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WOODS, M.A., Rector of Holy Trinity, AND ARCHDEACON OF COLUMBIA. NEW WESTMINSTER: " MAINLAND GUARDIAN " PRINT. 1875. TO M foUowii last No letter b My ( God's should demam from h( The letter, I to in m us as Pi TO THE CONGREGATION OF HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, NEW WESTMINSTER. My Dear Friends: — Let me commend to your earnest consideration the following letter. You will see it is in reply to one I received last November, from one of the Congregation, who objects to his letter being published. My only object in placing it in your hands is, that I may by God's help, remove from your minds any cause of offence — should such exist — arising from want of thought, as to what is demanded by the laws and customs of the Church of England, from her members. The Postscript, I have added, did not appear in my original letter, but touches on some matters — which though not referred to in my Correspondent's letter — are yet not without interest to us as Pastor and Co* .jregation. I remain, ' ; . ; My dear friends, Your affectionate Pastor, CHARLES T. WOODS. M\ 7th an( of; ni}i letl doi anc n CO! PO! of of mi lie wh ap CO so Stl ARCHDEACONRY HOUSE, Sapperton, November, nth, 1874. My Dear Mr. : ' In the first place let me thank you for, &c. In the next place, allow me to thank you for your letter of the 7th inst., to which I will now reply. Your letter speaks of "you" and of "some of you," thnt is jou speak of me personally, and of a class of which you assume me to be a representative. In my reply, therefore, I wi'l assume that you intend the whole letter to apply to me individually and personally, and if in so doing, I, in any way misinterpret yourviews, you will forgive me, and a word from you will set me right. You think lam go ng to "even a more dangerous extreme n the opposite direction from that in w lich Mr. Cridge has come;" and from the concluding sentence in your letter, I sup- pose I am right in concluding that you mean towards the Church of Rome. There are five points in the teaching of the Church of Rome— there are others, but I only name five — in which I must hold that she has departed from the faith of the one Catho- lic and Apostolic Church, in which you J.nd I declare our belief, which must ever raise a barrier betweei! us and her. (i.) Her teaching with regard to the Blessed Virgin. (2.) Her teaching concerning the souls of the departed. ■ ;; (3.) Her teaching concerning the presence of Christ in .;. the Lord's Supper. ', (4.) Her denial of the cup to the laity. (5.) Her new dogma touching the infallibility of the Pope of Rome. So long as she holds these points of doctrine, there can be no approach between her and us. This is my firm conviction, the conviction not of intemperate zeal, at least I hope and believe so— but of calm earnest prayerful study of the whole question— a study extending now over more than five and twenty years. You say, that doctrines which I teach every Sunday in our Church, at New Westminster, are the direct cause, as tauglit by me and others, of Mr. Cridge being driven into schism. I don't care to enter into any ciucstion as to what others teach or have tauglit. I am most earnestly anxious that niy jjcople should know and understand, and by God's blessing, receive what 1 myself leach. Now, what do I teach ? Show me a single instance wherein I depart from the teaching of the Church of which I am a Priest, and I wi'l renounce such leaching humbly ami publicly. My dear hiend, I do not mean this as a challenge, lo try which of us shall gain the victory; I mean it humbly and earnestly, as in God's sight, as a suggestion that you should calmly think what the teaching of the Church is, of which you are yourself a mem- ber, and in which you profess to believe every time you say these words of the Creed: " 1 believe in the Holy Catholic Church," an article of the creed, little as men may think of this, which we believe with the same belief with which we believe in The Father, and The Si.n, and The Holy Ghost. Of what those doctrines are, which you say I leach, you de- clare that you ground your judgment on what you saw a few Sundays since, in Holy Trinity Church, New Westminster. I do not want to calch up words, indeed I do not, but you could not of course judge of doctrines taught by what you t^aic — but only by what you hard. But let me speak of what you say you saw: " Bowing, and even kneeling to the cross, a