The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-10-21
Mrruoplsrs Axp ErnooPALlASs.-An

interesting discussion has been going on
in the Chicago Tribune over suggestion
that these two religious bodies should be-
come one, and tina. there is really no
inSupersble obstacle to their union. The
Tribune itself opened the discussion with
an article showing the advantages that
would aoW from union Of the two de-
nominations. It took the ground that
they we're really mother and daughter,
and that they ought no longer to dwell
apart, having the same habits, feelings,
b.lieiI and modes Of thought and wor'
ship. This article brought ont response
from talented EPiscopalian clergyman
showing that the mother was anxious
for the daughter" to come back, and
had been anxious for many years,
80 anxious, in fact, that the offer to
come back had been, and was still,
standing. The door was continually open,
and all that the daughter had to do was
TO accept certain easy conditions and
walk in. To this the Methodist Episco'
pal Bishop Of the Diocese Bishop Ha'
yen) made reply, setting up certain for
midable looking obstacles that stood in
the way Of the union, Among them, first,
tina, it would interfere with the purely
Msthodistic practice Of itineracyi and,
second, that the Methodist Bishops would
have to be reconsecrated, as not being in
the regular Apostolic succession, accord
Ing to the Episcopalian idea. The first
point they we're not ready to yield As
70 the second, they claimed that their
Bishops we're regularly consecrated, but
as the Episcopalians would not concede
this point the union was impossible. The
Episcopalian clergyman, however, did not
give up the ship. In his frstrePly he init
mated that itineracy was not an insur'
moun,able object to the union, AZ the
EpiScopalians we're ready to accept it in
modified form. In second article he
takes up the conservation question, and
makes bad work with the position assum-
ed by the Methodist Bishop, The latter
had affirmed, mainly from rumor and
healSay, the Church tradition that some
Greek Bishop from the vicinity Of Con-
stantinople, visiting in London, had made
Wesley Bishop in the regular succession
by the imposition Of hands. The Episco-
palian writer shows this was not fact;
that Wesley never claimed it. that his
papers and diary contain no mention OF
It; that We,ley's own brother denied the
truth Of the story and that it was myth.
Hence, sums up the EpiscoPalian, Wesley
was never a Bishop consecrated in the
regular succession from the Apostolic
period.
Here the discussion halls with this ap.
parenGly insurmountable obstacle loom
ing up between mother and daughter.
BulisitinSurmountable? The Tribune sug.
gests that Bishop Cummins, Of the Reform
ed Episcopal Church, Is a regularly conse.
Grated Bishop in the Apostolic Church,
having been consecrated before his schism.
Once a Bishop, always Bishop. How
would lit do (says the Tribuu,) for the Meth
odiSt EpiScopals to annex him and let him
"vaccinate" the Methodist Bishop, and
thus bring them all into line There is
really no difference between the Reform
ed EpiscopSlians and the MethodiSt', and
they might Join hands without any reseF.
walton whatever. The Episcopalian
Msthodists would thus have one Bishop
with credentials reaching back to Peter,
who would Immediately legitimatiEe all
the others, and thus remove any doubts
whether their Bishops are regularly or
irregularly consecrated, and pave the way
for a grand entree into the Protestant
Episcopal fold, which would only be too
glad 10 welcome them and continue the
conservation I'D i1GniIum, placing their
Bihops on an equal footing with their
own.