The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-09
THE MeH CHURCH QUESTION.

I-THF HIGH CHURCH QUESTION. -
The Choral Service Not an
in tho Church OF !England-A Cues
ton of RubrIcaa Construction.
CHARLESTON, April.s.
TO THE EDITOR OF TIE NEWS.
Will you permit me 10 correct a misappre-
henslon on the part of your reporter In yes
terday's paper, in reference to the remarks OF
the Bishop at the Church of the Holy Com
munion on Sunday last, in the following pas
sage: "He THAT Is, the Bishop was not sure
that because these innovations had been
adopted In England" &c. The innovations
here refer to the choral service. But in Eng
land the choral service is no innovation, but
has been in use for centuries In the cathe-
drals. Moreover, In churches not cathedral,
canon law and rubrlcs permit q choral service;
but what is old and authorized In England
NAV not be rubrical In the Episcopal Church
of the United States. 1t is a question OF con-
struction. PAX.
We cheerfully give place to the above cor
rection of the synopsis of Bishop Howe's
, remarks of last Sunday, which appeared in
THE NEWS of yesterday, and in order to be
thoroughly accurate in our statements regard.
ing a matter which is of so much interest to q
| large portion of our community, we present
below q full and verbatim report of that por-
| ton of the Bishops remarks on that occasion,
In which he referred to the liturgical innova-
lions adopted by the Church of the Holy Com
munion.
WHAT THE BISHOP DID SAY.
At the conclusion Of his sermon, Bishop
Howe said:
A few words more only, and to you my
brethren of the Church of the Holy Commu-
| MON. and I will no longer detaln you from the
| eliminating service Of this day. It gives me-,
I assure you, the most heartfelt pleasure TO
witness, on this my first visitation to your
which animate It. BY Gods blessing on The
labors of your indefaligable rector, and your
working together with Elm, there Is establish
| ed here a school which, trust, will be a bless
Ing, not alone to those who are taught 10 II,
but also through them to our diocese aud the
| State at large. 1t gives me pleasure, also, to
see the enlargement and the adornment Of
your church, and / pray that this outward
beauty may but truly foretell and foreshadow
that tsbeauty of holiness" In all your hearts,
| Without which all external adornment falls to
express one Of its chief thoughts. May this
| outer sanctuary then symbolic that inner
| temple which Is 10 US all, when We are wash
| ed aud sanclifed and justified by the spirit Of
our God.
In regard to divine service 1 would remark
| that I observe In some particulars q departure
from the ordinary usage which has hitherto
| prevailed In this diocese, and / notice 1t now,
| not to dtsapprove it, but merely to offer q few
.L-n--oklz.1 Srhtnl, \ ~ ourn tDt11 no rpNntUQn
in the anne spirit in which they are made.
| Personally, and when I consult my " tastea,
I delight In q choral service where 1t
Ia competently and devotionally render
ed. I see, also, IN such a service an
emphatic protest against the nfsless way
In which. In too many OF our churches,
the congr. CATION fulfil their part In our noble
liturgy, When, for instance, I llsten'to feeble
| responses in the Psalter, or at the end OF each
| prayer hear a lifeless, languishing amen, in
| stead of q resolute and hearty one; or when l
see very many In tue congregation not at
tempting even this poor apology for q res
ponse, or having any apparent concern IN
fpss to a desire, at times, 10 invoke the breath
of the organ, and make that, at least, praise
the Lord, ifthe congregation will not. But
I am not here, my dear brethren, to express
| my own personal feelings, but merely In these
| last moments to say q few words for Jour
bishop. I do not sympathize with that spirit
which deems every change. especially In
| church matters, q calamity. l am tree to say,
| that In some things, If not In many, the public
worship of our church, In this diocese, could
be changed for the better, and whereby more
| animation and reverence would be e4nlolted.
| But departure from q Evolutionary usage, from
public worship, such as we have been familiar
| with, to a choral rendering Of our service.
ought, I think. before it becomes q fixed
| feature of this diocese, to stand upon grounds
which are recognized by The ecclesiastical au-
thority as firm and legitimate. / am not, at
| present, satisfied on this point. l am not GER
| tain that we, Of the American Church., have q
right by our rubrlcs 10 the choral service. IL
does not follow, in my Judgment, that because
the Church OF England may use 1t that.
therefore, we may also. Observe, do not
| decide against It. mean 10 crush the lawful
liberty OF no clergyman, nor Of any congrega-
tIon, but only desire that departure from pre-
vious usage may be sure to be Justified oy q
fair and careful Interpretation OF our lltnrgi-
cal rules. When these rules come to be care
fully studied, the choral service, to q very
great extent, may be found to be Implied In
them, and II 30, then none can fnd FAULT With
any one of our congregations, II 1t chooses TO
use its liberty. On the other hand, If. after
careful examination, the ecclesiastical author
ity should determine that a service principally
choral Is not contemplated by the American
PRAYER Book, then the true wayto do Is to lay
1t aside for the present, and deny ourselves,
until such service Is distinctly sanctioned by
the Episcopal Convention. IL seems to me
that each diocese, In the absence OF any de-
clared opinion on The part of the General Con-
%yention, must Judge for itself; and hence 1t is
nv purpose, before / express any opinion on
this matter, and In order to come to Q sound
conclusion, to call to my aid my canonical ad-
visers-the standing committee OF the do
cese-and If the result be that choral service
Is q legitimate use, then surely all offence
ought to be considered removed therefrom,
and it should be received Without any ques-
tloning or any suspicion.
have made these remarks, brethren, en-
tlrely upon nv own thoughts and without sug-
gestion from others. Idesire, as long as am
at the head of this diocese, 10 meet all
important questions openly and tairly, and
to let all men gee that the diocese IS 10 be adj
ministered, not according to episcopal Ca
price or sentiment, but according TO the
genius and intent oil the church herself. And
I am quite sure that none will sooner cooper
ate with me unto this end than will The con-
gregatton of the Holy Communion and Its
Jealous rector. -
Now the God of peace, that brought again
from The dead our Lord Jesus, that great
Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of
the teyerlas: ing covenant, make you perfect In
every GOOD work to do His will, working N
you that which Is we'll pleasing ID His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory Tor
ever and ever. Amen.
nnrrrn.sr,