Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-06-16
Issue in the Episcopal Church.

uDullHdHCe Iii HuuUeIS anu CoHScqucho
power to spread its principles by combina-
tion more rapidly than the Evangelical
school do, but began to prescribe the men
and measures of the latter. New interpre-
tationss were from time to time imposed
upon ~old canOhs to make them bear OPP
presively upon the other school, and when
this plan did not prove effectual, new
canons were pushed forward to enactment
by the nov powerful and unscrupulous
majority. Some of these canons were not
only new, but in both spirit and letter for
eign to the entire course of previous 1egis-
lation on the subjects they were made to
cover One or two illustrations of this may
be given.
9ai First. On the question of "Parish bound
aries.u A few words will make this ques-
ton sufficiently plain. In England where
church and state are united in one system,
parishes are definite geographical divis-
ions of the whole land. In each parish
the incumbent possesses exclusive control,
with the legal right to exclude the minis
tration of all other clergymen of the estab-
lishment from any religious service. In
the American church modification of the
same system has prevailed. To protect
clergyman from such intrusion on the part
of other clergymen of the same church, as
would tend to divide his people and estab-
lish a rival congregation where sufficient
strength did not exist for more than one,
canons were. enacted. They were always
literally and generously interpreted, ,howev-
er, and under them clergymen went freely
for any mere temporary service, such as did
not Intentionally, or actually, interfere
with the clergymen residing and officiat-
in a'given town or village.
" Thus Evangelical clergymen were in
the habit of joining in meetings, speaking
at anniversaries, &C., &C., with general So
cieties and with non-Episeopal clergymen
without any questioning.
But with the sense of growing power,
the high-church party within a few years
began to feel intolerant towards such lib
erty." They began to strain the canon
that bore on this subject to an application
not merely to protect clergyman in his
own pulpit and congregation, but to enable
him to inhibit another clergymen from
any official act within the acknowledged
territorial limits of another's cure. In the
case of the Rev. S. III. Tying, Jr., the ques-
ton was broughtto the test of a legal pros
ecution. Mr.. Tying had officiated in a
Methodist church in New Brunswick, at
the request of the authorities of that
church, and in connection with the min
lister i'm charge. New Brunswick was a
city of some twenty thousand inhabitants,
having only one Episcopal church, with a
high church Rector. No injury to him
personally or officially could be alleged,
and in fact was not charged. But the Rev.
Rector did not like Mr.. Tyng's Evangeli-
cal and liberal principles, and determined
that he should not assert them, even q
Methadist churchin that city, with inpu-
nifty. He presented the case in the pre-
scribed legal process for ttrying" a clergy
man, to the authorities of the Diocese of
New York.
The case was tried before court of Pres
byters, all highchurchmen but one, and
he a weak man, easily intoxicated with
the distinction of his place. From the be-
ginning it was perfectly clear that but one
end was before them. All the rulings of
"the court" the tone and bearing of its
members, the impatienee with which they
listened to the counsel for the defense, and
the manner of their reception of the views
of the prosecution, clearly yforeshadowed the
conviction" The reverend gentleman
was condemned for thus preaching his
Masters gospel to receive an "admonitiOn"
from his highchurch bishop. That "ad-
was hurled at his head in the
most public manner, in one of the churches
of New York city. Before dense throng,
with policemen stationed in all parts of
the church to prevent an outbreak by the
by number of highchurch clergymen of
the Advanced school, in surpliced solem-
nifty, did the Bishop of New York pour
forth an excoriating blast upon the young
evangelical minister's head. One of the
ablest and most honored clergymen of our
church, who has always held the highest
position in its ministry, told the writer of
this, that the reading of this "fatherly I"
adnionition in his own house "made his
blood run cold" The blow was felt to be
at the evangelical party, and not merely at
a, n6i ix-id a1arOxyr11aJ, Tho nhiQ0f
to repress the liberties and throw contempt
upon the principles of that party. But
what could be done? They were at the
mercy of their oppressors. When the next
General Convention met, they altered the
canon so as to make it cover Enthusiastically
the ground over which it had been errOne-
ously stretched before
So in the question of liberty to officiate
with, and thus recognize the ministerial
character of non-Episcopal clergymen.
Evangelical clergymen, while earnestly
attached to the peculiarities of their
church, have never denied the church
character of other, Episcopal commun-
ions who hold Christ the Head in the great
undamentaldoctrines of the Gospel. Act
ing in accordance with these principles,
they have in various ways, as occasion
presented, testified their belief in the unity
of the Church of Christ in its several
branches, by joining in services with the
clergymen of these communions. With
their growing strength, the high church
party have become more and more intoler-
ant ofthis action of evangelical men, until
at the last general convention of the
church they changed canon that had no
original bearing on that subject, and made
it so severely proscriptive that clergy
man is now liable to trial and deposition
who dares to, put anon-Episcopal minister
in his pulpit!
In my next article, I propose to treat the
proscriptiye action in relation to offices in
the Book of Common Prayers, by which
the Rev. Mr.. Cheney has been prosecuted
and finally degraded from the ministry
of the Church of Godn!
Mr. Charles Nordoff, of the Eveniag
Post, who has cottage on the very edge
of the Palisades, five hundred feet or more
above the Hudson river, is fringing his
palace walls with great variety of tulips.
fTi, oca he puItiyatps carly in tbp morning.