New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
RELIGION AND RITUAL.

The somewhat contemptuous reference TO
ritualists made by Bishop Norris of Oregon,
in his opening sermon before the Episcopal
General Convention undoustedy expresses the
views of a large number OF Episcopalians.
After describing the religious restitution OF
many parts of the West and the demands
which the work makes on the few ministers In
that field, he went on to say:
Realizing the magnitude of this work. how In
adequate is our force of laborers. how limited
the churches means for their support. and how
time is fying on with these millions of souls
without God in the world. What folly 1t is for
us to be wasting our frivolous controversies
over copes and mitres, candlestick and incense.
postures and attitudes ana other unrneah an.
puerities, what veritable tithng is this of mint
anise and curnmin. while emitting
weightier matters of Judgment. mercy and faith.
for these countless numbers of our brethren,
to whom we were commissioned to carry the
Gospel Of Christ in It's simplicity and power. and
which is to them as yet an unheard story.
All this is, of course, true, although the ritual
lists might fairly retort that the Bishops words
could be used to condemn all forms, ceremonies
and vestments. Old fashioned churchman that
he is, Bishop Morris himself is a stckler for
certain adjuncts of religious worship which,
through long years of habit and association, he
has come almost to identify with Christianity.
Exactly the same thing is true Of other people;
even those who eschew all forms Of worship
NAV become welded to the Journalism of no
forms. There is, indeed, no escaping from the
material environment OF religion the crystal
lized forms which it assumes when it sinks
down into the consciousness OF the race. Nor,
in fact, is there anything to be said against
this material development of religion. On the
contrary, it is necessary 1t makes human and
believabe abstract dogmas that would other
wise be too tenuous for the average man to
grasp.
Nevertheless, the Bishops words were aimed
at n very real evil. There is always a ten
dency in the Church. as in all human institu-
tons, to emphasize overmuch the purely mate
rial setting until finally the spiritual idea or
truth which it enshrines is forgotten or ignored.
1t is the belief of Bishop Norris that the ritual
lists have fallen into this error, and it puts him
out Of patience to see them attitudinizng in
queer archaic vestments while the Church's
work is waiting TO be done. Similarly, the lib
eral Presbyterian nveighs against the folly of
wasting the Churchs vitality in fruitless dis
cussions over inspiration and REORGANIZATION
while men and women are perishing in ignO-
rance. And perhaps even the liberal Roman
Catholic may question the wisdom of the
Church in permitting certain popular devotions
that to him are untrue and modifying There
always has been and always will be this play
and interplay between the spiritual and mate
rial aspects of religion. They must ever be
mingled together; for otherwise religion would
be an mpossbility. On the one hand, religion
must clothe itself in some outward garniture
and be localized in time and space. 1t cannot
float about as an intangible aspiration. And
on the other hand, the body of religion, its
forms, ceremonies and vestments must have a
soul; they must stand for some spiritual or
ethical impulse or uplifting ideal else they
not merely do no good, but do incalculable
harm. The opponents Of ritualism in the
Episcopal Church would perhaps say that the
ritualistic cult is merely a senSuous form Of