New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-21
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

RELIGIOUS INT ELLlGENCE.
A RITuALIsTs PLEA FOR TOLERATIoN.-
The Imprisonment of the Rev. Pelham Dale,
rector Of St. Vedasts, London, through the
action of Lord PenZanee, of the Court OF Arches,
IA regarded by the English Rtuailsts az
greater outrage than the arrest OF the Rev.
Arthur Tooth "a few years ago, the punishment
having fallen this time, not on comparatively
Young man. but on one sixty years Old, the son
of father whose name is honOred among the
recent dignitaries of the diocese, especahy ~
Evangelical circles, himself man distinguisne4
for learning aud plety. who has served .ne
parishes of st. Tedast and st. Michael lie
Querne for three-and-thirty years: rather
MackOnOcbie, of st. Adams asks IN me Hh''e-
hall Reuiew: What particular law has been
broken in this matter The reply Will perhaps
he given in some such way as this: ne law
of the Prayer Book has been broken. MS
book has continued in use for more than 800
years with much edifcatiOn in the way people
have always understood it /; but now 1t IS beng
made to say things which our grandtathers
never dreamed OF its saying; al KINDS OF tnlngs
have been done which we never saw or heard
OF being done and after the courts OF law
have decided that the things were not allowed
to be done, they are done still 90, II people
Will be so obstinate, they must DC content to
go to prison. Such is very much what Is said
and believed by "a great number OF persons, ana
plObabIy received by all or most OF those who
do not care to inquire further. But lt may
be confidently affirmed that those who are
secuted as w-bIeakers are IN reality Its truest
observers. Ii Ii not necessary 10 enter INTO any
minute comparison in this natter Dut II IL
were. the result would be to show that IN the
regular observance of the Kalendar, the daily
saving of Morning and Evening Prayer, thc use,
at stated times, of the Litany, the observance
of Fasts and Festivals, and even in the use or
the Sacramento besides much more, the Prayer
Book is mucn better obeyed by those who agree
with, than 10y those who imprison, Mr.. Dale.
In fact it is generally believed among those
who agree WITH blm that even the DlshOps
themselves are not careful TO obey the EXPRESS
directions of the Prayer Book. Surely, then,
we may hope to see our right reverend 1athers
rise up to claim the liberation OF one who,
whatever else may have been his fault, mas al
least been careful in observing the obligations
contained in that book far better than they
Themselves have been able to do. Doubtless
many things may concur to hinder the bishops
from full observance on ell points, for which
cause it would be most unseemly 10 nnu 1ault
with them but such hlndrances might De ex.
pected the more to make them feel mat, even IL
MI Dale should in his zeal have somewhat ex-
ceeded the intentions of the Prayer BOOK
which is however, not at all cOnceded-the
manifold shortcomings on all sides demand toll
Grafton, at least, for such over. forward devO-
tionr The proceedings of the Court OF Arches
are denounced by English Ritualists as Illegal
on the grounds that the Judicial committee
of the Prlvy Council is Il secular court, the FRO
vincial Courts have been abrogated by the
Public Worship Regulation act, and the Dl0-
cesar Courts were surrendered Dy the olSh0pS
when they assented to the Public worship
Regulation act The Judge sitting In the
Arches Court of Canterbury, they contend, Is an
unqualified official, and there Is no Court. I'm.
less it be COuyocatiOn, acting with spiritual
authority which can lawfully deal with
snirituaI causes. Father Mack0nochie sums up
the case Ior the Ritualisis IN this way: There
is q PRAYER Book. with plain lntelhgIbe rubrcs,
which Mr. Dale and his friends strive to obey.
II carries upon its face In larger type than any
other rubTic, the crucial one upon which most
if not all the attacks made upon the extreme
party as it is called, have restt d. Its directions
are explicit, and there is no Court With valid
jurisdiction to decide between c0nGendlng
parties Mr.. Dale has a right, as an English
man 70 demand that, as long "a that Orna-
ments Rubric' stands IN the forefront of Our
Book of Common Prayer, every man whose con-
science will allow him to accept that book is
entitled to the liberation winch Is the boast OF
the nineteenth century, at all events I'D Eng
land
THE OLDEST CHURCH IN Boston. - The
25Oth anniversary OF the FIRST Churcn society
i'm Boston was celebrated last Thursday. The
exercises included an address OF welcome by
the Hon Nathaniel Slllsbee prayer by the
pa tor, the Rev. Rufus Z lis DID; reading OF
Scriptures, by the Rev. E. E. Hale; lie Deum
historical address, by the Rev. George b. Ellis,
DID: addresses by the Hon. Robert Z. VIM
thron Goytrnor Long, and Mayor Prince
.Jubilate; addresses by President Eliot of
Harvard College and President Noah Porter,
ID d.. of Yale College; ancient hymn, to the
time of China y; addresses by the Rev.
Phillips Brooks and the Rev. {. c. Everett;
Dnqm by William Everett hymn addresses,
bv the Rev George W. Briggs ID: d., for Ply
mouth, the Hon. Robert Rantoul, Tor Salem,
and the Rev. Grindall Reynolds, descendant OF
fine Rev John Wilson, the first minister OF the
church original hymn, by the Rev Charles l.
Brooks of Newport and benedlctl0n by the
Rev J. II. Morrison. In the evening there was
a church festival and concert. j. ne very nrst
house devoted exclusively TO public worship in
Boston was erected for this society IN 1882,
on what is now the site Cf Braziers building, on
the south corner of State and DevonshIe-sts.
II was a rude anu humely structure, when COM
pared with the stately and magnificent temple
which now stands out az one OF the most lmpOs-
ing and conspicuous public buildings In the Back
bav district. II had mud walls and matched
roof and paint and glass windows were orna-
ments and cOnveniences which 1t Is presumed
were most spar1nglJ useu I'D lGs CONSTRUCTION
An old picture now In existence, which was pre-.
Dared Tor the purpose or exhibiting the Old
STATE House. discloses what seems 20 be the
head and front OF the 9nclent church. JUST pc
meath the ridge pole, on the face or the edlhce,
onnears n public clock, which was probably the
optv one in Boston at the time. The men
chiefly instrumental in laying the foundation or
this church were John Winthrop, Isaac john
son, Thomas Dudley, and John Wilson: They
came to Massachusetts Bay In june 1851, ana
in the following August the church was Iegu-
Iarly embodied. The first meeting place of the
cong1 egation was under the shade OF large
tree where worship was regularly held until
the completion of the house before described
The church was first constituted at Charles
town. and few months following the occu
nancy of the State and DevOnshire-s st. building
some of the members resident in that district
were peaceably dismissed Before the close
of the first year, the congregation, having
failed in securing the services of John Eliot,
afterward immOrtaiized by his apOstleship
among the Indians, orGained John Wilson as
their pastor. On the 17th OF October, 1883,