A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 65

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3dly. I must call your attention to that part of the re- port which relates to the ability of Western Virginia to sup- port a Bishop. It affirms that there is not only full ability to do this, but also to support more missionaries than it now has, if all help from Eastern Virginia were withdrawn, and that the loss of such help would be a gain. It says, "the inquiries made have been sufficient to satisfy of the entire ability of the region of country indicated to adequately sup- port a Bishop." Again, "entirely satisfy us that we can sup- port a Bishop with comfort and competency." Again, "we doubt not that we shall be sustained in this our judgment by the almost unanimous suffrage of the clergy and laity of the district concerned." The committee, however, say, "they will not weary with the details of inquiries and calculations," but only that the results are sufficient to satisfy them of this ability. Now, it is of the utmost importance, in all mat- ters where pecuniary means are required in order to effect an object, not only to make accurate estimates based on solid facts, but that those who are called on to embark in them should be furnished with these estimates. The Scripture ad- monishes us when entering on any great work to count the cost, lest having entered we be unable to accomplish it. Such estimate of cost and ability can only be properly made by ref- erence to well established facts in the history of past and similar undertakings. The committee only affirm that there are, as far as they have been able to ascertain, 500 communi- cants in Western Virginia registered, and doubt not but

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there are many others scattered through it. "That among these communicants there are numbers who would contrib- ute largely and liberally to the support of a Bishop; if he would for a year or two take charge of a small parish which can be provided, the rapid growth of the church would in a few years place the matter beyond contingency." Now let it be remembered that there are only three self-supporting congregations in Western Virginia, the two in Wheeling, and the one in Charleston. What these three are able and willing to give, over and above the comfortable support of their ministers, they and their ministers best know. As to all the others, it is well known that the ministers who serve them, and have served them for years, even from the first, have been supported in part by the missionary society, with- out whose aid they could not have labored where they are. The rule of the missionary society is to contribute only so much as to make with the aid of the congregation the sal- ary of a married man $500, of an unmarried man $400. Be- fore, however, anything is allowed, the missionary commit- tee must receive a conscientious statement from the vestry, or other persons, of what the congregations aided will give, and that they are unable to give more. Now, after such a declaration, where are to be found those many communi- cants, who will give largely and liberally to the support of a Bishop, and whence will come the means of supporting so many more missionaries when all help from the east is cut off? It is believed that the seven ministers in Western Virginia do not receive more than $4,000 in all, the aid of the missionary society included, and that they are often much embarrassed in consequence of their slender support. How van their congregations feel at liberty to send liberal con- tributions to their Bishop for one visit per annum, or even two, when their ministers who are serving them continual- ly are in want of support, and perhaps about to leave them on that account? A minister having a family dependent on him for support will consider well before he accepts the Episcopal office in such a region relying on such calculations.

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But it is said that the rapid increase of all the congrega- tions in Western Virginia, and the establishment of new ones, will soon place the support of a Bishop beyond con- tingeney. Having travelled through Western Virginia re- peatedly for the last 35 years, and visited it eight times as Bishop within the last 22 years, I think I can form a judg- ment on this point which ought not to be despised. I had chiefly at my disposal more than thirty years ago about $500, raised in the Valley for the benefit of Western Vir- ginia. Some of it was expended in the county of Hampshire, all the rest on several ministers who explored Western Vir- ginia, and on one or two who settled in it for a time. I have had something to do with the appointment and support of those who for the last twenty years have been laboring in Western Virginia as missionaries. They have labored with more or less of frequency and regularity at Morgan- town, Smithtown, Clarksburg, Weston, Buckhannon. Coals- mouth, and places lower down on the Kanawha; also at Mer- cer's Bottom, Point Pleasant, Ravenswood, Parkersburg, Wellsburg, and St. John's on the Ohio, and a few other places more recently. As some of these ministers have la- bored for many years successively, some of these ministers have been far above the average as to talents, zeal, and qual- ifications for usefulness, and taken together have been on an average as good as those likely to be gotten in future. And, now, I ask our friends in all the places above mention- ed who shall read the report here commented on, shall look back on the past, consider the present, and look forward to the future, whether, if ministers, and good ones too, could be gotten for all these places, or for the half of them, they could be supported; and whether there is a sure prospect of raising up such congregations that in a few years they would be able not only to sustain their own ministers by their un- aided contributions, but even place the comfortable support of a bishop "beyond a contingency." I leave it to them to say what prospect there is for such an increase of either villages, towns, or neighborhoods as to justify such an ex-

