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24

in order. And being primitive, it has been small in its num- bers, and must look to be so ; it must look to be hated and despised; oppressed by those who fill high places of the earth, and exposed to the scorn and ridicule of such as seek their favour. Absolute power and universal dominion are the claim and boast of Rome ; latitudinarian Unbelief and rationalistic Scepticism will please and delude the multitude ; and Infidelity, gathering all into itself, will sweep the earth like a wide-wasting pestilence. But there shall be a remnant, a " holy seed" ; perhaps as once it was, the " least of all seeds", which shall increase and fill the earth, till ^^the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ." "The Lord will hasten it in his time !"

Note. — The attention of the reader is directed (at the suggestion of a most kind friend) to a passage in the Homily of" Common Prayer and Sacraments ;" where it is said (arguing that " according to the exact signification of a sacra- ment there be but two"), " Although absolution hath the promise of forgiveness of sin, yet by the express word of the New Testament, it hath not this promise annexed and tied to the visible sign, which is imposition of hands :" and to one in Bp. Andrewes' Sermon V., " Of the sending of the Holy Ghost:" " A third necessity there is we receive Him, for that with Him we shall receive whatever we want, or need to receive, for our souFs good. And here fall in all His offices. By Him we are regenerated at the first in our Baptism. By Him after, confirmed by the imposition of hands. By Him after, renewed to repentance when we fall away, by a second imposition of hands. By Him taught all our life long," &c. There is also another passage in the Homily of Repentance, Part II., which, after a very earnest refutation of the Roman doctrine of auricular confession, concludes with these words : " I do not say, but that, if any do find themselves troubled in ccmscience, they may repair to. their learned cui'ate or pastor, or to some other godly learned man, and show the trouble and doubt of their conscience to them, that they may receive at their hand the com- fortable salve of God's word ; but it is against the true Christian liberty, that any man should be bound to the numbering of his sins, as it hath been used heretofore in the time of bUndness and ignorance."

THE END.

Gilbert & Rivington, Printers, St. John's Square, London,

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SAYI^pS AND DOINGS

LORD BISHOP OF MANCHESTER

ADMINISTRATION OP HIS DIOCESE,

BUT MORE PARTICULARLY WITH REFERENCE TO

RINGLEY CHAPEL.

EDWARD PELLOWS, B.A.

OF EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD; ASSISTANT CURATE OF RINGLEY.

" Little shall I grace my cause " In speaking for myself: yet, by your gracious patience, " I \Till a round, unvarnished tale deliver " Of my whole course."

LONDON:

JOSEPH MASTERS, 33, ALDERSGATE STREET, AND 78, NEW BOND STREET.

TO BE HAD OF THE BOOKSELLERS IN MANCHESTER.

1852. Pbice On£ Shilling.]

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To THE Lord Bishop of Manchester.

My Lord, — I think it right to inform you, that in a few days, a pamphlet will appear containing a detailed account of everything connected with my ministration in this place, including (for the edification of the Clergy of this Diocese) the opinions which your Lordship has expressed on various Church matters.

I make no apology for the publication, because I think that all impartial persons will, after a perusal of it, admit that no apology is required.

I do not deny the right to dismiss me from this Curacy, any more than I deny the right of a master to discharge a domestic servant ; but I do affirm — earnestly and respectfully — that the exercise of that right in either case, without assigning any reason, is an arbitrary and ungracious proceeding; because, as no oflfence is pointed out, the curate in the one case and the servant in the other have no oppor- tunity of amendment.

With the greatest respect for your Lordship's Episcopal ofBee,

I have the honour to be.

Your Lordship's obedient servant,

EDWARD FELLOWS,

RingUy, near Bolton-U-Moors^ January 22nd, 1852.

SAYINGS AND DOINGS

LORD BISHOP OF MANCHESTER/

It seeins to be a duty which devolves upon every Churchman at all times, but particularly in the present perplexed state of things, individually to endeavour to correct abuses, and, in case his personal exertions for amendment and his private remonstrances fail, as a last resource, to expose them openly, in order, if possible, to prevent their repetition. The following statement of facts connected with Ringley, is written with this intent; as well as to clear up a notion, now widely circulated in the Diocese, that the Curate, or Curates, of that place have been excessively overbearing towards their Bishop in the matter of Choral Service. I earnestly hope that what is contained in these pages will not lay me open to the charge of disrespect towards my Spiritual Superiors, for no one has a more profound regard for the three orders of the ministry than myself; so that what I have to say must not be considered as applied to the office, but to the individual who fills it.

