, 1874-10-04

! THE EPISCOPAL CONGRESS.
The so~caled - Congress " Of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States will as-
[ Benble in New York City tomorrow, at Calvary
Church, Fourth avenue, instead Of in Cooper
| Uniou. as WAS first proposed. The annual Dio-
| cesau Convention Ut Asw York has been iu ses-
sion during the past week; and the triennial
General Convention OF the Episcopal Church OF
tile United States will be opened in the sa1nc
city on Wednesday, at st. Johns Chapel Varick
street. and will have for its clief officer the IT.
Rev. DR.. Smith, Of Eentucky, presiding Bishop
OF the United States. Tho holding Of the
Church " Con srcss just On the threshold, III it
were, Of the General Convention, has not been
without design; aud the opposition Of Bishop
Potter. OF New York. and Bishop Coke, OF Vest
cru New York, to the Congress" on account
Of it's suspected purpose, has been afforded ade-
qnate opportunity for informal expression in the
Diocesan Assembly.
THIS - Congress- y is nothing less than i eau
Gus OF the same element in the American Epis-
copal Church. which has succeeded IN securing,
through the Archbishop Of Canterbury and the
Tory Premier, tie bill to put down Nituailsm rs;
our Lord ponzance-at the head OF it, to
put the bill into force, these American
LoW-Clurclulen hope to secure q fresh start
for their peculiar views, both in doctrine aud
TO place itself Oh record with regard to both
aud tho Caucus ID held to ascertain their 1trongtb
aud prepare. programme. The General Con-
yeutloup, from the day when Bishop Whites
prayer-book Threatened . commoton until tlo
present time, have been run OF extremely con-
servn:ivo pri.c;p.cs,-lcss, Perhaps for the sake
Of caitieAtiuu spiritually speaking. than IN
behalf Of tradition aud dignity, humanity speak
ing; and it is to be- regretted that certain do
ccBcs in the West canuot DO induced to
TRANSACT their public business in tho same spirit,
out OF any motive whatever. Tho General
Conventions, while nomiually for the discussion
Of doctrine and tbs settlement Of questions Of
practice and discipline, havo been, in fact, con-
youtions for the avoidance OF discussion and the
settlement OF nothing. To have it suspected
that my question was likely to create Discus
kicu, has been sufficient cause to bow it Out Of
the mouse. To discover that any motion you'd
open the door 10 debate, was enough to make
the motion lie on the table. in az much agony az
polycarp,-providea, like Polycarr, 1t betrayed
nothing to tie public. This everlasting con-
ditiou Of suppression has, at length. grown ILL
tolcrab!e and al tho f2ctio:,5 feel 1t imp4:iont1y
-High- Chu1chmcn. Low Church1nen, Kitualists
Romau.Es, EvanS-lcals, Plsoyites, Cheney
ties, Ans;!icaus, Americans, and the ulcaAsilcd,
who comprise 10 insignificant part OF the El,is-
copal Caurch. ALI these have been muttcring
their disconteut in the General Conventions,
and talking about it openly everywhere else, aud
each has maintained Il threatening attitude to-
ward aIl ths rest, implying that in the next Gen.
cEal Conycntion-1. next however, being pure
ly iudeter;ujnate-~it would compel them 10 fall
into line, and accept Al uue4ulvoca1 doctrine
aud uniform and compulsory ceremonial The
-Churcl1nen have at last found tho necessary
moral courage to take public. but, as yet, uude~
tined, action, aud, By gathering luto tLis CAUCUS
I'll the antagonists Of tho Kitu4listc tendency in
the Church, they propose to turn tic face Of
American Etiscopaliauisru away from the setting
Gun OF Papal infalibllity, toward the Using sua
Of evangelical union.