The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-05-12
The Ritual Prosecut.ons In England.

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The able London correspondent of the New
York Times writes under date ofApril4:
The decision OF the Dean Of Arches on the
AS it fills pamphlet Of over seventy pages,
and took four hours and twenty minutes to
read, I shall not give it entire in this letter.
It decided against the curate Of st. Albans on
three points, and upon one in his favor, but
left each partyt to pay his own costs. It is
oonsiderediso far q triumph to the Ritualists
that they will not appeal. The right to wear
the vestments, to drape the altars, and to
use other ornaments Of the churches is not
disputed. This Judgment afirms the right
to have two lighted candles on the altar,
but declares illegal the censing OF fpersons and
things, and the use OF incense in any way du-
ring the communion service, the excessive
elevation of the sacrament and excessive
knssling, and the minglipg Of the water with the
wine as part Of the ceremonial. On Sunday,
the day after this judgment, st. Adams was
Il required q very close observer to find any.
The yestments we're as splendid as ever !;
there was 90 much incense that no one could
see whether the elevations and prostrations
we're excessive, and the few drops of water
were added to the wine before, and not during
the communion service. Nothing has been
gained to the Protestant party, and much lost,
Dy tilS ucCle1Ou'se ous eloy VIII hoo g.. ~ ny
80 tbe.next prosecution will be upon the doc
trines, Of which all the practices Of ritualism
are but symbols or forms Of expression. The
civil court which decides in the last appeal
upon what is the faith Of the church by law
established, refused, in the German case, to
determine the question Of bsptismal regenera-
ton. Every member Of the Church Of England
is free to believe as he likes on that point. The
same liberty of conscience would probably be
declared upon the question OF absolution. The
one doctrine on which ajudgment will be sought
is that Of the real presence. This is the one that
will divide the church into two bodies, andlead
to the Ndisestablishment of both, whenever
q decision either way is given. a decision in
favor Of the doctrine would drive out the whole
Protestant party; one against it would equally
compel the instant secession of the whole An
glo-Catholic party; and the Protestants will
press for decision. The church is really di-
Yded-unity does not exist. The differences
are vital. But for the legal establishment and
endowment there would not be pretence OF
unity. To the Low Church, or Protestant par
ty, ntualism is Popery; to the Ritualist, the
are proclamation and sacrilege. Let the Privy
Council affirm the Protestant Interpretation,
and the entire High Church party would either
become an independent ecclesiastical body or
go over to Rome; and this matter may be de-
fermined within the next two years, for this
slow old country is full Of life and is moving,
for good or evil, with a terrible rapidity.
have been butja few years in England, and
have seen the Tory party carry household suf-
frage against the protest OF earnest Liberals,
and MIR. Gladstone move the disestablishment
Of the Irish Church, after having been for thir-
ty years its staunch, defender.