The gospel messenger, Diocese of Central New York, Part 46

Author:
Publication date: 1905-1908
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : Diocese of Central New York
Number of Pages: 708

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105

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

or a Protestant. They had no idea of set- ness. And so the intoxicating thought, suggested to man so long ago, is sought to be realized: "God made a mistake-ve shall not surely dic-but if ye eat of the fruit of this tree ye shall be as gods, cach one of you, and shall of yourselves know good and evil." I say, brethren, it is time for this tide to turn, for it has reached the flood. Would that we might say that it is only in the intellectual and theological realm that this tendency has shown itself ; but man is not made that way. The intel- lectual part of man needs the restraint of God's law as well as the moral, for they work together invariably; and when the principle of lawlessness is admitted in one realm, it is perfectly sure to extend to the other. As the Bishop of Albany recently said, after speaking of the loss of faith among some people in the Church, "Is some quarters at least, the determination to be rid of the obligation upon character of all religious authority, whether in Holy Scripture or in the Church ? Certainly there is in some minds a subtle substratuni of a sense of relief in the escape from all the moral restraints of belief." "It is not surprising," said the late editor of the Church Standard, "on the contrary, it is a natural accompaniment of the process of moral degeneracy both in England and America, that men who have sworn to teach the Christianity of the simple old creeds, are now claiming the right to for- swear themselves by denying the ereeds, while they smilingly retain their places and emoluments in the Churches which they betray." To any sano mind, familiar with the large liberty under the law which is now granted to the Clergy of this Church, one would think it would appear quite unnecessary to write a book demand- ing "freedom in the Church." The Pro- testant Episcopal Church has been described, and sometimes sneered at. as "the roomiest Church in Christendom :" and it seems to me that those men who want more room in it are simply trying to knock down its walls altogether. In other words, they are rejecting all authority, no ting a man free from all authority, for they held their members in strict allegiance to the several "Confessions," so-called, of Augsburg, or of Dort, or of Westminster, as the case might have been, and he who denied the statements of those Confessions was as severely denounced for heresy as he would have been in the old Church. The saying sometimes heard now-a-days, that "those men exchanged the infallibility of the Church for the infallibility of the Book," is not strictly accurate; for at first the Protestant bodies enforced their own conciliar interpretations quite as much as the Roman Church did ; and of course there was very little private judgment about that. But as time went on the principle began to assert itself more fully. It came to be said after a while, "the Bible and the Bible only is the religion of Protestants"-and there not beside and behind all this, in as that idea began to grow in men's minds sects began to increase. Any zealous man who thought he found something in the Bible that was not sufficiently emphasized by the societies already existing, or who became convinced that all of those societies were teaching something that the Bible does not warrant, broke away from the connection in which he was born, and started a new denomination. Thus private judgment was developed, yet always in supposed conscious subjection to the authority of Scripture. But individual- ism pure and simple is not complete so long as it is subject to any outward authority, whether of a book or of an organization. Private judgment reaches its climax in the sovereignity of the individual, and in the assertion of his entire sufficiency to think and to act as he pleases about everything. That, and that alone, is private judgment pure and scientific-and we have lived to see the assertion of it. Anarchy is de- manded in the State; "freedom" is de- manded in the Church for each individual, no matter what vows he may be under; and the theological professor teaches his classes to find their criterion of Christian truth not in the Church, not in the Bible, but each one simply in his own conscious-

106

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

matter how gentle and restricted it may be, and are seeking to bring in pure individual- ism, which is anarchy. An intellectual and learned College professor said in this city the other day, "we want men who think for themselves." So we do, but we want them also to think sanely, to think soundly, and not to think themselves infallible, not to think that liberty is license, not to forget that there are other people in the world who also have a right to think, and whose thoughts about the necessary human rela- tions may be better than theirs. And as for the Christian Church, it wants men who recognize the very first principle of its origin, that it comes from an accredited Teacher, and did not originate with them ; that they have "received" it, as St. Paul says, and did not invent it themselves, and since that is the case, that it must have some authoritative sources, which their own individual "imaginations, or reason- ings," cannot alter. In short, while we must exercise each one of us his own reason in the acceptance of the revelation of God in Christ, and are free to accept or to reject it as we shall decide, we must not imagine that our reason is a solvent which can change the character of the authorities from which we receive that revelation. In every relation of life we should recognize and honor the authority by which that relation is legitimately controlled, and not set up our own unrestrained private judg- ment against it; or, as the Apostle well expresses the principle, "casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."- (II Cor. x. 5.)

