The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-22

ing III inc OubWdIu, GOnNbullO0di ulgulb1 VI
peers OF the realm. 1t has a splendid hier,,
archy. 1t possesses immense revenues, and
its digmtares enjoy splendid incomes. III
is great and wealthy national institution,
existing and supported ostensiblY tor spIl'ualc
purposes-tor the instruction and training OIL
the PEOPLE In religious doctrine and practlce15
and its means and opportunities OF oolng sOUu ,',
in It's peculiar mission and sPheI1 pm ny,na1 a f1ojo
bounded. But these things, whlcn PIU.u ltCsse ls
seem to be all in its favor, are III rea1lltS inil
cal to its usefulness. Its ministers, lnpePenugnt
IN great measure of popular contr0i, snow Dy
tensions io Aoostolic descent, they are but
human: and that, despite the VIRTUES WHICH
miobt be supposed to attach to an o11ce trace
ahle as they contend, directly TO ST. Peter NM
eolf thew are in noWise superior to ordinary
mortaIs Numbers of them are just now en-
Gagged in fercely discussing the question of
Ecclesiastical Vestments - of "clerical milli-
merry as it has been happily termed-in set
Ting the number OF genuhections the officiating
priest ought to make in certain gwen circum-
stances, and in debating whether religious service
should be conducted In broad day with lighted
waX-tapers or not. With some of them the old
snow-white surplice and the respectable black
silk gown are at discount; they must have
green waIstcoats, and must be tOged in muslin
gown with cross embroidered on thegbaCk.
These contend Tor particular kinds of priestly
Vestments as in high degree symbolic, and
would almost class among the moral sins any
departure from the customs of the Church of
the middle ages in regard to the costume of the
clergyman. Ritualsm is, In fact, all the rage
now with the High Church parCy IN England.
The "weig matters of the law divine are
lost sight OF; and instead of these, attention is
exclusively devoted to the tithing OF mint,
anlse, and cumin,n
The Ritualists are not, however, TO be allowed
to have everything their own way. Their con-
duct has aroused fierce opposition in certain
quarters. The Non-Contormist ministers see
Danger TO Professionalism in these efforts of the
Episcopal clergy TO assimilate the worship of
the English establishment TO that of the Roman
Catholic Church. Spurgeon, the eminent
Baptist divine mas sounded the tocsn, in a
sermon he recently preached in London, and
with that outspoken boldness Tor which he is
distinguished has declared that the English
bishops are a useless body of men, who have
never done any good service to the Church.
And among the great body of the people there
seems to be determination TO give no quarter
to the Ritualists. Disturbances have already
occurred in several places, and we nave before
us an account in London paper Of some very
riotous proceedings in a church situated in
village adjacent to that city. So serious, says
the report are matters becoming in the village,
that several additional constables have been
sent to reside in it. The clergyman has been
assaulted while conducting public worship, the
sChOol-house mas been set nre to- and an attempt
has been made to shoot the schoolmaster, who,
1t seems, Is Jealous partisan OF the obnoxious
clergyman. The controversy IS, in fact, waxing
furious; and in view of the spirit manifested by
the comDatants on 10th sides, we are not sur
prsed to find one of the dlgntarles of the Estab-
llsumeutJ lne ATCnucaCOn OF Surry, ueClarlng
in recent charge to the clergy, that the Church
is 'reellng to its Centre,n and that "the hour of
its trial is at hand" .....
The question of the future of the Anglo.
Episcopal establishment has more than a mere
local interest for those Immediately concerned
in its maintenance or its overthrow, for it
touches the cOgnate question of the useful
ness of Church establishments in general.
Taking dispassionate and impartial view of
the history of this great national institution,
IL cannot be denied that evangeliZing
agency it has been a woful failure. The child
OF compromise as Macauley, IN his "History
of England shows, it has all the characteristic
feebeness of such an origin about it, For pur-
poses of aggression upon the regions OF vice
and crime, It's power is painfully small. Its
chief virtue lies in Its quiet conservatism; but
this, which some pronounce its strength, Will
ultimetely be found its fatal weakness 1t is
evident that either ii has no proper conception
OF Its mission, or no heart for It's work. In
England, Lord Shaftesbury ayers, there are
at present 100000 women engaged in un-
womanly work, who are, for the most part,
in a savage condition. In the ten chief
cities of England, 1t is computed there
are about 100000 prostitutes. There are
as statistics show, l,25O,00O paupers; and the
vice of drunkenness, we are told, is rapidly in
cIeasing among the lower classes; while there
are countless numbers of men, women, and chill
dren in state of woful ignorance OF their duty
both 10 God and man. And in the face OF all
this, what are the clergy doing? Why, debating
about the color and the cut OF prlestly vest
mentS, ABOUT the virtues OI WAX JdpeTS Ill T6ll-
aious services, and the use of silver spoons to
fish flies out of the sacramental wine The
Church of England, as State establishment,
seems doomed. A process of dslntegratlon has
already set in, and it is evident the structure
cannot stand much longer. Let parliamentary
reform be carried, aud religious freedom in the
| fullest sense must soon follow. The ballot bo2
| will do for England what the Declaration of In
| dependence did Tor the United States-free the
| country from ecclesiastical trammels, and opeI
| a new field for religious enterprise and activity
! The beneficial results of such reformation will
not be doubtful question.
| President JOhnsOn's PIan-The Plan Oi
! Congress, and the Plan Demanded by
the Crisis
From the Herald,
President JohnsonS plan of Southern restora
ton, failing in the South, discarded by Con
gress, and condemned in the North is dead ant
done for. In the outset, with its three condi
tions precedent, viz, the recognition of tn
supreme national sovereignty of the Unite
States, the ratification of the Constitutions
amendment aboishing slavery, and the repu
diation OF the debts and obligations OF the Re
bellion, it seemed to be fair and promisin
programme. 1t started off handsomely, in tn
absence of Congress- and under the stimulus