Evening star., 1898-09-16
COMING UP FOR DISCUSSION
Important Questions for Consideration of
Bishops and Deputies.
General Convention of Protestant
Episcopal Church to Convene in
Washington Next Month.

The clergy and Iaity of the Protestant
Episcopal Churches throughout the Union
are looking forward with great interest
to the meeting of the general convention
of the church, which will begin in this
city on October and continue for several
weeks, and members Of the denomina ton
are discussing the important matters which
Will be laid before the convention.
The general convention, which is the
chief legislating body of the Protestant
Episcopal Church. meets every three years,
and this year the session will be held in
Washington for the first time, the Church
OF the Epiphany being engaged for the as
semblage. 1t is expected that about eighty
bishops and more than 450 clerical and lay
delegates will attend the convention.
The bishops compose what is known as
the house of bishops while the clerical and
lay deputies form the house of deputies.
Each of the ffty-eight dioceses of the
church sends to the convention eight depu-
ties, divided equally between the clergy and
lafty. The joint action of the two houses
is requisite on all resolutions and matters
OF legislation before they can become oper-
atlVe. The committee on the revision of
the constitution and canons which was ap-
pointed at the last convention, held in Min
heapolls In 1898, will report to the general
convention on several matters Of great mo-
ment to the church.
Proposed Canon.
The first in point of interest undoubtedly
will be the committees report on a pro-
posed canon on marriage and divorce. The
preliminary report Of the committee has
already been issued, in which it is recon-
mended that the church enact legislation
forbidding the clergy to soemnize the mar
rage OF any divorced person while the
other party to the divorce is living.
At the present time the Protestant Epis-
copal Church, by its canons, recognizes
only one cause as being sufficient for a
divorce, and permits its clergy to remarry
the innocent party; but now the commit
tee advocates abolishing this exception, so
as to follow the practice of the Catholic
thurch, which is not to marry a divorced
person while the other party to the di-
vorce is living
So radical change in the practice of the
protestant Episcopal Church is calling
forth vehement protests from many quar-
ters, and the opposition to the proposed
canon has assumed such proportions that
1t is considered doubtful whether it will
pass the convention. 1t is said that the
low and broad church elements bitterly
oppose the tightening of canonical bands
on the marriage and divorce question, while
the high and Anglo-Catholic delegates al
most unanimously favor the new canon
Ihere is, therefore, sure to be prolonged
debate on this question, with a strong
probability that the whole matter will be
referred to az new committee, with instruc-
tons to report a the convention of 1901
other matters of interest which will
come before the convention will be the
question of a new constitution for the
church and the proposed adoption of the
provincial system.
The subject of the revision of the con-
sttutlon has been before the church for
several years, and doubtless will engross
the attention of succeeding general con-
VeEuons for some time. The provincial sys-
tenn Is intended to join contiguous dioceses
ara TO nave an archbishop and provin-
cial council for transacting certain busi-
ness now done only by the general con-
Nentlon. This plan has many opponents
Primnte and Archbishop.
The matter of primate for the Protest.
ant Episcopal Church was brought before
the last convention, but the plan failed to
m2terialize, and So the matter rests The
subject of a primate will, however, it is
again in October 1t is said in some quar-
ters that if new canon should be laid
before the house Of deputies, embodying
the idea of a primate, but using the desig-
nation of president or moderator, in place
OF primate and archbishop, the deputies
would pass the measure, but the titles pri-
mate and arch bishop seem to be stumbling
biCckS TO the success of the proposition
Another matter of much interest to claim
the attention of the convention will be the
subject of the use of the revised version
OF the Scriptures in the services of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, only that
known as the King James version being
authorized ct present.