The gospel messenger, Diocese of Central New York, Part 67

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

USA > New York > The gospel messenger, Diocese of Central New York > Part 67

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A resolution to change Article I of the Constitution was favorably acted upon and laid over until next year for final action. The change authorizes the Bishop of the Diocese to call the Convention to meet on any Tuesday in May as he shall seleet ; tho present time for the meeting being the first Tuesday in June.

Among the important changes in the Canons was that of the Missionary Canon Y changing the number of Convocations from six to five. By the new arrangement the Sixth District ceases to exist-the

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Counties of Chemung and Tioga being added to the Third, and Tompkins to the Fifth. Canon VIII was also amended so as to provide for the payment, by the Con- vention, of the travelling expenses of the Clergy attending the same.

The report of St. John's School, of which Colonel Verbeck completes his twentieth year as headmaster this year, showed an appraised value of $66,550, with 220 scholars in attendance.

The Committee on Clerical Sup- port reported that of the 46 mis- sionaries engaged 35 receive annually less than $800.00 and a house, and recommended that no married priest, physically able to do full duty, should receive less than $900 and a house, the salaries to be brought up to this standard by rearrangement of the missionary stations and increased aid, so far as practicable, from the diocesan board. Some self-supporting parishes do not pay the equivalents of the amount suggested, and these were carnestly asked to consider the possibility o an increase. The report was adopted. The Convention instructed its Secretary to telegraph to Governor Hughes its approval of his course in trying to rid the State of race-track gambling. The issue, it declared, was a plain one of right and wrong, and the Governor was to be congratulated on the fight he was making.

THE BISHOP'S ADDRESS.

Dear Brethren of the Clergy and of the Laity:

Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ !

During the past year we have lost by death from among the Clergy of the Diocese the Rev. John Muir, M.D., the Rev. Joshua L. Burrows, Ph. D., the Rev. John Scott, and the Rev. John J. Andrew. Of the faithful laity we have lost Mrs. Van Brunt and Miss Starbuck, of Water- town; Mrs. Standin, Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Chamberlain, Miss Buell and Mr. W. G. Doolittle, of Utica; Mr. Gale, Mr. Wells and Mr. Shaw of Binghamton; Mr.

Beecher and Miss Colwell, of Syracuse Mrs. McKim, Mr. Mott and Mr. Jewell, o Oneida; Mr. Bostwick, of Ithaca; Mis Hill, of McLean; and Miss Pease, o Pierrepont Manor. Four of our Bishop also have departed this life since th General Convention in October, viz .: Th Bishops of Nebraska, Delaware, Washing ton, and South Carolina. Let us pra that, when He calls, we with them ma enter into the eternal peace of God.

My official acts since the last Conventio have been as follows: Baptized thre infants. Confirmed 1,134 persons, an received nine, making a total of 1,143 several parishes, moreover, are to be visite this month, which I could not convenientl bring in earlier, and the record of thei confirmations should belong to this year I have solemnized two marriages, an officiated at seven funerals. One person Mr. Wmn. Sutherland Stevens, has bee ordered Deacon, and three Deacons hav been advanced to the Priesthood, the Rey Messrs. Franklin L. Metcalf, Walter I Jones and Roy Irving Murray. The lat date of Trinity Sunday this year has pos poned four or five other Ordinations unt after this Convention. Nine men hav been received as Postulants for Hol Orders, Messrs. Francis H. Smith, Alber E. Phillips, Arthur H. Soper, Wilbur ( Rogers, Lewis E. Ward. Harry Beal, Ger A. Perry, Jr., L. A. Davison and Jess S. Wicks; Mr. Davison having been tran ferred from the Diocese of Los Angele Two Postulants have withdrawn, Messr Frank O. Hokerk and Earl Leslie Lord Messrs. W. Frank Allen, L. A. Daviso and Jesse S. Wicks have been admitted & Candidates.

Letters dimissory have been given 1 the Rev. A. A. Jaynes, to the Diocese ( Newark; the Rev. Harold E. Ford, 1 Massachusets ; the Rev. J. Sanders Reed D.D., to Pennsylvania; the Rev. J. Ot Ward, to New York; the Rev. J. F Stirling, to Winchester, England; and th Rev. W. G. Bentley, to Newark.