piece of " wood or brass * * * turning my back on the congrega- " tion, as though I would say, you are a lot of infidels." Do you really believe iu jour heart, that I either bowed or knelt to the Cross ? If you do, I can only say that you are mis- taken. I ain not anxious to rxctise what I do, but to explain it, and so I will try and shew you, in all sincerity and simplicity what I do. What I leach can be known to any one who listens to my teaching. The XVni Canon, prescribes amongst other matters, to which I think it would be well for you to direct your allenlion, as to a law binding on you, as a member of the Chinch of England that, " When in lime of Divine Service, The Lord Jc.'-iis Christ "shall be mentioned, due and lowly reverence shall be done by " all persons jiresenl." In obedience to this Canon, I bow when- ever that Holy Name is mentioned. You are bound to do the same; of course you may set your own private judgment againsf law of the Church, but you have no more right to do so, that you have to set your private judgment against the Statute law on the land. A late trial has resulted in a judgment, which de- clares a clergyman bound to obey the LI II Canon, or lo lake the consequences. Now, in all honesty, can you imagine the LIII Canon to be obligatory, and to carry with it penal conse- Jay in our taught by lers teach my jicnple g, receive 3 wlicrein n a Priest, I try which rnestly, as liinl\ what If a nieni- .1 say these Church," which we e in The , you de- saw a few ster. :)t, but you you t^aic — it you say 1 piece of congrega- bowed or u are mis- explain it, simplicity ho Hstens ), to which ^, as to a ){ England siis Clirist 2 done by bow when- lo do the 2nt againsf do so, that itc law on which dc- or to lake nagine the nal conse- quences, and the XVIII Canon to carry no obligation? I can- not see liow, with any show of justice, one Canon can be en- forced, while "he oihcr is leli in abeyance, and obedience to it looked upon as something wrong, and opposed to the spirit and teaching of the Church of England. I have been snnictim s asked, " Why then do not all the " Cleigy of the Church of England bow at the name of Jesus ? " What answer tan 1 give lo such a question ? I am only con- cerned to do, what I hold to be a duty and an obligation, leaving otliers to cany out their own conscientious convictions, without judging them. 1 bow, al^o, at the " Gloria J'ah-i" and at the threefold as- cription, " '/'./(^, Hiilij, Huhj, Lord God of Sabaotli, ' in the " T,i a urn." (i.) Because in doing so, I am but carrying out the Spirit of the Canon already quoted. , ,, (2.) Because Holy Bible tells me, (Isaiah vi. 2,3.), that even the Seraphim themselves, covered their , faces at the utterance of these solemn words. (3.) Because it has been, undoubtedly, a practice in the Cluiich of England since very early days. In the next place, I proi-enl the offertory in obetlience to the rubric, at the close of the offertory sentences, which directs, tliat the offerloiy shall be reverently brought "/o Ihe I'ritd, xiho fhall humbly prcsml oiid place il vpav tin BuJy 'J able." Should you like to see the offertory laid upon the Hi ly Table, as though it were merely so much monej' paid over a counter for goods bought ? Would it be humbly prcyentid, in such fasliion ? Co. lid you say, that some token of respect or gratitude was;)?r- Hetilid to uni, if it was n.eiely handed and given into your pos- session, without a word spoken ? Remember that the money, is not given to me as the Rector, nor lo the Church Wardens, as the rej) esenlativcs (jf tliC pco| Ic. It is given to God. It is an offering to Hitn, and should iinotbe humbly />/r.vr;/^rrf to Mini.' Is this a right and reverent ] racticc, or is i, not! At all events, what is the Cliujch laiv on the matter? And so, in inxiUiling the offertory, 1 generally use some such words as these, "O! Lord accept the offering of Thy people for jesus' .sake," and as I f Iways bow^ at the name of the Lord Jesus, (in obclience to the X\'I1I Canon,) it may seem to you, as I have nodouLt it has so seemed, that I am, as you say, bowing to the Cross. I do precisely the same in the prayer which 1 offer i)rivately after my sermon, that what I have said, may be blest to my own soul, and to the souls of those who have heard. In St. Mary's Church, Sapperton, whffrfi there in no CroHK, I do the same, and I am told that notice has been taken of similar action by me in St. John's Church, Victoria, uhfre Iherf. u