Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-10-30
CONVENTION

Of tile Protestant Episcopal Church in tile Con- !
tederate States.
The proceedings Of this body which is now in
session in Columbia 5. c.. somewhat interesting.
The following Is portion Of its proceedings on
Friday last:
Bishop Elliott presented some considerations in
favor of the adoption OF the first article viz: This
Church shall he called the Protestant Episcopal
Church in the Confederate States of America" He
thought it ineXpcdent to make changes unless abSo
lutely required. The identity of the Church might
be more or less calle in question, and questions in
regard to property might arise, and litigation
Judge Phelan, of Alabama, maintained that if the
corporation remained the same, so would its rights
and liabilities.
Rev. Mr.. Trapier mentioned several facts in the
history Of churches in Charleston, New York, and
Vermont substantiating this view-that if The eS-
Sence doctrine and discipline be preserved its form
might be changed.
Bishop Green considered the term protestant I'M
meaning from its generality and that it involved
the Church in the odum of the follies and hereses
of various sects. Episcopal, term, was not dis
tinctve because there other Episcopal bodies.
lie preferred the title THE American Catholic
Church"
Mr. Williams, of Virginia. gorGed in the term
Protestant Does the Church still protest? The
Articles explicit upon that point, and any change
Of the kind advocated would SUBJECT the Church to
suspicion.
Rev. Mr. Hines, of Tenn, inquired if there were
other errors to protest against but those of Ro
manstS? In the creed We profeSsed to believe in
the Catholic Church. He wanted name which
would take us back to the days of the Saviour and
apostles.
MIR. Fairbanks, of Florida, was at loss to dis
cover how Protestant came to be applied as name
to the Church-it was superluous. The argu-
ment to retain it upon the ground of expectancy
was wholly untenable. They not to regard
expediency; it was the lowest ground of action.
! DIR. Mason of North-Carolna, had never liked the
title 1t had always seemed to him to be sectarian.
, But it was hard to ge: rid Of He would gladly
escape frol it, but the alteration might entail con-
! fusion, and require endless explanations.
! Bishop Elliott would be extremely 10th to strike
out a term which was standing rebuke of Romes
peculiar assumption that she is the Catholic Church
of the world The English Church sloried in it,
and even the Queen had to take an oath to support
the Protestant religion. He would repeat what he
had said in a sermon in 1874, that the Church is
Catholic for every truth of God, and Protestant
against every error OF man.
Bishop Atkinson urged that names should cores
pond to things They should be distinctive lie
thought the term Reformed more expressive than
Protestant The JansenstS protest but DO not re.
reform. His preference was for the Reformed
Catholic Church
Rev. Mr. Trapier urged that Protestant Episcopal,
as designation was now concrete thing and
hallowed by association.
Bishop Davis dwclt upon the Inconvenience OF
change. For several centuries after the Church was
established it bore the title Catholic, and derived
character from it. Subsequently, when corruption
crept in, it was not so. 1t became falschoood.-
Protestant in due time became the true term, and
gave its historic testimony to the pure and true
Church. Viewing each IN its time, Catholic and
Protestant are in harmony. The term Episcopal
likewise testities to the true Government of the
Church.
Bishop Otey contended that the term Protestant
is derived from Germany, and was not originally
directed against errors in the Church of Rome. He
alluded to the present as the result, in his be-
lief, oil. ultra Professionalism PurtaniSm. lie Oh
jeced more particularly to the expression in the
Confederate States" 1t was entangling.
Rev. Dr. Crane, of Mississippi, considered that to
take the name Reformed Catholic would be but to re-
the appropriate and original title ofthe Church
Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer were not Professionals
they were Reformers.
Bishop Lay, of Arkansas, gave as strong reason
why the name should be retained, that its origin
could not be discovered Names gradually came into
use The reasons for their adoption were in the
course of time lost sight Of but the necessity for
tanning them continued. When names chang
ed, principles often were. He thought Protestant
affirmed the position of the Church in respect to thu
accretlOnS OF nome, ana EpScOpai Ola SO IikewiS
as to the subtractions of other denominations W.
should also not assume name which others coult
not recognise as rightfully ours, without denyn,
their owq principles.
Mr.. Hines said the term Protestant was common
to the nnumcrable sects who disgraced the Christian
world He moved that Protestant Episcopal b
stricken out
Mr.. Williams argued that if you strike cut Pre-
testant you march more than halfway toward
Rome. When changes Of this sort were proposed
there must be some reason for them
Mr.. Pearce, Of Alabama, said that the term Pre-
testant Episcopal originated in Maryland to distit
: gush it from the Romish Church there 1t was
tached to the Church by the merest accident.
, Bishops Otey and DAVIS entered into some expl.
nations Of their previous remarks.
Bishop Elliott moved an Adjournment. The que
> ton was called for. e. =. ,s>-s
Pending the call, DR.. Wilmer Of Virginia, expires
: sed his desire to cut short the whole discussion.
He was for adapting the old Constitution and Canon
= to the altered circumstances of the Church. II
: would meye at the proper time to substitute II 10
s the one now proposed.
. Bishop Meade, from the chair, expressed the dee
: regret he felt in putting the question ne impore
: his brethren to pause and consider well the result
y Of the contemplated action. They might give ri
+ and comfort to- their enemies, and intict incursb
!. wounds npon their friends whose affections the
might ALLEVIATE, and whose support they might los
4 n