The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-24

such action was sent to me, and the information
came from person no. known to the vestry.
MUCH OF THE DIFFICULTY
which exists in the minds OF these gentlemen
has grown ont of an absence of any clear and
distinct statement of what was, or was not,
taught at St. Clements, or OF what part OF the
teaching or ritual they, on their part, objected
to- may have been in part to blame for this,
and hope 1t Is now remedied by the tollowlng
paper.
the altar have never been taught. Reverence
for the places and things made sacred by holy
use is taught and, hope, practsed.
l wish Il distinctly to be understood that nei-
ther of the clergy of st. Clements Church has
ever taught one word on
THE SUBJECT OF CONFESSION
other than that contemplated by the 'Exhorta-
tien to the Holy Communion" aud as allowed
by our standards. The whole system, as taught
and practised by the Roman Church. has by
long usage confined the term, ''auricular con-
fession, to q technical sense. If by this term
these gentlemen mean the use of confession as
taught and practised by the Church of Rome,
emphatically deny the teaching or practice OF
any such custom. The Roman Church says,
'you must" The Anglican Church says, lyon
may" The clergy of st. Clements Church
hold and teach the Anglican practice, and no
other. This, and this only, they are prepared
to defe nd as primitive and scriptural.
Beseeching you, one aud all, to avoid all un'
charitable and harsh expressions, to keep in
subsection that "unruy member" the tongue,
and to ''set forward, as much as lieth in you,
peace and quietness among all men"
| am, dear brethren, faithfully yours,
II. @. PATTERSON.
Clergy Rooms, st. Clements Church, Phila-
delphia March 90 1871.
THE PAPER READ TO THE vEsTRY OF ST. GLE
MENT's, FEB. 16 1871.
Gentlemen:-I have read the letter of Bishop
Stevens directed to Mr.. 2. Pemberton Morris,
and copy of that letter has been placed in my
hands.
The Bishop writeslunder an entire msappre-
hension of the character of the papers submitted
to him by Mr.. Morris.
The paper alluded to by the Bishop, as marked
IN" he seems to understand to be a report to
the vestry of st. Clements Church from a COM
mittee appointed by the vestry at a meeting held
on the 18th of January, 1871. The paper
marked "B" he seems to understand to be an
answer to that report by the rector, defending
his teaching aud practice, in opposition to
the tenor of the report, and the ex-
pressed wish of the vestry. 1 come to this
conclusion from the words of the Bishop where
he says:-"The decision of the report is evaded;'
course pursued by Mr.. Morris in this matter
from the beginning to the end has, to my mind
been unwise, injudicous, and, in this last act
injurious, not only to the vestry and himself
but to the Bishop and myself.
THE FACTS IN THE CASE
l may perhaps be allowed to rehearse.
The whole subject of ritual doctrine, and
practice had been discussed in vestry meeting
upon many occasions previous to the meeting
of January 49, 1871. At that meeting for a
abandon any practices In matters of ritual which
the vestry would say were detrimental
to the interests of the parish, or which, in the
opinion of the vestry, might be cause of scan
dal to the Church at large
All the points in the ritual in st. Clements
Church were discussed or enumerated, and not
one member of the vestry raised a word of OBJ
lection to single point.
|
desire any change would consult the wardens
before making it.
q add, by way of parenthesis, that on
Tuesday evening of the week previous to the
18th of January, 1871, Mr.. George n. Allen
and Mr.. John Lambert called at my house,
and expressed their satisfaction with my propo-
sition and their readiness to defend the services
as at that time conducted
beg leave to call attention to the fact that
at a meeting of the vestry previous to the one
held on the 18th day of January, resolution
was offered to the effect that the whole matter be
REFERRED TO THE BISHOP
and Standing Committee. This resolution was
unanimously tabled, or postponed, the mover of
1t not voting.
come now to the meeting of January the
18th, 1871.
alluded TO, it was unanimously resolved that
''the whole matter be referred to the rector and
the rector's warden" as a committee who were
to investigate the whole subject and
REPORT TO THE vEsTRY.
This committee, of which | was chairman,
held q meeting. No conclusion was reached.
The first draft of the paper spoken of by the
Bishop, as marked IN :" was read and discussed.
/ then prepared paper, which was sqostan-
TALLY the same as that spoken OF oy the bisnop
as marked "B.
These papers were simply expressions of
opinion by the two members of the committee,
preparatory to a final report by that committee
to the vestry.
These two papers passed into the hands of
Mr.. Morris. He then prepared letter to the
Bishop, which letter is alluded to in the Bishop
paper Mr.. Morris expressed an anxious desire
to lay the whole matter before the Bishop. l
was entirely opposed to it, as not authorized by
the vestry, and for other reasons which he very
well knew.
/ proposed that he should submit them to the
Rev. +. L. Davies, the rector of st. Peters
Church To this proposition Mr.. Morris as
sented. / consented (seeing his determination
that they might also be laid before the Bishop.
This decision reconsidered and said to Mr..
Morris, "Reed both papers to Mr.. George n
Allen and Mr.. Walter H. Tilden, and If they say
send them to the Bishop, then you may lay them
before him."
am aware that
MR.. MORRIS CLAIMS
that no such declaration was made on my part
/ simply ask, Why should have requested tina
these papers be read to these two gentlemen i
their counsel and advice were not TO be asked II
the matter!
will pursue this matter no further, save only
to say that ii was my wish that the paper
should not go before the Bishop without th
consent of both Messrs. Allen and TIlden. Mr.
Allen have not seen. Mr.. Tilden has told mi
that he advised Mr.. Morris not to present then
to the Bishop, aud that Mr.. Morris gave him 4
understand that he would not send them.
But the papers did 90. And they went with
out the knowledge or consent of the vestry.