BOARD OF MANAGERS.

The Board of Managers of the Missions of the Diocese met as usual immediately after the adjournment of the Convention, and appointed the Executive Committee in accordance with the new canonical pro- vision. The time being too short to con- sider the whole matter of the assessments

for the Districts, it was referred to that Committee with power, and a meeting of the Committee was called for Friday, June 21st, at Calvary Parish House, Utica. At that time and place the Executive Committee came together and had a full and satisfactory meeting, the Bishop of the Diocese, the Archdeacon and the Deans of the several Districts all being present. After very careful consideration and full discussion, the following assess- ments and apportionments were made.

First Dist ..

Assess- ments. $1,700

Appropri- ations. $1,900

Second Dist.

3,100

2,365

Third Dist.

1,550.

1,063

Fourth Dist.

2,750.

2,100

Fifth Dist.

1,175

1,708

Sixth Dist.

1,225 2,114

Deaf Mute Mission

200

7-12 Archdeacon's salary and expenses . 1,050

$11,500

$12,500

ARCHDEACON'S REPORT TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS.

Having already given a somewhat de- tailed account of my work in the GOSPEL MESSENGER, it will be necessary for me to give but a summary of that work. My time during the eight and a half months since my appointment as Archdeacon, has been chiefly occupied in becoming ac- quainted with the missionary work of the Diocese, supplying vacancies in missionary parishes and stations, and presenting the cause of Diocesan Missions to a number of the self-supporting parishes. I have visited 87 of the 99 missionary parishes and stations, 26 of them twice, 6 three times, and 5 four times, and 26 of the self-supporting parishes. I.

have celebrated the Holy Communion 44 times in public, and once in private, held 145 public services, attended 11 meetings of Convocations, met vestries and commit- tees on 33 occasion's, conferences with other committees 21 times, and sundry other meetings 47 times, delivered 114 sermons and addresses.

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THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

The Board is to be congratulated upon the condition of the Treasury, which shows last year's indebtedness paid, and a balance in hand with which to begin the new year ; the sum of $975.53 more being raised this year than last.

By certain combinations which have been made, and which are in process of being made, quite a sum will be saved to the Board, but in no case has a combina- tion been made to the detriment of the work, or the reduction of any missionaries' salary, on the contrary, in every case where such combinations have been made, or are in contemplation, the missionary's stipend has been considerably increased.

. It may seem somewhat premature for me, so early in my work, to suggest any- thing differing from the established order of things, yet having studied the situation as a whole, I may, perhaps, be allowed to bring before your attention a few matters, calling for consideration :

1st. Our aim should be to provide for every missionary a living salary, even though his work has to be spread out over a larger field. Not taking into account several missionaries who are aged or infirm, and unable to do full work. We have-One receiving $950 and house; two, $950; one, $925 and house ; two, $900 and house ; one, $875; one, $825 and house; three, $800 and house; two, $800; six, $750 and house; two, $750; two, $700 and house ; four, $650 and house; two, $650; four $600 and house; three, $600; one, $550 and house; two, $500 and house; one, $500; two, $450 and house. In most cases the missionaries having to pay their own traveling expenses between one or more stations.

2nd. Every missionary receiving a stipend of over $200 for work in one parish or mission station should be re- quired to give part of his time to mission- ary work elsewhere, and the stipend should be so arranged that where a mission is, or can be attached to a larger parish desiring aid, the services in the smaller place can be assured with regularity.

