New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-07

al . tsdng ard love have
it and are eucoursging the tsnaonc But intense
TO The
Of mans faith measure Of ~, .sd man Tnsre
is nothing in the Bible quite 60 , aosmam n az ~
the Ten Commandment In the cg nroA map sR
creeds confessions OF faith or sncra
Of salvation or what not merely S IN any certainty
They have discarded Cavinism and many nave ,h
nsd that thus they ssGaT%sa was the truth
God And finding themseves lre9 an, In hovhood
have ancied ali liked doctrines 10 be turned aGp an
have reioced at human emanepat nIsn bnt admire
s,il less the loose living result OF loose Deievus
has grown from Calvinism IN tno 'n"p0 "
And ace here ali the more necessity for the church
which has not confounded Cayinism win .e sppiic
nor mistaken Ipleco OF netaphysics ior tne OaUv
Esh ro stem the TIDE of confusion and vague uncertainty
all the nor SGy yr he sf too wG srn to
stammer and babbe where In this land shaii men o1k
to hear any trumpet with Of th foundations
There is nothing in 1t metaphysical or scholastic. IL
leaves large margin for Ano Hyen n there ere
is room for large variety IL IS necessary man snouu
hold and teach the doctrines OF the atgneent ~ not
necessary should hold and teaeh any special nesa
nbysca explanation OF the doctrine OF the aonencnt;
f. Is necessary should hold and teach the doctrne OF
insfifcation by faith 1t ia not at all necessary nc
Should hold any special theory Of justification, Inc
Church has committed to her these ana sncn IKE
trnes She has received no authoritative or aivlne
theory or logic such doctrines Sucn logic anu SUCH
theories belong to the realm of opinion. :. 49,.
The limit of legislation doctrine, therefore, Is the
doctrine isef-fhe veres Of the Catholic Faith Is set
out in the Catholic creeds That which Is de gde, tne
Church is bound guard with all the forces OF law ana
Judgment. She can allow no tamperng, no meddlln =
no addition. and no subtraction from inc uivne rss ;
Rnt here her wise legislation stops she lntrudes NOT
Nth law INTO the realm of opinion. Not that opinion Is
not important; not that II Is not OIL erave pv
opinions But for sound opinions she trusts to the IN
enCe OF her own tradition TO hidden sHs use bower S Of
| the yery atmosphere in which she lives , as
church catholic IL , saie sve 10 in matter, OF
opinion speak according to the analogy or proportion
OF the faith The Faith is tombstone Dy whiSn uhc D
10 say that Just because the church allows reedom "a
matters OF opinion she Is therefore Dou v,ednn IN
matters of the Faith That is indeed the very WISDOM
legislation to govern little to nave ay s hoss
Justify themselves by their own Importance, ana 10
he stern and i'll their execution 80 much or 'ne
! faith -,
The varying matter Of discipline, in which the ritual
included is absolutely as have said IN the hands OF
the Roman exaggeraton OF the power OF the living
Church. there Is truth underlying all exaggeraons
We admit it. however to- be essentially unrestricted
to the of preaching teaching and
example is great mistake think it Is eharGnly in
to even the in ag Where
| be but example But IL Is NOT ~, ~,
SsG E 9seu that Of "pRsl many hds no
of antiquity would be very nnf or nawse IN VINE ere
he saint Of in the midst Of Paradise to
OF worship In OF our churches he would ma the
But exercising our discretion in our own day, aud
knowing own time and people, ana laborihg LOT
methods or Cypranic modes of effort. There is not III
ira own nature as in that OF the Faith any limit to be
| ments be duly celebrated and orders duly given.
IL is in the hands of the Church Tor instance 70
abolish II II seem good her order OF Daily Morning
and Evening Prayer 1t stands only her authority.
and the authority that established can abolish IL Is IN
lar aha "A
once even the central service OF all the Liturgy proper
or the service of the Holy Communion sne can permit
ar eYclude whatever she lit official dress or ad-
minsterng gesture. In the nature Of things she has
this power and she has again and again acted uooa ~
or fettered by any authority outside berseli; o,
But ns R "Ssed always is power always limited BY
circumstances and conditions. TDose conditions exist;
nS IN the Of its se Ritual
ali Sorts in words or gesture, are growths And a
with the Past She has should the power to do
80 as a thing in the abstract, and yet Is is power
cised. We can abolish our morning and evening
prayer No man dreams we ever Will We can rrcast
and Gloria IN EreeIss and prayer OF Humble Access for
instance without touching the yady y OF our cG
no man dreams will There Is moral i'm posi-
bility that Catholic Church should ever throw the
Ritual traditions OF Catholic Past
The Church has always been slow TO tamper with her
forms those forms are the casKet hat tGsnrne
her Faith She has the power but it is power she loves
to hold allegiance. She spurred TO ts exercise only
on
BUt since the Ritual exists for the doctrine 1t follows
limit for legislation on Ritual When Ritual teaches
false doctrine when Ritual corrupts the true, when 1t
faith. then the Church for the Fatns sakenot at all
for the Ruals-s bound to restrain such Ritual, re-.
away aS~sS'' no matter how Peaut,tal, tasteful or
ser II ihe Church lind that certain ritual certain
obseryauces which harmless and even becoming In
yes the lapse Of time and change OF circum-
hay
teaching, and stand IN the way OF the lalth accept
~ s%Opes for the at least such ritual
observances have said ritual or iD the heads OF the
and outer expression Of the Faith and mean saying
that in the hands Of the Church, that 1t Is not In
s Of any one bishop or diocese So long as
tripe may be taught by Ritual, sosl0nR indeed We
know it is so taught ana the causabe assertion is
made that it is only valuable for doctrines sake,
fail how church which accepts It az her duty
regarding Ritual, relegae it to any individual
authority II Ritual be indeed only matter OF asthet
no disputing about taste. One congregation for in
stance may prefer Gothic church, another Roman:
Church buildings One clergyman may prefer to
| preach in q wineglass pulpit under a sounding
6oaFa or the ehanceIsteps It is the same story
is told in all these 70 places and clergy
may prefer to preach In snrpice another in alb and
another in black x, gown e As long as these
every where and In each Rarb there no reason that
cd att aas psn
| il altar crosses and altar candles be but matters
| Of taste in clergyman or CONGREGATION, can
| individual liberty. But how is 1t II these
! things hecome symbols. Of opposing doctrine
| that there Is Apostolic ministry; If preaching IN
alb and chasube means that there Is priesthood daily
Offering Christ again for the sins OF the living and the
dead what position does church occupy which holds
itself bound tosguard carefully her teacbngsn words
and articles abdicates all control OF her teaching
by dress, gesture cerem0niaf Consider also that
dress gesture and ceremonial worthy more impress
put away among 80 any other number Of articles.
| l should think that one could not be far wrong In
| deciding that the limit OF legislation on
| ritual the the limit Of the Faith.