The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-12
TRIBUTE OF ST.. PHILIPS CHURCH
CHARLESTON;
To the Memory OF Bishop Davis.
sr. PHILIPS CHURCH,

ST, PHILIPS CHUhCH, I
| e. CHARLESTON, December 8, 1871.
i The yestry and Wardens, In regular month
ly meeting convened, having transacted their
usual business, embrace the occasion to COM
| memorate the deatho of the Bishop Of the Diocese,
the Right Reverend Thomas Frederick Davis. 1t
Is certainly meet and proper SO to 90. For a.
though he b ID no peculiar connection Wish tnls
church, he was the chief pastor and oVerseer 81
! all the churches within his Jurisdiction. And ne
adminis' cred his high and sacred once In such
| manner as to identify himself with each and
every one Of them, and to compel heartfelt love
for the man, over and above the sentiments Of
respect and reverence which appertained 10 the
of1cer. -, -
It would not be in keeping with the relation IN
which this body stood 10 the deceased 10 enlarge
on his Intellectual gtfts and characterstict @snf
ncei TO say, they were striking ana made nms
man Of marx: yet 80 controlled BY native mo-
des,y, as b be almost unobser-ed, until drawn
ont by the functions Of the high once which was
thrust upon him. But It well becomes the occasion
to mediate on his assiduous and tender care OF
his entirechsrge, and his devotedness TO the ger.
vice Of the Shepherd snd Bishop Of our souls, 80
evidenced and to bear testimony to the remarka-
BILE satisfaction and comfort which accompanied
and recompensed his mlnsiratlon'.
At The time OF his elevationto the Episcopate
party spirit, with It's natural point Of uadaunta'
bIeness was rife throughout the church. He bad
been only q few years In III: diocese, was little
known except In the comparatively small parish
which enjoyed and appreciated hs services, and
had never taken part IN the discussions In the
diocesan. conventions; and when rhe once was
conferred on him BY lsrge vote, after repeated
trials by the parties TO elect their rtspeotivefa-
vorites, he meekly expressed his accep ance Oft
saving he was unable 10 do more, as he felt
| "stunned as ov a olo,p." But In short time he
exhibited qualities, OF which hitherto he had
probably been unconscious, and fu y justined the
earnest recommendation OF the few who had
known him, in that respect, be ter than he knew
himself ..-..-.
In the administration Of bis holy once he I'm
pressed himself on all as ono who, therein, spew
"only Christ and Him crucIned p and party spirit
soon hid its diminished head. - T. :, :,
Self assertion was foreign to his nature, Jet on
all occasions, when duty demanded IT, he spoke
out with dlstinct1ess, and with the authority
that beftted his position; and seldom has the ef.
feet Of moral influence been more charmingly IL
lastrated than in the various bodies connected
with The church.. whose deliberations he guided.
he was calm, wise, and free from personal par.
tiallties, and confidence In him was enforced.
II hi, personal intercourse, he was paternal to
all his clergy, accessible and arect.onate t. the
laity.
His ardu US visitations cwere performed with
singular ndelity and exactness, and always
hailed with pleasure by the subjects OF them.
Until 1: was rend red impracticable by public dis
fractions, he was always accompanied In these
valuations By some OF his clergy, and in this his
characteristic impartiality was maniiest-every
enc had his turn.
Thus for eighteen years and upwards,in In spite q
constant aud almost unparalleled III health, and
OF total blindness during more than half OF the
time, did he 90 In and out among us In the dis
charge OF his high aud holy ONCE. Three days
ard he passed awsy-quietly laid down the cross
to take up the crown prepared for him in Heaven.
After repeatedly declining to do 80, while he
felt that 1t was not absolutely necessary, he at
last apparently with prophetic forecast, ex.
pressed his desire to have an assistant; and only
last May the DIoc san Convention supplied him
with one-now his saccessor-in the person Of
the rector Of this church. or him We can speak
with know edge, and we heartily thank our Hea.
yenly Father that the holy ofice has passed into
hands in which It will not suffer detriment.
Extract from tie Minutes.
= = J -s 10 % n wurJhly Secrefarv