3rd. Quite a number of missionary

parishes, able to pay only a small part of the missionary's salary, and others unable to maintain services without having a mission station, receiving a stipend, seem to claim the right to call their own Rector.

It should be the recognized principle of the Board not to give a missionary stipend to a parish not willing to accept the Bishop's appointment of the missionary.

4th. There should be a greater uni- formity in the assessments and appropria- tion's for Diocesan Missions.

5th. It should be required that all offerings for Diocesan Missions taken dur- ing the fiscal year, should be forwarded by the District Treasurers to the Diocesan Treasurer before the close of that year.

PAROCHIAL NOTES.

TRINITY CHURCH, ELMIRA .- The Rev. C. H. McKnight, Rector .. A notably long and worthy career in the service of the Church has been commemorated by the parishioners of Trinity Church, in honor of their late Rector, Rev. George H. McKnight, D.D., pastor of the parish for thirty-six years, by the dedication of a Memorial Altar on the Third Sunday after Trinity by the Rt. Rev. II. C. Potter, D.D .. of New York, June 16th. Several months ago notices were sent to the members of the congregation that opportunity was pres- ented for subscriptions to raise funds for some suitable memorial, and without further solicitation a large sum was pro- vided by voluntary subscription, and a committee appointed to take charge of the work. This memorial, a beautiful ex- ample of modern work in the combination of marble and mosaic, has just been placed in the east end of the historic editice. The altar is of the finest white Italian marble. the length being seven feet, standing on a pace about nine feet long. The Mensa proper has in it an inlaid cross in green marble, and is supported in front at the ends by two massive columns of white marble with carved capitals of the Lily motif in high relief. The panel in front of altar is of. Venetian Mosaic, the tickl being gold, with the Resurrection Lilies in

108

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

pure white, and leaves and stems of rich green. In the center of the field is a Cross with the Eternity circle, treated in red with a superimposed Chalice in silver, the whole producing a rich and beautiful effect in tone and color.

The retable is of the same material as the altar and bears in relief the Trisagion, and the Epistle end of the altar has on it a brass plate with inscription as follows :

"Erected by the congregation to the honor and glory of God, in loving memory of George Hamilton MeKnight, Doctor of Divinity, Rector of this Parish 36 years. 1869-1905."

ST. MARK'S CHURCH, CANDOR .- The Rev. E. C. Hoskins, Rector. A pair of beautiful brass candlesticks for the altar have been recently presented to this Church by the Rev. Arthur B. Rudd, of Elmira. One of them is given as a thank offering for spiritual blessings, and the other "in loving memory of a Christian father, Zebulun Rudd, 1824-1906."

PERSONALS.

The Rev. Charles F. Walker, whose acceptance of the call to Baldwinsville and Warners was announced in the June num- ber of the MESSENGER, has asked to be released from that acceptance, and this leaves the parish and mission still vacant.

The Rev. William Curtis White, of Lorain, Ohio, has been appointed to the parishes of Clark's Mills and Westmore- land, and will enter upon his duties the Sixth Sunday after Trinity.

The Rev. Frederick S. Eastman has accepted the call to the rectorship of St. John's Church, Auburn.

The Rev. Walter E. Jones has been placed in charge of Calvary Church, Syra- ense, and Emmanuel, East Syracuse.

The Rev. Roy Irving Murray will work with the Rev. F. C. Smith in the Associate Mission, which includes Boonville, Forest-

port, Port Leyden and Greig, to which, after August 1st, Constableville will be added.

The reports of the Convocations of the First and Third Districts, and of the Woman's Auxiliary of the Fourth and Fifth Districts. are held over until the August number for want of space.

HISTORY OF CALVARY CHURCH, HOMER, N. Y.

(Subject of Illustration.)

In the month of February, 1831, the Rev. Henry Gregory, at that time mision- ary at Moravia and Genoa, in Caynga County, visited Homer, and on Monday evening, February 14th, held divine service in the upper room of the "Old Academy."

There were at that time three or four families of Church people residing in Homer, and several families and individ- uals scattered through the surrounding country.

