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

Delivered before a gathering of the English Church Union in late 1867, this lecture captures a moment when the Anglican Communion faced a fierce debate over the future of its liturgy. The speaker, a seasoned clergyman from St Mary’s, West Brompton, frames the discussion as a crucial test of the Church’s doctrinal integrity, warning that proposed changes to the Book of Common Prayer could reshape the very identity of English worship.

With a blend of historical insight and passionate rhetoric, the orator describes the controversy as a “crisis” that pits legal tradition against a modern, increasingly secular press. He calls for a vigilant, reasoned defense, urging fellow believers to recognize the stakes and rally public opinion. Listeners are invited into the heated intellectual battlefield of the era, where words and convictions become the weapons defending a centuries‑old faith.