Ringley Chapel, in the parish of Prestwich, in Lancashire, was founded and endowed by Nathan Wallworth, a steward of the Earl of Pem- broke, and consecrated in 1634, but no district has ever been assigned to it. The patronage has been exercised, it is believed in accordance with the founder's will, by the Rectors of Prestwich, Bury, and Middleton, for the time being. The Rev. James R. Lyon, the present Perpetual Curate, was appointed iu 1817, but as in the following year he was also appointed to the Rectory of Pulford, in Cheshire, he has for many years

* I wish it to be distinctly understood that no one but myself is in any way responsible for the appearance of this pamphlet.

resided at that place in preference to Ringley. Being non-resident, he was of course obliged to keep a curate, and he appointed Mr. Barnsdall, who died in 1847, having been curate for upwards of thirty years.

When the curacy of Ringley thus became vacant, Mr. Lyon, on the application of some friends of Mr. Ramsbotham, gave that gentleman the curacy. Before that appointment Mr. Ramsbotham had been curate at a church in Manchester, which was looked upon by some as what in these days is commonly called a Tractarian place of worship, and Mr. Lyon, who was as averse to anything of that kind as he could be, must have been aware of the circumstance at the time of his making the appointment.

When Mr. Ramsbotham came to Ringley he found things in a most unsatisfactory state ; told Mr. Lyon that his notions were entirely different to those of the late Curate, and gave him plainly to understand that he did not by any means intend to discharge his spiritual duties in the same way, but at the same time promised not to introduce anything into the Services of the chapel raslily. In his first year a great change was effected, and the foundation of right Church feeling was being laid, in many cases with very good results. By devoting himself entirely to his calling, he soon gained the general esteem of the people, although they were rather suspicious of him at first, having heard that he was a Tractarian. In the winter of 1848-9 he was taken very ill, and was unable for some time to take any duly at all. Under these circumstances his friends deemed it advisable that he should, if possible, have assistance ; and his brother, who was in no way connected with Ringley, very generously offered to pay the stipend of an assistant curate, provided Mr. Lyon would agree to it. The latter gentleman most willingly gave his consent, upon which Mr. Rams- botham offered me the Assistant Curacy. I was at that time curate at the Tractarian church which Mr. Ramsbotham had left, and singularly enough a brother of Mr. Lyon also attended it, whose opinion of me, though it was " not quite so favourable" as Mr. Lyon could have wished, did not prevent the latter from sanctioning my appointment.

In July, 1849, Mr. Ramsbotham introduced into the chapel Choral Service, but not raslily, for it was asked for by one of the chapel-wardens, who, it may be presumed, well knew the feeling of the people upon the subject, and three trial Services were given on week-days, as an experi- ment, all of which were very well attended. The more musical part of the congregation, indeed, thought the singing might be better — there cer- tainly was room for great improvement — but the majority thought it good, and liked it very miiL;h ; and such being the case, Mr. Ramsbotham willingly complied with the chapel-warden's request, and shortly after

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introduced it on Sunday, and so continued it till 1851, when it was stopped by the Bishop.

