1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Act upon the Great Organ.
5th, 6th, and 7th Act upon the Swell Organ.
8th Ventil to Great Organ.
9th Tremulant to Swell.
10th Swell Pedal.
11th Great Organ to Pedals.
ST. JUDE’S, SOUTH KENSINGTON.—Since our earlier article on this church
was printed, some slight changes have taken place in the service,—the
most conspicuous of which is the adoption by the Vicar in deference to
the view taken of the question by the Bishops, of the surplice in the
pulpit. The Rev. R. W. Forrest, however, has not changed the tone of his
preaching, if he has seen fit to change in the matter of vestment. He is
still evangelically effective, and does not appear to have diminished the
number of his friends by the incident. Not, however, that it has passed
without remark; but no one suspects Mr. Forrest of general Ritualistic
designs. By the kindness of the Architects, the Messrs. Godwin, of
Brompton, we are enabled to produce an excellent view of the interior of
this fine church, and also a view of the exterior, as it will be when, as
we hope, not long hence, the tower and the spire will be completed.
THE SWEDENBORGIAN CHURCH AT KENSINGTON.—The chapel in the Mall,
Kensington, which had been successively a sphere for the ministration of
the Rev. Mr. Offord, and the Rev. Dr. Schwartz, but purchased by a
gentleman in the North of England, redecorated, and endowed with an
income of 300_l._ a year, for the use of the Swedenborgian or New
Jerusalem Church. The pastor is the Rev. Dr. Bayley, of Argyle Square,
and the dedication festival took place on Thursday afternoon, the 21st of
March, 1872. The ceremonies consisted of a service in the church,
conducted by the Rev. Dr. Bayley, Rev. Dr. Tafel, and Rev. W. Bruce, a
tea-meeting, and the annual gathering of the New Church Association, when
an excellent selection of vocal music was performed. Large numbers were
present on each occasion. The chapel has been entirely refitted at
considerable cost, and is now seated for nine hundred. There are two
handsome octagon pulpits, one on each side of the communion, and built of
a mixture of very rare South American wood and Japanese elm, the panels
being elaborately and tastefully carved. The communion-table is of the
same material, and also the font, which is octagon, and has a basin of
solid silver. The chapel has a good organ, by Wadsworth, of Manchester.
The whole of the improvements have been most tastefully executed by the
Messrs. Dove Brothers, of Islington.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.—This congregation, formerly meeting in the above
chapel, still carry on service in the Mall Hall very near to it, but the
Presbytery are assisting it to acquire a new and commodious church, and
delay is mainly occasioned by the great difficulty experienced in
procuring a suitable site for the building. It is, however, not
improbable that a site will open in the Kensington Park Road, northward,
than which a more important one could scarcely be selected.
* * * * *
THE SURPLICE IN THE PULPIT.—A conference of clergy and laity was held on
Wednesday, January 24, 1872, at Exeter Hall, to consider the Bishop of
London’s recommendation in his recent charge, that clergymen should wear
the surplice in the pulpit. The points to be discussed had previously
been submitted by circular to 1,250 Evangelical Churchmen. On the motion
of the Rev. J. C. Ryle, the following resolutions were adopted, with four
dissentients: 1. “That the general adoption of the surplice as the pulpit
dress, before the legality of such dress is duly established by law, is
highly inexpedient, inasmuch as it is a departure from long established
usage, is contrary to the recommendation of the Ritual Commissioners, and
is not desired by the laity; and furthermore is likely to give grave
offence to many congregations, and to disturb the peace of the church.”
2. “That this resolution be signed by the chairman, and embodied in a
memorial, on behalf of the conference and the bodies represented in it,
to be forwarded to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and made
public in any way the Council of the Church Association and the Committee
of the Clerical and Lay Union may think best.” In the course of the
discussion, the Rev. Capel Molyneux, Vicar of St. Paul’s, Onslow-square,
South Kensington, said that he would never consent to be inveigled by the
bishops into giving up first one thing and then another merely to please
the Ritualistic Romanisers in the Church. The surplice was the badge of
priestcraft, and he thanked God he was not a priest. (A Voice: What are
you, then?) He had always preached in his gown, and he would continue to
do so until the end. He would urge all Evangelicals never to preach in a
surplice, but to let the black gown be a badge of those who faithfully
preach Christ. The Rev. J. C. Ryle, the Rev. Mr. Money, &c., spoke in a
similar strain, and expressed determination to resist the suggested
change of vestment to the end.