The Newtown bee., 1879-05-06
What are tho Duties .of churoh-wardens ?

What are the Dutesof Church-Wardens
 To this question the newly revised Canons of tho Protestant Episcopal churches in Connecticut do not give worry definite answer, Hence. may compare the various current definitions of the and office;
 "Church-warden-A keeper or guardian of the church and representative of the parish. appointed by the minister elected by the parishioners to superntend the church. it's property concerns and the behavior of the parish toners. ."--[webster's Dictionary (ls60)l.
 "Church. .wardens-Oflicers chosen yearly, either by the consent of the minister the parishoners, or both Their business is to look to the church, church yard and to observe the behavior of the pa rishioners to levy shilling forfeiture all such do not go to church Sundays and to keep persons orderly in church time. "-[Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge Qs50N.
 Church -wardens-Certain lay officers of par ish. These officers instituted to protect the edifce of the Church, to superintend the ceremo- nies of public worship. to promote the observance of ofrele2ous duties to form and execute paroch lal regulations and to become occasion may require. the legal representative of the body of the parish The General Canons do not prescribe the du ties of these oices this being left to diocesan regulations and that common understanding of the nation and limits of their powers, which time has handed down."-tStasnton' Christian Dictionary ls32l
 The principal source of this common under standing are the "Canons Ecclesiastical" of the Church of England ofl6O3, which found in the Prayer Book. copy of which, dated 1735, is ill the possession df Christ Church, Bedding. From these Canons, make the following extracts;
 (s9l. "Churoh- -wardens questmen in every parish shall be chosen by the joynt consent of the minister and the practitioners if it may be but if they cannot agree upon such choice then the minister shall choose one and the parishioners another, and without such oynt and several choice none shall take upon themselves to be church wsrdcns. neither shall they continue longer than year in that office except they be chosen again in like manner"
 (00l. "The church. wardens questmen of every parish and two or three more discreet persons V to be chosen for sidemcn assistants by the minister and parshioner rs if they agree otherwise to be appointed by the Ordinary [Bishop of the diocese shall diligently that all the practitioners duly resort to their church upon all Sundays and holy days and there continue the whole time of divine service, and none to walk to stand idle in the church church yard or the church-porch during that time D
 
 (19). "The church -wardens or questmen and their assistants shall not suffer any idle persons to abide either in the churchyard or church-porch during the time of divine service or preaching, but shall cause them either to come in or to depart | t20l. The church-wardens of every parish shall at the charge of the parish with the advice and d rection of the minister, provide sufficient quan tity offne white bread and of good and wholesome wine for the number of cominunicants who shall l from time to time receive there, which wine shall | be brought to the Communion table in clean ant sweet standing pot or stoop of pewter if not O purer metal"
 | (S0l. "The church -wardens. etc. of every church chapel shall at the charge of the parish provide the Book of Common Prayer. the Bible ofthe largest volume. at the like expense of the parish . | (s5). The church-wardens questmcn shal take and provide that the church be well and sufficiently repaired and all things there kept in such an orderly and decent sort without dust ol | anything that may be noisome unseemly. as best bocemeth the House of God and is prescribed in an HomiIy to that effect. Especially sha they that in every meeting the congregation peace be well kept and that all persons excommu nicated and denounced be kopt out of the church. Of course the collection for non-attt ndance a church could not have been enforced here by civi | law though the Presbyterian establishment hnet churchmen for not attending these meetings. A what time the church -wardens ceased to be super iutendents of the behavior of the practitioners ant turned their attention to that of the minister VI have no account. neither do we know at what tim, they ceased be the advisors and assistants of the minister.
 | It is worthy of notice that even when we were under the King, wardens and sidemen fvestrymen must be elected annually. The election was not for life. neither it hereditary. And so the presen Canons of Connecticut represent the matter. B, requiring annual elections under the secrosy of tn ballot, the Church declares that no man car rightfully feel aggrieved if not reelected and n, man can rightfuly be charged with unfriendly O unchristian motives in the use of the ballot
 wardens vestrymen. The Canons say the ofl cers of parish shall be the rector and a vestr, composed of two wardens and such number of yes trymen as the parish shall determine.
 | Neither of the wardcns or other vestrymen i o1-oihcio, special committee repairs or an. other parish business unless specially appointed b, the body.
 Seniority of wardens follows like that of bishop and other clergy. not by age but by election Tn first elected is senior warden, whethor young c
 old. The senior warden of q church is sometimes
 though probably not often, younger man tha
 JNN-A''A
 to forbid practice in the election of wardens an
 vestrymcn democratic or congregations
 as that of tho election of rector. Of tw
 elergymon of equal qualifications, the on
 twenty-five and the other fifty years old. in grca
 majority of cases there's scare room for doubt tha
 the younger man would be preferred. siInla
 freedom in the selection of wartlcns and vestryme
 might give freedom and activity from ar l tiQuated customs and ohstrucfiva atisu
 The office Director. would suppose from th
 Prayer Book and Canohs is quite important
 that of warden, At all events. it is in accorlanc
 with religious reverence and common sense of tn
 fitness of things that wardens should be selocte from the most exemplary Christian men in tl
 oongr gaton. Our Diocesan Canons are vi tually new. We not now bound by any I pealrd rule The newly revised Canons ought be carefully studied by all laymen. There are son
 important principles which casual reading ms
 miss. For example Membership in the parish ma be terminated by repulsion from Communion. Or l who abandons tho Communion is self-suspendt
 and therefore has no neral right to vote or to ho
 ofire in the parish He is selfrepelled. The continued re-eec ion of a church. warde1 l wbFn too feeble even to attend public worship. s inconsistent with tue duty of warden supsril
 tend the conduct of the congregation and keep 0
 der in the church during public worship. and Chri D tian courtesy does not demand such a course. . The rector, being a member of tho body and ha ing yote in parish elections is much entitled the privilege of nominating officers any oth member of the parish, without giving reason f his preference. It is not to be expected that
 will desire the election of one whom he knows W 2 hinder rather than help hm in his labors Bedding Ridge. Conn.,, April 30. "A. W. c Dutch Settlers in South Africa. B An occasional contributor sends this item, eli