The interest shown in this service and in several others, which were held during the succeeding weeks, led the people to make an arrangement by which Mr. Gregory was to officiate regularly at Homer one- third of the time, beginning with the second Sunday in May and continuing one year. Soon after it was thought expedient to organize a congregation. Due notice, according to law, was given of an intention so to do on Sunday, May 29th, and on the following Lord's Day. On Monday, June 6th, the congregation assembled pursuant to the above notice; the Rev. Henry Gregory was appointed to preside, and Mr. John C. Marvin and Augustus Donnelly, Esq., were appointed to certify the pro- ceedings of the meeting. Mr. Daniel

Glover and Augustus Donnelly, Esq., were duly chosen wardens, and Messrs. Lyman Kendal, John C. Marvin, Asa Austin, Ammil Burs, Hiram Bliss, Joel Hibbard, Marsena Ballard and Albert F. Boland were elected vestrymen. The name of "The Rector, Churchwardens and vestry of Calvary Church in the town of Homer, Cortland County, N. Y., was fixed on as

109

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

that by which the congregation shall be known in law.

The above proceedings, duly certified, were acknowledged before Judge Dickson the same day, and recorded in the County Clerk's Office August 16th, 1831, and in the following October Calvary Church was received into union with the Convention at the annual meeting of that body.

On the 5th day of December, 1831, a meeting was held to consider the question of building a Church, and committees were appointed to ascertain what site could be obtained and the probable expense. Some time later the committee reported that a site had been secured, and in March, 1832, a subscription paper was circulated and funds were speedily subscribed to an amount that warranted the Vestry in tak- ing the necessary measures for the erection of a house of worship.

The work of building progressed rapidly, and on June 21st at 10 o'clock a. m., the corner stone was laid with the usual religious service in the presence of a large congregation, and an address was delivered by the officiating minister, the Rev. Henry Gregory. The first service was held in the new Church, entirely finished and furnished, on Advent Sunday, December 2, 1832. The Rev. Thomas Meachem being at that time in charge of the parish, locum tenens.

The first confirmation in the parish was held August 9th, 1831, before the Church building was erected, when the Rt. Rev. Benjamin T. Onderdonk made his first visitation, and conferred the rite on ten candidates.

For nearly two years after the founding of the parish the congregation were unable to secure a settled pastor, and services were maintained by different clergymen who could give them occasional visits.

On February 14, 1833, the Rev. Henry Gregory took charge of the parish as its first Rector, and began a ministry in Calvary Church, which extended over eight years-fruitful years of faithful service, the influence of which is felt even

at the present day. The records of succes- sion in the parish are far from complete, but from various sources we are able to give the following list of Rectors from the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Gregory at the close of the year 1840:

The Revs. 'E. B. Foote, D. Goodale, G. M. Skinner, Chas. E. Phelps, Reuben Hub- bard, Geo. L. Foote, H. V. Gardner, Pey- ton Gallagher, C. S. Percival.

The Rev. C. S. Percival resigned the rectorship of the parish at Easter, 1864, and the Church, which was greatly in need of repairs was closed.

In March, 1865, Lewis B. IIenry, Esq., removed from New York City to Homer. To Mr. Henry this Church owes a lasting debt of gratitude for his untiring Chirstian zeal in her behalf.

This Godly layman, when he arrived in Homer found the Church closed and unfit for use as a place of worship. He was filled with deep and prayerful concern for the house of God, and at once began exhort- ing the people to "remember Zion, and to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem." Having called the people together at the house of one of their number he held a lay service on March 10th, (Friday), and gave notice of regular services to be held on Wednes- day and Sunday evenings during the sum- mer. Twenty-four lay services were held by this lay worker from May 10th to Aug- ust 13th, 1865. Mr. Henry interested friends in New York City, and from them obtained in money and other gifts the sum of more than $450.00, which was used to clean, repair and refurnish the Church. and on Sunday evening, August 13th, he held service in the building which had been closed for more than a year.

