Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-05-30
: 81 State Council-Speech Of
Judge Shelley Of Staunton.


The Episcopal State Council which was
in session this week at Fredericksburg,
fixed on Petersburg as the next place Of
meeting for next year. A proposition to
elect an Assistant Bishop Yves defeated by
the following vote: ayes-clergy As, lay so;
noes-clergy As, lay SO. The proposition
for division of the diocese, which was
opposed in long argument by Judge
Sheffey, was also defeated. On Saturday
last there was long and animated dis
cussion on the circular of the Bishop about
flowers in church at Easter. change of
altar cloths, &C., the debate having for
It's basis the following resolutions:
"1st. That in the judgment of this coun-
Gil the Bishop had the rightful power to
give to the ministers under his charge the
gody admOnitlOn contained III his clrcu-
lar letter of the 18th of February, 1879,
and that irrespective Of reasons therefor 1t
became the duty of those ministers to give
heed to and obey such admonltion with
glad mind and will.
sod. That it is the earnest wish and
PRAYER of this Council that cheerful and
willing obedience be yielded 10y clergy and
laity to tie Bishops views and admonl-
lions, so that no occasion may arise Tor
legislation to give effect thereto, and that
peace and harmony may abound through
out the diocese; and that clergy and lalty
having the mind that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord, may with one heart desire those
things which make for peace, and our be-
loved diocese in its unity of faith and its
ancient-ioving concord may go forward to
| fulfill its holy mission IN establishing and
| building up the Church in this diocese
upon the true foundation, which is
Christ.o
A correspondent of the Richmond
"State'' writes of the debate as follows
JUDGE sHEFFEY,
of Staunton, said he would close the de-
bate on this subject. Beginning. he said
this is grand and imposing spectacle, the
assembly which represents the church in
| Virginia with the laymen and layWOmen
intenty interested in the results OF this
discussion, and none who have heard it can
fail to carry away to their homes and store
away in their memories the
UTrERANCEs OF ELOQUENCE
and learning rarely surpassed IN any DELHI
erative body Of which l have been men,
Der. There is, too, running through this
kindness and conservative respect for the
Church and for the members on opposite
sides of discussion, peculiarly gratifying to
all who have witnessed it. We are here
| upon tho eve of determining one of the
gravsst questions in the history of the
| Church iu this Diocese. 1t is whether we
| have Church or not. Whether there will
| be in this Diocese order, subordinatlen,
| law, obligation to know and obligation to
obey. The question before this Council is
whether that reverend father in God have
the power to be the oyerseer OF His
| Church. Whether he is commissioned
and hath the power to see that the repub-
| lie, the
SACRED CHURCH REPUBLIC,
takes no harm from adversaries within or
without. Judge Sheffey then addressed
himself at much length to replying to the
arguments of the preceding speakers
against the report. In reply to what Gen.
johnson had said, he contended that the
resolution simply declared that in the case
made by the Bishop and propounded to the
| Council by him, that he did have the pow
er to do what he did. 1t undertook to de-
eide nothing more. 1t introduced no nov
city in the legislation of the Church. If
the Bishop had the power he had. it indie
pendent Of any resolution that the Council
could pass. This resolution was not an
&c post facto law in any sense whatsoever,
to make that law On the 18th of February,
which was not law on that day. 1t was
but the declaration of the Council that it
AGREED WITH THE BISHOP.
And it is most proper that they who
come up from parishes and congregations
of this large diocese should, when app ,aled
to by our Bishop, who has been p ut to
oL-s H. - ~ of .i.,1 o
time in which it did require just such fear
less courage as characterized him--it is
NEST proper that in response to his appeal
tosthis Council we should answer back to
him, be not afraid; thou chief Shepherd
and Bishop of this diocese! thou hast ex-
ercised power which we conscientiously
believe you did possess and did exercise.
NV distinguished friend here (Dr. Arm
strong) w hose touching eloquence, whose
bounding flow of magnificent rolling
speech, was like the roar of a distant mus
ical cateract full of beauty and power has
put the case upon the ground that the
Bishop had no power to say or do anything
| and do understand my friend from Rich
| mond to concur in that proposition. ITO
| Gen. Johnson), ask for an answer.
| Gen. Johnson-What is the question?
Judge Sheffey-The question Is whether
the Bishop has no power to restrain ex-
| cess OF ritual III RlcnmOnQe
Gen. Johnson-I think he has.
Judge Sheffey-Well, take your seat.
Judge Sheffey said that any one who
| would attempt to tear off the minister s
surplice would have the traditions of the
Church of a hundred years to encounter.
There was
NOT A SINGLE GRANT OF POWER
| to the bishops in the canons or the rubrics,
but when a man became priest he re-
corded in the sight of high heaven that he
would obey the godly admonition OF his
bishop. DR.. Armstrong had said that no.
where in the broad limits of this land was
there such a case of power. s'Why, sir, he
is in no worse position than it he had had
| a godly admonition for going to a drinking
saloon. When bishop undertakes to give
| him godly admonition, does it stop his
| mouth-haS priest or deacon closed the
| door upon him?"
In replying to the arguments OF DR.:
Armstrong, he said, che says, I will
cheerfully obey my bishop, but you know
you did outrageously wrong, and if l can
influence you, you will never do that
again. That IS a submissive OF the
Church; oh, yes" Of Mr.. Jackson he
said: ''My friend, the other gentleman
| from Richmond, stands on the high plat
form, he acknowledges the law that
| pinches him, while at the same time he
| flinches under the pinch, and bravely and
| like a man consents to bear the pain to
| vindicate the principles that lie at che
basis of the Church of his love. But it
may be said that this is question per-
| tanning to ritual, and that the Bishop has
no poWer to interfere with my friend, the
apostle of ecclesiastical libertya broad,
expansive field in which the clergymen are