The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-12
OUR RELIGIOUS COLUMN.
EFFECTS OF RITUALIsM.

Dear Bishop-In accordance with deep and
earnest convictions OF duty, have concluded to
communicate to you my desire to retire from
the ministTy and membership OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church. ], therefore, after long and
painful consideration, tender to you my with
draWal from the same, leaving you to take the
course your position requires in dssolving the
relations of an ecclesiastical character l have
heretofore held
In taking this step need not conceal that, in
connection with the mental process through
which have passed in reaching the conclusion
have announced. | have encountered deep
feeling and heartfelt pain.
1t Is not however the pain of doubt as to
duty nor the memory of events through which
have passed, partakng of the nature of con-
flict with some who hold important relations TO
the Church from which now retire. | admit
there have been times when the latter has been
cause of great inward unrest, and often of
gllei not from CONSCIOUSNESS OF error in the
positions have been compelled to assume nor
OF wrong in maintaining them, but from
various considerations OF ecclesiastical, social,
and personal character. None OF these, how
ever, have been permitted to assume conse-
quence that could allow to prompt the action
and suggest the course am now induced to
take.
The sersibilities aroused are of different
character. OF these the feeling called forth by
my relation to you as my bishop, as one greatly
beloved and houored in the Church of God aud
in my muost heart, is not the least nor last. In
doing what do | cannot and would not obte-
rate the recollection OF what you have done Tor
and what you have been 10 me. Nor will the
step which here take operate to change the
feeling OF consciousness in which all these
things are held.
The lire associations in the Church also that
have been formed and that caunot cease to b3
tenderly regarded furnish another part. Yet
trust friendships in Christ have been created
and associations formed that no conscientious
action in regard to Church relations will ever
injuriousy affect or change.
In the first place, | cannot consent to con-
ainue the attitude which conceive myselt to
hold before the Church and the world, as q
minister in the Episcopal Church, when the
functions claimed for that position is considered.
The plain literal, and historical teaching of
the offices of the Prayerbook, | am compelled
to believe, place me in the light, not OF an am
bassador for Christ merely, but priest in the
sacerdotal sense.
beg, however, to say that in remarking upon
this, with other points | may present, l shall
not argue any question of construction OF the
Prayer-book, or the offices it presents, or of
liturgicat interpretation but offer simply my
own convictions as to their bearing upon my
individual course in refusing further to hold the
relation that involves the claims that l have
just indicated. For with me the conviction is
irresistible that the minister in our Church is
considered priest i'll this anti-Protestant sense.
This, think, Is made manifest in the "Ordt-
nation Service for Priests" The bishop lays his
hanus upon the candidate and says, "ReceiVe
thou the Holy Ghost for the Office and work of
priest IN the Church OF God, no committed
unto thee by the imposition of hands.
Whose SINS thou dost forgive they are forgiven,
and whose sins thou dost retain they are re-
tained.h That this is to be understood as
comforting a priestly character and enjoning
sacerdotal functions is made, as I conceive,
more and more apparent at every step as we
proceed in this development of official charaC-
Ter. In the coffee of Institution" it is specli-
cally asserted, in the words of the bishop to the
pIesbyter TO be instituted "We co hereby !"
grant unto you authority to perform the
Office of priest in the - parish or church.
possessed OF full power TO perform every act
of saCerdotal function among the people"
The proper accompaniment OF the character
here defined is, | consider, obviously furhishe i
AN altar. In the grouping OF the officiating
n1,n ontnv In flNi NTinn i 10 n
wardens (or, in their absence, two members OF
the vestry) shall stand on the right and left of
the altar, without The rails" etc., and the min
lister after institution being as prescribed by the
Rubric, brought within the rail encircl1ug the
altar. 1t proceeds to say, shall kneel at the
altar"
What remains now is an Offering, which
think no one can easonably doubt is furnished
in the communion Office, portion OF which Il
expressly called the collation." ALL suppose
clearly understand oblation to mean an Offering
"a sacrifice. Taken in its natHra and hstor
cal sense. this oblqtion prayer can only be
understood to teach that the Lords Supper IL
not only u memorial, but sacrifice. In glancinG
back over this we shall 6nd, think, FULLY pre-
sented, first, priest, in the saccrdotal sense
second an altar, on which the sacrifice is to be
offered; ard finally, an offeTing TO be presented
to God in the sense OF sacrifice.
Still further, as we advance from this point
we find this sacerdotal character sustained il
the execution OF these iunchons-the exercise o
the power of absolution. In furnishing thu
proper formulary the Rubric proceeds to give it
authorized title-"The Declaration of Absolutiol
or Remission of Sinsn-and in the ordination
service Tor priests, already quoted, this Is pre-
sented as the first and most prominent prlestl
act and duty, which in the Rubric here is eX
pressy assigned TO the 'prIest alonen-not
layman, not deacon but one only who ha
been invested with the priestly character.
These offices and teachings, think, make
plain, that as minister in the Episcopal Church
1 am practically claiming to be Il sacerdota
character protesting these priestly functions
Offering up a sacrifice In the Lords Supper AM
having power to forgive SINS.
Second-In some portions of the prayer book
literally and historically interpreted, the doc
trine OF sacramental efficacy is, / think, Sc
forth too plainly TO be doubted, First, in tn
baptismal Office, it is clearly apparent. In tn
prayer of conservation, Tor Instance, we ar
made 10 pray that water may be sanctided {
the 'my ystical washing away OF sln"-Word
expressive OF mag cal efficacy. The sacramento
theory, / think. all must see, Is equally NANTES
in the prayer offered after baptism III the cas
of the infant, TO wit:-'We yield Thee heart
thanks, most merciful Father, that 1t hat
pleased Thee to reeeHeTate this infant with 4 b
Holy Spirit 10 receive HIM Tor Thine own chill
by Adoption" This, do not doubt, Is TO b
understood as claiming that the sanct he
water, having been applied, work OF grace ha
been simultaneously accomplished, amountin
TO q true spiritual regeneration.
But still stronger, in proof that this sacramer
tal claim is set up in baptism, is the laneuag
we have set forth in the catechsm. The.chil
is there made to speak OF himself as haYin
been made in baptism "a member OF Christ,
child OF Coo, and an inherltor OF the kingdoL
of heaVep.n No soiening eXegess can to m
mind, conceal this doctrine here. The child is
as we see before baptism not q member
Christ not child OF God, not an inheritor {
the kingdom of heaven; now by baptism, al
this is nstantaneOusly changed. A sinful intaD