The Ritual Movement / Three plain sermons preached at St. John the Evangelist's, Hammersmith

Transcribed from the 1866 William Skeffington edition by David Price.
Three Plain Sermons
PREACHED AT
ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST’S,
HAMMERSMITH,
JAMES GALLOWAY COWAN, M.A.
Perpetual Curate .
“Let all things be done decently and in order.”—1 Corinthians xiv. 40.
LONDON: WILLIAM SKEFFINGTON, 163 PICCADILLY.
1866.
1 Corinthians xiv. 40. “Let all things be done decently and in order.”
These words are a general precept about Church order following up a particular remonstrance. The Corinthian Christians, divinely distinguished by the number and excellence of the spiritual gifts and privileges bestowed on them, had, alas! distinguished themselves by anarchy, lawlessness, pride, self-will, self-sufficiency, uncharitableness, ecclesiastical and moral laxity of various forms and kinds. The Apostle deals with all these offences severally and particularly, and then he gives a general rule—a rule which was to cover and guide all their practice, and the practice of every other church: “Let all things be done decently (decorously) and in order” (according to system and appointment).