St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-13
AMERICAN EPIsCoPACY.

session OF me general convention. and
some OF which are likely to be adopted.
On the I'd day Of October, 1888, just 100
years ago. the initial movement for the
f. organization OF the Protestant Episcopal
4 Church OF the United States was made.
There were three bishops who had re-
ceiYed conservation at the hands of
the Scottish and English episcopata-
WHITE, Provost and SEABURY-and
q few hundred laYmen who were scat
tered about in the more populOus cities
and towns; but they were without aSso-
citation. lost and powerless in the re-
ligious movements of the day. At that
time American soil did not seem to be
adapted TO the growth of the Episcopal
church. 1t was distruSted because of
its English Darentage, and yetits hered-
itary relations with the Church OF Eng
land had been ruptured by the success
full results of the Revolutionary war.
1t found itself suddenly stripped of the
stays and supports of its old eonnec-
lions, and at the same time exposed to
the bitter prejudices of the newborn
civilization, which held in contempt
everything Of an aristOcratic tendency.
Those were trying days OF despair and
endurance for the little handful of Epis-
cOpalians who were scattered about over
the country. But Notwithstanding their
adverse conditions. they got together
and organized a church. The first fifty
years of the American church was a
struggle for existence. The neces-
sary autonomy of its position, quite
independent of the state. in fact
in disfavOr with both state and people,
was a source of profound embarrass-
ment. 1t was set down in popular
thought as aristOcratic and piutOcratIc
rather than democratic. The clergy
men were then, as now, men of polish,
refinement and education: but their eX-
I cessive conservatism kept them far be-
hind the time and out of touch with its
living issues. In the meantime more
aggressive MethOdism and Presbyterian
ism had pre-empted every frontier set
Element and sown the form of more
democratic religious life. But the
period of new ecclesiastical develop
ment came in time. The last half-cen-
tury of Episcopacy in America has been
! one of progression, aggression and con-
quest. From the small beginning of
century ago, with its three bishops with
out diOceSeS, the church has grown
until now there are fifty dioceses and six
teen missionary jurisdictions, siXty-nine
bishops and one awaiting conservation,
nearly 1000 clergymen, nearly 5000
parishes, and membership that aggre-
/ gates a million and a quarter souls.
! The grand total of contributions for last
/ year reached nearly S12,000,000, and
there were over 10000 combinations
during the year.
One of the changes proposed in the
present convention is change of church
name. 1t has always been matter of
/ surprise that the church should style
] itself Episcopal when nobody ever heard
| OF church that was not episcopal; and
| the very fact that it is not in connection
with the church of Rome is the evil
dence of its Professionalism. Still, this
| Pathological title has precious mean
ing in the minds of those who revere
the historical legitimacy of the Ameri-
| can episcopate and the development of
its theOlogic investigations, which have
won for it converts from every other
| denomination. Consequently there will
be bitter opposition to the proposed
| change of name, and it will probably be
| defeated. Yet it is fairly evident that
the vote in its favor will be larger than
at any of the three previous conven-
tiOns in which the measure has been adj
! VOcated.
Another matter of interest in the
progress of American EpiscOpacy within
recent years is the fight that has been
made for open churches and free pews.
Notwithstanding the popular opinion
that the membership of the Episao
church is mainly constituted of the
privileged classes, yet as an actual fact
I this church, of all the Protestant de-
nominations, has waged the most sue
ceSsful crusade against pew doors and
privileged classes. The Lords house is
| taken to be literally His and His peo-
! pies, and not the merchandise of the
rich and thrifty. There are many entire
dioceses wherein every church and
chapel is free, and the tendency is to
have the church synod formally declare
in favor of this policy.
The subject, however, which will pro-
! yoke the most heated discussion in this
session of the general convention, and
the one which will excite the most gen.
eral interest. is that which relates to the
conflict between the high church and
I l. al, fo &c 81 10
fact that while in all other religious
bodies the tendency of the times is al
most invariably in favor of a greater
liberality of views and less restriction
TO the old symbols, the tendency of the
Younger men in the American Episcopal
| church is to insist more and more upon
| exact adherence to the old formulas
While the peculiar doctrinal holdings of
| other denominations are less accentu-
ated, and the walls which separate one
church from another are growing lower
each year, the Protestant Episcopal
church manifests a disposition to
return to its ancient creed and liturgic
worship. 1t is apparent that the So
called Catholic movement in the Amer
lean branch of the Anglican communion
is gaining ground. The gradual APP
pearance of the ecclesiastical ornaments
and colors, the disappearance of tables
from chancels and the substitution of
affairs deeked with cOlored hangings of
the proper season, the weekly ceIebra-
ton of the holyeucharist and the almost
universal introduction of choral serv-
ices, all indicate the progress in the
direction we have indicated. Another
indication that the apologize tone of
the Episcopal church is to be abandoned
has been furnished during the present
session of the convention by its insist
ence upon the recitation of the Nicene
creed. The argument in support of
more strictly maintaining the ritual
prOprieties of the Episcopal serv-
ice is that the tremendous YER
tiles of a catholic faith are COM