The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-02-26

AOI mdICGss NOtuAu& VI bH1S SOEt 6NGE
occurs IN the Episcopal church. All I
things are done and spoken deeently /
and In order.
And so, too, if permanence and its /
accommodating worth of holy associa- /
tion-no transient observer can ade-
quately value this treasure of a birth
right churchman.
To be using to-day the self same
words that have through the centuries
declared the faith or made known the
prayer of that mighty multitude, who,
being now delivered from the burden
of the flesh, are in joy and felicity
To be baptised in early infancy, and
never to know time when we we're
not recognized and welcome among
the millions who have entered by the
same door
To be confirmed IN due time, in
faith that has sustained a noble army
of confessors, approving its worth
through prosecutions and properties,
strength to the tried and chasten-
ing to the worldly minded -
10 be married by an authority be
fore which kings and peasants bow
alike, asking benediction upon the
covenant that without respect of per-
sons binds By the same Tords of duty
the highest and the lowest.
To bring our new born children as
we were brought, to begin where we
| began, and 60 grow up to fill our
places
To die ia the faith, and almost hear
the gospel words soon to be spoken
over ones own grave as over the
| thousand times ten thousand of them
who have slept in Jusus:
In short; to be devout and con-
sistent churchman. brings a man
through aisles fragrant with holy as
sociation, and accompanied by long
procession of the good, chanting as
they march q unison of piety and
hope, until they come to the holy
place where shining saints sing the
new song Of the redeemed. And they
sing with them.
Another excellence | note:
3. The Episcopal church furnishes
to all who need such comfort, the as
surance OF an organic and unbroken
unity and succession, from Jesus
Christ through the apostles, by line
of authentic bishops down TO Bishop
Huntington Of this diocese.
King Henry VIII and Queen Eliza
beth with their proclsmatious and
parliaments, are so conspicuous and
| fill so much space in the merely politi-
cal history of the English church,
that many able writers deny that the
river of apostolic succession so dam
med by them. could ever get around
the dam and flow along again pure
and uncontaminated. / cannot decide
this question absolutely.
What | say is this: The Apostolic
succession to the Episcopal church
can be traced back so many hundred
years into the dim past, that it il no
shame to any man to say, I belieUe Il
e.cteaded back TO Peter, Paul and
john" and he who verify believes
that the ordaining or confirming hand
of the bishop of this diocese, is cleo.
trio with the spiritual life that proceeds
from Jesus Of Galilee, will find it q
hand of virtue and worth. He who
| doubts will find it hand ofform and
ceremony.
And so without stopping to decide
the question whether our bishop is
really a successor to Paul and John,
say that the Episcopal church affords
i
Episcopate the true succession, that
il is no shame to any common man TO
| believe her. And ii he believes In
his bishop he will get from him all
the benefit that can come from Dish
ops.
Brethren, many needy souls are not
able to, lay hold upon God one by one.
They cannot appropriate a gospel
| promise to themselves. Like job of
| old, they say: If I had called and
| Tie had GRslCered me get aCOutd 4 not
believe that he had hedrkened INTO aly
aUords F'-viii, Is.
Such extreme aud exemplary hu
mility asks for and needs church
ark, and the humble place and priv
ileges of a private passenger. The
ark of God that shall outride del
ugel The church of Christ, IN which
is found salvation.
/ say then that the claims of the
| Episcopal church to be such an ark
of God. or church Of Christ, endowed
with sacraments, absolutlons and
profitable authority, are for all practi-
cal purposes valid.
| leave historians and ecclesiastes
to their endless words, and assert that
the poor in spirit who seek comfort
and salvation through the Office of
the Episcopal church. are as we'll off
in her as they can be in any church.
| Aud since many are profoundly pre-
| JUDGED against the church of Rome, /
am happy to point all such to a sure
welcome in the Episcopal church,
| with sacraments, SUGGESTIONS and au.
| thority as good as the best.
The Episcopal church is excellent
| in her provisions for Christian educa-
ton and pious drill.
Churches that avoWedly receive very
young infants as members must neces-
sarily provide education for these ao-
cepted children. Accordingly the
Episcopal church if Enthusiastically
church for the training of children,
just as some sister churches are char
acteristically reuiUal churches for the
| conversion of grown folks.
In the prayer-book aud church
almanac you find the Christian year
divided into periods separated by high
days-monuments and memorials of
Christian story. This Christian cal
endar agrees very nearly with that of
the Roman church. And he is an
unusually well-infermed Christian
who can read over this catalogue of
days, and in few words tell the story
that each day celebrates But a birth
right churchman who has been quiz
city trained In a church home for if
teen years, will need very little teach
ing more.
In connection with this calendar is
system of lessons, in following which
the reader Is led through the entire
Bible each year and through its more