Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-22
THE CUMMINS MOVEMENT.
Letter from bishop II. w. ee, CT Iowa,
TO Bishop Cummins, OF Ken
iueky-A Complete
Review.
The Proposed '' 'Old Episcopal Church,
The Reasons and Groundwork
for It-It Can't Succeed.
From the Iowa Church Missionary. ]

iVi ~ H NGh OGCCCCOs
From the Iowa Church Missionary
DEAR BRoTHER-I have, with many others
been deeply panied at your course In a pro
posed separation OF yourself from the ProJest O
ant plscopal church 1 say proposed sepa-
ration, for the act is not yet canonicalIy con
summated, and there Is even room for hope
that you may be led TO reconsider your ac-
ton, and remain in the communion in con-
nectiOn with which you have spent SO many
Of your best years, and in an office to which
sou were solemnIy consecrated in the same
connection, and which, 1t seems to me, J ou
cannot reltnquish without involving your
eel in much unhappiness as the great mis-
q axe of your life. was one Of your eOnsecra-
tocs, and had the honor Of preaching the ser
mon on the interesting and solemn occasion.
have long known and loved you; and IL is
me proof Of my affection that / ad
ternal remOnstrance and expostulation.
You are well aware that my general sympa-
and controversies that have characterized our
church and the Church Of England for some
years past; although may not have taken a.
extreme ground in these matters as you have
felt II your duty to occupy. have participat-
sd very strongly in the Opposition 10 the Titu-
aiiStic system, fearing that it involved serious
DO 'JTlnal errors, and that IL was calculated TO
10 u ltnn5hse harm as a church both in allen
djIng many OF ourOWn people, and in do
ing Us utscrcdit in the estimation of Pro
testant christeudOin. have never been more
opposed TO that syhtzm than / am now; and
cannot conceive II possible that / shall ever
regard 10 with any favor or sympathy. I BE-
lieve In my heart that what understand by
utualiSm is not only foreign to the real genius
church, but that IL IS actually and radically
subvers1Ve OF It's primitive and scriptura
eharaetef. But my dear brother, the
church, as such, Is not at all committed to
this system. She remains as sne has been for
years and generations. No one ritualistic
doctrine has receives her legislative sanction
and she simply shows her moderation and
comprehensiveneSs by bearing with her mis-
taken children until they shall be brought TO
a better mind. 1t Is my own hope and belief
tlat.Ln The long run, she will come out all
right, though her present Christening is not
Joyous, but grievous. And believe, further,
nat II is the duty OF her friends to stand BIZ
her IN this time OF trial, and to do battle for
der, II need be, within her pale, and not desert
her when she most needs their help I be-
lteve her TO be true branch of the universal
church OF Christ, and, take her all in all, I
believe her 10 be the puIest branch Of that
church IN all the world, IN her doc
triues, pOllty, discipline, and wOrshi D.
| do not believe that IL is necessary to
desert her, unless she herself deserts the true
faith Of the gospel, and proves false to her
vowed character and principles. Permit me
to say, IN ali affection and frankness, that
cannot see that your published motives for
leaving her pale are at all sufficient to war
rant aud justify decision involving such
serious consequences. Your letter to the ven-
e able presiding bishop surprises me, in its
lack Of adequate reasons for your course. The
Objectionable practices In Kentucky, TO which
you refer, can hardly be regarded as fusupera-
Ole- II would seem that two bishops, and the
good sense Of the clergy and laity in general J.,
might ia time have mitigated and removed
this unpleasant objection. In nv own dio-
cese have scarcely any trouble OF this kind,
may say none at all that is Occasioned by
any actual ritualism. Now and then NAV
have been somewhat annoyed by a slight de
velOpmeut Of the epidemic, but II has soon
passed away, and for the most part no novel;
5ieS disturb our peace. Ny face Is set as II mt
against these foreign and disturbing ele-
ments. l consider them as indicating a
morbid state Of mind, as l do also those
radical views In another direction, which
seem to me to have a dtSorganizing tendency
and effect, ana 10 make men unnecessarily
uneasy aud discOntented in church which
has nurtured 50 many saints Of God and
which has apostles and prophets as a fOunda-
ton, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
cornerstone. You say, my dear brother, that
you have lost al hope that the ritualistic sys-
TEN either can or viii be eradicated by any
action OF the authorities Of the church, legiS-
lative or executive. cannot agree with you
that the case is hopeless. l admit that the
state OF things in the Church OF England, and
in her daughter church here Is depressi u z
and discOurSgingi but let us not look on the
dark side alone, when there is q bright side
also. When in England, at the Lambeth con-
ference, in 1857, saw much to regret and con-
denim in the mother church, and 1 endeav-
1Etu 10 Dear ItcplG testimony against the
views and practices that l felt, and still fee l.
