The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-10-14
THE EPISCOPAL CONTENTION.
The Important Question of Church
 Unity Discussed.


 Washington, Oct. 13.-At the episco- pal convention to-day the house of dep- uties took up the important question of church unity on the resolution of the Rev. Dr. Huntington of New York, ex- tending article 10 so as to permit any bishop to take under his spiritual guid- ance any congregation accepting cer- tain tenets of the church. The Rev. John J. Faude of Minnesota supported the plan as a most practical move to- wards realizing church unity. Rev MT. Rogers of Texas said they had now come to the prating of the roads and the first great duty of the church was to extend herself as broadly as possi- ble. Rev. MT. Mann of West Missouri opposed the incorporation of the amendment into the constitution. If the convention desired it should be put in the canons, and then if found unde- sirable, the next convention might have V. jamin w. T. Taylor of Los Angeles said that it appeared wise, progressive and in accordance with the spirit of the times and of purest catholicity to open the doors on all sides to the scat tered brethren. MT. Saunders of Mas sachusetts, while admiring the spirit in which the amendment was offered, questioned the propriety and safety of giving bishops and standing commit tees certain powers it conferred.
 Chairman Morgan Dix said he could not conscientiously change his views of three years ago when he opposed the amendment. He had fears as to the re- suit and doubt as to the practical work ing of the plan. MT. Fairbanks of Flor ida opposed the enactment of what he termed special legislation and warned his hearers of the possibility of the use of emasculated prayer books as a re- suit of the powers conferred on bish- ops and standing committees. MT. Butler of Pennsylvania said this was a great year for unity and he asked that it be signalized by the great American church extending welcome to all Chris tians Rev. Fred w. Taylor of Spring field diocese said the prayerbook was a. noble invitation for divided Chris tiandom to stand on than any provision like the proposed amendment which set up fifty-seven liturgical manufactories in as many dioceses. James Riddle of Pennsylvania opposed the proposition and contended that, while the church wanted broad platform, yet it needed one whose principles were well defined. MT. Stiness of Rhode Island in favor ing the unity proposition argued that the question was not whether there should be any different law for the prayerbook, but rather whether the bishops should be authorized to make a change which would tend to bring men nearer to the church when they desired to. Judge Wilder of Minneso- ta opposed the amendment, believing 1t would embarrass the growth and progress of the church and introduce discord and want of harmony. Rev. Dr. McKim of Washington said the proposition was not to touch a line or letter of the prayer book, but on the contrary, to make it better known, bet ter learned and more influential over the whole land. The chief work of the house of bishops to-day was to agree to encouragement of five of the mis- sionary districts in the west. The new districts will be called the district of Laramie, Salt Lake, Sacramento, Boise and Spokane.