RITTENHOUSE 60 RITUALISM Luke. Ritschl, who had become Profes- sor extraordinarius of Theology at Bonn in 1853, was promoted to an ordinary professorship in 1859, and in 1864 was transferred to Gottingen, where the rest of his life was spent. His lectures, es- pecially those on Christian ethics, soon became famous for their originality and vigor. Ritschl is usually classified as an "eclectic mediating theologian"; perhaps 'intermediate" would be a better word, for his theology is uncompromisingly opposed alike by the "rationalists" and by the "orthodox" parties. The Ritschl- ians now form a large and important school in Germany, the most prominent among them being Kaftan, Herrmann, and Bender. His principal work, on the Christian doctrine of justification and reconciliation, was published in three volumes (1870-1874) ; the first of which traces the history of the doctrine, the second discusses its Biblical premises, and the third its theological meaning. An English translation of the first vol- ume appeared in 1871. The distinguish- ing feature of the Ritschlian theology is perhaps the prominence it gives to the practical, ethical, social side of Chris- tianity. Among his works are "A Treat- ise on Christian Perfection," "A Tract on Conscience," "A Tract on Theology and Metaphysics," etc. He died in Got- tingen, March 20, 1889. RITTENHOUSE, DAVID, an Ameri- can astronomer; born near Philadelphia, Pa., April 8, 1732. Originally a clock and mathematical instrument maker, he became master of the United States mint, and succeeded Franklin as presi- dent of the American Philosophical So- ciety. He was the first to use spider lines in the focus of a transit instru- ment. He died in Philadelphia, Pa., June 26, 1796. RITTER, KARL, a German geogra- pher; born in Quedlinburg, Prussia, August 7, 1779; studied at Halle, became a private tutor in 1798, and in 1819 suc- ceeded Schlosser as Professor of History at the Frankfort Gymnasium. He then published an "Introduction to the His- tory of European Nations Before Herod- otus," 1820; and in the same year be- came Professor extraordinary of Geog- raphy at the University of Berlin, where he remained till his death. His great work is "Geography in Its Relations to Nature and History," the two first vol- umes of which appeared in 1817-1818, but it ultimately comprised upward of 20 volumes. He wrote several other geographical works, and contributed ex- tensively to the journals of the Berlin Geographical Society. He died in Berlin, Sept. 28, 1859. RITUAL, the name of one of the serv- ice books of the Roman Church, in which are contained the prayers and order of ceremonial employed in the administra- tion of certain of the sacraments (com- munion out of Mass, baptism, penance, marriage, extreme unction) and other priestly offices of the Church, forms of churchings, burials, and blessing. In its present form it dates from the Council of Trent, which directed a revision of all the different rituals then in existence (also known as manuale, sacerdotale, etc.), which were numerous, and exhib- ited considerable variety of detail. Paul V., in 1614, published an authoritative edition, which has frequently been re- printed, and of which a further revision was issued by Benedict XIV. Besides the Roman ritual there are many dio- cesan rituals, some of which are of much historical interest. In the Greek Church, as in the other Eastern communions, the ritual forms part of the general col- lection (which contains also the Euchar- istic service) entitled "Euchologion." In the Anglican Church the "Book of Com- mon Prayer" may be said to contain the ritual. The most approved commentary on the Roman ritual is that of Barru- faldo. RITUALISM, a strict adherence to rites and ceremonies in public worship. The term is more especially applied to a tendency recently manifested in the Church of England, resulting in a series of changes introduced by various clergy- men of the High Church party into the services of the Church. These changes may be described externally as generally in the direction of a more ornate wor- ship, and as to their spirit or animating principle, as the infusion into outward forms of a larger measure of the sym- bolic element. They are defended on the grounds of law, ancient custom, inherent propriety, and divine sanction or author- ity. The Ritualists hold, with most oth- ers, that all authoritative and obligatory regulation on ritual is not laid down in the New Testament, but they, or many of them, maintain that a knowledge of what is obligatory in ritual is derived from apostolical tradition, going back to apostolical times. They argue that the design of the institution of Christianity was not to abrogate the external cere- monials by which the patriarchal and Mosaic dispensations in the Old Testa- ment were distinguished; but to replace them by a higher ceremonial, and they explain the comparative simplicity of primitive worship by the secrecy and restraint to which the early Church was subjected. The points of ritual about which there has been the most violent
