The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1893-04-24
The Anglican Church. Matters
Episcopa1ian Discussed by an
OUIO0keY

Mr.. EDIToR;-To a stranger arriv-
ing in Honolulu some three months
ago, as did, matters in the Anglican
Church of Hawaii looked, TO say the
least, rather queer. The fact that
there were two separate services at
the Cathedral on Sunday struck me at
once as being rather strange in city
no larger than Honolulu; but when,
upon inquiry, I found out what must
necessarily believe to be the true state
of affairs in the Church / was still
more surprised. Surprised to find that
the head of the Anglican Church IN
Hawaii should prove to be such
fmeddling old woman" as he was re-
ported to be, and still more surprised
to learn that all the troubles of the
Anglican Church in Hawaii should
date from the inception of Bishop
Willis episcopacy.
Let the reader put him or herself in
my place, and what do they see?
They see a church divided against it.
self; three-fourths of the congregation
under minister of their own choos-
ing arrayed against tue other fourth
under the head of the church itself I;
an incompleted building, dignified by
the name of Cathedral, which in any
other city in the world but HOnolulu
would be deemed disgrace to demon
mate as such; two separate and dis
tinct choirs in the same church, with
more or less rivalry existing between
them; and, worst of all, a general
spirit of discomfort pervading the
whole congregation, leading, in many
instances, to personal chickering's and
hatred, and still worse, they would
learn that this deplorabIe state of af-
fairs has been continuing for a num-
Der of years.
Now, Mr.. Editor, some one is to
blame for all this scandalous state of
affairs. [ use the word "seandalousn
knowingly, believing that it correctly
represents the present condition OF
affairs in the Anglican Church of the
Hawaiian Islands, and / believe it
would be so termed by any gathering
of Episcopalians in London, New
York or elsewhere. | mean that
the dissensions in the Episcopal
Church in Honolulu, if fully known
abroad, would be considered as seam
dalizing the whole church, and how
ever much some members of the
church may dislike to hear the word
"scandal'' from Bishop Willis lips or
mine, this proposition cannot be gain
sayed.
| The question naturally arises, "whO
| is To he blamed for all this ?n The iii
variable answer to me has always
| been "Bishop WiIlis.n From conver-
| sations with members of the church
from perusals of the Bishops numer-
Gus legal escapades, in which / find
| that he has always endeavored to do
those things which he ought not to do
instead of the contrary, and from
| various other sources of information
am led to the belief that / was cor
rectly answered and that Bishop
Willis is to blame, and has always
been so. That with him alone lies
all the responsibility for the present
condition of affairs.
While the state of armed neutrality
which has of late existed in the
church, went on and the Bishop made
no aggressive move, matters were
comparatively quiescent, but not by
any means as they should be. But
of q sudden, the Bishop makes a new
move and announces that the Second
Congregation, or / may as we'll term
it ''then congregation, must dissolve
itself and either Immediately IncOr
pOrate with his own corporaPs guarG
or stay outside the fold. Deliberately
and with malice aforethOught tn
Bishop issues an edict which h
/
sonal animosity among the member
of the church, bringing the Christian
religion into shame and disrepute an
: reviving and adding additional sean
dal TO = matter that was virtual.
ended as long as he did not interfer
with it. And yet, as the head of th
church, he is supposed not only t
: teach but practice Christianity a
D taught by the meek and lowly Jesu:
: What would Jesus Himself
3 in the position of Bishop Willis
: And what about the virtue of charit
= s'that foreiveth all thingsn
The head of the Anglican Church i
>, Hawaii seems to be so wrapped up
I the mantle of his own righteousne:
d that he occasionally, if not quite fr
e quently, forgets to practice what h
breaches to his poor tired-out al
sleepy little choristers on Sunda
evenings.
Well, the Bishop has thrown dow
!. the gauntlet and virtually declare
war TO the knife against the membe
of the church. One or the other mu
go to the wall, and it will not be IL
IT congregation. Desperate cases r
quire desperate remedies, and wou
suggest to the members of the SecoI
Congregation that it was high tin
that Bishop Willis be given a goo
IF dose of the same medicine he is q
o tempting to prescribe for others.
= venture to suggest few medicin
Z which I think will be applicable
)f the Bishops present splenetic cond
a ton, which has arisen, go / am toll
a from certain criticisms which ha7
! been made on his late attempt
q ''meddlen in politics. Bishops shou
1t never NEEDLE in politics or any 9th
l. matters which do not concern ther
= Some of them have lost their hea
~ and others good fat jobs for doing
J. and Bishop Willis is in a fair way
g lose the latter if he has not alreaC
b lost the former.
4 A petition might be gotten up by
= special committee appointed for th
- purpose, signed by all the mer
Is bers of the church on the island
4 and forwarded to the Archbish
70 of Canterbury, stating in fl
:. the true condition of affairs
ol the Islands, and the general dissat
Of faction at the course of the Bisho
" and requesting him to remove Bish
,s Willis, or to take such other steps
= would result in putting an end to ii
L scandal or controversy, to use mild
re expression.
Another suggestion is, that t
Board of Trustees close up the Cath
dral until such time as the Bish