During these eighteen months of Choral Service, we were raising money to build a new church, for in our visits among the poor, when we asked why they did not come to church, they answered — " Because we can't get seats; people wont open their doors (i. e. of their pews) to us; if you will find us seats, we will soon come." Knowing this answer to be really true, we of course had no alternative; we had to choose between letting the people go on in their reckless way, and providing them church accom- modation. The conventional — for, as I have said, there was no legal — dis- trict to the chapel, contains about 3,500 souls, consisting principally of mining, manufacturing, and agricultural labourers, while the chapel would accommodate but 270, and of this number only 40 seats were free. It was no easy matter to raise £2,000. in so poor a neighbourhood, but through Mr. Ramsbotham's astonishing exertions and perseverance, and by sheer begging, the money was raised. But before anything could be done, it was necessary to procure the sanction of the Incumbent and Bishop, both of which were obtained, the former's by his signing the petition to the Church Commissioners and the Incorporated Society, and the latler's by a letter which will be presently noticed. A meeting of the inhabitants was called, and the patrons invited the trustees of the chapel to meet them. Three only of their number came — but came only to oppose, for they declared that a new church was not wanted. These said trustees, who, to be qualified, ought to reside " in or near Riugley," live many miles away, and seldom, if ever, attend the chapel, as it is not their proper place of worship. They of course, therefore, knew no more about the requirements of the neighbourhood than any other absentee. They would not work with us, so we determined to work ■without them, and in July, 1850, the new chapel was commenced, the support of the statute 8 and 9 Vict. c. 70, s. 1, being more powerful than the opposition of the trustees. Not long after this, a storm began to spread itself in the shape of the "Papal Aggression;" and Lord John Russell's letter to the Bishop of Durham, followed by the behaviour of a London mob at the chapel of St. Barnabas, created a notion that Popery and Tractarianism were convertible terms, and accordingly a neighbour (?) soon complained to our Diocesan that Mr. Rams- botham had been circulating a tract — No. 72, new series, of the " Tiaclsfor the Christian Seasons," — which contained the following objec- tionable ])assage, viz : — " From what I said before, too, it follows with equal certainty, that the voice of the Church is above every voice of man, in those matters which Christ has entrusted to her charge. No one can teach men

what is the true faith, or impart the grace by which men are kept steadfast in that faith, hut the Church herself. The greatest earthly power is power- less, when it arrogates to itself any portion of the Church's divine rights," &c. The portion in italics was that principally complained of, but whether with any justice, is left to the candid reader to determine.

Shortly after this — but whether on account of any suspicions that may have been raised by the tract, it is impossible to say — the Bishop ordered the Archdeacon to go to Ringley on the following Sunday, and see what was being done there ; and from the subjoined Archidiaconal report, will be seen what enormities were being committed : —

"TheDeyne, Prestwich, Dec. 30th, 1850.

" My Lord, — I yesterday attended Ringley chapel, in this parish, with a view of ascertaining, at your Lordship's request, the mode of performing Divine Service there, and have to report as follows : —

"The officiating Clergy consisted of the senior Stipendiary Curate, who is licensed, and is in Priest's orders, and an Assistant Curate, who, I believe, is not licensed, and is only in Deacon's orders.* Both appeared to be properly habited. There was no lay Clerk, that officer being super- seded by about twelve singing-men and youllis, and eight boys.

"On the clergy leaving the vesiry, a voluntary on the organ was per- formed; the Senior Curate proceeding to the north end of the Communion Table, and kneeling in private devotion with his face to the east wall ; the Junior Curate proceeding, both a.m. and p.m. to the reading desk, to say Prayers.

" Without introductory psalm or hymn, the latter commenced the Service in a kind of monotone, with occasional cadences, which he continued throu<i;hout, varied only by a more regular-)- mode of chanting of the Lord's Prayer, the Responses, the Litany, &c. The Psiilms, and the usual Chants after the Lessons, were chanted princi])ally by the choir, as were the Responses after the Commandments in the Communion Service. The Junior Curate bowed at the name of" Jesus" wherever it occurred, in the Prayers or the Lessons, turned to the east wall in private devotions and in repeating the Creed in the Communion Service, and assisted in collecting the alms ; he preached in his gown without hood in the afternoon, using

* Before I entered Ringley I asked the Bishop's permission, because, as Mr. Lyon would not give nie a formal nomination — which would have been a contract between him and nie that was never intended— I, of course, could have no formal licence, and the Bisliop, under tlie circumstances, allowed me to remain without one.

f The Priesfs part was taken ■precisely as Tallis gives it ; what the Archdeacon means by a more regular mode of chanting I cannot understand.

the ordinary prayers before and after Sermon, the congregation, rising at the words 'Now to God the Father,' &c., and the Senior Curate, at the conchision, repeating the 'Amen' from the Communion.

" The Senior Curate, turning to the people, intoned the Absolution, and during Prayers knell, and in repeating the Creeds stood with his face to the east wall ; he read the Lessons from a lectern, lately introduced, at the entrance of the chancel, and gave out the number of the Psalm to be sung ; he intoned the Communion Service, except the Epistle and Gospel, and preached in the morning in his gown without hood, after which he read the Offertory sentences during the collection for ' church expenses,' and concluded with intoning the Prayer for the Church Militant and the Benediction.

