New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-09-16
THE NEW CONSTITUTION AND THE HAD'' ''
CHANGES 1T PRoPosEs-oFFIcERs OF i"'
CONVENTION AND DELEGATES
,.,on NEW YORK.


,,,,,,,on NOV NOT be adopted. Certain II IL tha' -
strong opposition to it has already pee" uere'o'
since its publication few months aso
one poInt al schools OF thought III ''e |
agreed: The present constitution ID oiu ~.
wholly Inadequate to the growing heeu' ~
Church Indeed, strongly Is ths ie'' mo
noss,blv tempt some deputies to vote TOT .ne ne"
constitution. in spite OF the lee'"s ''"N
altogether what 1t ought to be- ,,.,
The General Convention is the supreme 'es''
bodv of the Episcopal Church IL cohsi7's " ~
houses OF coordinate power, the House Vi D''"r
composed OF all the bishops OF the ohu'S' O.
the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies co"S''e
Of four clergymen and four aymeh H'i,
diocese in the Church. AS there are now hfty-'"o
,oaos ard twe,ve missionary jurisdictions in this
country and seven foreign Jurisdictions the CON
o,,,oo bas become q large body, too 'arge inheeu'
and therefore the provision In the ne" co"S'''"'
reducing the representation to three oi ea1"
from each diocese will meet the hearty approval
-, a,orv one but the odd men, who will be smut
out. -, ,o,,
The president Of the House OF Bishops, by risn'
., ssriori,v Of conservation is Bishop John Will
lang NJ Connecticut and the secretary Il professor
Samuel Hart of Trinity College. Hartford. Inc
president of the House OF Deputies ~ '"e "e'
DR. Morgan Dix of this city. ana the secretary ]"
the Rev Dr. Charles l.. Huchins. OF concord MISE
Other officers are Buchanan Winthrop, or THIS CITY
ard PRAYER Book and Bishop Perry. OF Iowa. MS
.r,oaranher There are a number of important
standing committees that will report to the con-
venton; but as already Indicated, the report VI
| the Constitutional Commission VIII attract ue
| mos, attention The membership OF the commits
sion Is as follows: Bishops Williams, OF Connectl-
| out. coxe Of Western New-York; Doane. OF Al
banv. Dudley of Kentucky; Burgess, OF quincy
Ill.,: Potter OF New-York. and Paret. of Maryland
| tho Rev Drs E. A. Hoffman, James S. stone.
xinIoch Nelson, c. A. L. Richards Char.es II.
Hall OF Brooklyn, who has just died; "liiiam D.
| seabury and Hall Harrson Messrs James T.
Smith w H. Iightner. Edward g. Bradford f. Is.
| swayne Char.es G. Saunders, John A. BEAN anu
| Frank III. Miller.
constitution n point will arise that has been
hotlv discussed ever since the organization OF tne
| Church 1t is whether 1t is not contrary 70 ca'ho-
! lie traditions for the Church to have any sort Oh
paper constitution. 1t IS all very well argue 'he
| high churchmen who make this point Tor man
made organization like the State to get up CON
| sututon; but the only constitution of the Church
| T., ,ha trina sense OF the word. 10 Christs divine
oo,,uission 10 IT, of which the bishops are the
| Guardians constitution for the General Con-
vention II you Please. but not for the Cnurch.
But whether for good or I'll, the first organizers Oh
the Church provided 1t with such document anu
the present revlsers had nothing to do out toho" III
| their footsteps
| First then. comes the declaration OF what the
Church stands for and teaches. This Is not in the
| cd constitution The Scriptures to be received
| "a the word OF God is OF the statements III
this declaration that will be strongly objected TO-
| not on the ground that 1t Is untrue but because
| no such assertion has ever before been put forth
| nv the Church To say that the Bible Is the WORD
Of God is to use fguratve language and the touDle
with nguratiye language is that everyone soon
| ht- la
| beth articles declare that the fiois H0i'p'uio' '
| tain the word OF God.
Tho first article relates the organization or the
| General Convention. Its name Is changed TO the
| General Synod. The article does away with pro-
vision in the present constitution by which the House
of Deputies pass law. II the upper mouse uoes
not signify It's dsapprova within three days
strange and anomalous limitation OF episcopal rights
In an Episcopal Church. Synod Is the ancient dreeK
word for councils but the term General synod VIII
seem to some be inaccurate. az senerai syhou
| strictly means ecumenical council.
IL Is proposed not to count the missionary p'shops
now some twenty in number In making up quorum
os the upper house This would make twenty nine a
| quorum which means that fifteen bishops might
! exercise the authority OF the whole house IL Is
| provided that the upper house elect pfesueh'
| from its own number who shall be called pri-
| mus Under the present arrangement the presdihg
| Bishop IL always old man, and therefore NOT
slwavs able TO perform the increasingly onerous du-
,,es NJ tho office The diocesan representation III the
General Synod to be three or each otue'' i's'ea
| Of four and the present constitutional quorum o.
| ,,ooosas ia doubled The constitutional quorum or
tho House OF Deputies Is also increased anu II -
nrovided that the two houses may SIT IN JOINT ses-
| sion. ,, T., -,
Article III contains nothing new Article IA y I'M
| nortant II has a declaration new 10 the Nhu'ch'
| thu, the General Synod l. the supreme legslauVe
| ',hor,,y II retains the term degradation" as an
fha mil
many IN the Church seriously object to II as unnec-
| ass,rv offensive Bishops alone are to compose the
| court for the trial OF a bishop. and they are en-
| novered TO enact all the rules ana ordinances 10
govern trials they please, ana as oiteh as they
nleose Should this clause be adopted two Inherent
| bishops might be tried for the same ohence withln
| tho same wear and by changing the ordinances one
=, .hor, might be convicted and the other acquitted.
! Rut though possible. this would not be probable
| The mower to define or revise doctrines Is taken
fron, the General Synod and lodged with the bsh-
| o,s alone AS the sole and supreme judges OF what
the doctrines OF the Church are II IL most radical
| nrovision The House OF Bishops IL constituted a
| a., o,r, of appeals Provision il made for the
| ooianon Of contiguous doceses into provinces.
| ach nrovnce to have It's chief Bishop. TO be called
| prmate =, ,,,,
| In Article four changes are proposed: Mission
AIRY bishops are to be chosen by the House OF bsh-
ons alone the House OF Bishops alone shall have the
| right 10 send bishops to foreign lands new bishops
must have the consent OF majority OF the bishops
| and the House OF Bishops shall have the right TO
| meet at any time for any purpose except that OF
legislation Hereafter also, bishops alone shall pass
| ON the election OF diocesan bishop. The trans.a-
zion of bishops is authorized in one OF the proposed
| canons.
| Article VII raises the number OF supporting
| marshes and settled pastors In proposed new do
cese from six to ten 1t retains the stipulation In
| the old constitution that no new diocese shall be
formed until satisfactory provision is made Tor the
many cAusshmsa. noos q WHOM. Asvsvss. ~