The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-10-04
q
The Episcopal Convention.

ton on Wednesday. The sessions Of this
body, which are held but once in three
years, are always Of interest to the general
public as well as to members of the
church, from the influence which the
Episcopal Church exerts upon the social
and intellectual as upon the religious life
OF the country and from the character
and position of many OF the members OF
the body. The General Convention is
composed of the bishops, now numbering
ffty-nine, who meet in separate houss
"a Senate, as it were-and the House o!
Deputies, which consists of four clergymen
and four laymen from each OF the fifty do
ceses. Among the clerical deputies are
very many whose reputation Is as wide as
the country, the dioces n convention us
ually sending their leading men, though
often, of course as in secular elections,
conservatism triumphs over force OF
character. The lay deputies include such
men rs Chief Justice Waite, Governor
Hendricks, Montgomery Blair, Robert
g. Winthrop, Judge Shelley of Virginia,
ex-senator Stevenson of Kentucky, Cort
lsndt Parker, Bradford Prince and Henry
E. Pierrepont OF Brooklyn, William
Welsh, Judge Seymour of Connecticut,
Jacob Thompson, General Augur, and 50
on through long list OF men who have
attained eminencs in public or private
life. The meetings of such representa-
tive body would at all times command
consideration, and especially so now when
the Episcopal Church is showing-in our
new country especislly-a life and energy
that bring it closely in contact with
popular thought. 1t is an interesting
fact, also, that the convention will meet
this year for the first time in New Eng
land, where the Anglican Church Tor a
long time found little encouragement. but
where it has of late years not only taken
strong root, but attained vigorous
growth. The opening services will be
held in the magnificent new Trinity
Church, a structure which IS in itself an
evidence of the strength which the com.
munion has obtained In the home OF
modern liberalism, and perhaps silent
preacher slso whose eloquence may serve
to strengthen Chat of the brilliant rector
OF the parish, the Rev. Philips Brooks.
The Episcopal Church has, indeed, grown
wonderfully of late years in Massachusetts,
rot only IN numbers but in strength and
itslity, and has awakened an interest
that will possibly secure to this meeting
y wider attention than it would have
received even in New York.
1t is very noteworthy that the wise
predictions about what the convention is
going to do aud about the warm dis
cussions, not to say the terrible strife,
that may be expected, which usually
appear in the newspapers before the
triennial season., have not appeared this
year, and even among Episcopalians we
can find no evidence that anything very
stirring is anticipated. 1t was very
different three years ago or SIX years ago,
and the change in the tone of the news
papers is an evidence o. change that
mas occurred in the church itself. 1t has
nearly if not quite recovered
from the scare about ritual
alism, Romsnizing tendencies and
heterodoxy of various kinds that so dis
turbed the last two or three conventions.
The partisan spirit that showed itself
three years ago in the rejection OF DIR.
Seymour. who had been chosen by the
diocese OF Illinois as It's bishop, has mani
testify subsidized. The present Bishop of
Illinois, who will take his seat In the
upper house with his Right Reverend
brother, is quite as advanced" a church
man Ms DIR. Seymour, who is one OF the
IDENTITIES from New York, but his do
cese sends, as does also New York, q
conspicuous Glow churchmsn" among his
"high church" colleagues. We doubt If
there was ever time since the old dry.
as-dust DAYS when there was so little
manifestation of craftsmanship in the Epls-
copal Church as Just now, though parts
anship must always exists everywhere, OF
course, and though the periodical aglta-
tions In the English Church, which usu-
ally depend upon It's position 'as by law
established" cannot be without their
influence on this side. American church
men have been kept too busy lately by
the eyer.increaslng demands of church
work to give much time to qusrrehng,
though it is probable that the average OF
what may be called dogmatic esrnestness
was never greater than now About
the only subject likely to come before the
convention on which anything like psrti-
ssR discussion can well arise is the pro-
iect to drop the cumbersome and unde-
scriptive official title of the church as an
organization; but even on this there will
hardly be division upon party lines,
many, high churchmen, who have al
WAYS objected to what they regard as a
peculiarly sectarian title, Directing to q
change now rs inexpedient and unneces,
ssrv. The General Convention is not
likely to quarrel over name, especially
as more practical matters will command
its attention. The reorganization OF the
missionary service Is perhaps the
most important land most perplexing
problem the convention will have to
deal with. The special missionary work
among the Indians will also command
attention, being brought up by the report
of the able committee of which Mr.
William Welsh is chairman. The sub
iect of the division of dioceses and of the
confederation of dioceses under q provin-
cial system will also come up again, Is
will various projects tor shortening the
services, revising the dictionary and a.
lowing greater latitude in the use OF the
PRAYER Book in missionary work. Al
of these and kindred topics will lead t
practical debates, in which some OF the
strongest men in the Episcopal Church
will take part, and which will have an in
terest TO, earnest people, of whatever de
nomination.
From secular point of view there
will be nothing in the session more in
teresting than the sight of this represen,
tstive "prelatical" body assembled in the
, home of New England Puritsnism, and
the evidence of the church and its con
sentative and dogmatic teaching upor
the vagsries of New England culture
The meeting is not likely to be especially
3 eventful, but it viii have its impoFtsnc.
in many ways, and it is to ba recorded by
the faithful newspaper among the TOPICS
of the time.