Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-04
EPISCOPAL CONVENTION.
ASSEMBLING OF TIE GENER4E CON
ViGNTION OF TIE UNITED STATES.
Il Sermon by Bishop Clarke, of Rhods Is
land, Upon the History and Progress of
the American Church Since its Organiza-
tion In 1885.

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 3.-The thirty-third
general convention of tie Protestant
Episcopal church of the United States
opened this morning With services held in
the venerable Christ church on Second
street near Market, the corner stone of
which edifce was laid in 1872. The gold
aims dish presented to the house of bish-
ops by the conYocation of Canterbury,
England, occupied place upon the altar,
surrounded by the vessels of the silver
communioa service presented to the parish
by Queen Anne in 1880. The church wns
crowded, 11OS tickets having betn issued
for tho services.
Bishop CLARKE, Of Rhode Is
land, delivered the sermon, his text being
from Exodus, fifteenth chapter, r,seventeenth
verse. He treated of the history of the
church at the time when the frst general
convention Of the Protestant Episcopal
church OF he United States met, il Sop
tembsr, 1885, ihs dangers that assailed it
and its want of organization, while the
other churches in the late colonies were
fully organized. The superintendency of
the bishop of London being removed it
had no head, and worship could only pro-
ceed with strange and mutilated forms. Il
was an offspring of the Church of Eng
land. Some of it's members wished in sew
erirg their connection with tbs mother
church to break the chain OF succession
from the Episcopal church, and thus be-
come mere sect, while others favored
drawing Episcopal tension closer. From
labors of this convention, begun in meek
"a IL
church had grown until it had become q
great power for good throughout an en-
pire greater than that of the Romans IN
the height of their powers. He showed
the want of success that had attended at
temptsto elaborate definitions of doctrine
that should have the same weight and
meaning from age to age. The Prstestant
Episcopal Church recognized it as the mis-.
sion Of the church to draw men to Christ.
The distinguishing feature of the church
is its conservative striving to build upon
the foundation laid for it, nothing more
ambitious than that laid by the apostles.
1t recognized that unanimity which comes
from suppression of private judgment as
spiritual death. It required of its COM
municants what the apostles did and
nothing more. Many were
drawn to enter it's communion
by tho stability and simplicity of it's creed,
who are alarmed by the disturbing inhu-
ences discernabie in some modern
churches. Christ meant that his teach
ings should enter into every part of mems
lives, and his church has come to learn
there is nothing foreign to it that pertains
to humanity. The evil resulting from un-
oh NJ .~Gr -, ob
worthy men in Office, and othe.. evils of
the day the church must grappls with if 1t
would do it's duty. In late years the
Episcopal church has recognized the fact
that nothing which pertains to humanity
is outside its mission and in the founding
of hospitals, establishing libraries and
other practical charities it was not vain
boastings to say the church had
taken the lead. Some individ-
ual parishes had done more in
the last few years than all the churches
did fifty years ago. The abolition of par
lsh lines had not been affected by argu-
ments, but al the call for help Christians
forgot that they differed and joined COM
mon labor for the common cause. He
cautioned the delegates in the convention
that excess or defcieDdy Of legislation
might defeat the objects for which they
were assembled, while faithful conformity
to the necessities OF the people could not
fail to promote them; and that the arrange
r2ents which might have suited state of
society 200 Or 900 years ago, might not be
adopted to the wants of the heterogeneous
and shifting body Of commandments Of to-
day. While continuing to move in the old
paths it should be with accelerated pace.
looking forward, not backward.