, 1877-09-09

l. In reply to 1uftner question, Frof. Pattol
stated that the members of the Council hayt
good reason to remember the generous hosni
| talities OF the people Of Edinburr and tha1
| their stay in that historical city had been botI
pleasant and profitable.
:: THE Pc. CHURCH,
OUGHT IT TO CHANGE ITS NAME?
70 the Editor Of The Ts75tue,
l. CHICAGO, Sept I'm your last Sundays
issue you speak OF the proposition Of changing
the namc OF the Protestant-Episeopal Church
which Is TO come up before the General Convcn
tion OF that body to be held in Boston this fall
In this proposition it is proposed to drop the
word Protestant, and substitute some other title
not yet decided upon. Our adjacent Diocese oi
Wisconsin, as might hare been expected, has in.
etructed her delegates to vote in favor Of such
change. Also, other Dioceses have spoken
officially either against 1t. As the subject is
| likely to come up for some action in our own
Convention, wnicl, occurs during the coming
week, it may not be out Of place to discuss few
| simple rcasons why, in Our opinion, such a
! change should not be made.
| 1. Our present title OF "Thc Protestant-Epls
/ copal Church in the United States Of America IT
correctly describes our character, aud is tue
fittcst that, in existing circumstances could be
| devised.
| The '.apostles'' Of change consider That the
word PROTESTANT is opposed to the C1lurcll's
| catholfcity. They urge tile absolute perfection
Of her institutions III tllcir conformity to the
primitive Church, consequently that SHE is above
| aud beyond any official association with the
questions developed in more modern times, and
| as the word protestant" sprang from contro-
| ycrsics which have occurred since the epoch Of
her origin, therefore 1t belongs not upon her
standards In this view OF tic casc there is a
tendency to engross the attention l the literary
| and Theological aspects OF the question, and to
overlook its practical relations to the facts Of
| life amid which urc called upon to act. 1t is
not possible for the Church to return to her III
| fancy, and probably not desirable that in every
particular size should attempt to do so. NearIy
nineteen centuries OF time separate her from
that period. 1t is impossible to efTaee
from memory or blot from her record the events
OF the intervening ages, and, anniAilating the
principles OF cause and effect, to return
ut once md forever to the dawn of her first
rising. Such seems to be the dream Of our
thcologians, but it is Utopian III its character,
aud iulpracticabie Of realization. We may, in
decd, sever all the outward bonds bv name or
sign to the periods of our history through
which VIC have passed, but tho great facts
arc there silentl. fulfilling their mission in
acting and reae.ing upon our character in the
progress Of our development. Doubtless those
facts are as much designed by Providence, and
relatively US important in affecting present
and future, as the events OF Calvary and the
estant, written in our history by the finger of
God, enbodYing in its meaning fundamental
characteristics, representing, Us we consider,
the purity OF our doctrine as opposed to certain
errors,-tlis woryl carving the meaning which It
unquestionabIy does iu the mind of Christcu-
donl,--has grown to belong upon our standard
just as legitimately us tue word "Catiolic," or
& Episcopal" 1t is not redundant expression,
because tue opposite ideas still exist III the
world the conflict which first called it into being
is to-day going OIL, and now as then it Is still the
watchword III contending hosts.
II. In abotshing the name OF ''Protestant u
we should take the position before the world Of
repudiatlng the ideas which that name repre-
6euts.
This Is the first and most obvious conclusion
to be drawn from this movement, and, although |
such may not be the real motive Of the ch1nge,
it Is not desirable, for manifest reasons, that
such impression should b. produced. Doubt |
less our young priests will continue to preach |
very Icarnedly about the vast chasn which sep !!
aratcs us from our friends Of the Roman Catho- |
lie persuasion; but what Is the use OF chasm it
you can't see 1t? The members are few who |
will hunt after It. And i it exists, why attempt
to cover It with Hcwcrsa Few there are, say, |
who would search below the surface for cX- I
plantations Of our conduct; fewer still who ]
would appreciate them when found. The first |
impression is oftenthe truest, alwavs the strong-
people would be Shocked by this proposed J
change, credulity strained, aud all the wit and
learning Of our Iheo1ogfans would scarcely be
sufficient to overcome the plain Anglo-Saxon
OF an act SO decisive aud con-
sptcuuus.
III. By abolishing the word "Protestant"
from our title we Should encourage the radical
and ritualistic elements in the Church. With
Is rather reason in favor Of such change, but
to the great body OF conservative churchmen |
such Consideration ought to have great weight
at this time. It must BE- apparent to tue most
- 1Ir jtrA sir
growing in this country. doubt not that the
present question originated III that quarter. 4
few years ago it would not for moment hare
been entertained, but to-day It receives re- |
is not pertinent here to inquire as to the pecul-
iarites consider the merits Of ritualist or ex-
trcmist. It is assumed that the reader has
made up his mind for or agninst them. But as
to their relations to this question Of change Of
name it is only necessary to look around and
see on which side they arc invariably arraytd,
and it is only necessary to 20 little farther in
the direction Of their course of thought to
discover the reasons why. II, therefore,
se oH ds5s tho tS denes Of c Rus aa1s
md Higa-Church sentiment in this land, then
Join heartily in this movement to pull down our
Protestant flag and to substitute another, I
snow not what; but rest assured that that other
rill mark the ascendency OF new set Of ideas, |
md under the disguise Of 'sgrcatcr catholici-
y" herald tho return Of the follics, the super
;titions, ard the pzicstcraft OF medieval times.
". Our present title Of Protestant Episcopal I
1hurcl, in the United States OF America repre-
ents degree Of harmony which exists between
lie spirit OF our own organization and the gen |
us Of the civil institutions Of our land. The
hange OF this title as now proposed would do
'ioGncc to that harmony.
Professionalism means liberty, popular rights, |
'ubllc education, rcpublicanism. With these
Jeas the great majority Of our people arc
doubtless in full sympathy, and, in respect to |
hem, our articles Of faith breathe only f,armo-
ous notes. But also it cannot be denied that
&c drag along in the current OF our history some
# the old Tory principles Of our earlier days,
nd that there is an element In our character as
people which turns fondly back to the mon-
rchical past from which VIC have emerged. It is
lot strange, therefore, that the ''Tory" Gle
acnt among US should occasionally come to the
urface and be among the most enthusiastic sup
ortcrs of the affirmative of the present question.
We think VIC recognize once again their time | i
'orn faces. It is quite natural that they should
ayor the removal OF 1 title which was inscribed I
pou our banners when tic revolutionary spirit {
as In the fresh glow Of its infancy, ana which
/ its own construction reflects somewhat OF ! I
hat spirit. They desire something 1aore ars- G
ocratc, more III tune with those old me1,arctical
r1nclplcs Which hare been siumbersng these ]
lany years, but which, II the signs of ahc times
cceiyc US not, are once more creeping into life
tHo {e f1a 1f |