, 1875-03-07
DR.. CuSHMAN'S LETTER.

! Df1a AsUof1NIHN . Il ~ EEs
DE- DE KovEH's DocTKEAL POSITION.
| To tAs Editor ef The Chicago Tribune:
CHICAGO, March 6.-The learned President o,
the Standing Committee has written letter tt
! the Bishop and Standing Committee Of the
Church, in which be attempts to instruct then
in regard to the doctrinal position Of our Bishop
elect, which think he will see-with lttlt
reaection-was not necessary. Though Presi'
dant OF the Standing Committee Of the Diocese
Of Illinois, which DR.. Locke says is not much oi
3 Diocese after all, there are come things which
the Doctor does not seem to comprehend, anc
| which, in his search after truth, think woulc
be well to lay before him and before the publie
which he has attempted to instruct.
Now, I suppose it Is fact which no intelligent
chn1chman will deny. that there is such thing
as what is called the RituA1istio Or Advanced
Catholic party in the Church OF England and in
the American Church, though principally con
fined to our Eastern cltiee-apsrty which is thor
ouehly organized, and which has long been held
as dangerous to the peace and prosperity Of the
Church, This party holds and propagates the
Romish doctrine referred to in DR.. Cushmhn q
letter. 1t repudiates everything distinctiyely
Protestant, even the very name, and it accepts
tic doctrines Of the Romish Church with q few
!
some OF the grosser errors OF Rome. 1t IL IN
tensely partisan even Jesu1ticAl. IN many OF its
features, it is determined in its efforts, and Of
ten unscrupu1ous in many Of its acts; it seeks
position and power in the Church, and it propa-
gates it's doctrines, es,-sometimes openly, but gem
orally covert]y,-and while denying to the world
its principles or even its existence. The
party in England has flooded this country With
its honish literature through Pott, Young d
Co., IN New York, and Mitchell d Hathaway IN
xvha hf1 y 7f a..
yotion may be found in which all the Romish
doctrines referred to in the Doctors letter are
plainly taught.
This party having long been regarded as dam
gerous to the Church, the General Conventions
Of 1871 and 1874 occupied most of their time ID
legislating against it. and in allaying the fears OF
the Church, in regard to its growth in the Ameri-
can Church. The party has it leaders, in En-
gland, in such men as Pusey. Bennett and
Mackonacie and, in this country, in such men
~ Ever, Grafton, and De Koven.-leaders who
are widely known "a such, who are claimed as
such by the party, and who hare never denied 1t,
but rather encouraged the idea that they are the
leading men OF the movement And 1t ts fact
prominent - such than our Bishop-elect. He
first came into notoziety IN the General ConFen-
ton Of 1871, when be startled the whole Church.
and there be said as much as to say that he
intended to startle the Church by declaring
his belief in doctrine-in regard to the Eucha-
made himself notorious in the Convention OF
1874 in which he attempted to explain his DO
siton in the Convention OF 1871, and IN which,
80 far from retracting bis vlewB which he then
held, he only confirmed them. SO that tue Rit-
ualistic oresns Of this party in England COM
mented on his speech IS the best exposition Of
the distinctive doctrine of tho party which had
ever occurred.
As the groat apostle Of this party in the Amer
lean Church, Dr.. De koven has been . can0i-
-, f1r &1>a nfn in IA afr
times. becauae be represents the pa1ty. He hzs
been defeated because Of this fact i've times, and
that through the votes OF High Churchmen. He
has been defeated all these times for no other
this party, and that be was pushed by tho most
prominent Ritua!ists in tue country.
The Rev. Dr.. Seymour, who Vas elected to the
Episcapacy Of illinois last summer, was rejected
By the General Conventiou-not because he had,
like De koyen, openly ayowed Romish doctrines,
with the party which held them. And Dr.. De
koven declared in Racine thar his a3ectiou was q
yindication OF Seymour, and. therefore, d direct
robuke to the General Convention OF the Church.
mittee of the Diocese OF Illinois is not aware Of
all these facts he may be sure that the Diahops
and the Standing Committees Of the Church are,
and that they are not going to allow the inHig-
nifcant Diocese Of Illinois to compromise tho
whole Church and commit her to this Romish
party against her w1ll. These men can plainly
aee, if DR.. Cushman cannot that the contirma-
ton Of Dr.. De Koren however admirable hs may
be in bis private character, would stuitify the
Church, and place her in q false position before
the world. De'koven, anu Even, and Grafton
and .uch men may be tolerated in the Church
(which = member OF our last Convention said
was broad enough to take in all, even Dc
Koven). But, while ehe can perhaps tolerate
these men in subordinate positions in the
Church, she cannot safely elevate them to her
highest Offices. No one questions all that las
moral character. hope the same can be said
Of most Of the clergy OF the Protestant Episco-
pal Church. But some have failed to see how
tho Warden Of Racine is the only man among
g. 600 clergymen OF tho Episcopal Church who ia
dt to become the Bishop OF the Diocese Of Hi
nois. 3.