The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-28
DIR. DALTON'S REPLY
To His Lewiston and Auburn Critics.

Still Hold to His Opinions-Insists that the
Episcopal Church Has Declined-Rit-
uaIism III Maine.
The Lewiston journal prints the fol-
lowing interesting letter from Rev. DR..
Asa Dalton, rector Of St. Stephen S
church in Portland, in reply to an article
in the journal OF November 10 relative
to DR.. DaIton's sermon on the Episcopal
church in Maine:
portland, November IS.
To tbs Editors OF the Lewiston journal:
1t is a condition, not theory, wnlcn
confronts u.s.
A recent writer says that il two men
make report of the same thing the re-.
ports will always differ, and their readers
will as certainly differ in their opinion
of them.
This remark reminds one of the old
Latin saying often repeated. 'Quando duo
faciunt idem, non est ideam,' g, when
two persons do the same thing, that
which is done is not the same thing.
The application to DR.. Dalton 8 SER
mon is, that the parties to it, viz, the
preacher and the reeiewers, though nomi-
nelly handling the same subject, view 1t
from such different standpoints. that
their conclusions are far apart. In fact,
the reviewers do no attempt to refute Dr.
Dalton's allegations. but other things
which he did not say. while they DO not
deny what he affirmed He did not say
that no parish had grown in thirty years.
Lewiston with large English population
and no ritualistio rectors, does not coun-
terbalance loss elsewhere, viewing Maine
as whole.
.EThey appeal to paroohial reports and
the new churches built, not telling US
how many of these new churches are self .
supporting, or likely to become SO. Nor
do they mention the fact that those built
at watering places on the Maine coast are
built and supported only for few weeks
In summer by visitors from other states,
and SO adding nothing to our growth.
In his sermon, DIR. Dalton himself re-
ferred to the new and more costly
churches largely built by money solicited
and sent here in response to appeals
grounded on the spiritual restitution of
this remote state, and che wonderful
growth which would follow the gift of
every thousand dollars for church. DIR.
Dalton said Inexperienced the times when
the church buildings were palmer but
well filed, and the number of families
reported fewer, but hearty and efficient
workers more in evidence. He stated that
the Episcopal church in Maine has only
ore, or &C most two more self-suppOrting
parishes than it had thirty years ago, and
not more than one of those then self-sup-
porting. practically stronger now than
thirty years ago. AS to the missions. they
are many. but weak, dependent on out
side aid for existence. Not more than
one of them according to recent official
report, gives promise TO become self
supporting.
Thus DR.. Dalton recognized not growth.
but decline In the Episcopal church as
whole in Maine during the last thirty
years. Maine was alluded to as an OBJ
ject lesson, ritualism having already
seriously distracted, divided and dimin
ished not a few congregations, and
threatened greater injury in the future.
SPY ritunlism, the Doctor said he did
not mean merely fiorid ceremonial, but
the assumption of sacredotal (priestly)
claims and teaching, as the power of the
keys (power to forgive sins), uricular
confesionus, eucharistic adoratto, and
the like.
ssAll the Kennebec pulpits, Dr. Dalton
said, were now filled by these ritnalistic
teachers, except that of Christ church,
Gardiner, and the peace and prosperity OF
these parishes thereby disturbed, all of
them being weaker, de facto, than many
years ago. Nor were these parishes the
only sufferers. There are others, and the
number has bean increasing every year,
retarding growth all over the state. A
review of the Aroost0ok and her missions
would show the same results, viz, dis
satisfaction, complaint, divisions, depar.
lures, and threatening dissolution.
DIR. Dalton does not think it falls to
him to reconcile any discrepancy between
published statistics and the actual con-
dition of the churches He describes the
situation, declaring that all the parishes
xr~sN sfra CT In
have suffered loss without single excep-
ton. If statistics are again published Co
show the contrary, it should be remem-
bered that they have otten proved
broken reed piercing the hand that rested
on them, as witness the Franco German
war, when statistical reports declared
that the French army was properly
equipped even to shoestring-
'tP. S.-A glance at the Journals
SUMMARY Goth inst), of DR.. Dalton s
address suggests this added paragraph.
1.-THE address was forty-five minutes
long. The Journals summary of it. less
than one minute. Hence the difficulty of
It's giving much Of an idea Of the address.
For example, in the address, (for such it
was), DIR. Dalton did not say that there
tadfbeen no progress In Maine anywhere.
butsnone where rituaiism had introduced
discords; first, in certain self-supporting
parishes 1.-THE old ones of the diocese),
and second, in the missions which are
quite distinct from the churches on
parishes, and have no claim to be called
such, nor are their ministers, rectors.
He cited the missions in the Aroostook
as an example to confirm what he did
say.
isWhether r1tuslism il right or wrong.
a good or bad thing, per 50, the people
of Maine have no use for it, They are
not made that way, and with few excep-
tions decline having anything TO do with
it. Furthermore, the major part Of the
address related not to Maine but to the
recent general convention of which Dr..
Dalton took an encouraging view as
giving promise Of great future for tie
Episcopal church for various reasons. bu
chiefly because the laity were in evident Q
and gained much ground which they will
not fail to maintain. !" A. ID.
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