Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-06-06

nansS Of Olergymen and laymen delegate
to the Convention. F,-s,N ,N5gA
The next business In order Was the cleo
ton eta Secretary, and on motion Rev
Mr.. French, the present Secretary, was re
tained. IS EfsHB4gf
Bishop MOTlVaine. then delivered hi
Annual Address; 'a
BRETHREN OF THR CLRReY AND LAITx:
It is refreshing to come together, and pray
together, and feel the warm sympsshiss O
Christi n fellOFship, in such days as these
We have never met before under such psinful
circumstances. We have met in times O
pestilence and times Of war; but never before
in times of war between sections of our own
land; citizens Of the same commonwealth;
brethren in the same Church communion
How heavy the cloud-how deep the aflic-
ton. May our present meeting be in such !
spirit of harmony and brotherly love--such
spirit Of prayer and earnest striving togath-
er for the blessing Of the Spirit of God on
the Church and its work, that our hearts
may be cheered, ard we may depart at the
end, feeling that the Lord has been in The
midst of us and has blessed us.
have but a small amount of Visitation
work to report. By the blessing OF God my
health has been very much improved during
the last year, beyond indeed what Supposed
il would ever be. Il has been sufficient for a
great deal of diocesan work, and that every
day; but not for much of the labors attat b.
ing to a visitation Of the parishes. did lay
out visitat0ns OF considerable extent, with
the confident expectation of fulfilling them,
and with lively expectation of going again
to congregations, and meeting brethren with
whom have been so happily associated for
almost thirty years. I longed to GO among
them again and minister to them that Gospel
which SO love to preach. But Divine ProEi
deuce did not permit except to a small ex-
tent.
&$ =
Since we last met the Church has suffered
a painful bereavement, in the departure to
bis home on high OF the Right Rev. Nicholas
Hammer Cobbs D. D., late Bishop of the Do
cese Of Alabama-s servant Of the Lord, of
great humility of mind, singleness of heart,
and purity oflife; greatly beloved in his do
cese, and whose ministry had been greatly
blessed. He was taken from the evil To
come, and before the consummation of an
afflietion which he prayed not to see. have
never seen it noted in print, but had it in
letter Of Bishop of diocese bordering on
his, that, as the Convention that afterwards
enacted the ordinance of secession of Ala
bama was sitting during his illness, with that
act in view, Bishop Cobbs expressed dn ear
nest desire that he might not live to witness
the secession of that State from the Union.-
In aoout fifteen minutes after he had ceased
to breathe, adischarge of artillery announced
that the ordinance was passed. There are
many in the land who are sorry tc have lived
long enough to witness such deeds.
There has been another death during the
year, which personal affection, as well as a
remembrance of good deeds to this Diocese,
prompts the notice-that of the Rev. Henry
Authon, D. D., late Rector of st. Mark
Church, in the city.o of New York. Ny own
bosom and much beloved friend for many,
many years, he was the energetic, perseVering,
most faithful friend of the Church in this Dio-
cese, and especially Of its Collegiate institu-
tons at Gambler. To him and his fuence
we are indebted for large part Of the con-
tributiOns which have erected our buildings
and endowed our Professorships. We never
sought his aid in vain. The pure trpth of
the Gospel had in him most faithful cham
pion, and pure religion an honorable exam
ple. He, too, was taken from the evil to
come. Ones heart almost elvies the escape
of those who have recently died in the Lord,
from the griefof witnessing the trihulations
which have since come upon our county
But there remaineth rest" for all of us, if,
like that dear departed brother, we follow
Christ and faith tully confess him before men.
Let US count all things but loss that we may
win Christ, and be found in him when our
call shall also come.
And thus, my dear brethren, our thoughts
return TO subjec from which they are now
scarcely ever separated, and TO which they
seem constrained 10 return whenever drawn
away from it, as a bow that was bent. 1t
stands before US at all times, and in all
places, like q great mountain, under the
shadow of which all occupations and inter
ests, except as they raise above it inte that
bright region of Gods peace and love, where
shadoWs of earthly sorrows cannot reseh,
must now abide. speak of course Of the war,
the dreadful war, which now arrays citizen
against citizen, brother against brotheTj
and the contending armies of which are
catherine with q zeal and determination
| which portenG the mOst serrowful calaml-
ties to the whole country, north, south, east
and west.
wish, biethren, l could rightfllly and
touching on such a subject on this occasion.
wish we could rightfully shut it out Of our
thoughts when we come here together in the
Office and counsels Of the Gospel OF Peace.
| But it has its intimate connections with our
duties as Christians and Christian ministers,
as well as with those of our relations as
citizens There is no such thing as pleading
| neutral in this controversy, unless we would
| live in land over which the Constitution OF
the United States claims no authority. There
is no middle ground between loyalty to its
government and disloyalty. Rightfully the
supreme law over all the States, every in
| habitant must choose In regard TO 1t the one
side or the other. And that choice is not a
mere political or secular question. 1t in-
wolves he most sacred considerations Of
/ conscience and of religious duty, as well as
the most important interests OF the social
state.
In these times it behooves every con-
| scientious man to have we'll Co. sidered and
decided ans Wer to the question: What is his
duty as a citizen and Christian towards
the Consultation and Government in the
present crisis To this question, published
nv own answer, in our diocesan paper under
date of April 18th in an article entitled
"The Christians duty in the present Crisis y
That 18Th of April was the darkest day we
have seen since the foundation Of our gov
ernment was laid. The Capital was in the
greatest danger. Its communications were
cut of. We could get no intelligence OF its
condition. Whether it was taken or not, we
did not know. The worst was feared. That
was the day when the first troops fastening
to the defense of Washington, the noble
Sixth of Massachusetts were fred on by the
mob in Baltimore. These shots struck as
all, as did those Of the guns at Sumter. Ths
day and its intense anxieties and excitement
will never be forgot.
What rising up there was of hearts and
: hands, all over the landi thus mention
, the date, because it was under the feeling o
that time that wrote the article referred
to, and because wish TO say that now, ,wher
calmer feelings have come, and more opin
ions have been compared, and more paintu