My good friend the Dean of Wells has tried his hand at an Eirenicon, but there are no signs of its being acceptable,
or of its conducing to peace. We need, I think, to appreciate the necessity of a larger liberty, to interfere as little as possible with the various uses now existing, and then to consider what alteration of our present legal condition would be likely to satisfy reasonable men, to whatever school of religious practice 'they may happen to belong.
My first necessary proposal would be a clear declaration that the Ornaments Rubric, as it stands in the Prayer-book, is the law of the Church, setting forth the maximum of Ritual sanctioned by the Church of England. It should be further declared that whenever two-thirds of the communicants in any 'congregation were assenting, the services and dress of the minister should be agreeable to that entire rubric, or to any of the details thereof. With regard to congregations where the de- tails of the Ornaments Rubric are distasteful, the other existing rubrics of the Prayer-book [P canons] should be obeyed, unless some special exemption should be allowed by the Bishop of the diocese. Further, it should be declared that the use of the black gown in preaching, the wearing of surplice and stole, and even the celebration of Holy Communion after midday, be allowed, at the discretion of the minister ; or if objected to by three-fourths of the communicants in any congregation, should be submitted to the Bishop for his sanction or disapproval, and such decision of the Bishop should be final. Such an eirenicon, if adopted by the Convocations of both Provinces, would, I be- lieve, obtain the requisite legal sanction, even from the present House of Commons.—I am, Sir, &c., ANOTHER DEAN.
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