, 1875-02-26
STANDING COMMITTEES.
Thcfr Duties and RESPONSIBILITIES
Concerning Bishors-Elcct.
Opinion Of the Hon. Isaac F. Redfeld
of Boston.
They arc Partly Ministerial, Partly Judi
oial.
Veto Of tho Jndlana Committee Against
DR.. To K0yen.
REDF)ELD'S OPINION.

REDFlELD'S OPINION.
A prominent lay member Of tho Episcopsl
Church, residing in tlia city. has Just received
cory Of letter wilton bY tho Lion. Isaac +.
Rodflelj, OF Boston, to tho noy. DR.. Dolles, Of
Cleveland. on tho duties and responsibilities Of
Standing Conmlttcon - 10 tho tcstimonlals Of
Dishops-oloct. Tho eminent position Of Judge
Uednold, bath AZ flrtat and ChuEchma,t, to-
gethor with his special knowledge Of tho Canon
Law OF ths Church, having participated III its
General Conventions moro frequently thnn 81.
most any otl1or 'aynan now living, give apoctal
weight to hin opluion. The letter u ~ fol-
lowa:
ri 54os s :t isMsI % bzia m tssass Dso4oa q You desire
M n Of sseas r1o.s 70
Thcro u 10 auch tctsled usEge practice under
Canons, 10 ens,e any one to speak with much conf
may 10 ral,od ID regard 10 the main question pro.
posed. hut may. with losrablo eonhdsncs aud
eertanty, soma Of shcm 10 ss essentially to
I4rss-It Ii oes.in tho Standing oosmitteo- hare no
such responsibility devolves upon tia aloctora Of
slrets ths election of Bishops 10 Tho Convention o the
Diocese, agreeable to such rucs - shall he
1sa " the consoat,on a.n,fd Gf th. pos:se"
the ans electors constituents Of every shop and
SUCH EoeEsRk individual absolute. and ulcon-
slo,o Responsible to Almighty God aud ther own eon-
acieuees. TITO menberh Of thn Convention Aave to
IL hs III
they must pass upon hia general character and depo
alton. hs hab.ts and conduc biz learning aud e1pe,
this they have to determine ha tueaa for the partic
lar od, his ae9ueintanes with TIC peculiar duties lt
M sa 70 +
tho acuon Of tho Standing Committees.
S.sond-lt then' the oLeS l; & tha BLENDING @ Com.
hnyo shaofuto and arbitrary right Of rejection.
Nor would they have ANY right to consider whether
not tue election ware wl.o one for sha. psrIcul.r
Diocese. Thosa Ato functions pertaining only 10 the
Th,,d-Tho functions of tho Standing Committee. In
1eglzd 10 the election Of pthors under the canoas
eal. Tho appreciation Of tho testinonsls Of tho
,orey ministerial and II these te.tlmonisls In Tho
proper fern tie Standing Committee hare dtsere
IL to 70
nn1uosston bIy judicial For. to say that tLo slana
Without suy responsibility, would 30 ID declare tho
whulo proceeding nere form. and thus defeat tho
ta!edtd 5 H' Is N importsa. tsfesusrd assinst tho
admission Of unworthy man to the o!lleo Of =
Jishop. but sill thu ''consent" IS not one dspend-
cn upon Tho will aud arbitrary judgment Of tho
1nembors Of tho Committee, For III tudical dlscre
tlon must ~ e1efctssd nron reason and Judgment.
u
cat courts. dstng back for centuries Noshingt
clearly catab!BAed and besoud III question. Upon
what point' asa !: ~ Judgment Or tsrssson to b.
form Of certificates lequ!sca: erar In religion aud
"vicousnesa Of Hfe." Thsau sre al tbs specific pouss
general assurance that tho ulshopeIect Is nos lsabs
70 my impednons o. seeoaas of wh1ch he ough! pot
TT 10 canonlca impea!u,onts, ~ not beIng Of ths
Es1o. Ia religion must refer 10 hereay, or tho
hHTH 4f drrtFin k1v fHIfHr
THIS would not embrace cren doubtful matters Of
fntb auch pr4yess for the faithful DEPARTED which
probably il not. Nor Would II s1soud 10 ,he hgheat
Or lowost Ttcwa Of the Eucharist which npask
sni somewhat incompatible: But Il would es.rly IN.
brace tho invocation of aaiuts or an3 othex doctrine
spec.heal!y condemned, either Ia tbs Articles OF The
Liturgy Of tho Church cannot suppesc either That
molo Of condHcng public Worah!p. within the dlscrs-
lions allowed by tho usage Of the Church Aato "v!-
ssif suonty espsinsd s by H. s eoncaen % q ths
certhcat. 4%e bssyo led lis lilo, for three yea1s
is + Gns M hay s0,
Bshops but al the c.nons seem to require upon thta
point
10 he, upon what evidence tho COMMITTEES may
set II Il vary cloAr tho commtee hays no rcsx'n.i
ny u Tess,a 70 ,hese 9uss.!Gn, Which wesd ut
c1psesaon in tho Certificate that tho Dl.hopeleet ~"
not % far :; 70 asa intosns 1astly l'sI's to s. 70
to set Upon general information, nnd TO determine how
far any owl report, upon ellhos point, il wall founded
pcrbaps upon tho bass Of shs Injunction to Avold Tho
shas one who bud 80 far dgregarded this rulo Of pr
dense a. 70 haye caused oven his good 70 10 svtl
e e sRa ' & sea s1s' us = sa II: a.. ruiz .s
Suspicious, aud 20 ecnsosiouh IN regard to mat.
te1s Of doctrine. that 1t would 10 hts roll
abe there than upon most otLer queaIions. Unloss
IL hsd rsnute h.a obtained Tho General consent u
tho majority Of fa!rinded aua impartial PERSONA It
ought not To TO acted upon u any case, much less Ia
the Bishop seetso sustain unlmpesehabis elarac-
tcr fot'truth andhavo douba from Tho general rsrast
10 hsa obtained In regard 10 ha soundnrts Of fAith
the tstre@t mods would ~ to sock disclosure from
ton. Bnt unqueat!onab'y they may 1nata Inquiries
y any otaer quarter. and rnnat finally decide under
tho solemn sanctions Of tho certificate whether tho
sss e t. ~ M i 'ss sse .fs sssa sr .sds
ta religion or v1ciousness Of life:. And. here
a,,uss5 * ts ,a.,,n sst seas.
exeEes!ng tho function arssoa to tall back upon any
TietusJ aetcst tho purpose Of tho trust By In
Will compel them 10 aet, and tho duty Is ono tas le.s
In t2olcaiasticsl ma.er whefe theFo 10 actal COM
pulston except the religious eenso Of duty.
have thus s.!a Al which occurs 70 mo will be use
10 wide and he mode Of Ill exercise Indefinite, that
cur ony aafs feAuoc, In FsRnrd 10 IT. wieo aud pr-
dent exerc!Ae, mst rest mainly upon tho wisom aud
prudence OF ahoAc to whom It u committed. Youfa
truly, Isaac 7. AEpyiRLp.
INDIANA VOTE.
lSp1ANAroLts, Ind. Fob. 25.-Tho Btandtng
Committee OF tho Diocese Of Indians voted
against De Koven to-day.