The New York herald., 1874-10-04
EPISCOPAL GENERAL CONVENTION.

EPISCOPAL GENERAL CONVENTION.
Importance of It's Meetings-RituaIism
To BE Checked Abolished by LeEis-
Iation-Piens for Liberty OF Thought in
the Church-PrOvincin ia lism i'm the
COnventiOn-High Church and Low
Church Views on Current Ecclesiasti-
cal Opinions-The Church Congress.
Next Wednesday, in St. Johns church, WIN open
the business OF the General Convention OF the
Protestant Episcopal Church in the United states.
more important denominational or church
gathering has not been witnessed here for many
years. The last meeting OF this body was held in
Baltimore three years ago. the Convention is di-
vided into the House of Bishops and the House or
Clerical and Lay Deputies. or the former there
are fity representing the States aud Territories,
regularly organized and mission doceses OF the
land The latter Is composed OF ministers
and laymen, four OF each order being
chosen by the diocesan or missionary conven-
tons The number OF delegates therefore en-
titled to seats In this Convention vii! be about
1858. The Importance of the body may be inferred
from the numbers that viii attend and the expanse
OF ecclesiastical territory that they will represent
as well as from the subjects that must necessarily
come before them Tor legislation. The addresses
and charges OF the bishops OF the various doceses
the Church lest the Convention should not be able
to steer clear OF rttuallsm the one hand and of
radicalsm on the other 1t cannot be denied that
there are and have been threateaings of . storm
which may burst over the head OF the Convention
ere 1t rises from Its work here. and whether the
eccesiastcal atmosphere shall be cleared thereby,
or ruin and devastation come upon the Cburcn, re-
mains to be seen. The principal
CAUSE OF THE PRESENT DIFFICULTIES
in the Church is the undue development within
the last twenty-five or thirty years OF a class Of
tendencies which move in the direction OF the
Church of Rome. These tendencies the Low Church
party contend, have greatly impaired the dignity
and reality OF the Church's ministrations, have
revived e1ete ideas and institutions and fos-
tered some OF the worst forms of superstition.
The great question OF the hour for those VINO SYM
pathze IN tnis respect is, by what means this de-
veIopment may be arrested and even brought
back within its legitimate hmits2 And how the
two parties into which the Church is divided may
be again uniteaY Neither party in the contro-
versy admits itself to at fault but each charges
the other with wrong or evil intents and mo-
tves in their movements and propositions. on
the one side, the cause Of all the trouble Is
laid at the door OF the rituaiists, wnlle
the rituahsts regard themselves as the true
conservators OF ali the substantial erests botn
theoretical and PRACTICAL in the Churcn. But little
has been done during the past ten years TO stay
the progress of the ritualistic party, while very
much has been done In certain dloceses by bishops
and clergy to toster and encourage 1t. In 1868,
ana again In 1871 the bishops issued pastorals de-
nDing their views on mooted points and phrases.
but left each party free to go on in It's own way.
The consequence OF this lukewarm, free and easy
policy has been to drive Bishop Cummins ana his
growing company OF reformers out OF the Protes-
ta Eni Mon mr. vvh
thlze with his movement remain in the Church,
but are sorely perplexed and troubled with con-
hictmg views OF duty. The great mass OF Episco-
palans VINO are 10, al co the Church and conserva-
tive in their views are alarmed, aud leel that
THE RlrUALiSrIC MOVEMENT
cannot proceed iurther, nor, indeed. remain ut
the best interests OF the Church trey love. And
they are waiting and hoping that thus General
Convention VIII, with meenness ana wisdom, lace
the difficulties that confront IL aud settle the is
sues satisfactorily.
Bishop Cummins' reasons for leaving the Church,
1t VIII be remembered, ieii virtually under two
beads-the toleraton which was extended 80
rtuasts and the refusal oi liberation to his own
CONVICTIONS a0out certain doctrines and phrases,
as well as intercommunlon with other churches.
And yet very little mas been said and almost Moth
ing done since his secession to grant the needed
liberation TO Low Churchnen while the feeling has
been growing more intense tnat rltuailsm must be
put down. Some persons, more radical tnan wIse
perhaps, demand that 1t be summarlly suppressed
by fresh legislation. But this Is objected to py
many even among the Low Church, VINO say that
such legislation would Imply that the laws and
standards OF the Church are not already sum-
cienty explicit upon thts subject TO control every
honest man In her ministry. ms they malntaln.
would be a fatal admission. And yet the diocesan
conventions have very generally been calling III
point to Its adoption at the next General Conven-
tion. How successful II VIII be IN operation may
well be doubted. All churches are having at this
time like experience OF the extreme diliculty OF
putting down doctrines or practices by the arm or
authority The point where legislation is most de-
sired Is In regard 10 the phrases In the Prayer
Book, which, In their obvious sense, teach o
BApTIsMAL REGENERATION,
or In other ways convey the idea OF q direct I'M
partation OF the grace OF the Holy Spirit by tue
hands of the ministry. considerable minority
in the Church, very respectable in numbers and
forms of EXPRESSION. The most hopeful plan has
been tue introduction In these passages of alter
nate phrases" to be used at discretion, thus
recognizing In form the obvious fact Of two diner
ent types of doctrine IN the Church. Such meas
tional character OF the Episcopal Church. as COM
prenensive rather than exclusive in doctrine. and
has ample precedent In the present structure Of
Another method proposed and one which has
been Domnaily adopted already Is to commit the
regulation OF tue matter OF ritual TO the bishops,
each one being empowered TO deal with It in his
own diocese. rms is perhaps the most objection
able remedy that has yet been suggested. Ahy
plan which gives additional power 80 bishops and
thereby TENDS TO diminish the independence and
sense oi responsibility OF the parochal clergy Is,
on mat account, II ior other, TO be condemned.
And, moreover, since rituaiism grows rankest
where 1t Is encouraged most by the bishops,
sucn legislation would not compel such
bishops TO treat the matter Inherently
from what they do now. And Low Churcn
bishops consider themselves already sufficiently
empowered TO check. II not 10 repress, Its
growth altogether. For those who hold the prln.
cipes Of modern churchmansnip and evangelical
truth to put such two-edgcd sword as this into
the hands or bishops, to be used either way, In
accordance with each bishops individual preu-
dices or whms, would Do a grave error. To pro-
vide against the oppression OF preshyters hy their
bishops under thus kind OF legislation 1t is pro-
posed to make the
HOUSE OF BISHOPS AN AprELLArE COURT.
whose decisions shall bind or loose the Decisions
Of the diocesans, as the evidence Ahau IN cate
their righteousness or otherwise And even from
this, as from the decisions Of q bisnop now the
vtar NAV tn hn ~, ~.