Putnam patriot., 1913-10-17
General Convention of Protestant
 Episcopal Church
Discusses Important Matters


 Much interest is attracted to the meeting of Episcopalians in New York this week because of it's size and inn portance. There are 113 bishops pres ent, out of a possible ll5; and about 300 clergy as delegates, with as many laymen, who have equal rights to speak and vote. Most of the sessions are held in the new synod hall, the gift of the late J Pierpont Morgan and the late w. Bayard Cutting. It is a noble building, standing near the great Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which, unfinished as ii is, accommo- dates 5000 people. At several of the services hundreds have been turned away.
 Among the most important ques- tions before this great legislative body, in its three weeks of sessions, is the proposal to change the name of the church from Protestant Episcopal to American Catholic The fact seems to be that, being descended from the Established Church of England, the Episcopal church, as it is generally called, is m one sense Catholic, as coming down in unbroken succession from the Church of Our Lord and His Apostles; and at the same time is Pro- testant, in refusing the authority of the Pope in Rome Much confusion is caused by the usual use of the terms Catholic and Protestant, as meaning contraries, SD that one must be either one or the other or neither; whereas the English "Churehmanu ana his American brother claims both titles. Another source of confusion Is the statement, denied by the Episcopa- Iians, that Henry VIII founded the English church; for their belief is that he only upheld the constant claim of his Church to independence, and in- trodueed merely such changes as trans lating the ancient prayers of the undi- Nided Church into Language under standed of the people" It seems probable that the convention will drop the matter for the present, as it cannot be settled except by narrow majority, and because many feel that the pro- posed name would cause mlsunder- standing, and sel back the prospect of unity with other Christian bodies. The great Romon Catholic church would look on il as presumptuous, and the majority of Protestanls would consider il deserlion.
 Unity occupies much attention, as this denomination has always been foremost in proposals looking to re- union. Missions, also, are prominent. At one service the women presented over S5o7 ,oo0, collected during the last three years as thank offering, to be spent mostly flor the work of women for women. This is in addition to all that the ladies do to help their local churches meet the regular demands made upon them for missions. The bills, gold, drafts, checks, and other forms of money made a bulk so great that it overtiowed the enormous aims basin, and the ten smaller ones used for collecting, and much of it was pre-. sented in d desk drawer hastily secured.
 Many proposals for regulation of the marriage laws of the Church, the en- richment of her services, and the bet ter management of her work, are re- ceiving careful consideration.
 Among those present who have been heard at St. Philips during the last few months, are Bishops C. E. Brews- ter of Connecticut and .. C. Partridge ol Kansas City, and Dr. F. W. HarIi-