The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-31

Tagt Episcopal Church Is Gt neral tuuNtu-
tion. which will open in San Francisco
October next. is creating a great deal of
interest among the members of that
church as the purpose of this trienuial
gatheriua is to enact new cauous or modi-
f. old ones
The general public is more widely inter
osted in the proposed legislation on mar
rage and divorce than in any other sub
! ject that will come before the convention.
/ There seems to be a large majority in Ia
vor Of refusing 90 allow marriage of a
divorced person under any circumsta noes.
| with the single exception of a case where
the former marriage was annulled by a
/ decree Of some civil court of competent
jurisdiction for cause existing before mat
rimony- Only one member OF the com
mittee on this subject signed the dissent
ing note and desired 10 amend the report
( by allowing the marriage Of the innocent
party where the decree Of divorce W
granted on the ground of immortality. l..
| J. Houston ECCleston. OF Baltimore. and
/ Or. Morgan Dix. Of New York, and su' ;.
/ lawyers as r. A. Lewis and L. L. Stetson
were as one in closing this door. which 50
many scholars have thought that Christ
Himself opened. The scandal of some di-
| vorces and some marriages that have
| shocked the country and the Increase Of
/ the evil have undoubtedly led 20 this pro-
posed canon. which must be based on ex-
| pediency rather than on Scriptural exc
| gesis- Every possible loophoIe is TO be
| closed and the clergy are TO be protected
| from themselves.
7 On the refusal of the Communion to
/ divorced persons who have married again
| during the lifetime Of the other party
/ there will probably be more discussion.
| as many leaders are opposed TO this dis
| ciplinary use Of thc feast Of fellowship
| and pardon. and think il unfortunate TO
! require such scrutiny to be exercised by
| ministers when they are reading the most
| pressing invitations. There will certainly
| he some discussion on this head Bishop
| Phillips Brooks was much opposed To this
/ use Of the Communion except in uotOri-
/ Gus and extreme cases.
The liveliest debate. however. viii be
| on the table Of prohibited degrees. The
| committee has recommended the prohibit
ton OF the marriage Of man with his
| brothers widow. The women are not in
| a position to protest against this umita-
ton Of the matrimonial area, and the
widows keep disCreetly silent. But if a
| woman may not marry her deceased hUs-
/ bands brother it naturally follows that
a man cannot properly marry his de-
! ceased wife's sister So the question that
has long troubled the Englishman has at
last crossed the Atlantic. and next fall
/ Will cross the continent and make its
| vexatious power felt on the. shores Of the
Pacific The clergy who have married
their sistcrs-in-law are already protest
ing. The Episcopal Church Will find that
the deceased wife's sister is not easily
disposed Of
~
Judd brought in his famous resolutions
in the General Convention in Chicago in
I the eighties-the question of a change Of
the name OF the church has been agitat-
ed at its sessions Hitherto the conser-
| vative wing has been uniformly success
! ful IN defeating the bold proposition TO
change the present designation. Il is
doubtful whether it will even be renew
ed in that form in San Francisco. Care
full observers estimate that il has no like
lIhOOd Of a passage.
Some months ago it looked as II a SEN
| satiOnal attempt would be made TO test
the validity OF the conservation Of Bishop
/ Weller. The extraordinary ritual used on
that occasion led to a letter from the pre-
siding bishop disclaimiuE all response
bility. and some able canonists were
| doubtful whether a conservation so far
| removed from the use Of the Protestant
Episcopal Church entitled the bishop 50
| cOnsecrated to a seat in its House OF
| Bishops. It is not probable however
that the point Will be raised. The General
| Convention is a legislative and not a iu-
dicial OF disciplinary body. Even if the
| matter is discussed debate will take place
! behind closed doors. which guard the de-
Hberations OF the House Of Bishops
A great deal Of deeling will be ELECTED
| by the request for a division of the Do
Cese Of Springfield The bishop Of this
diocese, DIT; Seymour, whose advanced
| churchmanship and vehement opposition
to the election OF the late Phillips Brooks
as Bishop Of Massachusetts have made
him target for the criticism Of the more
liberal churchmen, desires to have part
! OF his diocese set OF as a missionary
| Jurisdiction Illinois enjoys already the
services Of five Episcopal bishops. and il
ms claimed that more are not required bv
| the needs Of the work
A committee, Of which Bishop Thomas
| L. Dudley. OF Kentucky, is the chairman.
! Will recommend "A number Of mar
/ glnal readings for the King James yer
| zion OF the Scriptures These readings
| are improved TRANSACTIONS and the com
/ mittee proposes that they be printed as
! lnterLnear readings and their insertion
! be permitted IN the public reading Of the
I scriptures IN the lessons Of the church
The commission was composed entirely
OF bishops and clergymen Of the Protest
ant Episcopal Church. Among its mem
bers is Rev. Thomas Jones Packard. OF
[ Washing tOn. whose father Rev joseph
| Packard, Of Virginia. was one Of the
| great company Of scholars who cooper
I ated in the famous revision Of 1850
/ The report OF the commission has call
| ed forth much praise for the learning and
| industry OF its members. The trend OF
| opinion Is toward granting a permlssiVe
| use Of the revised version.
| On the death Of the Rev DR.. IauEf0rd
| a few years ago the question was seri-
! Ously mOOted Of changing the cOnstitu-
! siastic canOnist and ardent believer In the
| spiritual power Of a bishops leadership
| the editor OF a great church paper, earn
| estly advocated the election of a bishop
! 10 the vacant place Of general secretary
! Of the board. His argument made so
| great an impression that Bishop Dudley
! was elected, and his acceptance would
| the opposition Of his brethren Of the cpis-
| Copatc- a pTesbyter WAS finally chosen
/ the Rev DR.. a. 8 Lloyd. OF Norfolk who
| Is so widely known and beloved in the
! church. A wonderful Improvement in
| many departments followed his election.
| but there IS a deficiency in the mission
| airy treasury. and there appears 10 be a
| tendency to lay the blame upon a faulty
| organization rather than upon ungenerOus
| hearts or luxurious and seif-indulgeut
| habits.
This is the line that has been taken by
| Bishop SatteTIeC, OF Washington. and in
an open letter. written from Twilight
| Park. IN the Catskills and addressed TO
Bishop DOane as vice president Of the
| board. he claims that the great defect Of
| the missionary OrEa niZatiou Is that all the
= members OF the House Of Bishops are not
! members Of the board. BY comparative
| tables he endeavors TO prove that the Pro