, 1874-09-28

Why tho Rev. Edward Sullivan Signed Ttut
Testimonial.
THO For. Dr.. Sullivan, Rector Of Trinity
Church, corner Of Twansg-aocoud street anil
Michigan avenue. preached to very inrso con-
grcgation yesterday morning. lie took no text,
lis subject boug tho late Diocesan Convention.
by nay of prelude, ho said he desired to call
attention to a subject which had occupied tho
thoughts Of Epiacopa'ians very largely rithiu
tho last week or two, With regard to which he
had double purpose: Firat. to add to Tho in~
formation already possessed; aud second. to cor
rcct certain rnisapprehenslons which had gone
abronl, by which not oul5 ho himself had been
seriously nlisreprcsentcd, but the public opinion
OF tho Church had brnn 10 certain OK
tcut miHlcd. Many points connectsd with
tllo Convention no should pass oytr,-tho
election Of ofIlcera tho settlement Of contested
BEATS tho pat nient Of dioccHau assessments, tho
admission Of parishes, tho adoption o. reHoiu-
tlons commemorative of the late Bishop by =
unanimous standing vote, tho reading by himself
records Of his official work, showing llat tho
fallen prelatn waa no unfRit1lful steward, that
The Master, when lie came sudaeniy.. found tho
vatcil1nan on tho walls, buslly toilinE at his
post; and tho solemn message from tho now"
t11ade graye, beQuca&hing tho cathedral FREQ Of
all iuculnbranco to tue cAro OF llp duccessor iii
o1,ce. on behalf Of aud III trust for tho diocese
lo had governed 60 wisely mud loved 60 we'll. It
mas not necdfull to dwell OIL thcso; ho pioultl
hurry on to Homo Of tho salient features Of tho
Convention. and aelect from tile large variety
Of topics on!y those which. ut the tino. a,'al;-
oned tho most interest, and. in their future
operation, woro likely to yield tho most pcrlna-
1nent results. ...-
Tho frat in Importance waa tho missionary
work Of tho diocose, aud iu this respect Ito
blushcd to my thnt tile Church raa compelled to
hang her head. Tho aggressive missionary work
of tic Church was her noblest WORT itB accom-
pliau.nont mas her loftiest aim. The church.
inou In tho West had not set Heotn'ng!f heeomo
wide awake. = 1: Importance. How far lad tho
Church in h:'.5is risen to an appreciation Of it?
IAo5 might judge 10" fsr, WHOM 10 told them z!
That there mas not Ut Episcopal church IN
every county Of tho 1o5 IL tho s:s1s. He
would not sneas lndiscriminatclY Or
hastily, or cart rehcctions, on Ela
say that they seemed to dovelop afull UNDER
standing OF their Christian obligations md re-
eponsibilitics. thoy haying given tho lsat veal
moro tllan double what was contributed W even
tho woalthiost parish Nlthl'' t'!o limits OF the
dioccsc. 1lo wonld DO utterly disheartoned by
tho uoglcct OF the Church ii ho did not 1ene1n..
bcr Tint Christ took lilo lonveB aud ilshos and
multiplied them into sutliclcncy for the
physical wnnts OF thousands; tho littlo contrib.
utcl could bo placed 20 Abnldantly 40 TO lnakc
born. ..
The distinct prcgrces of tllo Church waa moi
it's visible growth. E6tlmato the Lu'dH ministry
by that standard, aid it must be pronounced j
failulu. The truo question by which to de-
turmineits progress WIS, not how many churches
| built, not how much money ralecd, not how
mnuy infants baptized, not how many COMMUNE
cants, but how many blnnera Ind beon aavcu
how many Trembling souls Lad been Jed to tls
feet OF tho Cruciioa, bow many Intelligent eouls
Fac tad ,,1 ofS rcfh mud lint
many mon and women had tiniAl'ed tier coprhs
in laisI and wcro now jn paradise. D'lt thls
manfeHly, uo hs1nan. psn could record, nc
human being could toll,-ony tho Great Da,
would royealit. ,., ....
uro Of intcrca: was tho election Of + Bishop
| Ttia natuf ally absorbed to itsclf q largo alnoul
Of public aud individual interest, first, hccauht
tho event waA comparatively q rara ono; md acc
ond because tho ottleo WAS tho most o1altod ont
iu tlo Church. It had been Imagined, a'!t
seemed 10 bo kno"n, that an o1rerimo14t Tas t.
DO mado III this tllocoao similar to tile ono trict
III WfsconHin,-the experiment OF elccnnE Il
tho loftuBt place in the Church .nnl
! who was known to MI as holding Wla
wofo called e1tsomo or advanced lisuaiastis
| Ylewa. Tho newspapers discussed 1t. i
was tho subject Of private conyolHatloll, mud &c
| much furco waa brought to bear that, OIL ths
morning of tho election, 1t was felt necessary no
| to llloW tho AAu1o Of JAmcn DO Koscn to b'
brought forward III tho C0nYentl1i. Itlt t.n1ne'
dlatuly upon itB withdrawal another nau.e WI
presented against which t!,elo lay y si,uila
| prejudice IN public opinion ,~-tllat Of tho Rey
Dr.. Seymour, Of New York, wlo,- 1t wan raid
| held riowp III o1trome and advanced as those o
tho Warden OF l.aciuo College. III consequence
Of thin feeling, strong a.,i vigorous oppohitio,
was raibed IIr. beymDur had been mora ca,l
! tioua tAan tho hold anl fcarlenH La Kovon h.
] hsd not written like l.in,. aud committed him
solf to any. uiterance Of hla theology, au'
Ills irlonas in the Convention woro thorofor
proof that ile yiewa attributed 10 lin vera no
] really hold. The argument waa not noreugari1,
a logical ono STILL in tue oxorclso Of Oflristla'
| charity, it ought to llaya bcen allowed SOM
u,eusuro Of force. 1t was allowed 4 large degge