*• I must do all parties the justice to report, that the reading, intoning, chanting, and singing, were audibly and distinctly performed, and the congregations orderly and devout, although but very few seemed qualified to join audibly in the responses.

" I have the honour, &c.,

"J. RUSHTON, "

This report, it will have been observed, does not notice any breaches of Rubric. It must not, however, on that account be supposed there were none, for, I am sorry to say, there were too many. 'I'he " liberality" of the present day, which claims — what it denies to others — unfettered free- dom, renders it impossible uno motu to obey all the Rubrics, where all, or nearly all, have been for years systematically disregarded. They ere indeed so frequently disobeyed that many people think them

" More honour 'd in the breach than the observance."

With this exception the report, as might be expected from the Arch- deacon's straightforward character, is a fair and candid statement of the case; and on it I have to observe, that there was no " introductory psalm or hymn," because the Rubric directs that " at the beginning of Mornino- Prayer, the minister shall read," &c. ; that the Junior Curate bowed at he name of "Jesus" in accordance with the 18th Canon ; that he collected the alms because the Rubric requires Deacons to do so ; and that the Epistle and Gospel were not intoned for the reasons assigned in a letter hereafter set out. The other matters, such as chanting and intoning the Service, turning to the east, turning to the people while pronouncing the Absolu-

8

lion,* and reading from a lectern, are surely matters on which a person may act up to his own honest opinion — whether it be against or in favour of those ancient practices — without giving the least offence to any one who may, with equal honesty, differ from him. With regard to the congrega- tion being " qualified to join audibly in the responses," I will add, that the "plain song" of Tallis was taken by the treble voices; and I fully believe that nine out of ten in any congregation, however illiterate, could sing it, if they chose, f Unfortunately the Archdeacon sat behind people who did not make the attempt, because they did not like the Service ; and not being accustomed to it himself, his ear probably, and very naturally, did not catch the congregation's one-sounding voice, as a very great majority did join. The uselessly high pews would also be much against hearing.

After this official visit, Mr. Rarasbotham and myself called on the Bishop, and were with him nearly two hours ; and what passed at that interview I will now relate as truly — not as memory will serve at this dis- tant day, but — as ink and paper have preserved his Lordship's expressions.

The Bishop began by saying that he had received information, from a person whose name he should not mention,^ and that there were certain points necessary to be attended to. He told us that it was not illegal to have no lay clerk — that that officer he should be the first to put away, if he were to be a parish priest. His Lordship took up a Prayer Book, and looked at the Rubrics, and remarked that the sentences at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer were to be read; the Absolution ^pro- nounced!, and he could not dream of intoning it. That the Rubric just after the Benedicite, " Then shall be read in like manner the Second

Lesson and after that the Hymn following," might mean that "the

hymn following " was to be read in the same way as the Lesson.§ That

* As a Deacon was saying the Prayers, and as the Priest was at the Commanion Table, it would seem more sensible to look towards those to whom he " declared and pronounced" the Absolution. In the common intercourse of life, it is usual and proper to look to the person to whom one speaks, and it is difficult to see why it is wrong in church.

+ I do not say this unadvisedly. I made church music a study, first as a pupil of Dr. Elvey, of St. George's chapel, and afterwards of Dr. Elvey, of New College ; both of them, I need scarcely say, most able men.

X I know the name — to borrow a phrase from King John — of this " meddling priest," but I will give him a locm pcenitentice, and will not divulge it, though he had not the courtesy to give us any inkling of his intention to inform the Bishop. How unlike the Archdeacon, who gave us due warning of his visit, in the most open man- ner, notwithstanding the difference which I believe there is between his and our opinions.

§ The Rubrics vary ; that in the Evening Service is, " Then shall be said or sung

the Psalms Then a Lesson And after that Magnificat, or the song," &c.

