The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-10

Spirit, whose special function it is to
lead us into all Truth, will teach us
what we ought to do in this and in all
ether perpleXing questions.
Having expressed my own satisfac-
ton with our canonical provisions at
tecting the work among the negroes,
| am vet forced by the situation of af-
fairs within the church to bring this
matter before the convention and ask
YOU to consider 1t. During the past
twelve months the question has been
widely agitated, and being raised we
could not refuse to consider 1t, even
though We were all as we'll satisfied
with our diocesan arrangements as
your Bishop is. For it is a question in
volving not one diocese, but many;
and / recognize the incompetence of
any one diocese or any one or more
Bishops to settle 1t. In the end it must
be settled by the general convention.
There is, however room for diocesan
action upon many details of this ques-
ton lying within the scope of diocesan
legislation. But even here, where we
have the power of independent action,
[ venture to think that we should not
be hasty, not prompt to put into prac-
tice our own theories, in so important
and delicate a matter. A conference
of colored ministers which met in New
Haven last fall demanded separate
organization, and negro bishops, for
negro congregations. Some OF the
Southern bishops and people see In
such separation a necessary condition
of success in our work for them. The
question thus raised has already been
widely discussed and debated. 1t
should be given most careful atten-
ton And we in North Carolina should
hc, n Hn ,t,-iI To rt n q
solution of it. 1T does not seem to me
proper that we should take any hasty
action for or against the proposed
scheme of separate organization. |
suggest, therefore, the appointment of
committee of our WiSest and most
experienced clergymen and laymen,
that they may consider the whole
question of the relation of the church
&c the work of christianiZing and ele
Waiting the colored people, with power
to correspond with other dioceses with
d view of maturing some general prin-
ciples of action"
question as follows:
The Divorce Evil.
81 need not enter upon any discus
sion of the evils of divorce. We have
heard much upon this subject for
some years past. 1t has now been be-
fore our general convention for some
years and is likely to be one of the
burning questions at its session in BoS-
ton next October. During the past few
months it has been occupying the time
and attention OF religious conventions
and assemblies in all parts of the
country. Even those religious COM
munions which have heretofore seem
ed comparatively Indifferent to, or UNI
conscious of, the terrible demoraliza-
ton of our social life in consequence
of the sad laxity of our laws, and the
sadder apathy of the common Chris
tlan conscience, seem reused to some
more adequate conception of the dan
ger, and of our Christian duty; and
the cords of ecclesiastical discipline
are being drawn tighter, and the
Christian convention of manage and
OF its obligations is being more posi-
lively and distinctly set forth. L dc
not propose at this time to enter upon
this subject as ii is related to our
canonical legislation and ecclesiastical
discipline. Many able, acute ana
learned men are devoting themselves
to the aspects of the question. There
is a time for the discussion of princi-
pies and theories there is necessity
for enlightening the public mind and
when the public mind has been en-
lightened, and when the public con-
science has been aroused, then is the
time for action. To content ourselves
at such time with theoriZng and dis
cussing and declaiming, is TO betray
the cause we advocate, and to waste
the fruits of our labors.
1.-THE time has come to begin to put
some of our theories into practice. We
inI ND mo "a 4
abuses, and recover the world from
moral degradation, by perfecting our
systems of ecclesiastical discipline.
Ecclesiastical discipline in these days
l. of very little force of value. The
power of the church, of Christianity,
must go out and lay hold upon the
world, and reform and recover the
world and it's secular laws and meth
DDS from degredation It was not in
tended by our Blessed Lord that His
church should occupy itself solely with
it's own affairs The churc,l should not
be satisfied to purify itself, and to
leave the world corrupt. The power
of Christ must leaVen the world, and
make the world Christian. The cause
Of the evils of divorce has been a lax
and Indifferent public mind and con-
science, which has allowed base and
selfish interests to relax our public
laws, ana tne11, through the license al
lowed by the laws of the State, the evil
has increased. The public mind is now
enlightened; the public conscience is
aroused. All over the State Christian
people are realizing, have realized,
that there is but one cause for divorce
from the bonds of marriage, allowed
by Him who made man and who
knows what is in man. In the best
periods of our history our laws have
recognized only this one cause. We
should bring the power of Christian
sentiment to bear upon our legislation,
and restore our laws to their former
condition 1t is not too much to say
of the many relaxationS of the strin-
gency of the old law, that not one of
them has been adopted upon any gen
eral principle of morals or of social
science, but that each one was passed
under the special appeal of some sup
posed hard case, and that our general
law of divorce has year by year been
tempered with and relaxed, to relieve
particular individuals, until we have
brought ourselves into as evil condi-
ton as the worst of those States whose
divorce laws formerly excited our con-
| tempt and adherence.
Il ask this convention to pass reso-
| lutions expressing it's sense of the evils
! of our present legislation upon the
biapt of 1iNorcp