National Republican., 1883-10-17
UNCONVENTIONAL DOINGS.
Further Proceedings Before the Episcopal
Convention.
A Number OF Ecclesiastical Matters Being
Considered.

PHILADELPHIA, PA, Oct. 16.-At to-day's
session of tho general convention of the
Protestant Episcopal church, morning prayer
was read by Rev. Robert A. Gibson, of West |
Virginia, and Rev. j. d. Morrison. d. d.,
LII d., of tho diocese of Albany, the benedic- |
tion being pronounced by the Rt. Rev.
Bishop Whipple, of Minnesota.
The house of deputies was called to order
by the president, Rev. Dr. Beardsley.
Rev. Dr. Hsrwood, of Connecticut, from
the committee on amendments to the consti-
tuition, presented report, which was placed
on the calendar.
Rev. DIR. Hills, Of New Jersey, from the
committee on the state of the church, re-
ported relative to the memorial from the do
cese of Indiana to revise the work of evan
gelists and authorize their employment in
the church in America, that the committee
did not deem il expedient to make ut this
time any recommendation on 30 grave sub
ject. The committees request to be dis
charged from the consideration of the subject
was granted
Rev. DR.. Weller, of Florida, offered a roso.
luton that tho work among tho colored
people of tho south docs not require extraor-
dinary ecclesiastic machinery, and that S50,0 900
be annually appropriated for work among the
colored people in the different docescs Re-
ferred to the committee on work among the
colored people.
Hon. Hamilton Fish, of New York, offered
q resolution. which at his request was laid on
the table for the present. 1t provided that
If the committee of the whole did not con-
clude the work of considering the report of
tho revision Of the prayer book by certain
time during the present convention any
amendments proposed may be sent in writ
ing to the joint committee on or before Jan.
/, 1885.
Mr. James N. Fisher, of western New York,
offered the following:
Whereas the potency and progress of the church
against error, Ignorance. and superstition are
commensurate with the preservation of her faith
and doctrine In their primitive purity; and
Whereas II is commonly rumored, and charged
70 DC tfue, inst certain ministers Oh TINS GhurGn III
with, have, during long periods of time past in-
tro1uced during the celebration of the holy COM
| munion, and still continue the same, ceremonies
| and practices not ordained or authorized in the
book of common prayer, and setting forth or SYM
bolizing erroneous or doubtful doctrines, and also
| hold and teach publicly and advisedly doctrines
contrary to those held by the Protestant Episcopal
| church in the United ST, ties Of America, and In
violation of the canons of the general convention;
therefore
RESOLVED, That 1t be referred to the committee
on the state of the church with instructions to as
certain and report TO this house with all con;
venient speed as 10 the truth of such charges, and
| II they shall be found TO be true, then that the
| ecclesiastical authority Of such diocese or dio-
| ceses within whose Jurisdiction the same may
have originated be requested TO inform this house
| why such minister church, or parish is permitted
| to remain in unauestoned communion with this
| church, and why such rumors and charges have
| not been investigated, as the canons require, In
| order that such further action may be taken as
| may be deemed necessary and expedient in the
premises.
Mr.. Fisher said that in preparing this reso
| luton as an humble representative of this
| church, he washed his hands of whatever
consequences may grow out of it. 1t is the
corner stone Of that faith that tho trune God
| is the only object of its worship. He charac-
| teriZed the practices he denounced as idola-
| try, an abomination in the sight of God.
| These things are not done in obscure corners,
and the boast is made thatthe churches which
hold to these practices are increasing in
strength at ratio far in advance of any
others. He called upon the houses of depu-
ties and the bishops to check the tendency to
that which might call down upon the church
the displeasure of her God.
Rev. DR.. Abercrombie, of California. moved
to lay the resolution on the table.
The chair stated he had understood there
was no objection to refer it to the committee
on the state of the church. 1t was 80 referred
The house then discussed the question rela-
tive to concurring with the house of bishops
who had adopted the report of the committee
| on dictionary, after having amended it by
restoring the story of Balaam and his ass in
| the twenty-second chapter of Numbers.
| 1t was agreed to restore the twenty-second
chapter of Numbers, the vote being yeas 234,
nays 43.
A vote taken by dioceses resulted in the
house of deputies concurring with the house
of bishops in their action on the adoption of
the report of the committee on dictionary.
AS the joint committee on dictionary is no
longer in existence it was thought advisable
to take vote by dioceses on the question of
retaining the twenty-third chapter of Num-
bers The vote resulted as follows, and the
chapter was retained Clerical vote, AZ dio-
ceses; yea, diocese; nay, dioceses; divided;
total 48. Lay vote, 80 dioceses; yea, l dio-
cese; nay, diocese; divided; total, Al.
The house then went into committee of the
whole on the joint report of the committee on
the prayer book.
Rev. DIR. Knight moved an amendment to
the rubric in section l of the report that it
should read as follows "rhen shall follow
portion of the psalms as they are appointed,
or are of the selections of psalms, and at the
end Of every psalm may be sung or said, and
after every canticle of morning and evening
prayer excepting TIE Deum and also at the
end Of the whole portion selection from
the psalter shall be sung or said the Gloria
Patri or Gloria in Excelsls."
On motion, the consideration of the above
amendment was postponed in order to take
up section j, as follows: (J), omit the Gloria in
EXcelsis.
w. Charles Albert, of Maryland, moved to
strike ont section j.
Rev. DIR. Huntington, d. D., of Massachu-
setts, from the committee, stated that the ac-
tion of the committee had been taken with
a view to suit the majority of the people, and
had transferred the gloria in excelsis to the
proper place in the evening services. 1t was
the popularity of the American church to
sing it in other places than in the communion
service
The amendment to strike out section was
lost bya vote of 75 yeas to 163 nays.
Rev. Dr. Huntington moved that the rubriC
in section be adopted as reported by the
committee, and that the following permissive
rubric be added to come after the printed
form of the Gloria Patri "At the end Of the
whole portion of psalms or selections from the
psalter the Gloria in Excelss may be sung or
said instead Of the Gloria Patri."
Pending the consideration Of this section
the committee rose.
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