The following Clergymen have bee received into the Diocese, viz. : The Re

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ames Empringham, from Ottawa, Canada ; the Rev. Frederick S. Eastman, rom Albany; the Rev. William Curtis Vhite, from Ohio; the Rev. James C. [unson from Duluth; the Rev. H. D. 6. MacNeil, from Vermont; the Rev. Chester M. Smith from Easton; and the lev. Frederick Welham from Western Tichigan. I have licensed to officiate the Rev. Arthur P. Kelley, at St. John's chool, Manlius ; the Rev. T. A. Stevenson, t Dryden and other Missions in Tompkins ounty ; and the Rev. John H. Wilson at. thaca.

It will thus be seen, dear brethren, that he somewhat sombre character of our last ear's report has been changed, as we nticipated it would be, and that with the lessing of God, we are able to give a more ncouraging account of ourselves. The umber of incoming Clergy exceeds that f those who went away; for, though four ave died who were canonically connected ith the Diocese, only one of them was ngaged in active work. The shifting bout of several of the Clergy, from one arish to another within the Diocese, has een generally very happy in its results, hile the accessions from without have as rule proved so acceptable, that, in spite f the financial stringency of the past year, e can truly say that our work is in a very atisfactory condition. The number of onfirmations has come up again to at ast the usual average; the shepherding f all the smaller flocks has been fairly ell sustained, with the help of our faith- il Lay Readers; the stipends of the Mis- onaries have been in a measure increased, nd when our Commission on that subject all have gotten their report before the onvention, and a well-digested plan for a eneral increase shall have been put into peration, I am quite confident that the Diocese will be seen to be in good working rder.

There are one or two points, however, hich seem to me to call for action by this ody. We have in this Diocese several arishes organized many years ago under he old law with two Wardens and eight r ten Vestrymen, which have so dimin-

MESSENGER.

ished in strength that it is no longer pos- sible to get men to fill those offices, and nobody is left to hold the property, or to give title if it be sold, or to take title if new property is to be acquired. In one case there has been no election of a Vestry in over thirty years, and there are not enough men to make a Vestry under the old law, nor to vote for a change to the new law; and when it became necessary recently to acquire property for a Rectory, we were compelled to have a woman act in her personal capacity and hold it until other arrangements could be made. Will not the Convention appoint a Committee to look into this matter and to see what can be done to extricate us from this perplexing situation ?

Another matter is the re-arrangement of the Districts in the south-western part of the Diocese. Every one familiar with the work in the 5th and 6th Districts is aware of their comparative feebleness both in numbers and in financial ability, and that there has been talk for several years of remedying this difficulty in some way. While the 2nd and 4th Districts have from 25 to 30 Clergy each, and the 1st and 3rd about 14 or 15 each, the 5th and 6th have only eight or nine each ; and unless every member is present at Convocation, it be- comes a very small body and makes little impression upon the community. The pro- position to unite the two has not been alto- gether favorably received, because of the inconvenient means of communication ; but it is thought that by a division of the 6th District, and adding part to the 3rd and part to the 5th, a great improvement might be made, thus reducing the number of Districts to five. I commend the con- sideration of this subject to the Conven- tion, with the reminder that this is the year for the appointment of Deans, and a good time for such a change if it is to be made.

We are happy to be able to say that Central New York remains, as it usually has been, a peaceful household within itself. The controversy, or, as some have called it, the "panic," which has caused so much excitement in certain parts of the

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Church since the General Convention, concerning Canon 19, has not disturbed us at all.

The few cases in which I have been asked to license speakers "who are not Ministers of this Church," have been dealt with strictly in accordance with the letter, as well as with what I believe to be the spirit, of the law, and my decision has been accepted without complaint. Once or twice the license was asked for the regular services of the Church, and I refused to give it. Two or three requests have been made for "special occasions," and I have consented to the making of "addresses" on those occasions by men who had not received episcopal ordination. And it does seem to me that if people would be willing to accept the plain meaning of those terms -the meaning which they ordinarily bear, the meaning which was manifestly intended by the House of Bishops when it amended the amendment of the House of Deputies and then adopted it-there need be no trouble about the matter; for under those condition's no principle of the Church would be infringed. But unfortunately there are certain minds which seem to find it impossible to do that. It is said that "a coach and four can be driven through" almost any law, and hence it would probably have been better not to have attempted to amend the Canon at all, because it has produced nothing but dis- cord in our own ranks, and is not likely to have any other effect as between ourselves and other Christian bodies.

