National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-10-08
RLTUALLST RETLEWED.

To the EQltOT OF the NCLtlOIlQt fItDuOttCuIts
SIR: In my article yesterday intimated that
the chief ground Of Protestant complaint against
rtuaistic practices and doctrines is that they are
contrary TO the Word of God. But r. H, in his
article of September 80 makes the claim that
Bishop Cummins, in his address OF Monday even
ing did not charge that the matters in question
are wrong but only that they are found in the
PRAYER Book. This certainly is most important
criticism. Nobody who was listening to the
argument in proof Of the unseriPtural character
of Ritualism. This was assumed by him through
out. Speaking to u Protestant audience his point
merely was to show that a system admitted by
them TO be opposed to the Gospel Of Christ was
also found in the Episcopal Prayer-Book. He
condemned this book because these things are
found in it. His aim was to show Low Church
Episcopalians that these errors which they de-
test are in their own book, that they may rise up
against them, or else leave a Church where the
great body Of ministers and people uphold TO I'M
scripturaI system. Why should one like the
bishop, engaged in reformatory work. be SO
anxious to prove these matters to be in the Prayer
Book unless he deemed them wrong? He wants
them cleaned from the book because by them the
book is rendered doetrinally unclean.
As Low Churchmen are already satisfied OF the
wrOngness of these doctrines Of Ritualtsm, the
DO mt is to show them the existence Of them in
the Prayer Book, that some reformation may be
wrought. An argument Of a labOred character on
the SUBJECT would be supeTfuous, for only poor
rhetorician makes a set effort to convince his
hearers of that which they are already assured.
Such an argument in this case addressed to
High Churchmen would perhaps be wholly use
incidentally, Bishop Cummins throughout
both his addresses here showed the unscriptural
and heretical character Of Ritualism, and his
whole separation from the Episcopal Church and
present work have their origin in his solemn con-
YIctiOn that the system in question is opposed TO
the Gospel and should be eradicated from the
Church and cast away, as it is already abhorred
Of Christ.
the desire Of 4. u. that Bishop Cummins should
again visit and preach in Washington at no dis
tant day. He surely does not expect the popu-
lsrity Of the Episcopal Church to be increased by
such visit from the bishop. He scarcely wishes
that the growing disRhectiOn Of large portion OF
its membership towards the Church should widen
and deepen any further. He surely does not want
the weaker ritualistic brethren to hear Bishop
Cummins prove the opposition between the doc
trnes Of their ministers ana those Of the Reform
ers whom they once learned to revere. He GER
tainly cannot be anxious that candid Ritualists,
who may hear the Bishop on another occasion,
shall have their minds filled with doubts, and
their consciences perhaps, set in fame in regard
to the evident unharmOny Of their system with
the spirituality Of the Bible. Does he want the
unfedged Ritualists OF this city to be shown how
the Ritualists Of the sixteenth century in Eng
land and on the Continent prosecuted the mem
beers of their own Church with barbaric ferocity?
docs he wish the Bishop to inform them how
Ritualists under Bloody Mary imprisoned
the Evangelicals Of that day and broke
on the rack or burned them at the stake? Does
he wish the Bishop to remind the Ritualists and
others Of Washington how, almost the other day,
the chained and blackened eorpses OF the martyrs
Of Spain, slain by the Ritualistic lnquisition were
unearthed in Madrid, and proclaimed the atrocity
Of Ritualistic Rome? Is X. H. anxious thst
Ritualism may appear to the imaginations Of
Bishop Cummins hearers, as it is now seen In
history all red with the light Of the fires HhlchlJs
own hands have kindled? r. H. ought 70 regard
with apprehension the prospect Of anOther Visit
ami public address from Bishop Cummlns others
of similar views but larger experience Will rather
deprecate another exposure OF system mllel, az
the best is built on the sand OF superstition and
in the end cannot resist the wipos and sweeping
waves Of Christian opinion. 81 lovers Of gospel
truth will be glad in the hope OF another visit
| r. I'M the Bishop that he mag give yet more etec-
tive blows to bring this Unsightly fabric to the
| dust ,-.,.,
| that Bishop Cunmins ministered in the Episco-
| pal Church for years not knowing what she
| taught or else with mental reservation, let me
| add a Jew words think that in reply to this
| the question may very well be asked, how does It
happen that so many leading Ritualists, formerly
prOiessed Low Cburchman, so long failed to see
| these Objectionable matters in the Prayer Book?
| They were on the other side for years; how did
| they find them out at last? The true eXplana-
sion of the asserted inconsistency on the part Of
| Bishop Cummins and others is that the obnOx-
! iOus portions Of the Prayer Book were to the
| Bishop and multitude beside mere dead let
| ter, as long as there was no controversy about
! them, and nobody to promulgate these heresies
| not subyerted, and but few cared for or thought
! of the UnsOund parts Of the Prayer Book. But
! when it was discovered that strong party in
| England had sprung into vigorous and aggressive
/ life, insnuating their errors into the minds Of
| the people, and that a corresponding party in
America was engaged in similar dangerous
!
! the Prayer Book, their attention was powerfully
| drawn TO these numerous seeds Of error in the
| Prayer Book, and 4 struggle yet in progress was
| begun between the advocates and the opposers Of
| tho Ritualistic system.
This struggle has been perpetuated by Low
| Clurchmen with the object and hope of exter-
| pating these evil things from the Episcopal
| Prayer Book, and so cleansing the Church, but in
stead Of this result their efforts have all been
| overcome and frustrated, and the Episcopal
| Church has, as a body, become thoroughly COM
| mitted and given over to system legal-Romish
| and JeWfsh-and evangelical truth is almost
wholly submerged in the rising flood Of SOUL
! destroying error. In view Of the hopelessness Of
/ this struggle against false doctrines and cere-
| monies it was that Bishop Cummins and his assO-
ciates retired from the Church. The career OF
evangelical men in this Church was not continued
! by aid Of mental reservatiOn"-a practice which
| as yet historically marks ROmish Ritualists-but
by an unwilingness and failure at first to believe
in the existence Of the evils Of their system, and
| afterwards by their carrying on 4 contest with
| error which time only proclaimed TO be useless.
When this sad discovery was made then, and not
| till then, did so many leave the Church. When,
| in our view, the Church a whole forsook the
truth Of God, we believed it was sin and peril to
abide within her. W. III.