The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-10-23
Triennial Episcopal Convention.
Debate on the Ritual.
Reported for ths Baltimore Gun. -.
F1FTFENTY DaY-OcToDEH 20.

! orENfSG OF THE RITUAL DEBATE.
At 11x o'clock the report of the Joint
Committee on Ritual was taken up
Rev. DIR. Andrews said that in the dis
Icussion in the committee the purpose had
been clearly developed to put som, restraint
on that which had been the banc Of the
Church. This Convention is called on to
consider whether the disorganiZiDg influ.
ences at work are eXtrinsic or intrinsic,
and unless some means was devised to
check these influences This Church, statis-
tlealty, would he reduced to place among
the minor sects. The speaker then drew a
parallel between the causes which had so
IseriouSly weakened the Church of Eng-
land, causing thousands and thousands of
her members to be irrevocably lost to the
Church, and the causes which he said were
now tending to dislntegrate the Church in
America.
Rev. DR.. Mead, chairman Of the Commit
tee on Canons, said the principles on which
the report OF the committee of the House
OF Bishops had been made were the princi-
pies on which the joint committee had
acted. They had felt since 1863 that there
was a stern necessity for some action to
prevent the departure from the proper
ritual obServances. The committee have
provided for strengthening the authority Of
The bishops of this Church, paternally if
you please.
| The question has arisen who was to de.
eide when the minister exceeded the au-
thOrity Of the CanoDS in force, and some
ministers might say to the bishop who re-
'monstratcd against certain usages that his
counsel was not godly--that he (lhe minis
tef) was not doing anything prohibited by
the caDons, but only something not pro-
vided for in the canons. They all knew
that in the civil code any man who went
beyond the authority of the law was
brought up with round turn. This should
be the case In this instance, and the cOm-
mittee had desired to make the matter per-
fectly plain, to give the bishop the aulho-
rity beyond peradventure, not autocrati-
cally, but a wire and paternal authority, to
be exercised for the good Of the whole
Church.
Rev. DR.. Haight said that this proposed
canon did not affirm either directly or by
implication any principle contained in the
report made to the House of Bishops,
neither did it make any new law in relation
the law is exactly the same. The Book of
Common Prayer and the Canons OF tho
Church OF England in force iu 1859 that
have not been modified arc the law now.
And YOU have the proof Of this in tue decIa-
ration OF the Bishops from the organization
of this branch OF toe Church. We are the
daughter Of the Church of England, which
comes down directly from The Apostle
Paul.
| What docs this new canon do? 1t dc:
clarcs that all questions as to the law OF
ritual pertain TO the ordinary. Is there
anything lew in thiSr Have not the
bishops always been our fathers? 1t pro-
vides that the Bishop sblll give his written
determination. This is Il wise prccautioE.
1t will compel The Bishop to net adVisedly !;
it will protect both him and the clcrgymen.
But, says one brother, il the ordinary is
to decide, "What is TO become Of the lib
critics OF the Church? | bavc introduced
forms and observanccs which l think
will couduce TO the advantage of tho
| Church, and here some one complains OF
me, and my Bishop gives me written no.
ticc to stop But is not this the law now,
and if the Bishop is the head Of tho
! Church if. As we believe, he derives his
authority directly from the Holy Ghost. is
! il rnr US to complain? 1t is for Us to suffer
and be strong. As well might a child in
, the rimily complain OF the authority OF his
father. But hc believed that our bishops
! now. rs in The past, were godly men, iull
Of wisdom ANA tenderness, who would adj
minister correction conscientiously y that
II WIS not in them to Cypress any.
! ne DEPUTY lfOln IGSluli Hdi SiohSH vi
| the losses of the Church of England and oI
our danger. Bu, what was the fact? Not
witllstaDdin" the disscnsions which bad
sprung up. this Church had grown and
y, ospercd. There had been no ialling of
| in il. This Church Of Christ must 30 OIL
wMd.
| Nj. William Welch, OF Pennsylvania,
said be had, in the committee, at first OBJ
!jeclcd to the provision Of this canon re-
/ latinc t, the canons of the Church Of Eng
land He thought they were about enter
! ing on something that was misty, but alter
wards be had Eccomc satisfied that those
canons were binding, and that there was no
germ Of RomlTiSm III them. IEcrc was no
| dallyirg with tho Church OF Rome then.
| This canon allowed the greatest Liberty
that would not conflict with the doctrine
and discipline of the Church. These re-
fJime had done much harm to the
| Church their actions had not conduced to
what the canon exacted, educ habits OF
| solemn reverence"
Two objections to this canon VIII no
doubt he mide-one from those who want
ino legislation, and the other from those
who want stringent legislation. But Tor
! harmony, for Cancellation, for the conceS-
sion of every limit possible, the committee
had done as it did.
I uAs tNl'h SPonS ~
a letter from Professor Huber, the COL
league of DR.. Dolingcr, to the effect that
that eminent theologan was III accord with
the Episcopal Church.
Rev. Mr.. Strinefcllow, Of Alabama, had
not intended to take part III the dl>cuSslon,
hut felt it his duty to assign the reasons Tor
which. as a member Of the committee, ho
had not signed the report. lie joined issue
on the assertion that there was any neces.
siiy for legislation on this subject. lie had
thought. when listening to the deputy from
Virginia (Dr. AnGrcws) that he would be
on his side. That deputy had spoken OF
| the cast-iron rule which required every
| minister of the Church Of England to be-
gin The service with "Dearly beloved
brethren" and vet that deputy now favorS
2 cast-iron rule by which the bishop may
instruct the clergyman in what part OF the
chaucel he may stand. That there was no
necessity for this Is evidenced from the fact
that no bishop has ever yet announced that
he cannot administer his own diocese.
| The bishops iu New York, where there
was some dissension, had said that har-
mony was restored. There was no trouble
now about auy bishop controlling any IT.
regnlarities in his diocese. AS to rltuallSts,
he had heard great deal of talk about
ritualists. II was very easy to do this, but
! he did not know what it meant; he could
not define the term; he had never seen
rlualist; he would like to see one, just 10
see how he looked,
He had once given notice III ms cnllich III
Moni vomery that be would, on ceitiln
! Sunday, preach sermon on "rltual15m."
After the sermon he was called OH by an
old Scotch woman, a strong church "o-,
!m4n, who told him she was highly pleased
with bis sermon she had heard so much OF
this Richtlcu tnat sue had thought he