Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-22
BISHOP PARET'S ADDRESS.
Opening Sessions of the Annual Con.
vention of the Diocese of Maryland.


vention of the Diocese of Maryland.
DISTINGUISHED GATHERING OF PROTESTANT
EPISCOPAL cLERGYMEy AND LAYMEN-oPESINa
sERvIcEs-THE BISHOPS VIEWS ON PRAYER
BOOK REVISION, CoLoRED MEMBERSHIP, ETC.
The bright morning light shone through the
stained glass windows of Epiphany church this
morning and rested in softened radiance upon
distinguished gathering of the clergy and
ialty OF the Protestant Episcopal church. The
occasion was the annual convention of the do
| cese OF Maryland, which includes the parishes
| OF Maryland excepting the Eastern Shore) and
the District of Columbia. The clergy assem-
| bled before 10 O'Clock in the Sabbath-school
| room in the rear of the church, when. having
robed, they proceeded in procession around
the outside of the church to the main entrance.
escorting Bishop Paret. AS they entered the
church and marched up the main aisle the
choir rendered n professional. At the altar
step the line of white-robed clergy paused. aud
| the ranks dividing, the bishop passed through
| and assembled the altar.
THE OPENING SERVICES
The services were conducted by Bishop Paret,
| who was assisted by Rev. DR.. Leonard, Rev. A.
s. Johns, Rev. Mr.. Murphy. Rev. Mr.. Phelps,
| Rev. W. C. Butler. and Rev. Mr. johnson. The
u. II.
Leland Prince George county, Maryland. whose
| theme was THE Power of the Holy Ghost" II
was scholarly discussion of this important
| subject, and was heard with close attention bv
the large congregation. The religious services
closed with the administration OF communion.
The procession of the clergy was again formed
and proceeded back to the robing room.
PATHETIC INCIDENT.
One incident in the service had pathetic
interest The bishop offered special prayers
for the sick, and in the hearts of many in the
| audience the reference was made personally to
the son of Rev. DR.. McKim, the rector of
Epiphany church. Yesterday DR.. Mckim re-
ceived the sad intelligence that his son, who is
student OF medicine in Vienna was seriously
| ill with peritonitis. The father started at once
for Europe. and was not present to welcome the
members OF the convention to his church.
THE CONVENTION WAS CALLED TO ORDER
by Bishop Paret, Immediately upon the concll-
sion of the religious services. The roll of the
clerical and lay delegates was called by the Sec
rotary, Rev. Peregrine Wroth. The names of
clergyman who are members of the convention
were printed in yesterdays STAR, with list of
the lay delegates from this city.
Rev, Mr.. Wroth was reelected secretary and
Mr.. John L. Mason was named as assistant Sec
rotary.
1t was decided that an adjournment for half
an hour at o'clock should be taken each day
lOr luilcl, anu an dulOurnInent at D until
o'clock for dinner. At ! o'clock a recess was
taken and the members of the convention were
entertained at lunch furnished by the ladies of
the congregation OF Epiphany church in the
Sabbath school room.
THE COMMITTEES ANNOUNCED.
After recess the bishop announced the follow
ing committees:
On elections-3Iessrs. G. H. Stanley, r. J.
Williams, t. S. Iglehart.
On accounts-Messrs. J. Schaaf Stackett,
Lloyd Lowndes, T. p. Chaffelle.
On the admission of new parishes and con-
gregations-the Revs. ". J.. Hyland, d. D.,
Walter A. Mitchell, Jacob A. REGISTER, Messrs.
II. NJ. Murray, Thomas S. Moore.
On rights of clergymen to seats-Revs. E. II.
Doyle, Gilbert f. Williams, A. c. Haverstack.
On canons-Revs. Julius E. Grammar, d. d.;
i. l.. b. Hodges, s L. d.; William A. Leonard,
D. D.; Messrs. Charles Albert and W. A.
Stewart
On parochial OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Edgar
G. Miller, Samuel J. Hugh. and j. T. Armes
On the state of the church-The Revs Josiah
B. Perry, Alfred Harding, Arthur S. Johns,
Messrs. Francis II. Bates, and A. D. Cooley.
On ways and means-Messrs Joseph Pack
ard jr.. E. S. Miller, and c. K. Harrison.
On donations-Messrs. Skepirth Wilmer. Law
rason Riggs. Charles Markell, Richard L. Poor.
and W. b. Trundle.
The bishop nominated for election by the
convention as the ecclesiastical court the Revs.
VIM. 7. Brand. ID; Thos. J. Wyatt,
Geo. Geo. e G. 1 ssaRgs & 4bo K Nelson sa5 bD
d, d., and George X. Warner; and for the COM
mittee on the Episcopal library, the Revs. Hall
Harrison, J. Ii. Eccleston, ID. D.. F. W. Pun
nett W. w. Williams, d. D., Messrs. r. NJ.
Proud, Charles 7. Taylors, Randolph Barton.
The bishop then delivered his address.
The Bishops Address.
Bishop Paret began his address by stating
that his work during the past week was some
what interrupted by his absence from the do
cese for nearly two months in attendance at
the Lambeth conference in England In speak
ing of this conference he said that it was a
meeting of the representatives of the various
national and colonial churches, which on the
great lines maintained by the church of
England, while rejecting the corruptions and
usurpations Of the church of Rome. hold fast to
the fixed things of Catholic antiquity in faith
and worship and sacraments and discipline
The bishop stated that he had visited lis of
the churches and chapels in the diocese, and
hoped during the summer and autumn to visit
all the rest. In this work he preached l2l
times, delivered 81 addresses and confirmed
1, S54 persons. The number confirmed is not as
large as last year, owing. he thought. to his
long absence. But he added that the mere
number of the confirmed did not satisfy him
The church, he said, in this settled diocese as
III many Others is falling. or rather has
FALLEN INTO A WRONG IDEA
and habits of church work. 1t has lost he
thought. the aSressiyeness. the seeking, the in
viting. the winning. the compelling 10 come in,
which stood foremost in the Lords command
when he sent ont his first apostles. In the
cities the church seems to do little more than
minister to those who are already in it. and re-
ceive quietly those who voluntarily seek it,
There are many in the congregations who
neglect communion and who are not con-
iirmed. IL is going ont of church fashion, he
said, to preach much to these. There may be
sometimes few efforts made TO reach the
multitude of irreliSious outside OF the church.
but at the best such efforts are limited. We
have almost ceased to preach what used to be
called
CONSTRUCTIVE CHURCH PRINCIPLES"
He deprecated the delay in confirming per-
sons, and thought that it should not be the aim
to train them to all knowledge and godliness
first, and then baptiZe and confirm. Put bap-
tism and confirmation at the very beginning,
and through them reach the deeper earnest
ness. He urged the clergy to be holder. more
aggressive, to go after the neglectful and bring
them in. He advised them not to be afraid OF
the charge of PROSECUTING.
URGING MORE ACTIVE WORK AMONG THE CoLoRED
PEOPLE.
OF the whole number of persons confirmed,
the bishop said, only eighty-fve were colored
people He said that of the 967 900 persons in
the diocese some $50 600 are colored people, and
the question must force itself upon all, as to