Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-02-24

solicit room for reply: @
The New York Evangelist says that
Father Agapius, the Greek Church
priest, who made such sensation in
New York, 6 few months since, by ofici-
ating in an Episcopal Church there, has
been turned out of his Church by his
ecclesiastical superiors, for counte-
nancing q Church outside of the Apos>
tolic succession, and the father, disgust
ed, has made application to DO received
into the Presbyterian Church"
Now, Father Agapius may have been
"turned out of his Church" and it is
possible that he may have made appli-
cation to be received into the Presbyteri-
an Church." but as to his having "been
turned out of his Church by his ecclesi-
astical superiors, for countenancing q
Church outside of the Apostolic success
sien," think there will be some doubt,
and, as this article seems to be one of
those mean, jesuitical attacks upon the
Church, which are so commonly taking
the place of the fair, open, charitable,
and manly argument against her claims,
it will be my effort briefly to show the
grounds of that doubt.
ln the first place, forasmuch as none
ofithe clergy of the Church, though
present, took any part in the services
spoken of, said services being solely for
the benefit Of the members of the Greek
Church resident in New York; and for-
asmuch as the Church~bnilding which
was used on the occasion was rendered
by the Bishop of New York, and the
Rector of the Church, as an act of
Christian courtesy and kindness, do
not see. how, by using the building,
Father Agapins recognized the order,
or faith even, of the Church, any more
thar, had he he'd the same services in
some hall OF public building, he would
have recognized the faith of the owners
of the building. So that it is not for a
moment to be believed that the authori-
ties of a great Church like the Russo
Greek Church would so stultify them
selves. vaa.rr
But now, as a more importan. con-
sideration, it may not be generally known,
but is nevertheless gratifying fact, that
the different branches of the Reformed
Catholic Church, (he Catholicity" Of
the Apostles Creed, and not Of Ronae)
consisting of the Church in this coun-
try, the Canadas, England, Scotland aud
Ireland, have been for some time taking
steps in cooperation and alliance with
each other towards the restoration OF
communion With the great Eastern
Church, and such overtures as have been
made have been gladly, and fraternalIy
responded to. Among many other in
teresting facts, the Committee, appoint
ed at the first meeting of the Conven-
ton Of the Province Of Canterbury Of
the United Church Of England and Ire-
land, and consisting of some of the
most prominent and evangelical of the
English clergy. This Com mittee reports
in these words:
Your Committee have been favored
at their last meeting, with the presence
Of the very Reverend Archpriests Popoff
and Wassillieff, chaplains to the Impe-
rial Embassies of Russia, at London and
Paris, from both of whom they have re.
ceived the most cordial assurances of
personal cooperation"
The New York Evangelist has not
learned whether these eminent dippita-
ries of the Russian Church have Hbeeu
turned out" "for countenancing a
church outside of the Apostolic Sue.
cession," so, of course, it cannot tell
what the prospects of the Presbyterian
Church are with respect to an applica-
ton to receive these disguised men.
The Committee appointed by the
United Church of England and ireland,
say, concerning the principles or condi-
tons upon which this intercommunica-
ton with the Greek Church is to be
brought about
" 1t would be premature to lay down
any principles or conditions on which it
may seem to your Committee that such
INSTRUMENTATION as is contemplated
may be brought about further than
this: g
To establish such relations between
thu two eomnunions as shall enable the
laity and clergy of either to join in the
sacraments and offices of the other,
without FORGETTING the communion of
their own church. M
That any overtures toward such an
object should be made, if possible, in
coz cooperation with those churches with
which the Church of England is in COM
.munion; and that such overtures, when
ever made, shonld be extended to the
other Eastern Patriarchates, and not
confined to the Russo Creek Church"
Now, / think, it is clear that these
principles or conditions look to COM
mon basis or ground of movement; that
the bodies contemplating the restoration
of an interrupted INSTRUMENTATION shall
have fundamentals and first principles
in common; that is, that they shall agree
in the essentials of the faith and recoo-
nize the validity OF each others orders.
Bishop Bedell, Of Ohio, in speech in
behalf of the Greek Nilsson, some wears
ago, spoke Of the Greek Catechism as
Evangelical, and sound in its teachings,
and the Board of Missions came to the
conclusion that :" the use of that Cate
chisRs soas a consistent teaching of the
Gospel of Christ So, on the other hand.
when it was proposed, by a member of
our Committee, the Hon. s. B RugqIes
of New York, in 1868, to the Ecciesias-
teal Authorities of the Russian Church.
to strengthen any existing religious sym.
pathies between the Russian nation and
our own "by the mutual interchange,
on the part of the two Churches, among
the pioneers intermingling in the distant
regions of the Pacific, OF the religious
Offices common to both, and especially
in the Christian duties of visiting the
sick and burying the dead;;" accord
ing to the late report of the Commit.
tee to the last General Convention.
The venerable and benevolent Phi
laret, Archbishop and Metropolitan Of
Moscow, to whom this suggestion was
made, not only gave it his prompt and
cordial concurrence, but, after listening
with interestto the statement of@the ac>
tive efforts in progress for promoting
the physical welfare of the two nations
on the Southern Pacific, expressed his
willingness to submit without delay to
the holy Synod, at st. Peter sburg, the
question of establishing a Russian
Church at San Francisco
1t seems to me that it would be we'll