Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-12-18
Misfellanfons. .
20

I k&t1oLKLidHt1Ao.
/ RTUALIsN IN ENGLAND.-The one
thing that the English people at large-the
mass, that is to say, OF the attendants upon
/ TIE Anglican Church --destest is popery ::
and John Bull, the type Of that multitude,
therefore dctests every thiag which is di-
rectly associated with popery. lie las 40
head for asthetic argument. When lie
sees in a church lighted candies upon al
altar and vases of artificial flowers, and
boys swinging censers Of incense and
marching in procession before file. Of
| clersymeu, and ministers in colored and
tlowered roOes, and genu9ictiOns and
| sprinklings and bowings, he sees the Scar
| let WOman-the trail of the wooden shoe
is over it all. 1t is true that he too kueels
and bows and bows and rises that his
minister reads the service in white robe
and breaches the sermon in black one,
and sprinkles water upon those whom he
I baptizes. and unites with ring those whom
/ be marriss. These two are symbols, ike
! those from which he recoils. Essentially
! there is no difference except in number and
elaboration. If he bows once, why not
! twice If he kncels to receive the elements
! because of their conservation kneel to them
on one knee or two as they lie upon the
table If he will tolerate water as 4 SYM
Dol, why not fire ? And if he will allow
4 gold ring to symbolic union, why not
suffer incense to symbolic alteration Ifhe
quotes texts, the ritualist, who is a scholar
pO!emic, quotes others. If he ventures
upon argument, he must justify his own
ritualism. And he therefore falls back
upon his original conviction that the acts
which he condemns ara the practices of
pOpery, and that if he is to see them in his
own church, he can see no difference be-
tween that and a mass-hOuse.
This was the feeling from which Puri-
tanism sprang in England, as DR.. Bacon
shows in his late admirable and instructive
book upon the Genesis Of the Nrc England
| Churches. OF course it could not be exact
ly logical in detail. 1t originally rejected
the sign of the cross in baptism, the use Of
of the ring in marriage, and Sneeling to
partake of the communion. But the sur
plice was especially abhorred as the sign
of a priest with supernatural functions, in
stead of 4 minister of the Gospel. As DR..
Bacon says. To the ignorant people who
were disposed to banker after the Old ideas
it had as real a meaning as the wearing Of
the green has now to Irish Fenians.' The
question was not then, nor is it now among
the most strenuous opponents of ritualism,
one Of taste, or temperament, or religious
enthusiasm. or more or less ornate cere-
monial. The symbols which are question
ed and refused are those which are peculiar
to the Romish worship. and when many of
those who insist upon them most warmly,
as in England, frankly declare that they
wish the English Church TO be reconciled
with Rome, ritualism comes naturally to
be regarded as ROmanism, and in Millions
phrase,
New Presbytcr is hut Old Priest writ large"
The action Of British Parliament in pass
ing the Public Worship Bill was anti-ritu-
alistic, ana shows clearly that the senti-
ment Of the English people is intensely
hostile to any sign Of pOpish revival.
/ The possible consequences are very serious,
for they may Ievolve the secession of a
large number Of Churchmen like DR.. Pusey,
and by dividing or impairing the strength
of The Establishment may precipltate the
question of disestablishment, which in
wolves that of diseuduwment. In this
country, where fortunately there is no di-
rect connection between church and state,
the question has still a political interest,
for breach in the Episcopal Church which
should throw any number Of persons or
societies into the arms of Rome would so
far strengthen the political purposes Of that
Church. Every rituaist naturally regards
the religious control Of schools as OF the
highest importance, and tends TO the theo-
~ that ecclesiastics are the best public
school teachers. This is not an American
view, and we should be very sorry to see
IL become powerful. The very decided
action of the law branch Of the Convention
shows how positive is the opposition to the
tendencies of which ritualsm is believed to
be the mask Mr.. Gladstone does not ad
nit that these tendencies are rightly inter
preted. He derides the Importance which
is attached 10 the ''utterly hopeless and
visionary effort Of q handful of clergymen
Ito Romanize the Church and people of
England. l cannot persuade myself to feel
alarm rs to the final issue of her crusaders
in England, and this although ! do not un-
value her great powers Of mischief.
TORS EASY CHAIR, in HGrper;s -HogaZiRe
for JaauGey