Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-03-13

q such as shall meet the views, not ohiy oi
" those within the pale of our Church who
" think with you, but also Of the general body
- of non-conformists The teaching Of the
q" Church of England must then be lowered to
"the level Of their standard, the doctrine
% toncbing both sacraments entirely altered,
50 and know not how they could be content
81 without the abolition of episcopacy and the
u separation Of Church and State" 1t IS sara
that certain ultra-rtualistic practices, strongly
favored with the spirit of the Church OF Rome'
have beep introduced into some Ofthe churches'
and have alarmed the fears of many persons
hence tbi, movement for reform. By some,
however. it is regarded as an lnsldiouS enort
n hiring about a separation between Church
aud State The objections Of the Archbishop
Of Canterbury, and other high Church author
tiles do dot arise from any sympathy with or
federation of these practices; on the .contrary,
they are strongly condemned. The Bishop of
Oxford and the Bishop Of London have also
declared themselves on this subject. The
views expressed by them, and by the Arch
bishop of Canterbury, may be fairly presumed
to represent the unanimous opinion Of the
Episcopal Bench.
Lord RUSSELL has replied to the memorial
in the same sense as the Archbishop of Canter-
bury, and has definitely declined to appoint
ROYAL Commission on the Liturgy. The Lon
don Times says If there were any reason to
50 desire a revision, such an occasion as the
"present would be the very worst of all times
:. in which to initiate it. Ifthe Liturgy is ever
&. TO be modified, it must be at period when
"religious party feeling is at rest, and when
GO there is a substantial agreement on the great
" points ofreligious controversy. To enter on
"such a work, at time which Lord EBURY him.
"a self characteristics as one Of great excitement,
s'would be to throw away every chance OF sue
"cess. Whether favorable period for so
80 dangerous an operation will ever arrive we
:, greatly doubt, but it is certainly very dis
tant'
Fortunately, there is a remedy for the evils
complained Of. such minor subjects as vest
ments and le-sticks'-withoutr esorting to
a ROYAL Commission, from which the most radi-
cal and pernicious changes might result. The
unqualified condemnation by the Archbishop
of these practices, which he saySviolate 4 COM
promise and settlement which has existed for
three hundred years, and which, he says, " are
doing the work of the worst enemies Of the
church." cannot fail to exert restraining in
Huence upon the Ritualists. Such sentiments
aud expressions fromthe lips ofthis high church
dignitary, who is reputed to be man Of calm
and equable temper, cannot be diSregarded by
his interiors in the church.
Ecclesiastical Reformers, when once started
on their way, are more persistent, uncompro-
missing and radical even than political reform
ers; and Just now England is sufficiently
troubled by the demands Of the latter, without
superadding the excitementS ofthe former
Men will never have the wisdom TO learn that
perfection is not attainable in this world. Each
generation thinks itself wiser and better than
its predecessor. We inherit systems built up
by our ancestors and, because We find In them
a few minor defects, or because abuses insepa-
rable from all that human passions, ambitions
and idiosyncracies have to deal with, have been
introduced, we must needs demand review and
reform, which oftener ends in destroying all
that is good than in correcting what is vicious
The present general tendency to radicalism
threatens much mischief. 1t is content with
nothing, and points the way TO that blaSphe-
nous and insOlent confidence in human power
and human. wisdom which led to the building
of the tower of Babel, which should reach the
heavens, and for which an in6del and self-suff-
cient people were scattered to the four corners
of the earth.
There are tens and hundreds of thousands Of
people in this country who have an interest In
the book of common prayer. 1t is not alone
the property of the people of Great Britain
1t belongs to the Christian world; and when it
is rudely tempered with, the anxieties Of
millions of people are awakened.