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

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ne to pursue WAS to lay down ut once my Office
| n the Church. take nv pnsitinn2 distinctly out
side OF the church. and from that position lay
~hatever had 10 say in justification or expia
| nation OF the step.
| Under these circumstance and for these prn
| .lpal reasons. Rave fet it my duty Withdraw
| from the Protestant Episcopal rhurch. IN taxing
ne step, may truly say that do it by faith ;
Tor l go out almost literally hot knowing width
ar go, OF who, ii any. of my friends 20 with
! me. The reformed Episcopal Church ss organ
| .zed by Bishop Cummins aud Others, meets en-.
| ti,ely my views of u Scriptural Church:
| 1t ptauts itself firmly on the word of God,
as the sole rule of faith and practice
/ 2 1t adopts scriptural liturgy in which no
countenance is given to the komlsh d .ctrines
in reg .rd TO Baptism and the lords Supp.r.
and the Ministry and it allows christian liberty
in the use OF that Liturgy.
g. 1t retains Eplscopacy, not as Of Divine
right, but AS very ancient and desirable form
OF church government -
1t recognizes us christ an brethren all who
loye our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. and as
sister churches all the Protestant churches that
hold the faith once delivered to tue SAINTS,
But though this Church commends itself en-
tirey to my judgment and my affections, shalt
wait to connect myself formally with it until
see what my brethren in thu Cnurch OF virginia
and West Virginia will do in The matter know
that there are many of them. who have cong
been distressed and burden ed Oh account of those
are fast undermining the Protestant character OF
the Church, VINO have longed to those ex-
pressions Ill the Prayer book which give cOun-
tennnce to such things stricken out or altered, and
who almost despairlng of any reforna ion III the
Church lnuseno" be an io'isiy considering their
duty III regard 10 thus movement for Reformed
Church. And cannot help remembering and
dwelling upon the thoug ht, that -the Church in
| the Diocese OF VI gnIa occupies to day, IN the
Providence OF God not only u " cliiar positNDn,
but III q Dtctiiihr rtS,h,fSib.iltN. As DV
Gods grace and happily tor her she has been
able to keep back from her own borders the
rising tide Ut komisn error, and To maintain her
Protestant and ocriptural faiIh, ~ no other d.
Geese III the land has begun to do; and now with
| thre. tiotiy ,nDps (sou sci: and B,>nop WHIT.
| tie and bistop Pay Lel within her limits, and y
band ri true nleh In Lne ranks 1T her clergy and
her ial.y, she Is church G .nlplete i'll hers II,
and can enter on this neeu'd "orx OF reform
as no other part Ut The church Iii T. gland or this
! country can. Let her undertake. IL. and none
d ire qlesl Oh her rig hLto do so-let her consum.
| maze H., and dare mpugn the validity of
her action and no living man can fore ell tn !,
great work. winch under God, she may thereby
| accom- jim for til n and Ills cause in the e"Ith
Al 4 honest Y Sc eve. II all facts OF the dam
gers her ohger connection with The Protestant
Il iscopa, Cuu,ch IN tue nlted States a, ~ pres
ent cnnsiltu I'd, could be iald beiore the minds Of
her people; and fAr representa- on OF tn -ir
So. tn-lts ne b A. That niue tei.ths OF ner lalty
anu two hir0s Ut her clergy would De found
uuitiS tHtlT VOtCcS III OH0 kidO s''Out.-Let US
end Ln,s discard IN the Chufch-iet US separate
| fr ,m lose with ~houi W. canno. d well IN peace
let Us stop tvs tamp~rlng Win our cchN:cttons
OF trutn ANA duty III The use Of expressions which
| DANCE ou-t, de Give hum%n souls US throw
down from the walls vi our ~ II these COveits
i. nd uldins places for Romsh sors, and ritual
istlc sacrloces and priestl c"nessi,ns aud ALSO.
| iutluns ami ,et Us - our church. With her old
| Uuiwarks and her ord towers standing again in
her ris htfu place, IN the very c5nter OF HrOtes-
| tAnt Chri.tehdom.
