New-York tribune., 1874-10-12

parayziDg influences OF the first Hinoveran genera
the lofty spirit and English pluck OF men Ike Or.
Hook In many cathedrals, with stateliness'a rem.
Dant Of true dignity was preserved, ana In thlrd
class of cases the clergy known Evangelical had In
fused into their congregations reyerent sense OF the
other services they were pointed with the finger OF
scorn by the same stamp OF people as tnoss sno
ton. And it was for reasons not very different Both
were to tho charge that they DID not thoronghy
apt to sds INFO the altitude
clique both rather abouDded In seifeonndepee' and
were viewed askance By authority; above an, DotD
jealous. and therefore troublesome. Bat OF toe
general tone Of the services the Church Of at
carefully considered would have shocked not only Any
earnest Christian oi ens hea h pSt any s
Creator and Governor OF the world and that his crea
press 1pon the mind Of the that this state OF
things was with which the members OF tue Church
generally quite content IL was NOT Oy lay ksso-
Citations with long purses that the people we're With
difficulty and with much resistance awakened out oi
ns @ 81 9nss e Church Of EasnS AND 40
OF effort could hardly nave been needed had
the faculties and life OF art been more widely dlnused
Had we. as people. been possessed in rsasonsbee
OF that sense OF harmony between the inward
weakness 1t could not indeed have supplied the place
Of ervent religious life. but Divine worship. the great
could have fallen 50 low among us. And think IL has
In from the same defect that, during
there has been much misapprehension and msear-
riage so much dissatisfaction and disturbance.
More than thirty have passed since agitation In
London and riot In Exeter we're resorted 70 for the pnr
pose conscentiousy believed OF preserving ths
surpce pulpit and of the Prayer for the Church
Militant In vain the bishops ana inc cersy
ing or acting In simple "obedencc to the law" Inc
appeal to that watchward, now 50 sacred was utterly
Popery. 1t insisted must b, the meaning OF
tSss' Sss hsp snapso legal
not effected with the full ana intelligent concur
OF the focks, decidedly nnwse. But AS 10 these
themselves,
that their tendency. when calmly viewed must nave
Popery would have led TO the use Of y different and
lower garb in preaching not to tso use OF the same
Of the Eucharist; and that prayer Ia the Prayer
book bears SO vsiby the mark OF the Reformation As
the PRAYER for the Church Militant
The truth is that IN the word rtuasm there is In
volyed much than the popular mind seems TO sup
pose The present movement IN favor OF ritual Is not
confined to Rituass, neither Is II cOnfDed even TO
Churchmen. II has Deen. when all things are con:
Presbyterians; not because they much of it,
because they formerly had none, and because their
system appeared ~ have ueen devised and adjusted ID
order to prevent Its inr0ductlOn anu 10 TX upon u
even in iiminc the aspect OF hlgrant departure
organs within them, rlch painted architecture, mat
fragrant piece of symbolism the sieeple, windows hed
with subjects IN stained glass caDIrste sne
Of the Lords prayer, which Is no more tnan the thn
end Of wedge that Is 10 Introduce fixed FORMS and
the portal movements III favor OF such lors already
developed among the signs which, taken altogether,
form group OF rsteraoe ERA 10
vile Imitation the fashion Of the day. In the ease OF
or
the creme de Ia creme OF Protestansm nave now oeg1n
to wHicb the Pope does not hear IN his ovn
chapel or his sublime Basiilea ana whcn tne eDtic
Eastern Church hao ever sbrunk from employing IN s
services.
this paper suggest for consideration Dy my fellow
Christians generally, which is more practical ana Oh
greater as seems 10 % e aaI us and Of
the rulers Of the church than the question wbether
nsr 90 sss sn yonay Effort 70
Church aud people OF England. Al no tune
seSee slss the Been oTSa reign But II had been
bic in the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries, ~
when Rome has substituted for the proud boast OF
senper eaden policy of violence and change III aitn
rusty tool she fondly thought ohaye diused when
no one become her convert without renoune,,
loyalty aad duty at the mercy Of another; and wnen
she has equally repudiaed modern Thought and qua
ancient history. / cannot persu de myself 10 ieeI
alarm as 10 the fna issue OF her crusades in England
and this although do not undervalue her great pow
religious welI-being that lie nearer home Ani one o.
them is whether as ndvdns we can rsuy rna anu
healthy movement for each OF u that Is whe,heru u
collected worship when enter the temple Of the
Most HIGH, AMI think we 90 there TO on before HIN tue
sacrifice OF praise and prayer and thanksgving o. one
thing we may be quite certain, aud 1t s this. To acc
muiate observauces or niual is TO accumulate re-
sponsibility 1t is the adoption Of higher stand
ard OF religious pro'cssiOn; and II requires higher
stand OF religious practice III we study Dy appopra
by rich embellishments TO make the Church more IKE
the House of God and e services in IL more Impressive
by outward signs OF His greatness aud goodness ana Oh
our itteness and meanness all these ere so many
audible and utelGibe, though inarticuae ana 10 Ie.
them sound III our ears unheeded an onense again,
His majesty. II not the better Tor more ritual
the worse Tor II. A general ausinentaIon oI
ritual, such we see ON every side around 9s u De
without any spoudDg enhancement OF devotion,
means more light but no more love. -,
But it is conceivable, nay, far from lmprobabe.
that augmentatio OF ritual import not increase
but even dmnurOn OF feryor Such must be the result
in every where the imagery of the eve and ear
actively multiplied ~ allowed draw of the energy,
which ought TO have its center III the heart; There
cannot be doubt that the beauty OF the edllce the
furniture and the service though their purpose be Ia
carry the mind forward may indnee it to rest upon
themselves Wherever the growth and progress %!
ritual, though that ritual DO III itself suitable anu
proper is accepted, whether consciously or uncon-
id"aI as standing in the stead OF bis own concen.
raion and travail OF spirit IN Devotion, there the
tormaiiy-fhat IL. 50 much deadness. Now there are
mutitndes of people who VIII accede AT once 10 ths
irusm, with c0mplacent conviction IN tue pack-
ground of their minds that 1t does not toueh then ease
at ALL They may be Piesbyterlans or Noncon0rn-
ists !; or they may be Cburchnen whose clergyman
breaches against Popery open or coneeaed or wSo y
Reverend this the Reverend that FOR lauaI!sn NO
matter they and their clergyman too may nevertheless
he aaerap Rualists For tile bares minimum Of ritual
may be screen hiding fr0m the worsnllef the oeeS
of hs worshp; nay, will be such screen, unless the
worsLper himself 10 use II as help anu to see
Tn he class OF eases supposed the ready acqueseencs
of a few moments back has by this time probaOy oeen
converted wondering skepticism And there is at
first sight something OF paradox In the assertion tnat
ali ritual not only elaborate but modest not only
copious but scanty its dangers IL seems hard 10
nreach suspicion and miglying against what gentr-
ally approved accepted by te most undebispo
PrStestants. But the very same person who errs by
making MS own conscience ia ritual measure Tor te
conscences other lest they should run to excess
NAV be himself In surteit while he doOms them ~
staTva: for what Is famine them may be TO HIM ex-
cess what they digest mas be to hun ndigestiOe
n is diffcut think TO fix maximum OF ritual for all
time and persons and predicate that all beyond tho
line must be harmful; but 1t Is Impossible To hx NM
Nun and say up 20 that point safe No ritual ~
roo 1uch provided subsidiary TO the inner work of
worship. aud all ritual TOO much unless ministers "
The tests TO be applied would be such the following
questions might supply: 49,. a.,
l. Is it legally bindingi inquiry in which tho