New-York tribune., 1922-09-12
Bishops Vote to
Drop Obey but
Retain Elldow'
Episcopalians Also Tenta-
lively Revise Baptisnnal
Service, Eliminating the
conceived i'm Sim Clause
Program Divides Leaders
Bishop Brent Joins i'm Plea
for Simplification of
Book for Plain People


storm oftopposition to further revision
ol the prayer book broke at the Epis-
copaiian convention to-day in the
house of Bishops, when the report of
the commission was presented by
EDWARD L. Parsons, Bishop Coadjutor
oI California. 1t was voiced bv
bishop Irving P. Johnson, of Colorado,
who said:
we are taking too much time in
academic discussion of q revision for
@hlch there is no general demand,
wnens = pressing matters of world i'm
PoItance are demanding our attention.
40 not believe the General Conven-
s'on is competent to revise the prayer
nook. AS it stands the PRAYER book is
a literary production of the biphest
,y.alue, but | never heard of any
Literary production being put out by
100 people"
:, blshop Johnson's resolution to drop
,he whole matter, was withdra to
be reintroduced later.
IN the House of DEPUTIES, the Rev
John 9. McKim, of Japan, moved to
refer the report back to the commits
sion Tor fuller consideration, the pur-
pose being to defer >revision for at
least another three years. 1t was
- vi ehC SdleHudT,
Rite of Baptism Modified
The Bishops began their work of re-
Vrsihg the prayer book with the office
or baptism and adopted the proposal
20 combine the service for the bap-
ism OF children, adults and private
oaptlsm IN one service. Thew also
rather unexpectedly agreed to omit the
opening sentence of the exhortation
which reads: "Forasmuch as all men
are conceived and born in sim" Many
clergy OF the Church have refused to
read thls sentence, regarding it as a
sur upon the sanctity of marriage.
BISHOP William Lawrence, of Massa-
cnussetts, pleaded for a simplifcation
oi the language of the prayer book,
@nich he said went back to the
niteentn century and was not under
stood by simple people. He was
warmly seconded by Bishop Charles II
Brent. who said the services Of the
Ghurch were not for Anglo-Saxons
! alone He said it was absurd to read
such services to those who were con-
Verts from heathenism, and added: "If
we are going to be a catholic church
we must make our appeal to the plain
peopia:' Bishop Anderson, of Chicago.
reminded the House that tie language
obJected to was the language of the
1t developed that in their informal
conference the Bishops approved of
the proposed new title for the Office Of
Holy Communion to which will be
added the words, "the Divine Liturgy
or the Holy Eucharist" They also
adopted the suggestion to permit the
reading of the Ten Commandments in
the shortened form by the omission
Of the stated reasons for their OBJ
servance. AS one bishop remarked.
we shall no longer place the covet-
ing OF thy nelg~bor's wife on the same
level as the coveting of his OK or his
| ass"
Agree to Drop the "Obey'
In the revision of the marriage serv-
ice approval was given to the omis-
sion of the word "obey" on the part
of the women, but, contrary to the rec
ommendation of the commission. thew
retain the words, with all my worldly
goods | thee. endow'' in spite of the
TACT that their omission was urged by
eminent lawyers. The following clause
| is recommended: "Bless, 0 Lord. this
ring, that he who gives it, and she
who wears it, may abide in Thy peace.
and continue in Thy favor unto their
life's end"
F. This is an addition to the marriage
service, as is also this suggested
prayer:
Bless. Q God we pray Thee, the
union of these thy servants, that it
may be fruitful according to Thy pur-
pose, and enable them to train in
health of body and soul the children
whom Thou givest them"
While the action OF the bishops in
conference was not official, and must
be formally adopted when sitting in
convention, these changes reflect the
mind of the episcopate and will have
great influence with the clerical and
lay deputies when they take up the re-
vision of the prayer book
Plain Talk by Bishops
Two Of the missionary bishops in
| dulged in plain speaking at the Joint
session of bishops and deputies this
morning. Speaking of the work in
Latin America, Bishop Hiram H. Hulse
of Cuba said it was useless for the
Church to possess splendid cathedrals
and fine churches if she countenanced
the conduct of businesslike pirates and
i politics like blood suckers.
Bishop William H. Overs of Liberia
made vigorous protest against the
action of the French, who own a con-
siderable part of Africa, saying they
seem to have gone military crazy"
He added: at is one of the greatest
| crimes OF Cne age IOr Jne TelCn TO
conscript the natives and build up an
army which will bring another way"
The House of Bishops reconsidered
the vote of last week fefusing to give
the suffragan bishops vote in the
house. The debate was limited to
thirty minutes. Bishop Page, of Spo-
kane,s said many bishops had voted
against the proposal because they
wished to kill the Office of suffragan
and &hat if the bishops went on record
as refusing the vote then they were
| going to have inferior suffragan
bishops.
Bishop Brent Protests
| Bishop Charles II. Brent protested
against such indirection and asserted
that the alternative to granting the
vote was, racial episcopate or the
giving UP of the work of the Church
among the colored people.
| Arthur S. Lloyd, Suffragan Bishop OF
New York, spoke for the suffragans
and said it was not generous to make
distinctions. They had either to set
up racial church or give the negro
| suffragans the dignity of a bishop.
/ Bishop R. H. Weller, of Fond du Lac,
/ led the opposition asserting that the
growth of the suffragan episcopate
eventually would swamp those bishops
L 4 4 !. - nl, t,,ic