" Rsad '"is not used in this Rubric.

the "Te Deiim," Creeds, Litany, &c., were ordered to be sung or said j but thai it was better to break the letter of the Church's directions than the spirit, which was not to sing them. That he had a great objection to the Responses after the Cominandmenls being sung; that if he had a private chapel he would have nothing sung but one metrical psaloa from the New Version ; but if he were compelled to allow any singing besides, it should just be the five Canticles and no more. His Lordship told us that we knew his opinions about intoning; to which we replied that we had no idea that he had any objection to it, because he allowed Mr. Joule's " Directoriura Chori Anglicanum" to be dedicated to hira, the express object of which work was to show the propriety, and so procure in Village no less than in Cathedral Churches, the Plain Song of the Priest,'and the responsive Plain-Song of the People ; for which remark he accused me of folly, and said that I must not suppose that, because he allowed a book to be dedicated to him, he therefore approved of every thing it contained.* He then went on to say, that if all our musical service was not given up, he should be quite ready to receive both our resignations. '

The Bishop informed us that, when in London, he goes to St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, and enjoys the " Te Deum " and the rest of the Service, intoning and everything, because it is proper in such places. That no one was fonder of Church Music than himself, when he was at Cambridge. His Lordship remarked that the people of Ringley were an " ignorant set," and could not understand singing, and he ridiculed the idea of colliers and labourers taking a prominent part in the Church Service. He coiisidered intoning stuff and trash, and said that choristers were non-entities in any place, except where there was a Foundation pro- vided for their support, and that it was absolutely wrong to have them in ordinary Parish Churches,-}- as the people did not and could not join in the service, and it was, in short, Romish, because it admitted of vicarious worship. That Choral Service was proper in Cathedrals, because it was well done and good ; but, however well done and good, in Ringley Chapel it was wrong. He preferred a voluntary on the organ when the clergy- man went into the pulpit, as it did not break the letter of the Rubric. That turning to the east in prayer he did not think much about, because we were then addressing God ; but doing so at the Creeds was the veriest

* I did not suppose so ; but I did, and do still think, that if a man allows a book to be dedicated to him, we do not expect to find him totally opposed to the principle of it. We had been using this very book at Ringley.

+ If it be really wrong to have choristers in parish churches, why does not the Bishop put a stop to them throughout his diocese ? His own chaplain has choral service !

B

liO

nonsense in the world ; except perhaps at the Nicene Creed, when there might be a little meaning in it, inasmuch as anciently it was customary fur the Bishop to be seated behind the altar, wiih his face to the west, and that when this Creed was said, all the congregation, as well as the clergy, turned towards the Bishop and he towards them, thus declaring their mutual belief. He then told Mr. Ramsbolham that he had a " graver charge " against him, which was the tract already mentioned.*

The Bishop) then said ihat the Early Fathers contained the greatest trash that ever men read ; they were, however, invaluable as witnesses, just as six old women, who said that a mad dog had passed, would be as worthy as the Fathers of belief to the fact that the dog had passed, and as worthy if they were asked to explain what had made the dog go mad. That between the last Canonical Writer and the Apostolical Fathers, there was a gulph as immense as that which separated Lazarus from Dives; that he had the profoundest contem])t for these said Apostolical Fathers — their intellect as well as their writings —but he had not waded through all the endless rubbish contained in them, although he had, perhaps, one of the best collections of Patristic Theology in the country.

The Bishop then went on to say that we were not to think he knew nothing ab )Ui parochial work, because he had been a schoolmaster for eighteen or twenty years ; he was once a rector in Hertfordshire — for a short lime, certainly ; but yet he had sufficient opportunity of getting an insight into all matters comiected with a parish. His Lordship then told us that a clergyman came to him, asking for permission to put up sedilia in his church, having three seats, one above another ; he said it was Popish, and alluded to the clergyman's ignorance in asking for such a thing. He also told us that he had said, when a complaint was brought by some persons against their clergyman for having put np a credence table, "Pooh! pooh! what do I care about a credence table? it is a matter of perfect indifference."

As the Bishop insisted on two plain Services, that is, without any singing, we asked him to let us have four — two plain and two choral ; but he said Mr. Ramsbotham must write to him, as he would give us no answer then ; he hoped to part friends, and did not wish to visit us " with the rod." As we rose to depart, his Lordship asked if we had heard of his "discoveries at Broughton."f After this interview, although it is

* This " graver charge " lie said very little about, and we never heard any more of it.

+ As to these " discoveries," very little need be said, as the facts have already appeared in the Ecclesiologist of February, 1851; but it certainly appears to be a most singular thing, that the Bishop should have officiated in Broughton church without noticing the "crowned saints" in the east window, tho "box for the offer-

11

somewhat strange that the Bishop, with his opinions on Church Music, (lid not at once say, "No," Mr. Ramsbotham wrote, as desired, and the following is the Correspondence which ensued : —

" Ringley Parsonage, January 1, 1851.

