, 1874-11-04

The rejection Of DR.. Seymour by the Prot
cstaut Episcopal Convention AZ Dahop Of Till
noia may safely be assumed to be duo to con-
viction that lie Is moro or loHs tainted with
Ritualism. DR.. eeymour'e friends, anu DR..
Seymour himself, dony this imputxtion, aul
allega that he was unfairly accused aud not
allowed an opportunity to ropcl an unexpected
objection. While wo may admit that tho Charge
made against him was not established by proof,
and that. as DR.. Locke says, there was panic
in tho Convention On that subject, nevertheless
it Ia certain that the adverse action OF tho Con-
vontion was caused BY = desire to prevent tho
election Of Dishop who might turn out to bo
Rituaist. We understand that DE-. Sullivan, in
his explanation Of hls course in tho Convention,
places the opposition to the confirmation OF DR.,
Seymour On that express ground.
IA Ritualism therefore may be considered
aa something under the ban In tho Protestant
Epiecopal Church, It may be well to understand
recall tue fact that the proteatanr Episcopal
Church Of England claims to be the truo Catho-
lie Church founded by Christ and tho Apost los,
~ distinguished from the Roman Catholic
Church, which asserts tic Same claim. It as-
serts, alBo, direct Apoatolo succession through
it's Eplscopacy down to tho present time. It
processes. necessarily, that as its origin was long
antecedent to tho Reformation, its NTH was not
changed by thst revolution but that certain
ertoTB, idoatriea, and blasphomoua doctrines Of
tho Roman Church wore then put away which
had been ongraftod upon tho pure faith Of
tho Catholic Church. The moat important OF
theeo was tho dogma Of t.a Real Presence Of
Christ in tho Eucharist under tho forms or ap-
pearances Of tho elements OF bread aud vine :.
and that, by the words of conHoc1ation pronounced
by the officiating priest, those clements aro.
in fact changed into tho real body and blood of
Christ. This doctrine WAS discarded at tho timo
of tho Reformation as an error attempted to DO
foiatod upon thefaith Of the true Catholic Church.
It, however, ro1naius fundamental doctrine Of
tho Roman Catholic Church. All tho services
aud forms Of that Church. tho whole liturgy Of
tho Church, aud all its other articles Of faith,
arc founded upon tho doctrine Of the Real
Presence. Tho elevation Of tho Host after COIL
secration, tho bonding OF tho knoe in alteration,
tho wearing OF peculiar voHtmonta, tho uso Of
inconse, tho keeping OF lights Oh tho altar, aud
tho general reverence for tho sanctuary, are all
in harmony with tho ono central idea Of tho
! actunl presence Of tho poraon OF the Savior IN
the consecrated elements.
Into tho ordinary worship Of the Episcopal
&t.
introduced, not gonora!ly but by individual
clorgymen. They arc moro prevalent in somo
diocoBos than others, and th,B la owing to tho
degree Of toeration excrciaod by tue DiBhop. In
some places in England tho ceremonies Of the
Church scarcely di1or from those Of tho Roman
Catholic Church. In tho Roman Catholic Church
theae ceremonies arc all incidental to aud
symbolcal OF the worahip OF tue Savior az bolng
bodily prcBent Ia tho sacrament. In the Epiaco-
nal Church thoy haye no moaning It not sym
bolic, and II the latter, Of what arc they tie
symbol
The Pail Hall Gaze!te recently tliacussed this
question Of RitualiBm III connection with doc
trine. It takes the ground that the ueo Of par
ticuar yostmeutB, Of inoeuae aud tho various
other peculiar ceremonies, have no Significance
Is part OF merely commemorative service but
as symbolic OF tho worship OF Christ really
prosout in tho sacrament, 1t symbollzes "gross
and degrading auporstitons." Tho samo paper,
Reviewing long aorlcs Of extracts from Ritual
iatic books, concludes by saying:
Wo cid III wo began, by repeating that R!tualsm
syrubOzinR no no1n!Hh doctrine Ia not iii my Way