The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-01-19

8 to come upon the Christian ChurcI
D throughout the Christian world. Il.
s-Would to God that / could hope TO Sc
the Church in the Diocese Of Virglni
arouse herself, and rise 10 the dignity c
: her position, and meet the measure Of he
/ responsibility In this crisis finer history
That the present Is O crisis In her histof
. and In the history OF the Protestant Epii
copal Church In this country, no one,
seems to me, can honestly question. Til
j movement Of Bishop Cummins is but
new phase Of an old question, but ney
spark from a long hidden fire, and In fac
but one Of the signs Of the times. How.
ever, the Church papers may "pooh.pooh'
II and affect to desplse II, the Authoritie
Of the Church have shown, by their hRstI
action In the matter, how differently theI
think and feel about Il. II Is as yet, Il 4
true, the day OF small things with Thu
movement; but what sane man, In th(
light OF scripture or reason or history, viii
despise 1t on that account When water
have been long damned up and are ready
TO overflow, a little child may let them
out-With one Of It's little fingers may
make a line across the dam, along which
the waters will begin first to trickle, ther
to now In a little stream, then TO deepen
and widen channel Tor themselves, and
In the end become mighty and resiStless
torrent. And so this movement may vel
DO "as the letting out oil waters" Certain
" tho Low.Church party cannot much
longer maintain It's present position, az
one OF defence and federation In the church
cannot much longer maintain its exls.
tence as q party Of mere negations In the
Church, denying bapEismal theories, and
denying sacrifcial offerings, and denying
prtestly assumptions-cAnnot much lon
ger afford 10 be wasting its time and con.
Stunning Its energy and wearing out It's
spirit In needless controversies about I'M
scriptual words and expressions in tho
Prayer Book-cannot much longer be ex.
pected to go on using language which
seems to teach one thing and needs 10 be
explained TO mean very different thing,
and so countenancing errors which could
be cut up by the roots in single day, Ell.
iectually eradicated from the Church, by
the change OF q dozen words in tho Pray.
or Book-and In a word, cannot much
longer be confined in Church which i'm.
poses such yoke, and must and will con.
tinue to impose 1t, because q large maiori.
ty in the Church has at length come to
bold and teach, and means that the
Church shall hold and teach Just those
errors, which, contrary as they are to the
word OF God and to the thirty.nine articles
OF faith In the Prayer Book and TO the
real doctrines of the Church, find their
counteuance and their only countenance in
those few expressions in the Prayer Book,
The movement which has already carried
Bishop Glmmins and others out Of the
Church, Is therefore, under God, as sure
10 go onward IN some form, as waters to
flow downward.
THREE QUESTIONS THAT PRESENT THEM
SELVES IN THIS CRISIS.
And the great and solemn questions be.
lore the Church in the Diocese of Vir-
ginia, as to-day, in the Providence of God,
occupying so favored and so responsible
a position, are these three:
VIII 1t remain in the Protestant Episco.
pal Church, with the almost certain pros.
pect Of the final overthrow and surrender
of It's principles I0f
Or will 1t withdraw in body, as
Church complete in itself, and thereby
secure at once Reformed Episcopal
Church -
Or will It leave many OF It's members
to withdraw one by one, "as people being
ashamed steal away when they flee in
l know it will be said that in taking the
step have taken, ! have pursued this
last course, and already fled away in the
day OF battle. But II so, 1t has surely not
been from any fear OF man, or mans re-
proach. Il has been simply on the
principle that a mans action will sneak
louder than his 'OoTdS, and simply that l
might bear, in the most honest and dis
tinct and emphatic way possible, nv
feeble testimony TO the necessity for a Re.
formed Episcopal Church. Had seen
any other way Of doing this, half so ef.
tectually, would gladly have chosen it
and God helping me, iearlessly have pur-
sued 1t. And surely the struggle the step
has cost me, could my brethren In the
ministry and other friends only know II,
and 1.-THE sacrifices 1t involves, ought 10
satisfy them Of the strength OF my con-
victions and the sincerity OF my motives.
And now, in concluding this letter, per.
NIT me, my dear Bishop TO add, that il
anything in 1t shall appear to be wanting
In respect TO you or your Office, beg you
to believe It has not, for q moment, been
80 intended. My respect and admiration
for you as the most faithful preacher oFthe
pure gospel ! have ever heard in any
branch Of the Church Of Christ, nv per-
sonal obligations to you for SO many kind.
nesses received at your hands, and every
feeling Of my heart, would forbid any
thing Of the kind. When commenced
TO write this letter, l had no idea Of the
length or the range oil discussion 1t would
assume. But as have mused, the fire has
burned, my convictions have come ont
clear and strong, and l have felt that, as
a servant Of Christ and IN furtherance OF
what l believed 10 be for His glory, |
ought to be neither afraid nor ashamed 10
utter them. II aught hes been written
amiss, may He pardon and override it
If aught according to His will, may he
bless and prosper it.
With sincere generation aud affection,
l am, my dear Bishop,
Very Truly, Yours, &C.,
]. A. LATANR.
To he r. Rec. John Johns, DID,, Bishop
CrMe 2. +. Church ia The Diocese Of
Virginia.