The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-10-19
Protestant Episcopal General Tricnnial
Conven ion.

In this body on Wednesday last the Rev. DR..
Cooke, of New York, presented verbatim re-
port of the Tying trial, accompanied by q pro-
posed revision of the canon applicable to that
matter, so as to secure some authoritative de-
fnition of the said canon, or make some
amendment which may clear the law of dis
putc promote the extension OF the Church and
the cause of religion. The memorial is signed
BY the Wardcns and Vestrymcn of the Church
of the Holy Trinity, Of which Rev. S. 81. Tying,
Jr.. is Rector. Tho documents were referred
to the Committee on Canons without debate.
The Rev. S. Benedict, of Georgia, presented
| memorial and resolution requesting the Com
mitree on Canons to inquire and report upon
the legislation necessary IN all cases of differ
cnccs between Presbyters and their Bishops in
| the WORDS following:
This church recognizes the principle that
the episcopate is derived from the apostles,
and therefore gives authority to rule IN the
Church of Christ and that this authority IS
absolute wherever it is not questioned; that
| where the scope of this authority is questioned,
it is proper for the inferior to submit to the au-
thority of the superior ecclesiastical authority
of the church.
The mover disclaimcd any particular refer
ence TO any case in his memorial, but 1t was un-
memorial had just previously been presented.
The Rev. G. p Gadsdcn, OF South Carolina,
asked that it be referred to the Committee on
PRAYER Book, inasmuch as it embraced doc
tr1nal points Of vital Importance to the stability
of the church. Judge Battle, of North Caro-
lima. sustained this view, after whic the mover
acce.,eed tho amendment, which, after an ex-
PLANTATION from Dr.. Littejohn that the matter
touched uponis already provided for in the or
dinaton VOWS of the presbyters it was, Oh his
motion. laid on the table.
DR.. Goodwin then took the floor in opposition
to the change Of words "councip' for 'conven-
tiou,' as applied 10 the General Convention.
He took it to an organization OF the Church.
and. therefore, oil admission that we havH hid
no no Protestant Episcopal ChS.c:l I'D 10 this
time. He reviewed the history of ecclesiastical
council or conventions tr III the apostolic days
to the adoption OF the Prayer Book in 1889 by
the Protestant Episcopal Chcrch OF the United
States, whose history he also reviewed. 1t was
urged by tho supporters Of this change that
this Church, or the Church Us they are pleas
ed to call it, is by. this change to become
that together with the Anglican Church it
shall ultimately become the Church of
the world. He desired this result as
much as any man, but he denied that the claim
to be the national church-and this is all they
have to rest upon-would produce such grand
" post 7nortenl examination Of the church and
resurrecL it. The Doctor quoted from the
PRAYER book and canons to show that the faith
ers and founders of the church in these United
States never entertained the idea OF being any
thing else than a denomination of Protestant
Christians i'll this country. And it is worse
than futile to attempt TO build ourselves up
merely upon claim to be the national church.
In Great Britain this claim has been embodied
in the constitution OF tho nation and of The
church-ths Episcopal Church has been in law
the national church; but, he asked, has it
grown therein? He need hardly tell them that
such is not tho case; that the Church of Rome
has comparatively outstripped it, and dissent
has left it far behind. He looked upon this
! change az q very serious one, and one that
should be thoroughly diges.cd before being
acted upon; and moreover, it is simply
absurd in its present form, as the Doc
tor showed by reference to the use OF
where it refers to the General Conven-
ton, without the prefix ''general' Recess.
Oh reasscmblinG, Mr.. Rug9les took the floor
upon the question Of the nationality Of this
Church. He inquired whether or not tile in
PRODUCTION of the word national would not be
mischievous and greatly impair the efficiency
of the Church in these United States. 1t is
Church designed by the Saviour for the whole
world, and it should therefore be their earnest
prayer, and their abors should so tend, to make
it q universal Church. We pray, said he, every
Sabbath for the Holy Church universal, that
it may be guided and governed By God's good
Spirit, that it may keep the unity CT the faith
in tho bonds of peace and in righteousness of
life" Geographically, the Church was originally
but ''patch," but it it has extended its sphere
until it has encrcled the worli. What part, he
asked, did they occupy? The strip ofland bound
ed by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf OF
Mexico. and the Arctic basin, he considered
| rocY1nntub1p r1inno oF UI;,,1O1 ybprQOO RI
| found church. Aud he dld not think it became
any brother to caricature their efforts to extend
the sphere OF this church. This is the Protes-
tant Episcopal Church in, not Of the United
States. The government Of this country has
no religion. lie was sorry for this, but such
of the church. and the church Of the govern
| ,nannt. md Who'll her Il Mere q monarchy or au