The New York herald., 1874-09-21
Two Important Religious Gatherings


Next month will be remarkable in
Church annals for two important reli-
gious gatherings that will take place-one in
this city and the other in Brooklyn The
Triennial Convention of the Protestant Epis-
copal Church will assemble here on the 7th
prox. 1t will bring together between forty
and fifty bishops who will have constitu-
tional voice in the House of Bishops, and a
few others who will not together with large
delegation of clerics and laymen from all parts
of the country. The wisdom and prudence of
this body will be put to the test as never
before in the history of this Church; for
there is upon it at present crisis such as
has never overtaken it, and the least devia-
ton or turning aside from the old paths and
exact truth will necessarily prove disastrous
to the body. Any percephble leaning
toward ritualism will give offence to
and probably drive out of the fold
large army of low churchmen who
sympathize with Bishop Cummins and
his Reformed Church while, on the other
hand, should the Convention seek to placate
the radicals by a sturdy opposition to the
High Church party, it will hasten the march
dilemma in which the Episcopal Convention,
for the first time in its history, finds itself.
The importance of its position is apparent,
and we can only hope that its wisdom and
prudence may be equal to the occasion. But,
whether Intentionally or not, it must be some
what embarrassed by the meeting of the
Church Congress in this city about the same
time. The leaders in this movement dis
claim any idea or attempt to influence the ac-
ton OF the Convention in any matter; but it
must necessarily exercise an influence over it
for veal or woe; and the more SO since the
bishops have not given it countenance and
the promoters of the Congress will gather
here in defiance of their authority and protest.
IT, as DR.. Rylance declares, they meet to dis
cuss the relation of capital and labor, they
could do that at any other time as well, and
perhaps better little later. Neverthe-
less, they have a right to meet and to dis
cuss any subject that may come before them,
whether it affects the Convention or not !;
and this they will do.
The gathering of Baptists in Brooklyn next
month will be important Also At the last
meeting of the Long Island Association an
effort was made to drive out Lee Avenue
church and its pastor because of their open
communion sentiments. But better counsels
prevailed. This effort may be renewed next
month, and, perhaps, with success, though we
doubt it. The parry opposed to this church
have lately taken advice of friends in this city,
who have counseled liberty of opinion and
liberality of treatment, and this may be their
policy. Any attempt now to prescribe open
communion sentiments would drive out very
large party from the Baptist Church and add to
our already large list OF petty sects. 1t is said
that opposition is to be made to the admission
of Marcy Avenue Baptist church into the Asso-
citation on account of the liberal views and ten
denotes of its pastor, DR.. Jeffrey, on the COM
munion question. The day for repressive
measures in any and every church has passed,
and what cannot now be accomplished by
kindness persecution will fail TO do.