New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-02
EPISCOPALIANS TO MEET.
SESSION OF THE GENERAL CONVENTION
IN BALTIMORE. OCTOBER s.

service I'm Emmanuel Church, on wednesday oo'ooe'
). and will continue In session fhree. or PosSio,y
four weeks The most important business Iat wiz
come before It. will be the completion or inc eVIso
OF the Prayer Book. which was begun ABOUT niocen
years arc the adoption Of q standard edition oil the
PRAYER Book as revised the adoption Of propoSeu
bymnal tho election OF bishops for Japan ana Chih'
Tho setting off OF u number OF pew dioceses tue
election OF several missionary bishops. The cstaohs"
ment OF n court OF appeals, the discussion Vi '"o
provincial system, and review OF the uohies.' an"
foreign missionary operations OF the church. heSi'o'
these questions which pretty certain 10 cone Wy
IN some form or other it possible that m attempt
will be made 10 define more clearly ue si'"o -
religious orders, also the powers when dioee'e'
have in passinp on the election Of bishop Ihere
has recently been some discussion III the Chuch
ORGANS about dropping the Thirty nine Aruc'es anu
some zealois iconOcasts think that the General Oon
vention may be asked take action on the q"esuo'
But II such should be the case there is haruy
possibility that the Convention would do anything
Tho Convention will consist OF two houses, the
House Of Bishops numbering Is, and che House
~ Clerical and Lay Deputies, numbering Dr..
Tho President OF the House OF Bishops oy virtue VI
seniority OF oiire, Is the ri. Rev. DR.. Johh "ia"s'
~ Connecticut who vii! be assisted In bis duties py
Bishop Neeley, OF Maine. The House OF DePu'ieS
elects rs president at each meeting OF tho CohVeh'
ton and there IL little doubt that 1t VIII elect
IN this city, who was the president OF the last Two
Conventions TIE statistical returns OF the Church
for the last year show that 1t CONSISTS OIL hiS wv"
doceses and twelve missionary Jurisdictions III tue
United States Jurisdictions In foreign ianos'
II has a. l6S clergy, 50S5 parishes ana nhssoh
stations and 530,2s8 commandments. The Valuation
~ IT'S property IS $4,000 900 and the grand total
Of IFS contributions for all purposes during last year
WIS nearly S14,OOO,OOO In the country districts us
growth during the past ten years has been s'endy'
though not markedly great But IN the large cltles
cspeclaly on the Atlantic seaboard 1t shows great
increase in membership and influence 1t appears 10
attract into It's ranks prGporonaely large number
OF wealthy people. while at the same time IL mas
begun 10 show an unsupported ability to adapt Itself
10 the problems OF practical work From being re-
carici rs an English exotic, having no real ANNA
tlons with American Christianity IL has come TO De
looked upon as important factor in the eccesias-
teal fc Of the country, which though yet relatively
small in numbers, cannot be ignored.
In no Denomination there be found greater
diversitcs Of belief and worship than in the Epls-
coral Church. There the AngloCatholics, or
RIiliolsts the old fashioned High Churchmen,
sometimes called facctlously, "Igh and DRY
Churchmen.p the Broad Churchmen, and the Low or
Evangelical Churchmen. For many years these
part'es waged a bitter against each other. Even
when the Church organized, the High and the Low
Chnrchmcn were found in opposition, the former
under the leadership Of Bishop seabtry and the
latter under that Of bishop White. For long time
tho diocese OF New York. then comprising the whoo
state was the battle ground, and there are man'
Churchmcn yet living who remember me lerociy
q the conflict In those days there were no broad
Churchmen 10 speak Of In the modern sense OF the
term and the strife between the two great parties
turned largely on questions OF words and names
That are almost obsolete to-day. The man who dD
the most make the church In New-f0rk respected
u not loved, was Bishop Hobart, a man OF Intense
convictions great ability, and with GIT ior
organization. Under his leadership the snpShod
methods and unspiritual tone that had heen so
prevalent before were replaced by type OF church
M, spiritual rcvcrent. and aggressive tiat under
changed conditions survives today. There are yet
to be found men who delight 10 cal themselves
Hobart Churchmen. q compliment that has peeh pnu
10 hardly any other great leader Of the Church.
Bnt IN recent years the parties have largely dis
continued their squabbes, and he energies OF the
Church have been directed 10 the practical questions
o. growth and evangelhation. The last really great
pnry contest occurred IN 1871, when the celebrated
canon forbldding certain ritual nets adopted 1t
rms not suppressed the Rualsts, bu, the suppression
Of 'he Ritualiss IS longer n burning question.
Much moro interest IS taken in making the church
acceptable 20 the people by adapting lis system ana
worship the popular needs OF he day Ana SO III 'e
coming General Convention there Will be no ume wasted
over such mysteries Us whether the sirpnce shoud
,ech IN the knee or the ankle, whether The King
dom Of righteousness will be quickly advanced
By the minister standing Mt the end or In front OF tho
altar.
The average Episcopallan will be glad 20 know that
this convention will finish the revision OF the prayer
too fr however open his mind may be TO new thought
no f. an, to he quite conservative In regard 10 tnat
venerable book. The revision movement OF which the
Roy Dr w r. Huntington. rector OF Grace Church IN
mia dty NAV be said b. the father, has, however,
been exceedingly moderate IN It's character ana scope
TOO moderate by far indeed. 10 suit few I'M dc s'ecle
c,urchn,en who conceive that book more perfectly
exnrcsne the plr1lseology and Ideas OF modern lie
uould promote the growth Of the Church II Is an IN
eres,ng fact however. that many who recognize this
IN theory have been among the strongest opponents OF
covis,on on the ground that the Prayer Book as 1t
.,onds Il m exquisite English classic, and that any
,,,,r, N ,nl,er # would spoil Il. Such people Will
h. clad TO learn hat the revision has not In the slight
az, degree MARRIED the Prayer Book In this respect
Rut on the contrary, Il has enriched ana improved H.
An Office for the feast Of the TRANSPORTATION has been
| o,,,d. .he fuu Drnctlctus and the Nunc Dimittis
hove boon placed In the Morning and Evening Prayer
The permission 10 omit the clause In the Apostles
| Creed lie descended into hell" has been stricken
ont and the word again" inserted the office OF Even
ing PRAYER has been shortened the old third coect
| =. Tighten our darkness has been restored; new
PRAYER for the President and the Governor OF the State
ha been add>d rs also a petition for The Increase OF
th, ministry In the Lany; permission IL given. under
| certain circumstances to omit the Dechloene and the
longer cxhortatlon In the Communion Once. TO MIRO
ducc the Greed mo the Burial Office, Ia use the whole
| Burial Office In the Church to use the Offices oil
! Morning Prayer the Itany and the communion sepa
| roioly 20 use the Litany I'm the evening. 10 use
nccal service under certain circumstances. In place
m the regular service and 10 special services author
| lz,d by the Bishop for special occasions. Special
pnlms are appointed for ten more days In addition to
| the six for which they now appointed. Twenty
selections OF psalms appointed Instead Of ten In the
unrevisod book Permission Is given 10 the minister
~ choose proper for special days Of fasting and
! tbe use of any scripture anthems Is allowed. On
week DAYS the mlnster may omit part OF the service
Additional opening sentences are appointed. The Use
OF ccr.ain prayers now obligatory is made optional.
and the use OF the Nccne Greed is obligatory on
| to,n fcs,ivals Many other changes made. but