Evening journal., 1914-05-13


1T is now required Of Wardena
and Vestrymen that they be baptized
men. twenty-one years Of age, regular
contributors TO the support of the
church, and habitual attendants at
Church services. In addition to
these requirements, / recommend the
adoption, as soon as may be, of tho
rule that all Wardena Of Parishes and
Missions shall be communicates Of
the Church. This requirement il
commonly made in diocesan and
parochial regulations, and. even
where no regulation exists. is in ac-
cord with general custom. / doubt
whether at this moment there be a
single Warden in the Diocese. who Is
not communicant. / believe that
general feeling and practice In this
matter is illustrated by the action Of
a Sussex County Vestry who had in
vited me 10 be present at a Vostry
meeting. IL was necessary to elect >
successor 10 a Warden who had res
moved from the Parish. The Vestry
was an unusually strong one, consist
ing Of nine leading citizens OF the
town. A number of nominations
We're made. One of the nominees. a
man well-known all over the State,
rose and said: "The Wardens oughe
to be communicates am not a
communicant; and I insist on my
name being withdrawn" Another
nominee, man OF great influence IN
the community and a generous con-
tributor to the Church. rose and said
the same thing. The Vestry then
proceeded 20 the election, every ballot
being cast for one or other of tho
nominees who were communicates.
We're we TO make such a requirement
in our Canons, we should only be
including In our formal law a prin-
ciple recognized and acted on by this
and all other Vestries and Parishes,
which, having right feeling of what
Is due TO the highest interests OF the
Church, are law unto themselves
1--WE are rightly eXacting in our
requirements of clergy; we should
also be eXacting in requirements OF
those who are most closely associated
with them In the management Of the
affairs of the Church. Our Wardens
should be selected from our best. and
from those who have most devotion
to the whole of the Church's life. IL
Is the duty OF Wardens. according 10
our Canon. not only ito protect the
church property" but also ito see
that all things needful for the orderly
worship of God, and for the adminis-
| tration of the Sacraments and Or
dinanccs of the Church. be provided"
| II is also their especial duty, as
| leaders of the Nestry, Ito keep order
in the Church during the celebration
OF Divine worship, and, in general.
to act as helpers of the Minister in
whatever Is appropriate TO laymen
for the furtherance OF the Gospel"
How can men. charged with this
special responsibility for maintaining
the Sacramento and Ordinances OF
the Church and for the orderly wor-
ship of God. be expected cordially 10
discharge the responsibility. unless
they have enough knowledge of ana
regard for those Sacraments and
Ordinances 10 have made use Of them
themselves, and enough appreciation
of the Worship. themselves TO have
shared all parts of IL. II is uDreason-
able to expect that a man will be at
pains 70 maintain as OF value Tor
others what he does not consider OF
value for himself
shin. the wardens are canonically
bound. with the assistance of the
Bishop, to provide for the due main
tenance of services. and, In general,
to see that no parochlal interests suf-
fer They have a distinct RESPONSE
bility for spiritual things. They are
bound 70 make every effort to keer
the church open, 10 prevent parish
90
vacant rectorship without unneces'
sary delay, and to guide their col
leagues of the vestry in making q
suitable choice Of rector. II they
fail in any Of these things, they are
not fulfilling their trust to the con
gregation and the church at large
Il is unfair to expect that men vii
discharge these weighty responsible
ties, il they be not full members o
the church, whose interests are 81
largely dependent on them.
mo one will imagine that do no
consider II ideal that all vestrymel
should be communicates; but / d.
not recommend the making unde
present conditions of any such rule
There is a difference between the re
sponsibility resting upon war
dens and that restlnf upol
vestry as a whole: and the specia
sponsibility for maintaining service
: during a vacancy rests upon warden
J alone. The normal function OF th
} vestry is the management of churc
} property: and to discharge this func
! ton there are many qualified VIII
are not communicates of the churcl
AT any rate, the considerations whic
necessitate full and sympathetl
knowledge of all that pertains to tn
church in wardens do not apply {
: their colleagues In the vestry in Oh
same degree"
, In view of these facts. recommen
. that Title II Canon ! Section 4 b
: amended by addition Of the word
"Wardens shall be communicates {
? the church in good standing"
Yet there is a difficulty in an
r legislation of this sort which / clear
] ly recognize. the difficulty of seemin
r in individual cases to legislatc on
r of Office good men elected under a
E existing law. | do not know of
warden in the diocese who is not
communicant of the church. ! dodh
I whether there be a single one. Bu
7 there might be. l sympathize strong
ly with the feeling We all have o
y deprecating any action which mich
r be construed as a reflection upon an
e of our colleagues. and especiall
4 upon those who have been placed !
4 a position because of good service Z
Y the church. To avoid the possibl
h appearance of legislation directe
D against particular individuals,