The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-13
RELIGIOUS.
'RttuaIism" In the General Convention
Of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

"RttuaIism" In the General Convention
Of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
Yesterday, in the Triepnial Convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, held in Trinity
Church, New York, Judge Conyngham, OF Penn
sylvania, arose and said that he bad been re-
quested to present to the Convention about
twenty memorials, very numerously signed by
lay members of the Church, condemnlng certain
innovations in the manner OF conducting the
services OF the Church, which had lately become
prevalent. The following is the memorial
Lay Del esates Of the Protestans &pscops aGS
In the United States OF America, assembled in Gene
Your memorlalists, lay members of said Protest.
That Uniformity 10 lhe manner 81 ia woisSppug AL
mighty God s one Of the chet reasons for the Of
y TSss was vas & ii: q Q. Ees.na
in the UniteG States Of A@efcs appears the
preface 70 their respective books Of Common PRAYER
tend TO the preservation Of peace snG unity in the
Church the procuring OF reverence aqd the exciting
insiiy, The "cutling of Occasion. from them that hat
sseek occasion, of cavil or quarrel against her
order to attain these ends the Protestant
in ,nis country many aIsrs
and IromnlEse ShrissSnily 5 AMI and the truths Of me
sffecting and msjestc manner" N' -'''''
,ad r. ss Of the
have inir9dnced various chsnges In the previously
and Of Ssr res ana
monies novel to our people and not contemplated by
Church, and which 90 not tend 70 the preservation
ssS
ss Ss
the csnI and 81 other S Siocssss s IS
no lor ger uniform and great scandal and dssenson
Tsss ySaS isisss dsplers the Introduction of
same may have been TssSxn Ssd and Thsisyer thsis
same may cease from ON among US;
ize the prsctices to which aude your mem orial-
its respectfully express their dsal proval OF al devil
scribea ritual Of Church. and Of ali acs Rs 8,
ments, personal or church decorations, and all
CONDUCT In the eele6rston Of divine worship which
that OF the Church OF Rome;
That. in our Judgment charity and the interests of
this Church, well good taste, require the aban.
donmept by individuals even of acts not forbidden.
by Pnotestsaf CsrisSSs; n' " D' l'"n0e'''00a
be Which and enforce eniiormisy
in oiviLe worship In all our churches. and tend 70
unnecessary ceremonial which the early Protestant
Episcopal Church in This country sought to attain.
Judge Conyngham said-I will now submit a
form of canon; when first sent to me for presen-
| tation to tnis house, 1t was much larger; but it
has been modified by myself. In relation to this
matter hold my own opinions. don't think
myself bound TO anything in presenting petitions
like this. The following is the canon which
have been requested to offer for adOption:-
Section l: No ministerial yestments shall be worn
by any minister curing divine worship. or wnen
s al S In urpe e se E5
gown, whien shall be used heretofore toned
ton Of the minister may used rites csremo-
on Occasions Of divine worship or Church ceremontes
by choirs or other assistants theren provided this
section snail not be construed TO relate to Episcopal
Section q Candlesticks cruciixes or super altars
SO called made Of Wood or metal or other substance,
shall not be used or suffered to stand uoon or hang
decorations thereof 40 p"'' '"' n''D'' Vi
ss s the srnag Of
| the Communion table, except 80 far as may be
FEC hs
o aSS or
siL gipg In churches, except as provided by the
lawful.
Judge Conyngham continued:-I move, Mr..
President, that this memorial and these pro-
posed canons be referred to the Committee on
Canons.
DR.. Adams then took the ioor and, referring
| 10 the memorial and resolution presented to the
| House before the recess, said that he had care
| fully read the same over and found that it was
respectful to the House and its President, aud
| conformed to the Constitution in every way.
| He saw no objection to reference to the Com
mittee on Canons. At the same time he would
say, to explain the position he would take in the
| debate when 1t should arise that he thought
| that this Church was national church, and that
| it should have correct doctrine laid down as to
its rites and ceremonies. He was of opinion
that the matter on hand was an alteration on
| the right and on the left. There was certain
| class OF men who had made movement to wards
| Geneva, who are Calvinistically inclined and
| have their own ritualism aud which, from his
| own knowledge, was a very strange rituallsm
| indeed. 1t is contradictory to the canons and
rubrics of 3he Church, just as was ritualism on
| the other side. Therefore they might cal
culate, when their debate should come
on, that there would be fairness and dispn-
sition to make allowances on both sides; that
| they should not be disposed TO pass laws that
| shall stigmatIze one side as uncanonical and
| unrubical, without passing laws upon the other
party but that all legislation should be in favor
ofuniformity in the ritual all round. He thought
that the debate might prove very exciting, but
he would now declare that this Church do as
as the Greek, the Roman, and Calvinistic
Church has done-prescribe an appropriate,
suitable, and ecclesiastical set Of vest
ments for its clergy. He thought further
IN thls connection that the Church
should have a permanent Committee on Rites
and Ritual. They have such in the Greek and
Roman Churches, and they ought to have
such here. He hoped that instead of their
| holding the position of gladiators aud COM
batants in the approaching debate. and engag-