Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-06-10
Issue in the Episcopal Church.

Issue in the Episcopal Church.
MEssRs. EDITORS: In your news columns
of Wednesday, there was an item which,
those who have been conversant with the
movements and controversies in the Epis-
coPal Church of late, will no doubt regard
as ofgrave concern to thatimportant body,
This item was to the effect, that the Rev.
| s.. H. Tying, Jr., of New York city, had,
| in disregard of Bishop Whitehouse's inhi-
| bition, Oficiated for, and in connection with
the Rev. Mr.. Cheney, of Chicago, whom
Bishop Whitehouse has depOsed from the
ministry.
| AS this is an age in which ecclesiastical
| affairs are of general interest, and as the
| Episcopal Church occupies an important
place in the land, I-suppose your readers
will need no apology from me for devoting
| an article or two to statement of the crisis
which this case of Chicago will probably
develop into some decided action. .-..r
The ease of Mr.. Cheney does not stand
alone, on its simple, individual merits-,5 II
1t had thus stood, it would have excited
only local and temporary interest. 1t is
its connection with the history of the past,
and with a growing divergence of parties
in the present that clothes it with signifi-
canee. What is that history .? What is
that divergence? 1t is well known to read
ers of history that the English Reforma-
ton was a -distinctiyely Protestant and
Evangelical movement. 1t was a move
ment in close sympathy with that of the
Reformation on the Continent, the leaders
Oh both sides being in habiUuall conference
and brotherly communion. Yhe chief diff
ference between the English and the Con-
tinental churches was in the retention of
the Episcopate and the Liturgy in Eng
land, which were Providentially lost to the
other reforming churches.
81 The Reformers only by degrees, emerged
into the free light of Evangelical truth
but as they did come to this light, they
threw off in succession the errors of doc
trine, ceremony and morals. in which they
had been educated. The distinctive Pro
testant and Evangelical character of the
Reformed Church continued, somewhat
irregularly, indeed, but seriously inter-
rupted only by the reign of theW'Bloody
Mary" for about one hupdredyears, The
influence of Archbishop Laud chiefly, led to
the TACT of uniformity" which was passed
in the year 1862. That act was not only
conceived in a prosecuting spirit. to drive
from the church large number of non
conforming divines, but it was CONNECTED
with certain cancellations in the Book OF
Common Prayer that took off maiiy of
the sharpest7angles-o of Evangelism in the
devotional offices. lft~ r. =
thought and sympathy took more distinct
shape in the church, and have descended
through all the, fluctuations of history to
the present day. There have been High
Church. and Broad Church, eras. alti-
tudiparian and latitudinarian ages, but at,
all times these schools or parties have eX-
listed. The-fact that the Prayer Book was
in large measure the result of compro-
mises, has led TO general liberation and mu-
Il =. u.
though fully aware of its heritage as the
legitimate SUCCESSOR of the Reformers'
Theology was yet content, for the sake of
comprehensiveness, 10 recognize the other
school, though diligently labOring to eOun
teract its exclusive ecclesiastical policy
and corruptions of doctrine. There was
general adherence To the authoritative for
mularies of the church, and on either side
large measure of liberty by general con-
sent in line of affinities.
This state of feeling and action was
transmitted from tbs Engl sh to the
American Episcopal Church, at first as a
colonial church, and finally as the "Pro-
testant Episcopal Church in the United
States.p During the earlier periods of this
church in America the controversy was
not holly pursued. In fact, the issues be-
tween the parties were not very clearly
made. Spirituality was at low ebb, anu
comparative Indifference to the questions
involved in the controversy was the
natural result. But, as evangelical life be-
gan to revive, the two schools showed their
distinct traits and tendencies and soon
developed certain measure of divergence.
Until about thirty years ago, the spirit
of separation was not very strong. Modes
of presenting Christian truth were clearly
contrasted, and the sympathies of the two
classes showed themselves in legislative
action, and in all elections, whether of
Bishops for Dioceses, or of Rectors for indi-
vidual parishes; but general harmony pre-
vailed. and even mission work was carried
on in the association Of the two schools.
The beginning of that total separation of
action and sympathy, which seems now TO
be rapidly reachingits consummation, dates
from the appearance of the celebrated
"Tracts for the Timesn These were a
series of short treatises, by certain writer's of
the University of Oxford, on the various
subjects that separated the Reformed
Theology from that of the Roman Church.
With great subtlety, under the guise of an
obscure style, filiedwith equivocal phrases,
these writers controverted the entire ssys-
tenn of reformed doctrine and advocated
the entire Roulish system. sa a.sG8
From the appearance or these papers the
controversy of the last quarter OF century
began, and we only now see the fruits of
those publications in the prescription of
Evangelical truth by the party that has
become dominant. p-g srnp
In another article | propose to give
brief statement ofthe course OF ecciesi6Stl-
cal events that have brought Us so rapidly
to the grave position now occupied .
ze-~>--e---
A JEALOUS young husbandi in Baltimore
tried to frighten his flirting spouse INTO