Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-10-15
RELIGIOUS TOPICS.


The opening sermon before the New |
York Convention, preached by Bishop Lee
of this State, seems In many respects re-
markable one. 1t fell like bomb-shell
amongst the High Church people, who even |
carried their opposition so far as TO stren-
uously, though unsuccessfully, oppose a
motion to have 1t printed. The following |
is an abstract of part of the sermon =
Jesus presented himself as the Great High |
Priest. His ministry was the true sample, |
His humanity the true temple, His cross the |
altar, His death the sacrifice, His ascension |
tho entrance within the vail. All the shad |
ows of the ceremonial law found in him their |
fulflment; he concentrated in himself all
the offices Of the priesthood and these shad- |
ows, having served their purpose, have new
er been re-enactcd; the Gospel dispensation
is no mere echo of the Mosaic. He spoke
of the present assumption of the sacrificial
priesthood as pitiful mimicry of tho Aaron.
ic priesthood. No, We are not abandoned
to such mockery. Our High Priest Is set
on the Throne Of Majesty in heaven. Christ
has not entered into holy places made with
hands. but into Heaven itself, having been
once offered, full and sufficient sacrifice
for the sins of the whole world. The Ian
guage of the Epistles tolerate no sacrificial
mortal priesthood, and in no way could the
inspired writer's have more impressively con-
veyed the abolition of the propitiatory priest
hood than by this silence. Neither, he ar
gued, could this error be justified by an ap
| peal to the Fathers. Such an assumption
on the part of ministers was an invasion of
the exclusive priesthood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The unhappy influences of this er-
ror had been shown wherever 1t was pro.
| claimed. II served to made q sacerdotal
caste. Ignorant and carnal men loved to
have it so, because It favored religion BY
proxy-the priest acting for the people, and
his sacred office relieving them. Such a the
ory of the Christian ministry was not coun-
tenenced by the Protestant Episcopal church
and no marvel that the word Protestant"
was an offense to such men, and that they
attemptedto disparage the men of the Refor-
| nation.
The Bishop said he might apologize for
taking SO much time on points that few
years ago none would have thought of ques-
tioning but lovers of the Church of Christ
contemplate with alarm and anxiety pro-
ceedings which, in this day, tended to un
dermine well-established principles. It was
more than mere empty ceremonial. These
ritualistic ceremonies were urged for the
sake of the doctrine that underlies them, as
part of system which we see full-blown
elsewhere. AS third point the Bishop
dwelt on the subject of Christian unity, and
asked in what direction should the general
desire for unity tend? Whether toward
church whose errors they had protested
against and parted from, or toward Chris
tians near at hand; bound TO us with ties of
lineage, customs, and country; revering the
same Bible, not only in sentiment but in
letter; and believing the same great funda-
mental truth. If there was anything in the
form of our formulas that formed a stumb
ling-block and barrier to these, which could
be removed without compromising any es
sential doctrine, ought we not to make the
concession.
Tho Prcsbytery of Wilmington held its
Stated Meeting in the Pencader Church.
Glasgow, on Tuesday evening, Sept. 22d.
I Third Presbytery OF Philadelphia, and a call
for his PASTORAL services from the church at
Milford was placed in his hands and accept
ed by him. Messrs. Crowell, Shaw, Scho-
field and Gaylord were appointed to perform
the various parts of service at his installation,
on Thursday evening, the sth of October,
Rev. ID. II. Emerson resigned his position
on the Standing Committee on Education,
and Rev. DR.. Patton was appointed in his
, Committee on Home Missions, and Mr.. Shaw
was appointed in his place, Rev. s. R.
: Schofield was appointed on Ministerial Re
: lief.
/ The overturn from the General Assembly
on the Reunion of the Church was laid be
fore the Presbytery by the Stated Clerk. =
: After full and harmonious discussion, the
, following resolution was unanimously adopt
!. ed "Reso,Ued, That while this Presbytery
: expresses its preference for reunion on th!
! basis of our common standards Of faith anc
! practice, it does yet hereby approve of ant
= give its consent to the Reunion Of the TIVE
!. branches of the Presbyterian Church in thu
! United States of America on the basis pro
!, posed by the Joint Committee of thirty ant
: approved by the two General Assemble
o meeting in May, S68. respectively at Albany
= N. r., and Harrisburg, Pa"
n Application was made by certain elder
n and members of the Central and Hanove
o Street Churches, Wilmington, for the ap
IS pointment of a Committee TO organize a ney
e church in that city. Their request wa
granted, and Messrs. Shaw, Aikman, Scho
= field, Patton and Ferris were appointed til
Committee.
If The Central Church, Wilmington, wa
y chosen as the place for the next Stated Meet
s. ing.
i REV. VIM. Aikman resigned the office {
a. a, Stated Clerk which he had filled with gres
ei q ability and fidelity for six years. job
st The M. r. Preachers Association wi
d hold a meeting in Denton Caroline county @
~ Tuesday Goth inst. A lengthy programu
r. of essays and discussions has been arrange
an and the exercises will be of most interest
IN, ing character.
us The National Conference of Unitara
IL and other denominations held its first bus
lat ness meeting, Wednesday, at Irving Hal
ed The number of delegates present was vel
!" large, embracing the most earnest, able, al
er- devoted members of the denomination, bo
M sMa1 clergy and laymen. The President of II
M Conference, the Hon. Thomas ID. Elic
es- member of Congress from Massachusett
cr, called the assembly to order at 9:45, and
is vited the Rev. s. B. Stewart, Of Lynn,
,iil lead in prayer. Mr.. Eliot then address,
psa psm an interesting paper on the work before 4
Id Ia Association. He said they had more reas'
re, than ever to congratulate themselves on I
The extent of the work before them, and t
uc- means they had for carrying 1t out. T
will steady demand made in the cities of t
Middle States and of the West for the {
,n- pn tabishment OF new churches could not
gs' understood by persons who did not see t
10 correspondence of the Secretaries of I
lte, Association at Boston and Chicago. Tht
1st was great want of ministers. Whatey
lat, might be the value OF such religious orga
ned cations as the Friends establish, not invo
to5 ns ing the work of stated ministry, the U
'o' tarians had not yet succeeced in making a
in such organizations take the place of churci
bri- on the old pattern. There had been an
nifty crease of 83 churches since 1865, about tf
and ty per cent, but this increase did not {
. ana equately represent the growth of Unitari'
.un, and ism. Every city in America of more I'll
zen. $4,000 inhabitants had now at least {
ood Unitarian church, with two temporary
re- ceptons. In the Southern States the Uni
land rian Association had made some efforts
As establish churches, with little result .
nve- principal work there had been in the ass
my ance and establishment of schools.
II W Hale warmly commended the efficiency
the wsrk of the African Methodist Chur
,lish which was created and managed entirely
men Of color.
IN The Triennial Convention of the Prot
ant Episcopal Church, which assembled
Wedneeday at Trinity Church. New YC