The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07
THE NAME Of THE EPISCOPAL
~. fHCRCH."
A Discnssisn 0f the subject BY an Angler,
American Clergyman.


A Discussion Of tho subject BY an Angler
American Clergyman.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SrN--S Sir Some
one In Philadelphia has sent copy OF your
able article on -The Episcopal Agitation
Against Prot est antism" to every Episcopal
clergyman In the United States. and under
these clrcumstanc hope you will allow
me, as an Anglo-American clergyman. to
discuss the ques, lon in your columns.
Think both Bishop Capers Of South Caro-
lima and the Rev. f., A. WATSON Of Newark,
| n. j., overestimate the Importance of the
effort made to eliminate the word Protest
ant from the title page of our American
Prayer Book.
There are undoubtedly a number Of
clergy and some laity, within the COM
munion OF the Protest ant Episcopal Church
| in the United States who seek a reunion
! with Rome. and there are also some who
regard the Prot est ant Reformation in Eng
land al mistake. But these form a very
small proportion of those who strenuously
advocate the change of name.
The insertio of the word Protest ant in
the name Of q sect ion OF the Anglican Church
il peculiar to this country. In Scot land We
are known ss "rhc Episcopal Church OF
Scotland" in Canada az 1.-The Church of
England in Canada" in Ireland as "1he
Church of Ireland. in South Africa as The
Church Of Africa, On Australia az The
Church Of New Zealand and in British
India, where tho Church Of England Is fully
established with State. paid Bishops and
chaplains. the nat i've Church Of the Angli-
can Communion ca lls itself 'The Church of
India
! Among thoughtful men In communion
| with our Church the OBJ iect ion TO The title
Protestant Is, that 1t simply stands for a
negative, expressing sonnet hing which We
are not. rather than sonnet hing which we
are. Hence the difference between the
words Catholic and Prot estant. And 1t has
been felt that the Anglican Communion In
the United States. which Is undoubtedly
increasing both In numbers as we'll as IN
social position. should have title which
stands simply for an affirmative.
There may be a few advanced clergy who
| wish to haul down the Prot estant flag and
run up a new standard" as Bishop, Capers
| of South Carolina has said. but they. are
very few. Take advanced clergy such as
the late Bishop Wordsworth OF Lincoln and
the late Dr. Pusey and the present Bishop
Gore OF Worcester and Bishop King o. Lin
coin and st udy their writings carefully, and
you will find that they are just AZ anti
Bishop of South Carolina. And 1t IL there
fore objectionable ignorance for men in
teachers' to confuse kituaIism with
Romanlsm
made to cali our Church The Episcopal
Church OF America" for the very reason
that it was originally The Episcopal Church
OF England, such proposal would un-
doubtedly have been carried IN almost
advanced Catholic party so-called, made
\ determined. effort to insert the word Cath
Ole" This Ia simply impossible, because.
while the clerical mind may be able TO dis.
tinguish bet ween that which ls Catholic and
that which 70 not the common people who
e as the Catholic Church.
1t is very. difficult to change name. For
example, there II a consensus OF opinion
that the inhabitants Of The British lsles
as British but there is no statesman
living who could effect this change Of name
by an act Of Parliament. The word Eng
lish' is endeared by the association Of CEN
turtles. And 20 10 the word Protestant. y
I cannot agree with Mr., WATSON that our
Episcopal Church cannot be both Protest ant
and Catholic at the same time. The reverend
gentleman asserts the very contrary every
Sunday when he uses his Prayer Book: but
were a. the time Of the English Reforms-
ton. Weprotest not only against the teach
ings Of the Church OF Rome, but against
Lutheranism, with its rejection OF the
Episcopate. We protest against the Bap-
acter Of infant baptism. We protest against
the Congregationalist, W no would make
social clubs OF our churches We protest
against Methodism. which ignores our whole
saoramental system. IN teachings contrary
protest against Rationalisn OF every form.
We do not hate Professionalism. a. Mr..
WATSON says, but only that Protestantism
which pervers Scriptural truth
Nor can ! agree with Bishop Burgess OF
sion should be dropped simply because it
modern Church life that politics both bad
and good" get into our conventions. We
Church Of Christ. When we meet in. con
vention we believe that we are moved and
guided by the Holy Spirit Of God, and not
by the law OF expediency. And the very
suggestion Of such thing should be sternly
by os ssry s1 re e sf
contend for It until the very end; but u It 10
not essential, we may reverently wait for
the mind Of the Spirit: We were first called
Christians at Antioch. and the quest ion
called such has never been discussed.
firmly believe that in the course OF the
present century the name OF our Church
will be changed. There will come time
when the work Of the Church will be SO
earnest. 80 spiritual and 30 all-convincing
that party divisions will disappear and even
those who are not with us will not object
to the good old Church Of England in
America" which founded Trinity Parish:
Columbia University, Trinity School and
hundreds of other similar institutions claim
ing for themselves the title Of The Church
Of America in the United st ates.' And then
our fellow Churchmen across the border
viii change their title also, and instead Of
calling themselves THE Church Of rngland
in Canada" will give us the right hand Of
fellowship and call themselves The Church
| Of America in Canada" B. d. OXoN
NEW YORK, June 5.
Ritualism and Rome.