Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-09-13
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH..
Cali for a Revision Of the Hit
urgy.

A tract hiss lately no ade its appearance,
supposed TO be in the interest OF the pop-
ulAr wing of the Episcopal Church. 1t
is entitled, Are there R)msnizing
Germs in the Prayer Book ~ The au-
I thor, whose name IS not given, has appa-
rently studied his subject with great
care, and by voluminous quotations
seems to prove that the Prayer Book
teaches by implication, hrst, that the
Bible is not the sole Rnie Of Faith; sec
I ond, that the Ministry is an exclusive
Priesthood with Supernatural Powers:
third, that Baptism carries with it In
Simultaneous Regeneration fourth, that
/ the doctrine Of Consu6stsntis tistion is par
/ tally accepted. The author concludes
by saying that be is constrained TO sf-
/ firm hat there are Remaining Germs
! the Prayer Book" He adds:
They are im mbedded ia our otherwise
4 Protestant fOrmulary. They are found
in the Doctrines of the Rule Of Faith, Of
/ the Ministry, Of Baptism, and Of the
Lords Supper. Developed according to
thehxed law OF termination, they bring
forth fruit after their own kind, such as
4 The Bible is not the sole Rule of Faith
the Ministry Is an exclusive priesthood
Baptism Is an instrument of regenera-
ton the Lords Supper is an expression
Of Consubstsntiation.
II is q noteworthy fact that during
three hundred years 4 large and infiuen-
tial sacerdotal party have existed within
our Church, and come down TO our time
IN uninterrupted succession. Their ral-
lying cry has been these very doctrines.
They have vindicated them by appeal
ing 10 the natural Interpretation of the
Occasional Offices, our popular theologi-
~ al ForFr f1laa =. a.
members Oi that party, we see those RO-
MANNING germs in their several degrees
OF development. Here is ." the minister
who has, as yet, adopted no element Of
the priesthood but its eXclUsiveDess,n
has just begun to inWrsp the sacraments
10 mystery, and to link together, as peers,
the Bible and the Prayer Book. There
Is priest" who, having taken the
successive steps of sAcrRmentsriaDism
and sarceIdotalism, places a crucifix
above the altar, reverently crosses him
self as be pasees cut, and closing the
door Of his vestry-room behind him,
looks WistfulIy across the street to the
open door OF Rome. Between this min
lster and that priest are many ia transitu
from the ministry Of the Gospel to the
priesthood OF Romanism. To deny this
Is TO deny that the sun Is shining Ia
heaven, and that the ocean is dashing
upon the sands Of every shore.
To obgiate all this the writer calls for
liturgical revision, and insists that the
question should be pressed with fierce aQ-
iEation to conclusion. He closes as fol-
lows:
Those who sympathise with the senti-
meBts of this tract do not now desire to
interfere With those who prefer the
Prayer Book as it If, provided their own
convictions of duty can be satisfied In
some other way. They realize the vast
difficulties which surround liturgical re-
vision in so divided achurch as our own.
They would be content until there is a
further development of Romanizlng
germs, If there was granted them q reo- 4
SOgl06te liberty in The use Of the o6jec- /
tiono6Ie parts Of the Er0yer Book For /
Illustration: Suppose that all the ocea-
sional offices were popularly recognized |
TO be optional, as the Visitation Of the 1
Slckp now is; or that other Offices were |
prepared and duly sat forth for such as |
might desire to avail themselves thereof. I
A precedent for this latter course might /
Oe borrowed from the fifteenth century,
less tree than our own, in the uses Of