The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-08-07
CHURCH MATTERS SOUTH.

|..r q
Bishop Wilmer TO the I.aity and CIcr.
gy of fAlNbama---Tlle Doctrine of Al.
Ieeianee and its Application to tile
Existing State of Affairs.
To the Clergy and Luity of the Profess
t67't KpisCOO0t Church IN The Diocese of
Is alabama {!
On the Both May last, addressed a
brief circular to the clery, suggesting
the principles which, III my Judgment,
should govern them i'll their official
condnct under the present condition of
affairs. I deem it advisable at this time
to set forth, in IL more formal and pub
lie manner, a somewhat expanded
statement of the views contained in the
circular referred to-
The lapse of the Confederate Govern
ment does not necessarily involve the
disorganiZation of the general council
of the Church with the limits of that
Government. The nationality of n
church 1s' q matter purely conventional,
and of human arrangement. It is as
suredly possible for two Church organ
lzatlons to exist under one common
civil government, without violating the
unity of the church. There is an es-
sential difference between the unity of
branches of the Church, and their union
as one legislative body.n For example,
the Church in, England is in perfect uni
ty with the Church in the United States;
but there is no legislative union be-
tween these churches. Again (and this
is a case more in point), the church in
Scotland is in unity with the church in
organizations, under a civil Govern
lnent. Couspn uent1v nd 'ii,.hSrra of
schisn1 can iristiv lie against the Church
in the Southern STATES in cosn shn
should see fit to perpetuate herself
through separate organization. She
from the unity az itIIol C,hIIrcIi in 3I0c-
tine, discipline or order. ITherefore Il
NAV or NAV not. ns circr1i1rIt;f ancne INV
inCIic.itc bS SfFvisnl,lnE aud IaIE,1oSl;oIt ~
dissolve the general icOnnciI, This is n
Question. for Future ecclesiasticaI deter
nlinatiOn. ~
As to tho chances in tI,n 1aDpuopa of
certain PRAYERS, Which arc made neces-
saiv by late political events. T observe
that the sIaTse of the EonfaTaTafa CoIyo
ernment requires. of necessitv. the
omission of the ttIraver for the Presi-
dent Of the Confederafe States and al1 in
civil ai1t6orifvH ''N7 '''A>' a. -
1.-The irnmediate Substitution of anoth-
er form of PRAYER. does NOT follow of the
same nscessity.} as viii annea1 from the
rfolloJvino oonsi lorotio1Ist -
M no nraY for eII in ontLo,.;+1, 10 nm,
ouestf0n9bIv. n. dntI,-S mt n 1;,tIy ~ 1F 70
and not of 4olifical oriGin and
Utilization Tho of h01 ~
that SIIIfv must ha CletarmincJ Nv thoo
proper ecclesiastical authority. Gonse-
duentlv anv atten1nt on the mart If n
civil or military power to Glictate to the
Church in this matter cannot but, 6e re-
garded as unanthorized and intrnsiYa
Certain tests of LOYALTY have been estab-
lished by authority and they Who
faithfully conformed to these tests have
fulfilled the requirements of the law,
and have right, in. equity and under the
Constitution of the country, to manage
their own Ciiscretionl 1T The % C6nrch % boS ne
due regard to. established authority.
and is not to he presumed rentnrllpss 0f
her sacred obligations. She must be
mate sphere of action. ANY attemHf 10
dictate to her can only serve to ratard
the action which II, oursnnnce of her
obligations to God and to her own tra-
6iti6ns, she will niiGnnStionohiv tol-n
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