no GroHff. So, tliat to a candi 1 mind, it is quite evident that what- ever I do in preseniino; the alms, or ofTcnory, the Cross over the Altar has nothinp to do with my action. That I bow to the Cross, or kneel to the Cross, ix not, a fm-t. It is as you say, a piece of wood or brass, but under it at the same time is compre- hended, and let ms never be ashamed or afraid to say so, " not " only Christ Crucified, but the true effects and merits of His " Death and Passion, with all tin comforts, fruits and promises " which we receive or e.xpect thereby," (Canon XXX). If, in reply to the other chief point of your letter, I were to say, I do not fitrn nvf Ituik n/ytn. ttin eitnqrifija'ion, I should state what is simply the truth, thr iigh possibly one, who not undorsiaiid- ing the reasonableness of my turniuo; towards the altar, at certain parts of the service, and so taking; offence a." my doing so, would fail or refuse to recou^nize this truth. I think, iiowevcr, that this reasonableness needs only to be understood in order that the cause of offence should be removed. The Daily Offices of the Church of England; The Order of the Administration of the Holy Communion, and other Special Offices present to those engaged in them, a threefold aspect. (i.) The Officiating Minister exhorts tlie congregation as in ;he opening addresses at Morning and Eve- ning Piayer, in the Exhortations in the Commun- ion Service, in some parts of the Baptismal Ser- vice, and in others of the Special Services. He in- structs them out of Holy Bible, as in the Lessons— Epistles and Gosfels. He denounces sin, as in ilie Commandments, and in the first j>art of the Cimimination Service. He Pronoun- ces Absolution to those, who in the confession.s, have expressed their penitence; and in all these he turns to lh<' })"n/th, for he is speaking to them as Christ's Ambassador, (z Cor. v. 20.) ■ : ■ (2.) He nJintfj with the people, confesses sin; entreats God's mercy; says the Creed; prays for protec- tion through the day and through the night; and in all this, to shew that he and they are on one equal footing, he kneels as they do in prayer, while he stands as one of ihem.selves in saying the Creed. (3.) He as a Priest in Christ's Holy Church, speaks to God on their behalf, and then he does not kneel, H )»0 CrOHH, 1 en of similar It IhiTH is no in iliat what- oss over ihe I bow to the as you say, a e is compre- iay so, " not crits of His nrl promises were to say, sljoiild state I imclorsiand- ar, at certain ng so, would vcr, that this rder that the he Order of Diher Special aspect. congregation ing and Eve- he Commun- i[)tismal Ser- ces, Ilein- , as in the e denounces I in the first hie Pronoun- confessions, in all these king to them X) •;. . sin; entreats for protcc- I the night; they are on do in prayer, es in saj'ing :h, speaks to js not kneel. f.t I ' •I ^i: the people kneel, he stands, as in the greater part of the Communion oflice, specially at the prayer of Consecration, and in some parts of the Baptismal Service, &c. Now, it is evident, that these three distinct kinds of minis- trations necessarily imply distinct posturei and positions. In the first, the Minister turns towards the people, for he is speaking to them and to them alone, he does this even when there is no rubric to direct him — you are not ofTended (if I may judge from your silence on the point) at my turning towards the Congregation, when I say the exhortation, beginning, " Dearly beloved Breth- ren, &c. In the second, the Minister kneeh with the people, and all ought to kneel in the same direction; i.e. towards the A'tT- I was glad, when in 1868, I took the pastoral charge 01 Holy Trinity Church and Congregation, to find what littl' 1 tiid of Catholic use — but so anxious was I not to cause offence^ or cast a stumbling block in the way of any, that I resolver' .0 co:/ient myself with carrying on the services of the Church, with the use which I *■' I J, and as it was handed down to me ia writinor, by your first Rector. To this resolution, as you knov , I have btiictly adhered, though not fully and heartily approving where the use falls short of what I think it ought to be. in saying the Litany, for instance, there can be no question but that both Minister and People should all kneel towards the Altar. In the third, as the Piiest does not kneel at all, but stands, so he should stand facing the Altar. He is then the mouthpiece of the people, and as such, he should turn towards the