Daily Republican., 1881-08-04
nr,,AwARE CHURCH TROUBLES.
what a Religious Organ has to say
AhVut Those Ia the E.iscOpal


Fold.
The Literary CGurchman of rccen'
date says:
The little diocese of Delaware seems
h,kelv 10 furnish leading cases" az tC
chrrrh law. The pastoral connection
Ip. weny Dr. Frost and Mr.. Philips and
,heir respective parishes, has been dis
snlyed bv the Hishop. Supposing the
.lnta;ls Of procedure, AZ to hearing evi-
.lsnca and the like, to have been pe"-
Yertlv regular, the Bishop seems to have
Ilnctri within his lawful authority. But
There is much dispute as to facts. ES.
Decially as to the case of Mr.. Philips
here are issues OF "veracitv," very
painfill. But the public in these cases
srises chiefly from the fact thar an ap-
peal has been taken to the civil courts.
We shall, of course, watch the trials.
Ehe law, thus far, seems to be settled
That while the civil courts will not in.
terterc with ecclesiastical contracts
which are in themselves law-but. they
vii protect civil rights-ot citizens
when they are injUreG-and that they
RlI interpret disputed contracts. A
han, for instance, is bound to snhmit
p the DECISIONS Of an ecclesiastical
kourt to which he has covenanted to
hlbmit, but he is not bound to submit |
b the decisions OF any other kind of &C.
lesiast;cal court, Both Dr. Frost and |
Mr.. Philips have been inhibited ; and
Dr.. Frost'S places on committees not
Exclusively clerical. where he was ap-
Sointed to serve FOR definite term of
|ears, has been filed up, since his nhi.
kiCon, as if they were vacated by resig-
Nation or lapse Of time-which seems
Hearty illegal. The Genera. Conven-
ON are hesltating 50 long about courts
4 appeal that the separate diocesses are
keconing popedome and persons who
hiuk themselves aggrieved are begin
70 to discover that the courts of the
bnilcd States may possibly be able to
I've the General Convention the ton.
H. of either thinking or hurrying.
ven while writing "" receive COPY
4 the Tri Weekly Evening Star, d pa
Ter published in New Castle, Del, and
bntailug n 'oug statement Of his case
the l;'T. Il, l.. Philips
4 tl>oa r!iuted Protest Icy is counsel ;
ICairSt bpth IT," action of tie Ejshur I
hi Tho Jurisdiction Of the court. These
flrtmt ntS are Of course, eX-partt: ard
heir aC"u"ar~ aud importance may b.
hu III mOliii,'l by any replies vhal NAV
4 made TO them. But il they art a, all u
approximately true, Mr.. Philips' treat. '
{ent has been as bad as bad could be.
(r. Philips counsel also prote Is hat a
Re first decision Of the court was given u
kaiust the vestry, that not acting upon
! decision, they were by the canon ex-
bded from The convention, and lad no =
ftner right 10 make complaint i'll any Il
hurt of the diocese to which they had
ksed to belong. against their Rector. e
lat, nevertheless, they were allowed r
renew their complaints with every x
bsible advantage and encouragement. II
Philips says the bishop has not !.
n entered Delaware City for four.
b months, and that the average mum. =
of males in a Delaware cougrega- u
is "not more than twelve" This is n'
IySry pretty state of affairs, if, AS we u
III above, the facts are stated with any :"
r. 1pach to accuracy. At any rate the
T. last court to which any sane man :"
d 90 for justice is an ecclesiastical III
We also learn from the Chris ''
Standard that the Rev. X. &. Stew p'
-. d., of the diocese Of Delaware, u
out of pure, disinterested regard sd
maligned and prosecuted brother nt
bt, acted as his counsel in the re- 'h
disputes, is now superannnated, IL
almost blind, residing, without 'o
in Delaware City, Del. His living iio
Fh for ONE time past had consisted
small stipend from u diocesan
is administered and controlled
b Iy by the bishop. He was threat. y,
with the loss of this if lie persisted \,
is defense of his brother. He detied ~
threat and it has been carried into w. w.
I. It is surely impossible that this e,, eu
be the naked truth. If it bt---* ",