The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-28
The Coming Conflict In the Episcopal
Church.

committee Apo inted by the last con-
vention Of this diocese of tho Episcopal
Church having requested the clergy TO
admonish their people concerning marriage
and divorce, the Rev. DIR. BATTEN gave his
views on the subject last Sunday at ST.
Marks Church. As reported, they were not
very clearly defined. though he seems to
favor the continuance Of the existing Epsco-
pal canon allowing rcmarriage OF the inno-
cent party in a divorce for adultery A
strong party in that Church, however Is now
engaged strenuously in movement to
make marriage economically indssolublc for
any cause. and apparently it will be powerful
In influencing the next General Convention,
which meets at san Fran, isco in 1901.
Whether, however. the advocates OF the
Roman Catholic theory or dogma OF the
sacramento character OF marriage will he
successful Is still very doubtful, for
the agitation Which has arisen over the
subject has been due to n fragrant and
widespread contempt Of the authority OF
the Church in the premises which might he
increased and intensified by severer
canon than the present. II the society
OF fashion resents and disobeys the
Church's prohibition OF divorce for "A
single cause as presumptuous inter-
ference with individual inclinations whose
qualification is allowable by the civil
law OF nearly all tho States, IL may be
regarded by the convention as inexpedient
to provoke still further rebellion by
going to the extreme OF forbidding divorce
altogether The whole trouble however.
proceeds from practical dt NAL OF the SUPER
natural origin and authority OF the Church
by many Of both its laity and its clergy,
80 that its law has lost power over their
conscienccs Thus there have arisen two
radically conflicting parties whose quarrel
may have to be settled at the General
Convention before any canonical revision
will be in order.
The difference between these parties IA
broad and esscntial-so complete that on
the one side is contempt and on the other
denunciation. Take, for instance. tho re-
cent expressions Of the Rev. HEBKR NEW
TON and his assistant, the Rev. Mr.. ScHER.
MERHoRN, and tho tone and language OF
Bishop SEYMOUR among those opposed to
them. II Is difference which Is practically
as broad rs that between faith and ration
alism, or between Unitarianism and the
orthodoxy OF the old school. Tho ration
alists deride the credulity OF their op-
ponents and express pity for them as
the victims OF out-worn supcrstitiops
or contempt for them as truckers TO
q religious Philstinsm, with which in
their hearts it is impossible for them to
have real sympathy, lnferantially they
liken many Of these conforming priests Of
this time to the Roman augurs of old OF
whom CATO and afterward CICERO. said
that two could not look into each others
faces without smiling. That Is. to this
school, tho position Of the defenders Of
faith seems in its irrationalty so childish
thatithey cannot conceive them to be sim
cere and serious and, therefore, assume
toward them an attitude which Ia irrlt A.
ting to the last degree.
Obviously, So radically conflicting nor.
ties cannot he brought together by simple
oompromsewhen they carry theircontempt
ana aversion into the General Conyon-
NON Their difference concerns fundamental
questions OF theology, beside which the
marriage and divorce dispute Is OF relative
"s'ghlheance. First. it must 10 settled