Remarks upon the First Report of the Royal Commission on Ritual in connection…

(3 User reviews)   4250
By Robert Nguyen Posted on Dec 11, 2025
In Category - Exploration
Mayow, Mayow Wynell, 1810-1895 Mayow, Mayow Wynell, 1810-1895
English
Ever wondered what a Victorian church argument sounded like? This isn't your typical dusty history book. It's a passionate, detailed, and surprisingly tense record of a 19th-century battle over how to worship. Think of it as a formal complaint letter that got way out of hand, written by a man who felt the very soul of his church was at stake. It's a direct window into a time when the color of a priest's vestment or the placement of a candle could cause a national uproar. Forget kings and queens; this is the history of everyday belief, and the fight to keep tradition alive in a changing world. It’s niche, but if you like seeing how big ideas play out in small, specific details, you’ll find this fascinating.
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to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: Remarks upon the First Report of the Royal Commission on Ritual in connection with the integrity of the Book of Common Prayer A Lecture Author: Mayow Wynell Mayow Release Date: June 5, 2015 [eBook #49145] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 ***START OF THE Public Domain Archive EBOOK REMARKS UPON THE FIRST REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON RITUAL IN CONNECTION WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER*** Transcribed from the 1868 Church Press Company (Limited) edition by David Price, email [email protected] REMARKS UPON THE FIRST REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON RITUAL, IN CONNECTION WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. * * * * * A Lecture DELIVERED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BRIGHTON BRANCH OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH UNION, NOV. 27, 1867, (F. BARCHARD, ESQ. IN THE CHAIR,) BY THE REV. M. W. MAYOW, M. A. INCUMBENT OF ST. MARY’S, WEST BROMPTON, AND LATE STUDENT OF CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD. * * * * * CHURCH PRESS COMPANY (LIMITED), 13, BURLEIGH STREET, STRAND, LONDON, AND G. WAKELING, ROYAL LIBRARY, BRIGHTON. 1868. * * * * * It is right to state that the Brighton Branch of the English Church Union kindly requested leave to publish the following Lecture. It may be well to add that it was likewise delivered at Bradford and Leeds. * * * * * REMARKS UPON THE FIRST REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON RITUAL, ETC. THE Executive of the Brighton Branch of the English Church Union, through you, sir, their Chairman, have, too rashly, I fear, as well as too kindly, supposed that I might have something to say upon the above subject which may repay this assemblage of Churchmen for their trouble in coming here this evening. It is certainly not for me to say you have deluded them, but rather, without wasting time in apology, to do my best to save (if it may be so) your credit and my own; and, what is of more consequence, to throw some light upon the very important matter to which my remarks are to be directed. At any rate, the great importance of the subject itself and the imminent likelihood of some action being taken to disarrange or subvert the present standing of the Church of England by an alteration in her Book of Common Prayer will ensure your deep interest, and, I do not doubt, secure me an indulgent hearing; whilst the very large and influential, and,—I think it will be on all hands allowed,—most successful meeting held last week in London, gives an additional reason for strengthening, if it may be so, the action then taken by diffusing as widely as possible information as to the dangers apprehended, and the means of resistance to be used in order to preserve its integrity. It is a trite saying just now that there is a great crisis in Church affairs; but I think it must be allowed to be not less true than trite, even after making all allowance for the magnitude with which the time present always invests things present. In secular and material warfare it may be that sometimes an underrating difficulties, a blindness to the peril, is the very cause and means of safety or success. But in assaults like the present, where the battle-field is the Law and Order of the Church, where the contest is carried on not with sword or spear, but with the keen weapons of intellectual and moral contention, where very much turns and...

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The Story

This book is Mayow Wynell's official, point-by-point response to a government report. In the 1860s, Queen Victoria set up a Royal Commission to figure out why Anglican churches were fighting over rituals—things like how to take communion, what clergy should wear, and how churches should be decorated. The Commission's first report tried to lay down some rules. Wynell, a clergyman with strong views, wasn't having it. His "Remarks" are a meticulous, sometimes fiery, rebuttal. He goes through the report line by line, arguing why its recommendations are wrong, dangerous, or a betrayal of true Anglican practice. The plot is the argument itself: a defense of traditional High Church rituals against what he saw as modern interference.

Why You Should Read It

You get a raw, unfiltered look at what people really cared about. This isn't abstract theology; it's about candles, robes, and whether the priest should face the congregation. Wynell's writing shows how deeply personal these issues were. His passion makes a topic that sounds dry absolutely compelling. It’s like listening to one side of a very intense, very educated phone call from 1869. You see the anxiety of an era where science and new ideas were challenging old certainties, and for many, defending religious ritual was a way to hold the line.

Final Verdict

This is a specialist's book, but it has wider appeal. It's perfect for history lovers who want to move beyond politics and wars into the social and religious cracks of the Victorian age. If you're interested in how institutions argue, change, and resist change, this is a prime example. It’s also great for anyone curious about the roots of modern Anglican debates. Fair warning: it's a document of its time, dense with references. But if you let yourself get into the rhythm of his argument, you'll be rewarded with a truly unique perspective. Think of it as historical detective work, where the mystery is a forgotten cultural battle.



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Deborah Nguyen
1 year ago

Not bad at all.

Oliver White
7 months ago

Read this on my tablet, looks great.

Susan Williams
3 months ago

I was skeptical at first, but the pacing is just right, keeping you engaged. Worth every second.

5
5 out of 5 (3 User reviews )

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