A HARD CASE.
[To TIM EDITOR OF THR "SPEOTATOR."] :Sfa,—Pormit me to thank you for your recent article upon Ritualism, and to ask the favour of your perusing the enclosed statement of what has taken place at St. Raphael's, Bristol, 'where a large congregation has been dispersed and the church closed, by the action of the Bishop, under the Public Worship Regulation Act. May I add that the same thing has occurred at my own church, in consequence of proceedings taken against me under the same Act, at the instance of the vestry of ray parish, of which only two or three members were resident, and even these had never attended their parish church P Seeing that resistance was useless, I at once succumbed; but the church for more than a quarter of a year was without a single wor- shipper, and the large congregations, both week-day and Sunday, consisting almost entirely of men, were scattered to the winds ; and even to this day, the church is but sparsely attended. I am the last person in the world to force ritual, &c., upon an unwilling congregation, but having filled an all but empty City church both on Sundays and week-days, I felt it a great hardship that my work should be stopped by mere outsiders.
The Bishops complain that candidates for ordination are falling off in number. But they must not, I think, be surprised if young men of education refuse to put themselves under an Act of Parliament which places them at the mercy of a church- warden and a couple of parishioners, who may be utterly un- educated and even immoral persons.—I am, Sir, &c.,
JOHN M. ROD WELL, Rector of St. Ethelburga, Bishopsgate. Hillside, Maxe Hill, St. Leonard's-on-Sea, December 1st.
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