The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-10-31
WOULDN'T BE A PRIEST.
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH LOSES ONE
oFITs EMINENT MINISTERS.
Rev. DR.. j. M Leavitt, Editor of the
Church Review, Leaves the Church to
Escape Ritualism and Other Alleged
Roman Catholic Tendencies Reasons
for His Detection.

There was good deal more than the
Usual attendance yesterday at the morn
ing services in the First Reformed Epis-
copal Churc,, at Madison avenue and
Fifty-fifth street, says the New York
Sun of Monday. The cause of the in
creased attendance was general
knowledge of the fact that the Rev. DR..
John Mcdowell Leavitt, for more than
forty years a clergyman of the Protest
ant Episcopal Church and man of
wide reputation in that body, would
Yesterday announce in the church his
parting from the communion with which
he had so long been connected, and an
nounce his accession to the Reformed
Episcopal Church. DR.. Leavitt's letter
of resignation was sent to Bishop Potter
recently.
DR.. Lcavitt has been for several years
the editor of the Church ReUiev, one of
the leading magazines published in this
country in the interest of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. He was the founder
and editor of the International ReUie,O.
He was born in Steubenville, Ohio, in
1924, and became Protestant clergy
man in 1S48. He has been professor
in the Ohio University and Kenyon Col
lege. He was president Of Lehigh Uni
versity at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
for five years. Later DR.. Lcavitt was
president of st. Johns College at An
napolis, Maryland. Among the works
published by DR.. Leavitt are Reasons
| for Faith in the Nineteenth Century,"
"Amcricans in Rome," "Visions of
Solyma," ;" and "Hymns to Our King"
DR.. Leayi.t has accepted the profes-
sorshp of ecclesiastical history, Church
evidences, and Church polity in tho
recently established theological seminary
of the Reformed Episcopal Church in
Philadelphia.
The services at the First Reformed
Episcopal Church were conducted by the
rector of the church, the Rev. William
T. Sabine. tie said that the congrega-
ton and all Reformed Episcopalians bade
DR.. Leavitt cordial welcome, and
wished him all possible success in the
important work which he was about 10
undertake in Philadelphia. In his ser.
mon DR.. Leavltt said that some public
expression of the reasons which led him
| to take the important step he had taken
were fitting, in view of his service OF
more than quarter of a century rs a
Protestant Episcopal minister.
"Let me put in one sentence" he
said, "the result of my long struggle and
study. believe the Anglican commun-
ion to be a mixture Of political compro-
misses and irreconcilable contradictions.
| turn to the calendar of the English
PRAYER Book and l see that January 30th
commentaries Charles the Martyr, King
of England, and May Goth commentaries
Charles II.-Charles H., the royal adul-
terer, who polluted the thought, polluted
the literature, polluted the court, pollu-
ted almost everything i'll England in his
time. In the old Prayer Book a clergy
man is called a minister; now minister
Is called priestc Tradition has come
to overbalance Scripture. The Scriptures
contain all things which are necessary to
salyation-thats what the articles OF the
Church say-yet the Episcopal Church
| is coming to think more of tradition
than of the Scriptures to-day.
"After years of effort to twist the
truth, can blind common sense and
conscience no longer. The Scriptures
are silent on the question of infant bap-
tism. If the Scriptures do not tell me
of this I do not know it, and what do
not know ] should not affirm. 1t will
not do to say that the Church creates
the doctrine. 1t is against that which
l protest If the Church can create one
doctrine it can create others, and then
where do we stand2 The crucial time came
with me one day when / was expected
to stand at the font and baptize an in
fant. l said then that my lips would
never utter what my heart disbeleved.
So it is with the use Of the word priest.
In the New Testament the word priest
is used to designate Il very different
thing than a minister. 1t may he
thought a small matter, but ritualism
roots: itself in this word priest. re-
ncunce it forever; no man shall ever
| give me that title again. enter the
| brotherhood of Protestant ministers.
"Again, the doctrine of apostolic sue
ce,sion lay ON me like an iceberg. This
doctrine and prieslly prcrogative go
| together. 1t is to me abhorrent that
should acknowledge as Protestant
minister man who wears scapular to
protect him from lust and purgatory.
Ritualsn is sitting Professionalism in the
Anglican Church. The Bishops of the
Episcopal Church now treat as servants,
not as equals, the other Protestant min
listers. They will sit on the same plat
forms with these ministers, but they
will not admit them 70 Episcopal affairs.
The General Theological Seminary Of
the Episcopal Church in this city teaches
that the Bible is to be received on the
authority of the Church. 1t makes the
Church first and the Bible next. Now,
nothing must come between me and my
Bible but the Holy Ghost. The Roman
communion puts the pspes aud the
fathers between Inc and my Bible, and
the General Theological Seminary puts
the fathers between me and my Bible.
| will have none of either.
"The General Theological Seminary
e1alts tradition above Scripture" said
DR.. Leavitt. "The money contributed
to the Domestic Board of the Protest
ant Episcopal Church is used to send
out graduates of this seminary, who,
working especially in the West, arc ex-
pected to develop strength that in
future diocesan and general conventions
| will tear oil tho Protestant elements ont
of the Prayer Book. In this city you
can confess to an Episcopalian minister,
YOU can be absolved by an Episcopal