Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-20
NEW PRAYERS ARE
BEING CONSIDERED
Episcopal Conference Takes Up
Matter of a Revision Of the
Regular Prayer Book.
CHANGES ARE TECHNICAL

/ 49, -Se'S' -hSst wv ny
line the OH clergymen. and laymen
composing the house of deputies of
the general convention of the, Epis-
copal church are going over their
prayer book in an attempt to revise
and enrich it to meet demands for a
greater freedom iEthe service.
Discussion OF the enrichment by
the addition OF new prayers was on
the calendar today, the fourth day on
which the house met as a committee
of the whole to consider the report
of the commission on the prayer
book, submitted after three years OF
study on the part of the members
said to represent several shades OF
ecclesiastical and theological thought
The proposed changes in the main
are technical. Some of the deputies
fear that any scheme Of revision
might involve doctrinal changes. 1t
is expected that recommendation of
the commission to correct mistrans-
lations of holy scripture will be dis
cussed, One proposal is to change
the word 'damnation' in several col
lects to Condemnation.
To Simplify Manual.
Another step toward the simplifi-
cation of church service was taken
when appointment of committee to
draft simple manual OF church serv-
ice for use in parishes in which there
are numbers of unlettered and foreign
persons was announced in the house
OF deputies, Rev. Irving P. Johnson,
Faribault, Mimi, was chosen chair
man.
A proposal to amend the church
constitution to authorize the creation
of dioceses of negro churches under
negro bishops and to remove negro
parishes from the supervision of the
present white diocesan heads is pend
ing in the house of bishops.
The upper body has before it a
proposal to prohibit remarriage in
the church Of divorced persons, re-
jected last week by the house of
deputies. Rev. Samuel Hart, secre-
tary of the house of bishops, said
that should the upper house approve
the proposition, it would again go be-
fore the lower house, this time for
concurrence in the action of the house
of bishops. Such situation, however,
generally seems to be regarded as I'M
likely.
Women Denied Equal Rights.
A proposal to permit women to sit
as delegates in the general convention
was rejected, while request from Ri.
Rev. Logan H. Roots, bishop of Han
kow, to be allowed to permit women
to membership in his advisory coun-
Gil was denied. The house suggested
to the bishop of Hankow, it was stat
ed, that he might create an auxiliary
council of women.
The proposal to give women equal
rights with men in the convention
was sponsored by Robert H. Gardi-
ner of Gardiner, Me.
e.. Will Go to Bishops.
A similar resolution is now on the
calendar of the house of deputies, and
it was pointed out today's action in
the upper house does not preclude its
being discussed in the lower body. |
Since concurrence of the two houses
is necessary, in the event that the
house of deputies should approve the
proposal it will go to the house OF
bishops for reconsideration
The house of bishops, which also
considered changes recommended in
the communion service by the COM
mission on the book of common
prayer, will suggest in its report to
the house of deputies that the ten
commandments be printed in the
in both their shortened |
form and in their full form, and that
clergymen be given optional use of
either in the service, it was said.
The commission had recommended |
that five of the commandments be |
shortened as read in the communion
service by the elimination of the rea-
sons.
Wants Washington Prayer.
Efforts to have the prayer of
George Washington, uttered upon the
occasion of his laying down the SUI
preme command of the federal armies,
adopted and substituted for the pres
ent prayer "for our, country" in the
book of common prayer were inaugu-
rated in the house of deputies by Ro-
land S. Morris of Philadelphia. Mr..
Morris introduced a resolution which
resulted in prayer which had been
recommended by the commission on
the prayerbook, being recommitted to
the commission with the suggestion
that it consider the Washington
prayer. This pleads for Gods holy
protection for the United States,
obedience for its citizens, for their
brotherly affection for each other,
for their brethren who
have served in the field, and that God
will dispose US to do justice, mercy
and charity"
The prayer suggested by the COM
mission asked that "our land be
blessed with honorable industry,
sound learning and pure manners" 1t
also asks that we be saved from "vio-
Ience, discord and confusion; from
pride and arrogance" and that our
Liberties be defended and our unity
preserved.