The ritualism of the former consists of rites in worship which have no authority from the Word of God. The latter, while including similar rites, is specially characterised by a dogmatic system directly subversive of the whole doctrine of Christ. The two ritualisms are not foes to each other, but friends. Some of the infants in the Scottish section are fully entitled to promotion. In the estimation of the Papal masters of ritualistic science, they are making satisfactory progress toward appropriate honours, the mitres of bishops and the hats of cardinals.
Ritualism is too mild a term for the movement in England.
The ritualists who thus teach and practise are more justly designated Romanists than were members of the Romish communion at even advanced stages of that Church's development. The success of this ritualism would abolish the whole system of Divine truth, and ruin the life of religion in the soul. The ritualism that has broken out in some of the Protestant Churches of Scotland assumes the form of changes in the modes of worship rather than as yet in any defined opposition to orthodoxy. It consists meanwhile in ceremonial observances rather than theological dogmas but in those ceremonies lie the germs of doctrinal corruptions. The ceremonies generate the atmosphere which in due time produces the anti-Christian beliefs.