USA > New York > The diocese of Western New York : a history and recollections > Part 27
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On motion of the Rev. Dr. Shelton, this portion of the Bishop's Address was referred to a committee of fifteen, to report to the next
27I
THE EASTERN COUNTIES PLAN
Convention. The Bishop appointed the Rev. Drs. Shelton, Foote, Babcock, Jackson, Beach and Coxe, the Rev. George M. Hills, the Rev. Levi W. Norton, Judges Denio (of Utica), Hubbard (Water- town), Comstock (Syracuse), Johnson (Corning) and Smith (Buffalo), and Messrs. W. B. Douglas (Geneva), and W. R. Osborne (Bing- hamton). The committee represented quite fairly the larger parishes in all parts of the Diocese ; and was regarded, justly, as one of very " conservative " character.
CHAPTER XL
A NEW SEE ERECTED
N important report was made to the Convention of 1866, by the " Education and Missionary Board," on Dioc- esan Missions.
It shows, first, that while there had been no less than 73 Missionaries in the Diocese during part of the year, and there were now 62 actually at work, the offerings for that object were only $5,381.68, besides $1,681.12 from the income of the Per- manent Missionary Fund, in all, $7,062.80. The full missionary sti- pend was still, as for forty years past, only $125. In those years the Diocese had grown from one of the weakest to one of the strongest in the country ; it was now called upon to build in larger measure on the foundation laid so wisely by Bishop De Lancey. It was ascertained that in one of the counties two-thirds of the people had not even a nominal connection with any religious body. The Board urges strongly an increase of stipends where they are specially needed, and an independent support of their ministers by parishes long dependent on missionary aid.
The report was referred to a special committee, which through its chairman, Dr. Van Ingen, submitted resolutions approving of the Convocations now organized in all parts of the Diocese for furthering this work, and proposing that their presiding officers be appointed by the Bishop, and their functions " defined by authority." To this last provision there was some opposition, and the matter was finally re- ferred to the Bishop, with the result that no change was made in this respect until the adoption of the Deanery system in 1879 ; the presid- ing officer being the Bishop, if present, otherwise the Rector of the parish in which the meeting was held .*
Resolutions were adopted calling for " a very large expansion of our Diocesan Missionary system," involving a great increase of offer- ings, stipends and centres of work. The next year's report showed
* It is a curious instance of the survival of old prejudices that, before adopting even the first resolution approving generally of Convocations, the Convention insisted on changing this ecclesiastical term to the Congregational one " Asso- ciation." The same thing was done later in Central New York, and the presid- ing officer was called " President " instead of " Dean " till 1892.
-
LA.Ta
S. LUKE'S CHURCH, BRANCHPORT Consecrated 1868
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CONVENTION OF 1866
three more self-supporting parishes, six more missionaries, and $2, 186.32 more offerings, a real and substantial gain ; but no increase of missionary stipends.
The Bishop states that during the year he had confirmed 1,732 persons, ordained five deacons and seven priests, and consecrated six churches. In 1868 the confirmations numbered 1,849, and the average of the four years preceding the division of the Diocese was 1,636. This shows (as the Bishop remarks in 1868) a " steady growth " of the Diocese, " though by no means all that we must de- sire."
" The faithful ministry of the parochial Clergy is the source, under God, of these gratifying results. They plant and water, and Bishops come in to help them gather the harvest and bind the sheaves."*
" Constantly have I been led to praise God for the zeal and patience of the clergy, to whose habitual self-denials the Church owes every- thing, and the country more than it can imagine. The general good- will and cooperation of the Laity with their Pastors is also worthy of note ; but it must be said that in very few parishes are the people fully alive to the inestimable privileges secured to a community by the con- stant ministrations of the Gospel ; changes too frequently occur, and in too many instances these changes are not creditable to the parishes. Our people do not reflect that while they are growing rich, the Clergy have been growing relatively poorer than heretofore; they do not reflect that they withhold their sons from the Ministry because it is poorly rewarded in this world ; and yet, they are often ungrateful for faithful services, because they desire something more striking and popular. Surely, they who can only afford to a Pastor the sup- port of the humblest artizan, ought to cherish and uphold him at least with gratitude and good-will."
