Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-20
WORK OF THE CHURCHMEN.
Western Dtoeeses Said 90 be Showing
the Progress Of AaglO.CathOlicism.

WORK OF THE CHURCHMEN.
western Dioceses said 10 be SHOWING
the Progress Of Anglo-Catholicism.
In the p. E convention Tuesday vote on
the question of creating an appellate court was
voted on and lost There was a failure to con-
cur by the two orders, the lay order not having
quite a majority of diocesses in favor of the
measure. By this action the matter OF the
creation OF appellate courts by the general con.
Vention Is temporarily at least disposed or The
report of the committee on work among the
coiored people was considered at great length,
but before any action on the subject was
reached the hour for adjournment arrived.
Chicago dispatch to the New York Tribune
says: On its face the vote on the change OF the
name Of the church in the general conven-
ton last week was a remarkable one. but its
Iuli significance can only be understood by a
somewhat careful analysis. In The first place
u Is evident that the feeling in favor of such a
change has grown with great rapidity i'm the
last lew years, and IL ii continues growing at
It's present rate its adoption i'm the near
future Is q foregone conclusion. This is con-
ceded by all. The wonderful growth of this sem
tlment Is due 10 great number of causes, some
OF them not apparent on the surface. An In
spection OF the vote taken yesterday shows
tnat as heretofore the clerical deputies are
more generally i'm favor of change OF name
than the lay deputies, but ii is also shown how
rapidly the feeling in favor of the change is
growing among the laity. Indeed, some of the
strongest advocates of the change are to be
found among the lay deputies. OF the seven
teen dioceses which gave a clerical vote in
favor OF the change there are only three east
ern n,, aloceses, namely, Maine, New Jersey and
called. All the others are western and SOUTH
ern dioceses.
cal vote against the resolution were Albany,
Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode
island Haan Southern Ohio, Virginia. Central New
minnesota, Ohio, Pittsburg, South Carolina,
Vermont and West Virginia. Coming now TO
the lay vote the three eastern dioceses, namely
vermont, New Jersey and Northern New
Jersey voted In favor OF the change. The other
eight dioceses are in the west and south.
Among the twenty.nine dioceses which cast a
lay vote against the change are 10 be found
central pennsylvania. Delaware, Iowa, Long
Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New
York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Southern Ohio,
Virginia, Western New York, Central New
YORK. Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan,
New Hampshire, North Carolina, Penn.
this IL will be seen that the seventeen diuceses
which cast a clerical vote Tor the Judd resolu
ton and the eleven dioceses which cast a lay
vote for the resolution, are with four excep-
lions, weak western or southern dioceses,
some OF them only recently organized, and
none OF them representing the best thoughts OF
the church In the great centers of civilization.
Ou the other hand the twenty-five dioceses
which cast clerical vote against the resolu-
tlon and the twenty-nine dioceses which cast "A
lay Vote against IL represent, with a few eXcep-
tons, the strength, the Intelligence and the
progressive spirit of the Episcopal church.
1hey contribute the most to the cause of mis-
sions. They have built hospitals and asylums
for the sick and afflicted, aud Ia them Largely
may be found that intelligent perception of
the trend OF the age which has done much
to promote the growth Of the Episcopal church.
This is a suggestive fact and one which is much
commented on to-day.
1t is apparent that even had the vote In favor
OF change been greater than il was, Ii could
hardly have been regarded as representing the
bes. mind of the church. AS a matter of fact
q number of deputies voted for the Judd reso.
luton only because they believed its statement
that the present name of the church does not
adequately describe the church, and not be-
cause they desire 10 change that name. Unfor-
tunately they were unable TO st parafe these
two ideas in the vote. which, on its lace, APP
pears TO register the number OF deputies who
wish to change the name of the church now
This Individual vote stands follows: Two
hundred and ninety-five votes were cast alto
gether; OF these eighty-two clerical deputies
and thirty lay deputies voIed for the resolution:
ninety-nine clerical deputies and eighty-four
was therefore 112 i'm favor of the resolution and
Is against 1t. OF these l12 at least thirty IL
Was thought, would vote no ON the simple prop
Csition 10 change tile name OF the church now,
so That the strength OF the Anglo-Catholic party
IN the present convention Is not probably more
than eighty all told. These eighty votes, how
ever, have behind them O splendidly drilled
party, whose thorough Organization gives il a
strength tar beyond its numbers Such a mi
nority controlled as by one mind, and animated
by spirit OF lofty enthusiasm, would be a
powerful factor in legislation, even If il did
not grow any larger. But another inter-
esting TACT must be referred to. 1t is
said 10y some high church men that many of
those who wish the church To be known simply
as the church In America are among the strong
est friends Of Christian unity, They argue in
this way: ITO call ourselves the church is not
to arrogate that title to ourselves alone We
are the church because We hold the creeds of
the church. But NO are the other great Pro-
testant bodies, although irreguiarly So because
they hold the same creeds. We are, therefore.
merely adopting tor ourselves and for Iuem
also an unsectarian title, in the hope that il
will encourage them TO take the same step,
The titles Protestant Episcopal, Presbyterian,
Baptist and Methodist are SO many stOnewaIls
dividing the Christian church. We are for
throwing these walls down all along the line.
The report OF the joint committee on l.turgi-
cal revision made yesterday is conservative,
and it is generally supposed that its recon-
mepdatiOns will in the main be adopted. The
alterations in the rubrics which il proposes are
not OF great importance, and are largely in the
direction OF legalizing certain things which are
now done without any clear rubrical authority
such as the use OF u shortened service on GER
tain occasions. The most important recom-
mendatiOn OF the committee is that q book OF
Offices be al once published to be used tenta-
lively by the church during the next three
years. This book Of offices will contain several
special services not found in the present book,
proposed Book Annexed" II the suggestion
OF the committee Us carried out every congre-
CATION may use the proposed book and judge
iOr tselfas to its desirability. The only serious
objection that will probably be brought against
this proposition is that 1t is unconstitutional:
but it is thought this objection will not be sus-
tanned.