Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-06-09
1TON, DEL. THURSDAY, JUNE9. 1881


iub iAtF. l4uNlll y. iICOrn FeHlkutu lue
Office of assistant minister of 1T. Johns
Church, Wilmington.
lhe Rev. Samuel ID. Hall resigned the rec
| torship Of st. I.ulie's Church, Soaford,
November llth 1881, and removed to the
diocese Of Easton. His letter aisniissory was
accepted December 1.th, 1880. Two rector
ships have been terminated by the action OF
the ecclesiastical authority OF the diocese.
! Inc sentiment prevailing III our church has
been always strongly Ill favor of permanent
pastoral relations, and the tendency TO fre-
| qlent changes has been often u subject of re-
| Bret i'll the conventional ADDRESSES Of cur
bishops. The bond between pastor aud pcO-
pie ID 100 sacred to be lightly ana caprclous.y
| ruptured. Years of aitectionate confidential
intercourse greatly endear the shepherd aud
the foct to each other, and give the faithful
minister an Influence that ID otherwise Gn-
attainable. But the church from an carly
| period has recognized that valid IuasOlis may
oAlst for suuderlug the connection, and where
the parties cannot Ggreee upon such step
| LAS provided Tor dong thls by authority.
| Nlthouth lnulster bt liable to prcauntmunt
for any canunica offence MS usefulness III d
| particular parish may be 30 much impaired
| that Ills Remaining can Only be disastrous to
| the welfare of the church. Hence calon
for this pnrpose was enacted in i5tl.
| and since then has beun several times
reviewed and remodellcd. In 1871
when 1t was proposed by the House
| of Clerical and Lay Deputies to repeal such
| legislation, the House vi Bishops dissentcd
| for the reason that such repeal would romove
| from our code provisions which have formed
| u part OF II Tor more than 10 years.
| lhe canon Was put III Its present shape i'll
| 1877. Canon OF title II, '' OF differences
between ministers and their congregations,
and OF the dissolution OF IL pastoral connec-
| Ton. IL provides that in case of urgent
reasons occasioniug wish ill II rector OF
minister, OF III the parish committee To his
| charge, to bring about u dissolution OF ali
pastoral relation, and the parties not being
agreed III respect thereto, notice Of sucn
desire and disagreement may be given By
either party to the ecclesiastical authority ol
the diocese Ill writing, and, Ill case OF the
dlnerehce not being satisfactorily settled oy
| Jhe Judgment OF the Bishop alone or which
lie may decline TO conSh9er without counsgl,
| the Bishop acting with THE advice and CON
sent Of the Standing Committee OF the
diocese, shall be the ultimate arbiter aud
\ judge Refusal to accept aud comply with
sncn arbitration and Judgment shall sub uct
| the munster 70 refusing to inhibition by The
bishop from all ministerial offices aud
| functions within the diocese, and such refusal
on theipart of ~ parish shall disqualiiy it for
| representation III the convention of the
diocese. -.t... ..,.
lhis canon gives large discretion to tue
| Bishop and Standing COMMITTEES, conding to
| them the examination and decisisn OF the
the whole matter, as to disinterested aud
llnpai tial board OF arbitration. But nothing
like u trial for oifense OF misconduct is III
voived in their proceeding. The simple
| question before them is, do the best Interests
| OF thelChurch and the perhianent welfare of
the parish require the pastoral connection to
BIZ dissolved OF not3
| THE DELAWARE CITY CHURCH.
| Having been notified in May, 1880, by the
| veHtryI OF Christ Church, Delaware City, Of
| their desire for severance OF the pastoral CON
| nention OF the parish with the rector the
ltev. Henry l.. Phillips, 1 applied to the
Standing Committee for their counsel aud
| advice.
The committee, at a meeting held May 26,
1850, considered and declared that the whole
matter OF conducting the services of the
| church was under the control of the rector
They recommended the withdrawal of the
| letter of the vestry asking for Mr.. Phillips
| resignation, and that he be retained in the
Eectorship; they noticed with regret the dis
pute which had arisen, and the too great
readiieSs to set forth and ascribe wrong mo-
tives on both sides and they earnestly recon-
mended them to forget the past, to cultivate
| harmony, and to practice the dictates OF
Christian charity one toward another.