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pectation of raising up self-supporting Episcopal congrega- tions. Let me only refer to two or three of these places. Charlestown and Coalsmouth have for more than twenty years enjoyed the services of such men as Page, Goodwin, Martin, Craik, Ward, Whittle, Nash and Brown. The congre- gation at Charlestown even aided by that of the Salines, finds it difficult, if I mistake not, to satisfy the reasonable demands of a minister with a family. It is far from being a large one. At Coalsmouth, where the Rev. Mr. Nash has been faithfully laboring for many years, and where so many faith- ful ones had gone before him, $200 are required from the mis- sionary society in order to a salary of $500; and to obtain this he also officiates at several other places besides Coals- mouth, which contribute something. Mercer's Bottom and Point Pleasant had for a number of years a minister, who besides all that he received from them was aided by the missionary society to a considerable amount in order to make it $400, and yet the congregations were and are still small. Wellsburg and St. John's, also, above Wheeling, have had the services of ministers, either partly or wholly devoted to them for at least fifteen years, I think, perhaps more. They have received the aid of the missionary society to the amount of from one to two hundred dollars per annum, and they still need it as much as ever, not yet having grown into self- supporting congregations, nor likely so to do. Even Park- ersburg with its vicinity still requires aid from the mission- ary fund. These are the oldest, except that at Wheeling, of the congregations in Western Virginia, and have had much ministerial service. As to the probability of the younger and smaller ones mentioned in the report becoming independent in a short time, let it be judged of by the fact that a number of them, at least 10, have only from one to seven communicants, not amounting to 50 in all.

4th. The report urges as a reason in favor of a separate Bishop and Diocese, that it would be a means of attracting ministers to it to supply the destitute places and effect all the good hoped for. Let me caution you against a snare

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which this might prove to be. Bishops in their anxiety to fill up their dioceses with ministers may do what they and their people will repent of. The Apostle Paul warned one of the first Bishops whom he ordained, to lay hands sud- denly on no man; a warning most needful to all Bishops. whether as to ordinating ministers, or encouraging them to come into their dioceses. There is in our own, and every other denomination of christians in this land and every land, a floating population of ministers which may be had, such as they are. There are hundreds in our church who have mistaken their calling. I could have filled all the vacant pleces in Virginia with such, and with applicants from the ministries of other denominations, who were entirely un- suitable to us; but my own heart would have condemned me, and the people to whom they were sent still more. There are, I doubt not, those who would be attracted to a new small diocese in the hope of becoming somewhat greater than they were before; having a place in a standing committee, per- haps, or even a seat in the general convention. Such, I trust, you do not wish. The Bishops all over our land are too much in want of good and true men to let any such go from them, if they can possibly prevent it. I well know the general want of such, from the efforts continually making to draw them away from Virginia. While there are some lazy, and worthless, or incompetent ones all over the land, the number of all kinds, good and bad, has been decreasing for some years past, in proportion to our rapidly increasing population. Instead of finding fault with Bishops, as is too often the case in all the dioceses, for not supplying more ministers, the people should ask themselves whether they have done their part, by praying the Lord of the harvest to send forth ministers into the harvest, especially, and to call their own children to the work. I earnestly press this duty on the brethren and friends of Western Virginia. During the forty years since we have been resuscitating the church in Virginia, only one from that side of the mountain has given himself to the work, and his early youth was spent

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in the eastern portion of the State. Almost all the minis- ters you have had, have come either from Eastern Virginia, or through the seminary thereof. If you cut yourselves off from these sources, where will you go for a supply? In proof of what I say as to the scarcity of ministers, I might fill a volume with the complaints of our Bishops and of the min- isters of all denominations. Let the following, from Bishop Hopkins, of Vermont, taken out of his last report to his convention, suffice. After complaining of his vacancies, he says: "Nor is this difficulty confined to this diocese; for I perceive, with more sorrow than surprise, that the same com- plaint is becoming general. The growth of the church is greater, beyond question, than the increase of the ministry; and this evil demands not only a more fervent supplication to the Lord, that he will send forth more laborers into his harvest, but a more zealous and consistent support on the part of our laity. I do not mean to say that the diocese of Vermont is more liable to this censure than the other dio- ceses of this immense territory, because I am well convinced that this is not the fact; but I do mean to say, that the church in every quarter, except in the large city parishes, is groaning under this deficiency." He adds, also, that un- less there is some change, "it needs no prophet to foretell that a famine of the word and sacraments must be the mel- ancholy consequence, in the course of another generation."

