New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-05

THE REV DR. GEORGE NJ. CHRISTIAN
New rector Of the Church OF St Mary the Virgin
the advancement Of which Father Brown de-
voted his life The contest in the Church OF
England between the rtualists and the anti
ritualsts which has broken out afresh recently
IN Great Britain, lends additional interest TO an
examination Of the growth Of the ritualisuc
movement on this side Of the water. such an
examination he almost entirely included
within the limits Of a review Of the career Of the
late Father Brown.
As a young man Father Brown was mem
bsr NJ 81, Lukes Parish in philadelphia. and
while there he came much under the influence of
strong representatives Of what is known as The
Evangelical School in the Episcopal Church
This school laid the utmost stress on personal
- rjetv and regarded the holy communion with
The greatest devotion. although abhorring any
thing like the outward veneration with which
the Roman Catholics regarded the sacrament.
Father Brown became greatly Interested IN
studying the doctrines thus early brought to MS
attention and 1t was not long before he mad
gone further along those lines than the men
who had taught him. His progress was most
pIainlv evident in his seeing In the sacrament
as set forth In the liturgy Of the ChGIch wha'
is known as the real presence Of Christ in the
sacrament Tho natural consequence to his
mimi was Of course that the sacrament should
be celebrated more often. and that all the marks
OF worship should be paid TO the sacramental
presence OF Christ
THE CARDINAL PRINCIPLE OF R1TUALIsM
This belief. which was one Of the cardinal
principles Ct the Oxford movement deeDened
in Father browns mind under the influence OF
TT Ewer the folnder Of St Ienat.uss Church
and Or Seymour now the Bishop Of Springfield
with whom h. came in contact in New-Nork,
ami it soon hecanl, the cherished object Of his
life to found parish IN which this doctrine
might 20 set forth with all tn help Of music and
ri,uaI After a fcw years tho opportunity ar
rived. ard Father Crown founded the parish OF
St. Mary the Virgin in which from the start
were daily celebrations &C. the Holy Communion.
Il was made the chicf service on Sunday. and
the consecrated s1crcment was reserved in a
tabcrnaclc on tho altar for the purpose OF adora-
ton 1t this time mai parishes were gradual
" appro~ ching this standard. but one had car
rieG out these ~. 1ciplos 50 f"lly or 81 boldly as
did Father Brown in the Church o. St Mary
tho Virgin TIE storm Of dieapproval that fol-
lowed tha spread OF tho Information as TO the
forn'e aud ceremonies employed a. st. Mays
was nc' rs gIcst az that experienced by less
radical irncvat,rs other Eniscol al churches.
This was duo. in great part. to the fact that
FAITH brown always had ~" personal conf
, dence ~ bishop Horatio Potter and won't about
his work quietly. aroi1ng notorieiy and pub
p. jicty which were rather courtcd by less wise
ritualists in Other parts OF tho country In fact.
the utmost tact distinguished ali Father Browns
efforts I, advance the 'ausc Of rituaiism
a, ars, Tho services AZ ST Mary's we're rather
plain because principally. Of the comparative
poverty NJ the aev church Ritua'ism costs
MONEY But as means afforded and 'h' corsre-
CATION STRENGTHENED ~ numbers and in wealth.
costly altar was erected. aborate vcs'ments
were secured. and an ihe ritual and music which
Father Brown felt 20 be sanctioned by the
PRAYER BOOK and 10y the traditions Of the Church
were employed to emphasize the cardinal prin-
ciple 81 faith on which tho parish had been
founded namely that by tho conservation Of
the bread an1 wine by the priest Christ became
present in the sacrament in some mysterious
and supernatural! manner. as really az He was
present on the cross on Calvary
LOYAL TO THE PRAYER BOOK.
Far from, running counter to the teachings NJ
the Prayer Book Father Brown always main
teined that he interpreted its teaching faith
fully and loyalty. and he never came into con-
Hict with his ecclesiastical superiors. lie argued
that the real teachings Of the English Church
ing TO the fact that at the Restoration. when
the English priests who had been exiled by
Cromwell returned 10 their cures only n few
thousand Of them were left 10 bring back the
real traditions Of the English Church and al
the other parishes were filed by Puritan min
listers who while they were perfectly willing IN
ACCEPT ordination from the bishops and used the
words of the Prayer Book continued TO teach
Protestant doctrines. end not the doctrines Of
the Church Of England
These Puritan priests. according 10 Father
Browns argument 50 far outnum5ered the old
priests who had been driven from the land by
Cromwell that their teachings became in time
the prevalent teachings Of the Church Of Eng
land and continued to be so in opposition 10 the
teachings Of the Prayer Book until the leaders
OF the oxford movement. began In the thirties 10
restore the old faith of the Church Of England.
This faith. Father Brown argued the American
Church inherited along with the Prayer Book
from the mother Church and IL was this which
he sought TO exemplify in his teachings and SER
vices He explained and defended the elaborate
ritual employed In the Church OF st. Mary the