, 1875-02-28

I
his views Expressed in the General Convention q
1871. This fact, or supposed fact. was glad t
recognize n4 i i ea,s n s great peasnse @ ga11aslz
concerning it.. That Was I'll.
This letter speaIs for itself. Z.
PRlMARlA AND DUBlA.
CONSIDERATION oF THE aAcRAAENrAL QUESTION
70 Aae Editor Of The Chicago 1Si1aae:
The Rev: DR.. De Koven is Biahop-clect OF til.
! Diocese OF Illinois. A manifesto from thos
who lcsiro the confirmation Of this election, ant
= protest from those who oppose it, are sent ou
to sho Bishops and Standing Committees Tht
character OF the latter document indicates 10
.a1al OF the sane sort Of Mnrfare resorted to
roar ago in Wisconsin, and last October ID ths
General Convention. Tho opposition is bassl
On alleged '.erzor in doctrine" ind 'Ailleeality'
in election.
This second point, even On the showing Of The
protestors. ia mere form without vitality. II
VAS not thought Q! at the election OF DR. sey-
Inour; and, it the ''challengo" Of certain
| votes in this election is valid, it must
he On the ground that the laymen who
cast them have. after all, no legal right to sit as
members Of the Convention. Tho legality Of
their membership, though purely e1-oficio il
| not questioned. They nust, therefore, have
"&l the rights Of members for any and every
sort Of Diocesan business; and it Is not possible
TO discriminate in their votes, whether cast for
Diehop, for Deputies to General Convention, for
Standing Committee, or for any Legislative
| measure.
| But the main point is the alleged q error in
/ doctrins;" bat for this the other had not been
| thought of. The whole difficulty centres in tho
question, What is error in doctrine? This takes
| us back to fundamental principle which, in
these stormy times, is in danger Of being wreck
sorts ot doctrine, as expressed ia tho nnciont'
maxim. h prinaa,iis, aaitas; IN dubiis.
tite,fas; in omnibus edritds. The Iri-
maria are those essentials OF the faith
which ceutre in tue Holy Trinity, and
| have been determined by the Church. Rallied
beneath tho standard of Tho Cross, ~e must .s' in
unity embrace these P13ma,ia and defend
them with orr lives. Tar away from this centre
Of light is the dark region into which error and
heresy, duly tried and condemned, have been
darkness and the ceutral Light is the region OF
the Duold, that is, OF those debatanle matters
which thu Church has never determined. These
ali hxTs prescriptirs right to be held by any who
mar 4, choose to hold them; the Ghurch's flag Of
liberty guarantees and defends all rights among
them: and the Church's law of charity com
mands the peace among them. Not any OF these
D,tola aro to be classod as "erroneous and
strange doctrines" Shich we are bound to
i" hanish and drive away from the Church"
in one extreme, and the Bennett Dubia in tho
other. wore crrors in religion" and repnguant
to tho Pr1mar7d as defined and established iu
tho Articles aud Formularies OF the. Church
This forced these two sorts Ct D1bia into legal
investigation. trial, and adjudication. The mat
tors thus tried were neither elevated to the peer
age Of the Prlma17a, nor as errors sent into
bsnishment.. But the decision Eas ~ thai
they aro not repugnant to tho Church's Law of
Doctrine, ent are lawful opinions-are legitimate
their proper territory C2) That from tho Refor-
nation onward they hare always had actual
hocrty-ha been held by eminent Bishops and
Doctors OF the Church, and have place IN their
these D,lbiu arc not for this cause to Be exclud-
ed from my place or position to which they hayo
been duly appointed or elected. This third
point was IN essential one in the Gorham
case, and maintained the principle that persona
holding any Of these Dub,a are not to be pergo-
the Church's protection.
Also it is manifest that tho P7-iu,ariu a1one
have authority to order all things in the SANG
tuary. The Gotna1n Dtbia may not como in
Holy Baptism; nor tho E:Aitc:t Du0ia tho doc
trlner language, and ritual Vi the uoly Com
The moment thoy snatch ut authority.
thoy forfeit their liberty and the Church's pro- |
lection become rebels, and liable to judicial con-
Bishops (as quotsd by the protest) address tbs !
Dubia in these two extremes, III tones of |
paternai remonstrauce: s'You have large lib |
erty wi,y, then, abuse the gsntleuess Of Christ.
aud ne patience OF your mother, BY pressing
canonical eudurance7 Why aim at usurping tho |
functions Ct tho power that protects You. and /
sock to make the Church moro Evangelical or
more more Catholic than her own For,nularieB and |
Ritual affects to ~
Also when ths Bennett Dstbtu take cd tho
Fords Of Bishop Androwee, Bisaop Cosiu. and
many others, even back to tho early Fathers. and
,ay. ne adoro Christ as personally, spiritually.
oblectlyely Present in the Holy Eucharist, but
not s9e eonsscrated elements; the Bishops (as
oossibie for the common mind to draw the line
3etwecn worship Of such IA undedned
md myettious Presence, and the awful error Of
1dorlnS the elements themsa1yes." But it is
on The distinctions made By the Gorhan Du6in
n Holy Baptism, without coming "perilousIy !
lear denial Of its sacrauentai charactor alto
sether. It is also true that in the doctrines
II the Holy Trinity, the Divinity and
o. GsI anor IL the Ktstsq9ssy Of the
;hu1ch's Owl distinctions are utterly beyond
be reach of 'sthe common mind - and that iu-
laeis nse this very fact against tho Church, and
put in peril the souls Of men,"
Tho distinction maie by Bishop A1drcves md | !
thers ones did the Church valiant service
'he Romish Csrdinsls contended for tho poa-
ession Of the EARLY Fathers on the side Of
fansubstansiat;ou: AID it Was this distinction |
!one thai defeated the Cardinals, and saved tho
'athera as faithful Witnesses for thc Reforms +
lon. All this does no. prove the correctpeEs OF
he distinction outat does prove that the distioc-
ion, as ren ia ancient as in modern times. has
ad q recognized place among tho Du5iu that |
d not, Is asserted By pr: Ctaik, the full
quivalent OF Granauhstantiation' =: hnt 1ts nor
Il foe !; and that the theological Distinctions 4
znonx tho Duhn ire no mora difficult and ian. 1