The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-03
Maryland Convention OF the Protestant
Episcopal Church.

| On Friday, May 3lst, being the third day of the
session, the case Of DIR. Johns and Bishop Whiting
ham was again called up. We quote from the re-
port of the Baltimore american:
| "The Rev. DIR. Atkinson, from the special COM
mittce to whom was referred that pa ri Of the Bish
ops address referring to the revocation of his notice
Of visitation TO Christ church, Baltimore, with the
correspondence relative thereto, submitted the
| port Of the committee. The report reviews the
canons and rubrics referred 10 in the correspond
ence, and from these and from examination of
the powers given to the Bishops by their succession
from the Apostles, and by the canons OF the church,
the committee come to the conclusion, hrst that the
4 terms PRIEST and minister in the rubrics OF
the communion service are used inclusively, and
not exclusively Of " bishops" who are both priests
and ninisters and that the bishop has the right to
preach and administer the sacralnents in all parts
of his diocese, and that if there be any church in
which he has not the right TO preach and administer
the sacramenis, then he has episcopal jurisdic-
ton over that church. The committee recommend
| the adoption of the following resolutions, from
which the whole scope of their report may be gath
| cred
"Rssoved, As the sense of this conv ention, that
bishop, in order to the exercise of his episcopal
functions, possesses the right, occasions OF ca
nonical vistations to control the services, and To
| take to himself such portions Of them az he may
"Resolued, That this principle was recognised and
settled, the law of the diocese Of Maryland, by
| the decision of the tribunal which the law Of the
diocese had constituted for the decision of eccle-
| siascai questions, and from the decisions Of
which tribunal no law of the church recognises
any appeal;
diocese, in revoking his notice of visitation TO
Christ church, Baltimore, was the wise and judi
cous exercise Of discretion economically vested in
him, in a spirit of christian prudence and forbear
ance which does him honor.
'The Rev. r. S. Killen, the part of himself and
Richard Potts, esq, as a minority OF the commit
tee, also submitted report. The report, like that
of the majority, reviews the ground covered in the
contested point, but comes to the opposite conclu-
sion, that neither the canons of the church the
rubrics Of the Prayer Book give any such right TO
the bishop, impose any such obligations upon the
presbyter as has been claimed in the present
The following resolutions were reported by the mi
nority of the committee:
| "Res0lped, That occasions of Episcopal vista
tons, the bishop as matter of right cannot claim
other than the performance of those functions pecu
liar to the Episcopal office, specially indicated
by the canons and rubrics relative thereto
"Res0lped, That the action Of the court in the case
OF the Rev. }. Trapnell, jr., docs not decide any
point involved in the subject before (and there
fore has no binding force on) the members OF this
diocese in reference to the point in controversy.
"Resolped, That the bishop had not sufficient rea-
sons for declining to keep his appointment for con-
firmaton at Christ church, at the time fixed by his
letter aforesaid
"The reports having been read, Judge Chambers
suggested that, the Interior decision of the ques
ton had been referred to the highest authority OF
the church, and with the view of avoiding any
improper excitement, that the convention proceed
to take the question on the resolutions reported.
"R. s. Coke, esq, of Washington, submitted
substitute for the resolutions reported by the major
ity of the committee, the following:
"ResolUed, That whereas the differences ofopinion
which have unfortunately occurred between the
Right Reverend Bishop Of this diocese and the Rec
| tor of Christ church in the city Of Baltimore in
lation to their respective claims involve matters
not known to have ever been authoritativey de-
cided in the Protestant Episcopal church Of the
United States, or to have been determined by any
legislation of the church; and inasmuch there
appears to exist a great diversity of opinion upon
the points of controversy, which it is important to
the interests and harmony of the church should be
definitely settled; therefore the convention respect
fully refer the subject to the General Convention of
the Protestant Episcopal Church, with earnest
request that such measures be taken in the premi
ses shall preclude the recurrence of these unhap
py controversies.
| "The question then taken on the substitute
without debate, and it was rejected by the follow
| ing vote
| Yeas. Nays.