And as there never has been a time when the ritual movement could be so easily effected, so has there never been a time when it was so loudly called for as it is now; first, by so many of the worshippers, who have come to appreciate beautiful churches, musical services, frequent celebrations, devout ceremonies and symbolizing acts and ornaments,—and so to crave the perfect development of the system to which these things belong; next, by the circumstances around us, the bold denial—alas! that it must be said even by ministers of the church—of the precious Sacrifice and alone-availing Intercession of the Incarnate God, which this ritual in its every part and phase asserts and exhibits; next, by the anxious looking towards us of Eastern and Western Christians, yearning for the re-union of Christendom, expecting that somehow the re-union is to be brought about by us; yet hesitating to give themselves into our hands, because they see not in us the due recognition of the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist, the due rendering of objective worship to God. I have endeavoured my brethren in these sermons to set before you in the very simplest way such a statement of the case as may disarm prejudices, and predispose to right thoughts about ritual and earnest endeavours to use it duly where it is offered you. It remains to say a few words to those whom at the outset I called “hurriers along;” to those who have gone with the movement without considering whither it was carrying them, or what would be the effect on others who are being left behind; to those who in their conformity to “high-ritual” are rather indulging their taste, than exercising their judgment, or are regarding as the _soul_ of worship, that which is but the accessory, the expression, the body and clothing of worship. As I have warned you before, there are great and peculiar dangers inherent in “high-ritual;” its abuse became a snare to the Jews and led them into formalism and idolatry, even when they had inspired prophets and the very audible voice of God to teach them; it became a like snare to our forefathers, from which they escaped only by giving up the use as well as the abuse; it is a snare now to millions of eastern and western Christians; yes, and it is evidently a snare, a very dangerous snare to many of yourselves. Exaggerated in importance, regarded as an end instead of a means, followed out into very minute detail,—its forms and expressions unduly repeated and multiplied—it obscures the very truths which it was meant to exhibit; it distracts the attention which it should fix; it begets formalism, it mocks God with a worship which is not spiritual and true, and therefore is no worship at all; it leads its votaries to a pitiable self-ostentation, which confirms in their prejudices the anti-ritualists, which retards the restorers of ritual (who fear to give looser reins to those who are already running wild),