The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-01-29

ton of ministers into the Parishes or Church.
es," "a service adopted by the General Cnu.
yenton Of thu Church aal nov found,
whether rightly or not. in every Prayer
| book. the table used for the administration
OF the Lords Supper, IL spoken of as an
..atar,' the minister's relation to the peo-
pie Of his charge is described as "Sacer-
! dota connection between him and them"
and he is invested with power ITO perfJrm
every act Of Sacerdotai function among
theu."
Now in regard 10 the form Of words quot
ed above from the Ordination Ser"ice, let it
be remembered that no such words were U.s.
ed in the Church Of Christ, in the ordainns
of her ministers, for more than thousand
years after the Apostles time. aud that it
was not uutil the Church of Rome had be-
gun to assert her high claims, and in the
| Gays ct her grossest corruption, that she i'm
piously presumed to use them.
In regard to the word Priest" let it be
remembered that the inspired writers Of the
New Testament seem scrupulousy to have
avoided applying the term in any way, d.
rectly or indirectly, literally or even flgura-
lively, to the ministers Of Christ. So true
is this, so divinesy guided were they in
guarding this point, that no writer Of any
age, SO far as know, has ever claimed to
have found one passage in the New Testa-
meut which. even 10 the remotest way, ap
piled the term Priest or Priesthood to the
christian ministry. Yet in the face of this
fact, and contrary to Gods word, the Pray
er-book constantly calls them Priests.
I know the word Priest is said to be
contraction in the Prayer book for Presby-
ter But Prie-t is plain English word.
aud has plain English meaning 1t means
one who has verify ''saeerdotal function to
perform an expiato-y sacrifice to make,
and the real blood Of some slain victim to
offer unto Cod The word is never used by
any English. speaking people, or in aay
English book, except in the Prayer book, in
any other sense.
Gao we be surprised then, when the Fray
er-book calls the minister Of the Prot sstan'
Episcopal Church Priests and use such
language in regard to their Office th..t many
Of them come to look upon themselves, and
their people to look upon them, as really
Priests, and their Office as q pri,.stly office
aud the Lords Supper as a sacrifice, aud the
Lords body and blood as in some form offer
ed ia that sacrifice? Or eau we wonder
when such language is used in the Prayer.
book in Investing the ministers ct tbs
Church with the Office of Priest. that The
doctrine and practice Of priestly confession
and absolution should claim rightfnl place
IN the Church? Or can we hope to get rio
of the teaching and the error. until we gel
rid Of thu language which teaches the error
III. The third is the absolute tmpossi6iE
ity Of. getting rid Of these Objectionable ec
prcssions IN the services If the Prayer book
, [ use the expression absolute impossibil
|, ity' adyisedly, and am indebted for its use
, in this connection to Bishop Potter, %
New York. In 1869, when certain limos,
to.s in doctrine and usage of R'n'isF
character were being boldly prop gated il
, the church aud were fast bringing its Prot
estant and scrlptnral character into distrns
, and reproach, and when. in conscqu nee
there was movement on foot which, il no
arrested must end in disruption of th
church, niue Of the Bishops met in New
, York to confer together as to what was to b.
done to avert the danger. The result o
! their conference was 1.-THE conviction that
if alternate phrases or some equivalent nt d
6cation 10 the Office for the rninistration o
ba ptisul Of infants were allowed. the press
ing necessity would be met" They there
fore undertook to secure such aiternat
phrases or equivalent modl6ea ion. and witt
r this view addressed to the other Bishops tn
paper known as .Ths Proposition of tn
i Nine B,shops."
The proposition was modest one 1t dit
not involve the change Of one word in thu
= Prayer-book. 1t did not require any cei
. gyman to omit one word, or to add one word
+ ia the B.p,ismal service as he had alway'
used it. 1t only asked that any ministe
r who desired it might be allowed to omi
from the service that single clause which
makes him seem to declare OF every infant
after he has baptized it, ''this infant is nov
regenerated with Gods holy spirit
! And TIE proposition was reasonable one
! All that is essential to Baptism. | mean cut
= wardly, is the application Of water Gin tn
name Of the Father. and Of the Son, and 0
the Holy Ghost" This is the formula Civ
en- by our Saviour Himself. aud the baptism
. is perfect and complete when the wafer ha
r. Doeu appiieu auu tuoSo Toi0o p'oE""'SSo
!, The liberty asked for could therefore. in d
y possible way, affect the validity or efficacy Q
= che sacrament. And as it would have becl
great relief to many in the Church,
. ought, in brotherIy kindness and charity, t
F.. have been allow ID them.
, And then the proposition was couched i
the most becoming terms. The nine Bishop
4. put it in the form of respectful and afee
i tionata request of their brother Bishops.
Aud what was the result The propositio
was fairly secuted. Bishop Potter at ono
made it the subject OF pastoral letter i
which he declares. that he is 100 entlcel.
assured Of what the Judgment Of the Ger
eral Convention must be, to feel the smrll..s
> concera save for the character and W l-be
: ing of certain number Of individuals =
i that ssthe moven ent will end in mortifyiu
discontinue that very nearly the Who'll
Church will stand amazed that any respeca
!. BILE body Of Churchmen, rot to say Bishops
!. could have been found to give their countt
nance to such propositions and that lit
q indeed astonishing that they did not see tina
the thing to which they were urged to civ
;. their counteoaoce was an absolute imposs1
= bility." Not satisfied with this. he next We
n ~ kindly takes the trouble "to point out
\ the nine Bishops, and to their friends, tina