Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-09-24

" - AA"fC 1SNOlN GU lIOIu IIISAU bllC AOL-
lowing article for publication. We may
say for ourselves that we have not yet been
] able to see copy of the new Prayer Book
and cannot express an opinion as to its
merits. AS to the remarks of the writer
upon divisions ia church, we can only say
we heartily agree with him: ~
THE PRAYER BOOK DEPARTURE.
The idea is trite, he who attempts to
please everybody, attempts what is both
foolish and impossible. Every mans ex-
perience acknowledges the truth of this !;
and that men should still fiatter themselves
that they can do what cannot be done,
may very often excite our wonder or cause
smile, yet in some things the effects of
such attempts are such that we cannot but
consider them in more serious manner.
If there is anything in which it is impor
tant that there should be unity, it is in re-
llgion yet we are apt to find it less here
than anywhere. The bad effects of schism,
both TO those within and upon those with
out, have been often pointed out by great,
good and wise men. Lord BacOn-a man
who was able to comprehend the length,
the breadth and the depth of any subject
upon which he brough his mind to bear
In one of his essays says: at is certain
that heresies and schisms are, of all others
the greatest scandle, yea, more than cor,
ruption of manners for as III the national
body wound or solution of continuity is
worse than corrupt humOr, so in the
spiritual so that nothing doth so keep
men out of the church as breach of unity.h
The Union Brayer Book party are creating
schism are causing q scandal" which
tends to keep men out of the church, and
gives infidels and unchristian men chance
fn nnly n,lA Of Nh,:n
changes proposed in the unobiectionable
rendition of the Prayer Book can never
please but one class of men in the
Protestant church: the class who have
originated and are supporting it, which is
very small. Other denominations, which
they intend and hope to reach, can never
as body, adopt a liturgy; or if willing to
adopt liturgy, not that of the Episcopal
Church. Union is strength, and the gold
en- mien ought still to be the axis on which
all our acts and philosophy should revolve.
To define what should be every church.
mans position, we quote again from Lord
Bacon Men ought to take heed of rend-
ing Gods church by two kinds of contro-
versies; the one is, when the matter in
point controverted is too small and light,
not worth the heat and strife about it, kin
died only by contradiction for as it is
noted by one of the fathers, "Christ's coat,
indeed, had no seam, but the church's vest
ure was of divers colOrs;n whereupon he
saith, I'm the garment there may be many
cOlors, but let there be no rending ii, )" they
be two things, unity and uniformity. The
other is, when the matter of point contro-
verted is great but is driven to an over
great subtllty and security, so that it be-
cometh thing rather ingenious than sub
stantial.n Now, the controversy upon
which the Union Prayer Book wishes and
seeks to rend the church is "small and
light" and though "there be many colors"
of opinion in the Episcopal Church as to
the feasibility of changing any part of the
Prayer Book, let it not be touched, if
thereby the Church must be rent.