There is nothing that I more seriously deplore in connection with our holy relig- ion than the disunity of Christians. It is the fruitful source of weakness and of manifold evils. The Bampton Lecturer of 1907 has called our attention to "the Reproach of the Gospel" in its failure to secure the application of Christian prin- ciples to the several departments of com- merce, politics, and social relations; but underneath all these is the still more fundamental and contributory failure to live and work together in unity of spirit and in the bond of peace. The flagrant contradiction of our Lord's will and of

MESSENGER.

His most solemn prayer for His disciples, that they all might be one as He and the Father are One, is a perpetual evidence that in the divisions of Christians the Evil has for the time being triumphed over the Good. It is the victory of human pride-the pride of corporate tyr- any on one side, and the pride of individ- ual self-will on the other, and the only wonder is that the Good Lord has so over ruled the effects of this victory during the ages of division, that much good work has been done under circumstances so adverse. The constant hope and prayer of the Church is that in some way He will, by the mighty power of His Holy Spirit, Who is "the God that maketh men to be of one mind in an house," bring back the unity which He so much desires. But it is mani- fest to thinking men, familiar with the history of the Church, that such unity can be maintained only on the original founda- tion of "the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship." It can never rest securely on the shifting uncertainties of indi- vidualism. The Church of Christ is an historical institution, which has its roots in the ages preceding its organization, and grows according to the law of all living organisms ; its past is as important in the general view as are its present and its future, and these are all as closely con- nected as are the heredity, the infancy, the childhood and the manhood of each and every man. The unity that is desired among the living members of the Church in any age must depend upon their unity with the previous stages of its growth, just as the life of a man is a unit from begin- ning to end. A man is not one kind of creature in infancy, another in youth, and another in mature years ; he is one person- ality, one species, in every period, though he may vary greatly in appearance and in size; and if the Church be, as St. Paul says it is, "One Body," instinct with the life of "One Spirit," surely it is un. scientific and unphilosophical to suppose that it can be otherwise with it. Its well being must be dependent on the observance of the law of its being; and no seeming present advantage can be beneficial which

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sought through the disregard of that w.

Now, as you all know very well, this is le principle on which the Protestant Epis- pal Church in the United States has ken its stand from the beginning of its istory as an independent national organ- ation, having derived it from the Church England, out of which it sprang. Every rominent act that contributed to its estab+ shment in this land speaks with the same bice: "The Church of Christ is a visible, storical institution, coming down to us .. rough the ages from Christ . and His postles." This is the story told by those en of colonial times who risked their ves in crossing the stormy Atlantic in iling vessels to be ordained in England ; hether they returned safely to minister these colonies, or lost their lives, as any did, in the attempt, they went just e same. This is the story told by White, hd Madison, and Provoost, as well as by eabury who was compelled to wait a year more in the British Isles in his deter- ined effort to obtain the same commis- on. Whatever differences there might have been in the Churchmanship of these en, they all proclaimed their adhesion to e same conviction, that "it is evident hto all men diligently reading Holy, cripture and ancient authors, that from e Apostles' time there have been these rders of Ministers in Christ's Church, ishops, Priests and Deacons, and that no jan might presume to execute any of these fices except he were first admitted thereto lawful authority." Whatever shades opinion, I say, these men might have nad as to the necessity of such Ordination the being, or to the well-being of the hurch, they all agreed that its well-being as the thing that they desired, and that fey were willing to take their lives in feir hands in order to secure it. In fact, tat is the fundamental reason for the distence of this Church as a body separate fom other Christian bodie's on the Pro-

istant side. There are other things, of curse, that we stand for, but this is the sential thing that gives character to the viding line. And now this controversy

which has been forced upon us by the amendment to Canon 19 and its illogical interpretation, brings us face to face with the question : Have we made a mistake in the principle for which we have main- tained our separate existence, and shall we give it up ? If the principle be not correct, surely we are schismatics of the worst sort ; because we should then be one of the smaller Christian bodies standing apart for a thing that is not essential, keeping up the disunited state of Christendom for an unnecessary form, and the sooner we abandon it the better. But if the principle be scriptural, if it be historical, if it be true to the best philosophy, and essential to the ultimately highest interests of the Christian Church, then are we not schis- matical, not bigoted, not narrow-minded in maintaining it under every difficulty. And that, I am perfectly sure, is the pur- pose of the overwhelming majority of the men and women of this Church to-day, and it was not the purpose of those who amended the 19th Canon to contradict that principle in the slightest degree. But at the same time, it is wise to observe the signs of the times, the movements of thought and the currents of popular feel- ing, and when they set in the right direc- tion, to be ready to co-operate with them, if it may be done legitimately and wisely. And no one can fail to see that there is such a movement towards union among the various Christian bodies to-day. Except in such a rare instance as the "Confessions" of a certain individual published recently in one of our magazines, one does not hear now-a-days of the great advantage of the divisions of Christians, but the almost universal ery is, 'let us

