The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-11-04
RitualiIm and the Protestant RpIseO,
pal Convention.

The proceedings Of the General Con-
vention Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church which is about closing its Ees-
sions have been watched with consider
able interest BY 8 large portion Of the
people Of this country. nwss to be ex-
pected that this would be true Of those
persons who are identified with that de.
nomination. Bot for certain reasons, the
eyes Of many Others have been upon
portions Of the proceedings.
The Protestant Episcopal Church i:
not one Of the largest Of the ecclesiastical
bodies Of this country, although 1t ranks
well up in numbers; but only two or
three denominations can dispute with IL
the claim 10 precedence in wealth and
culture. Among the lsymen who figured
in this Convention, We have noticed the
names Of s number who are well known
throughout the land. Bot the question 0!
Rituslilm hiss been the feature @! the de-
alterations, which hiss served most 10 ex-
cite genera! attention.
In attempting 10 present sn outline Of
Whist hiss been done IN this mater, I'll
msy be well to indulge in few pIelimin.
are'. A distinction is 10 b, drawn be-
;Seen High ChuTchism and Riiualism. a
High ChufchmkH Is one who hss very
erAltei idea; Q! the PreEogslives Of the
Church to which he belongs. Heregsrds
it a. re Church, sa3 other Protestant de.
nominations IS Neh. 4 RitusIiat is one
who sets speculiar value upon ceremonies
and especially upon the Sacramento a.!
Riiuali:ls are High Cburchmen. b: sl
High ChuFchmen are Ho., Of necessity,
Riiuslists
Riiullism has been . source 0! irritation
in the English Church svsE since the Re.
formation. Bat Il is low 6 little over
thirty years since it received G new in.
pulse which hiss been widely felt in the
Episcopal bodies, both Of Great Britain
and the United States. This fresh i'm.
pulse was given by the publication Of the
Oxford Tracts for the Times" the pTin.
cips! contributors 10 which were DR..
PU:Er, Nr EEKRs, the poet, and Nj.
NEWMAN. The key note 0! the whole
ssrie. Is thus stated in the p:siace: The
sacf4ments, not preaching, sre the sources
OF diyine grace The Church oil Rome
i.spoken Of THEREIN IS the "Lsiin Sister"
while fellowship with PresbyteriaHs, H.
dependents, Gethodis,s, Bspiis.s, and the
like, is earnestly condemned. The real
body and blood Of Christ are declared 10
be 10 the Eucharist. Ministers are ssid
- be true priests, who have been "in-
trusted with the keys Of heaven snd he'll,
and with the awful spd mysterious pFivi,
lege OF dispensing Chrisfs body and
blood" Newman eventually went over
10 the Church Of Rome. His secession 10
tbs, body was in this country followed
by ihst Of Bishop IvEs, Of North Caro-
lima, Dr.. FORBES, Of New York, and othe;
persons o! more or less prominence.
Within the Episcopal Church CT The
United States, the struggle between The
Rituslists and the Low Churchnen has
long been felt to be IAN impending con-
aict" which must finally be settled By
some decisive action. The breach hs:
been widening. IL churches like ST. Al
bans, s. Ignstius, and ST. Mary the Yir'
gin, in New York, Ri!uslism hiss been car,
ried 10 such an extent that they cs1
scarcely be distinguished from places o.
worship attached to the Church Of Rome
Young TYSG, on the other hsEd, va:
ensured by Bishop POTTER Tor preach
lag in Methodist Church. In slmos'
every diocese there has been trouble ovel
Tue matter. When the last General Con
vention took no decisive action on the
subject, many Of the Low Churchmen be
cane FESTIVE. This feeling may be ssit
= have eliminated when the Dean O.
Canterbury and Bishop CUMHs were st
lacked for the part which they shared il
certain services connected with the recent
uee,iDg Of the Evangelical Alliance.
Two things may be said to have slmost
compelled action by the present Genera
Convention. One has been the recent
legislation Of the British Parliament OF
thesubject Of RitualiEn. D'Isrseli spoke
in words Of warning ss to the necessity
for action, when the bill was under con-
siderstion, "a did many other men Of emf
nence, The passage Of the bill at less
showed the pressing importance OF tht
subject II was not fox this Convention
TO take different view. But the thing
which has had the greatest weight ha.
been the secession Of men like Bishop
Cummins and Mr. Latsne, and the forma
ton Of the Reformed Episcopal Church.
Action was demanded in & way which
made itself heard.
What has been don't: Professor Sey-
mour who had been chosen Bishop oil
the Diocese Of Illinois was defeated when
he wAs.presented for confirmation in that
office. The ground Of objection 10 him
was not his moral character. Neither
was it his intellectual attainment; for he
lsSmsn Of fair abilities. But It was that
he was in sympathy with the secret order
known as the ConfrAtermty of the Blessed
Sacrament, which in circular issued il
September, calls for prayer for the
restoration Of the sacrament Of extreme