National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-30
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BISHOP CUWMINS' LECTURE REVIEWED
TetAe Editer Of the National ReDubtteaH:
SIR: Monday night had the pleasure Of listen
ing to Dr.. Oummins' lecture, and Of reading In
Tuesday mornings issue of your paper the re-
markedly correct report Of the same. 1 think
your report has not varied word from the lecture
As a Churchman, while sorrOwing for the defec-
tion Of DIR. Cummins, I nevertheless cease not to
give thanks to Almighty God that in His good
Providence he raised up one to state so correctly
the doctrines of the Episcopal Church to those
The great body of Churehmen-High Church, If
you please to call them-have insisted,
i. That the Episcopal Church is not Protestant
in the popular aeceptation Of the word, as the
Methodist, Presbyterian, SC, are. -,,
2. That the Prsyer-5ook teaches ~ "aPoSton n
the word (b) that the minister is priest (c that
a true sacrifice is made in the sacrament OF the
altar or the Holy ~ Snat [ ~ R5est
On the other hand, q small 0ut actlVe minority,
of which DR.. CUmmins was at one time repre-
sentative, claimed that the pray book taughtno
snek things: that the "Rituaiists" who carry out
the aboye-named doctrines were disloyal to the
Episcopal Church, were "Jesuits in disguise"
were enemies to the professionalism 90 OF their
feFefathers. But now DR.. Cummins has returned
10 Washington, his former field of labor, to show
that this charge against High Churchmen is false.
We have heard a great deal Of senseless talk
about the "blessed Reformers." We have insist
ed that the reformation in England was so to-
tally different from that on the Continent that 1t
Dr. Cummins bears his testimony to the fact that
the English Church was not half reformed, mean
ing by that that she did not do what Luther, Cal
vim, Zwingle x 90. on the Continent did. This
Churchmen always have maintained. He has
shown that Queen Elizabeth was no true Prot
estant." Certainly we nnd no fault with his his
her reign even those who admitted the claims OF
the Pope attended the parish churches. We see
no reason why they should not have done so unto
their life's end'' the services Of said parish
churches being thoroughly Catholic. He said
that, tout of nine thousand clergy, every man OF
whom had been q Roman priest under Mary"
only two hundred ceased their ministratiOns as
priests under the reign of Elizabeth This is true,
and the only wonder to our mind is, why those
two hundred left, or why any man, for that mat
ter, should 20 from the Anglican communion TO
Rome.
sacrifice in the holy Eucharist. DR.: Cummins
bears Witness to the teachings Of the Prayer
Book in this regard for he says that the Prayer
Book directs the priest, after he has cOnsecrated
the bread and wine, to say, (which we now offer
unto thee" 1. G., under the forms Of bread and
wine we offer that lin whom he is we'll pleased"
We have always claimed that the Prayer Book
iustiies us in the belief whether it is acceptable
TO men or not is not now the question: that God
fOrgiyes sins to penitent through the ministra-
tiOn of the priesthood Of our Lerd, which priest
hood is exercised by men ordained to that func-
ton. Dr. Cummins says that "all this is logically
bound up in that germ, priest which occurs
see no reason for blaming men for following out
what is logically" deduced.
We have claimed that baptismal regeneration
is taught in the Prayer Book. DR.. Oummins has
made this so clear that "he who runs may read"
Dr. Cummins holds that these doctrines are, OF
course, sOul-destroying errors. But while his
testimony as to facts is good, his opinions can re-
main only opinions still, unless the Reformers
claim for their leader that attribute Of deity, in
fallibility, which can hardly expect of them as
yet But DR.. Cummins, in his lecture last night,
never even attempted to show that these doc
trines were wrong. He simply showed that the
Church taught them in her prayer book.
L & llurClmel
does teach them, and it becomes us as loyal sons
to maintain them in their truth and fulness, and
to put aside all prejudice, and inquire what do
Let us, then, thank DR.. Cummins. He did last
night a noble work, one which, perhaps no other
man could have done. His mission, he says is to
Lacify the Church. We believe him. But, per-
haps, through the inscrutable working Of an all
wise Providence it may be in different manner
than he anticipated. Last night he set forth the
doctrines Of the Episcopal Church to people who,
perhaps, would never otherwise have heard them,
and out of that large body of Intelligent audience
there must have been some who reasoned: "Why,
if the Episcopal Church holds these doctrines, as
you say it does, the extreme High Churchmen
must be right who fearlessly set these things
forth in preaching a ritual"
Let US hope that DR.. Cuumins will preach as
ably and set forth clearly the doctrines of the
he has done here; and II ever he returns to
Washington, which we trust will be at no very
distant day, he will have to preach in not the
New Hork-aYenue Presbyterian Church, nor
even Lincoln hall but the rOtunda of the Capitol;
and that the churches will suspend their services
that all men may see how for years DR.. Cummns
ministered in the Episcopal Church, not knowing
what she taught, or else with mental reserva-
ton; and that now, in these latter days of his
life, he is trying TO make up for his past want Of
teaching, and that while he shows that the High
ChurchmenIare carrying out the teachings of
the Prayer Book, he is acting to them the part of
BALKAN to Israel, or that OF the ancient abbot
in the Lord Of the Isles" to Robert Bruce.
De Bruce, rose with purpose dread;
To speak my curses on thy head,
And give thee as an outcast, DER
To him who burns to shed thy gore.
O'ermsstered yet by high behest
bless thee and thou shalt be bIest.