He acknowledges the receipt from Bishop De Lancey's estate of the " Startin Fund," $1,800, given first to Bishop Hobart (see Ch. VIII. p. 39 above), and applied by him and afterwards by Bishop De Lancey to " divers forms of benevolence " in Western New York ; and of a legacy from the late Bishop to the Trustees of the Episcopate Fund, of $5,000 for a special fund for " the aid of missionaries or the education of Candidates for Holy Orders."t
" Touching the Memorial Church, I would announce that the Training School will hereafter be known as the DE LANCEY DIVINITY SCHOOL ; and it is the earnest desire of the Education Board that the
* Journ. 1868, p. 48.
t Of these funds more will appear later on.
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DIOCESE OF WESTERN NEW YORK
Memorial Church and the Divinity School may form one group of buildings, presenting, by their unity of design, and harmony of uses, no ignoble tribute to the Apostolic man with whom both designs originated."
This change of name was criticised at the time and afterwards, with some justice, as a departure from Bishop De Lancey's plan, on the ground that the School was never meant to be a " Divinity School " in the ordinary sense, but only a School for training a special class of students in various stages of preparation for the Ministry. It is only fair to say that this precise change of title had been suggested to Bishop De Lancey himself as early as 1861, by some of the first students, and that he had expressed himself as " highly gratified with the request, and would be pleased to have the school bear his name, but not during his lifetime." On his decease Bishop Coxe was notified of this action, and requested to make the change of name, which he did accordingly."*
The Committee of fifteen on the Division of the Diocese held its first meeting at Buffalo, Jan. 9, 1867, all the clergymen and four of the seven laymen being present. Answers were reported from sundry clergymen and laymen to " a series of questions " sent out by the chairman (Dr. Shelton) to the members of the Committee. It is not stated how generally these questions had been communicated outside of the Committee, but they included the two questions of the expe- diency of division and the general line of division, (i. e. from North to South or from East to West), and the answers received indicated, in the judgment of the Committee, the opinions of the majority of the parishes in the Diocese. The result was a unanimous resolution in favour of dividing the Diocese by a North and South line into two nearly equal parts. Other resolutions looked to an equal division of the Episcopate Fund, and such other diocesan funds as could be divided ; to a " plan of affiliation " between the five dioceses soon to be formed in the State of New York, and to a consideration of the " Eastern Counties " plan presented by the Utica Convocation, and the " See principle." The Committee then adjourned to July 12 ;
* Gospel Messenger, XL. 155. . The students were Duncan C. Mann, George W. Southwell, and Alexander H. Rogers. See also Dr. W. D. Wilson's letter, objecting to the term " Divinity School" in place of "Training School." (Id. p. 167.)
275
THE SOUTHERN TIER
but before separating they met the Bishop at the See House, and re- ceived his cordial approval of their action, subject to that of the Convention of 1867 .*
So much is in print. We learn otherwise that this first meeting of the Committee was opened by an elaborate speech from its venerable Chairman, Dr. Shelton, in utter opposition to any plan of division whatever, and that this sentiment was concurred in by at least some of the laymen ; so that the final unanimity was not attained without some effort, and probably in view of the general feeling in the Dio- cese as reported to the Committee, as well as that of the Bishop. t During the winter the subject was discussed in several of the Convo- cations of the Diocese ; all expressing a united opinion in behalf of the erection of a new See, but only one (Onondaga) in favour of the line proposed by the Committee, and only one (the "Southern Tier," i. e., Chemung, Schuyler, Tompkins, Tioga and Broome), against it. At the Convention of 1866 an earnest speech was made by the Rev. Charles H. Platt of Binghamton# in favour of a line of division which would keep together the parts of the Diocese already connected with Buffalo by railways following the rivers and valleys from West to East. No record of this appears, as no motion was made, and the idea was so new and startling that it was hardly taken seriously by most of those who heard what they called " this after-dinner speech." But it was taken up very much in earnest by the Southern Tier Convoca- tion, and gradually attracted the attention and approval of a large part of the Diocese. It made no impression on the Committee of Fifteen, who, after considering it at their July meeting, unanimously reaffirmed their own plan. (The " Southern Tier " was not repre- sented on the Committee by any one present at either meeting, and only eight of the fifteen members attended this second one.) "The very able Report of the Oneida Convocation " furnished " ample reason " they thought, why the Diocese should be divided, but not on the plan therein proposed.
* Gospel Messenger, XLI. 10. (Jan. 17, 1867.)
t This was stated to me at the time by one of the Committee present at this meeting.
