Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-02-05
EP|SCOPAl|ANS IN
ANNUAL CONVENTION
Bishop Hall in Address Discusses
Proposed Concordat With Con-
Observation-Disclosures Now
Has 46 Priests, Of Whom 81
Are Actively Employed

are attending the 10Th annual convention
OF the diocase of Vermont, which opened
in ST. paule Church yesterday morning
4, SEVEN o'clock morning prayer vas
read and Holy Commuu.i 4 ceieoratSf
and at 80 all members of the conven-
ZION attended Holy Communion. the
clergy vested. SIaiiop y. G. y. HAL was
the oelcbrAnt slssleted by B,shop-Coad-
iutor George Y. Bliss ard DR. A. p GRAFT
81 St Johnsbury, pres'd~nt Of the stann
:rg committee Previous to this service
The convention lad ORGANIZED ~ nins
o'clock with a roll cal. etc.
At the opening of the business Of the
convention, tho Rev. w. C. Bernard of
Brattlehoro was reelected secretary and
with the conscn. of the convention the
Pev. G. r. Brush of Shelburnc was APP
ro'n.ed assistant sc crctary. On "a motion
I: was voted to ask al visiting clergy
mon to seat on the moor ard the Rev.
j. C. Currier, formerly Il member of The
diocese, was giTcn seat.
Tho reports Of the different committees
were read and bishop Hlil gave his 2,h
annual address,
BISHOP HALLS ADDRESS
"A ycal go" said bishop Han. when
tine 25th anniversary If my congregation
as your bishop w,s observed, | Said
that / trusted our low-watei marx was
reached in the number of our clergy. We
had then but 81 priests on our list. and
81 these only IS We're actively employed
in the diocese. Our hieh-water mark
had been 30. To-day am thankful to
he able 70 record that our shortage has
mostly been supplied. This is largely due
TO the untiring diligence Of the bishop
coadjutor in searching for men and inquir-
ing as TO their qualifications"
Bishop Hall gave report of those who
had died or been transferred from the
diocese. Fifteen he said. have been
received. These come from no less than
1S dioceses, North and South, from Edin-
hurgh TO .tshevile East and West from
New Jersey to Los Angeles We welcome
them all and viii try to hold them
Bishop Hall also gave a list OF the
changes within the diocese. saying in con-
cluson that there arc now IS or tho
roll with IS Of these at work in the
diocese. Two hundred and seven have
been confirmed in the diocese = small
number because Of the many changes and
vacancies in pastorates.
The bishop then called attention to the
fact that no name should be dropped from
the communion list Of any church for
non-reception until he had been absent
from the communion for three years.
Also, when il was removed, report
should be made and the name not taken
off the list, but simply marked dropped
He also said the register of commune
cants no matter how marked should not
be destroyed, but preserved as record
of continuity.
The bishop then took up several mat
tiers that were discussed at the general
convention in Detroit last October. and
said. with reference to the proposed re-
union with Congregatonalists:
We and other dioceses will he no
titled of certain proposed amendment
20 the constitution which received q
rirst reading at Detroit, which so far
as constitutional obstacles are concern.
ed are intended to render possible III,
adoption of the proposals for steps to-
wards reunion, commonly Known as the
Concordat with ConCreEationalists. One
of those proposed amendments itself
needs amendment, for in its present
form it is very questionable if it would
effect its intended purpose Tho words
to minister in this church which il
is proposed to insert in article VIII
which forbids the ordination Of any one
to the diaconatc or priesthood unless
he shall have first promised conform
ity to the doctrine discipline and woi.
ship OF this church would still exclude
the minstrations among US of pcrsons
who had received ordination from on,
OF our bishops while rcma ming mem.
Aers of another religious body, whatever
additional authority had been conferred
for their minstrationS in the othci
body. This objection was pointed out
at the time in the House of Bishops
hut disrcEarded.
Leaving technical objections, | wish
80 say something on the general sub
Ject of the concordat. one of the fore
most champions of the proposals de
clares that no one has shown that til,
proposed concordat violates any prin.
Ciple of faith or order. This is Il start.
Iins assertion--or dcnial--in view of q
good deal that has been said on the
subject. The report of the commtte,
on canons of the House of Bishops car,
ed attention TO the unfortunate phras,
about a minister desiring to be ordained
by bishop of this church 'withou
giving up or denying his membership OF
his ministry in the communion Il
which he belongs This the com
,nittee said, seems to block the way
'f II were withdrawn, and we were
asked to ordain men not as belongings
tized Christians seeking orders from
representatives of the Apostolic anC
Catholic Church, the case might b,
very different 80 long as this phras,
remains, ! cannot but regard the ques
non as one not merely of judg
ment but of principle. The on
~ Justificatonsfo for such action as wa,
proposed could be in regarding the Con
xregational and other bodies as guild.
and societies existing within the church
while having their own subordinate or
sanization like the earlier Methcdists II
England, or the Order of IIthiopia IL
South Africa at the present time Blu
II would be a frivolous pretence for lis C
adopt this view, which the other partle:
certainly would not accept. To confc,
Holy Orders on those WHO distinct,
claim to retain their position in religi
Gus bodies separated from the historic
church. whatever their individual opin
ions may be. and however excusaDlc thci
inherited separation. would be 1t sacrifice
of principle.
However joint commission, respon
sible to the convention has now been APP
pointed to give further consideration T.
the whole matter. and the amendments {
the resolution constituting and instruc
ting this commission, accepted by bot
houses, materially changed the situation
IL these additional conditions were agree
to by the ConEregationalisls or Others
and the Objectionable phrase already ro
ferred 10 We're withdrawn, We could wei
come the plan as a serious and intelli
gent approach towards unity, thong
there would still remain grave doubt a
10 the laWfu'npSS of not insisting tDo