New-York tribune., 1880-10-06
RELIGIOUS DALIBERATIONS.

THE EPISCOPAL GENERAL CONVENTION.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS IuAi VIII PEoBABLY CO."
Up FOR sErrLEMEN r-THH OPiylONs OF PRONE
NFNT CLrBGYNrFv.
Among the questions which viii come mp before
tine Gen eral Convention OF the Protestant Episcopal
Church. which begins in this city to-day
Will be that OF the advisabillty of dlvidng
the Church into provinces after the manner
of tine Anglican Church which Is maDc
up of the Provinces OF Canterbury and YORK. II is
urged by those who favor TINS plan Una me t'h-
eral Convention. as ut present constituted, Is so
large and unwicidy that 10 can transact very niue
business. There many chur' ues represented
in the Convention that many questions Wllch aHe,l
the churcncs of particular districts. ana Whlch
could best be settled by the churches directly m
terested are brought before the Convention to the
great drtrment of it, proper work. Then the tact
that the General Convention mrets every three
years entails "A heavy expense upon the churcllt7
which have to send their deputies from great as
tance. II s not proposed to DO away win th"
General Conventions hut to mold them every uNe
or ten years. Those who favor TINS change SuE-
gest that the Church ,houll be divided INTO prov
ncrs comprised OF tIye or more dlOcesrS deputies
from which shall meet every yrarUr possibly every
two years. for transactlng such business a. aPpcr-
tans to the churches OI tat province 0ny, ltaNlhe
all matters pertaining 20 the whole American
Church To De settled Oy he General Iohychti2L.
The Rev. Dr Swopc. of Trinity Chapel, >ad yes
tcr.iay to a Tam >E reporter: luiS matter mas
been discussed more or i'ss Tor tuc ia-t zen OF
fifteen years. but 10 looks To mr aS II even the
bishops may take the mi iatlve IN he matter this
year. | received "A note the other day from Ii'h'P
Doane OF Albany. in winch he spoke OF The urgent
necessity of some change of this sort Ihf present
system has great many disadvantages, i'r N
stance, when bishop has been eiec'ed ny 40
cese, his election has 10 be approved 4S ..Hg
majority of all the diOcrscs throughout thc lted
States, and then by u majority OF All the ol'li0pS'
unless hi- election happens 20 nave iahcu pa -
within three months of the meeting OF General
Convention In this n ~ referred 10 the zen
eral Convention BY this system a body 9I men III
Texas sometimes has To say whether a cIeT-5 man
who lives i'm Maine. and OF whom nothing may he
known. i~ fit to be "A bishop or not II - riiltu-
lous There is another question Wnch l iuiHN VIII
be brought up or dt iraSJ H'Itl"hr"'Iu ''' Ool''l
tiOu. For the last ten or twenty years. ~ you
probably know, there has been strong eii0rt maze
h. bring tine fOur branches OF the CATHOLIC Church
together. AL ONertures toward a union, however.
have hitherto either been made uS lhc IdSitil
Church t0 the Anglican and American lhurchro OF
vice versa. The Roman Catholic Church has ,tood
alOot from any KIND OF union. Inc 'hl 'iOno.I,
movement 10 Europe, however. ha- drawn "a NtIt "i
the Roman Catholic Church an the An@il. an anu
American Chur he's more or less together. W lal-
ever AFFINITY has spruug mp between these lhuf L'3
has been almost entirely. however, oi socidt
uaturr BshOD UrrIOg. of Geneva, Switzerland,
who is a representative of tins movement IN
Europr. Will bee present at tie General convention
and have 80 doubt something OF great interest
viii Doc said about this subject
The Erv Dr Morgan. of st. Thomas's Church,
said: think that tle General Convention Will
take no definite action IN regard 10 the Oid tdihoHc
movement IN Europe. Bishop lt"ro- VIII nr IT,
ccIved by the Convention Iu as 4O,p.tapi' way a5
possible. ro show the reelr. Iu which he is held.
lie was invited TO attend the Convention IN COM
pany With the Rev llr. Neyins the chaplain OF tae
Protestant Episcopal Church at Rome. His status
rs "a bi~lOp has not been determined. however. so
that il would pe difficult 90 receive hun officially ID
the Convention
Bi-hop Potter said that inc had no idea whether
or not the Convention would discuss the question
OF dividing tine Church into provinces. When
asked what lis opinion WAS rs to the adyi>aulltI
OF this plan. Dee saIu: " have mo- doubt that some
thing of tri- viii have to hc done cyru,uai-I,
bat think It would uc premature now
The kew Dr. Beach. of ST. Peter Church, sad
that nr had not carefully considered the question
ofdIyIMug she Church. There voulo bc "a goot many
arguments n favor OF tui5 h. Thought. For ln-
stance" ne said, some of the committees az
pointed hy the General Convention are composed
of men who come from all part, of the country.
The result is that 10 Is almost upo, hc ioi some
committees to hold meeting. l ann .he chairman
OF the committee appointed at the Last Genera tou-
vention 10 revise the LertiOuary. This committee
has done n great deal OF hard work ami has been
Obliged 10 hold number of meetings. vt one OF
the committee J., Bishop Gillespie. Of Western
Michigan. Iou could hardly expect bl-hop Vi-
lespie would come on from Michigan 90 attend our
mcctiu--.