Evening star., 1928-10-18
House of Bishops Votes to
Indefinitely Postpone Ac-
ton on 80 Articles.
ANGL0-CATHOLICS FAIL
TO CONTEST MATTER
Bishop Freeman's Resolution
Against AUTHORIZATION Or
ganization Is Adopted.


to postpone indefinitely any action on
removing from the book of common
prayer the 80 articles of religion-thus
avoiding what had been expected to
prove the bitterest fight of the present
convention.
This action means that the articles
will be kept in the prayer book. The
last general convention voted with
little debate to eliminate them. Unless
this action was ratified by the present
convention it would be nullified Thus
the articles stand precisely as they were
before revision of the prayer book
started. The work must be finished
this year and it is unlikely that any
further prayer book revision will be at
tempted for many years.
Still Up to Deputies.
The question of ratification still must
come before the House of Deputies. 1t
was understood today, however, that the
deputies tacitly have agreed to abide by
the decision of the bishops, considering
the question entirely spiritual matter.
If it should be called up and the 1925
action ratified by the House of Deputies
it would make little difference, since the
ratification of both houses Is necessary
and the Bishops probably would prove
unyielding in conference.
The action Is considered victory for
the low-church party in what is de-
scribed as "one-sided fight" with the
Anglo Catholic wing of the church, the
latter insisting that they had no vital
interests at stake and refusing to fight
back. The action at New Orleans in
1925 was based on the claim that the
articles are not officially a part of the
prayer book anyway, but merely an
appendage without standing as state
ments Of church doctrine, that very few
members. of the church ever have read
them. and that they are aritiquated and
obscure.
Immediately after the convention,
however. the suspicion arose that the
proposed elimination had been en-
gineered by Anglo Catholic leaders to
get rid of certain presumably offensive
references to certain practices of the
Roman Catholic Church, and that, re-
gardless Of some of the antiquated ex-
preSsions, they were a constant safe
guard against ever slipping back into
the Roman communion. At the OPEN
ing Of the present convention petit
ton signed by more than $4,000 lay
men was presented to both houses ask
ing that the articles be retained.
Anglo Catholics Unconcerned.
Some Episcopalian theologians OBJ
jected to the articles on the ground
that some of them are Calvinistic rath-
er than Episcopalian in spirit, and that
the church by no means aSSents to such
doctrines as those of original sin and
predestination.
There is some difference of opinion as
to whether the act of becoming men,
Der of the Episcopal Church involves
assent to them. Before the convention
Anglo Catholic leaders expressed them
selves as unconcerned whatever hap
pened to the articles.
The motion to postpone action in
definitely was made by the Right Rev.
Charles L. Slattery, Bishop of MaSsa-
chusetts. who has been in charge Of
prayer book revision.
The bishops adopted resolution
introduced by Right Rev. James E.
Freeman. Bishop of Washington, re-
pudiating the utterances of the Church
Temperance Society as expressing the
voice of the church, and emphasizing
that this Is only private organization
whose members happen to be EpiSco-
palians.
Will Aid Destroyed Churches.
The Church Temperance Society is
active In opposition to prohibition and
has conducted polls among Episcopalian
clergymen, showing that there is a
strong sentiment among them for modi-
fication and repeal. 1t has large
members In the Eastern cities.
The House of Bishops designated Sum-
day, November IL, as Porto Rico-South
Florida Rebuilding day, and ordered
that the Offering taken on that day be
used to rebuild church property which
was damaged to the extent OF about
5000 900 in the recent West Indies hur-
ricane. Bishop Charles B. Colmore of
Porto Rico and his suffragan, Bishop
Manuel Fernando, reported that re-
Mobilization Of st. Luke'S Hospital at
Ponce would cost 100000. Many
churches rectories and parish houses in
Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands were
badly damaged, Bishop Colmore said.
AliC IOSo W tIlC EjloCORdl SlluAClA pup
erty in Florida was estimated at $4,000.
Candidates for ordination as EpiS-
copal clergymen must pass within two
months of ordination an examination
to determine their physical, mental
and nervous condition" according to a
change in the canon law of the church
adopted by the House of Deputies after
animated discussion this morning.
1t was pointed out that the church
maintains a pension fund for incapaci-
tated clergymen and that there have
been cases where ministers have Suf-
fered complete breakdowns a few
months after ordination, thus becoming
a lifelong burden on this fund.
Cites st. Paul.
But declared Henry D. Ashley Of
Missouri, such requirement would
have barred st. Paul from the minis
try"
Various clergymen insisted that when
they were graduated from the semi
naries they were badly broken in health,
but had recovered and never missed q
Sunday since.
! Rev. DR.. George Craig Stewart of
Chicago insisted, however, that the
board of examiners was not required
| by the changed canon to refuse ordina-
| ton to deserving man whose health
was poor, but simply were supposed to
have medical data to guide them in
the application Of common sense to
! every case.
It was announced that a mass meet