New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE

istic practices. The followers CT the Rev. B.
+. Green, the rector of Miles Plattlng-now nm
prisOned in Lancaster Castle tor perslsting In
using unauthorized ceremonies III religious
worship-have subscribed money enough to re-
furnish his rectOry, which has been stripped or
its furniture under judgment order for costs
in Lord Penzances Court. No secret is made OF
this sympathy for the imprisoned rector, VINO
for consciences sake" as his friends say, has
lain in prison for more than eight months: Az
a recent service at st. Augnstlne's Clllrch, In
the West End of London, the proceeds OF the
ofertoTy, after the expenses OF subsequent
meeting of the District Union were pald, were
devoted to the relief of Mr.. Green's family
And it is not surprising to learn that at THIS SER
vice the officiating clergymen wore STORES, anu
the Clergyman who read the lessons had on, III
addition to the stole, purple cape sucn as Is
worn in Roman Catholic churches. Inc oppo-
nents of ritualsm are alive to the fact that the
question is very serious one. On fnday,
November rs, Bishop Fraser addressed SYNOD
of the clergy of the Diocese OF Manchester,
called together by his order, on the subject OF
rituaism. He said that the situation was very
grave. Nothing less was involved than the
continuance of the Church OF England IN her
position as the one united ana estaDiisneu
Church of the nation. The Church was pelDg
shaken to her foundations by the dlssenslons
within her ranks. Unbelief was gaining
strong hold among the people, while those VINO
ought TO be cOunteracting its influence were
fighting among themselves. He had therefore
"a
benefited clergyman and curate in the diocese,
which embraces $50 parishes, on the standard
of ritual. This letter Bishop Fraser read 10 the
synod and in it the clergymen we're admon-
ished that they do not exceed the limits vi
the ritual now practised and allowed, or winch
may hereafter be allowed, in the Cathedral
Church of the diocese" In the course OF MS
remarks prefacing the reading OF the letter, tne
Bishop said 1t is not merely the use OF ques-
tionable ornaments that is complained OF,
and has become the fuel of controversy, put
the manner and way IN which they are used;
and the continued and increasing growth Oh
new and strange ceremonies which accompany
their use 1t is not merely that chasuDie is
worn at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist,
but that 1t is put on and taken OIL at peculiar
time and in peculiar manner, and WITH divers
ceremonial accompaniment. Sundry mlhis-
trants and subministrants and servers, varl-
ously clothed and variously employed-some-
times to swing the censor, sometimes 10 llght
the altar candles, sometimes TO receive tne
priests biretta and place 1t on the credence,
sometimes to ring the sanctus Dell-ali Deip 10
introduce ceremonial which Is, as nave sai'',
new and strange to English Churchmen," and
which, the Bishop went on to say in substance,
ought not 10 be adopted by any church without
the approval of the Bishop. After the reading
of the letter the Bishop answered many ques-
tons, but no discussion was allowed
THE END OF THE THOMAS CAsE.-The refusal
of the Methodist judicial Conference to enter
tain the appeal of the Rev. Dr. Thomas, though
not unexpected, has caused eonsldeIable COM
ment in Chicago and elsewhere. DE- Inomas
is no longer within the pale OF the Methodist
Church, having relnquished his right OF appeal
and his membership in the Church by his re-
fusal to abstain from preaching AFTER ne naG
been found guilty of heresy. To a reporter of
The Chicago Inter Ocean DIR. Thomas SAID re-
Gently that he was glad that the end mad come,
for he would no longer be worried by the
continual abuse which had been neaped upon
him since the trial began" He was sorry to
see the Methodist Church take such a position,
and he believed that it could not AFFORD to hoid
such grounds He said that he should remain
simply the pastor of the Peoples Church" In
regard to the charge that his church is antago-
| nstc To the Methodist Church, Dr. thomas
said: I" The Peoples Church was not organized
| in antagonism to any religious organzation, III
was not looked upon as such Mt first, ana pc
| came its pastor until my case should be de-
| cided by the Conference. The only creed the
| Peoples Church has is the Ten Commandments
| and the teachings of Christ If these are not
| Methodist doctrines, and if they are antago-
nistic 10 Methodism, then 50 am l." or the
Methodist Church he said 1t Is sectarIanlsnl
that is killing the Methodist Church: This
| Church was when organized the one when was
| broadcast and most LIBERAL but since 1t has be-
come a power it forgets the object in thinking
! of itself, and will crowd out all that works
against that. The decision was OF course what
| | expected, but it was unjust and cruel. Ihey
have gone their full length. II that Is Their
poIicy, | am not Methodist. The Church
| began by helping the world Ii now is helping
| ITSELF In Dr. Thomas's opinion Methodsts
would rather build up the Church than the
cause of Christ. They would rather make
church members of the people than do good"
HrRIICAI MANUsCRIPTs.-The revision of the
| New Testament and the recent controversy over
| Professor Robertson Smiths works, have
aroused an unusual interest III Biblical research
| i'm England I'm this study old manuscripts
rIo
| AGO there was begun in Rome the printing III
| fnc smile type of the Vatican Manuscript
| known to scholars as the Codex Is, which con-
tains in Greek, with portions here ana there
missing, the text of the Old and New Testa-'
ment Scriptures. The task thus begun has
been continued under the auspices OF the pre-
| sent Pope, Leo XIll.. and the sixth, or last
| volume has just appeared simultaneously
with the production OF this work I'D itaiy, the
| trustees of the British Museum have sanctioned
| the publication in autotype photography OF the
| Codex Alexandrnus, another Greek manu-
script of the fifth century, which is deposited In
| the British National Library, having Deen pre-
| sented by Cyril Lucaz, patriarch OF Alexandria
| and afterward of C0nstantinople,, to King
| Charles L. in 1927. The fourth volume, con-
| tanning the New Testament and the Clemen-
| tine Epistles came to hand IN 1879 the hrst
| volume is now published, and the third and
| fourth are in progress. The original manu-
| script is in 773 sheets or leaves OF fine yellum,
thirteen by ten inches, and, as in the case OF the
| Vatican treasure, it is not absolutely complete
nrobably about forty leaves being wanting
! The writing of this manuscript, which is in
nncial or capital letters, though produced by
different hands, preserves ON the whole consld-
cradle uniformity III character, SIZE ana gem
oral appearance These two mentioned, to-
eether with the Siniatic of NJ. Tschendorf, in
the ROYAL Library of st. Petersburg, are the
most perfect of the existing Greek manuscripts,
about forty in number. OF cursive manu-
scripts in running hand there exists much
greater number, but they are all of later date.
and for the most part are only fragmentary
productions.
Having learned lesson by its struggle with
Professor Robertson Smith, the Free Church OF