"My Lord, — After much anxious thought, I have come to the con- clusion that no other course remains open to me, in order to meet your Lordship's wishes, than deliberately to renew the proposal which I suggested to your Lordship yesterday. The offer I then made to your Lordship was to provide four Services on the Sunday ; — the two plain Services, which your Lordship insisted upon, being at the usual hours, with the exception of that in the morning, which will commence at eleven o'clock instead of half-past ten, to enable us to have a choral one before it. After the kind manner in which you received the suggestion, I venture to hope that your Lordship will not refuse your consent to this arrangement.

" I remain, my Lord,

"Your Lordship's very faithful and obedient Servant,

"T. Ramsbotham."

" Sedgley Hall, Manchester, January 4, 1851.

"Rev. and dear Sir, — I have much and carefully considered your case. You wish to be allowed to conduct two Services each Sunday at Ringley with a 'choir, and intoning some and chanting other portions of the Liturgy. The whole subject appears to me to lie in a narrow compass.

"The Rubric of the Church of England directs that certain parts of the Liturgy shall be ' read,' others ' said,' and others ' said ' or ' sung.' Nowhere in the Morning or Evening Prayer is any part directed to be only 'sung,' except perhaps* (by implication) the Amhem after the Third Collect, and that only in certain places.

"Now the language of the Rubiic always supposes the whole of 'the people,' or congregation, to join in the Responses ; that is, all to sing, when singing; all to say, when saying, any portion.

" In cathedrals the congregation contemplated in theory consisted of the members of the choir, the calhedial clergy, the singing-men, and

ings for the dead," the "sedilia," the " Easter sepulchre," &c. It was not till after Lord John Russell's Durham dirge that the Bishop interfered with what Mr. BajTQe ("Saint Baj-ne," as it is said he called him) had done in that church.

* " Perhaps" leads us to infer that the Bishop is not clear that the Anthem — which lexicographers interpret to be a " holy 5o«^"— may not also be mid; but if so, why are anthems confined to " quires and places where they siiiff.^''

12

singing-boys, who are on the foundation of the cathedral, and have a right to a portion of its revenues. The Cathedral Service was performed in the choir — their chapel, and the sermon was preached by a member of the choir, in his surplice — their dress.

" But in Parochial Services the congregation consisted of all present; not the clergy only or the servants of the church, but every individual whatever there, the iStwrat of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians; and for a portion of these, — dressed and trained, as mock choristers or members of a choir, not being on the foundation of the church, — not having a right to any portion of its revenues, — not trained in its school to a know- ledge of church music, (as the cathedral real choristers were, in the cathedral school, charged on the funds of the foundation,) to repeat the Responses in cadences or intonation unpractised by, and unknown to, the rest of the congregation, is in no way according to the spirit of the Church of England. Nay, it is directly contrary to it, for it admits a vicarious worship for the people, reconcileable easily with the Church of Rome, but directly opposed to the Church of England.*

" You ask me to consent to an arrangement by which this may be done in Ringley. I have considered, and cannot conscientiously do so,

"Let me call you attention to the Rubric after the third Collect. It now stands — 'In quires and places where they sing, here foUoweth the Anthem.'

"In the Books of 1549, 1552, and 1559, there was a Rubric,— ' And (to the end the people may the better hear) in such places where they do sing, there shall the Lessons be sung in a plain tone, after the manner of distinct reading, and likewise the Epistle and Gospel.' In the Scotch Liturgy and the Book of 1604 this is reprinted verbatim.

" In the Exceptions against the Book of Common Prayer presented by the Ministers, May 4, 1661, the exception to the above Rubric is stated as follows : — ' The Lessons, and the Epistles and Gospels, being for the most part neither psalms nor hymns, we know no warrant why they should be sung in any place, and conceive that the distinct reading of them with an audible voice tends more to the edification of the Church.'

"The Bishops' reply to the above, was — 'The Rubric directs only such

* The Dean and Chapter of Westminster have lately provided numerous seats in the Abbey, not for persons on their foundation, but for the public at large. The worship of such persons in the Abbey would not he vicarious, because there m a foundation ! ! but in Ringley Church it would be vicarious, because there is not a foundation ! ! or if the worship of such persons would be vicarious in both churches, it seems to follow that the Abbey congregation would consist of two classes— the foundationers or non-vicarious, and the public or vicarious worshippers. This apparently is a reductio ad absurdum.

