Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-06-23

GiguitS and good sense< and ra,iopni piety in
ti,c osidst Of intidelity and bigou,, and 10 use
ihe ~otds of respectable authority " il eudea-
Notcd 10 DO that whfch upon The whoie and for q
gfed Rgei5rr of years, would be fonnd 10 be
rho most useful and the most admirable" II
these are not the leading traits OF episcopaii-
aniSr Should wish TO be Informed what are,
ana cspec aiiy m what IL diiiersfrom me thodiSn
so like y an many things. In conformity with
these ideas, the principal sacrament of The
church was denied only To "opcn and notori.
Gus evil iivers." Who they were II was not
thongbt proper 10 define. The minister was
to exercise the power of rejection under the
eyes Of an Intelligent congregation, and the
control of the Ordinary il was believed
that there were many considerations 10 prevent
biAi from exercising " cdpiiCionsly OF uhinstiv.
Each ease would OF course depend on It's own
circumstances, aud ho general rule OF eNclu
sion would be sanctioned. liN the conninm
icant would be left To satisfy has own heart on
all speculative points the freedom OF con
science would ne respected aad 40 one ex-
communicated from the rites nf his church
unless his moral conduct WAS 30 iiagr RAFT as 10
bring HIN justly and generally nn'.er The
putatOn OF bean. - an open aud InIoIians evil
iver.' II tie chsrch had h, its canon .li>iim-
guiSbed, wha: corduct would render = man
liable to tins imputatioD, III would have assumed
an unnecessary power not properly belonging
TO lit would have set itSsif NJ as the ouly
true interpreter Of the VIII 1t (iOd and a
would have established by marked and def
mite boundaries the odious aud dangerous dis
tinction--s dious for it's presumption arC dan
gerons iIem its effect on the peace and happi
ness of private families -heiween the godiy aud
the VTgoGiy. 1t Was this very thing which The
church meant 10 avoid, whilst 1t guarded saiiSt
the proiaratIon Otits rites b! repclling from
participation in them the" open and nutorions
evil liver"
Oae who is not a gentleman. is excluded
where ht l. kpowD, by common consent, from
good cninpany-and the term though not en-
actly detiuvd. is sufficiently inteliigibe for
mr. CtI A,lN a. hn,.
da;ies By depui"tion Ot the fash onabe
world, wUnld be exceedingly absurd and not
little arrogant. But it wonId be ten thousand
times easier aud less presumpiuons TO III clare
what ought to exc,ude person from society,"
than To determine what ought to repel him
from rite III his own opinion necessary TO his
salvaiion-lf The latter would not be AN
+" assumption of dominion over the faith Of
Others by tallible men" and " u setting up of
their own opinions aud modes OF thinkui: as
the only true and niailibe," cannot conceive
any conduct that would.
This is what as conceive il, the convention
have attempted TO do. They have gone much
farther than they were warranted in doing BY
the ieneis of the Episcopal Church, or bN The
opinions and examples of its most intelligent
vOtdries- And for what good endl Wherefore
the necessity of this change? Why disturb
the harmony and peace oftie good old church
just rising from her ashes, by Introducing a
test OF adherence TO her, unknown To FORMER
times Why attempt 10 produce - unamini-
q subject having little or no comes zion with
good morals, none at all with the fnndlmeu.
tai articles of the church. ~ concerning which
MANY good men differ? Is the church already
so ST. on! that she eau venture hazaIdous ex-
periments on the liberty of Conscience Or
are her votaries so numerous that she can drive
hundred to the tabernacles aud feel no sensi-
BILE dimnuton of her numbers; This resoiu-
tiOn, eau in the ature ofthin5S, do no possible
good, and will do evil. Dissatisfaction and
dlstrust will he engendered III the minds OF
many of the friends of the church. Weapons
for annoyance will be placed III the hands OF
its enemies-the peace of families may be dis
turbcd by il (; friends and connections he ar
rayed the one againStthe other, because one goes
10 the bali OF theatre, and the other does not
and mutual spirit of hostility excited he
tween those who presume TO call themselves
the gCdiy, and others whom they name the
wick ed-betweeD &" the salt of the earth" and
its baser materials, that vii! not soon be al
layed.
Aud how does an inconsiderab!c body of
men, hiding themselves III a corner Ot tie state,
derive The right TO produce all this confusion in
The Episcopal Church? Has any small body
of EpiScopaliaus the power 10 alter the funda-
mental rules OF EpiScopaaniSm Can they
by dash OF the pen. change Episcopalans
into Methodists? Or can they pretend 10 re
gulate matter so very important 10 all the
other members, as the terms OF admission
TO the most essential oftbe tw osaCTaments of the
church, If they can. thew have the power to
destI oy the church itself; for that is only known
by ITS fundamental principles. / should for
my own part say untl am better instructed,
that by any such attempts they themselves
ceased to be Epscopalians and ought no lon
ger 10 be so considered not that other Epis-
copalians should be bound by tbeiracis. Sup
pose the convention should adopt the tenets of
an illberal and bigoited church, as by the
caning style of some of its advocates, we
might conclude they had a disposition 10 do,
would they be any longer the representatives
| of the Episcopal Church? should conceive
not. They have their charter TO govern
them, $ our public fHnctionaries have their
constitution, and a violation Of the one ought
to be attended with the same consequences as
the other-Within its limits they may act, but
the moment they traBsgress them, they cease
to belong 10 the church.
Bntit is affirmed that the whole spirit and
tenor of the scriptures are opposed TO the pro-
scribed amusements"-and Marcus is asked 10
sbew single line in the sacred writings coun-
tenancng or excusing them. Considering the
time vixen theatrical amusements and cotil-
Ions were first introduced, it could not reason.
ably have been expected, that any absolute
recognition OF their innoceucy could be found
| IN the scriptures. But is there any thing in
| them forbidding what is harmless in itself, but
| may possibly become vicious by unlimited and
| thoughtless indulgence ThiSis the very gues-
ton IN controversy, upon which, as j have en-
deavored to show, the Episcopal Church diff.
! fers from some others ~ maintaining the ne
| gdtIVe. LII the Convention think otherwise
| they do not, i'll my opinion, agree with the
| Episcopal Church. and there the matter ought
| 10 be permitted to rest-Every step beyond
| this in the controversy leads us over ground
| that has been already beaten by combatants
| infinitely more able than any who are likely
| TO tread it again. Ii will at least require some
| other champion than the Layman TO enter the
! lists, before EplscopaIianism will be called up
| on to anSwer-aud he must be provided with
| better weapons than any he has yet brandiShcd
| Arguments derived from insulated texts of
| scripture, Of doubtful meaning and diffcnlt
construction, taken iotheut regard TO time, piace
| or circumstance, and opposed as they are By ma