New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-05
TIE EPISCOPAL CONVENTION.


Episcopal Church, which met yesterday in Bal
timorc, will command unusual attention from
the grave subjects of discussion which await
it. .Cheneytes and anti Chencyftcs, Htualists
and Evangelical, arc doubtless armed cdp-a-pic
with sword and shield to rush into the deadly
fray. There are among both the Bishops and
lay delegates an unusual number Of men of
intellectual forcc-enOugh if they meet with
honest and really placable intent, to bring all
vexed questions to permanent friendly
settlement. However this may be, the
debates, whether decisive or not, will
be conducted with a certain dignity and
courtesy too often, unfortunately, lack
ing in UNCONVENTIONAL councils. EmersOn's
sarcastic apostrophe to this church, "By taste
eye are saved" is so far true that the Epis
cOpalian clergyman, however weak he may be
in the brain, is usually in breeding q gentle
man.
The sect is not so powerful in this country
in numbers as it is in culture in its habit of
regarding all problems of life with a grave
and reasonable moderation, due partly to its
peculiar tenets, and partly to the honorable
ancestry which it feels bound fifty to repre-
sent. Noblesse oblge is as wholesome re-
"frllts Of righteousness" are prominently
peaceable. 1t depends for its converts to
Christianity more upon the gradual effect of
early teaching, or al unwearicd gracious seek
ing for erring souls, than upon occasional
convulsiye throes of remorse or the i'm
placable grip of hard logic. A man
with the words of its grandly sim
pie service daily upon his lips may
attach fantastic Importance to altar
cloths and chasubles, but he will not be likely
to become vituperative or blasphemOus. We
hope that the present grave deliberations of
this body will represent their strong traits
rather than the weak ones. However i'm
portant to some of their members may seem
the questions Of candles or daylight auricular
confession or prayers for the dead, these are,
after all, but trihes to the great underworld
of society-the masses who scarcely have
heard if there be God; while 1t Is of vital
importance to them and to us oil that not
one witness who has faithfully testified of
Him should grow trivial or bitter with age,
or should fail in that brotherly unity or
forbearing charity which best represents Him
to the world.
Bishop Potter last week called attention to
one subject which we hope may be given the
importance it deserves in the Convention; the
establishment of Protestant sisterhoods of piOus
women who are without home ties, for the
purpose Of nursing the sick, educating chill
dren. and rescuing the vicious Of their own
sex. With the Objectionable features Of celib-
acy and forced seclusion eliminated, there is
no reason why the system so long used BY the
Roman Catholic Church should not be adopted
by any Protestant Sect The poor, the sick, and
the sinful we have always with us. Women
are in most cases the fttest messengers to carry
to them Christian help and comfort In every
community there are single and unemployed
women making themselves and society miser-
abls because they have mot work to do
Why should they not be orgahizsd, taught to
work sldllfully, instead of with vehement or
lazy ignorance; allowed to wear gray, blue,
or q black gown IL it pleases their sense Of
romance, and thus ut once earn O reputable
livelihood, find use for their strongest and
ioLlest powors,- and ~sAfvs ~. n conduit by
which tho charity Of Christianity may at last