The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-10-24
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE TRIENNI1L
GENERIL CONVENTION.
The Question of the Ritual.


FOURTEENTH DAY, OCTOBER 10.
The committee on canons, who were to in
quire and report as to the expediency OIL
amending canon l3, title 2, of marriage and
divorce, reported that they had considered the
subject, and no alteration in said canon was
deemed expedient at this time.
Rev DR.. Mead, OF Connecticut. said the joint
committee on the uniformity OF the rltuai Were
ready to report. The report was tnen reao,
submitting canon, as follows:
REPORT on RITUAL.
SECTION l. This church, holdllg last lts llo'
erty in Christ its head, recognizes no other
law of ritual than such as it shall itself have
accepted or provided, meaning thereby IN no
wise to prejudice or arraign the differing rites,
usages, customs or laws Of cther branches OF
the church of Christ.
SEC. Q. The provisions for ritual in this
church are:
First. The Book of Common Prayer. with
the offices and ordinal thereto appended. as
adapted to the use Of this church, by addl-
tons, omissions, or other alterations from
time to time, constitutionally made:
land in use in tue American provinces before
the year 1889, and not subsequently superse,
ded, altered or repealed by legislation, general
or diocesan, of this church.
Third. The canonical or other regular legis-
lative or judicial action or decisions OF THIS
church in its conventions, general or diocesan.
or by its duly constituted authorities.
SEC 3. For the greater uniformity and sim
plIcitv of the public worship of this church; for
the more effectual enforcement OF due haoits
of solemn reverence in its congregations, and
out of considerate regard to the condltlons
under which the extension OF the churcn Is
now and hereafter TO take place, It Is hereoy
declared and provided that IN all aueessoOads esa On
arising concerning ritual observance, the aa-
ministration of the law of ritual OF this cnuicn,
whether for enforcement or for restriction,
anpertains to the duty and off1ce or the orul-
nary. whose official written determlnaIlon,
whether of his own motion or at the omclai
demand either OF rector or OF Vestry, snall
be held to be the settlement OF any question
which shall at any time arise concerning ritual
Provided, however, that contradictory deter
limitations shall be subject, on memorial or
otherwise, to revision by the House OF Bishops,
under such rules and regulations for bringing
the same before them, as said House OF Blsn-
ops shall prescribe.
The following resolution was also presented:
RESOLVED, That joint conn nnittee, consisting
of three bishops, three presbyters and three
laymen be appointed to examine the canons
ofthe Church of England of 1908, and report
to the next General Convention what portions
were in use In the American provinces In the
modified BY repeal or alteration or other mode
by the action of this church in its conventions,
general or diocesan, and whether any portion
requires modification or repeal.
Mr.. Bernard Carter, lay delegate from Mary:
land, gave notice C the following proposed
amendment
not 90 into operation until the General Con
yent}on Of this church shall have determined
and declared what canons OF the Church O
England were In use In the American pro
vinces In the year 1889.
In response to question as to whether the
report was unanimous, Rev. DR.. Mead statec
the report, and II the minority did not make
report, it was to be concluded that the repor
was unanimous.
The report was then made the order OF the
day for Wednesday, goth inst
lit is understood the foregoing proposed
canon or ritual is from the pen OF Right Kew
Bishop Whittingham, o. Maryland.l
THE GERMAN PRAYER BOOK.
Rev. Dr. Goodwin, of Pennsylvania. from
the joint committee on the German pIayei
Book, submitted report that they had moi
vet succeeded in securing satisfactory YER
sion n German Of the prayer book, althougn
thew had succeeded In having prepared
translation of the morning and evening prayer
service, which had received the favorable
criticism Of Geman literateurs. Tne commit
tee can now make arrangements TO enter on 8
new rendering of the prayer book IN German,
which they think vii! be satisfactory. The
committee therefore recommend that the
committee be continued, with authority to re-
port to the next General Convention, and u A.
until satisfactory version can be maao, II
be left to each diocesan to license to congrega-
tons worshipping In foreign tongues the use
of such forms of worship in their own vernacu-
lar as will not conflict With the doctrine anu
discipline of the church.
Rev. DR.. Goodwin moved the adoption Of
the resolutions, but
Mr.. McCrady, of South Carolina, objected
and held that the subject should receive the
most serious consideration. BY such action
al this these people never could become Ang
lican Christians. They came here to become
part of our nationality, and they should learn
our language and worship In 1t.
Rev, Dr. Abercrombie, OF New Jersey, nae
much experience In the matter, having served
on the committee with the lamented Bishop
Burgess 1t was true that these people Woulo
be absorbed in our nationality, but from the
force of circumstances very many Oh tnem
never would be able to learn our language
and to get them in the church, 1t would DC
absolutely necessary to give them hturglcal
form of service in their own language.
The subject was then postponed until the
next day.
Report of Committee on the state OF the
Chureh-Debate on the Ritual.
FIFTEENTH DAY-oCToBER 20.
The committee on the state of the church
submitted report, setting forth satisfactory
progress generally, that the church was never
more united, but that the cause in the South
, west is somewhat feeble and embarrassed.
NThe committee regard the lay discipline as not
sufficiently strict, and regret to say that many
Sommunicants do not walk before God as they
shouId. The contributions in the church du'
Tfnr the last three years have been upwards
isis. OOO, 900, nearly four millions more than
knring any former triennial period. The com
Tittee submitted resolution to communicate
fhe report to the House of Bishops, wit re-
duest for their prayers tor the churcn, ana
that they will issue a pastoral letter. Adoptea.
OPENING OF THE RITUAL DEBATE.
At III o'clock the report of the joint com.
mittee on ritual was taken up.
Rev. DR.. Andrews said that In the discussion
in the committee the purpose had been clearly
Veloped to put some restraint on that which
- been the bane of the church. This con-
ssTtion is called on to consider whether the
disorgaulzing influences at work are eXtrlnsiC
or Intrinsic, and unless some means was de-
yised to check these influences, this church,
stat,stically. would be reduced to place
among the minor sects. The speaker then
drew a parallel between the causes which had
so seriously weakened the Church OF England,
Causing thousands and thousands of her mem.
hars to he irreyocably lost to the church, and