Democratic messenger., 1881-04-02
Eccleslastlcal and scriptaral Notes
BY A LAYMAN.


Der of people will be disposed to trou-
bic us merely because we, IN some
things, choose to be an independent
thinker. My paper on the Exclusive
Canon being too lengthy for even two
short articles, will not be published,
but the following notes pertaining to
il may not be out OF place.
Is the Exclusive Canon oEthe EPis-
copal Church per Sc "uncharitaRle, "
and was it ever so intendedh No,
Iaye many persons of various demon
nations done great injustice to that
body by misconstruction of said canon,
as to its object, etc.? Yes. Is not the
word uncharitable often misap.
piled? We quote the following LAM
guage of an able divine:
"rhe truth is, that charity con
Germs more. the judgment We form OF
motives of others than the estimate we
make of the correctness of their opin-
ions, But the current popular thought
is, that charity consists in thinking
every one to be right. or at least not
seriously wrong. in his opinions. And
he who stands up uncompEomisingly,
however amiably, for his convictions
of truth and duty, and will not fail
into popular ways, for fear that he
may perchance compromise the truth,
Is branded as an uncharitable man,
Notwithstanding the fact that his chari-
ty it is which torbids him to compro
mise the truth. bishop Wilmer Of
Alabama.
Is unity of the Christian Church or
the great body of Christians desidera-
tums 1t is perhaps by the majority so
acknowledged to be. and we think SO
pSder certain cop6itions, with strong
ecclesiastical constitution TO protect re
ligions liberty Can that unity ever
be attained to under exclusive canons !?
Find man ready to reply in the affir-
NATIVE and let him go to lunatic asy-
lum. Unity might be good thing to
have (though not thought so by every
body, but persistent belief that unity
and exclusion at the same time are pos
sible under existing circumstances and
fact as to numbers, is only an evidence
Of degree of monomania that would
be determined as extreme by any
metaphysioian or medical practitioner
of good standing. The Episcopal
Churches of England and the y s.
are not united. Even the Church OF
England and the Episcopal Church in
Scotland have not unity. There can
be no such thing as unity under differ
ent Observation-Disclosures 2rcanons
Nor can that be termed unity which
consists of two or more denominations
uniting for a brief period once or
twice i'll each year. But could annul
ment Of the exclusive canon OF the 4
c. tend ultimately TO unity, since il
seems that those churches having no
exclusive canons have not come near
the mark of unity1 1t alone could
not have that effect even in two hun
dred years if ever. Notwithstanding
the said canon has in some respects
done much good, has it not misled
both clergy and laity of that church
and been misunderstood by many 9th
ers p TO perceive after due examina-
tion that it has misled some persons,
great wisdom ought not to be required.
Could any means be adopted to make
it's original intent generally under
stood without it's abolition1 proba
bly, not. Bpt would the annulment OF
said canon be under existing circum-
stances Objectionable? Yes. Could
there be such change of circumstances
that it's repeal, though conditional,
without meaning unreasonable terms,
would be expedient and contribute to
the growth ofthe Christian Church and
the advancement of Christianity ? Yes,
possibly, pr even probably. Is it ever
proper and eYen a duty to refrain
from or abandon anything the good
from which is more than cancelled by
the harm for the reason of adverse
opinion or being innocently misunder-
stood ? Let that eloquent, bold speak
er and apostle, St. Paul, answer-who
said if meat would make bis brother to
offend, he would eat no more flesh
while the world standeth. q. CORN.
thians, 5, I3.) Were non Episcopal
ministers ever permitted TO hAbilually
officiate in the ChHrph Of England ?
Yes-a long time before the revision
in I66I ofthe BoQk of Common Prayer.
There can be no moral wrong either
in advocating said canon or favoring
the conditional annulment of it. Epis
copalians believe said law to be very
unpopular consequently the general
ity of them know that by vindication
of it they can have nothing to gain in
this life, and hence must necessarily, as
to that position, be sincere. | do no
positively deny that there may be a
few insincere in that, but such hypoc-
risy is not probable.
There are persons however who do,
not innocently, misunderstood said
church law, and do not understand it
for the reason that they haye no wish
to comprehend it, and haye no hesi-
tation in denouncing it as Hnchristian
and accusing of insincerity large
body of people who perceive nothing
wrong in the rule and sustain it or do