The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-10-22
Episcopal General Convention.
THE SEYMOUR CASE.
OPPOSITION no sncREr SESSIONS.
missionary Jur,sdtc,sons.
Especial Correspondence of the Philadelphia
ENening hNlieiin.l

| proposition announced on Saturday by Che
Hon. Montgomery Blair, to repeal the seven.
teenth rule, under which secret sessions are
| required in the matter Of approving episco.
| pal elections, was brought up to-day and de-
teated by two votes in total of 1856 cast
Mr.. Blair was pungent and pointed, as is
his usual habit, in stating that he would not
debate the proposition, for If what was
Transporting did not show the need of repeal,
nothing be could say would establish it.
The defeat Of his molten does not prove that
il would not have been carried If it could
have made the Seymour discussion begin de
nooo. Standing near a group Of older cler.
gymen, heard such remarks as " 1t would
not be fair to DR.. Seymour to open the de-
bate now y; Il wish we had not passed the
rule. but it won't do to make public half
the debate, or the tail end of it."
These remarks show that the Deputies are
not satisfied with the policy Of secresy. One
of the most prominent lay delegates, high in
pubic councils, said one error lay in regard
ing The case Of on6rming bishops election
and that OF 4 nomination before the Senate
as analogous. They were not so in fact or
theory. Doubts of the fitness Of 4 bishop
elect for his sacred Office could hardly turn,
in trennial convention, on anything else
than questions OF theological soundness and
fitness. With a secular nomination, per-
Soual and political character, habits, rela-
tons, &c, must all enter into discussion.
The delegate | refer to thinks it would
have been decidedly beneficial in any event
TO have Professor Seymour's theological
status discussed in the open house. 1t is
| now supposed that debate will close before
lunch Tomorrow, and the vote be taken
thereafter. It's results / cannot pretend to
judge in advance. Of one thing am sure
and that is that DR.. Seymour'S freedom from
ritualistic or New Catholic" doctrines
must be we'll established if his election is ap-
proved by the House of Deputies. The
Professor himself, though not indifferent to
what is going on, and realizing the delicacy
Of bis position, has not. his friends say, al.
| lowed his equanimity to be disturbed. DR..
Seymour knows, also, that he is not the only
person on trial. The contest brings the
three parties in the Church in direct antago.
! nism--the Conservative High-Churchmen,
| the Evangelical Low Churcbmen, and the
| RituaIstS-though rs to the matter imnle-
| disteIy concerned the two former parties
will probably coSlesce in the final vote.
Considerable interest is felt over q prl.
| vatcly-printed pamphlet issued by the Pro-
| feSSor. copies of which have been circulated
! among the delegates. 1t was issued in 1871
and entitled a Defence Of the Professor
OF Ecclesiastical History against the Dean
aud the other Professors of the General
Theological Seminary. New York" But a
limited number of copies of this document
| are to be had, and they have been eagerly
| taken up by delegates. 1t is understood also
that some of the speakers have quoted from
| -, no oil q
ment of the Dean by the Professor.
The former dean is a well-known clergy.
man. who, from extreme ritualism, had gone
over to the Church of Rome, and then re.
| turned, becoming, as natural result, pro-
nounced Evangelical and Protestant theolo'
gian. He objected very strongly to DIR.
| Sevmour'S teachings, and hence tie contro.
| yersy. The leading influences over and
| around the General Theological Seminary
are criticised as extremely High-Church.
| The Diocese of New York is undoubtedly
| largely infused with ritualistic tendencies,
| St. Adams is, it is charged, in many repectS
more Catholic than the Roman Church
itself. The churches. of St. lgnatius and
Of ST. Mary the Virgin are the
next highest in this respect. With the
:. fathers" and pastors who are in charge DR.
| Seymour's relations are known to be very
| friendly, while with those Of Trinity he is
| CLOSELY intimate. The churches following in
| lesser degree the same rule are that of "The
| TRANSPORTATION" or, as it is better known
"the little church round the corner; St
| AIMS. the Heavenly Rest, Zion, st. Chrysos
| tom, Grace, and Christ churches. One-thirC
Of the parishes in Bishop Potter'S diocese arc
| inclined towards ritualism, and the venera
| BILE Bishops leanings are not unkindly, as
may be seen by the following extract from
| his address at the last Diocesan Convention
| "Within the memory of this generation
as before observed, 4 desire Sprang up in the
| Church for more reyerent and becoming or
derlng of all outward things pertaining tC
| the public worship Of Almighty God-more
| roodlv siructures-more tender care for The
| decency, beauty, majesty OF our splrltua
| sacrifices in the great congregation. 1t was
10 some extent criticised and opposed; bul
| it rapidly grew and gained acceptance, for il
was work of God, needful for His honor
and glory, and, ii possible, still more need
| ful for mans religious nature and for the IN
| 1uence of divine things in the world.
| "But superadded to that recognized ano
accepted Improvement in the ordering OF oil
vine services widely if not generally pre-
yaiIine there were q few years since intro
| -
this country-iu not more than eight or ter
out Of the whole $500 or 5000 churches Of
the country-certain peculiar, more foreign
more exceptional features, especially IN the
| celebration of the Holy Eucharist. Have
| those more foreign and exceptional features
propagated themselves in the Church in thi:
country, and gained acceptance widely and
| RAPIDLY as the really substantial improve
| ments in public worship had done before
| them? | wish to be as little personal or in
| vjdious as possible. But am eXemplifyine
a great law for our special instruction at thi:
time. And / venture to say most confident
| ~ that those more foreign and exceptions
features have not propagated themselves, anc
are not at this time propagating themselves
| in the Church in this country. They have
not widely and rapidly touched and Wor
mems hearts"
| The Bishop goes on to say that they are
losing their hold on the people they once
controlled. This view seems to have beer
established quite plainly during the present
debate, all DR.. SeymOur's defenders having
sought to state bis position pretty much in
the same way the Bishop defines the line
between high-church and ritualistlc ceremo
MES: between millinery" and symbols
and yestments and iaith
I'he debate brings out many little inter
esting facts: among Others Is the matter Of
the CONNECTICUT Retreat" referred to by
the Rev. DR.. Clark. of Waterbury. That
| Retreat was established some years 8 nee al
Bridgeport, Conn, under the charge Of
Father Prescott, whose aim was to organize
new order in the Church under some such
| name as the "Sacred Cowl." But the pro-
| -. IN ,hrouob for spyer2l reasons. one O!