13

singing as is after the manner of distinct reading, and we never heard of any inconvenience tliereby, and tlierefore conceive this demand to be needless.'

" The soleinn decision of Convocation, ratified by Parliament in the following year, 1662, was to expunge the above Rubric as to the Lessons, Epistle, and Gospel, and to insert, for the first time, the Rubric after the Third Collect. As the sense of the word ' singing' can hardly be supposed to have changed in the minds of the same persons in one 3'ear, or less, v/e must suppose that the Convocation and Legislature confined 'singing after the manner of distinct reading' or chaunting, to the singing of such portions of the Liturgy, e. g. the Creeds, Psalms, &c., in quires and places where they sing, as Cathedrals or Collegiate Churches; a late anomaly where the cure of souls often in parishes, as in Manchester, was transferred from the rector to a body corporate, where they have regular choristers, or a trained lay congregation; — which ' saying ' (which is to be of the whole congregation, see Confession), or ' answering' (as ' Amen,' by the people), or 'repeating' (as frequently) is to be after the manner of distinct reading only, not ' singing after such manner,' or chaunting.*

" I regret, therefore, I cannot consent to the arrangement you propose. I would gladly sacrifice much to comply with the convictions of any of my Clergy, when I can do so ; but in this easel feel sure your convictions are founded entirely in error, and I cannot concede to thera. " With very kind wishes, I am,

" Faithfully yours,

" J. P. Manchester.

"The Rev. T. Ramsbotham, Curate of Ringley."

" Ringley Parsonage, January 10, 1851.

" My Lord, — I am much obliged by your Lordship's kind ofl^er to 'sacrifice much to comply with the convictions of any of your Clergy, when you can do so,* but as in this case you ' feel sure that my convictions are founded entirely in error,' I may, perhaps, be allowed to explain why I had come to a conclusion different to that at which your Lordship has arrived.

" I am aware that the Rubric directs 'parts of the Liturgy shall be read, others said, and others said or sung,' and that ' nowhere is any part directed to be only sung, except (as your Lordship suggests) the Anthem.' It is, my Lord, the very circumstance of the Rubrics being thus variously worded that led me to suppose that what it orders to be ' read ' shall be

* I have not been able to find this Rubric whicli prohibits chaunting.

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'read 'only; that what it orders to be 'said' shall be 'said;' and that where 'saying or singing' is allowed, the officiating minister might choose which it shall be. The subject of which these Rubrics treat, is the mode of conducting the Service — all, therefore, may be said to treat of similar, if not the sa7ne subject.

"Your Lordship has shown, that in treating such subject 'read, say, and sing' are used j and Lord Chief Justice Abbott, in delivering a judg- ment of the King's Bench, has laid down the rule of construction appli- cable in such cases, by saying that ' the application of different words to similar matters shows that they were intended to have a different construction.' Your Lordship continues, that the Anthem is to be sung 'only in certain places,' which you subsequently define to be cathedral and collegiate churches, where singing-boys are part of the foundation, and entitled to some of its revenues. That is, no doubt, the meaning of 'quire;' but if singing is limited to 'quires,' what meaning is by that con- struction left for the other part of the Rubric, viz., ' places where they sing' ? I always understood that Rubric to mean, that there was to be an anthem in all * quires,' and in all other ' places where they sing,' and your Lordship certainly makes this applicable to 'quires' only if you will not allow singing elsewhere ; but ' where the Legislature has used words of a plain and definite import, it would be very dangerous to put upon them a construction which would amount to holding that the Legislature did not

mean what it has expressed. The fittest course in all cases is

to adhere to the words of the Statute, construing them according to their nature and import, in the order in which they stand in the Act.'

