The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-11-18
5 FIERY LETTER
HIS APPEAL TO THE EPISCOPAL
CONVENTION.
"The Church is Sunk to the Depths of
Degradation i'm the Eyes of the
World"

fore the committee on the Increased
Responsibilities of the Church" of the
Protestant Episcopal convention, Rev.
John Osborne addressed a letter to
the committee while in Washington,
of which the following is the essential
part:
a source of dissension has been the
fact of there being no canon law to
regulate, determine or limit the duty
or conduct of bishop, clergy or laity.
| herewith enclose a copy of the con-
stitution, such as it is. The law gov
erning the conduct of the clergy or
laity has been the bishops own will,
and there has been no appeal from his
decisions. The bishop controls both
the synod and the board of trustees,
through the power of his controlling
all church funds, thereby making
these bodies his creatures.
The reports of the diocese, publish
ed by the $. p. G. will neither bear
the light of investigation nor com
parison with the church records. The
church is weaker today in clergy and
laity than she was fifteen years ago,
although the population has doubled;
nor is any aggressive work being done
now among the Hawaiians, japanese
or Portuguese, although these ma
tionalities represent three-fourths of
the whole population of the Hawaiian
Islands.
The church in 1890 was almost
unanimous in its petition to his lord
ship to resign, stating as it's reason
for such request, that neither peace,
harmony nor church extension were
possible under his rule. Clergymen
have been disgraced, publicly dis
graced or dismissed without warning
or form of trial, whilst as innocent as
any man attending this convention,
and there has been no appeal. Eldress
Phoebe, of st. Andrews Priory, on her
death bed, refused the bishop admis-
sion to her chamber, pleading to be
allowed to die in peace, and the lives
of the remaining sisters have been
made "A burden to them by reason of
the bishops actions.
The church is sunk to the depths of
degradation in the eyes of the world
and is a scandal upon religion. The
head of the church is constantly be-
ing held up to scorn and ridicule by
the public press, which reflects upon
the church members. \ great many
of the people have united themselves
with the dissenting bodies to avoid
scandal, but greater number refuse
to attend or recognize any church I'M
til this reproach is removed. The
greater part of the native members
have been scattered and taken in by
the Roman Catholics or the Mormons.
Many of the best and most influential
,!, oeIS VI me ch'rcl nave peeh lor-
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Soii'.Itnon VI tlie Gnurch WIN i's pane
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alounu mem. one asks that her
clels! We PeILiIIteu TO perform con
sgieli'lousIy' laltnlullE anu uIlinoiest-
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o 9 :" tolis'ant rear Vi pelIlg ulsgrf'c,
eu WIlhout cause OF reason ana
uhat mere may De a code OF canons by
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