The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
The Name OF the Protestant Epis-
copal Church.

It is significant that, on Wednesday,
the conventions Of two important dioceses
of the Episcopal Church, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, voted by large majority
against the proposal to change its present
official designation. the Protestant Eps-
copal Church in the United States Of
America On Thursday, the diocese Of
Washington expressed the same senti-
ment not less emphatically. Two weeks
ago the Louisiana diocese voted it mex
pedient to take any action relative to q
change Of name" Mississippi was stouuy
in opposition. 80 far as concerned the
laity, Though. last Thursday, the Florida
diocese favored change to the Amer
lean Catholic Church by a vote OF %
toll
These declarations, made in response
to an invitation to every diocese for an
expression Of opinion on the subject,
are Of the nature OF recommendations
simply, but they may be taken as sure
indication that the next General Conven-
ton Of the Episcopal Church, to be held
at Boston in October Of next year, will
not provide for a correction OF the
name, as the party in the Church which
has been agitating for the change for a
whole generation past calls it's proposal.
This agitation may be said to have been
a logical consequence OF the Oxford or
Tractarian movement, which began in a
conference OF certain Anglican clergy
men in 1893, conspicuous among whom
were KEBLE, PUsEY and JOHN HENRY
NEWMAN, afterward Cardinal in the
Roman Catholic Church, to which he
passed over twelve years later. Thus
began the movement now known as
Ritualism. or Anglo-Catholicism, an agi-
tation in the Episcopal Church which
was never so active and 80 enthusiastic
ally aggressive as it is at the present time.
The demand for" correction Of the name"
proceeds from deep-rooted and inerad-
icable opposition to the term Profess
tant in the very large party which
contends that the Episcopal Church is a
true historical branch of the Catholic
Church and custodian and guardian OF
Catholic doctrine and practice.
As early as 1914 resolution introduced
into the General Convention in declara-
ton of the Protestant character Of our
Church encountered so much objection
that it was indefinitely postponed.
Twenty years before, in an Episcopal
paper, DR.. DoANE, afterward Bishop OF
New Jersey, and father Of the present
Bishop Of Albany, proclaimed that the
Church in which We worship is, what
ever others may be, sound member Of
that Holy Catholic Church of which JESUS
CHRIST is the head" The subject con-
tinued under discussion for many years
thereafter. but only among compare
lively few Episcopalians, till, finally, in
1877, the High Church diocese Of Wis
consin petitioned the General Conven.
ton for reconsideration Of the legal
NAME The agitation which has now
become SO intense among the" Catholic
party was most infamed, however, by
memorial to the last General Conven-
ton, at San Francisco. In 1901, from the
Milwaukee diocese, entreating it "to grant
relief by selecting in place Of the title
Protestant Episcopal Church name
which shall imply an organic relation and
connection between this Church and the
historic Catholic Church Of the Christian
ages" 1t asked for the adoption of
the American Catholic Church., as
indicative OF the separate branch OF the
Catholic Church in distinction from the
Roman or Greek communions,
which also officially use the term Cath
olic,'" so that there would then be at
work in this country bodies OF Christians
calling themselves Roman Catholics,
Greek Catholics, Old Catholics, and
American Catholics representing, indeed,
sundered and sometimes antagonistic
communions. but each alike claiming
organic relationship to the Holy Catholic
Church Of the creeds and of history"
This memorial led to the appointment
of joint commission of Bishops, clergy
men and laymen, five each. to take the
whole subject of change Of name Of
this Church into consideration. to asoer-
tain, so far as possible, the mind Of
Church people 10 general concerning It