In letter dated June =, 1850. to the Rev.
| Alr. Phiiilps, Ill accordance with the advice of
the Standing Committee | wrote as follows
| While justifying your claims to direct the
pupllc services OF the church. and sympatliZ-
| my with your view of rtlbrical requiienletts
| must say in candor that some of your retec-
| tions upon individuals bctray undue asperlty.
| IN the excitement consequent upon what
| seemed an infringement Of your rights YOU
| may nave given way to angry irritation, and
spoken i'll n tone contcmptunus and stinging.
| need not remind you how closely the temper
| and language of a minister are scIitnizetl, nor
| now necessary II is to avoid the appearance al
unii2ly passion, II, in this respect you have
erred 1t would be, in my judgment, Il manly
and Christian act 10 acknowledge the fault.
| ! would, especially, caution YOU against ex-
| presslons of triumph, as if you had gained
victory over your opponents And remember,
| that II you arc tO continue til. shepherd or
| that Hook, 1t is most desirable tur the welfare
of the Church and your own peace and useful.
ness that oil he poured upon the troubled
| waters and that brothers in the Church OF
| Christ dwell together in unity.
Such incidents were brought to my knowl-
edge, and the condition of the parish war so
Unsatisfactory, that on the Sth of December
| wrote to Mr.. Phillips as folluws
Wilmington, DEC. &, lsS0.-ReU. H. l..
| PhHiLS: My DEAR SIR II was my hope
| after the decision of the question in dispute
between the vestry of Christ Church, Delaware
| City, and YOURSELF that the excited feeling
| would gradually subside and the parish De -
| far harmonized rs to give prospect Of better
times. ln this hopo grieye TO say have been
much disappointed. Tie condition ui The
| PARISH from what learn, Is IN no degree in.
| proved, and the continuance of such tliscofd.
| where the church is weak en,lmgers not only
| the resolutions OF the standing committee OF
| the diocese and my action thcreupOm rndclv-
ofed 10 impress upon You. in The most empharlcs
nIhier, tile Indispensable Necessity of puIsu-
/ inE the most prudent and COnoatury course
and u nbStaihlng from any asPerty on expires!
SION Of triumph, over those who han ouDsul \
Soti. The tone of your letters t0 me AMI the
way in which you spoke of individuals made,
me exceedingly apprehcnsive th't you might
a. this way prevent the healing oil the breach
Ihls apprehension proves 20 have been well.
founded. have been led to the conclusion
chat your disposition is not suited to the dir
eumSttnres IN which you ire nnw placed, aud
that II wOild be for your own peace of inlnd
aud Usefulness rs well as for the interests ui
the parish that you should seek another pLtce
tor qle exercise of your ministry. | have
wished to act with the utmost consideration
for your feelings in this matter, but anu |
noulil to have regard also TO the welfare ni
thAt PARTON of the Held committed TO IN,
spiritual oversight.
SoN think il YOU are willing to come INTO
IN ARRANGEMENT for this purpose it may he
effected with due regard Ia your feelings and |
Interests. L. for instance You will uIer your |
resignation to take effect April LIST, 1881. fwill
use Ihy niiuengr Ia obtain from the yestry the
payment ol your salary, ~ the original rate mp
"a that date. This would give YOU a reis0ii-
able space nj time in which 10 look around for
tnothcr situation The removal would lie |
youriown act and the parting would take place
witnqut further eNtSpeTatuu.
Asa friend, as wen as your bishop, urge
youri1onipliahee with tins proposal.
To this letter received no answer
mifebruary ] received from n committee
of the yestry paper signed by memburs aud
pcwlOlders of Christ Church Delaware City
stating their belief that the best interests Vi |
the church would be promoted by dissolving
the relation now existing between the rector
aud the people 1854
10 this paper were affixed the names OF
the wardens and all tho vestrymen, OF "a COM |
municants, the whole uumbcr Including
minors being Il, and of q pewholders and
annual subscribers, the si6ners being all
adults.
This application led to renewed action
under canon 4, title g upon grounds entirely
different from that of May, 1850. At my re-
quest the Standing Committee met for con
slderation of this new matter on the 9TH Of
March, 1881. and heard the parties, the vestry
and congregation being represented by a
committee Of three vestlmen and the Rev.
II. J.. Phillips by the Rev. 4. j. Stewart,
claiming to be his counsel. After the hearing
1t tseemed very desirable to the Standing Com
mittee that the Rev. Mr.. Phillips should be
induced by friendly suggestions on their part
to resign his rectorship, and thus obyiate the
necessity of their acting under the canon.
The secretary accordingly, under the instruc-
ton of the committee, addressed a KIND and
courteous note to the Rev. Mr.. Phillips con-
veying this suggestion. The only answer re-
ceived to this note was presentment of the
Rev. Secretary for trial. under charge OF
unlawful intrusion into the parish, made by
Rev IL. l.. Phillips and Rev. X. J.Stewart. OF
this so called presentment, no notice was
taken. ."
The Standing Committee met by adjourn.
ment March 81, 1881, and unanimously gave
tHnlr ind tkat tI.,