# Of whom I have spoken before (Ch. XXVIII. p. 177) as one of the brightest and abiest priests Western New York ever had. He died almost in his prime (46) at Binghamton, Feb. 25, 1869,-a great loss to the Diocese.
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DIOCESE OF WESTERN NEW YORK
The Thirtieth Annual Convention met at Elmira on the 2 1 st of August, 1867. It was opened with a choral Morning Prayer (7 A. M.), followed at 10 A. M. by the Holy Communion, and an admirable ser- mon by Dr. Rankine. One hundred and thirty clergymen were pres- ent (including 19 not members), and 177 lay deputies representing 94 parishes. Eight other Dioceses were represented by visiting clergy. Both the Secretaries (Dr. Matson and myself) had removed from the Diocese, and after some balloting, the Rev. Alfred B. Goodrich of Utica was elected Secretary, and the Rev. George C. Pennell of Buffalo appointed his Assistant. This and other routine business was not completed till late in the afternoon, and there was no night session .*
Thursday began (after 7 A. M. Matins) with a " Convention Break- fast," lamentably deficient in provisions, (having been prepared for 70 instead of the 160 who attended,) but abounding in wit and elo- quence, notably from Walter Ayrault, Dr. Wilson, Judge (Ward) Hunt and William H. Bogart. I fear it was the last one (it was only the second, and I never heard of another). Mr. Ayrault gave, at the request of the Bishop, an account of a recent visit to Racine College, " a thoroughly Christian College, most interesting and satisfactory," such as he hoped we might have in Hobart. Dr. Wilson responded that he hoped Hobart might do even better than Racine in fulfilment of the wish and purpose of all concerned in its instruction and man- agement to make it " thoroughly Christian." In his Address of the same morning the Bishop took up the subject most earnestly, declar- ing that the College must be regarded as the common inheritance of the two Dioceses soon to exist; its Trustees chosen from both in equal proportions ; its Professors at liberty to make either Diocese their canonical residence ; the Senior Bishop its Visitor, though for himself he would offer that office freely and cordially to the Bishop to be chosen, and "force it on his acceptance " if he could do so without impropriety. We shall see later what action followed on these words, and especially how the Bishop himself strove to make them good.
On the great question before the Convention, the Bishop says : .
* The evening was spent by some of us in a very delightful reunion (the last!) of the members of " Hobart Divinity School " at Dr. Paret's rectory- Robinson, Herrick, Clarke, Webster, Barrows, Paret, Parke and myself.
277
THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS, 1867
" I doubt not that the conclusions of the Committee are wise and sound, but they are subject to amendment by your action, or to any other reception which you may give them. Other plans have been proposed and ably sustained by argument. I am entirely willing to leave all to your wisdom, under the guidance of a good and gracious Providence, but it seems to me important that nothing should be done without the calmest consideration and a deliberate counting of the cost. The future of Western New York is in a measure to be settled by your action. Are you alive to your duties and ready to undertake them? If so, the result is almost as sure as the rising of the mor- row's sun. The abatement of prejudice, the disposition of thousands to hear us, the longing of thousands more to become identified with us, is daily more apparent. The erection of a new See will rapidly develop the portion of the field allotted to it, and the same may be true of the portion that may retain the old name. But this will involve renewed clerical effort and vigorous lay cooperation. What is called ' the Southern Tier Plan ' has much to recommend it, and I ask for it a most respectful consideration. But, let it be observed that it is a plan very much like that of Western Pennsylvania as set off with its See at Pittsburgh. Its success therefore depends on the willingness of Buffalo to become to the Southern Tier, and its own adjacent coun- ties, the base of resources and of operations. It is a plan which Buffalo must cordially accept, or it must be modified greatly. I say this with no definite information as to the views and wishes of the Clergy and Laity of that city concerning it. If they are ready to take the responsibilities, with the honours, and to assume, in a very great proportion, the expense of the Episcopate and the Missions of such a Diocese, I shall be more than satisfied to see it established. If they should be unwilling, however, to undertake so much, let no time be lost in fruitless debate ; let such modifications be accepted as may be found more practicable ; or let the plan of the Committee be preferred, with like modifications if necessary. I wish to guard against the raising of sectional feelings and rivalries such as might endanger the whole scheme or postpone action. At present, all things are favour- able to the adoption of such measures as shall make the new Diocese a reality in the year of our Lord 1869, just thirty years after the crea- tion of the Diocese of Western New York. Thus, when a generation of men shall have passed away, a timely progress will have been made towards providing for succeeding generations, on the principles derived from past experience ; and I repeat the assurance of my strong convictions that we ought not to postpone the movement. I am pained to think of parting with any portion of this noble Diocese, and ceasing to be the frequent visitor of its hospitable homes and churches. I have valued friends, already, in every county, almost in every town, and even in very humble hamlets and stations. But their best interests require a nearer and more constant Episcopal supervi-
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DIOCESE OF WESTERN NEW YORK
sion, and I love them too well to bind them to myself at a cost to them of immense advantages, in time and for eternity. This is the great con- sideration ; and I will submit to any sacrifice that may be necessary to the consummation of what you have so promptly undertaken at my own instance and request."
