New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-30

they serve too 10 show that tho same Pharisac and
rituastic temper which had almost totally corrupted
the Institutes OF Moses at the coming OF Jesus OF NaEh
reth which early began to infect the spiritual
doctrines OF Christianity, has not yet spent Its force
When the Teacher of GaIee came to bring In His new
dsponsaton, He found "the commandments OF God"
oyerIaId by 1.-The traditions OF the Elders" Religion
had become q matter OF ceremonial" the washing OF
cups, and pots and brazeA vessels, and OF tables Inc
cIibes Pharsees who sat in the seat OF Moses ana
who punctual and strict IN paying tithe OF
mint, anlse and cummn," were lax only In regard to
"tho weightcr matters OF the law, Judgment, mercy
and faith"
And read In the Epistles OF Paul and In tho Acts OF
the Apostles that anity had started on
her divine mission than ths judazng spirit began
10 yex the disciples Of the faith with petty and
ltigous questions about circumcision, eating with Gen
tiles keeping holy days, observing new moons, &C. As
a ayman holding to what suppose to he the funda-
mental doctrines OF Christianity, and profoundly per
suaded am OF their importance. must nfer Ihat
Christianity ia the grand and sublime scheme OF
truth which purport 20 be- II tho cercs who spend so
mucn more zeal in defense OF their sectarian peeuar
than they display In enforcing the saving truths OF
the Gospel have rightly comprehondcd their calling
When for instance, a Baptist minister, like
tho Rev. Mr.. lPentecost, for no other fault than
that OF administering tho sacrament OF the
Lords Supper protesting Christians who have
not been immersed inours moro ohjurgation
compelled to doubt whether hs theological censors know
what spirit they are Of And IN the manner whena
Missionary Bishop, like the Rey Mr. Tozer, instead OF
fastening to carry the glad tdngs OF salvation to tao
heathen Of Zinzbar stops by the way In hew-forR to
formulate accusations against his brethren for com-
muulng with Pre5byterans," might be at some loss
TO explain such inversion Of ideas II an Archbishop OF
his own Church had not furnished ready to my hand an
explanation OF the seeming nconruy refer to Arch
bishop Whltely who for the addiction OF GER
tain among the clergy 10 high views OF sacramento
grace by referring 1t 20 the fact that such theory
tends especially to eXlt their Own persons ana invest
them with mysterious power and awful dignity" "c'n-
ferrng the elevation and grandeur on he1 10 pro
portion deractsfrom the claims OF the community
For H the Archbishop proceeds to argue, according 10
this s. STEM the sacramenta virtue OF holy orders which
IL Indispensable for all the Christian ordinances and
means OF grace inherent indefeasbly in each indy-
dual who has derived 1t in no degree from any parcu
lar community. but soley from he Bishop ohose htrds
,oer1 i1d MIN who derived his power to administer
this sacrament altogether rom conservation on another
BshoD-nOt necessarily member OF the same particular
Church, but obtaining his power again from dHpHef,
and 80 Oh up 90 the apostolic times On tbs system he
Caurc IS made a SORT Of dpDeJe to te Pre.aood' not
| he Bt.ishy 10 ne church."
And while this Is the mOus;r0us assumption OF pre-
lacy considered Indispensable adjunct OF Chris
taulty II equally follows. Archbishop WAatc!y has
shown that after tho pr3atcal principle has been taus
theoretically exite its worthlessuess, practical
and Trustworthy medium Of grace IS capable OF easy
demonstration precisely IN the proportion That any fac
r4ncutl value is attached 10 IT, 70 THIS co1ct IA argues
| as follows:
There is not minister in oil Christoudom who IL able
TO trace up with any approach JO certainty Ms o"h
spiritual pedigree The sicfdncniai virtue cor stch IL
D., tnat is implied Whethei te terin oe ure OF no. Al
the principle have been speaking % dep nl3nt on the
impus lion Oi hands. with due Observance OF ap1siO-
Teal usaees, oy Bishop htnsa duy cons,crtted tiier
having uecu In Ike manner u"ptl%cH lhto the ch1l1h,
and ordained deacon and pries-tnis sdcrincntH VIZ
me IA single LUX VI tns cnain be- auity, must, GA the
principles, be utterly huhiuri ever nttr III re-
spcut Ol all the lIlks that hang on that one. FOR Ii
bishop has been duly cOusccrdted, or hat not boon
previously rightly ordained. his ordinations are null
and their ordination OF others tsupposine any tne
persons ordained by him odtin 10 the episcopal OhreJ
ana 50 on, without end. Tle poisonous tiiut OF H.
