Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-04
TWO CHURCHES
PLANNING PACT
Episcopal Congregational League
to Be Proposed at Coming
Convention.

Detroit. Mich.-The proposed
"concordat" between the Episco-
pal church and the Congregational
church which will be the subject of
much discussion at the approach
ing trienniaI general conven tiOM
OF the Episcopal church to be held
in this city Oct to 27, is inter
esting not only as practila ap-
proach to Protestant church union
but has an appealing historical
background.
The proposed "concordat" if it
receives the endorsement of the
convention here, will bring into a
close unity Of effort two religious
elements in our national life that
were strongly antagonistic at the
outset of our history as a nation.
the Puritan OF New England and
the Anglican cavalier of the south.
When the latter affected the first
permanent settlement in these
states at jamestown, Va, in 1907,
and the former sought a home on
the sterile, inhCspitable shores Of
New England in 1920, the mother
land of England that had sent both
types Of adventurers forth, was on
the threshold of the great reyolu-
ton that overthrow Charles l and
brought Oliver Cromwell and the
Puritals on to the stage Of English
history as a governing force. As
the gallant. light heaTeted adher-
ents of the church of England
settled Virginia and the stern Pur-
itans sought asylum on Plymouth
Roc, James the First. back in the
home land, was sowing the seed
that his son was TO reap in bitter
harvest of dethronement and
death. Puritan and cavalier, relig
iouSly and socially, were as far
apart as the poles. The character
istics Of each were craven deep
on our national life north and
south. Only since the Civil war
had there lIaen an approach to
real national unity of thought and
feeling
And now we see the spiritual
heirs of the Puritans who planted
the COngrega church in
America and of the cavaliers who
planted the first EpiscOpalian
church in these states, so close
together that a working "concor-
dat" is proposed whereby a min
lister of the Congregational church
may be ordained by a bishop to
the diacOnate and TO the priest
hood of the Episcopal church
without giving up ore denying his
mem bershiD or his ministry in the
old church of the Puritans. \
form of proposed canon will be Of
fered to the convention here
backed by a powerful element of
both Glow" and high" churchmen
who will press for its enactment
into the canonical law of the Pro-
testant Episcopal church in the |
United States. The proposed !
canon was formulated at a confer !
ence of representative of both
churches as follows:
For the Episcopal church-Rt. !
Rev. William Cabeu Brown, the !
Episcopal bishop of Virginia; Rev. !
Or. Hugh Fosbroke, dean of the 7
General Theological Seminary; /
Rev. DR.. William T. Manning, the |
rector of Trinity church, New York |
city: Rev. DR.. Charles L. Slattery, |
rector of Grace church. New York !
city; Howard B. St. George, pres |
y
els Lynde Stetson, Iayman Of New |
York City; Robert II. Gardiner,
layman of Bangor, Maine; George
chancellor of the dio
cese of New York.
For the Congregational church
Charles F. Carter, chairman of the
executive committee of the Nation
al Council of Congregational
in n I
Boynton, Brooklyn, n. Y, former
of the national council;
Raymond Calkius, chairman of the
Congregational Commission on
Church Unity; Arthur F. Pratt,
of the commission on
unity; Professor WiIlist9n Walker,
Of Yale university; Rev. DR.. New
man Smythe, Congregational min
Ister at Hartford, Conn; William
z. Barton, of the commission on
William T. McEl-
Feen, of the commission on unity.
The proposed canon sets forth
hat a minister ordained under it,
may officiate in a missionary dis
.rict of the church when licensed
BY the ecclesiastical authority
hereof, but he shall not become
he rector or minister of any par
sh or congregation of the Epis-
,opal church until he shall have
subscribed and made to the bishop
/ declaration in writing whereby
le shall solemnly engage to con-
orm to the doctrine, discipline and
worship of the Episcopal church.
Upon his making such declaration
md being duly elected rector of a
parish and complying with the
,anons of the church, he becomes
| minister of the church,