Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-10-27
Reported for the Journal
General OF TriennIal Convention of the
Protestant EpiscOPaI Church in Che
Z United Stnfes a. u. 1877.
FIFTEENTH DAY. E
1T0
BALTIMORE. MD, Oct. 20.

DEAR JOURNAL House of Deputies
was called to order Immediately after
prayer. The idea that Ritual
would he the chief matter cf this morning |
an unusual crowd, OF the ladies
The committee on the state Of the
church reported. The increase sincs the |
last meeting has been comparatively very |
great. The South has not been so active |
as it has been of old, and this is attributed
chiefly to the poverty entailed by the
war. This is. OF courss, no new story. |
Several other committees reported the
matter, which has been more or less given
in your columns The hour for Ritual has
arrived. Let me here give You the canon
as it has came from the Joint Committee
CANON REPoRTED BY THE j INT )NrMGT
TEE ON RITUAL.
Canon of Ritual
Il. This church, holding fast lis liber-
ty 10 Christ its Head. re recognizes no other
law of ritual than such as it shall have
itself accepted or provided meaning
thereby in no wise to prejudice or arrtign
the differing rites, usaRes, customs or laws
of other branches of the church of Christ
2. The provisions for ritual 10 this
church, are
1. The Book of Common Prayer, with
the offices and ordinal thereto appended,
as adapted to the use Of this church by
additions. omissions or other alterations
from time to time constitutionaliy made.
2. The canons of the church of England
in use in the American provinces before
the year 1889, and not subsequently super-
seeded, altered or repealed, by Legislation,
General or Diocesan, of this church.
3. The canonicsl or other regular legis
laiive or judicial pction Or decisions Of this
church, III its conventions, general or do
cesar. or by its duly constituted authorI-
ties.
Is. For the greater uniformity and sim
plicity of the public worship Of this church.
for the moro e1fectual enforcement of due
habits of solemn reverence in it's congre
cations, and out of considerate regard to
the conditions under which the extension
of the chulch Is now and hereafter to take
place, it is hereby declared and provided,
that in all questions arising concerning
ritual Observance, the administration Of the
law Of ritual of this church, whether for
enforcement or for restriction, appertains
to the Office and dnty of the ordinary,
whose official written d. ordination,
whether of his own motion. at the OIL
cial demand either OF rector or q veStry,
shall be held to be the settlement Of any
question which shall at any time arise con
corning ritual. Prorided, however, that
contradictory determinations shall bo sub
il ct, on memorial or otherwise, TO rev. .iGn
by the House of Bishops, under such
rules and regulations for bringing the
same before them, as said House Of BisL-
ops shall prescribe.
VIM RoLL1NspN WHrrTINGuAM,
Bishop of Maryland
VIM. COOPER MEAD,
Chailman of the Committee on the part OF
the House Of Deputies.
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE J,1Nr COM
MITTEE ON RITUAL.
Resoloed, That Joint committee of
three Of each ordtr be appointed to exam-
anime the CanOns of Tue church of Eng
land, of 1908, and report to the next Gen
eral Convention what portions were II
use in the American Provinces i'll the y ear
1889, and how far the same have been
modified by repeal, or alteration, or other
mode, by action Of this church, in lis Con
ventions, General or Diocesan and whether
any portion r,qaires mo LITIGATION or re-
peal.
VIM. Robinson WHIrTINGEAA1,
Bishop of Mary land.
VIM. Goo PER MEAD,
Chairman of the Committee oa tbs part OF
the House of Deputies.
Rev. DIR. Mead gave the history f the
committee which was appointed at the last
General Convention. He said the Canon
was before them. and lie challenged them
TO find a moro just or learned body in the
church as are on this Joi1t Committee
Rev. Dr. Haight, Of New York, said that
there IS not word expressed or implied
relating to the other documents which
came down TO this House from the COM
mitt"e Of five Bishops. He tells them
another iac', that this Canon proposes no
law. It touches nothing. He slid that
this church is the church known in this
country, before the Revolution, as the
Church of England. Then he went on,
whether this subsection VIII Oh pertains TO
the Canons of the Chul ca of England us
were 10 use in this church before and up
to the year 1889 be voted for Or not, that
they will still remain as part Of the heri-
tage of this church. His whole argument
was to prove that this Canon of the joint
Committee proposes nothing now. There
is to my mind a very important feature of
all the arguments connected with this
subject, and that is that the very same
ideas are advanced as were advanced in
the days of the reformation by the Roman
church. Nemp: We must obey tho voice
of the church. You must obey the Bishop
as the father OF the church. You seek
liberty, but you can only get it from the
church. 1 hear good deal of the day
when the church will throw eff is sacks
cloth and ashes, and put on its bridal
dress and go Oh It's way rejoicing. The
Bible is the church, and Che church can
not be dead if it keep in its bosom that
blessed Book. Private, intelligent judge
nent is the liberty Of men. DR.. Haight
spoke at length. He had faith in this
and believed her to be the true
branch of the Catholic Church. He said
there can be no doubt as to the future of
this church. Mr.. Welsh, of Penn, rose to !
simply ask a question he WIS not prepared
for that part which refers to the Canons
Of the English Church. This was to raise
np..a misty subject. He desired that large
liberty be allowed. He agrees with the
Of arOrship which the gentleman
from Virginia, Rev. DIR. Andrews, SO elo-
quently pleaded.
Rev. DIR. Beers of Wis, asked, who has
explored that wilderness since 1903 to 1889, |
20 bring ont the law as 20 ritual Who
has searched ? Where is the fruit ? It is
/ cruel thing to place over peoples head,
\ matter entirely unknown. He said that
these! canons. how many and
whatever they may be, have been obsolete
Pnp khox, hnn IL