Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-05-16
The protestant Episcopal" Church.

| church,, or rather Oh the leilpOTtti
human organization" of the church
1t is a subject which has been generally
agitated in Episcopal circles in the
past few years and the sentiment fol-
a change is probably stronger than il
was, a few years ago. 1t has been on.
of the things most discussed at the
general conventions. In the Massachu-
sets convention, Bishop Lawrence was
the leader in opposing any change
Bishop Goldman of Maine in addressing
the convention at Portland impressed
it upon the members that it is not
| proposed to change the name of the
church itself. He said: 1--WE belong
to the Catholic church. No vote on
our part can change that name, unless
which God folb bid we break of from
to our temporary organization, now
| known as the Protestant Episcopal
church, is an entirely different matter.
Please mark the distinction between
| the divine historic institution, the
| Catholic church on one hand and the
| temporary human organization Profess
| tant Episcopal on the other" He eX-
planned how the members of the Church
of England who came to this country
| in the early days organized the Protes-
tant Episcopal church of America
forming a branch of the Catholic
church. not because they We're organ
| lied, but because they We're able to Sc
cure the apostolic succession" Con-
tinuing he spoke as follows:
! There .never~was Protestant Epis-
| copal church before the Revolution and
| it might cease to exist tomorrow. But
the church, her life and her work,
| would not die. We must therefore,
keep in mind this distinction between
the divine institution which depends
| upon the apostolic succession and is
| called the Catholic church, and the
human organization to which we have
given the title Protestant Episcopal
church. Now your opinion is asked,
not as to a change in the Catholic
church, but as to a change in the title
of her temporary human organization,
under which we work, now known as
the Protestant Episcopal church. Bear
| ing this in mind it is clear that we
cannot make this human organization
the Catholic church, by putting the
| word Catholic into the title. This
organization is not the Catholic church
and it would be misnomer to call *
| the Catholic church.
| 1T would be a falsehood on the face
of it, or it would lead many away from
the church conception of the Catholic
| church. We believe in the Catholic
church., but we do not put our faith in
the Protestant Episcopal organization
1t would therefore be not only mis-
take; it would be Il lie, to call an or
ganiZation the Catholic church, the
american Catholic church or the Cath
Ole church of America. Such titles
are not properly applied to human
temporary organization Drop the
| word Protestant from the present title
| if you please, but do not show youl
| ignorance of Catholic principles by
calling such an organization Catholic
This organization, however, is import
| ant 1t is necessary. We must nave
| some such organization for unity OF
action, and a common form of worship
| Such organizations have always exist
| ed among bishops. The Roman clergy
have it enforced by their oath of ODE
dience to the Pope, just as we require
from every clergyman before ordlna
ton a promise to conform to the doc
trine and discipline of our organiZa
ton. But the Roman organization is
not the Catholic church any more than
our organization is. Both commissions
are branches of the Catholic church
because both possess the apostolic sue
cession with it's Catholic priesthood
and valid eucharists. The organization
changes and differs all over the church
but the Catholic church will be found
wherever the apostolic succession uses
its commission to the priesthood. AS
surely as the Catholic church is nc
human organization, so surely nc hu-
man organization can properly call t
self the Catholic church. Nevertheless
some human organization is necessary
if the bishops clergy and laity OF the
Catholic church are to work together
effectively
All of this discussion sounds to the
bcWildered layman very theological anC
academic rather than religious ano
practical. In his address to the con-
vcntion at Boston, Bishop Lawrence
probably voiced the opinion of the great
mass; of people, of whatever denomina-
tional name, when he said, Il confess
that I have little interest in the sub
icct of the change of name. l doub
whether the rank and file of the mem
bers of the church care much about it
except, perhaps, to wonder occasion
) allv where the movement comes from
and who wants a change. L do not be
lieve that the people of this country O.
of other Christian bodies have much in
| terest in it. 1 must say that chafe q
SO much time and thought being pu
into the talk. The truth is, my broth
rem, that there is one thing that we
all of us in this church, do need
bishops, clergy and laity-and that /