In September, 1865, an arrangement was made with the Rev. Geo. S. Teller, Rector of Grace Church, Cortland, by which he was to administer Holy Commun- ion from time to time, and also hold services on Thursday evenings during Lent and on Good Friday.

(To be continued. )

110

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER. TREASURER'S REPORT. The Treasurer acknowledges the receipt of the following sums during the month of May 1907, viz:

Diocesan Missions.

Diocesan

Expense

Fund.

Domestic

Missions.

Foreign

Missions.

General

Missions.

Deaf Mute

Missions.

Christmas

Fund.

General Clergy

Relief Fund.

Church

Building Fund.

Ministerial

Education

Colored

Missions.

Relief Fund of

the Diocese

Adams,

$ $

Afton,

2.44

Alexandria Bay,

2.11

Altmar,

Antwerp,

10.00

Auburn, St. John's,

St. Peter's,

30.00

Augusta,

1.00

Aurora,

Bainbridge,

Baldwinsville,

Big Flats,

Binghamt'n,ChristCh.

Good Shepherd

Trinity .

Boonville,

Bridgewater,

Brookfield,

Brownville,

Camden,

Canastota,

Candor,

Cape Vincent, 14.58

Carthage,

Cayuga,

13.54

Cazenovia,

14.14

Champion,

Chenango Forks,

1.37

Chittenango,

7.50

Chadwicks,

Clark's Mills,

Clayton,

18.78

Clayville

Cleveland,

Clinton,

Constableville,

Copenhagen,

8.95

Cortland, 9.50

Deerfield,

5.25

Dey's Landing,

Dryden,

Durhamville,

. Earlville,

East Onondaga,

Ellisburg,

.10

Elmira, Emmanuel,

5.00

Grace,

10.00

Trinity,

43.62

Evan's Mills,

5.30

Fayetteville,

Forestport,

Frederick's Corners,

Fulton,

Glen Park,

Great Bend,

Greene,

15.00

Greig,

Guilford,

13.27

Hamilton,

1.46

Harpursville,

4.50

Hayt's Corners,

.50

. .

...

. .

Dexter,

2.92

Fund.

111

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

Diocesan Missions.

Diocesan

Expense

Fund.

Domestic

Missions:

Foreign

Missions.

General

Missions.

Deaf Mute

Missions.

Christmas

General Clergy

Relief Fund.

Church

Building Fund.

Ministerial

Education

Colored

Missions.

Reliet Fund of

the Diocees

Holland Patent,. $

Homer,

8.52

Horseheads,

Ithaca,

19.85

Jamesville,

Jordan,

Kiddders Ferry,

Kings Ferry Lacona,

LaFargeville, 1.43

Lowville,

20.00

Manlius,

Marcellus,

McDonough,

2.00

McLean,

Memphis,

Mexico,

Millport,

Moravia,

Mount Upton,

New Berlin,

New Hartford, 2.86

New York Mills,

Northville,

Norwich,

Oneida,

8.65

Onondaga Castle, Oriskany,

Driskany Falls, .50

Dswego, Christ Ch .. " Evangelists,

Dwego,

Oxford,

13.55

Paris Hill. 2.34

Phoenix

Pierrepont Manor,

Port Byron, Port Leyden,

Pulaski,

Redfield,

Redwood, 1.80

91.78

Rome, Zion, « St. Joseph's,

Romulus,

Sackett's Harbor,

Seneca Falls,

Sherburne,

Skaneateles,

18.12

laterville,

Smithboro,

Speedsville,

pencer,

63.48

Syracuse, All Saints, Calvary,

Ch. of Saviour, Grace, St. John's,

2.26

St. Luke's, St. Mark's, St. Paul's,

41.13

St. Philips, Trinity, E. Emmanuel,

11.11

Theresa, renton,

10.82 6.93

... .. . ....

...

Fund.

46.75

.10

112

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

Diocesan Missions.

Diocesan

Expense

Fund.

Domestic

Missions.

Foreign

Missions.

General

Missions.

