New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-25
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
A REPLY TO A PAPAL ARGUMENT
MEDICATION OF ANGLICAN ORDERS BY
Arthur Lowndes. Two vols octave fp XIX
I0 VIII a. James Pott Co.

An~i,can orderx How far he Is successful IN
this task depends largely on the eccIssiasucai
bias OF the reader. The thorough-goins Ahsh-
can will naturally deem his arguments I'M
anewerable, and will be surprised II the ltaian
Mission" ever again ventures to throw douo'
on the standing OF the Anglican Church' IN
deed. the publishers print opinions to that erect
by eminent Episcopal clergymep who have seen
advance comics of the work Professor Riley of
the Episcopal General Theological Seminary
speaks OF II as remarkable in its "unanswer-
able truth and appositeness. And from the
poin, OF view Of the Episcopal Church this en-
corium Is fully deserved The author Is thor
oughly familiar with all the points involved in
the question. and makes a good use OF the ar
Cuments that may fairly be urged in support OF
the Anglican contention.
But after all ne only gives an ex-parte state
ment OF the case He writes as an advocate and
not as a fudge He therefore magnihes every
thing that helps his side Of the case. and either
rninimizes ignores or disputes the arguments
on the other side. We do not say this in crIu-
cism OF his work. for his aim was TO write
controversial book. and all controverslalsts are
necessarily end properly advocates hoIoihs
brief II is not their function. any more tnan IL
is that Of the lawyer. TO make judicial SUM-
mary OF the case. but to offer as strong plea
a. can possibly be made for their view OF IL
And. as we have said. this is what Dr. Lowndes
has done. That his arguments. however VIII
convert any sincere and scholarly Roman Cath
olio to the belief that Anglican orders are valid
from the Roman Catholic point OF view is not
TO be supposed. The controversy. indeed. re-
mains exactly where It was before Assuming
certain premises and certain alleged historical
facts the Roman Catholic will continue to
complete
satisfaction Of every Roman Catholic. While
on the other hand. by assuming certain other
premises and asserting certain other disputed
facts of history. the Anglican theologian VIII
prove his case just as completely to the saus-
faction OF Anglicans. AS for Christians VINO
are neither Roman nor Anglican Catholics, they
will continue to regard the whole question as
ore Of words and names They may believe IN
an ordained ministry strongly as do Roman
Catholics or Anglicans. but they do not believe
in an apostolic succession, and therefore 'hey
are not concerned TO prove that their ministry
Is valid In the Papal or Anglican sense OF the
word.
One OF the interesting points made by DR..
Iowndes is that while Roman Catholics are so
ready 70 criticise the alleged defects Of the
Anglican Ordinal, their own Ordinal is open 10
much the same sort OF criticism.
Roman Catholic Church bishop does not ap-
parently belong to the threefod ministry Of
sacred. orders as II is here Gn the OrdinaD made
up Of sub deacon. deacon and presbyter. This
is certainly not the Ignatan Threefold Min
istry nor that Of the primitive Church Nor
does Il come under the term Of hierarchy as
defined by the Council Of Trent. This exclusion
OF the bishop from the threefold ministry and
this inclusion Of the ub-deacon is worthy of
very grave consideration. though 1t would ex-
tend these pages TO undue length TO enter into
that question. Let 1t suffice to remember that
ub-deacons are not mentioned by name at all
till the third century. and that it was not TIL
the Middle Ages that they were promoted TO the
rank OF major orders, and so came to be in
cluded among the sacred orders.
1T is singular that the term used in the Ro-
man Ordinal is that Of presbyter which in
English has commonly been rendered as elder.
1t is to the Presbyterate. De Ordinations Pres
bvteri' that the successor 10 the deacon Is
daned We should be justified in translating
this of the ordering Of elders The minister
oIdaining is also not called Episcopus or Bishop,
but Pontifex. II the Reformed Church Of Eng
land had adopted such terms. If she had called
her threefold ministry by the terms Of deacon.
elder and pontiff. what endless gibes would have
been directed at her. and how she would have
been reviled for departing from primitive and
Catholic practice in her Technology. How she
would have been told that a church discarding
the Catholic Specification had thereby set aside
the thing signifed. and that hence she had
neither priest bishop. How easy TO have
conciliated the Presbyterians in 1862 by copy
ing Roman Technology and changing priest into
presbyter."
Roman Catholics make the point that Angli-
he he IN chara
Roman orders because the Anglican Church
denounced and repudiated the Church OF Rome.
To this Dr. Lowndes replies: The churches Of
the East have used and still use official lam
guage far stronger IT, condemnation Of Rome
and Roman practice than the Church OF Eng
land has ever used. but the orders OF these
churches have not been denied by Rome. Nor on
the innumerable occasions when in the past
bishops OF other sees differed from the Bishop
Of Romo did the latter presume far as to say
that the orders Of these others or Of the clergy
IN their jurisdiction WERE by reason OF such
difference OF opinion. invalid"
Preaching according TO DR.. Lowndes Is the
FIRST power OF the Christian priesthood: but not
only does the Pops seldom preach but the func-
ton Of preaching has been degraded in the
Roman Church. Nor has that Church. accord
ing to DR.. Lowndes. shown any special mis-
slonary zeal certainly not than the Church
OF England.
OF Transubstantiaton. the doctrine around
which the whole sacerdotal system OF Rome re-
wolves, the author speaks thus: Rome has
soemnly affirmed at the Council OF Trent her
faith IN Transubstantation. and though here
and there devout and spiritual minded persons
In her communion vii! say that no material or
corporcal presence IS meant, yet this Is the
teaching OF the great majority OF her Driests
and the belief OF the majority Of her faith
ful communicates. The dogma % Transub-
vtantiation 10 that which causes men and
women baptized by Rome's priests and con-
Armed by the bishops never TO cross the ihresh-
old Of her churches or 10 seek the nnstration
Of her priests when they come 10 years Of dis
cre,ion. All through the latin countries who're