Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-01-23
REV. J. A LATANE.

has been created among the friends Of
are confnedto no particular denomination,
and his former congregation of Trinity
church, by the intelligence that he has dis
solved his connection with the ministry of
st. Matthew'S church, of Wheeling, ON ac-
count Ass stated in the telegram announcing
the fact, OF ''the growing tendencies Of the
Episcopal body throughout the United
States to ritualistic practices'' The tele-
gram adds that sfor the present he does
notjointhe Cummins movements, although
the action of the Church in Virginia and
West Virginia." Mr.. Latane is a native
of Virginia, about IS years of age. and a
graduate of the University of Virginia and
the Theological Seminary at Alexandria.
He was the rector of Trinity church in
taunton for Is years up to 1871, when he
was induced to take charge of st. Mat
thew's church in Wheeling. His new
charge, is the most prominent Episcopal
assembly in West Virginia, and has built
stone house of worship at a cost Of $780,
600. Since Mr.. Latane has been the rec
tor the congregation has been largely in
creased, and the happiest relations have
always existed between him and his flock.
His views relative to ritualism are well
known to his friends here, and his action
creates less surprise from the fact that he
was as well known to be perfectly fearless
of consequences where his convictions Of
duty pointed the way.
| Since writing the above we have received
copy of MI Latane's letter of withdraw
al, occupying seven columns in the Wheel
ing ssRegister" We give below the por-
lions most personal to himself with the
four reasons for his action
ST. MATHEWS CHURCH,
WHEELING, ". VA, Jan. II, 1874. g.
! My DEAR BISHOP 1t is with sincere
grief that I write to announce to you my
purpose to withdraw from the ministry of
| the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Iknow that this announcement will cause
you both surprise and pain but beg you
to believe that the decision has not been
reached without much reflection and pray
er and that the step is taken with the ut
UlOSU dlll Willy IlOIl 11liPCleuolfo
convictions of duty. Every earthly con-
slderation is against it. My relations to
you, and to Bishop Whipple, and to many
dear brethren in the ministry in the Do
cese of Virginia-nly affection for the
Church in Staunton, where | commenced
my ministry, and labored for fourteen
years-my many obligations to the people
of my present charge-my desire, attested
by my whole ministry, to do the Lord s
work in quietness and peace-the shrink
ing, which every manly heart must feel
from entering upon course winch VIII
cause me to be esteemed a fool by many
whose good opinion I value-and the I'M
certainties of the future. both rs to the
field of my labor and the support of my
family-are all against the step, and have
ali been calmly. deliberately, weighed.
On the other hand, I have nothing to
plead in favor of it, and nothing to slls-
tain me in taking it, but a clear convic-
ton of duty to God and to the cause of
His truth in the earth.
Let me say further, that In deciding the
matter | have not taken counsel with
others. For Obvious reason, until my
mind was made up l could have, and up to
this moment | have had, no communities
ton. directly or indirectly with Bishop
Cumllins OF any of his adherents. And |
beg you 10 believe that had felt that the
case admitted of it l would most gladly
have sought counsel of you and OF some OF
my brethren III the ministry. But when
the matter was not a new one, When all
the facts of the case were before me, and
when it was a simple question OF duty in
view Of the facts, felt that l could most
safely decide it, where | have at least
sought to decide it. In my secret chamber
and on my knees before God.
Let me then state distinctly my
REASONS
for leaving the Episcopal church. They
are Just those difficulties Which have been
for many years past a burden and grief to
many in the Church.
|. The first is the unhappy division OF
the Church into What are known as the
| High Church and Low Church parties:
These two parties BIZ, Latane thinks
contain two seeds, s!the seed Of Protestant
ism and the seed of Romanism,' - and then
differences are irreaoncilable.
II. Tie second is the countenance APP
parently given by certain expressions III
the Prayer-book to those ''erfoneous and
| strange doctrines contrary to Gods word,
| out of which the division in the Church
has grown.
One of these expressions, Mr.. Latane
says, teaches that ''eyery infant baptized
4 is thereby regenerated with the Holy
| spirit" and others give countenance at
least' to the notion Of a priesthood, and
of a sacrifice in the Lords supper, and of
absolution from all of which he dssents at
length.
| III. The third is the absolute impossi-
| bilitv of getting rid of these Objectionable
expressions in the services Of the Prayer
| book
| Mr.. Latane cites various efforts In con-
yentions to secure alterations OF mo(tifca-
lions which have been defeated, and so
often as to render further efforts hopeless.
". Still another reason is the attitude
in which the Episcopal church stands in
the present day to other Protestant
| churches.
On this point he says:
\ It is now held by an overwhelming ma
jority in the Episcopal church that there
can be but one form OF Church polity-that
! ordination by Bishops, deriving their au-
thority by tactual succession, in an I'M
/ broken line from the Apostles, is essen
! tial to a valid ministry, and that without
such ordination thare can be no true church
| and no lawful administration of the sacra-
i ments.
Now have faithfully sought to bring
this theory to the test Of scripture, at three
\ several periods Of nay ministry, each time
| devoting weeks and months to the careful
| examination and comparison of all the
passages in the Acts of the Apostles and
| in the Epistles WHICH seemed to bear upon
the question, and the result is the clear
conviction, that no such claim is author
lied by the word OF God"
THE REFORMED CHURCH.
In one part of his argument M. I,attsaene
says in passing, that the Reform of Bishop
Cummins entirely meets his views, but
adds.