Deaf Mute

Missions. ,

Christmas

Fund.

General Clergy

Relief Fund.

Church

Building Fund.

Ministerial

Education

Fund.

Colored

Missions.

Relief Fund of

the Diocese

Trumansburg, $. $10.15 $ $

Union Springs,

1.11

Utica, Calvary, 13.05

Grace,

Holy Cross,

9.44

St. Andrew's, 3.50

St. George's,

38.52

St. Luke's,

2.00

Trinity,

8.84

Van Etten,

Warner,

Waterloo,

Watertown, Trinity, 158.12

St. Paul's, . 240.96

Redeemer, 25.12

Waterville,

Waverly,

Weedsport,

Wellsburg,

Westmoreland, 2.00

Whitesboro,

Whitney's Point,

Willard. 4.00

Willowdale,

1.56

Windsor,

Convocation, 1st Dist.

2d Dist.

3d Dist.

4th Dist.

5th Dist. 4.55

6th Dist.

RECAPITULATION.

Diocesan Missions

$884 79

Diocesan Expense Fund 210 89

Domestic Misions

41 13

General Clergy Relief Fund 2 92

Miscellaneous.

General Mission:

St. Mark's, Syracuse, S. S.

Lenten

$105 00

General Clergy Relief: Little Helpers, C. N. Y., ... 25 00

C. N. Y. Bible and Prayer Book Society : St. ohn's, Auburn, 2 15

$1,271 88

FRANK L. LYMAN, Treasurer, 108 Pearl St., Syracuse.

The Gospel messenger.

DIOCESE OF C

DIOCESE OF CENTRAL NEW YORK

VOL. XXXIII. NO. 8. UTICA, NEW YORK, AUGUST, 1907. WHOLE NO. 378. Eutered as second class matter June 1, 1905, at the Post Office at Utica, N. Y., under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.

TRINITY CHURCH, LOWVILLE, N. Y.

114

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

Trust AND

Utica Deposit Co., UTICA, N. Y.

ASSETS OVER FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. This Company Acts as Executor, Administrator, Trustee, Guardian. Interest allowed on deposits.

JAMES S SHERMAN, President. J. FRANCIS DAY, Secretary.

WHERE TO BUY

BIBLES, PRAYER BOOKS AND HYMNALS.

No family should be without a copy of "Hutchins' Church Hymnal" with Music. BOOKS AND STATIONERY, GRANT'S BOOK STORE, 145 Genesee Street, Utica, N. Y.

F. A. CASSIDY CO., U NDERTAKERS

41 Genesee Street, Utica, N. Y.

CHURCH FURNITURE and SUPPLIES

Ecclesiastical Carvings AMERICAN SEATING COMPANY 90 WABASH AVE, CHICAGO. SHOPS MANITOWOC, WIS.

C. E. Morey,

Church Organ Builder,

5 Niagara Street,

Utica, N. y.

Take Bleecker Street Cars.

CYMRIC PRINTING COMPANY, Printers and Publishers.

Publication Office of "The Gospel Messenger" and other Magazines.

31-37 CATHARINE STREET, UTICA, N. Y.

Wicks & Greenman, APPAREL SHOP,

56 and 57 Franklin Square, Utica, N. Y.

Sole Distributers of Rogers, Peet & Company Clothing.

"THINGS CLERICAL" in CLOTHING and FURNISHINGS.

Church Changes Decorations or Enlargement.

We estimate on or prepare desigus for such work in any part of the country. Correspondence solicited as Specialists in Church Art.

J &R LÄMB

23-25-27 Smith Avcuue, New York, N. Y.

THE GOSPEL MESSENGER.

VOL. XXXIII. NO. 8. UTICA, N. Y., AUGUST, 1907.

WHOLE NO. 378.

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The gospel messenger, Diocese of Central New York, Part 46

Author: Publication date: 1905-1908 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : Diocese of Central New York Number of Pages: 708

Author:
Publication date: 1905-1908
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : Diocese of Central New York
Number of Pages: 708