Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1883-06-13

aDaDl0, Q0uOtle69, OF aOApbHblOn ana CQaHQe \
according to- the diversity of countries, |
lines and mems manners but still COM
,lete for all purposes of worship or minis. |
ration, being indeed the growth of all the
Christian ages. They did not set themselves |
% create new church, or even to reason |
,ut just what might possibly be dispensed |
lere or omitted there because
If ssthe present distress All
hey had to do in that little secluded
room where they were assembled was to pro
ride for what was lacking in that organiza-
ion which they had received, even as in the
secluded upper room in Jerusalem where
he eleven were assembled with the disciples
he vacant place In the apostolate was filled
up in anticipation of the mighty Pentacostal
gift 'and because they were humble enough,
and therefore wise enough, TO do just what
Ehey did, they s'builded better than they
knew" builded on that only foundation that
can be laid, even Jesus Christ; builded.
also, as wise master builders, mot with the
wood" hay, stubble of mans gathering, but
with the t'gold, silver, precious stones" of
the ttNew Jerusalem that cometh down from
heaven"
There is another thought that ought not
to be passed by. Says an old father, speak
ing of the Episcopate, oaae'a o11e7Ts non homo
rSs: it is the name of burden rather than of
an honor; so here the question was not to
whom shall be given the honor, but who can
best take up and bear the burden? And
what a burden it was? The wearisome
quest for conservation seemed to be pro-
tracted aud doubtful as to its result;
the insufficient provision-if. indeed, any
provision at all was made-for the mainte-
nance of the bishop elect during the period
of anxious waiting; the return, if unsuccess-
full, with the certainty of being told that
another might have succeeded where he had
failed: if successful, with the alternative Ger
tainty of coming to a weak and despised
church, poor in the worlds goods and 'even
when spoken against; the life long struggle
with its tremendous uncertainties; surely, he
who should undertake the burden of these
things and many more besides, would need not
only the ''T06lT ct Ces t7IoLe1 ei7c0s peetus" of
the heather poet, but the faith that t'could re-
move mountains Also, who was to be the
man? "All eyes were turned to the venera-
BILE jeremiah Leaning, who had defended the
church with-his pen and suffered for her in
choice of the clergy at Woodbury.. 1t was
doubtful, and the difficulties which
might prevent it were fully recognized
The original draught of the letter to the Arch
bishop of Canterbury places selection and
the recognition of the difficulties attending
1t beyond all doubt by passage which, when
Leaning declined the undertaking, was of
course omitted. These are the words 'fHis
age and infirmities we confess were objec-
tons on his part we felt the force of. His
yielding to our desires to encounter the ia
tigues and dangers of such voyage which,
free from all notions for personal ambition
for which in our situation there is very little
temptation, nothing but zeal almost print
tive would lead him to do, much the more
endears him to u.s. He is indeed a tried ser
want of the Church, and has about him in a
dsgree the marks of a confessor." Leaning
was not there to speak for himself and the
contingency of his declining to accept the
burden was too pressing not to provide
against Therefore another was designated,
one whose name is forever shr1ned
in the deep love and reverence
of this diocese and held in grateful
remembrance in this Church, the Rev. Sam
uel Seabury. Who doubts that in this two
fold designation earnest prayer was made to
him 'sWho knoweth the hearts of all men ?''
Who doubts that though no lots were cast,
it was left to the ordering of providence to
''show whether of those two the Lord had
chosen" That ordering, as we all know,
laid the burden upon Seabury. The brave
step was taken, the venture of faith was
made, God provided the means to assume the
weighty charge; and for that and all that
came of it, we offer him to day .shigh-toned
and hearty thanks!"
The same wise and prudent forecast which
provided against one possible contingency
provided, also, against another; and in its
provision exhibited truer comprehension of
what the Church of Christ, as spiritual
kingdom, really was than any statesman and
many prelates in England seem to have at
tanned. Says one who was present at Wood
bury, writing to friend who became the
second bishop of Massachusetts: eve clergy
have even gone SO far as to instruct DIR. Sea-
bury if none of the regular bishops of the
Church of England will ordain him to go
down to Scotland and receive ordination
from a non-juring bishop" am in no
x1io n hat he
thought of applying to the Scottish bishops
may have been an entirely original thought
in the mind of more than one person in Eng
land in the years of 1888 and 1874. But
there can be no doubt-for the fact is proved
not by unwritten "reminiscences after a lapse
of years, but by contemporary documents
that this purpose was in the minds of our
clergy long before it could have been con-
ceived in England before, indeed. it was
known that the Episcopate was to be sought
at the hands of the English prelaoy.
The line and limits which I have pre-
scribed to myself in this discourse forbid me
to speak as I fain would speak of my great
predecessor. That privilege will belong to
the preacher of next year. But I may say
and say it with all reverence, that if ever
in our eventful history the guiding hand of
God appears, it seems to me to manifest it.
self in the election of our first bishop.
Doubtless brave men lived beforeAgamemncn
DuE AQam6mnOn was not Gu0 1883 brave Tor
that. Doubtless there were strong men and
true men here before Seabury-had there
not been, there would have been place for
him-but none stronger and none truer than
himself. He was misrepresented by some,
and misunderstood by others, in his lifetime
He has been misunderstood and misrepre-
scented since. But all that is over Thanks
to his careful biographer, and to his own I'M
studied revelations of himself, men know
him better now. The voice of detraction is
silent and there are none to contradict US
when we say of him, ellis body is buried in
peace, but his name hveth forevermore"
My brethren, we shall have fingered torlit-
tie purpose among these memories of the
past, unless we take away with us something
sponsibilities Two thoughts seem to me to
rise prominently to view from the survey we
have been making; two voices speak to us
from those past years.
First we learn the lesson-it has already
been spoken of-that only by the true hearted
and faithful discharge of the lowly duty can
we rise up to, or make real, the lofty aim.
Said pious George Herbert, "Pitch thy be-
havior low, thy projects high. So shalt thou
humble and magnanimous be- The roots
and foundations of all great things in nature
as in the buildings that man rears lie under
ground and out of sight. Thoughtless gazers
may think little of them; but no towering oak,
OE StdtOly bo1pl0, Gall SLhuu W1EnOQ6 GQ6m.
Above them all, in the Church OF God. he
who works on any other idea than this will
lose his lebor, it may be will lose hir1self,
and find written at last over his most cher
ished plans the woful words, ''All is vanity
Another thought presents itself, another
voice is heard full of the inspiration of faith
and hope. telling us of the abiding presence
of the Lord with his Church, carrying us
back to these two unfailing promises, fI will
pray the Father and he shall give you an
other comforter that he may abide with
you forever stLo! am with YOU
always, even unto the end of the world!n
In very truth in that day of doubt and dis
may this Church was las q cottage in
as lodge in garden of cucum
bers, as besieged city" To day we look
upon her as ''she has sent out her boughs
into the sea and her branches into the river, -
and we bless God for the greatness of sshis
goodness and the greatness of f'his beauty
Do we rejoice, dear brethren, in all this
with trembling? Do we seem to hear, from
the not distant horizon, the muttering of
storms which are gathering around us and
may burst upon us? Do we see tokens not
only of assault from without, but of BETRAYAL
from within? Then let US take courage from
our past let us do what those who went be-
fore US did; let us like them keep that
which is committed to our trust" and if
steyiI men and seducerS wax worse and worsa