Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-24
THK CHURCH CONGRESS.
BroosIiDg Trouble I'm the Protestant
Episcopal Camn,

BroohiDg Trouble In the Protestant
Episcopal Camp.
New York Herald, Sept p
The coming Convention of the Episegpal
Church in America, which meets in New
York on the 9th Of October, aud which will
be the largest ever held, bids far. also. to
be the most important. The convention
will be composed of fifty bishops and over
three hundred laymen from ali parts of the
Union. The interest which attaches to the
affair is not, however, so much in the con-
vention itself as in sehism in the Episeo-
pal Church which is likely to ensue from
it. This schism promises to be of no small
dimensions, as some of the most eminent
ctr ymen in the church aIe concerned in i. /.
st IS, Oh course, impossible at present To-
say posi- lively that any outbreak will occur.
but from appearances as they are now. and
the attitude of the two parties to the con-
troversy, both equally determined. there
must be strong backing out on one side
or the other to insure the peace which is
deemed so desirable in united church.
Ii appears that some short time since AN
eminent Episcopal divine, Rev. d.
Washburn, paid visit 10 England. and
while there had much occasion to studv the
systemOf the Established Church there
When he returned here he wrote pamphlet
in which he advocated the system of church
congresses, held in England per odicaIly.
and whereby ehurchmen were enabled. at
stated periods, to assemble together and ar
que secular matters, which had a more or
less direct bearing upon the prosperity of
the Church itself. Dr. Washbu-n consid-
cred that such system introduced here
would be extremely beneficial, and that
NO TIME SHOULD BE LOST
in perfeeting some organization of the
kind.
A pamphlet of such importance. coming
from so prominent a clergyman as DR..
Washburn, excited great deal of interest
among EpiscOpalians, and some short time
since a call was issued by a number of
clergymen here TO meet together informally
At New Haven, Conn, TO discuss the adj
visibility of inStitUting some sucn system
as the English church congresses in this
country. The call met with unexpected
success, and some seventy prominent Epis-
copalian divines met az New Haven. The
opinion seemed 10 be unanimous that the
time had come for church congresses to be
introduced here, and the conclusion was
come to TO call the first one, to meet in
New York at the same time as the meeting
of the EpiscOpalian Convention.
The call was issued, and the committee
of arrangements which had been named at
the New Haven meeting wrote TO seyeral
bishops asking them to hold certain posi-
tiOnS in the Congress. To the very great
surprise of the gentlemen having the mat
ter of the Congress in hand they shortly
n =
Coke, of the diocese of Western New
York, declining to be vice president at
the coming Congress, and animadverting
very strongly upon the proposed meeting.
A few days after Bishop Potter, Of this city,
wrote TO the committee declining TO serve
IN the capacity of President Of the Con-
greSs. Bishop Potter's letter was very
lengthy, and, in the course of letter in
which he denied the right of the Congress
to meet in his diocese without his permits
sion he, says:
BISHOP POTTER'S VIEWS.
As to the benefits to be expected from
church congresses in this country, am
free TO say that am by nOmeans sanguine.
The differences between our circumStan-
ees and those of the Church of England are
great. In England there was scarcely any
such thing as a synod, afTording OppOrtu-
nifty for discussion. But | am not aware
that from any one Of these congresses any
new, marked and permanent impression
has been made upon the life and work of
the Church Of England. With regard 10
the church in this country, entirely con-
cur in the opinion expressed by one OF our
most venerable, learned and Thoughtful
bishops, that what we need prominently
is not talk but work. do nat hesitate to
declare my judgment, that for any set of
persons whatsoever, be they AL the bishops
and the ablest Of the clergy and laity, TO
presume in a time Of agitation and Sus-
pense in the Church ike the present.
say for any association Of individuals to
call together at such a crisis such body as
this proposed Church Congress must neces-
sarily be-.O call it together in
the very week and two DAYS
in advance Of the opening Of the General
Conference.-The 10 security whatsoever
as to the subjects TO be discussed or as to
the manner in which they are to be dis
cusSed, a body which must and will dis
cuSs questions which are just about to claim
the attentions of the General COnven ion
GOr without such purpose the first Con-
greSs might as well, and better, be called
together at any one of a hundred other
times and places }; to eall together. such a
body to forestaIl the calm, unbiased DELHI
eratiOns of the General Convention, to ill
the atmosphere Of the city and the mind Of
the church throughout the country with III
flammatOry, disturbing harangueS-tO ere
ate, if possible, popular demand for some
thing which the General Convention can
not in popular disappointment and irriia-
toni repeat, TO presume TO be instrI-
mental in calling into existence at such
time and place an engine so capable Of mis-
chief to the extent of its influence, would
be an imprudence, to use no stronger word, |
which no weight Of character, no amount |
Of authority, would be adequate to excuse |
or eXtenuate.
The Bishop then goes on at great length /
TO explain his reasons, and intimates that |
he has authority to prevent such meeting |
in his diocese.