Noble words, indeed ! would that they did not claim for their author so rare a distinction among American Bishops !
The Order of the Day (for elections) was suspended to hear at once the Report of the Committee of Fifteen, which was given in outline by Dr. Shelton, and in full by Dr. Coxe, and followed by that of a sub-committee on " a plan of affiliation between the divided portions of the Diocese, and the resolutions of the meeting of the Five Eastern Counties relating to the See Principle," presented by Dr. Babcock. The general Report recited the action of the Committee ; the Bishop's Address of 1866 ; the apparent unanimity of the Diocese, as far as heard from, in the desire of a new See; sundry considerations in favour of such action, and answers to possible objections ; and pro- posed resolutions in accordance with their conclusions. The Sub- Committee (with the approval of the whole Committee) recommended,
First, that the Diocesan Institutions (De Veaux College, the De Lan- cey Divinity School and the Cary Institute) should be under the exclusive control of the Diocese in which they were located, with the suggestion, however, that each of the two Dioceses should have " an equal share" and "equal privileges" in both, and that the Corporation of De Veaux should include the Bishops, ex officio, and members from both Dioceses ;* second, that all other Diocesan funds except the Van Waganen Fund (for Chenango County) should be equally divided ; third, that the General Convention should be asked to enact a Canon authorizing a "Federate Council" of all the Dioceses of the State ; fourth, that "the new Dioceses to be erected from the present Diocese of Western New York, should each adopt a See name, to be hereafter determined by the Diocese itself ;" this last conclusion based not upon " mere theories," but upon the fact of a " steadily growing tend- ency and feeling in the Church in favour of this principle," so that " it may be assumed as probable beyond a doubt that it will come in time to be the accepted system in nearly all our Dioceses," and that " the See name, from its convenience and fitness, will be generally adopted." They present six resolutions giving effect to these recom- mendations. t
* But it never has up to this time included even the Bishop of Western New York ex officio.
f For the whole Report, a very full and able one, see the Journal of 1867, pp.
279
DIVISION OF THE DIOCESE
Of the debate which followed, and to which I was one among many interested listeners through the long afternoon and evening, I can give of course but the barest outline. The first decisive vote was on a pro- viso offered by a layman (Mr. E. C. Frost of Watkins) that the divi- sion should take effect only when the income of the Episcopate Fund (for both Dioceses) should be $10,000. One clergyman (Dr. Ferdi- nand Rogers) voted in favour of this proviso, and ninety-four against it. " The Lay vote," says the Journal, " was not called for." As a matter of fact it was called for, but given up on the ruefully humor- ous remark of Judge Hunt that it could only be taken "as an agree- able pastime." The Committee's line of division, and the " South- ern Tier" line were each voted down as amendments to the general question, as well as a proviso by Judge Hunt " that previous provision shall be made for the suitable support of the Episcopate in each of the Dioceses ;"* and the Convention, after appropriate prayers by the Bishop, and a space for silent prayer, proceeded to vote on the main question, -simply, " it is expedient that the Diocese of Western New York should be divided,"-the Lay vote, by an act of special court- esy, being taken first. Nine parishes out of 86 gave a negative vote, and one was divided. t The Clerical vote was 100 to 2, Dr. Rogers being seconded this time by the Rev. Henry M. Brown. " The Con- vention, immediately on the announcement" of the vote," joined [at the suggestion of Dr. Babcock] in singing Gloria in Excelsis." It should be added that the various provisos for the support of the Episcopate as a condition of division were long and ably debated ; Gen. Martin- dale (of Rochester), Judge Hunt (Utica), Dr. Van Ingen, Dr. Van Rensselaer, Thomas C. Montgomery, William H. Bogart and others, generally advocating them, and the Rev. Drs. Beach, Paret, and Van Deusen, and Dr. James P. White of Buffalo on the other side. The Bishop summed up by saying that " he wished every one to vote independently ; he could discharge his duty according to the Canons by a visitation once in three years, but that is not what we want. If
24-31. Of the Committee, Dr. Shelton and Judge Denio, at least, were strongly opposed to any division, and voted for it only because it could not be helped.