Ahar, the SymLol ol God's presence in His Church. Suppose you were spokesman of a deputation, what position would you adopt with regard to those whose mouthpiece you were ? Would you think of them at all ? Would not your thoughts (touching position) have reference only to the person to whom your words were ad- dressed i" Would they, whom you represented, have a right to feel annoyed unless you faced them, or at least compromised the matter, by standing sideways in a half-and-half unmeaning po- sition? It is in the spirit of this view of our Church Services, that I try to conduct those services, and with a single desire to do all things decently and in order, in the Spirit of the Preface to the Book of Common Prayer, and of the introductory remarks "Concerning the Service of the Church," (portions of our Prayer Book which are too little read by the people), and at the same time, looking to " serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear." And I cannot but think, that if we all really believe what we profess to believe, as to God's presence in His house, we should feel so 10 overawed by the thought, that there would be more devotion, less criticism, and as a Congregation, more Godliness, more consis- tent holiness of life and conversation. In the last place, I notice, the opinion you express that, " I should see my course is not the true one, from the fact that my followers are so few." My followers! I do not ask for, nor look for, nor care for followers as my foUoioers. If, indeed, with holy zeal and self-forgetfulness, and the consciousness of giving up all for Christ, and doing my best to advance His glory, I could speak as St. Paul speaks, (i Cor. xi. i., Phil. iii. 17), of followers, I should indeed thank God. I am aware that there are some who judge of any undertaking by its apparent success, and who measure success by nvmbHrs. I do neither. I think it would be a dangerous way of looking at the question, and has often proved a snare to many. Suppose for instance, that I were to find Wesleyans and Presbyterians habitual attendants at Holy Trinity Church, and that by taking care to keep in the back ground, the distinctive truths which mark the difference between the teaching of the Church of Eng- land and these denominations, that the Sermons they hear and the Services in which they join, differ so little from what they are accustomed to, that they go away pleased ami come again, so that they become regular attendants at our Church, and liberal contributors to its supjxjrt. What have I done? 1 have, through holding back the truth — or a part of it — defrauded their own ministers of the support, which they being still in principle and conviction Wesleyans or Presbyterians, ought to give them, and have fraudently diverted such support to my own advantage. It is a true saying, that " Fair play is a jewel," but we must not forget that it is as applicable to the teachers of religion, and to the principles applied by them, as to the buyers and sellers in this world's markets. That my Brelhern in Christ, amongst other Christian bodies than the Church of England, should see and renounce the errors which separate them frum us would be indeed a cause for thankfulness, as it is a subject of frequent prayer; but that they should crowd the scats of Holy Trinity Church and go away well pleased at having heard nothing to offend, would be, indeed, a matter of regret and suspicion, not against them or on their account, but against myself — and on my own account — for I could not but suspect that I was unfaithful to my ordination vows, to my duties, and to my responsibilities as a Priest in the Church of Christ. I will conclude, what is already a long, but I hope not a tedious letter, with a reference to iwo sermons, preached by me since coming into this Diocese. In one of those sermons, I regret to say, I gave offence to a brother Clergyman, in whose Church I preached it. He did not go so far as to accuse me of teaching doctrines contrary to the Chu was N> ;votion, less ore consis- ss that, "I ,ct that my sk for, nor ndeed, with s of giving lis glory, I . iii. 17), of jndertaking vmhHrs. I looking at '. Suppose resbyterians It by taking ruths which rch of Eng- ey hear and n what they :orne again, and liberal ive, through I their own incipie and them, and ntage. must not ion, and to d sellers in amongst should see would be of frequent nly Trinity nothing to licion, not md on my unfaithful onsibilities it a tedious