The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-12-06
SATURDAY, DEC. @, 1873.
The Secession Of Bishop CumminS
From the Episcopal Church,


the late Assistant Bishop OF Kentucky Is
no doubt deplorcd by the msjority Of
Episcopallans in even such Glow church"
dioceses as West Virginia and Ohio, yet
on the other hand we doubt not that there
is much sympathy among them for the
views that be holds in regard to Ritual
istic tendencies. Perhaps the letter OF the
Bishop of Iowa Bishop LEE Just pup
lished expresses the fair average Of Epis-
copalian sentiment in the region, both in
West Virginia and Ohio. That Bishop
was one Of the "consecrators" Of Bishop
CuMMINs, and preached the sermon on
the interesting and solemn occasion" he
therefore feels all the more free to address
q letter 10 him, which we find published
in the Chicago Tribune Of Wednesday.
He seems to have warm personal feel
iug for Bishop CuMMINs, for he says;
II have long known and loved you;
and 1t IS one proof Of my affection that !
address 10 you these words Of fraternal
remonstrance and expostulaion."
And he also seems to sympathize very
decidedly with Bishop CuMMrNs' views.
he Is tree to confess to him as follows
on this point:
"You are well aware that my generous
sympathies have been with you in the dif'
ierences and controversies that have
characterized our Church and the Church
of England for some years past; although
Imay not have taken as extreme ground
In these as you have thought It your duty
10 occupy. have participated very
strongly In the opposition to the Ritual
istic system, feeling that It involved Sc
rious doctrinal errors, and that 1t was
calculated 10 do US immense harm as a
Church, both in alternating many Of our
own people, and in doing us discredit in
the estimation o! Protestant Christendom.
have never been more opposed 10 that
system than am now; and cannot con.
ceive 1t possible that shall ever regard
1t with any favor or sympathy. 1bclieve
In my heart that what understand by
Rltualism Is not only foreign TO the real
genius and teaching Of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, but that it Is actually
and radically subversivc Of Its primitive
and scrlptural character. N
While, however, Bishop LEE is ready to
admit this much as regards the general
identity Of his own views with those OF
Bishop CuNMTNs, yet he is not ready 10
follow him into - new or reformed COM
munion Nor does he think that there
was any necessity on the part Of Bishop
CuMMINs to take such step. On the
contrary he says, in speaking Of the
Episcopal Church. that
No one RItualistc doctrine has received
her legislative sanction; and she simply
shows her moderation ard compreEen.
siveress by bearing with her mistaken
children until they shall be brought to q
better mind. 1t is my own hope and be-
lief that, in tie long run, she will come
out all right, though her present chastcn.
Ing ia not joyous, but grievouS. And l
believe, further, that ii IS the duty OF her
friends 10 stand by her in this time of
trial, and do battle with her, II need be,
within her pale, and not desert her when
she most needs their help. believe her
10 be true branch OF the Universal
Church of Christ, and, take her all in all.
believe her to be the purest branch OF
-. that Church in all the world, in her doc
trine, pOlity, discipline and worship. do
not believe that IT is necessary 10 desert
her unless she herself deserts the true faith
Of the Gospel, and proves false 10 her
avowed character and principles Permi,
me 10 say, in all affection and franSness,
that cannot say that your published mo.
tivesior leaving her pale are
ATALL SUFFICIENT
TO warrant and justify decision invOv-
Ing such serious consequences. Your let.
ter to the venerable presiding Bishop sur.
prises me in It's lack Of adequate reasons
Tor your course. The Objectionable prac-
tiCes in Kentucky, 10 which you refer, can
hardly be regarded as insuperable. 1t
would seem that two Bishops, and the
good sense Of the clergy and lsi,y in gen.
eral, might in time have mitigated and
removed this unpleasant objection. In my
own Diocese, I have scarcely any trouble
Of this kind,-I may say none at all that
Is occasioned by any actual Ritualism.
Now and then Imay have been somewhat
annoyed by slight development OF the
epidemic, but il has soon passed away,
and for the most part no novelties disturb
our peace. My lace Is set as flint against
these foreign and disturbing elements. l
consider them as indicating morbid state
Of mind, as | do also those radical views
in another direction, which seem 10 me
to have disorganizing tendency and eli
feet, and 10 make men unnecessarily un-
easy and disseminated In Il Church which
has nurtured so many saints Of God, and
which has Apostles and Prophets as q
foundation, Jesus Christ Himself being
the Chief Cornerstone.
You say, my dear brother, that you
have lost all hopO that the RitualistiC sys'
TEN either can or will be cradicated by
any action Of the authorities Of the Church
legislative or executive.
- -TCANNoT AGREE WITH YOU
that the case Is hopeless. admit that
tho state Of things IN the Church Of Eng
land and In her daughter Church here
is depressing and discuurAgtDg; but let US
not look on the dark side alone, when
there Is bright side also. When In Eng.
land, at the Lambeth Conference, in 1907,
saw much 10 regret and condemn IN tho
Mother Church, and l endesvo:cd TO bear
my feeble testimony against the views ind
practices that l felt, and still feel, TO be in.
imIcal 10 her best interests, md full OF
danger TO her true life as an internal part
o! the Church oil Christ. This testimony
was borne In published letter to the
then Bishop Of London, now the Arch
bishop Of Canterbury; and | have the sat.
isfaction OF knowing that had the sym
patty OF Dr.. TAFT In my views, and that
be Is now, as then, strongly opposed to the
uI0,,lta1tn uHJoto6n A nainFiIu ,F