Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-07
Fp'scopalians Warned.

On last SUNDAY r V. Philips Brooks,
d, D. the justly celebrated EpiscopalIau
! clergyman, o. Boston. preached n sermon
to his congregation on the effort in the
recent trIennIal convention OF the Protes-
tant Episcopal Churcn at Chicago, to
! chang" the name of that church
to that OF the Catholic Church
Of America, or the Church Of
+ the United states, which has excited con-
siderable comment. Those who are
familiar with the proceedings Of the last
two or three conventions of this church
are well aware that the movement to
change its name has been steadily gain
Ing strength, and that at the convention
in October the clerical delegates from
seventeen dioceses voted IN favor OF the
change, twenty-five against it, and thai
ten were SO divided that they cast no
vote. The lay vote was not so strongly
in favor of the cnange. Eleven delegates
vots tor il. twenty-eight against it and
four were divided.
Those who favor the change are earnest
and aggressive, and, in the opinion of the
Rev. Phillips Brooks, they will, in a lew
years, triumph. unless the opposition to
th m is conducted with greater skill and
vigor. The Rev. Phillips Brooks is strongly
opposed 10 the change, because be thinks
that harm would result TO The church from
it. He deplores the spirit OF exclusive
ness which suggests it, and objects to the
assumption of "a certain superiority
which amounts to certain monopoly OF
that which belongs to all the Christian
churches together" lie deprecates any
course which looks like a claim on the
part OF the Protestant Episcopal Church
that it alone is comm issioned to admins
ter the Gospel OF Christ In the United
States. A claim like this was hardly
thought OF few years ago except by
few individuals, but it has gradually
gained supporters, until now it begins to
! look as il a convention IN the near future
would allow it.
The claim, OF course, is based on the
theory that there belongs t. "'the Episco-
pal ministry distinct and abso ute right
which does not belong to the ministry OF
other churches; that from the time OF the
apostles TO the present time bishop has
been consecrRted by bishop by direct
touch of the hand upon the head" and
that the commission to administer the
Christian Gospel, having thus come down
from generation to generation, belongs
now to no one in this country outside OF
this succession. It is clear that if the
proposed change in name were made,
no one who believes that the Christian
Church IS the aggregate of all who be-
lieve in and follow Christ could conscien-
| tiOusly remain. or become member of
the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The Rev. Phillips Brooks says that there
might be some reason for the proposed
change OF name il the Protestant Episco
pal Church were 80 prep0nderant and alb
sorbed 80 great part of the Christian
life of the country that all outside OF 1t
was comparatively Insignificant, but, as
a matter of fact, such is not the case. In
point of membership, and perhaps of
wealth and Christian work, it stands sew
enth or eighth on be list.
| The Rev. Phillips Brooks expresses the
| opinion that if the proposed change is
made the Protestant Episcopal Church,
crowned with big name, will take it's
place among the little denominations of
the cOun ry, and viii be doomed to become
the ''church of little fantastic sect"