| Show RIOT IN A CHURCH when a change becomes necessary in the presiding authorities of a stake the bishopric of a ward in the mormon church in utah or among any of the conferences in E europe drope these changes arc are always effected peaceably orderly aud and all who are interested in them soon reconcile themselves to the situation no matter what their personal preferences preference a may have been in regard to the changes and appoint appoints ments their interests are indents cal and their unity of faith enables them to look at the matter from the same standpoint it is vastly different however frequently when such changes take place in the ministry of some of the modern modem christian churches the inauguration of a new preacher is often characterized by the most disgraceful scenes in church on a sab bath day in numerous instances on such occasions wo we have known angry contentions and bitter recriminations crimi nations to develop into pitched battles between ministers of the methodist and other churches in world these fights culminate in broken beads heads bruised bodies ling bloo dand females being knocked down in the religious broils and trampled tramped under the feet of the fighting parsons whose darkened daylights rende rendered it difficult for them to see where they were rushing these remarks have been called forth by reading an account of a ri ot in a it church in the town of birmingham Eng england laul of which reynolds newspaper of march gives the following 1 0 graphic on the tile rev A 11 watts the clergyman appointed to the living of holy trinity Bor desley birmingham in place of the bev rev R W en who has been inhibited by the bis bishop hop for ritualistic practices attending to read himself on St sunday inday an extraordinary scene waa was witnessed A large staff of police was on duty both in the church and outside ia in anticipation of a disturbance mr watts arrived at 10 ocl when very few persons bad had assent assembled ed in the churchyard and a quarter of an hour afterwards the doors were opened and church speedily filled at 1030 the two church wardens arria ed and they walked up the center aisle to the vestry being loudly cheer on we way on reaching the vestry they were met by the new vicar who remarked you are the churchward ens I 1 presume at the t e aaroe me time offering ferin to shake hands with them the 0 offer er however was declined and the senior churchwarden handed to the reverend gentleman a formal protest by the congregation against his assuming the incumbency on mr watte watts m making a k ing h his is a appearance ear in ia church there was great disorder a portion of the co congregation hissing and groaning but i this his soon ceased and the service proceeded on the vicar reading the first lesson there were cries of shame ill 1 and turn tam him which caused the vicar to pause order however was restored by the police and nothing further occurred until the new incumbent proceeded to read himself in when an indescribable scene ensued A portion of the congregation left the church in a body whilst a majority of those who remained stamped violently on the floor groaned hissed and stud raised loud cries of traitor I 1 the reverend gentleman want went on undismayed but his voice was inaudible to those who were not in abo immediate vicinity of the pulpit in the meantime hundreds had congregated outside and when at the conclusion of the service mr watts attempted to leave the church he be was greeted with angry cries and but for the interference ter of the police would have buffered suffered personal violence the proceedings at the evening service were even of a more disgraceful character than in the morn morning the force odthe of the police w was doubled al but nevertheless several free fights took place catcalls Cat calls were indulged in from the commencement and the vicar on appearing in the pulpit was greeted with a storm of howls sev soy eral of the ringleaders ring leaders were turned out and tog to prevent a ruah rush of the crowd the church doors had to be closed the result was v as that a number num ber of police were shut in the building and were unable to come out to quell the uproarious proceedings in the churchyard during one of the fights inside the building the scream number of females added to the confusion of the scent and the vicar in vain appealed to the brawl era to te desist from further disturbance several disfigured eyes and boody nose attested the severity verity ee of the tb vicars opening sermon which was couched in conciliatory language WM WAS frequently int erupted with offensive remarks such as shut up traitor ago go back to sunderland Sunde when when to ig ahe the harlequinade coming on 11 followed by when is the farce com coming n on ac extra precautions bal had been taken to get the vicar safely away forty or fifty policemen were formed in sol idline to afford a clear passage and by a quick rush the rev eitleman ent leman was literally it iy ay carried away aown the churchyard amidst an indescribable cene scene of excitement several women were thrown down in the he it to get got into the tb street |
