New-York tribune., 1869-01-18
EHE ENGLISH RITU1LISTS sAED THE
nFcJSJON OF THE PRITY COUNCIL

cal trial that has ever ". "" -
involved such interests as those al S'F " Wy siy"'
cause Of Martin versus Nackonochie; = lot 'ul,
cause has been made repres, utatile one lot many
others whose litigauts have aSeo 10 "''ue O' ''''
decision in it. ,7,,
Tor many years past the school of tbeoi,gy know
ns High Church has been the stanchest suppol.
in fact the very backbone of the Established Church
of England The High Church party unsweryinely
declared the necessity of tho establishment ior Jhe
national welfare. They have boldly asserted ITS
principles and unlinchingy de.e9de! llS !ig"'s @'
great pccuniary cost in the Law Courts gen
orally with more or less success. But now the
Privy Council suddenly turns ronnd' and prohounce5
through Lord Cairns himself Presbyterian a. Judg-
ment to the effect that the doctrnal practices OF High
Churchmen-ths lighting OF the candles during 'ho
celebration Of the Holy Communion HgnhyIng ihe
Tfesenee 81 the savior and the hneehhg III auoI"''oh
of His real spiritual rreseee ll INC Hlos'"
ment--are contrary TO the Eccles"9'ic"I III" VI ii
gland thereby overriding the decision Il 'ne Juuse
of the Court Of Arches, the great ecccsaeucA 'I'-
bunal Of England. II is difficult in thus country
where State Religionis a thing unknown, 10 ade-
quately realize the importance of this decision to me
English nation To the great bulk of them state
Church has been part Of their education and as as
much part of their politics monarchy itself For
centuries past Church and State has been the first
standing toast at all festivities and at this moment
there are millions Of people in England who regard
She commencement of tho downfall oi the one as the
commencement Of the downfall of the other
This decision OF the Priyy Council has been
anxiously awaited and now that 1t has come 1t has
raused great excitement throughout the length and
breadth of tho land The High Church party are at
present engaged in reviewing their position and
In considering what it behooves them to do. Judg-
Ing frQm our English correspondence the Sacra-
nStaists stn &c a7a ;a:ssc;issd1 a:sc;issd1 AMONG tlelSsYSs
four distinct courses of action though the two first
appear to have been. by common consent immedl-
ately pu one side-the first as impossible the second
rs only TO be thought of in the dres straits These
fonr courses of action are;
Tirsi: To secede in a body from the Anglican COM
munion aud to Join that of the Church of Rome.
Second. To secede and forrna separate communion
Third To totally ignore the injunction OF the
Priyy Councl to continue their doctrinal practices
as of old. and wait to whether Parliament VIII
venture on suppressiBg them by force
Fouril: To accept the injunction promulgated, IN
so far as lis spirit is confined to outward obser
yances
Verv little if any discussion, seems TO have taken
pace on tse first proposition, for it was generally
felt that the differences docrina points between
the Anglican and Roman COmmunions are such as
30 put secession to Rome out of the question
altogether Moreover. there is, to them, the
great stumblingb block of Papal supremacy and the
fact that every priest joining the Roman Church
would have to be reordained, and so would by his
own aot. stultify his Anglican ordination VOWS,
which he looks upon as being equally Catholic and
as absolutely ndelibe as those of Rome.
As to the second, every one, priest and layman
shrnks with horror from the idea of creating afresh
schism in the Church Catholic, unless absolutely
driven 10 it by stress of persecution and from total
absence of any other of action for maintain
lug what they believe to be pure and acceptable
fOim OF worship.
In regard 10 the third proposition, the Sacramen-
tasts to think that is at present almost IN
possible for them successfully to the injunc
tion of the Privy Council. Though a numerous and
very powerful body, both from wealth and ednca-
tion. and the immense hold they have obtained on
the poorer classes in the large towns by their labors
among them they are not yet strong as to be able
to contend with Parliament, backed up, as 1t aSsu-
Iedly will be, by all the influence of the Roman
Catholics the Low Church party, and DSsenteIs
throughout the United Kingdoms the Roman Catho-
lies and Dssenters especially looking upon dissen-
sons in the Establishment as certain OF giving them
greater liberty and power, and largely increasing
the number of their converts the one from the lgb
aud the other from the Low Church school.
Tho fourth course of action appears to be the
adopted The Sacramentalists think that they are
moro likely to regain their lost ground by quietly
biding their time and point to the decision Of the
Privy Council in the celebrated Gorham case-that
the denial of regeneration in baptism is not incOm
patible with due reception of the doctrine of the
English Church,; while at this moment their partic-
Ilar view of the doctrine is more widely accepted
in England than at any other period Of the churchs
history since the Reformation. and is rapidly gaining
ground even among Low Churchmen. Again, it must
be evident to all that the days of the Anglican
Church AS a State Church are numbered Ii is only
question Of few years at most. and may come inn
mcdiately. The proposed disestablishment of the
Irish Church has paved the way, and this last deci
sion of the Privy Council viii undoubtedly alienate
the affections of the best friends and warmest
supporters of a State Church IN England Men
IRE apt to lose their faith in the advantages
Of connection between Church and State where
The State calls upon them to discontinue the out
ward expression of doctrines which they fully ac-
copied aud believed in when they made their ordina-
tion vows. aud which acceptance and belief the
bishops who ordained them must or ought to have
been fully aware of from the reports of their examin
ing chapains. Moreover the Sacramentalists say
You can control our outward obseryances by force,
but all the powers oa t-eFth cannot and shall not
shut our mouths. and as s8pg as we have the power
and strength TO preach will ceaselessly promul-
gate convictions as to these observances
aud uso every effort and argument TO prove the
falsity OF yours and their wide divergence from the
spirit and loter of the law of the Church of England
you can deprive us of the outward shell-Ritualism
but you cannot take away from us the kernel
Sacramcntallsm. If as you threaten, the Sacra-
mental doctrines of the Church should be attacked,
the ddieuty of our position would be considerably