The New York herald., 1877-10-14
The Episcopal Convention.

Episcopal Church in the United States has
been in session in Boston for ten days past.
The Convention has never met in that city
before. It's last session three years ago was
held in this city, and some Of our readers
will remember the ripple of excitement that
was caused by the nomination and almost
election of the Rev. DR.. Seymour, OF this
city, as bishop of the then vacant diocese OF
Illinois. By the shrewd tactics of his friends
the Doctor has been sent to the Convention
as q deputy from this diocese, and may be
chosen to preside over one Of the two new
dioceses authorized to be formed out OF the
present diocese Of Illinois. The Conven-
ton has been busy since its sessions opened,
and if it adjourns on the 22d inst, as pro-
posed, it will have to cut of the long
speeches and let factions speak louder
than words" So far in the sessions very
little s'buncombe" has been let of, and we
presume this will be the rule throughout.
The aim of the Convention, judged by the
discussions, seems to be to arouse the men,
bers, and through them their respective
dioceses, to larger conceptions of the work
before the Church. The disproportion be-
tween the age and membership Of this
Church and other denominations in the
United States is seen and felt more to-day,
perhaps, than ever before by churchmen
themselves rs well as by Others
While the membership of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, after couple OF CEN
turies growth on the soil Of this continent.
does not number three hundred thousand
souls, the Methodists within q century have
quadrupled that number, the Presbyterians
have doubled it and the Baptists have
nearly trebled it. There must be some suf-
fcient and potent cause for this discrep-
ancy. What it is and how to remove it has
been the important inquiry Of many minds
in the Church for years past.
We gather from the discussions in the
Convention that some Of the deputies trace
this condition Of things to the too large
bishops They have therefore, introduced
their remedy and had it indorsed by the
Convention to the extent Of making two
new dioceses In Illinois and one
in Virginia and providing for the
setting of Of missionary jurisdic-
Others again believe that the Church has
failed to advance in proportion to it's age,
wealth and responsibility as it ought, be-
cause Of it's too great conservatism. Hence
they want to strike out little here and
there, as other denominations do. in depart
They want evangelists, not necessarily like
Messrs. Moody and Sankey, but churchmen
who will do the work that those men have
done and are doing to arouse the careless
and the impanitent They want a larger
liberty allowed to olergymsn in the use Of
They find by practical experience, especially
in the wild and ruder portions Of our coun-
try, that men live too fast and think too
fast to be content with set forms Of prayer
and service, following the rubric Of the
Prayer Book as they must do at present
They want more life put into all the
services Of the Church and greater adap-
ton to the wants Of the people of this
land, and they want the old order Of deacon
esses revived and sisterhoods added to the
Church. And still others charge the slow
progress Of the denomination to the custom
which has grown up OF selling pews and
sittings in churches They therefore have
offered resolutions and memorials calling
for the abolishment Of this custom and o
return to the old and apostolic plan Of free
Gospel for all men. The present system,
they think, shuts tho poor out OF their
churches and weakens the influence Of the
denomination with all save the wealthy and
cultured. Their proposed remedy is a radi-
cal one It is to forbid the conservation of
any church building hereafter that is not
entirely free.
A fourth and much larger class of depu-
ties in the Convention and Of churchmen
outside of it charge the relative weakness
and efficiency Of the Church to her name
whats in name rssks one. Very much if
the name does not correspond with or ex-
press the true relation Of the thing to which
it is given. This is just what DR.. De Koven
and many High Church men declare is the
case with the name protestant" Episcopal.
However suitable that name might have been
o couple Of centuries ago the Episcopal
Church has no special reason for pro-
testing against anything that exists here
now-certainly no more reason than
other denominations have. The title is,
therefore, o misnomer, which the Church,
they think, ought to get rid of as quickly
as possible; and furthermore it is title
that was never formally adopted by but
has grown up with the Church. And now
the desire to nationalize the Church and to
bring it into closer relationship with the
Anglican, the Greek and the Roman
churches has intensified the efforts TO
change the venerable name Of this denomi-
nation.
Pulpit Topics To-day.
M. V:L..oI nlok 81 tb;o 81 bod Ia