get together-let us federate." And

though the tendency has scarcely gotten beyond the desire for federation-which means keeping up separate establishments while endeavoring to make them harmon- ious-vet that tendency is certainly in the right direction ; and we have already heard a voice from Connecticut which speaks of something better than federation, and seems to tell of a vision of unity rather than of mere union. Such a tendency

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towards a thing that is good, towards a result for which the Church is constantly praying, must be inspired by the Holy Spirit; and it should be ours to promote it in every way consistent with the prin- ciples for which we stand. It does not become us to stand off in spiritual pride, ignoring or despising the Christian charac- ter of our brethren of other names, or denying the acceptableness of their labors and their good works for Christ's sake; and we shall do well to encourage, so far as we can conscientiously, every effort to break down the feelings of antagonism and of bitterness which prevent the ap- proach to godly union and concord. In my opinion this was the purpose of those who sought the amendment of the Canon, and if its words be properly interpreted, it may accomplish something in that direc- tion. But if those within the Church, who do not believe in its own principles, whether they be Bishops or any others, shall persist in giving to the amended Canon a meaning which it will not legiti- mately bear, and so produce discord among ourselves, then, it seems to me, it were better to put the Canon back as it was before.

There were other things connected with the Convention in Richmond to which I should like to call your attention, but must content myself with saying this, that it marked the highest tide of missionary enthusiasm which has ever risen in this Church. It completely cast aside the old theory that the Convention is merely a Canon-tinkering assembly, and rose up to a consciousness of its duty and its oppor- tunity in promoting the extension of the Kingdom of God. No man who was there, were he Bishop, Priest, or Layman, could have gone back home possessed any longer with the idea that his own Diocese, or his own parish, marked the limit of his sym- pathies, his interests, his benefactions, or his prayers. The old swaddling clothes of parochialism and diocesanism wero burst asunder and cast aside, and every one gained a larger conception of the love of God as manifested in His Son Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. Let us

thank God and take courage, for by His grace we shall yet come to an understand ing of what Christianity really means.

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PAROCHIAL NOTES.

EMMANUEL CHURCH, ELMIRA .- The Rev. N. S. Boardman, Rector. The new Church erected by this parish was conse crated by the Bishop of the Diocese, or Monday, June 15th, in the presence of : large congregation, the following Clergy also being present : The Rev. Messrs. Chas HI. McKnight, Arthur B. Rudd, A. R. B Hegeman, C. T. Raynor, John C. Dear and the Rector of the parish.

The building is of Gothic design, anc built of concrete blocks. It is 45 by 80 feet, and has a seating capacity of nearly 300. The interior is finished in oak Three memorial windows have been placed in position, and several others are to follow later. The chancel window, representing .the Messiah, was given as a memorial for the late Mrs. Mary Hill; and a large win dow, representing the Madonna and Child was presented by St. Martha's Guild. The quartered oak altar and chancel rail ard gifts of Mrs. Bruce. The candlesticks were given by the boys of the congregation and the brass lecturn by a friend of the parish, and the pipe organ by Grace Church, Elmira. The new edifice wa. erected and furnished at a cost of $11,000 Mrs. Charles E. Bruce, of Elmira, giving $6,000 of that sum. The parish property including parish house, is now valued a $17,000, and the Rev. N. S. Boardman and his people are to be congratulated upor the completion of their house of worship the result of years of self-sacrifice and labor.

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, AUBURN .- The Rev. Frederick Eastman, Rector. Th fortieth anniversary of this parish was held on Whitsunday, June 7th, the Holy Com munion being celebrated at 8:00 and 10:30; at the latter service a beautiful memorial window was unveiled.

The parish was organized under the

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Rev. John Brainard, D.D., the present Rector of St. Peter's Church in that city.

