Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-19
I'M EPISCOPAL CENTENNIAL.
Sketch Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church Of Virginia.
TIE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.
Ms Bishops Clrgma, Chnrhss Public
Institutions, and Statistics

tessant Episcopal Church Of the isiocese
Of Virginia will assemble in st. PauPs
church, in this city, on Wednesday OF
this week, and will be presided ever by
Right Rev. =. NJ. White, ID. d.,
LID, bishop Of the diocese. The
business meetings Of the body will
probably continue through Saturday.
when the formal adjournment will take
place but the exercises of the Council
will not be brought to close until Sun
day night next. Much Of the time Of
the Council will be occupied in the
transaction Of the current business oil
the Church but the programme for the
meetings embraces several features
which will be Of unusual interest.
The opening sermon will be delivered
by Right Rev. A. NJ. Randolph, assist
ant bishop Of the diocese, on Wednes-
day morning. At night missionary
mass-meeting will be held. at which
addresses will be delivered by Rev. X.
A. Goodwin, Rev. John McGill, Rev.
Charles Minnigerode, d. d., and others.
The merit day Thursday the Bishop
will probably deliver his annual adj
dress, and during the session paper
will be read, prepared by Rev. Philip
Slaughter, d. D., historiographer OF the
Church, on 1.-THE Colonial Church"
This paper is looked forward to with
much interest. That night Rev. I. g..
Dsshiell, d. D., rector Of st. Marks
church, will read paper which he has
prepared on "The Church in Virginia
Since 1885,"
On Friday night there will be mass
meeting in the interest of the Theology
cal Seminary Of Virginia, at which adj
dresses are expected to be delivered by
the Right Rev. George ". Peterkin, ID.
D., bishop of the diocese of West Viz
GINA. and the Rev. julius Z. Grammer,
ID. D., Of Baltimore, Nd.
On Saturday, at | / A. NJ, obituaries
of the deceased bishops of Virginia will
be delivered by Rev. Churchill j. Glib
SON, ID. d., of Petersburg.
On Sunday morning, in old st. Johns
church, a centennial sermon will be de-
livered by the Rev. DR.. Kinsolving, and
at night Bishop whittle will make the
closing address of the Council at St.
Paurs church.
HISTORICAL.
At this time, then, the Protestant
Episcopalians Of Virginia are specially
interested in the gathering Of their an
nual council. Not only they, but all
Christians as well--for it marks an
epoch in the religious history Of the
Commonwealth. 1t is the centennial
anniversary Of the first convention Of
the Episcopal Church in Virginia.
The first meeting Of the Episcopal
Convention Of Virginia was held on the
18th day Of May, l7S5, in this city,
in the old Capitol building on henorth-
west coruer of Cary and Fourteenth
streets. At that time there was no
bishop in Virginia, and the Rev. James
Madison, ID. d., was president Of the
Convention, and Rev. Robert Andrews,
A. NJ, was its secretary. There were
present at that meeting but 90 clergy
men and II lay delegates. Nine parishes
had each two lay delegates. The OPEN
ing sermon was preached by Rev. John
Prscken, ID. d., of Williamsburg. He
was rector Of tha church in that ancient
city, having become its minister in
l773, and SO continued to be, in con-
nection with the professorship Of HUI
manity at William and Mary College,
until his death, in 1918. DR.. BrackeD
was president of the college for one
year.
In 1885 the Church in Virginia was
in . very feeble state. The war Of the
Revolution having just closed, it must
of necessity have been so, for its min
listers had been scattered aud its churches
desecrated. There was also in the
minds Of the people strong prejudice
against the Church itself, owing to its
connection with the Established Church
Of England, and also to the fact that
many Of its ministers sent out by the
Church Of England had proved them.
selves Totally unworthy Of their office
This first convention then prepared
an address TO its members, exhorting
them TO greater zeal and earncstness il
the work Of building up the Episcopa
Church in Virginia. They also electeC
two clerical and two lay deputies to thu
General Convention of the Church Il
be held in Philadelphia. These depu
ties were the Rev. David Griffith AM
the Rev. Samuel s. McCrosky, Johl
Page, ESQ.,, and William Lee, Esq
Their instructions were that all Of thei
actions should be marked by liberality
moderation, and Christian charity, rath
er than . too great anxiety regardin
mere forms and creeds other than IN
Apostles Creed. This same modera
ton has always characterized tn
Church in Virginia, it having been il
the past enc hundred years SINGULAR,
free from dissensions aud extremes.
THE FIRST BISHOP OF VIRGINIA
The next convention, which met il
1856, elected Rev. David Griffith a
bishop Of Virginia; but the Churcl
being unable to raise the necessar
funds to send him to Europe for conse
Grafton, he resigned without serving.
Nothing of special interes. marke
the history Of the Church until the Cor
vention Of 1890, when Rev. Jane
Madison, d. d., was elected bishop
lie was consecrated the same year a
Lambeth, England, by the Archsisho
Of Canterbury, the Bishops of Londo
and Rochester. He was thus the frs
bishop of Virginia, and presided for tn
first time over the Convention whie
met in Richmond in 1871. Resolution
we're adopted at this time looking to Ii
r. -