Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-02-24
From the Easton STAR.
The Protestant Episcopal Church in the
Diocese of Maryland.

from the EastOn STAR.
The Protestant Episcopal Church in the
Diocese Of Maryland.
The Rev. William Pinkney, who was
consecrated to the episcopal Office, as as
sistant to Bishop Whittingham, on the
sixth day of October last, is the fifth Bish-
op of Maryland.
The P. E. Diocese Of Maryland was or
ganized August 13. 1888, Immediately
after the establishment of peace with Great
Britain.
The FIRST Bishop was the Rt. Rev.
Thomas John Claggett. D. D., who was
consecrated September II, 1892, and died
August 2. 1916. nearly "a years in Office.
Rt. Rev. James Kemp, D. D., was
consecrated Suffragan Cor assistant) Bish-
op September 1, 1914, and became Dio-
cesan on the death Of Bishop Claggett
Bishop Kemp died October %, 1927. He
was Diocesan Bishop little over IL years.
The third Bishop was the Rt.t Rev.
William Murray Stone, D. D., consecra-
ted October 21,s 1880; died February 26,
1888. In Office 8 years and 4 months.
His successor was Rt. Rev. William
Robinson Whittingham, the present be-
loved, though now afflicted, Diocesan
He was consecrated September II. 1910.
and has held the Episcopal Office more
than thirty years. Thus, in a period Of
eighty. seuen gears there were only four
Bishops.
In seniority Bishop Whittingham ranks
fourth among the Bishops of the American
Church. Bishop Smith, Of Kentucky.
was cousecrated in 1882; Bishop Nell
vaine, of Ohio, in 1882. and Bishop Nc
Coskey, Of Michigan. in 1886.
Bishop Whittingham is beloved not
only in bis Diocese, but among his fellow
Bishops. To show the estimation in
which he is held as a preacher. I will
quote from recently published article by
the Bishop of Western New York. He
is speaking of dead and living preachers: !:
Il must not be denied the privilege of
naming living preacher; the Bishop of
Maryland, whom I have sometimes thought
to be the greatest ecclesiastic and the most
apostolic Bishop our Church has yet bred.
"He reminds me Of one of the great
primitive fathers. Basil. or Gregory, or
st. Ambrose, must have preached much
as he did when I hes-d him preach one
Good Friday, in old St. Paul's, Baltimore.
Men went to ard fro in the city, and knew
it not; but sermon was preached that
day which not Bossuet. not Fenelon, not
Bourdaloue, ever surpassed, in that which
makes true preacher.
He preached CHRIST CRUc1F1ED, moth
ing else; and nobody thought how won
derfully eloquent he was; but we all went
away that day shifting our breasts as did
those who actually stood beneath the Cross
on that great Good Friday. gf
Our Apollos is the venerable and
sanity Whittingham. He does not ex-
hibit Hugh Blair's charms of style, but
he is indeed mighty in the Scriptures, and
his manner is Pauline. \ x I
have seen him make Felix tremble, and
have heard him fervently and boldly
preach, like another John Baptist, shak-
ing the wilderness" 4. - u
The first Bishop elect of Maryland was
never coDsecrated. The initial steps to-
wards the formation of the Diocese Of
Maryland were taken little after the
meeting of the clergy in Connecticut for
the election of Seabury.* These initia-
tory measures were taken under the lead
ership of William Smith, D. D., who was
at that time at the head of Washington
College, Chestertown. .t
The Declaration of certain Fundamen-
tai Rights and Liberties of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in Maryland, &C., was
issued August 13, 1888. It is an inter-
esting document, but too lengthy to copy
in this article. A list of the signers,
however. may be of interest, as showing
the clergy in the State at that time
They are
William Smith, St. Paul's and Chester,
Kent county.
John Gordon. St. Michaers Talbot
county.
John Mcpherson. William and Mary,
Charles county.
Samuel Keene, Dorchester.
William West. St. Pauls, Baltimore
county. -
William Thompson, St. Stephens Cecil.
Walter Mcgowan, St. James, Anne
Arundel. .. ~. +
John Stephens. All Faith. St. Mary's.
Thomas John Clagett, St. Paups,
Prince Georges. a 8 -
George Goldie, King and Queen, st.
Mary's.
Joseph Messenger, St. Andrews. St..
Mary's.
John Bowie, St. Peters. Talbot
Walter Harrison, Durham. Charles.
William Hanna, St. Margaret's, Anne
Arundel.
Thomas Gates, St. Anne's, Annapolis.
William Paca was Governor of the State
at that time. and this document was ad-
dressed to him. in view Of the approach
ing meeting of the Legislature.
In the same month of August DR.. Smith
was elected Bishop of the Diocese. and
was sent to Europe to be ordained an
antistes. President Of the Clergy, or
Bishop"
The unsettled condition of affairs be-
IL IL J. IL