The subscriptions to the proposed new Church at Phoenix, now stand as follows : Mrs. Cornelia Dean, Phoenix, .. $427 00 Church Offering, Phoenix, . 73 00 Special Easter Offering, Phoenix, 121 00 Mrs. Frank Breed, Phoenix, ... 50 00

A Phoenix Parishioner, .. . 100 00

Parish Aid Society, Phoenix ... 56 15 Mr. Donnelly, Phoenix, 1 00

A Friend

5 00

Mr. Dutton Smith, Phoenix 1 00

Calvary Church, Syracuse, 10 00

Total $844 15

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DIOCESAN ITEMS.

The Bishop of the Diocese held an Ordination at Trinity Church, Elmira, on Trinity Sunday, June 14th, when Mr. Jonh Clark Dean, Mr. Oliver Kingman und Mr. Albert Broadhurst, were ordered Deacons. The Bishop preached the ser- non, the Rev. E. A. Evans, of New York, presenting Mr. Kingman, and the Rev. Chas. II. McKnight, Messrs. Dean and Broadhurst.

Mr. Broadhurst and Mr. Kingman will ake up work in the Diocese, and Mr. Dean goes to the Chinese Mission Field, District of Hankow. The Rev. L. E. Daniels, of Toledo, Ohio, was also present and read he epistle.

An Ordination to the Priesthood was held at Grace Church, Utica, St. John Baptist's day, June 24th, when the Rev. William Sutherland Stevens was advanced o that office. The Bishop also preached he sermon at this service, the candidate being presented by the Rev. H. E. Hub- ard; the following Clergy were present, he Priests joining in the laying of hands : The Rev. W. W. Bellinger, D.D., Rector of he Parish, Archdeacon Cooke, J. R. Hard- ng, D.D., E. H. Coley, J. W. Clarke, F. O. Smith, A. L. Byron-Curtiss, Jesse Hig- gins, Chester M. Smith, H. W. Foreman,

William R. McKim and George C. Wads- worth.

Mr. Steven's has been assigned to work at Moravia and Groton.

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SYRACUSE ITEMS.

Christ Church Rectory, Clayton, N. Y., June 22, 1908.

My Dear Bishop:

As you may know, we are in the midst of extensive repairs upon St. Paul's Church, LaFargeville. I think you will remember the very inconvenient vesting room, less than five feet wide and about ten feet long, in which a choir of from ten to sixteen members have to find room to vest ! To better these conditions, and to provide a place for the bell, unsafe in its present position upon the peak of the Church a tower is being built, the second floor of which will be used as the choir room. The old partition will be taken down, and the chancel accordingly widened and re-arranged. The interior of the Church will be refinished throughout, and electric lights will replace the old lamps with their primitive and unseemly counter- poises. The exterior of the Church will also be newly painted. For these improve- ments we have on hand in cash and pledges about $800, wholly secured within tho parish, which will cover the entire cost. If we can obtain $250 additional, a furnace with necessary chimney can be added which will permit the removal of the two stoves with their unsightly piping, and give room for additional pews, which we really need at times. On Easter Day several stood through the service and others left for lack of seats, an occurence that is not usual in a country mission, as far as my experience goes. I am exceedingly anxious that a furnace should be put in while the Church is more or less torn up, but we have about reached the end of our resources. If you think the circumstances justify an apeal for outside aid. I would be glad if you would print so much of this letter as may seem pertinent in the GOSPEL MESSENGER with such words of commenda- tion as it may deserve.

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And I would also like to ask through the columns of the MESSENGER if there is not some Church that has six or more dis- used pews which they would give us to be made into choir stalls.

Faithfully yours, THEODORE HAYDN,

Rector of Christ Church, Clayton, and St. Paul's, LaFargeville.

The Syracuse Home Mission Society, organized last year for mission work among the homes in Syracuse, has started on an active campaign. At the annual meeting the following were elected directors for the coming year: Dr. Frederick Hooker, President ; Joseph H. Osborne, Vice Presi- dent ; the Rev. Ivan M. Merlinjones, D.D., Secretary; George Hunt, Treasurer; C. L. Behm, James L. Forsythe and Dr. Lorenzo T. Hamilton, who will also form the execu- tive committee. At a meeting of the direc- tors held the 9th of June, Mr. Chas. W. Arthur was engaged as missioner of the society. Mr. Arthur took up his work at once and has succeeded in bringing several children to Sunday School and some of the older people to Church.

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The gospel messenger, Diocese of Central New York, Part 67

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