The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-17
THE EPISCOPAL CONGRESS:
LIBERALITY TOWARD PROTESTANT
CHERCHE rs ADIISED.

independence Of the Church In This Country
Discussed BY bishop Dosns. DR.. AoConael
Of BROOKLYN end Dr. nany- Not Bound
Here by Canons VI the English Cnureh'
PROVIDENCE. r. l.. Nov. io.-The Episcopal
Church Congress came to an end In TINS city
this afternoon with the mutual exchange OF
most cordial thanks and heartiest good wishes
between the Rev. DR.. G. c. Tiffany OF New
York. speaking for the Church Congress az its
! General Secretary, and Bishop CoadJutor
McVicar of the Diocese OF Rhode Island az the
presiding officer Of the meeting OF the Con-
gress held during the week.
The ecclesiastical independence OF the
Protestant Episcopal Church" was the topic
OF this mornings session. While on the lace
OF It rather a technical than a popular subject.
II gave rise TO the statement Of some Ideas on
the part OF tho thinking men who had been
invited TO speak which may be considered
somewhat revolutionary The feature OF the
morning was the suggestion OF the Rev Dr.
Samuel ID. Mcconnell Of Brooklyn. y. y, that
the Protestant Episcopal Church. while eccie-
siastically independent Of the Church OF Eng
land Is not independent OF the Protestant relig-
ious bodies OF this country. among which II 10
compelled to work. and that II should
give over It's attitude Of superiority. that II
should give them the name they deserve rec"e-
nlzing them as churches rather than as merely
religious organizations. and that II eh"hid
work side by side and shoulder to shoulder
with them for the cause they both uphold
Or. McConnell'I address was bo'h witty and
breezy and he held the close attention Of the
audience.
Bishop Doane Of Albany. Ny, Was a pict-
rresoue figure. Among the speakers OF the
-. - nd. A. .~t nm liz nVttl q nTn.
ing programme, but who desired to add his
opinion on the question OF independence, was
the Right Rev. A. c. A. Hall, Bishop OF YER
mont.
The Rev. DR.. Charles c. Tiffany. Archdea-
oon Of New York said in part:
THE independence Of the individual members
OF the hurch has. It seems to me. been most
abundantly testified TO at the meetings OF this
congress thus far. In the days when mems
minds turn naturally TO unity II may seem
Improper TO speak Of independence at all. yet
a greater independence may In time lead TO
closer unity. The unity Of which We speak
to-day is not essentially moral. nor Is It neces-
sarily ethical. Race and nationality are under
lying characteristics and II Is along the line
OF race, as expressed In nationality. that We
look for the natural independence. The
Church claims independence. 1t was estab-
lished when the American colonies departed
from the mother country"
DIR. Tiffany then recounted the history OF the
separation OF the American Church from the
Church Of England. He said.
The new Church provided itself with the
American idea OF representation In convention.
The American Church was not meant by the
fathers to be ultramarine and constantly look
ing across the water TO find out what it might
- .G-l, .a, IL t., tla Drat RnAk nFn-
vision for the auricular confession was omitted.
but this was not considered a revolutionary
departure from the mother ,Church. Tor py
leaving confession optional, the mother
church had made Il not essential. Inc cL rnprio
As to the thirty-nlne articles. the object was
only TO adopt their leading sense in the Protest
ant Episcopal Church. The Spirit OF the Con-
s~titution does not permit the Church In this
country TO be bound by the canons Of the Eng
lish church NJ. Gladstone, emphatically al.
firmed tn Il the Prayer Book Of 1882 was the same
authority OF the English Church. As To our
own book. 1t and ii alone constitutes the stand
urd.
the canons of the Church made before the ref
ormauon. | can only. alude TO briefly. Yet
The seEsra al pGT!Sn S c Is ,ss ma cbp IN e1 ~, b. g ,Goss
refused TO be bound longer by the canons OF
the old Church. Independence brings. with IL
It's principles as 10 make it not only the church
in the I nat ,w oq' the church eynoae IF I bsa ns'lop. D..
IL. n. Bishop of Albany, y. Y, said
4 suppose the word Independence as used
here Is simply relative, because since the crsa-
ton Of Eve apd the fall Of Adam there peyer has
been any real indeIendence, The only Church
which has real independence ms regards its
clergy l. the Roman Catholic, WHICH has by, It's
law 81 ~cellbacy put ltsel! outside OF the usual or
II is said the Protestant. Episcopal Church
hears no stamp of, ENGLAND or italy, YET, In
o, those nations there Is and must he some
stamp Of the churches Of those nations /
IKE Che words ,ms oCS'e ginGs in,e, sSI srr 9sti
10 the Church. 1t seems To me the people
q America are afflicted with two diseases,
4 ssa al snd w AnSSi2@tmi' ,h. rsC was ysar an and ina
affords one Of the best Illustrations. o. Anglo
n mse'. IN ! r iSsi chi. fbS %nsa f%S' Vili be s"H laid a'I low.
Q bueaboo which Is never dreamed OF on the
other side Of the, water.
Church has to ~legislate on questions Of doc
trine. But when on any question OF discipline
Ised haze Ss, n Ws a iesl Sot eni ana ind tes TsSTGh but Sl L aYs,
believe, bound by the %latter's legislation.
To take an illustration. the Church OF England
ton OF divorce. holding that n dissolution Of
the bonds does not constitute a separation. a
vinculo without limitation; and that neither
Of the other. and while We have, ! am sorry to
say departed from that idea. / think We are
getting back TO our old idea and l am glad to
bee it"
Bishop Doane concluded with . reaf1rmati9n
Of his belief in the intcrdepcndenCe of the
Church OF England and the Protestant Epis-
The Rev. DR.. Samuel d Mcconnell Of Brook
lyn followed Alter expressing his apprecia-
ton OF the disadvantage ut which the speaker
who follows the Bishop Of Albany is placed
he said:
liberty and freedom, the watchwords Of a
century ago, have given way 10 new words,
interdependenCe and responsibility. There Is
to-day no common law in this country. either
In Church or state In certain OF the States
there Is a simglacrum of ommon law, but
even then not until action by the legislative
power OF the State 1t IS a waste Of time. |
think, for Us to consider our cHnOuical and
eccle-iastical Independence OF the Church of
ENGLAND. The name OF the DOGGY, which fright
ened the Bishop Of ALBANY at Washington, is
NOT AuglOiaan n, bot common sense
The instant the Independence OF Church
or state u achieved 1t passes under another
law bv which It must be governed, a law known
a, international law, What and where are
the ecclesiastical States with which We have
o N church for forty or fifty years has been
looking everywhere for counsel and comfort,
everywhere except where IL ought to look.
our interdependence l. ecclesiastical, and the
Churches with which IL Is interdependent are
the Protestant Churches, and, for Gods sak..
lets call them Churches and avoid that waste
Of time which comes from calling them over
and over again. other ecclesiastical bodies
which we find side by side with US in this
Dal~lta - N..- Cd, - n