Page:The Parson's Handbook - 2nd ed.djvu/19

Rh almost to agree with their former opponents that such ornaments as were in this Church of England in the second year of Edward VI. should not be in use to-day ; and some of them seemed to prefer to the liturgical forms 'in the said Book prescribed' those forms which the Book had rather proscribed.

The lawlessness of those in the middle or 'moderate' section has been due to that excellent spirit of compromise, which, however, if it be not rightly used, ends in a mere combination of the errors of both extremes. As it is not generally understood that in moderate churches the Prayer Book is largely disobeyed, one instance may here be given. The sermon is ordered in the Prayer Book to be preached at the Communion Service ; and yet in churches of this description it is preached at Mattins, and thus the service which we get from the Bible is pushed on one side in favour of the service which we get from the monks. In the case of the Bishops and Cathedral dignitaries this lawlessness is aggravated by the fact that our own Canons order them specially to use the cope and the proper vestments for gospeller and epistler.

Recently, however, there has been a general move towards a more legitimate position. On the one hand, many of the Bishops have begun to accept the directions of the Prayer Book and Canons. On the other hand, many of the clergy have come to realise, with something of a shock, the untenable position into which they had drifted ; and on all hands there is an openly-expressed readiness to obey lawful authority. This renewal of the spirit of Catholic obedience is of the happiest augury for the Church of England. It is in the hope that this Handbook may be able to assist in its practice that I am putting it forward at the present time.

3. The vulgarity in the Church is due to less serious causes ; but is none the less serious in its