The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-11-09 00:00:00

CaNFIRMATION AT ST. PETER'S.

About 163 yosug persons were confirmed at St.
Peter's Church on Weanesday zu ruing by the Lord
Bishop of the Diocese, Dr. Moberly. The contingent
was formed from St. Peter's, Holy Trinity, All Saints',
Fordingto, hlertinatown, Charminzter, and other
neighbouring parishes. The girls assembled at the
Town Hall, by permission of the Mayor, and walked
In procession to the church, the boys having previously
taken their seats. 'l'ne centre aisles were entirely
filled by the candidates, the general congregation,
uhich was very large, taking seals at the sides. The
sight of so many young persons taking their part in
this impotent Church's rite was most impressive,
which was further augmented by the now feeble
though venerable form of our good old Bishop.
The clergy f the several parishes took part, viz.,
the Rev. T. W. Knipe (it. Peter's), Rev, H. Everett
(Holy Tricky), Rev. H. F. Jones (AU Saints), Rev.
A. A. Leonard (Fordington), Rev. U. F. Powys (it.
Peter's), Rev. E. Ludlow (Martinstown), T
Runiel-Wright (Head Koster of the Dorset County
School), and the Rev. F. E. Trotman (Wimborne
Minster). The Bishop was accompanied by his
chaplain, his son, the Rev. W. Moberly.

Service commenced with the hymn—
" Came Holy Ghost. our souls inspire.
And lighten with celestial fire."
The opening portion of the confirmation service wail
read by the Chaplain. At the conclusion of this, the
Bishop invited the candidates to stand, and the rest of
ths congregation to remain seated.
••

_
The Right Rev. PULATE then addressed the candi-
dates. There were, he said, • large number to be
confirmed that day, and probably if it wee not the lame
with all of them,it was no doubt so with the vied major-
ity—that they were baptized in their infancy. There
might possibly be • few who were not so baptised, but
he alluded to that because he should proceed on the
general au pp. ei tion on which the ser ice was fraused,thst
they were baptized in infancy. What he had now to
say to them .Jid not affect this question at all, for they
were all standing up before God to do one and the
same thing. They all knew quite well that they were
totally unconscious to all that was dont at their bap-
tism. They could not understood anything whatever
that was dune for them; but God was pleased ~f his
great mercy to b:ess the prayers of other people on
their behalf. Had they hen taken sway when they
were just made members of the family of Chriet they
all knew they would have gone safe for ever into the
arms of God. That was a blessed comfort which
Mriatian parents laid to their inm 'et soul, when they
were called upon t part with their baptized infante.
They knew quite well their lost ones were spared the
dangers, the trou'des, awl the pins of this earthly lit-,
they were with G... 1 e.fe for . ver, and those left
behiu.l would not fail to meet the hereafter—the
same as those who had lived and died in the faith and
fear of Christ. Ti. referred to that in order to contrast
tinier case. wets spared tee live on, and God
designed for them to ...e •L lie trials the dangire,
and the temptations of this life. No doubt they
had met them tee a consid-rable degree already.
and they were now standing up in the presence
of God and of his (Morel'. and exactly in the pro-
portion in which they knew what Christ
had done for them, an I eta dly in the proportion to
how they had become to know what sin was. so they
were to.und to c mfeas their Rine. They had just gone
through the first part ..f their Chri-dian life; it began
when they were fist made Ciaist's by being dedicated
to Him in baptism. It finished to-day. Not in point
of actual length, but still a very important portion
indeed. for it might be c-elled the first half o: their
Christian life. Not u•if. equently WWI t ebefoundinthose
who had reached this ..ice that they had laid the
fuundati,n of much th.t might be chonged,thank God,
and much that .night be might be tiled.' much more
holy. They were at opting before Gel and before His
Church showing that they rye ..rnised God's great
mercy, and that 41 readve.l voluntarily and for
them.elves, soieennly te leer:. this sacred vow in all
their lives.

