The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-01-19
Tina Pastor Of st. Matthew's Par.
Isb In this City Announces His
withdrawal from the Pres
ent Organizations
He expects to Join the Reformed
Movement but will wait on
the Church in Virginia ! ?
and West Virginia yet
q Little While.
Reasons for tho Important Step
which He has Taken.
ST.. MATTHEW'S oHuRc4,

II ID WIN SluGClG BllCl Auub WllkC "
announce to you my purpose 10 Withdraw
from the ministry uf the Protestant Epls
COpal Church grH. H ga
know that this announcement will
cause you both surprise and pain: but
beg you TO believe that the decision hal
not been reached without much reilec-
lion and prayer, and that the step Is takeI
with the utmost reluctance, and onli
from imperative convictions OF duty
Every earthly consideration is against It
My relations TO you, and 10 Bishop Whit
lie, and 10 many dear brethren In III,
ministry, In the Diocese OF ViEginia-my
Affection for the Church ia Stanton
where / commenced my ministry and
labOred for fourteen years-my many OBJ
legations TO the people OF my present
charge-my desire, attested by my whole
ministry, 10 do the Lords work 10 quiet
ness and peace-the natural shrinking,
which every manly heart Intlsi feel, from
entering upon a course which will cause
me TO be esteemed fool by many whose
good opinion value-and the uncertain
Ties Of the future, both as 10 the field Of
my labor and the support OF my family
ARE all against tue Step, and have ell been
calmly, deliberately weighed.
On the other hand, | have nothing TO
plead in tIvOr OF II, and nothing to sustain
me in taking it, but clear conviction OF
duty TO Coo and TO the cause Of Histruth
in the earth
Let me say further, that in deciding tho
matter | have not taken counsel with
others. For obvious reasons, until nv
mind was made up could have, and up
10 this moment have had, no communica.
ton, directly or indirectly, with Bishop
Cummins or any OF his adherents. And
beg you to believe, that had l felt that
the case admitted Of it, | would most
gladly have sought counsel OF you and
0t some Of my brethren in the ministry.
But when the matter was not u new one,
when all the facts Of the case were before
me, and when 1t was q simple question OF
duty in view Of the facts, | ielt that
could most safely decide It, where have
at least sOughtt0 decide 1t, in my secret
chamber and on my knees before God.
REASONS FOR LEAVING THE CHURCH.
Let me then state distinctly my reasons
TOR leaving the Episcopal Church. They
are just those difficulties which have been
for some years past a burden and grief to
many in the Church.
|. The first is he unhappy division Of
tie Church into what are known as he
Hyh- Narch and The Lon Church parties.
will not say thstin the Church there
are two seeds-the seed OF Romanlsm, and
the seed OF Professionalism but will say
that the Church, us II now is, is an army
with two Observation-Disclosures by the
saCramGnts inscribed on the one, and ius-
LITIGATION by faith on the other. And
there never can be any cordial union be-
tween the parties arranged under these
two banners. 1t has bUen tried in the
Church, time and again-tried in mission.
AIRY operations, In Theological seminarIes,
and in ChurCh-book societies-tried hon.
estly, and by good men on each side
and, in every instance, has lamentably
tailed. The two parties are not agreed,
and cannot walk together. Their differ
ences arc real, and are irrec0ncileable.
Tho Low Church party cannot cooperate
with the High-Church party, without be,
ing false TO what 1t has ever held 10 be
the doctrines OF the Reformation, and
without sacrificing what 1t believes 10 be
the first principles Of the 0racles Of God.
The division in the Church therefore,
with the unhappy strife and discord Of
tending It, is one which cannot be healed.
II. The second is the cOuntenancs dppd-
gsnhy sire,l By certain expressions in he
Prayer Book 10 those erroneous Gnd Strdngl
doctrines contrary to7Gofs cord, . oa ii
Gohith The diUiston in The Church has gTo,on.
Those doctrines pertain 10 the effects oil
Baptism, tothe nature oil the Lords Sup.
per, and 10 the office oil the ministry.
There are expressions in the Baptismal
Service which seem to teach that every
infant when baplised Is thereby "regener-
aled with the Holy Spirit" Aud, though
am satisfied that this doctrine was not
held by the trainers OF the Prayer Book,
nor Intended TO be expressed In theservlce,
and therefore Is not really the doctrine OF
the Church, yet the expressions are so
liable to be misunderstood, and so hard to
be satisfactorily explained, and as a, mat
Ter OF TACT are so constantly mlsunder.
stood, and do practically educate and con.
urn so many ina false view OF the effects
Of Baptism, that they ought to be altered.
regeneration Is stated In the word OF
God 10 be essential 10 salvation: the
mode and means oil regeneration are
things which concern the waysof saliva
non; and 10 affirm that Baptism ilYari-
soly elects regeneration, and that every
person who has been baptized, has there.
lore 0eGn regenerated, Is dangerously TO
uelque human souls, and that too In par.
ucular essential TO salvation. And yet this
doctrine, contrary as 1t is to Gods word,
Is distinctly and constantly taught and
believed in the Church, and finds counIe.
nance at least In that service where The
minister, In the case OF epery child and
trery adult baptIzedby him, Is required ID
say, alter the act of baptism, this child, or
ihIs person. Is zoto Ttgensrdtt, And 50
long as the Bsptismal service remains in
The Prayer Book in It's present form, thai
teaching will 60 on, as Il has done Sc
aIarmingly oil late, TO increase and pre-
vail more and more in the Church.
H OONEh1NES VI A PRIESTHOOD AND A
SACRIFICE IN THE SACRAMENT, NOT
sCRIPTURAL. iii. -.
~ Again, there are expressions in the
prayer Book which give countenance at
least to tho notion Of Priesthood In The
christian Church, and of a sacrifice in The
Lords supper. l'''''' - =. '''
-, NOW, it,hereis any truth plainly taught
US IN the word OF God, then Il IL tbere
PLAINLY taught, especially In the eplstle 10
ine hebrews, that our lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, is the one perfect, eyer.liyl
ing. ever'SYmpathizing, and ali.sufficient
Frlest OF HIS people, and Ndt Nev nssd ma
ot.sr-that His death upon the Cross was
q nll, perfect aud complete racrIdce for
Tue sins Of the whole world, ofTtrrd one.
tor aa and neUer % b rspeatsdgsnd that
priests and sacrifices have been distipctIv
ana os,, forever abolished in he Church on
HEaL ...-t ,......
,r AHo yet the opposite notion, unscrip-
kuThl as IL i9 In 1ONlntpn - "A