"Read, say, and sing are ' words of a plain and definite import,' and I merely construed them ' in their ordinary and familiar signification and iiTiport, having regard to their general and popular use.' Your Lordship then refers me to the Exceptions and the Bishops' Answers, but the Bishops were not then acling judicially ; they were, therefore, only matter of his- tory, and Mr. Baron Alderson (in Mr. Gorham's case, when the reasons for passing the Acts of Hen. VIII. were urged upon the Court by the Bishop of Exeter's Counsel) said — 'The Courts do not construe Statutes by history. When deciding Ryder v. Mills on the Factory Act, we did not found our judgment on what we know of the proceedings in Parlia- ment.* Your Lordship is aware, that if the Parliamentary proceedings — the history of that Act — had been attended to, the Court must have de- cided otherwise, for I will venture to say every member, and certainly every operative, thought that the system of ' relays ' was abolished by it. I would, therefore, suggest to your Lord-ship, whether confining chanting to Cathedral and Collegiate churches is not, in effect, saying that the same

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Rubric has different meanings in different places — that 'say or sing* iu Cathedrals and Colleges means ' say or sing' in the ' ordinary and familiar signi6cation and import of those words,' and in other churches means something else — or in other words, that an Ecclesiastical Court, if it could not compel singing in the former, could, at any rate, prohibit it in the latter — and this in the interpretation of the very same law. I always thought that the Rubric applied to all churches indiscriminately ; and that after the Communion Service, which mentions ' Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and Colleges ' alone, in contradistinction to others, indicated, in my mind, that such was the case, unless some were specially mentioned. The congregations of those churches no longer, in practice, consist exclu- sively of the members of the foundation, whatever they may do in theory j so that if chanting * admits a vicarious worship,' it is, under the present circumstances of cathedral congregations, 'directly opposed to the Church of England,' quite as much in them as in any other church. But it appears to me, I say so with all deference, that chanting is not open to that charge, because people do join in it, aud because it is adopted in cathedrals, in which I cannot suppose your Lordship would sanction ' vicarious worship ' practically, merely because theoretically it has no existence.

" In conclusion, I may add, that your wishes shall in the present instance be attended to, as I can obey my Bishop without disobeying the Church. I fully understand that there is to be no singing of any kind whatever in Ringley Chapel, although the inference which I drasv from the omission of the Rubric requiring the Lessons* to be ' sung,' and the substitution of the present Rubric is, that the Lessons were in future to be ' read,' but that the other parts of the Service were to be 'said or sung' under the present Rubric, as ihe Lessons had been under the old one. If any alteration had been intended in any other part, it is but natural to expect that it would have been made as it was in the case of the Lessons ; altering one and not the other, clearly shows that one was intended to be altered and one not. " I remain, my Lord,

" Your Lordship's faithful Servant,

" T. Ramsbotham."

" Sedgley Hall, near Manchester, January 11, I80L " Reverend Sir, — I have received your letter, and do not think it

necessary to enter into the various errors aud misapprehensions which

it contains.

" My remarks were intended to apply, as was evident, to the liiturgy

and other Services contained in ' the Book of Common Prayer,' and uo-

* Tbia also applies to the Epistle and Gospel.

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where forbade 'singing of any kind whatever' in Ringley Chapel ; and if you pervert a letter, written in a kindly spirit, to a meaning never intended by me, I may be induced to take steps as regards both yourself and Mr. Fellows, which I may regret being compelled to adopt, yet shall not shrink from. " I am, Reverend Sir,

" Yours, &c.,

"J. P. Manchester. " Rev. T. Ramsbotham."

"Ringley Parsonage, January 17th, 1851.

"My Lord, — Allow me earnestly to assure your Lordship that nothing was further from my intention than ' to pervert your Lordship's letter to a meaning never intended by you ; ' but as it appears I have misconstrued it, I think it my duty, in order to avoid all misconception of your wishes, to request that your Lordship will be kind enough to inform me what particular portions of the Service, in conformity with the Rubric, your Lordship wishes to be sung; as the expression in your last letter, that you ' nowhere forbade singing of any kind whatever,' contemplates, I presume, that some portion, at least, of ' the Liturgy and other Services contained in the Book of Common Prayer,' to which, your Lordship says, your 'remarks were intended to apply,' may be sung.

"lam induced to make this request, as I am really ignorant to what singing your Lordship can allude ; and as I have promised ' so to minister

the discipline of Christas the Lord hath commanded, and this church

and realm hath received the same,' I do sincerely hope that, to obviate all doubts on the subject, your Lordship will be pleased to enter more fully into an explanation of your meaning. I am far from seeking any inno- vations; and though I did introduce chanting at Ringley, and continued it till your Lordship prohibited it — a period of 18 months —I did not conceive that I was acting improperly, or that what has been