The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-25
DIOCESAN CONVENTION.
Soon to Meet at the Call
of the Bishop : The
Place Not Settled.
PROTESTANT PRINCIPLES.
Rev. Mr.. Mills Defines His P0-
siticn on the Much-Dis-
cussed Subject.

The convention of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, of the Newark Diocese
will be held on Tuesday, Mays. and day
following. From each church OF the Guy
the priest and two laymen will be sent as
delegates. AS for the place, that cannot
vet be announced. 1t is held in a churcn
designated by the Bishop" and the
thoughts of the Bishop are past finding
out, at least not until after Easter When
the clergy will receive notification.
1t is quite too bad that the diocesan
conventions are purely deliberative and
executive bodies, not in q general de-
gree legislative. else the general public
would lear something more about the
word protestant" and whether 1t be-
longs by right in the corporate
Church. Unfortunately there VIII be
nothing said o it, but they VIII THINK
| the more. Not long since. the Rev. Wit
liam Writ Mills of st. Marks Church
precipitated q discussion with Mr.. .. I.
Ransom, editor of the Mirror, by sendlng
him a letter which eciar himself not
q Pr~otestant-in fact, opp sed TO Protest
ant principles. Mr.. Ransom was thrown
into a state of mental disturbance a6
once, and inquired, editorially. whether
| we had u Jesuit among us, and mucn 10
the same purpose. The difficulty was
the old dilemma of debating societies., d
difference in the meaning OF words.
THE REV. MR.. EXPLAINS.
The Rev. Mr.. Mills, in staring the case
to a reporter for The JERSEY CITY NEWS,
said that he referred 20 the word Protest
aut as generally defined, one who enters
a general protest against the doctrines OF
the Roman Catholic Church. This MI:
Ia -. II, ,1t xyi1i, n RI SuhSerihn nimSAif.
The word surely may be seen upon
the title page of the prayer
book. forming part of the cor
porate title of the church, but III
another aud far more restricted sense, as
meaning those who protest against GER
tain doctrines declared to nave oeen IN
terpolated by the Roman Church. Mr..
Mills, by his short and extremely Clever
note, brought about something the same
effect that one does who pulls out the
lowest book from a pile on the top closet
shelf. The whole thing came down on
his head.
REV. MR.. BENNITT ON THE SUBJECT.
But his position is clearly understood
and appreciated by the clergymeu of his
denomination in the city. In an inter
view upon the subject. Rev. George >
Bennitt, of Grace Churcl said: 1T II
not against the Roman Catholic Church
that we protest, but against what we Ge'
| Clare 10 DC tue GlIOEo VI tbC 1SoAho t|"en
olic Church. We are all Catholic, Dut
not Roman Catholic. There are certain
doctrines which we declare &c
have been absent IN the
primitive church promulgated by
the Church of Rome, aud IL 10 against
these that we, as a church, have entered
protest. Underlying Roman doctrine Is
Catholic doctrine, the faith of the Church
Universal, but ABOVE this there has &C
cnmuiated a mass of tenets which we
know as Romanism, not. as Catholicism
and with which we are not in sympathy.
..There have been many attempts to re-
move the word Protestant from the cor
porate title of the Church, one of which
at The last General Convention proved
almost successful The feeling that the
word produced a certain misunderstood
ing is general, but The matter Of remov-
ing it would be one full of diff
Guilty. The change on the title
page of the prayer book would
necessitate changes wherever the name
occurred in all documents, legal or other
wise. Then, too, it is now a distinctive
title, possessed by no other church. al
though all not Roman profess themselves
believers in Protestant doctrines. Should
the change be made. any other church
would have a right to adopt the title, il
which ase all wills bequeathipg proper
ty 70 '.the Protestant Episcopal Church
would be alienated."
The subject was thoroughly discussed
at the revision of the prayer book at las
years General Convention, n as NJ
change was made then, it is highly
probable that it will be many years be
fora sucn action is taken.