The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-10-26
Triennial Episcopal Convention.
Continuation of the Ritual Debate"
Reported for the Baltimore Sun.
EyGHTREFTH DAY Y-OCTOBER "a

/ 4
Lfturay.-The committee TO whom was re-
ferred four memorials presented to this
house-viz., /. From sundry presbyters
asking canonlcal care for any clergyman to
omit any words or passages in the liturgy
"which he believes cOnScicntiOusly to he
contraiy TO Holy Scripture, or to contain
doctrine which he Is persuaded cannot be
lproved thereby report that they do not
think It cxpedient.
No Change in Baptisndl 0bice.-Also
against he ollowing:2. Asking consider
alton OF the difficulties entertained by
many conscientious men in regard to Ian
guage in the baptismal office, aud PRAYING
that the suggestions of the nine Bishops
mly-he adopted.
Priest or PresbWer. 3. Requesting the
Convention to determine that wherever
throughout the Book Of Common Prayer
the word priest is used it is to be under
stood rs sgnilyng presbyter, and as of cqul-
valent meaning.
No Restoration of Canon lii. Pcti-
tioning for a restoration of canon il, re-
peuled bv the last General Convention, en-
titled "Of persons not ministers In this
Church officiating in any congregation
thereof"
Respectfully report that III regard to the
four mclnoi ills above mentioned they deem
action upon any one Of them now incXpc-
dcnt. The committee also recon-
!mcnd unanimously that the memorials to
which this report refers be kept on file by
the secretary, and not printed i'll tho Jour-
nal.
No Change in Prayer for the President.
The committee also report that they deem
any action looking to change in the prayer
for The President, as proposed by Mr.. Corn
wall, OF Kentucky, as ineXpedient.
d.,
mittcn also report they have given the sub
icct of the memorial referring to Il uniform
division OF the cantieles and psalter careful
attention, and they deem any action now
on this subject to he ineXpedicnt.
: No Departure from Standard Prayer
Book.-The committee also, In reference to
the resolution of Rev. DR.. Clark, of New
jersey, offer the following:
RcsoLced, That inasmuch rs any depart
llre from the standard edition of the Book
of Common Prayer is now wholly uDau-
;thoriZed, no further legislation is required.
! Repeal of Resolution Of 1903. Toe c"m-
m'ttec also, to whom was referred Il rcSolllA
tiou Of the Rev. DIR. Norton, of Nirginia,-
viz, "RcSolUed, the House of Bishops con-
curing, That the resolutions adopted by
the General Convention Of 1903, which is
printed ut the end of the hymns now bound
with The cr-book-to Wit, 'Wheneycr
the hymns are used at the celebration OF
Divine service a certain portion or portions
Of The Psalms OF David, in metre, shall also
be sung bcrcpcalcd Spccilully report
that they I, commend the adoption OF this
resolution by this House.
All respectfully submitted.
; II. S. Mason, Chairman.
The resolutions OF the above reports
: were all aiouted with the exception Of the
last, which was referred back to the COM
mittcc.
RESUMPTION OF THE DEBATE ON THE RITUAL.
The regular orticr; iieing the cousidera-
tion Of the canon on ritual, was then pro-
ceedcd with.
judge Sheiicy, of Virginia, said he was
! one of the representatives of the oldest
diocese on this continent. He was church.
man. Il lover of this noble old Church of
ours. He ielt, when the peace of the
Church was in peril; either by injudicioiis
, legislation or no legislation, something OF
. that solcmulty which impressed that an
cicnt priest and prophet Of the Lord when
on the slope of the mountain he saw the
fame encircling the bush, and the bush re-
manning unscatheds This Church Ia now
the bush, and though the flames may roar,
| IL will remain uuscathed. Standing here
now in the midst of the peril which en-
vironed the Church, he could not SO forget
his duty to tue Church and to himself as to
: speak In the interest OF any party or any
iac ction.
Judge Shcffcy then stated his objection
to the canon us reported by the committee,
that il conferred autocratic Authority on
the bishops, and there was no such thing
in this free Church as any man heing above
The law. lie held that it should be made
plain what practices were to be prohibited,
: and not leave 50 important Il matter in the
discretion of any one man and advocated
the prohibition by positive enactment Of
the practices recommended to be 80 pro-
hibilcd by the report of the five bishops.
He said that although 1t was not now the
practice In his diocese, he would be will
ing to have it made obligatory to do rev.
crcnce at the mention Of the. name OF the
Lord Jesus.
Rev. DR.. Vinton, of Massachusetts, said
the denial Of the corporal presence Of
Christ was the only excuse the Church OF
England had for being. To admit that
would carry her back to the Church CT
Rome. The evidence of this corner stone
of the Church's faith was SO plain that it
was incoDccivable how any one could argue
otherwise. He then went on to argue that
, rtualism was Romanism without the Pope.
Its tendency was to secure that supreme
control of one man over another man 3
mind that had been the hanc OF the gene
rations. 1t was like the serpents which en-
circled Medusa's head, scattering venom
and the breath Of spiritual death all around.
He was in the main for this amendment
(Dr. Mead'S), but it did not 90 far enough.
it LETT untouched the celebration OF the
luuasi mass, which was the core OF the Whole
evil. For the aesthetics OF The thing he
cared nothing; let the garments, lct the
lmany-colored frinses, SO II u minister ana
l IA C.,
more or less decoration, let them have 1t :
but do not give up this great central trea.
sure of the Church'S faith. Something
ouuht to be done. something must be done,
or the citadel OF God will be given over to
its foes.
Rev. DIR. Craik, of kentucky, argued fol
plain laying down OF the practice 10 Oe
prohibited, and against leaving SO much
discretion in the hands Of the bishops.
Rev. DR.. Paddock, of Long Island, adVo'
Gated the passage OF the canon rs 1t came
,, from the House of Bishops. Since last Sa
turday he had read the 141 English canons.
They are divided into IL divisions. A vast
proportion Of them are Of matters which en-
/ ter into the very life and blood OF the English
nation, are inextricably woven in with theil
:. civil laws, as must be in any country where
, Church and State are combined. But witt
isuchas these our Church has nothing TO do
It is only the canons OF the Church OF Eng
land on ritual that concern the question
now before us, and only such of those a:
were In use in 1850, and have not since beer
modified or repealed.
In al the fourteen divisions there arr
only three which can possibly De said tf
have any reference to the ritual, and. Q
: those but very few were In use IN the Anne
lrican States 10 17S9.
The result of his review OF the canon'
! II IL; ~ of .fhPIn hnn rafHF