10 be inimical TO her best interests, and full
Of danger to her true life as an iu-
tegral part of the Church OF Christ This
testimony was borne in published letter to
the then bishop OF London now the archbishop
Of Canterbury; and l have the satisfaction Of
knowing that had the sympathy of DR.. TAFT
In my views, and that he Is now, as then,
strongly opposed to the ri5ualistic system. A
maj ajOriJy or the bishops in England are also
opposed to the mishtevous system, and 80 are
. II ont wfnNF D. aaf a NoF#-
church. Tue same is true uere. The real ri -
ualists are a small minority OF our bishops
clergy and laity. They are, indeed, an active
and earnest minority; but there is no proba-
Oility that they viii be able to gain the
in the church. Give them rope
enough, and, according to present signs, they
will eftectually hang themselves in due time.
We may need some Of the effects OF their
movement, but 1 feel quite cert ain that the
church at large will Lot adopt or sanction
their views or practices, SO far as they are
erroneous and strange" and contrary TO
Gods word" The church herself not having z
given cOuntenance 10 this system, and IL not
being generally prevalent, Lrepeat that can
not take your view that the case Is 50 hopeless
as to justify a separation from her sacred fold
l do not deem IL necessary to dwell at length
upon the third reason that you assign for your
course. With some structures that have been
made upon your act in the Rev. DIR. Hall's
church, do not sympatbiZe; though / my
self, as a bishop, should not have thought 1t
necessary to do what you did. To save even a
mere historical ecclesiastical principle,
should have thought that you would have
been invited to preside on the occasion, or at
least to consecrate the elements according to
our own form; especially as the Presby terians
do not hold the principle in question, and re-
gard our own ecclesiastical status as at least
equal to their own. such a course, however,
may have been regarded as impracticabie.
In any case, doubt not thai you acted in all
sincerity, and with the best motives. do not
iol moment suppose that you intended any
from the order Of the church, or
any violation of its laws, or OF your own
vows, but regarded yourself as acting simply
in your individual capacity, and in the exer-
else of a broad christian freedom. l do not
feel disposed TO sit aS Judge upon your con-
duct in this matter of joint-communioD but
must say that, in my opinion, the criticisms
passed upOn you for this act do not constitute
a'valid reason for such a step as a desertion of
a scriptural and historical church, and the in
auguratiOn of movement which may result
in the formation OF new religious body, at
The hazard OF an increase Of the existing evils
OF separation and division among the mem
bers of the proieSSed household of God. If
you felt that you had done right, why not
bravely abide all the consequences, and not be
driven away from the church by what you
considered intolerant and narrow views of
curistian liberty and Christian duty? Under
all the circumstances, many Of your best
friends felt that your act, especially as bishop
OF the church, was at least inexpedient, ard 20
II; but as they did not generally an
present decision by any animadyersiOns
upon a course which you believed to
be right, and not incompatible with your po
sitiOn or duty as q bishop OF "this church" "
had reached this precise point in my already
too long letter, when I saw in the public
papers a notice of the proposed meeting in
New York next week, for the purpose Of Or
ganiZlng a new Episcopal church. 1 deeply
regret this movement, though l am free to say
that the responsibility of IL is a divided one.
IL has, IN my opinion, been precipitated by
extreme views and practices In an opposite
direction, as well as by an unwlse and unfOr-
tunate exercise of ecclesiastical discipline.
These have been the occasion OF most serious,
church. Whatever blame there may have
been in this direction, l yet cannot feel that
you and your associates are thereby JUS
titled in your pres ent position. l know
what you and many others have
borne IN connection with the present
cond ition Of our church; bat 1t does not ap-
pear TO me that the point hIs yet been reach
ed, even If it ever can be, when an actual
division and separation are justified and de-
l could earnestly desire and pray that a new
and distinct organization may not be effect
ed at the proposed meeting. A SeceSSional or
movement al this time would,
in my opinion, be greater evil than those
we are now bearing, and from which we may
hope to be relieved in due time. 1t were far
better for our extreme ritualistic brethren to
finally secede TO the Church of Rome, TO
which they are tending, than fof yourself and
others OF ike mind to leave such
a church as ours for a new eccle-
81 lStical organization. l pray you to pause
and consider before committing yourself
faly to such step; and may God the Holy
Ghost guide and direct you in all things.
yourself, and for your personal perusal; but
you may make such use Of il as you see fit,
and reserve the same privilege for myself.
remain, my dear brother, faithfully and af-
- L ~ ID VI