5th. But it has been said among you, that the same thing may be done in Western Virginia as in some other dio- ceses, viz., an arrangement be made between some large and wealthy congregation and the diocese, by which the minister of one may be the Bishop of the other. Let us. then, take St. Matthew's Church, Wheeling, much the largest and wealthiest, but whose minister, faithful and beloved as he is, only receives $1,000, and asks no more. Let us suppose him to have closed his ministry by death, or resignation, and that the place is to be supplied. Either the vestry must consent to give up the important privilege and office of choosing a minister into the hands of the convention, or the

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convention must relinquish its prerogative of choosing a Bishop to the vestry of St. Matthew's. The man whom the vestry would prefer as a pastor might not be the most suita- ble as a Bishop, and vice versa. The Bishop's duties must, more or less, interfere with his duties as a pastor. The care of all the churches resting on his soul, must interfere with the care he should have for one. It takes me two months to visit Western Virginia, not including the southwest, in that rapid manner complained of in the report. It would take at least four months to traverse Western Virginia, from Wheeling to Abington, from the Alleghany to the Ohio, each year, so as to satisfy. Would the congregation at Wheeling be wil- ling to give up their pastor one-third of each year? Bishops are by no means always preferred as pastors, on this as well as other accounts; and then, if dissatisfaction arises, and the Bishop resigns, he must stand candidate for some other parish able to support him, and perhaps have for a rival some young presbyter, or even deacon, of his or some other dio- cese, who may be preferred before him. While necessity may sometimes compel a resort to this method of supporting a Bishop, yet I doubt not there are Bishops who, from their own experience, would warn against it, if it can be avoided. It may be well also to say something as to other modes of sustaining a Bishop. Bishops may be chosen because they are rich, and will be at no cost to a diocese. It would be a sad day for the church, when bishopricks are to be bought and sold thus. I hope nothing need be said as to the evils of that system. Some wealthy dioceses have funds whose interest supports the Episcopate. Western Virginia, if sep- arated, would hardly attempt that. The whole diocese of Virginia labored at this for a number of years, and gave it up in despair; though the small sum thus raised, more than thirty years ago, has accumulated into something very con- siderable, and will one day suffice for the object aimed at. Some of the dioceses, as Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and others, lay an annual tax on congregations and communicants, such as the Convention thinks will be borne.

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Those Bishops who are thus supported, a portion of them, at least, could tell of some most painful delays, uncertainties, and short comings in this method, which ought to be known by those who propose to adopt it. They would tell you that Bishops are not exempt from the same embarrassments as pastors, in regard to their salaries; how they, as well as oth- er ministers, have to resort to some other means of sup- porting their families, and even think, at times, of tender- ing the resignation of their charges. On account of such uncertainty, some dioceses have for a long time sought a Bishop in vain, that is, such an one as they are willing to have. Some one, doubtless, might have been gotten without difficulty, but not such as Paul describes. A minister with a family, in some place of usefulness, and where he is sup- ported, ought to have some reasonable security of his and their support before he enters on a field of labor.

Could the ministers and vestries of Western Virginia pre- sent such a statement, give such a pledge, as would justify a man with a family dependent upon him for support, to ac- cept the Episcopate? They might, perhaps, to a single man, who had taken the vow of celibacy; but I hope they do not want such. I doubt whether even the authors of the report, after due consideration, would take the responsibility of per- suading some worthy and well-qualified brother to accept the office, relying on the accuracy of the calculation there made, and pledging the fulfillment of the promise thereof. I am sure they would hesitate and reconsider. But it is said that out of the thirty-three dioceses in the Union, eigh- teen have less than thirty presbyters, and five of these eigh- teen less than seven; and the inference intended must be, why may not Western Virginia have one? why may not she support a Bishop and an independent diocese also? It should be remembered, also, that less than thirty may be a much larger number than seven; many of these eighteen have between 20 and 30 ministers-some nearly 30. But it must be told to our friends in Western Virginia that all these eighteen dioceses were, for a long time, either visited

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by neighboring Bishops, or superintended by missionary Bishops at a salary of 2,000 or 1,500 dollars per annum, drawn from the general missionary society of our church, and that some of them are so to this day, without any expense to themselves. Some of them are even now on the same foot- ing with Western Virginia, only that she has two diocesan Bishops, instead of one missionary Bishop to visit her, and with very little expense to herself. Only two missionary Bishops now remain in the field, and it is well understood when the dioceses they superintend shall be supplied, no more fields will be laid off for missionary Bishops, no more salaries be raised for their support; or, at any rate, that no small dioceses be divided off from them.

6thly. The foregoing topic leads me to another, viz: The question, whether the General Convention will consent to the division of dioceses, so as to admit a district of so small a number of ministers as are now, or may be in a few years, in Western Virginia, to be separated into a distinct dio- cese. In my opinion the restriction, as to number, will not be removed when duly considered, or, even if it should, such a division would not be consented to if application were made. When the Bishops shall see, from the case under consideration, what may be done in the way of agitation by a few individuals, however honest their zeal may be, and how delicate the situation of Bishops as to the exercise of veto power entrusted to them, how numerous might be the schemes for the subdivision of dioceses, what jealousy and suspicion might be awakened by them, I think they will prefer having a certain number of presbyters necessary to a division, even though the number be reduced. Some years ago, when it was proposed in the house of Bishops to strike out the limitation as to square miles and number of presby- ters, I remember it found little favor. I was not in the house when it was agreed, at the last General Convention, that the subject might be submitted for consideration. It may be that it was thought the three vetos of the Bishop, Diocese, and General Convention, were sufficient checks, and that if

