The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-01
The Episcopal Convention.



PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 2l.-To-morrow the Epis-
copal General Convention will enter upon its
fourth week. and there are symptoms OF rest
lessness and desire to get home among many
of the members, which will doubtless eliminate
in action tomorrow or next day, looking to a
speedy adjournment. For the greater part OF
the session thus far the House of Deputies has
given most of its time and attention TO the con-
sideration of the report of the committee ON the
revision and enrichment of the Prayer Book,
and while many wise and Judlc1ouS changes
have been made, it is thought by some that the
tendency has, in not "a few instances, been to-
wards impoverishmentr rather than enrichment:
Thus far the conservative churchmen have had
extreme high or low churchmen having sue
ceeded in obtaining anything like a majority
for propositions clearly radical and partisan i'll
their character. Rev. DIR. Huntington, secreta
~ of the committee, is emphatically the right
man in the right place. Or broad and liberal
views, cool and courteous in debate, and thor
oughly versed in all the details of the Commit
on .Ud MEET obectons and to his snavitV of
manner and unfailing Difference for the opinion
of others is to be attributed in great part the
smoothness with which the discussion of the
proposed changes has thus far proceeded. He is
ably seconded by Rev. DIR. Harrison, of Albany,
one of the members of the committee, who,
though very quiet and unass3ming, seldom fails
to make an impression whenever he takes part
in the debate. Thesetwo gentlemen, together
with Rev. Dr. Adams of Nashota, Rev. DIR. Nor
gan Dix, of New York. Rev. DR.. Fulton, OF Mis-
Souri,, Hon. Hamilton Fish Senator Edmunds,
S. Corning Judd, of Chicago, and Halcolm Hays
| the Pittsburg lawyer and politician. are always
| sure of commanding the attention OF the house.
Senator Edmunds is only heard from at long in
tervals and his remarks are generally very
| brief and pointed. Mr.. Fish seldom has any
| thing to say, but Messrs Judd and Hay are fire.
| quent and ready debaters. OF the Marylanddel-
| egation Mr.. Charles Albert has taken an active
part in the discussions in opposition TO every
| thing that seemed to have ritualistlc tenden-
| cy, and made quite vigorous speech last Week
| against the practice of singing or aton1ng the
Creed. The presiding officers of the house and
| committee of the whole, Rev. ": Bearasley anu
H Mos They
ded in their rulings, and keep the house well In
| hand but accord TO all the members the meas
During the past week the new dictionary, as
| amended by the House of Deputies, was finally,
adopted by the House OF Bishops, and the ques-
| ton as to whether the words protestant Epis-
| copal" should be omitted from the title of the
| pray book was disposed of in the negative by
| both houses. The discussion of the proposed
change in the rubric preceding the Apostles
Creed, which took up the greater part .of two
days in the House of Deputies, ended finally i'll
the rejection of the proposed amendment by
vote of $50 to lO thus leaving the rubric and the
creeds as they are at present in the prayer
book. The amendment thus voted down was as
follows:
"Change the wording of the rubre prefxed to,
the Apostles Greed SO that it shall read
"Then shall be said by the minister and people
standing the Apostles Creed; or else that COM
monty called the Nicene Creed, as it is set forth
| in the communion office. And any churches
| may omit the words He descended into hell
| or, may. instead of them, use the words HE
went into the place ofdeparted spirits" which
are considered as words OF the same meaning IN
| the creed.
/
| the word "again" after the word "arose" in the
| Apostles Creed, in order to bring it into con-
| formity with the version of the Churcn OF Ell
| gland. The House of Bishops changed the rt-
| brio preceding the Apostles Creed by supstItu-
omit, the words @And any churches may in
stead of the words he descended lhtS Ee, ts
the words He went into the place words or pf the
same meaning in the Creed ls 10 1h Nty
the amendment adyocated, P by Week Int Wbe
Dix and others earlier IN tne wen, o''0 winch
| was rejected by the House OF DePut es.
some OF ; - s+ toW PERMITS them to omit the
| words .sTJe descended into help without substi-
tuting any others in their place but the rubric
/ as adopted by the House OF BISHOPS would seem
he important subject of revising the canons
| oovarninr the presentation of candidates for Or
| 6ination in which the Diocese of Maryland is
| necuiiarly interested, was referred, at the re-
cpommendation of the committee on canons, to a
snecial committee consisting of Rev. Dr. Wat
| SON. Rev. Dr. Dix, Rev. DR.. Garrison, Judge Shelf
fey. and Mr.. s. Z. Nash, which was instructed to
| meet in the interval before the next convention
and consider the whole matter.
| During the consideration OF the committees
political discussion sprung up over the PROPOSE
ton of Rev. Philip Brooks, the well-known Bos-
! additional versicles which the committee re-
| commended should follow the creed, and when ;
are similar to those in the English
the words 40 Lord, bless our nation" lnst nhS
of 20 Lord save our rulers" The Venet@tte
Robert Q. Winthrop, of Massachusetts, su leIanC
ed MI. Brooks's motion, and Colump oIso beorG;
eX-Secretary of the Interior, was az" ~ n ,9
from in assertion of its propriety. me e Woro
nation objected to by many many on n,iat h
eiyen enc it, Rev Dr.. huntington finally hit upon
the happy idea of substituting ,ha eSe unlted
adopted reads, 80 Lord, bless and preserve these
United States In the prayer fqr the President
ord III the Governor of this State" making il
refer to the President, Governor, land all others
| IN authority" A motion TO permit the Bishop
Of anv diocese to authorize other services to be
used in parishes or missions in place of the order
| of morning and evening prayer was defeated on
| Friday, although an earnest plea in its behalf
was made by missionary deputies, as being cali
| culated to promote the missionary work OF the
church. On Friday the House of Deputies helu
night session for the first time and disposed ol
q good deal of business. but adjourned yesterday
at O'Clock until tomorrow morning.