Evening journal., 1889-10-30
THE BISHOPS RESUME
OF THE EPISCOPAL TRlENNlAl
CONVENTION.

Be Recommends the Establishment of
an Order Of Deaoonnesses and Says the
Convention Operates as a Safety
valve.
A united service of the Episcopal con
gregations Of this city was held la St.
Andrews Church last evening. Ali tho
rity clergy we're present: Rev. Alexis l.
Dupont Coleman, Rev. David Howard Of
Calvary; Rev. H. Ashton Henry, Trinity
Rev. H J. Hammond, Immanuel; Rev. T.
Gardner Little, d. D.. st. Johns; Rev.
Martin B. Dunlap, Old Swedes; Rev
Charles E Murray, st. Andrews; Bishop
Coleman Bishop Coleman announced
the meeting Of the Delaware Branch OF
the Womens Auxiliary to the Board OF
Missions, in Trinity Church tomorrow,
and desired large attendance The col
lection last evening was for the
general fund for disabled clergymen
The bishop then delivered an interesting
address on the work Of the general con-
vention held in New York. His address
in brief follows: There is hardly any
one who knows that the constitution OF
the church in the United States is simi-
lar TO the constitution of the country;
but such is the case Ii is feature Of
the countrys constitution that the rep
resentatiyes Of the people shall give an
account Of their stewardship to their
constituents, So we are here to.niRht.
The General Convention is divided into
two houses. the house Of bishops includ-
Ing all bishops; and the house Of depu-
ties, including eight representatives
from each diocese. and representatives
from the missionary jurisdictions.
Both houses must concur In
an action before 1t is made
law. ANY Imeasure for altering
the Constitution Of the Prayer Book If
made by one general Convention, Is sub
mitted to Diocesan Conventions for
approval or rejection and is brought be-
fore the next General Convention. This
last convention was especially interesting
because 1t WAS opened on the one hun
dredth anniversary after the adoption Of
the constitution. A general convention
was held in this city in 1856 and some
matters Of great Importance were de-
clded.
ITO show the growth of the church
present the following comparative
statistics: In 1879 at the general conven.
tion there were present two bishops and
thirty representatives from nine dioceses.
including clergy and laity In 1889 there
were sixty five bishops at the convention
and five not present; delegates to the
number of 400 from fifty.one dioceses
andAfrpm eleven missionary jurisdictions.
The service at the opening of the
General Convention in st. Georges
Church superseded all services have
ever attended in reverence and heartiness
of participation. Nothing ever impressed
me as that service did. Il gave a tone to
The work Of the convention. If one
thing was more remarkable than the
others IN the convention 1t was the unity
of action, absence Of discussion concern
ing the High and Low Church-terms
which utterly abhor at all times, and
publicly when have the opportunity
The chief subjects brought up were
proposed alterations in the prayer book
aud hymnal The revision Of the hymnal
was laid ever until the next convention.
The ides ia revising the prayer book was
TO allow more liberation, to enrich the
book and 10 give it more iiexibility. The
common sentiment was that as the PRAYER
book had been in use 100 years, and the
country had grown SO much, that it
would be well TO consider IL. A wrong
Impression was created BY the newspa-
pers, Some said we were deciding not
to adopt the creed that some Of It's
clauses were contrary to our doctrine. II
was no such thing The Nicene Greed
had been adopted a century; the discus.
sion was as TO how often the creed should
be said daring the year
The convention admitted as new
dioceses the missionary jurisdictions Of
Colorado and Oregon, and divided the
dioceses Of Missouri and Nebraska.
hope many OF people will remember to
make bequests to missionary work.
An interesting feature Of the conven-
tions work was the establishing Of an
order Of deaconnesses. There had been
deaconnesses before, but now they will
be recognized by canon. | am
believer in the usefulness of sisterhoods
and hope the time is not far distant
when every church in The diocese shall
have some sisters whose time is devoted
to church work. A Church University
Boa-d was created for the better educa.
tion OF voung men to the ministry.
Marriage and divorce.were discussed
but time did not allow their fun consid-
GRAFTON, There is no question which is
more pertinent than this The church
has spoken Ia no uncertain tone but we
want her to speak again Our church
does not need much tinkering. Some
persons think that tho General Conven-
tion is safety valve to blow OF the
accumulated steam Of three years. am
therefore glad that some things were NOT
done.
II draw your attention 70 the pastoral
letter read at the close Of the convention
setting for this church as the Catholic
and Apostolic church. She stands well
before al denominations and the world at
large. She now has 4, 600 clergymen;
], 400 layreaders, and 43f candidates for
the ministry. There ale A90, 900 commu-
nicants 50 far as reported, and 500. 600
on the rolls This means at least 9. 500
OOO church members. There has been q
great increase in bsptisms and confrma-
tions. Theirs were reported 172, 900 bap-
tized and ll3, 600 confirmed in the three
years. The offerings reported amount to
$33, 300 eco, great deal less than the
actual amount contributed"
The speaker then briefly spoke OF the
meetings that we're held during the con.
vention, and said he would. discuss the
Church Unity" at some future time.
He referred TO the negro question and
said the church would allow no discrimi.
nation. He closed with an earnest plea
for energetic work for the church In the
Diocese Of Delaware.
on for Dover.
The following Wilmingtonians left the
city for Dover on the $50 train thi.
morning, to attend the dedicatory exer