The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-06

ArcnDlsnOp Mannlng letter, puV III gave MN
no ''hope of exemption from the penalties |
decreed, no ''promise of suspending pro |
tempore the Papal rescript for his special |
benefit" Luther avowed his determination to
90 to Worms. though all the devils in hell
should try to prevent him. DIR. Cumming
feels that such heroic resolutions are out of
place in the nineteenth century and in the
minister of a Presbyterian congregation in
Drury Lane; so he admits that the prospect
of being 90 dealt with-that is to say con-
signed to a bonfire, as John Huss was in
similar circumstances would be an obstacle
to his going to Rome.
In this dilemma he takes Archbishop Man
ning's advice, and addresses himself directly
to the supreme authority. He has written,
he tells u.s. ''to Pope Plus TX, with all respect
and Difference, a short letter in the accus-
toned ecclesiastical Latin form" Has Dr.
Cumming succeeded in deceiving himself
when he talks in this way, or is he only anx-
ious to deceive others 1t is all very well to
talk of the accustomed ecclesiastical Latin
form'-by the way, in what dictionary of
ecclesiastical or other Latin has Dr. Cumming
met with PresbyterUs-but this is just the
plea which has been put forward in all ages
as an excuse for sinful conformity. Naaman
only conformed to an accustomed ecclesias-
tical form when he proposed to bow down
in the house of Rimmon. What bust
ness, we should like to know, has DR.. Cum
ming to begin a letter to Antichrist with
''Sancte Pater, or to profess himself the
servant ''Sanctitatis Tu@"? Because, we
suppose, he can go to the Council in
no other way. But if DR.. Cumming were
consistent with himself, he would de-
sire to keep away from all such
gatherings as from an assembly of wicked
doers. We read in the Apocalypse that all the
world wondered after the Beast, but we no.
tl,o ,tc
with him in the accustomed anti Christian
form, or asked leave to state the reasons why,
as at present advised, they must decline to
accept his mark. A few words at the end of
the letter suggest, we fancy, the key to DR..
Cummings lamentable apostacy. II am per-
suaded, he says, addressing the editor of
Times, that if you send, as you no doubt
will, reporter to the successive meetings of
the Council, he will not be able to report any
language used by me or the others meaning
DR.. M'Neile, the Bishop of Ripon, and an
other eminent, but to us, alas unknown,
Protestant champion, DIR. Blakeney, all three
of whom DR.. Cumming hopes to take with
him. Inconsistent with the courtesy we owe,
or the respect we feel, to the sovereign Pom
tiff and the assembled prelates.' The
vision of discussion, such
as we believe he has often borne a
part in in earlier life, floats before DIR. Cum
has hitherto won his honors were but the
obscure platforms of local Protestant meet
| ings. Now he dreams of glorifying himself
at Rome with the whole Roman Catholic Epis-
| copate for adversary, the Times for reporter,
| and the world for audience. He knows,
| doubtless, that he can trust the Judgment of
| Times correspondent, and he pictures to
| himself three or four columns of small type
| introduced in such fashion as this:-''The
Il, I
| at great length and was followed by Cardinal
| Bonaparte. AS DIR. Cummings reply to these
! eminent prelates will probably be of more in
| terest to your readers, l subjoin it in full. y
! Great indeed would be the excitement in Pro
testant circles, loud and long-sustained the
song of triumph among the stockholders of
| Crown Court.
We have some difficulty in determining
whether this letter to the Pope is really meant
as a serious production or as an elaborate and
somewhat heavy Jest The ''chaff for il
deserves no other name-about 'grave per
sonal risk, consigned to bonfire, and the
like suggests the latter interpretation an(
the prominence often given on Protestan
platforms to what are called humorous illus
| trations" of the errors of Rome makes thu
| supposition additionally probable. DIR. Cum
ming may have, like John Gilpin, pleasant
wit, and love what he considers a timel,
| Joke. On tne Otner lanu, MS description o.
the attitude he proposes to assume at th'
Council has a serious sound about it. ''Wt
shall, l am sure, exhibit all the candor o
reasoners, the charity of Christians and thu
homage of men invited to appear in anothe
realm, and before venerable SYNOD"
phrase in DR.. Cummings mouth may be com
pared with Dante's grave citizens of Dis
ito enunciate the grounds on which they re
tain their separation from Rome, and thei
adherence to the Church of the Reforma
ton" The Council will work one wonder a
all events if it converts DIR. Cumming into
candid reasoner or a charitable Christian, AM
the miracle will be all the more conspicuou
from the remarkable want of the forme
quality displayed in one passage of this YER
letter. DR.. Cumming processes himself pre-
pared to prove that ''there is in the Protes
tant Church in all it's branches a NOR
thorough and pervading unity thanis general
admitted. Considering that the ''Protestan
Church regarded in this extremely genera
way, must be held to include Dr. Cumming
the Dean of Westminster, M. Cocquerel, ant
Professor Ewald, DIR. Cumming either know
beforehand that he can prove nothing OF tn
kind, or his theory of a thorough and per
vading unity must be singularly elastic. Per
haps, however, this statement is meant u
/, carry Just as much conviction as his assumed
fear of being consigned to bonfire.
a | ROOEINO.