The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-18

| respeclully anu Win all due Difference To the
the constitution OF the United states which will give
oft reiiglous or sectaran bias.
WASHINGTON. u. c., Feb s, 1879.
| Confession in the Episcopal Church.
| To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
Recent developments In the Episcopal Church
have so brought Tue topic or confession and ITS law
| iulness or unawfulness in that Church before the
public that 1t were folly to attempt to blink 1t. II
Is the topic in tine counting room, and 1t was the
topic IN our parors on New Years Day. The move
ments or the rtualists are bold, determined and re-
CARELESS Of fear or favor We have to deal with q
set OF men who. whatever we may think OF them,
are at any rate thoroughly III earnest One OF them
astonshes the moneyed men OF his vestry by calling
| upon them to interfering with ana cneckmat-
Ing him win their money, or that he would resign
and 60 where he could be free. Another sets up one
OF the most magnificent affairs in this or any other
country, and covers it with lighted candles A
| third openly adyertIses In one of our journals
that he hears confessions on . certain
day. These men, struggling in poverty
and through much unpOpularity, evidently
mean work. They may be ridculed, bat the day is
gone when we can AFFORD to despise them. Money
does not seem to weigh feather with them. nor
abuse to swerve them from their purpose, ana they
daily gain ground. 1t is nigh time for general
rubbing Of spectacles and examination OF what Is
going First along they were laughed at for their
candles and their vestments. they were thought to
be eccentric folk. But 1t seems that all the time
they have been burning candles and wearing vest.
ments they have also been hearing confessions
| Tine whole affair Is evidently deeper than candles,
lace and eccentricty. This Is clear from the follow
ing:-When the Bishop Of Kew York prohibited
excessive ritual he Obeyed by all the rtuaistic
| cergymen fnstanter. on came their cOlOred
| q
| In New York SINCE But the moment the Bishop
OF Connecticut took one OF these New YORK clergy
men to task for talking In his diocese about seven
sacraments tand among the seven, confession), the
said prest bristied up, showed fight, did no: bulge
| an inch, and published the correspondence. And
the moment the Bishop OF Pennsylvania lakes an
other to task for the confessional that other too,
shows light, wins his case and publishes HIS CORE
| spondence also. And the instant the question OF
ritual IN the General Convention touches the doc
tne OF the real presence OF Christ under the forms
| OF bread and wine III the sacrament OF the altar,
| third shows tight on the floor Of the Convention
and de0es any man to present MIN Tor trial, II he
uares; and no one dares. 1t Is evident mat 1t IS
| not mere matter OF empty forms. and candles,
and tomoolery, and taste, aud cOlOred cloths with
these men. IL Is something more profound and
| fundamental. Snrewd fellows, they keep as quiet
| as night while the world Is wasting It's powder on
their candles. But men 40 not willingly go INTO I'M
mere questions taste. In s0Orh IL ciear
that rItualism means something else besides ritual
| ism en- credibly informed that Is 1t not merely
eight ten persons that go to confession and they
ladies', but that EpscOp alans are quietly hooking
by the hundreds; and tnat among those thar 20
the men, II anything. are In tue majority. Also
mat the phenomenon Is by no means confined 10
taneously in Maryland, Massachusetts,. Rhode
lslanl, Connecticut, Texas. Illinois. Tennessee, Flor:
where. Mere rdlcule before 80 great and grave a
movement Is ridiculous, ana mere scOrn Is impOtent.
am credibiy informed TOO, that this affair OF hear
ing confessions the Protestant Episcopal church
Is not Of recent occurrence either, rs has been sup
posed nor confined to one or two New YORK priests.
lnNaa "a nnnfr nVA M Mr.
Editor were this ritualism . mere local piece OF
whlmsicanty we might laugh at 1t and let II go.
But 1t Is movement too solemn, and widespread,
anu steady and silent Tor that. hear that there
actually more oil TINS ritual movement In Baltimore
there am Informed that there Is an attendance
the early communion OF no less tnan thirty every
day III the year. And the early attendance at st.
| Luae's, in Baltimore, Is said TO be something won
| deriul. Here IN New York, ON Christmas morning
than hundred communicates at 81. Ignatius'
church. Now 0ld-fashioned churchmen must wake
about confession. the dilemma is thls-does the
Protestant Episcopal Church sanction the concession
of the NATTER and 1t is the Church herself and not
the litualists that we should rd1cule and oppose II
| any Iidcule Is TO be thrown or opposition TO be
| made. Ii their Church sanctions confession then
| how can churchmen nave the face or temerity TO
Church, and when ne opposes confession he is sim.
ply hoist on his own petard. But II, on the other
hand, the Protestant Episcopal Church does not rer
NIT to open their grels to their pastors for
The purpose OF getting comfort advice and abs0lu-
ton, then an example ought promptly to be made or
some OF these rltualists by trying ana depOslng
one who hears and accommodating one VINO
makes confessions H. however, the Anglican
sins to a priest, how happens 1t that find IN the
Prayer Book OF the English Church with which the
Protestant Episcopal Church OF the United states OF
America Is avowedly at one 'in u essential points
OF doctrine, discipline and worship as sne says she
Is the preface to Prayer Book the following
"Here shall the SICK person be moved to make
special confession OF his sins II he feel his con-
which confession the priest shall aDsolve rim, ii he
humDy aud heartily desire II, after THIS sort:-Our
s All who no s
believe In Him, OF His great mercy forgive thee
,nne on ana " Gue s rom M NV M
name or the Father, and or the Son and oil the Holy
Ghost Amen.n Now am cnurcnman and nave
N your correspondents eDllghten usr Who are
right, the churchmen who oppose or the rituasts
confession Ii we are gong TO have confessions 1t
Is not manly to hide the matter under oushel. II
be ashamed OF IL; If 1t is wrong now Is the time
stopiJ. II it wrong Will some one tell me what
the Protestant Episcopal bishop means when, in
ordaininQ priest, he says, "Whose sins thou dost
,Soa dos ey retain they are retained snd Oe
thou faithful dispenser OF the Word OF
AND asks h no Whether cane
he faithful dispenser Of Christ and HIS merits 10
the sinner unless he uses sne authority" ~, thus
what our rectors mean when they tell US, every
Sunday morning and evening that Almighty God
hath given power and that He hath given command
ment 10 His ministers TO declare and pronounce TO
HIS pentent people the absolution and emission Of
| their hinsS MIR. Editor 1 have w0r5hpped In the
| Protestant Episcopal Church and partaken AZ her
altar nearly thirty years, but ! am AFRAID have
heard and read her words innumerabe times with
out realizing what they MEANT and the Protestant
Episcopal Cnurch sanctions confession an either
going TO leave her or am going to stay In her and
defend confession and, IN man-ashtOn, DEFEND
| those who hear aud those who make confessions
must nj least be honest, and the other
| honest man must do. CHuRCHMAN.
| Church Hubbub in Baltimore.
| The Baltimore american says:-Sr John Hutch
| inson, Clergyman OF the Church OF England a