The Democratic advocate., 1879-06-07
The Diocese of MARYLAND.

The Protestant Episcopal Church in Mary.
land, whose nlnety.sixth convention assem-
bled in Baltimore, last week, was founded in
1880 on the disorganzed remains of the
Church Of England in the Province of Mary
land. Before l77G that church numbered ia
Maryland forty-four parishes, each Of which
was provided with its rector. The legal sun.
port of the clergy having been Withdrawn on
the establishment of the state government,
several Of these gentlemen had returned to
England, and at the first annual convention
that met at Chestertown, November o, 1880,
to readjust church organization to the new
order OF things, there were present three cler.
gymen and twenty y-tour lay delegates, all from
Kent county or Queen Anne's. There were
then throughout the state twenty-five clergy.
men in charge Of forty y.seycn parishes, seven
teen Of which were without rectors. Two
years later the annual convention met in Bal.
tlmore and proceeded 10. the selection Of n
bishop. DIR. Wm. Smith, rector Of Chester
parish, Kent county, was chosen, but owing
to party feeling, still raneorous in England,
he could not obtain episcopal ordination.
This convention also established n college in
connection with the Episcopal Church, in.
tended principally for the education of yousg
men for the ministry. Its first president Wa,
General Washington, who, in 1888, presided
over a meeting OF its trustees at Chestertown.
For the next S5 years the Episcopal Church
in Maryland steadily, if not rapidly, increased.
II was most fortunate in the general high
character OF its bishops and in the talent and
seit-devotion OF its clergy. In 1868 the Di,
oeese Of Maryland was divided. The Eastern
Shore becoming the Diocese of Easton, under
the episcopal superintendence Of Bishop Lay.
The remaining half under Bishop Whiting,
han, az ~.
became the present Diocese OF Maryland, the
growth Of which during The past nine years
may well appear extraordinary.
| In 1869, according TO the published report
Of the eighty-sixth annual convention, there
] were 1865 commandments. In nine years
they have increased nearly nine-foid. to 49,,
200. The communion aims Of 1869 were 81, !.
40; those Of 1878 were S22,O00. The con
/ tributious for all other church purposes lex.
/ elusive of elergymen's salariesj we're in 1869
Sl2, 800; in 1878 $780, ,976, nearly 20 times
as great. OF bapiisms reported In the year
1863 there were 62S; in 1879 their nuu,ber was
2,5l5. Two hundred and ninety nine persons
/ were confirmed 10 1869; 10 1878 the bishops
report having confirmed ,637. Sunday school
scholars are ten times as numerous as they
were nine years ago, the number Of them re.
ported having been 1893; the report OF last
tNNt "'1seo tathl lol ~. lhtlf teachers have
not multiplied quite so rapidly, being only
eight 10 one, viz :-l COS now, 10 2O2 nine
years ago. There were last year laboring Il,
the diocese i5i clergymen, aud lSl churches,
chapels or places OF mission worship were
provided for Episcopal congregations. Ia
1868 the number Of elergymen cut off from
the Diocese Of Maryland By the establishment
OF the Diocese Of Easton was %, leaving l35
against the l5i Of 1878. The extraordinaf,
increase and prosperity Of the diocese must,
therefore, be due under the divine blessing
TO The increased efficiency and selfdevotiou
ef the clergy and the greater efficiency in N,
church organization in the diocese, occasion
ed by the diminution OF lis eeoeraphiea
boundaries. IA present each parish can b,
yearly and elfaetially visited by bishop Whit
tinghan or Bishop Pinkney The ilioces,
seems throbbing with new lie. Bishop Whit
tiughhm in his address TO his clergy ii 1856.
/ speaEs Of 'the present as filled With rlad com
fort and the future rs full lrausht with Iii,
brightest PROMISE Hut how largely tha
promise would be realizud in tue next lel
years even the Bishop could hardly hayl
deemed probable. = Balimore Amerieaa.
Il