A Refer ned Episcopal Church, thus inaugu-
rated, would Attract TO itself, sooner later. all
the elements OF Professionalism in the present Epls-
copai Church IL would commaiid, al once. The
confidence and sympathy OF the great body OF
Esangelicai Prvte>tan. Oh l>tlans IL would
gatle: It, foid .nutltu Is, through the
ieng. ii brea'itn II The ltnd, who desire an
Eplsc pa church VIII h Mi orth 1T X iAth scrip
ur.l i,-u1gs, and Gath ,tic spirit. L. would
lave lis pace auiuhg oth.r Protestant Churcho-,
| not RIVAL sect tut AS II Ihu en- vi ieaco
| 1t would set them mob eexample ofdevotinn
| to truth IN matters essential y Utterly III mat
ters non e>s,nt.a, and u charity towards all the
different hou>ehoids Of the great Protestant fam
lily. 1t would b. u living Wittiess f,r tlelr es-
| .entiai unity III the faith anda standing protest
sg AIIist all nairoWnes, and tXclu lse'sm IN -pr-
| It IL would, 81 far MS M It lay, she ttne tn
word Of controversy, and give tI'e'fto tue gre It
and glorious work o. pre- a,-tnS Js.n and say
,ng souls. And u WGutd be n great step towards
/ bringing togelh.r III closer sy mpatny the now
,nvlded hosts OF Protest .nlsm snd preparing
! lham 10 present united font IN that dread
| >trusg 9 WI n komanlsm and lnhdellty. which.
II ths language OF proyheci Hnd the signs vi The
| times have not b. en- strangely msread. Is To
come upon the christian ehafcn lhrou3 hous the
| christian world =
| Wou d TO God that could hope t. see the
Church i'll the Dluce>e OF E.tg,nia arouse her
| -elt and rise to the gnity of ner po..tlon and
meet the measure Of h..r respossib ity ii tn,
cf.sis of her history That he pre-eng Is crisis
"a n-r hist, and in he ti,.py OF the Prntes
/ tant Episcopal Chu h IN thi. country, no ona,
| II seenIs to- me hon Stly question Tine
movement OF b shop Cuntnins is bu. new
! phase uf An old question but II new spark from n
! long hidden fire and IN fact but vt the Signs
| # The Times. However the church paper, may
20 OH pooh" it and effect to d.sui>e IT, the au-
thorlties ofthe Chur. h have shown, by their has
ty action in the mat or, how differently they
thnk and feel about 1t 1t is as yet, it Is trus,
the day of small things with the movements out
what sane man, III the light OF scripture or rea-
son OF history, will despi.e 1t On tina; sccount
When waters have been Ing damned W. and
are ready 10 over nv little child may let them
out-wlLh one of It's little fingers " make b
line across the dam. along watch The Waters will
/ begin first to trickle. then ~ fJw u little
! stream then to deepen and widen cha mel for
themselves. and in the end become a mighty
AID resislless to rent. And so this movement
may yet De as the letting OUT OF waters" Ger
talilly th,t Low CHURCH party cannOs much ION
i, ger maintain its present p,si'lnl, rs one of de
| fence and toerat,on in the Chlrch-csnn,t much
longer maintain its -xi-te3c4. MS party Of mere
negations N the Church denying bsptis ur. ths-
cries, AMI denying sacr,fctal offerings and de
nying pr.est'y a>.u mp ions cannot mach longer
afford t., be wasting US time an consuming Its
energy and weari.g out IT. spirit IN nee LESS con
| tr"versies ab Dut n-crlptural words aud express
slons in the Prayer bpok- cannot mu'h 'onger
be- expecte t., Z On u-ing langu " which seems
10 teach one hing aud need t. Do exp aimed t.,
NEAR very differ eat thing, aud no c,untenanc
ing errors which could b. Cut up by the roots in
single day. etfectually eradcated from the
| Church, by he change OF u d 2 IN wcrl. in the
Payer b,pk II ID in word cannot mucn loa
ge- be c ,hhn.d III n church which imposes such
yoke and must AID viii c'afi .ua to imp So IL,
b cause u large majority IN the Church has ut
i-ngth coma u, bod and to ,ch AID means that
| The Char h shall hold aad teach lst thos. ef
rors wh,ch. contrary AS tn ~ are To tn, word of
fid AID To lbs thirty mae articles of faith IN the
| Prave,-b t.k AMI To he Lta doctrines of the
Cnurch hii their c,unsensnce, and their only
CONT "a those AK ytr.s>ion> tn. Pray
| err hunf-- The m .vAnenJ Wnch b A. already car
| rl-d Bishop Cannhs AMI others out OF Lne
/ INV, rd in some form -as Wasers t., e NV down
| ward ,...sat.4
And the great and s,lem" questions hefbra the
Hhur. h in The D,oe esq o. Vlrg mia as 80 day in
| she Prav,d -nce If tioJ. nccuj lyIng so favored
and SO responsible position are these three:
| W III it remain in the Protestant En,sc,pal
/ Chnrcn. with the most c''ts,n prospect uf
| m. "A. nd rs