Evening journal., 1913-11-21

feeling on the part of many of those
wishing the retention Of the name. Pro-
testant Episcopal Church in the United
States OF America amounting well-nigh
to hysteria. From information which
had come to me / had no reason to
doubt that a clear majority of the mem
bers OF the House OF Deputies, to say
nothing Of the bishops, were in favor
Of a change, although not then agreed
on what the change should be- But that
ma iority. perceiying the disturbance and
distress Of mind OF the opponents of a
change. for the peace OF the church,
and believing that none should be made
save by substantial majority, not
only agreed that none should be pro-
posed at that time, but further agreed
that the consti'4 on SHOULD be so
amended as to require a two-thirds
vote by dioceses and orders to effect
such a change. Thus by the action of
those favOriDg a change none can pos
sibly be made before the expiration of
six years Hon. L, Bradford Prince, ex-
governor OF New Mexico. in a recent
article on "The Spirit of the Conveh-
ton well said:
81 doubt if there is any parallel
in parliamentary history TO the propos-
al and adoption by the House Of Depu-
ties of constitutional amendmet TO
require an Affirmative vote of two-thirds
by dioceses and orders. for any change
in the prayerbook, which was under
stood to involve the change of name
That the advocates of measure. full
Of earnest belief in its Importance and
value, should voluntarily vote to make
its adoption more difficult, was certainly
the strongest proof of their sincerity in
not wishing for success until the great
body of the church agreed with their
belief
Although thus amicably disposed
Of for the time being, the subject OF
dropping the present name of the
church will come before the General
Convention for consideration and
action at the proper time, and mean
while it will be illumed by further
examination and discussion. Thai
the Church ultimately and before the
lapse of many years will by a large
majority OF her representatives in
general convention change the name
as appearing on the title page of the
Book of Common Prayer, and pro.
vide for the use of a more approprl.
ate title, ] have little or no doubt
The Church will not be satisfied until
her name and title as constitutionally
authorized shall be more or less de
scriptive Of her nature. In the ligh
shed on the subject by continued
study and discussion there will be
think, a steadily increasing drift o
sentiment in favor of such change
acquiring ere long a force and mo
mentum as impossible to check a
was the incoming tide at the com
mand of Canute, the Dane.
There has, I am convinced. bee
much wholly unnecessary alarm an
even panic on the subject No well
informed chufchman has the temeI
ity to deny that as members of tn
Protestant Episcopal Church in th
United States OF America, we ar
not Roman Catholics or Romanisti
but Catholics. constituting a branc
of the Holy Catholic Church. Eve
those in our communion most prom
inent and pronounced in their oppo
sition to a change of title or name d
not question our Catholicity. n
churchman. loyal to the Creeds an
ordinal OF the Church, can do 81
We solemnly declare in the Apostle
Greed that we believe in The Hol
Catholic Church." and in the Nicen
Greed that we believe One Catholi
and Apostolic Church. and in so de
/ claring we are either sincere or in
sincere. II we are sincere. shoul
It not be a matter of surprise tha'
unless on the ground of supposed in
expediency, so many of US shrin
from the use of the most distinctly
/ word in the name of the church i
which we thus express our belief
We certainly have a right to the us
of the word Catholic by reason G
our membership in the Catholic an
Apostolic Church. Both the nam
and what it stands for are part of on
heritage. The Romanists. owing al
legiance to a foreign pope, while
branch of the Catholic Church, hav
no right to monopolize the use of th
term Catholic. and. unless for exiger
reasons. should not be permitted
/, do so. II is an erroneous and untens
BILE assumption on their part ths
they include all the Catholics. Ou
side of their communion there ar
among others, Greek Catholics, Rus
sian Catholics, Anglican Catholic
and American Catholics.
We are an American chnrch. an
as part and parcel of the Holy Catl
olic Church. we are a Cathol
church. In this connection ma
! say that | have lately read in on
OF the church papers what purporl
to be an extract from a letter date
January 1. 1918, from a British off
cial in India to the chief secretal
OF the Government of Bihar an
Orissa. in the following words:
+ "It has been recently brought
A the notice of the Government of Ind
{ that the term Catholic has been OF
casionally used in official communic'
a tions as synonymous with Roma
!, Catholic. As the claim of the Churc
e Of Rome to exclusive Catholicity an
s to the exclusive right to be style
d The Catholic Church is disputed G
$ historical and other grounds by otl
S er churches, the Governor-General
5 Council desires that such looi
B, phraseology may be carefully avol
ed in the future, and that in all of
. cial communications the Roma
Communion and Its authorities mi
be addressed and described as r
man Catholic
I "Much prejudice against the u
s. of the term Catholic has been CT
It ated in the popular mind by mer
n bers of even our own commune
q through an ignorant or thoughtle
e restriction in common conversati'
n of that term to Roman Catholics
: the Roman Catholic or Rom'