The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-01-19
LETTER OF WITHDRAWAL
.,a s:..y - FROM THE
Protestant Episcopal Church
..-.DIla ADDREssrD 10 =
Rt. Rev. John Johns, D. D.,,,55.
.... So By ,ET .ss s3lg
REV. ]. 4. LATANE,
Sr. NAr1HrMa CHURCH.

Sr. NArrHrw's CHURCH, [
WHsiLISo,W W.Vsr Jan, IL, 1874.
Ny DEAR BIsHop:-It is with sincere
grief that write to announce to you
uy purpoee to withdraw from the min
stry OF the Protestant Episcopal
| Church.
know that this announcement will
cause You both surprise aud pain; but
beg you 10 believe that the decision
has not been reached without much re-
Election and prayer, and that the step is
| taken with the utmost reluctance and
only from imperative convictions OF
duty. Every earthly consideration is
against it. My relations to you, and to
Bishop Whipple, and to many dear
brethren in the ministry in the Diocese
of Virginis-my affection for the
Church 10 Staunton. where commenced
my ministry, and labored for fourteen
years-my many obligations to the peo
pie of my present charge-my desire,
attested BY my whole ministry, TO do
the Lords work in quietness and peace
the shrinking, which every manly
heart must feel, from entering upon q
course which will cause me to be es>
teemed a fool by many whose good
opinion yslue-and the uncertainties
| of the future, both as to the field Of my
labor and the support OF my ;amily-
are all against the step, and have all
been calmly, deliberately, weighed.
% the other hand, 1 have nothing
to plead in favor Of it, and nothing to
sustain me i'll taking it, but clear
conviction OF duty to God and to the
cause OF His truth in the earth.
Let me say further, that in deciding
the matter l have not taken counsel
With others. For obvious reason, until
my mind Was made up | could have,
and up 10 this moment I have had, no
communication, directly or indirectly
with Bishop Cummins or any of his
adherents. And beg you to believe
that had / felt that the case admitted
ot it would most gladly have sought
counsel Of you and OF some OF my
brethren in the ministry. But when
the matter was not new one, when all
the facts Of the case were before me,
| aud when it was simple question 0!
duty in view o! the iacts. felt that |
| could most safely deciee it, where l
| nave at least sought to decide it, in my
secret chamber and on my knees before
God.
Let me then state distinctly my rea.
sons Tor leaving the Episcopal Church.
They are just those difficulties which
have been for many years past bur
den and grief to many in the Church.
!. The first is the unhappy division Of
tho Church into what are knoaon as tie
| Hiqh Church and Lou Church parties
| will not say that in the Church
there are two seeds-the seed oil Ro-
mapsm, and the seed Of Professionalism;
but l will say that the Church, as it
now is, is an army with two banuers-
justification by the sacranents, inscrib-
ed on the one, and justification by faith
on the other Ard there never
can be any cordial union between
the parties arranged under these
two banners. 1t has been
tried in the Church. time and again
tried in missionary operations, in theo-
logical seminaries, and in Church book
soc,eties-tried honestly. and by good
men on each eide-and in every In
stsrce has lamentsbly tailed. The two
parties are not agreed. and cannot walk
together. Their differences are real
and are irreconcilsble. The Low
Church party cannot co operate With
the High Church party, without being
false to what it has ever held to be the
doctrines of the Reformation, and with"
out sacrificing wha. it believes to De
the frat principles OF the Ofacles OF
God, The division 10 the Church,
therefore, with the unhappy strife and
discord attending it, is one which can
not be healed.
LII. The second is the eountenance ap-
parently given by certain expressions in
| the Praysr-book to those erroneous ana
strange doctrines contrary to Gods wora,
out Of vhieh the division in the Church
has groom ...'. 80
Those doctrines pertain to the effects
OF Baptism, to the nature Of the Lords
Supper, and to the office OF the minls>
try. =,
NAL Service which seem to teach that
| eyery infant when baptised is thereby
"reeenerated with the Holy Spirit.
And though I am satisfied that this
doctrine was not held by the trainers
Of the Prayer. book, nor intended TO Be
expressed in the service, aad therefore
il not really the doctrine Of the church
yet the expressions are 30 liable TO oe
misund erstood and 90 hard to be salts
fsctorily explained. and a. q matter Of
fact are % constantly misunderstood
and do practically educate and confirm
40 many in q false view Of the effects o.
Baptism. tbss they ought to be altered
. Regeneration 10 stated IN tn'
vord Of God to be essentia
70 salvation: the mode and means o.
REGENERATION are things which concern
the way of Salvation: and to affirm
that Baptism invariably effects regene'
r.tjop and that every person Who ha'
been baptized has therefore been regsn-
.,st.d. is dangerously TO delude human