The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-06
WAR ON BISHOP NELSON.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX ATTACKS
him IN AN EDITORIAL

he is Accused of Unwonted Exercise
OF Official Authority in Prohibiting
Funerals on Sundays and Marriages
IA the Church During Certain Por-
tions OF the Church Year.
ATLANTA, Ga. Dec. 5.-Considerable
comment was created here to-day by an
editorial which appeared in the issue Of the
Christian IRdeD just from the press. The
editorial is an attack on Bishop Nelson of
the Episcopal diocese Of Georgia on account
of his order issued last spring prohibiting
marriages in the Episcopal church In Goor-
gia during Advent, and from Septuegesima
to Easter. a period of more than two
months. and commanding that burials tie
not attended on Sundays. Both went to-
gether In effect yesterday for the first time.
WRITTEN DOWN AS DEsPoTIC.
The editorial In the Inder, which is the
official organ of the Baptist denomination In
Georgia, says: Bishop Nelson comes, in
the very beginning of his administration,
to confront the clergy and the
laity in the convention with the
marked unwonted exercise of the official au-
thority he claims for himself And what a
master of euphemism he Is. In announcing
this programme of official despotism on his
part he styles 1t relieving the clergy of indi-
vidual rulings az II he wero lifting griev-
GUS burden from their shoulders, and not, as
is really the case, fastening a yoke about
their neoks, holding them back from the
right Of private Judgment and the dignity
OF official responsibility. As Baptists we
rejoice that no mortal man can hope to dis
charge this function Of relieving with us.
How can Christ's freemen enslave them
selves to itg'
ATTITUDE OF THE COURT.
''By the way" the paper concludes. 'if
one of these clergymen, under prosecution
for refusal to perform the marriage cere-
mony, should appeal TO this mandate of the
bishop for his defense, would the bar, ,
would the jury or the court find the man-
date sufficiently in harmony with Episcopal
usages in England or America to plead his
justification and to bear him harnlessl We
cannot say, but we hardly think they
would. The ancient and continuous Gus
tom,' we judge, would stand before the
secular tribunal In the garb of a modern
novelty, and what IL some such suit at law
bishops address, TO evolve itself Ia due
seasoni Stranger things have happened In
our days"
WHAT THE BISHOP HAS TO SAY.
When shown the article Bishop Nelson
stated that the paragraph attacked, which
is as follows, was portion of his Columbus
address, a portion of church government in-
tended for the good of the memhers: $50,
while some very important privileges and
customs, such as the communion of women,
the chanting OF the Dselter, the use of dis
tinctive vestments, rest rather upon trAdi-
tton than upon any act OF the synod or
council, there are other usages not
so pre.emptory, but yet deserving
our attention and which the
reverent mind will be disposed to conserve.
To give two Of these specific authority
hereby accept as a rule for the diocese Of
Georgia, thus relieving the clergy of in
dividual rulings, that according to ancient
aud continuous custom no marriages be
celebrated in Advent or from Septuagesima
to Easter, and that burials be not attended
on a Sunday" He said he thought there
would be no trouble In seeing the wisdom Of
the passage, which is Ia accordance with the
canons of the church aud the customs that
are observed In the best regulated dioceses.