me since fence to a [e did not iry to the II Church of England, he only used some such words as these: " It was a pity I should have preached that Sermon on this special occasion, for that ue were just gaining certain of the Pnsby' teriavs. " My answer was plain and easy, gaining them to what, &nd from what ? unless /ro?jj error to truth, surely it was no gain, and if there be really no dis'tinctive truth in the teaching of the Church of Engbnd, then why should you or I belong to it, rather than to either of the denominations above named ? It there be this distinctive truth, let us not shrink from teaching it as we hold it. The other reference to one of my own Sermons need only be to remind you how, that once you named a Sermon of mine to the Bishop, as containing doctrines contrary to those held by the Church of England— you were quite right to do so — you thought honestly and sincerely that such doctrines had been so taught by me. But the Bishop, having examined the Sermon for himself, could find no such false teaching. So, th;at, really the erroneous doctrine which had so pained you, was found to exist, not in any- thing I had said, but only in what you thought I had said, or in your interpretation of what I said, and ,so it is now. Faithfully yours, • ' -" ■' ' : ' C ,V CHARLES T. WOODS. POST SCRIPT. On page 9, I refer to suggestions handed down to me in writing by your first Rector, the Rev'd John Sheepshanks. I now give some extracts from that paper, which will show what his practice was; and how I have tried to carry on the work commenced by one whose memory is still dear to many of us. "The New Westminster use, during the Pastorate of Rev'd "John Sheepshanks." For the Rccor: " Litany and Ante- Communion alternately." " Silent j)ra. ;.'r in pri'sentiiig alms." " N.B. The Rector has always followed literally the directions " of the Rubric, as io poi>itio}i, &c., believing that to be the only " way to make them harmonious and intelligible." "Service always on Ascension Day." "A week day service during Lent." " Would thiit we could have had more frequent week day " services." FfVy 26, 1867. J. S. la r fi . In addition to what I have said, as to the distinct Church law, and the equally distinct Church practice of paying reverence to the name of Jesus, and to the Holy Trin'ty, let me suggest the following thought to you — Why at the close of the Sermon, do the whole Congregation rise and stand ? There is no Rubric to direct either, how the Preacher shall conclude his Sermon, nor what the congregation shall do at the conclusion, and yet il has grown into an almost universal custom with the Clergy of the Church of England to offer some ascription of praise to the Holy Trinity at the close of their sermons, and equally general is the custom amongst Church of England congregations to stand rever- ently while ihat ascription is being offered. The reverence therefore which the congregation offers to the Holy Trinity cannot be wrong when paid to the same Divine mystery by the Minister. In conclusion, let me earnestly and affectionately appeal to you individually to be more observant of the Rubrics with regard to kneeling, standing, responding in an audible voice, &c. If your pastor were to disregard these directions — as some amongst the congregation habitually do — what an outcry would be raised against him, and yet in all fairness he might reply, first shew yourselves to be obedient before your accusations against my transgressions can be noticed. But let it not be with us a matter of law and of Rubric, but rather a matter of love and reverence. Let us come to God's House, both Priest and people, remembering that it is "The House of Prayer," expecting and desiring to meet Christ there according to his own most precious promise. If we realised this promised presence, if we really felt that Christ's presence was indeed with us, how all cavilling at position and posture would cease, how all holy reverence would fill our thoughts, influence our hearts, penetrate our souls, and through heart and soul, guide our acts. . C. T. W. 7,;u ■..,.■.- •> ■^. T ' !;;hurch law, jverence to suggest the Sermon, do Rubric to ermon, nor d yet it has ergy of the to the Holy neral Is the stand rever- e reverence inity cannot tie Minister. )peal to you h regard to cc. If your mongst the I be raised first shew against my Rubric, but le to Gods it is "The IJhrist there realised this resence was isture would s, influence t and soul, :. T. w. i