The times., 1894-11-16


logical Subjects, but VIII Touch Prac-
teal Problems-severai Important Pa
persian Occasion of Great General In
terest.
The sixteenth meeting of tho congress
of the Protestant Episcopal church in
America which is to continue four days in
Boston, beginning Nov. 13, will doubtless
be the most interesting of the series, and
it's proceedings will be we'll worth atten-
ton. They will illustrate how completely
this church, like most others in the United
States, has become assimilated to the form
and spirit of our national government.
The subjects for discussion will give the
speakers range over the three great de.
partments of religious thought-the ac.
tive organization and work Of the church
as q religious body, its proper relation to
the various reforms and great social move
ments of the day, and that subject Of Pc
rennial interest, the alleged conflict be.
tween science and religion and the proper
attitude of religious teachers toward the
new theories SO much talked about.
This Is the most democratic and proba.
bly, tho most thoroughly representative Of
any Of the regular organizations in this
church. There are, of course, conventions
in which only the clergy take part, meet
ings of bishops only, and a regular repre-
sentative parliament or congress with q
house of bishops and house of lay dele
gates, but in this convention all Episco-
palians may take part, and lawyers and
meh of science arc often in special demand
to supplement the ecclesiastical views by a
large mixture of worldly wisdom. OF this
nature will bo the discussion on Nov 10,
''of the sixth main topic, ""The Argu-
ment From Design as Affected by the The.
ory of Evolution" and it is scarcely an
exaggeration to say that the highest talent
of the church will take part
Rev. DR.. William M. Hughes of Morris
town, n. j., will read the leading paper,
which will be followed with papers by
Rev. DR.. Francis A. Shoup of Columbia,
Tenn, and Professor Kelley of Johns Hop
kins university. A general and critical
discussion will follow, in which I. j. e.
Woodbridge, Esq, of Minneapolis, Rev.
Richard Harris of Brooklyn and others
will take part. 1t is modestly claimed on
behalf of the Episcopal church that more
latitude of opinion on scientific topics is
allowable in it than in any other. We find
accordingly that among the clergy of the
establishment in England there is q lati
tude of opinion utterly astounding to
Americans who encounter it for the first
time and cutting quite across the familiar
distinction of high and low church. In
both the historic divisions are we'll read
clergymen ranging all the way from those
who accept the latest conclusions of Dar-
win to those who hold the first chapters of
Genesis to be substantially literal his
| tory.
"It is not" said Phillips Brooks on this
subject, 'as if we hungered and thirsted
for the ideally perfect in belief. 1t is the
life, the personal life, of Jesus Christ that
carries conviction with it. Let my religion
be simple metaphysical truth, and de-
spair of making anybody receive it as 1
may have received it. Let it be matter
of law and organization, and don't sec
why should carry it across the sea. But
If it be living relation to a living Master
Ishould go and lead my brethren across the
sea in the way he has led me and mine"
And Bishop Whipple, in opening pre-
vious convention said Christians have
been separated, and divisions have ripened
into hatred. The saddest of all is that the
things which separate us are not necessary
to salvation.
1t is quite compliment to our profes-
be given to discussion Of 1.-THE Sunday
Newspaper. The appointed writer's are
Rev. DR.. Holland of st. Louis, Rev. DIR,
George Currie of Baltimore and Rev. DR..
Alexander Mckay Smith of Washington.
After such an array of names 1t would be
superfuous to add that full justice will be
dono the subject on the clerical side, and
this Is to DO followed by q free discussion
led by Richard Henry Dana, Esq, of Cam
bridge, Mass, and William &. Van Ant
werp, Esq, of New York In the discus
sion on 1.-The Proper Education For tho
Ministry" to which q whole day is to bo
given, only the clergy will take part, and
the closing address will bo by Right Rev.
Henry c. Potter of New York. On tho
question, however, of ''The Church's Duty
In the Matter of Secular Activities" the
laity may have q good deal to say, and
their principal representative is Hon.
Rathbone Gardner of Providence. Near
akin to the preceding is tho question,
"How to Relieve tho Poor Without Pau
perizing Them, to which u day will be
devoted. Probably TO man in the church
is better qualified to discuss this subject
than the principal speaker, Rev. DR.. David
II. Greer of St Bartholomew, New York
city, for he has had great practical expert
bncc OF tnc WORK from every Sue. t1e Is u
man Of wealth and receives SIS, 600 per
year from st. Bartholomew s, sometimes
called tho Vanderbilt church because that
family are among is regular attendants
and chief supporters by mere accident
Cornelius Vanderbilt happened to enter
Grace church, Providence, one Sunday u
few years ago and Was so charmed with
the sermon that he at Onoe determined to
secure the minister for st. Bartholomew g,
and so DR.. Greer was transferred to New
York.
He has devoted his entire salary to works
Of mercy and practical reform of the con-
dition of the poor and is recognized as the
official dispenser of the Vanderbilt char
ities. The so called Peoples palace Is
practically his work, and the system adopt
ed is that pursued in the Peoples palace
Of London, which was called into life by
Bcsapt's "All Sorts and Conditions of
Men" BY the latest report obtainablo
this London institution had assisted 204,-
G47 persons in six months, while the issue
Of books amounted to 80, 900, and 10000
persons regularly used the Sunday library
md reading rooms, and it can scarcely be
doubted that the New York institution