The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-10-23
THE PASTORAL LETTER
THE BISHOPS SEE DANGER IN
RTTUALFSM AND GREATER
LIBERTY.
LITTLE HOPE FOR CHURCH UNITY

There is Need OF More Selt~Sacri-
ficing Spirit on the Part of the
Clergy--The Wise Thing Is Declared
TO be for the EpiscopaIians TO Hold
Fast to Their Position, Leaning
Neither to Rome or to the Other
Protestant CommuniOns.
MINNEAPOLs, Mimi, Oct 22.-The
two houses OF the Episcopalian Oonven-
tion met in joint session this afternoon
as the final act of very busy three
weeks session. The pastoral letter pre-
pared by the bishops was read by Bishop
Littlejohn, of Long Island. The docu
ment is addressed to the clergy and
l&ity Of the church, and contains some
seven thousand words The bishops
refer to the successful dehbera
ti0ns of the convention, to the pro-
gress in the work Of revising the
constitutions ard cauous, and to the
need Of more systematic and general
contributing for the work of the church.
A paragraph is devoted to the heroic
self-sacrifice of the missionaries il China,
and to alustifcaticn of the churches
policy In keeping them there, and send
ing more to join them in the work. ne
fact that four new dioceses and two new
missionary Jurisdictions have been Gre
ated, is pointed to as al evidence Of the
healthy growth of the church at home.
In discussing church unity, the bish.
ops are not hopeful Of immediate or gen
eral results save in the spreading OF the
sentiment for unity throughout christen-
dom.
The bishops complain that while the
theological schools are turning out many
graduates and candidates for orders are
about as numerous as ever, there is a
lack Of self sacrificing men willing to
spread the faith in foreign and heathen
lands. The progress of the WORK among
the Afro Americans is noted and its
needs pointed out. The woes of the sis
ter church in Armenia are symDathized
with The spirit of unrest in the land
il commented on, and the remedy for
it is declared to be accessible
in the church. Fully third
of the letter is devoted to
a discussion of certain tendencies in the
CLUTCH bONdEu EIbuhi45tIt duu Ou Vic
other hand toward too great liberality.
Unauthorized methods of celebrating
communion and other Offices of the
church are severely rebuked, and the
letter makes this significant statement /:
''We are indeed between two perious
tendencies. On the one hand, there is a
demand for concessions which will make
it easy for members of Christian bodies,
not in communion with the
church, to enter her ministry and
transfer themselves bodily as con-
gregations, with faint and feeble
guards of soundness in their forms of
worship. On the other, there is plea
put forth by some to enter into ne
gotiations with the bishops Of Rome with
regard to a re union which is now
known to be possible only by absolute
submission to his unscriptural and IN.
lawful demands. The wise thing for Us
to do IS TO hold fast to our position.
At the closing session Of the House to-
day, Rev. DR.. Elliott, of Washington.
gave assurances of the welcome which
would be accorded the next convention
by the new diocese. The House con
Cured with the House of Bishops in
erecting the missionary Jurisdiction of
Northern Texas IN the diocese.