The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-04-11
Oh "A r lie TON
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL IL, 1867
RlTUALISM,

Our readers not unfrequently see references
Many Of them are doubtless informed on the
subject There may be others, however, whose
IDEAS are very much confused, and to whom
brief and succinct statement of:the controversy
may not be unwecome.. This ecclesiastical revo
luton, which seems to be near its culmina-
tion, may be said to have had its origin some
nvc anu twenty yenrs ago. Tnere were isolated
instances before that period Of very high !
church clergymen, who INDUCED in seAnglican'
ccccntricities, and some who exchanged the
English for the Roman Church; but there was
nothing like general movement. In 1912 or
l643 appeared the t.Tracts fog the Times, -
which created considerable excitement and dis
cussion during the few years following, till
more important public events made it pass into
comparative oblivion. The party lines, how
ever, within the church from that day on, have A
been clearly drawn. But within the last year
or two, there have been indications Of further
divisions. High and low church no longer.
suffice to embrace all the children Of the
church. There are many who were t'high
church" in other days, but are now unwilling
to go the length Of the Ritualists. There are,
therefore, three parties now, which, however,
we presume, will soon coalesce again into two.
These parties differ from others that have BEEN
engaged in contest Of opinion in this that the
progressionists at the same time represent the
reactionary element. In other words, they
progress backward. .5,.- - =. VI
The Ritualsts, if we can rely on the accounts
that reach us through our English exchanges,
are gaining strength, and with this growth in
crease their demands. Ceremonies are now
practised which were almost undreamt Of in
1S43, or even in 1851, and the novelties of ex-
! tcrnnl worship are justified by the assertion Of
principles which in those days had not been
discovered, OF at least found no champion bold
enough to maintain them. The Ritualiss Of
| to-day have made the discovery that it is pos
| siblc to shake of the bondage Of Professionalism,
/ and yet remain in the English Church; and
| that those who do 50 are its only true and con-
sistcnt members. #ss. st-s:s5s .i:s
| twenty-five years ago, in England, and fifty
years ago in Germany, there had been spas
| modics attempts to revive various external
| rites, but they fell through. They owed their
| origin TO the same morbid love Of the sensuous,
| which gave birth to Romanticism in liter
! ature. Time has almost effaced their
memory in literature, and in theology we had
fair hopes Of seeing o similar result when
| this present romantic revival has produced a
marked change of the phase Of the question. ", /
There is considerable diference,:in other re
spects also, between the controversy as it stood
| then, and as it presents itself to us now. It is
| not mere ecclesiastical ,dilettanteism. The
| phenomenon which hos to be dealt with now,
| says Dr.. L1rrLEDALE, in ssThe Church and the
World" is that ceremonial obseryances every
where in England to-day co-exist with active
parochal and missionary work, and are re
garded by practical men perfectly free from
etfeminate sentimentalism, as important sad-
juncts in their labors III; 81 .y.: q h; Z, ..4
Tractarianism, it is said, was only a religion
for gentlemen; but it has now taken shape
which will enable it to wrest the middle classes
from dissent civilize and christianize those
poorer classes, which have hitherto been either
neglected altogether, or approached in man
ner which had no effect on them. It was tory,
and is now fast becoming democratic. Argu-
ment cannot avail against such party. They
have been taunted with the histrionic charae-
/ ter Of their ceremonial DR.. L1rThEDALE,
quoted above, says in reply, g It is an axiom
! in liturgiology that no public worship is really
| deserving of the name unless it be hstrionic
! The Ritualists already claim to be the
| largest party in the church, and to be still on
the increase. In the Eondon Quarterly for Jan
uary we find much information on this subject.
| Asn mark of its progress, the reviewer refers
to the tDirectoriume eAnglicanlm,' arst pub
lished in 1857, edited by Rev. j. PuncHAs.
| The second edition, under the care Of Dr.. LEE,
was published in 1865. The illustrations of the
first and second editions (for each has set Of
prints different from the other) are significant
| as to the development which Ritualism had un-
taergona during the interval of seven or eight
years. Thus, whereas The ori9inaf rrunris
| represents some early stage in the celebration
Of the Eucharist the frontispiece Of the second
edition displays the elevation Of the chalice,'
! which. in the meantime, had,been added to the
stock Of ceremonies. In the first edition there
are two candles on the altar and two at the
sides; but in the second edition there are eight
additional candles and four pots of flowers, on
| what, we think, is called the super-altar.
x The .acolyte,' from
q tall young man carrying dagon, has dwin-
| uAeu uoWu ~ y NItic Doy WILL Slrule rOunQ
his waist, and armed with censer. n In 1867
the altar was surmounted by an ornamental
cross; in the edition Of 1866 this has been su-
perseded by a crucifx. N. 3...s Nj . .
4 cdr. PERRY, in the ssChurch and the World
enumerates the following as the FIVE prominent
points of the Charter Of an Englishmans Ri
tualistic liberties. l. The ancient vestments
Of the bishops and other clergy; 2. the two
lights on the altar; 3. the incense; A. the
mixed chalice;E s. the eastward position in
front of the altar, Of the priest apd his assist
ants at the celebration Of the Eoly Communion.
Another author adds three additional points
6. the use Of wafer bread 80. the presence Of
the faithful for what is styled spiritual
communion : and 9th, the elevation Of the con-
secrated elements. "A s,s. 4, III s,$ $j3
These several points are now all in court.
The opinions Of eminent counsel have been
taken, and they vary in their leanings, inlu-
enced largely no doubt, BY spreconceiyed
opinion. The weight Of authority, however;
seems to be against the Ritualists and they
must either relinquish these: tenets Of their
benefces. They say they viii DO neither, and
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