* This was renewed later by Mr. John Stryker (of Rome), but withdrawn with- out coming to a vote.
t The negative votes were, Elmira (Grace), Bainbridge, Greene, Rochester (S. Paul), Watkins, Seneca Falls, Hammondsport, Ithaca, Clyde. Branchport was divided.
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DIOCESE OF WESTERN NEW YORK
there is difficulty in dividing, there is more difficulty in not dividing. Bishop De Lancey had assured him that division must come, it was only a question of time ; though he hoped it would not come in his day."*
The question of the line of division followed immediately, and was discussed with great earnestness, and also great good temper, through the remainder of the afternoon and the whole of the evening, till nearly midnight. On the " Southern Tier " side were Dr. John M. Guion, then Rector of Trinity Church, Seneca Falls, (a very able man, whose words were apt to cut like a razor into friend and foe), the Hon. John A. Collier of Binghamton, Judge Farrington of Owego, the Rev. Charles H. Platt, Dr. Paret (by far the most effective and convincing champion on that side), and others whom I do not now remember. On the Committee's side were Judge Denio of Utica, Judge James M. Smith of Buffalo, Judge Darwin Smith of Rochester and Mr. William M. White of Canaseraga. Mr. Ayrault, Dr. Gib- son, Mr. Witherspoon and Dr. Wilson also spoke, the three former generally favouring the Southern Tier line, though in the end only the first voted for it. At a late hour it was rejected by a decided though by no means unanimous vote, 63 to 27 of the clergy and 47 to 22 of the Laity .ยก The various resolutions offered by the Committee were then adopted with little discussion, except that on the "See Prin- ciple," which was laid on the table simply because one or two wanted to speak on it, and another debate at that hour was out of the ques- tion. Most of these resolutions simply gave effect to the general action ; but one, which was passed without a word of comment, declared " the part of the Diocese lying east of the line of division to be the new Diocese,"-an enactment at variance with the whole history of the Church in Western New York. It probably grew out of the fact that both the Bishops of Western New York had resided on the west of the border line ; but it was none the less a mistake, as it seems to me, and one in which Central New York should not have acquiesced. It should be said that several later efforts were made (all in vain) to
* Gospel Messenger, XLI. 138. (Aug. 29, 1867.)
t The Journal gives the list of names, which is interesting chiefly to the sur- vivors of the well-fought battle. The question was nearly decided by the votes of the large cities, both Clerical and Lay.
# The Resolution asking for a Federate Council was passed unanimously.
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DIVISION OF THE DIOCESE
change the line of division ; by the Rev. Henry Lockwood, to take the " Southern Tier " line east of Schuyler county ; by Dr. Paret to substitute Chemung for Steuben in the western counties ; and by Mr. Ayrault to leave Schuyler county in the east, which last was defeated by the Rev. Duncan C. Mann with the remark that " Schuyler county was half-way between, and was of no importance anyway."
CHAPTER XLI
"CENTRAL NEW YORK "
T will make our story clearer, perhaps, if we pass over for the present various matters of interest belonging to the year 1867-8, and finish the history of the division of the Diocese. So far as the formal work of the Con- vention was concerned, it was complete in 1867, and the only action taken at the last Council of the undivided Diocese at Buffalo, in August, 1868, was to accept an Act of the Legislature providing for the division of the corporate bodies holding permanent funds, (i. e., the Episcopate and Parochial Funds,) and to request the General Convention, (1) to ratify the division of the Diocese, (2) to designate All Saints' Day, 1868, as the time when it should take effect (exactly thirty years from the day when the Diocese itself came into being), and (3) " to refer the naming of the new Diocese to its Con- vention, with the concurrence of the Bishop of Western New York."
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