tornaty n II once creep in undetected VIII sredI the
injection VI nudity 10 All indefinite and lrremeuIaoIe
Aud who can undertake to pronounce that during that
long period usually sigma. ed ~ tne DARK Ages.
| such iant ever introducedf Irregularities cOud
not have been wholly excluded without a perpetual
miracle anu that no sucn miraculous interference eN-
| i,tsd, Wo have his orcl proof. Amidst the nu-
merJus coTuptoua OF doctrine and of practice, and
gross supersJns tat crept m during tio'o age' we
lind recorded descriptions not only or the profound
Ignorance and prohgacy OF Inc or many OF the clergy
OUT grOsacst ire guldrits In respect OF dis
| ciplIue and form. We read OF Bishops cOnsecrated
| wnen cnildren OF men officiating who barely
knew their letters OF prcates expelled ana Others paC
their places by violence; OF ilntcrae ana prohgdte
laymtn aud hlbual drunkards admitted to holy orders
aud, III short OF the prevalence OF every KIND OF dsofaer
aud recAcss disregard o the decencJ winch the Apostle
I
asly acquainted win history teol certainty, or
any approach certainty, that and ali this confusion
and corruption, every requisite form was, IN every
instance, strictly adhered To by men, many of them
openly pl0laue and secular, unrestrItned by pubic
opinion, through the gros, Ignorance OF the population
among whcn they ye, ana that no ono not dug con-
secratcd ordained was admitted TO sacred offices.
suppose there Episcopaiian theoogans who Will
continue 10 deem 1t duty to be more episcopal than
Archbishop; the majority Of laymen, well inside
a. outside Of the Episcopal Church, will hnd IL difficult
10 conceive the state oil mind which has prompted the
recent ebutons Of theological odium against the Dean
OF Canterbury and the Assistant Bishop Of Kentucky,
while the enlightened friends OF Episcopacy IN common
with the enlightened friends Of Catholic Christianity,
Will not slow perceive that the former has al little
to gam as latter by such unfortunate exhibitions Of
| narrow ness and spleen. ZENAs.
| HashiHgtOH, d. c., Oct. Is, 1873.
TIE ORDINANCES QUOTED.
| To the EDITOR OF The Tribune.
| SIR: Your correspondent, ii. c., presents the
ODD Article as an argument against the administration
OF thu Lords supper by laymen. To my mind, this art
Gle refers 10 the regular assumption Of the ministerial
Office not to occasional acts BY aynen Those who par
telpate in Joint cOmmunlOns agree that the ministry
must be lawfully called and sent" All the powers OF
! the ministry are Inherent in each Christian layman
They are restrained limited to order OF mentor
the sake az peace and order. In like manner AL the
powers and functions OF Bishop are inherent III the
uresbyter They in like manner restrained and lin
tied to the Bishop for the sake OF peace and order and
shown by Jerome, the most learned of the fathers, aud
by Dean Field On the Church" In regard TO the right
oflaymen to administer the Lords Supper. Bishop
Coteril's Genesis OF the Church." quoted by Dr.
Muhenberg in his able and interesting essay read TO the
Alliance. Cotterill is a High Churchman. These
strained and limited powers return TO laymen and
byters when the interests Of true religion require
during the Reformation the Continent Of Europe.
The lessons OF history having shown that there
htn tfr.ap Of Ui-hn