The age-herald., 1900-11-15
Three Canons Drafted.

committee spent the greater portion of the day wrestling with the problem before them.
 Three Canons Drafted.
 At the close of this afternoons session it was announced that the conference of the committee had been adjourned sine die and that three canons dealing with the sub ject of the conference had been drafted
 The first canon is entitled Holy matri- mony and impediments thereto" The full text follows:
 Section Holy matrimony defined
 "CA) Holy matrimony is an estate of life which for the purposes of this canon IS sufficiently defined in the form appointed for the soemnization of matrimony in this church.
 "CB) The soemnizaton of holy matri- mony is @ service where the mutual con sent of the parties is given in the presence of minister, who then pronounces them in the name of the Holy Trinity to be man and wife.
 Section 2.-Impediments to matrimony defined.'
 (This section defines the impediments of consanguinity and affinity as stated in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy)
 The second canon deals with the subject of the "solemnization of holy matrimony." It is subdivlded into four sections as fol- lows:
 Section 1-It shall be the duty of all ministers of this church to conform to the civil authorities relating to marriage.
 ''Section 2.-Every minister who shall sol emnize a marriage shall, without delay, make such record of same as may be re- quired by the law of this church and civil authority.
 Section 3-No minister shall solemnze marriage without the presence of witnesses, nor without witnesses to whom the parties are personally known, except in case in which it is impossible for such witnesses 1I,pI a1A,,a, ,iva the marriage of any person not identified to his satisfaction.
 Section 4-No minister shall solemnize marriage between any two persons unless or until by inquiry he shall have satisfied himself that neither person has been or IS the husband or wife of any other person living unless the former marriage was an- nulled by decree of some court of compe- tent Jurisdiction for cause existing before such former marriage"
 The Third Canon.
 While the above two canons erect new barriers as a safeguard against illegal marriages and prohibit marriage by any Episcopal minister of any party to d di- voree suit, whether guilty or innocent, the third goes one step further and excludes from all means of grace within the dispen- sation Of the church any divorced persons who shall have remarried and be living with husband or wife as the case may be, while the other party to the divorce still is in life. This canon Is subdvided into three sections as follows:
 Section 1. No person divorced for causes arising after marriage, and marrying again during the lifetime of the party to the di- vorce, shall be admitted to baptism, or con- frmation, or received to holy communion, except when penitent and separated from the other party to the subsequent mar riage, or when penitent is in immediate danger of death, but this canon shall not apply to the innocent party in divorce for the cause of adultery.
 "Section ?. No person shall be denied bap tism or confirmation, or the holy commun- ion, under this canon until after the min- ister shall have given to the person due and sufficient notice of such intended denial and of the right of appeal therefrom as here and after permitted.
 'Section g. This section provides for ap- peal to the bishop of the diocese or mis- sionary district, who, if he deems the cause sufficient, may take counsel, with two neighborng bishops and deside wheth- CT there shall be any dspensaton."
 The canons in this form were unanimous ly adopted by those taking part in the con- ference. The committee when appointed by the genral conference of 1898 consisted of twelve members. Only nine of these members were present at the meeting to- day, one having died and two not having been heard from.
 The committee was made up of an equal number of clergy and laymen. Those pres ent were the Rev. Morgan Dix, rector of Trinity parish; the Rev. Dr. Hoffman of New York; the Rev. Dr. Mann of St. Louis; Rev. Dr. Fulton of Philadelphia and Dr. F. C. Cleston of Baltimore.
 The laymen of the committee who were present were Francis A. Lewis of Philadel- phia. Francis l. Stetson of New York; Charles H. Stanley of Fishington and Judge E. G. Bradford of Wilmington, Del.
 Dr. Morgan Dix presided and Francis A.