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any particular number were specified, it might seem to com- mit the Church to granting a division, whenever such num- ber should apply; and that it was not feared that a much smaller one would ever apply. It is argued in favor of nu- merous subdivisions of the larger old dioceses, that thus some remedy may be provided for an inequality in the Gen- eral Convention now existing, and much complained of, viz., that so many very small dioceses should have a full repre- sentation in both branches of the General Convention, so as to outweigh the greater number of clergy and communi- cants in the larger ones. This is certainly an evil, but there may be a greater one. What if only the three Dioceses of New York, Western New York and Pennsylvania were thus subdivided, say each into four, and thus had twelve addi- tional Bishops, and forty-eight additional clerical, and forty- eight additional lay, members in General Convention? Who does not perceive the advantage given to these central dio- ceses, so near to the usual seat of the General Convention, whose Bishops and other delegates are at hand, can remain with convenience during a protracted Convention; can bring the first talents of the laity to their aid; while the more dis- tant dioceses find it difficult to secure delegates, or to keep them there during the meeting? Who does not see what undue influence these central dioceses would have in all the general institutions of the Church whose location is in their midst? See how New York now rules the General Seminary at pleasure. The more distant Dioceses would soon con- clude that it was useless to send delegates to a body where they would be so overpowered by the central ones. Nor is there any reason to suppose that the smaller but more nu- merous Dioceses would relinquish a right they now have, growing out of the original compact entered into at the time of our confederation, and without which there would have been no confederation. By the original compact of our civil confederation, it was agreed that there should be an equal representation of all the States, small and great, in one branch of Congress-its Senate. In our ecclesiastical

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convention it was determined that it should be the same in bothı branches. Congress, while bound to admit new States on the same principle as that settled for the old ones, would not consent to divide and subdivide old States at their pleas- ure, allowing each subdivision to have a full representation in the Senate; nor will our General Convention allow small subdivisions of old dioceses to come into the General Con- vention with a full delegation to both branches of it. Un- equal as is the present representation, and evil in some re- spects as it is, yet the irregularity and the evil will be con- tinually diminishing, since the new States, for the most part rich in soil, and large in territory, and increasing in popula- tion, will also, as time advances, be increasing in ministers and members more rapidly than the old ones.

And here it may be well to notice an argument used in the report in favor of very small dioceses, viz., that they would be a return to primitive usage, and would remove much temptation to clerical ambition. The multiplication of dioceses would indeed reduce salaries and the influence of some of the Bishops, and diminish their painful respon- sibilities, but at the same time would increase the number of aspirants, and tempt the lust of office more, so that it is doubtful whether clerical ambition would not be in amount greater on the proposed plan than as it is now. There is no rule given in God's word as to the extent of dioceses and number of the clergy to be placed under one Bishop. They have varied in different ages and countries, from the first, ac- cording to circumstances. It is one of those things which must be determined by expediency. Where new countries are to be supplied, and ministers and members are scattered far and wide, amongst the Heathen, or as in our land, amongst Christians of other denominations, the extent of territory must needs be larger. Let me not, however, be mistaken. I am, and ever have been in favor of small dioceses, as small as may consist with the comfortable support of the Bishops, and with the sufficient employment of their time and talents. There are dioceses which ought to be divided. and

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will be divided, I believe, before many years have rolled away. Virginia is one of them. She is able to support two Bishops and give employment to two. She does so at this time. At my death, or resignation through inability to discharge the duties of the Episcopate, unless the present assistant Bishop, if alive, can plead age and infirmities to justify a call for an Assistant, and that plan be preferred, there will be no doubt a division. But as their faithful friend and Bishop, who has labored much, and cared still more for them, I would caution our western friends how they now seek a division of Virginia, which will be so much less advantageous to them, than one which they may then have. From Eastern Virginia and the Seminary they have hitherto received almost all their ministers at little expense to themselves. If cut off, as is proposed, they can have no claim on that Seminary, and the ministers issu- ing therefrom are insufficient to supply the wants of Eastern Virginia. The missionary society, also which has so long aided them, has more than it can do in the work before it in Eastern Virginia. Virginia has also her Bishop's fund which is rapidly increasing, and her fund for the widows and orphans of deceased clergymen is of considerable amount. By a division of the diocese at a proper time, and in such a way as to connect a portion of Eastern with West- ern Virginia, the latter may still reap important advantages from the above mentioned institutions, besides the great aid afforded in the support of a Bishop.

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A history and record of the Protestant Episcopal church in the diocese of West Virginia, Part 65

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