The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-16
Topic Discussed at Today's
Session Of Church Congress
Rev. Dr.. Tiffany Reads an Interesting
Paper Bishop Hall Of Vermont Urged
The Need Of Confession.

The seventh session OF the twentieth
congress OF the Episcopal church of the
United States convened in the Msthewson
street church this mcrning.
The session was called TO order at 1880
o'clock by Bishop co-adjutor McVickar.
Prayers were said and a hymn sung by
the congregation when the bishop an
nounced the subject OF the morning which
was "A distinctly doctrimal one, being, THE
Ecclesiastical Independence OF the Prot
estant Episcopal Church"
This topic was discussed i'm an eloquent
scholarly manner by the following distin-
guished writers and speakers;
Rev. Charles G. Tiffany, New York:
Mr.. George Zabriskie. Right Rev. wiz
liam Crosswell Doane, ID. D., LII. d..
Bishop OF Albany; Rev. Samuel ID. Me-
Connell, ID. d.. OF Brooklyn, n. Y; Rev.
Edwin A. White. OF Bloomfield, New
I, Avolunteer speaker, who followed these
gentlemen was the Rt. Rev. Bishop OF
Vermont. DIR. Hall.
DIR. TIFFANYs PAPER.
The Introductory paper by Rev. DR..
Tiffany Of New York, was. In part, as fol-
lows:
..In DAYS when mems minds turn TO uni
~ IL may SAVIOR OF ungraciousness TO
speak OF independence. And yet proper
independence may secure a deeper unity
in the end When we are freed from i'm
reference in matters we regretfully deem
essentially our own we are at leisure and
disposed 20 dwell upon and work for the
interests which are common.
AS householder once said, we have
duiet and united neighborhood. for
every man keeps his own fence in re-
pair
ITO speak then OF ecclesiastical inde-
pendence is not TO speak against. but for,
church unity: the unity OF agreement,
though not OF absorption.
''rhe Independence In the independence
or rule. not of essential constitution. IL
II ecclesiastical pertaining to discipline,
not theological pertaining To dogma
why should Christian churchmen be In
any degree independent of each other?
why should not one rule regulate the
conduct and concerns OF all? We are call
ed into the unity of Christs church. why
should not that unity take the form OF
unit7
III the faith he essentially the same
why should not the practice be?
Let IL be noted then agai,s that the
independence we discuss while not chiefly
theological, fs also not essentially ethical.
Independent morals are OF the essence OF
unreason for the law OF duty Is as uni
versal and compelling as the law OF love.
THE ROOT AND THE FRUIT
LAS then the root and the fruit OF the
Christian life ought to be the same I'm all
being indssolubly bound to the one Lord.
one fsith, one baptism, any independence
which can Justify itself must appear In
an intermediate region. the region OF dis
cipline--of method--of regulation, so that
In widely detergent circumstances, under
vastly varying conditions, the same per-
feet fruit may be developed from the
same essential root.
NOW amid all the multiplied individ-
ual diversities OF men and women. in
temperament. taste and tendency-there
are certain underlying distinctions which
are fundamental and all pervasive. They
interpenetrate and characterize all the
varying individuals OF the class they
typify. They do not destroy individual
ism. but they subordinate IL 10 them
selves and stamp the individual OF the
family with their own mark which mark
constitutes an overruling identity amid
all individual or family diversity"
Two OF these underlying distinctions
are race and nationality. These are not
always identical though originally they
tic ana the national ethas create, or
rather. are Indicative OF distinction as in
delible as the cleavage OF geological
strata and involve diversity of discipline
IN order TO evolve from each the same es-
scntisi and genuine humanity
III is along the lire of race as ex-
pressed in nationality that we look for
the rightful place OF ecclesiastical inde-
pendence. not 10 the plane Of individual
bias or mere social afiliation.
1T is this which discriminates ecclesi-
astical independence from sectarlan divl-
sion and furnishes n rightfui ground on
which TO maintain the ecolesiastical indc-
pendence OF the American or Protestant
Episcopal church.
This church claims such independence
and claims n on this ground. In the pre-
face OF the prayer book we nnd this SEN
tcnce.
when IN the course OF divine provi-
dence these American states become In
dependent with respect 20 civil govern
fnent their ecclesiaStical Independence
Was necessarily included.
A NEW ADAPTATION.
THE changed political environment de-
rnanded n new ecclesiastical adaptation
in order not 70 alter The old truth 1t deny
the old life but 10 ensure II renewed sta
hliity and growth m It's new conditions. "
From this point the speaker elaborated
upon three phases ~ the American
prayer book. viz. The region OF doc.
trine. the sphere of discipline ana the de-
parfment ~ ritual.