The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-04
Catholic Unity and Protestant Unity.

able growth of Ritualism in the Episco-
pal Church is reported. 1t is growth
which is everywhere observable, in the
large towns more particularly AS COM
pared with generation ago, the ritual in
all Episcopal churches, even those Of the
Low school and Of " Broad tenden-
cies, is now greatly enriched. The cere-
monial observances now customary in
the churches generally would have out
ragged prevailing Episcopal sentiment at
the time when the comparatively mild
Ritualism of the late DR.. WILLIAM CRos-
WELL, in the Church of the Advent at
Boston, provoked official censure from
Bishop EAsTBURN, distinguished repre-
sentative Of the Evangelical school of
that period.
Nor has the growth Of ritualism been
confined to the Episcopal Church. 1t
has extended to the Protestant denom-
nations generally, even TO those which
reject the prelacy and formerly were
bitterly opposed to every trace Of cere-
mouialism which savored Of Roman
Catholicism. Surpliced choirs have now
been introduced even into Baptist and
Methodist churches and the holy days.
the feasts and fasts Of the Christian year
are observed in Professionalism, or at least
recognized as potent aids to devotion.
The Ritualism of this conference at
New York, however, signifies much more
than merely aesthetic ceremonialism. 1t
is based on positive belief in the doctrines
of Catholicism, of which it is a symbol.
Accordingly, when this conference occu-
pies itself very largely, as it is doing now,
with routine questions of ritual, with
view to establishing uniformity of prac-
tice in the churches it represents or in
fluences. it is not frittering away its time
over discussions of mere ecclesiastical
millinery as its critics suppose, but is
emphasizing its belief in doctrines and
dogmas which radically separate Cathol-
icsm from Protestantism-the Real
Presence, for example. With the situa-
ton in the Episcopal Church as it is, the
Catholic party can do no more. In
spite Of that pary's unquestionable
growth during recent years, it is still only
a minority, and small relatively to the
combined strength of the other parties,
the Low" the moderate High and
the Broad and both here and in Eng
land there is more or less violent protest
against it as a Remaining school in
the Church.
The failure Of its effort to strike out
the term Protestant in the official
name OF the Church and to substitute
Catholic steadily pursued for 40 long
a period affords a sufficient demonstra-
ton that the sentiment Of the great ma
jority OF Episcopalians is opposed to it,
1t is bringing its practices and its doc
trines more ard more into conformity
with those Of Roman Catholicism, yet
it is only small party in church which
persists in calling itself Protestant-a
term detestable to it and radically con-
Trajectory of its theory. The assistance
of two priests of the Greek Church and
OF the Roman Orthodox Church. rsspec-
lively, at the masses which have ac-
companied the Ritualstic conference
indicates, perhaps, the possibility of the
union of the Anglican Church with those
churches. but with Rome there can be no
reunion except at the price of re-
submission to the Papacy, of which the
mere suggestion arouses violent revolt
wherever Anglicanism has foothold.
The division between Rtua lists, or
the Catholic party, and the rest of
Episcopalians is 80 complete that it is
h, ri to CON how tho tvo IN ~ continue To-
gether in one church organization. The
Ritualists, as a Jesuit writer quoted by
us Yesterday maintains, are a party of
protest against dominant sentiment
of the Anglican Church which stultifies
their Catholic position. Their argu-
ments and assertions of Catholcity are
put forth in church which calls itself
Protestant and, 80 far, at least, actually
is Protestant in its preponderant senti-
ment The Christian unity in which
Episcopalians generally are interested
is the unity advocated in England by
Canon HENLEY HENSON, or unity of the
now divided Professionalism, not unity
with Catholicism.
The Presbyterians have taken q step
toward such Protestant unity by APP
pointing commission to consider meas
ures for consolidating the different MEM
bers of the greatly divided Presbyterian
family. The General Synod of the Re-
formed, formerly Dutch Reformed,
Church, now in session at Asbury Park,
will also discuss the question Of union, for
it is representative of cognate system
of church government and of religious
doctrine and belongs, practically, to the
Presbyterian family. In doctrine the
Congregationalists are in substantial
agreement with those denominations.
They differ in church organization, but
on neither side is the difference regarded
as essential in its Importance, as is proved