The iilolor then c tiled on each young person
separately to 'mower tle (lineation. •• 1/ • ye here in the
presence of God, kc." After each of the 163 had
answered, a ,me faintly and aoine more firmly "I do."
The Iliehop nihl to the c mgreg .t•on : 1 cdl on you to
do what y nem to holp th-m. Parents, in the name
of Our Lord, do all in your power to help them. You
can, in ts.y of you, more than anybody else in the
whole world, assist thew
The hymn—

" LokdownOLOrd.al3doolnloth
Dego, thy gifts of likavonly gr.e.

was then sung. The proscribed blousing, and prayer
—" Defend, 0 Lord, this thy chill" having been
given.
The iII:SHOP again addressed those confirmed. He
said : You have, 1 believe, each o se of you, answered
the solemn question put to you I hope you all under-
stood and felt what you were doing. 'There is one
thing I would like to add. You have gradually grown
to this age, and have Come to the end of the first part
of your Christian life, and even now there are many
sine upsn the insmory and concieuce of every one of
you. Before this day is over, I beg you, if you have
not done it already, to kneel slowss upon your knees,
alone before God. and confe. to Him the chief
things that you know of, tbat in this early part of y .ur
life ha, haii dishowairing. sinful, and naughty. For
I want you to go on your reeOLill part with • clear
heart and a holy hope. It is mo,t espential you
should, at least at this time. In this great
thing. My deer chit 'ren in Chrier, for you are to- lay,
do not omit this sacred duty. You are strangers to
me, every mingle one of you, and I have DO knowledge
whatever of you ; but I beseech you, in the name of
Gad, not t. forzet this. There at. many people round
about us who feel seri lightly, sod even with scorn,
with rece,nl to continuation, and they would die:
courage you from being confirmed -good people, no
doubt, but on this matter imperfectly informed. This
sacred Apostolic tit.* of confirmatioo is as old as the
church itself. (The Bishop then gave a short account
of the institution f the rite first by Philip the Bewails,
it. Paul, suni others) Ile then went on: Passing
from that, I want to any • few words about yourselves.
will not talk to vssu about saying your prayers—l
hope that is not necessary. You caiiosst eff.srd now to
be neglectful of your prayers, even though you may
have been so on t revittus reamaione. Whet I want
particularly to speak tv y It eh lit now is on the
subject of lily Cmimunion. You have never yet
been invited t t that Is-smose you have been uncon-
firmed, nud the stile sd the t'lisirch 41 England is that
all persons ono mfirinei are ordinarily not invited and
not desired to toms. But from lay the case is
different. I am n..t going to ask you what you are
going to but I want von to remember Who it is
who invites yon to come. Ito beart-whole in this
matter. I don't know and I cannot conjecture what
you will tin on that first Communion Sunday. but
when it comes I hope you will, and I feel ture of this,
remember what I say. I don't know if you will etav
babied, or if you will go out, with those who are alas!
not untreqnently the marrity f the ongregation. I
intuit say this, if I am faithful le our c smarm Lord,
for I must speak the plain truth. If Re says "Except
ye eat this S sh ant drink this blood, ye have no life
in ye," how can I withhold this? God is here, and
He known whether I 'Lay it tsuly and faithfully. I
must speak the word, that are put into my
mouth, and woe is tue if I preach not the true
GospeL Now some of you may find a great
difficulty in ooming to Communion but it Is
not difficult to those who are in earnest. I
will point out what can be a very great assistance to
you In thin matter. Two girls confirmed together,
living in the same neidthourhood, and of the lame
occupation awl employment, who know one another,
who like one another, and who are both in earnest: or
two boys the same; let them resolve from this .lay to
go to church together as much se they can; and when
they go, offer up a little prayer for each other, some-
thing-like this—" 0 Lord, give we and my friend grace
to persevere in what we have promised for Jesus
(Jhrt's sake." And then (this is the point I want to
bring before you) go to Communion togetherj and not
be ashamed or afraid of being *seen to go. Not make
a parade of it—God forbid. Then if one is tempted
let the other help him, and say " Don't give in, but let
us keep on to the end." So help each, and both hold
on together, or perhaps both might fail together. God
bless you and give you grace to take to heart these
things, only remember this above all things in the
world, don't suppose I urge you to go to Communion
wales, you go in real truth in prayer and deep repent-
aces
air ifs, with an earnest desire by the pace o God
to amend rw lives, and to do all these things you
have Promise Goa Kan you and keep you now and
for ever.
At the conclusion of the service was sung the hymn—
"0, Happy Day that fixed my choice."
Robinson, jun., presided at the organ.