Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-02-27
THE ENGLISH RITUALISTS AND
TIRE PRIVY COUNCIL.

THE ENGLISH RTTUAIIsTs AM
TIRE PRIVY COUNCIL.
Considerable excitement prevail
in England over the recent decision
of the Priyy Council in the grea
ecclesiastical trial of Martin uerSu.
Mackonochie." 1t appears thai
Lord Westbury (late Chancellor
apd Sir William Erie Qate Chief
Justice of the Common Pleas, dis
sented in their judgment from that
Of the fon, remaining Judges-the
Archbishop of York, Lord Clems-
ford, Sir j. Colyille and Lord
Cairns In fact, so strongly did
Lord Westbury dissent, that he alb
scented himself from the Council
during the reading of the judgment.
This has, TO a certain extent, de-
prived the judgment of that force
and value which unanimity gives !;
and it turns out after all that the
judgment has given satisfaction to
neither party.
The Sacramentalists have I'M
doubtedly received a very severe
blow in being forbidden to use altar
lights, except for the purpose of
giving light, and TO practice that
outward alteration of the Sacra-
ment which they consider neces-
sary. But the Low Church party,
who when the judgment was first
promulgated were considerably
elated seem, after calmly and dis
passionately reading it for the sec
ond time, by no means go happy
they hrve lost almost as much as
they gained. The Judgment does
certainly betray an extraordinary
amount of legal inconsistency. For
while it enjoins Mr.. Mackono-
chic, and of course all other priests
ofthe Anglican Communion, against
practicing any outward obser-
vanees intoxicating sacerdotal Of
fering or pleadin Of the sacrifice
of the Body ..and Blood Of Christ,
it maintains that the priestly Orna-
ments and vestments worn during
the celebration of the Holy Com
munion shall be such as were in use
during the time, and authorized by
the second prayer-book of King
Edward the Sixth. Now, these Or
naments and vestments comprise
everything at present worn by the
Rituslists, and are essentially of the
sacerdotal character. The use of
these vestmcnts has created much
more Indignation among the Low
Church party than that Of the altar
lights, which are now forbidden. 1t
is against these vestments that Lord
Shsftsbury and his friends are
using al their influence to induce
Parliament TO legislate.
There is one other point, too, of
Ritualistic practice which has always
caused great offense to the Low
Church party, and which has been
fully legalized by the late judgment.
1t is the turning of his back to the
people by the priest while celebrat-
ing in front of the altar, the Low
Church party having always maiu-
tanned that he should stand at the
north end of the altar. Preaching
in the black gown is also forbidden.
Our readers may judge of the di-
versity of feeling with which this
decree has been accepted by differ
ent clergymen, and of the confusion
it has caused from the fact that,
within few hours of one another,
- DIR. Pussy, the celebrated tractarian,
aud Low Churchman, signing him
self Presbyter Londoniensis,"
write to the London Times, loudly
bewailing its tenor; DR.. Pusey,
above all others, intimating that it
necessitates a separation of Church
and State, and Presbyter London.
iensis' declaring that he has no al
tentative but 10 wear vestmants
which he considers Popish, and
TO celebrate from the front of
the altar, which he considers idola-
trous. The Times itself seems to
think that the Ritualists are over
thrown for all time, and suggests to
them to submit with good grace !;
while the Standard, the SATURDAY.
Recietc, the Spectator, and other
influential journals, honestly state
their opinion that, if the Ritualists
have not got the best of the fight
they have certainly as much cause
for triumph as their opponents,
although the Ritualists themselves
do not seem altogether to view the
matter in that light. 1t is impOssi
bIe to say what may be the upshot
of all this ecclesiastical disturbance
but one thing appears to us to bc
morally certain-that the days o
the Anglican Church, as Stat,
Church, are numbered
The Charlotte N. Co. DemOcTG
saws that its editor saw at the NatiOna
Bank last week about $1,000 worth c
gold bullion, the product of six days
work at the Kings Mountain gold mine
A iii Tor the promotion of medica