Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-01-26

| and report upon the desirability 81
change in the name Of this natlona
church Of ours. That committee has re
| ferred the matter to all bishops, as wei
| as the diOceses and missionary districts
| for an expression Of tneir opinions. tn
matter comes before us then az ths'
| session OF our conyOcatlOn, ! ask yot
| for an expression OF your opinion upon
| that subject. Inasmuch as / am ex'
| pected 70 express my own conviction,
! do 30 now, AT the same time have ne
desire TO influence you In any small de-
gree. We shall hope 70 have an
emphatic declaration from you
There Is no doubt that our present
name Protestant Episcopal is an m-
fortunate one. and absolutely inexpres-
sivc OF what we claim 10 be- To call
q church governed by bishops "Eplsoo-
pal" Is to use a pathological expression.
OF course the church Is episcopal; she
could not be other than that and be q
branch OF the Catholic church. To call
her Protestant rs equally an inexpres-
sive and useless term. because she does
protest against errors OF every species
and all departures from the Catholic
faith, either IN the way OF additions
or substractions, as 6 matter OF course.
She protests most earnestly and Wig
orously against every variation from
the faith once for all delivered TO the
saints She stands like an imm0vabe
rock witnessing always to all that Is
really Catholic and Apostolic. Speaking
for myself ] heartily wish that our
fathers In the very outset OF our HIS
tory had followed the precedent Of our
mother church Of England. and called
her the American church, thus putting
her In line with all the other great ma
tional churches which claim 60
be parts Of the one Catholic
body. AS a matter Of fact.
however, the name protestant Epls-
copal" was fastened upon her, not by
legislative or other formal action, and
that name has distinguished her now
for more than one hundred years. Dur
ing these years she has gone about her
work, ever asserting her Catholicity,
training her children, and seeking TO
extend her borders Never has she
been more active than during the past
twenty-five years. Never has she stood
for the best things In the community
more faithfully than she does now. She
Is today distinguished for her breadth
OF teaching as well as flexibility and
Of worship. Men are flock
ing into her fold from every quarter,
feeling that her conservatism ilts her
10 be the common meeting ground on
which men OF all religious names may
unite What IN TO be gained at this
time in an agitation for change in
her corporate name? am of the
opinion that such agitation viii be
harmful In view Of the difference of
opinion upon the subject which exists
In the church today. We are just be-
ginning to put our Missionary work on
he wisest basis we have ever seen.
All Of our people are pro-
'oundly interested In the matter
md are manifesting that interest IN
practical manner. More practical and |
Important questions are before the |
,hurch than have been considered for |
iears. The provincial system: prop |
II ecclesiastical, judiciary system, mis-
ionary extension, the church building |
und, and the care OF our aged and In |
irm clergy. These are all matters |
PRESSING upon the mind Of the church |
It large. Why inject questions which |
viii disturb this harmony? As | have
Ilready observed, do not see that this
question will be a helpful one to con-
ider at this time. Then, too. as to a |
lame, there Is no unanimity Of counsel
IS 10 what 1t shall be. My own judg-
nent Is that we should make haste
lowly And so, answering the ques-
ions as | understand them. |. DO you
ayor the proposition OF changing the
ame Of the church? To this / answer.
Yes 2. Do you favor such change al
his time? 10 this answer. mo" 3.
What name would you suggest? | an
WEI, The American Church" For the
resent however, my position Is to
cave matters as theyrare. Having ex-
sted for more than hundred years
18th the present name, do not see that
'e shall lose anything by waiting until
here shall be larger demand for n
hange, and until by the wide extension
I our borders We shall have shown
urselves justly entitled to be known as
he church for the American people.
CONCLUSION.
And now, brethren. ] have detained
GU longer than | should have done,
I thus reviewing our work. To me the
utlook Is bright; the field Is large and
wiling; our surroundings are In large
art peculiar and different from those
zen elsewhere; our efforts will not
how largely In figures there is there
)re the greater reason why we should
G increasingly active, strong in the
onviction that by the blessing OF God,
ar Efforts will be crowned with such
iccess as He deems best VINO doeth all
linss well. II conscience conyicts us
duty unperformed. and stimulates us
greater activity, let us with strong
urpose push on to larger and better
iings. Let our determination be 10
AXE this church real benefit to the
Has II been. and is Il now
real power for good? Is II such
over that no community will be salts
ed in the absence of its minlstratlonsp
'e shall be happy indeed II We can
ring about Ssh conditions. is It not
condition which we should desire. and
IT which we ought TO use every ener-
" May God who puts such desires
to our hearts help us 10 bring these
lings TO pass As you return to your
'mes may the God OF peace 20 with
lu and bless you always.
The convocation adjourned until 2
clock this afternoon. when the first
lslness OF the session was taken up,
sting most Of the afternoon. At 1880
us evening comes the annual parish
W service. TO be followed by public
ceptlon. The convocatlon continues
rough Wednesday. and tomorrow
ght there win be banquet rendered l
shop Leonard at the Knutsford. i
hich viii be largely attended by both (
ergy and laity, :