New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-26
TIE RITUA LISTIC CONTROVERSY.
A REPLY TO DIR. HOPKINS.

RITUALIsrs PowERIEss To CORRUPT THE CHURCH.
NO ROOM FOR THEM IN THE MINISTRY.
| To the Editor Of The Trtbnne
SIR: In a recent letter of DR.. j. III. Hopkins
10 THE TRIBUNE some important facts were stated con-
corning rituasm In the Church, and some rcmarka-
BILE conclusions deduced thererom. The premises are
true the conclusions false The Church has abandoned
her position of antagonsm the Ritualists BIT
why Because she fears them, or because she loves
hemI Neither but because she discovered That IL Is not
necessary either fear oppose then Whyf Because
they are poweress corrupt the Church Rualism Is
an error which affects the clergy only IL makes no pro-
gress at all among the aity Now the progress Of any
wrong theory in the Church cannot be harmful II
the people do give it their support II they retire
from It's presence they carry with them Their purses
and riuslistic services must OF course. have money
for their support. That is precisely what the
! people have done; and they have done u
so efrectually in the last three years that
the General Convention in 1873, which passed q
canon against rtualsm had discovered in 1877 tbst no
action against II necessary, not even the negative
action OF stunning the society and the churches OF the
Rtualiss The Bishops and others treat Rtuaiss with
the same plying federation they do Others or their
brethren who like to wear shovel hat IN pubic or III
dulce In any other harmless idosyncrasy.
In Connecticut there werc In 1873, fonr ritualistc
churches Two Of them proprietary chapes, built
and sustained chiefly by their rectos who honestly De-
evcd that ornate services and splendid ritual c1-
listed the means OF attracting the masses TO church
The masses did not and of those who would
naturally be attendants upon these churches the greater
norton 20 else have joined the ranks OF the
"stay-at-homes" Another OF the four has been hope
essly drifting into debt under rualistc management
and is now without rector and will probably unite with
non.rituastic parish The last Of the four, presided
over y one ablcst and best men IN the church. j.
almost deserted by its CONGREGATION All TINS Is proof
flat rituasn IL not be dreaded in the church. be-
cause affects the clergy alone, the people refusing 10
auprove or maintain The General Convention could,
therefore and did wisely ignore II dead issue IL Its
| making OF canons and ia It's deliberations.
Nav az TO it's growth among the clergy. Ktunlisin IL
Of two Knds dOctrnal and ast teal 40 doctrine
Sacramental Alteration logical. rather an ultra
logical deduct from the true doctrine OF the Real Pr
euce. The Neurological men among the clergy VIII
always carry the process OF reasoning 10 untehA-
HE conclusions moi In the direction 81 eacIanncnlnl
| Adoratfon then other direction. This l. III
eyitabc; shall always have extremists VI doctrine
among the clergy while the logical faculty exists IN men
The Aesthetical Ituali.iS chiefly young men Just
from the divinity schools. few years OF
| hald experience usually cures them OF Ritual
ISM which was only sentimental afectIon NJ
| tic best. Those students with whom rtiaiisin
! Is principle, seeing the impossibhy 81 HIDING con
grcgaons to accept Of their theology retire nom
the ranks candidates for orders. "A or them sid
10 me: "Thcre he room for 1tu2sts III the
ministry; they clerks or book kecpers,
and II have to be clerk In dry goods sor,, would
| rather be an uordaEcd than an ordained one
| WaicO,triif, Coan Jan. ], 1873. III b. r.