The New York herald., 1874-10-30
THE EPISCOPAL CONVENTION.
Baptismal Regeneration and Shortened
Services Proposed.
EFFECT OF THE CUMMINS MOVEMENT.
The Missionary Bishops Confirmed and
Ono Left to Ripen.
DIR. SEYMOUR PROTESTS.

AFTER the preliminary services yesterday morn
Ing the General Convention received q report
from the Committee on Domestic and Foreign
Missions, recommending the consolidation or all
the mission work OF the Church under one COM
mfttee. who shah subdvide the same and assign
dinerent departments OF that work to different
Bub-committees. 1t Is believed that greater nar-
mony VIII be produced In the mission work In tnis
way than in any other. An amendment to article
II OF the constitution was also proposed which
required all missionaries to be members OF the
Protestant Episcopal Church or Of some church In
communion with 1t. This proposal was debated
and opposed, and was finally recommtted to the
committee. The committee also asked Tor eight
additional delegates TO It's n cmbership.
The Rev. MIR. Johnson, OF Connecticut, reported
series OF resolutions concerning Christian edu.
cation which called on the several dioceses to ap-
point standing committees on education in each,
and on the clergy to awaken deeper interest In
che subject among their parishioners. The report
aIso asEed Tor the continuance OF the joint CON-
mitSee on this question for the ensuing three
years. The report was adopted. The Special Com
mittee on the Translation OF the Prayer Book into
spanish was authorized to continue it's work In
the interim between this ana the next General
Convention.
BAPTIsMAL REGENERATION
The report OF the Committee on Canons which
was presented few days ago, was called from the
sslendar and put on its passage. II Is designed
to give the relief asked by more than 500 low
church cleraymen and large number
Of laymen ior q permissible rnbric after
thc paptismal service, so that a minister
shall not be compelled as he is now, to
declare that the child whom ne has baptized Is
thereby reRenerai ed and made member OF grace,
. child OF God and an inheritor OF the kingdom OF
support Which, however. its members had not
pledged themselves, gives any minister discre.
ticnary power TO omit the exhortation preceding
the Lords Prayer IN this ofce, and In place OF the
thank ksgivtng 10 substitute the collect Tor Easter
even. The committee declare, however that this
fnbrlc js not to be construed as implying any
Grange in the doctrine OF the Church. This pro.
viso, Of course, implies that the prayer book
teaches the doctrine OF baptfslnai regeneration,
snd a. Bishop CumminA 30 held, and justified his
departure from the Church for that reason among
Others his opinion, If not his action, Is thus sns-
tanned BY this bhe hlgnest committee IN the
Church. 1nis ruDrc, II adopted, is TO be sent down
to the several d0ceses for their concurrence before
IL can become Dindlng upon the Church. The Rev.
DR.. Andrews, OF Virginia. said to be the most
pronounced low cnurChman IN the Convention,
aavocased sae aaopmon o. sals DIS raprlc. Ihs re-.
now going on, and the prayer book Is not any
more sacred. Besides, It's trainers dId not intend
plead for any revision ol the prayer book nor Tor
The change OF single line in It, but he maintained
effect wnich baptism had upon the heart OF child
had no connection whatever with the word OF God,
ana the office as 1t stood was stumbling block IN
the way Of many good men.
Mr.. Burgwin, OF Pittsburg, without discussing
the doctrine OF baptismal regeneration, opposed
this method CT providing remedy for the evil
com planned ol The constitution required every
alteration OF the prayer book TO be approved oy
two general conventions, while this report pro-
posed TO throw the whole responsibility upon the
next convention. he opposed any legislation the
subject az ali, because no one had come before the
trouble gwen to his conscience by the present
rnDric. Mr.. Burgwin said thar Bishop Cummins
the ground that IL was drifting toward ritualism.
But TINS charge could not hold now. On the con-
trary, the vote on the canon oil ritual showed
rather tnat the Church had been bound hand and
foot and delivered over TO the low cnurchmen.
sideratlon of tine change proposed, but it should
be considered IN connection with the whole SUD-
iect OF ruDrcal revision and not be made special
posed any change in the baptlsmal service. lie
thought II was too much to ask any man born in
Boston to be born over again, whicn pun was duly
appreciated by the house. Just previous TO this
discussion Dr. Adams, Of Wisconsin, one OF the
day declared that bad English was the curse or
the Convention, perpetrated another joke yester-
day, when he told Mr.. William Welsh, Of Pnila-
was not at all In iavor or Welsh.
SHORTENED SERVICES DEMANDED.
NAL question: the house took up special order.
namely, a canon for shortened services, reported
by me Committee on S Gan9ns: it Is an amendment
Of providing shorter forms OF service, public ana
private, upon certain occasions and in certain
cases; greater variety In the regular
forms Of public service; the separation when so
desired, of services now commonly used in con.
nectton; removing oDscuities in the present
rubrics and supplying deficiencies in the same,
G. g., to deine Tor orders sake, more accurately
she rostures to be observed aud the robes and
"A Iacttnn.
sry. especially Tor Lent and relieving the clergy
scrupuous In the observance OF the rubrics from
certain hardsnlps now resulting there;rom. But
the committee are persuaded that tnese changes,
with the exception, perhaps or the third, cannot
article OF the constitution, winch requires, in
order to auy alterations in the BOOK OF Common
raSes OF IL Sne general and and 90
solve thereon made, Known to the convention OF
each diocese, ana adopted at me subsequent
the appofn tment OF joint commission on the Re-
vision OF the Rubrics OF the Book Of Common Prayer
VINO Will report to the next General Conven-
tion, to when commission the whole subject OF
shortened services and the proposed Lecttonary
should also be committed. with reference 10 the
shor tened forms OF pubic worship the committee
think hat sufficient DOUBT rest upon tue power or
any one general conversion to do this oy
attempt be made. and that the matter,
should be either referred to the JOiut Commission
as Aforesaid or adopted as q separate act IN this
Convention, to be known to the severai dioceses
for confirmation IN the next The committee
therefore recommended for adoption the loowing
resolution
That the Of this Convention that nothing in
the present order Of common PRAYER prohibits the sep
Liiany aud inc order for the administratoa oi tho
Lords supper into distinct services which may be used
Independently OF other, and either the without
the cthcrs provided that when used together they be
monty used and In which they stand 10 the Book Of
Common Prayer
Another resolution accompanying this calls for
the appointments OF joint commission OF seven
bishops, seven presbytefs and seven laymen 70
sonsider the matter and report TO the ne ext gen.
sra convention. On this question Judge Otis, OF
hiiuos, spoke In opposition TO any change. The
prayer book had stood 200 years. and he
was in favor OF letting good enough alone.
There is no real cali ior q change now.
Mr.. Montgomery Blair, OF Maryland, did
not want rowing commission to revise the prayer
book and report TO the next convention. They
differed IN their interpretations, but they were oil
reconced WITH the text, ana 1t would be impossible
TO frame a law so as TO place Its meaning beyond
doubt. DR.. Sullivan, oil chicago. argued In iavor
OF the revision, because 1t was asked Tor by 500