Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1863-09-02

hath joined together let 10 man put aSu''
| der"
Volumes of fanaticism and unbelief are
/ latent i'm these few words Where the
officiating clergyman himself owns either
/ the bride or bridegroom. this declaration
might be construed (most unreasonai.ly
but with some plausibilitv. } as in some
sense estopping him from any future ex-
ercise of his rights as Christian and a
patriarch, even at considerable pecuniary
| loss. In every case he is thus made the
mOuthpiece of revolutionary doctrine
that blasphemes the rights of property,
and clearly implies the existence of that
Anti Christian fiction. Higher Law. .
Such profane utterances may suit the
atmosphere of other communities. rank
| Fourierisms and Freeloveisms. and every
social corruption, but no church that OPP
| enly proclaims them can flourish within
our borders.
Another remedy is submitted which
may allow of our leaving this service $50
touching and beautiful when used in its
proper place. unchanged for the present.
Since the Church hath inherent power TO
loose as well as to bind, your Hopeful
Body may, in its wisdom. create and es-
tablish fourth subordinate order of the
Ministry, specially to exercise the func-
ton of loosing, and TO administer the
Rite of Divorce with due solemnitv 10
colored couples who have married in the
usual form. This fourth order might be
styled that of sub-Deacon, Acolyte, Exor-
cist, HGStiariuS, or simply Auchoneer. Any
person experienced in the duties of that
useful calling, and "apt and meet for his
smartness and godly conversation to ex-
ercise that ministry duly for the edifying
of the Church" should be ordained by
the Bishop for this particular Office, to
which other minor duties might be judi
ally added. For these, useful hints may
be lawfully borrowed from the experience
of another and ancient branch of the
Church we refer to the Discipline of
the Order of Flagellants," DtScipLil,a ct
Reg,Id OrdlliS FlagekLartitan, Ito, Rome,
1907 ),as embodying practical suggestions
OF much value. A suitable Form Of
Ordaining. .Auctioneers' should stand in the
Prayer-book, Immediately after that for
ordaining Deacons. A tasteful symbol
ism would dictate the presentation of a
hammer to the candidate by the Bishop
las the New Testament is delivered TO
the newly ordained Deaconl, with the
SOAClAl hOANSs 1onC tAlOu dulAOIlll 10
divorce colored persons in the Church at
public or private sale, for cash OF on cred
it, and also to knock them down if thou
be thereto licensed by the Bishop him
self" There should also be an appropri-
ate and very brief service introductory
such sales, concluding with suitable ex-
hortation to the parties.
The rite of Confirmation, or laying on
of hands, also needs regulating. For the
the avoiding of scandal persons OF the
African denomination must be sternly re-
PEELED from that ordinance. The peace
of Jerusalem may he disturbed ii Euisco-
pal hands are stlll to be brought into phy-
steal contact with the heads of these
dear children OF the Church, except in
the way of paternal chastisement. What
ever benefit these black but precious Yes
sells may derive from Confirmation would
be far outweighed by the damage the
Church would sustain if a chivalrous and
public should visit one of her
chief ministers with the indignity of tar
and feathers for demeaning himself to
it.
The Litany, too, contains phrases that
tend 10 misclIief-the prayers. for in
stance, TO be delivered from hardness of
heart and contempt of thy word and
and that ''all Christian
rulers and magistrates may have grace to
execute justice and maintain truth. .
Properly understood, these are of course,
prayers that we may not fall into the de-
lusion of imagining ourselves bound TO
mitigate the severity and brutality (So
called, falsely of our eminently humane
and evangelical slave code, and that the
civil authority may be strengthened to
maintain and develope it to the end of
time. But these supplications have been
known to stir up distressing doubts and
misgivings in diseased and Over-sensitive
consciences. The prayer for all who are
'desolate and oppressed is so manifestly
liable to perilous misconstruction that its
use can no longer be tolerated.
The service for the burial OF the dead
needs comparatively little change to
adapt it to Southern institutions. But in
the passage, 'Forasmuch as it has pleased
Almighty God, in his wise providence, TO
take out of the world the soul of our de-
ceased brother" etc, the last quoted
three words are unmeaning, offensive TO
our instincts, and in conflict with the
great fundamental ideas of our social sy
TEN. This deceased biped," or this
defunct individual black man." or words
the solemn offices of religion, aught ua-
real should be studiously avoided.
There are radical defects in the"Prayer
for Sick person." and the office for
the Visitation of the sick" Both are
inapplicable to the cases OF sickness oc-
curing among these colored objects OF
our love. Both assume that the patient
and not the proprietor of the patient, is
the person chiefly interested in the pa
TENTS recovery. The Church's interces-
sion is for the former alone. She turns
coldly away from the sorrow and trial of
the owner, without single prayer that
he be spared the loss, or enabled to bear
it with resignation-thoughi it may reduce
him from the estate of a gentleman, by
compelling him to labor for his own sub
sistence Should this be so?
Fearing to weary you by pointing out
specifically all the changes and additions
which the Prayer-book requires, we pause
here, only limiting that at a few further
questions too important to be overlooked.
Should not provision be made accord
ing to the ingenious suggestions of a
Northern Churchmanl, in
cases where parish church needs repairs
or enlargements, for raising the necessa-
ry funds by the sale of sufficient num-
Der of colored communicates?
Should not the want lat present so
deeply felt of Collects against Peace, for
Dis-unity, and against the inroads of ed
ucation and intelligence be at once sup
piled?
Can the present mode of collecting
aims at the Ofertory be so improved as
to enable charitable Christians, anxious
to give abundant aims of their substance,
but temporarily deficient in the circulat-
ing medium, to slip colored person or
persons into the aims dish, without un-
seemly noise or confusion?
Should not a combination service, like
that of the Anglican Church, or form of
cursing or accommodation, like the
austere and beautiful composition attrib-
uted to Ernulphus, be inserted into the
Praver-hook for the WARNING and intimi-