Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-18
EPISCOPAL COUNCIL.
THe WORK EXPECTED or THIS IN
poRTANT ECCLESIASTICAL BODY.
Growth Of the Church in virginia--The
Heritage Of the Bevoiution-rhe
Colonial Ministry Question.

IN St Georges church. icksburg,
Nav 2lat. at 10 o'clock A. NJ. The Rev.
John X. Mason IL the rector Of this church.
Tho Right Rev. Francis NJ. white. d. D..
will preside over the important delibera-
tions Of the council. He will be assisted
by Right Rev. A. NJ. Randolph, d. d.
There are in the diocese about ono hun
drcd and fifty ministers, about the same
number Of parishes, and over two hundred
churches. The number Of communicates
j. between seventeen and eighteen thou
fand This includes only those who have
takon communion within wear. Tho con-
trhutions last year amounted TO abOuttwo
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The
services az the Episcopal Church are held
IN al excepting sixteen counties of the
state. and these counties are remote and
inaccessible.
PBPSoNENAL onowrT.
Tho Growth Of the Episcopal Church in
Virginia since the war has been phenOme-
nal TWENTY-FIVE years ago IN the whole
diocese, then including West Virginia
which has since been SET apart rs sepa-
rate iur q ctiou under Right Rev. George
v. Icterkln. there were only about SIX
thousand commune cauts, whereas IN the
two diooesCs there are row about twenty
one tEouuud rc ular communicates. It's
m"nncIs wcro 20 tnat time chiefly from the
ciGrate aud more wealthy class; now the
beautiful and .ewn liturgy Of the Church
s. used by comWunIcantS representing
cyDy condition of life.
oLD-rtNK EpncOPALIANs.
Vr-v few persons are aware Of the fact
thn. before the Revolutionary war there
vOro In Virginia nearly two hundred min
ist.rs Of tie Church q England. These
mon served in churches SONG Of which
laVc long nee fallen IN ruins. The sites
of many Of these g1cicnt places OF worship
~ nnW marked only by q few scattered
trick and fragments OF tombstoncs hidden
beneath tauglc1 luars and fallen leaves of
remote fields and forests whore no sound ~
now heard save the signing winds and
VIZ ling birds II has been common I'M
" sion that those clcrgynen were SET OF
rliicdng worldly men who nodded more
with pul tics than religion. That some OF
Them were unworthy Of their high calling
L. altogether probable. for tins Is especially
tho case IL an now countries In the man,
however. the clergy dIl good WORK. IL
NUT he remembered That a large number
a. tho head 'ts Of the Revolutionary period
were members of tho Episcopal Church
nmone othcrs Washington. Richard Henry
Leo. Chi.f-lustire Marshall, Patrick Hen
r. ard Governors Nelson and Page.
A01umHTs.
Tnlappily for tho Episcopal Church a
lnrro number of its clergy synpatnZed
th the ENGLISH IN the gT'at struggles for
Independence. The result Ot ms was that
thly soon had 90 return 20 England,
leasIn1 their churches vacant aud their
fo.ks b. be- Gathered by other shepherds.
From This lcrk of ministers aud the pre-.
lll,re which crosse In the popular mind
lrnfu.t 90 church whose liturgy was ASSOC
cia.Dl with subsection to English rule. II
TOOK many. many yours for the Episcopal
l1u- 90 recover The first ftep IN that d.
rnr.i1u was tle REVISING Of tho English
Trarer-bork ard the adapting Of 1t to
American Institutions. The next stop was
the conservation Of several American cler-
Crtncu as bishops. This was dono IN Eng
land by the bishops 81 the Church Of Ing
land. the historic succession was thus
rrc-erycd but mo the same time the irde-
pCudeucc of the Protestant Episcopal
Church IN Amor recognized.
rAHly BIsHoPs.
Among tho FIRST bishops thus consecrated
in England WAS Dr. james Madison. who
h.d been duly elected by the Council OF
Virginia Iu the wear 1850. ile was president
az William aud Mary College. ia 1872 more
tn4n GOO commandments were confirmed.
Soon. however. there arose the trouble
fl.lD quest .Ou rs 90 The right of the Lpls-
colN Church % the property owned by
fNn Church Of Lu"lt1e ms controversy
did Great injury 10 the church IN a spirit
ual wov. aud was decided adversely 20 tho
(hurchs claims. Bishop Madison dlod in
1si7. Ue was learned and excellent man,
Iut feeble haalth aud his contung duties
al tire COLLEGE prevented him from doing
much acgr ssIYc work. Before and lmme- |
dfntolv after bis death the Episcopal
Church had reached Its lowest state OF adj
yor,'fr. Thora wore only seven or eight
4 fol .,l... t.stf Lot in "A
diocese.
THH BURNING OF THE THEATRE.
About this time AN event took place
thrill ar horror throughout the country,
wa under God potent means Of reyiylnc
the Episcopal Church ~ Virginia. This
was the burning of Che Richmond Theatre
on the ri.lt of December PC, 1871. Nun
bers ~ the most prominent families were
ina rnomout robbed 10y death Of their
loved members and deep gloom fell over
tn whole city aud Stale.
ruE MONUMENTAL.
A church was erected on the site OF the |
Theatre. anl Wa deedrlto the Episcopal |
Church u.s. q phce Of worship IN 1871. |
Bishop Richard Claiming Moore. then a |
q uusuI.h,l clergyman OF New Y ork city. |
w.. trr1u Pc tho lp7trumentaiity OF Or. |
William Nealo. Edmund Lee. and others. |
elected iish hop OF Virginia and rector OF |
Monumental churcl. The man and the |
ppr.rtuuity met, the good and eloquent |
Bishop found q field Whitening for the |
harvest. There wa great revival OF IN !
( rest IN the services of the Episcopal !
Church. ola parishes were revived. new |
one. were form Cd. and above all an enthu- |
s.a-t e loyr OF its ancient liturgy aud evan
Eelicu ploty was aroused.
BISHOP MOORE.
Many of our older citizens remember tho |
SANITY face and venerable form OF old |
l. nop Moore, whose house was near the |
corner 81 Fifth and leigh streets. When |
Bishop Moore died IN 1871 he left seventy |
clugymon. some thirty OF forty candidates |
for tho ministry, more thnn hundred |
chur tr- cad. above all. hls eloQuenco, |
bis brotherv hc1r'n" 10 other Christians, |
lad aroused widespread interest III the |
communion Dee represented. Bishop |
Ncadc. Who had for years before been |
bishop Moore's active and gifted assistant, |
carried the good work on with dlStln- |
RUSHED zeal aud energy, beng IN HIS turn |
i,.cd bv Bishop John Johns, who was !
also u man OF great ClOGucnce and power.
pisaor NEDT's WORK.
Bishop Meade often rode on horseback |
f. M one end OF the diocese 20 the other, |
Gud would frequently bo away from home !
FOR months ul TIME. II" was an uIuehl /
advocate Of Nirs mas course IN the iate
war. Before the war tcrmii atod he died /
lerc iu Richmond and Was buried from st.
pauls church, hisremams afterwards bong |
moved 10 the Theological Seminary, Alex !
audria. which ho had founded and which |
he loved 50 VOL.
During the good Bishops last sickness |
he had "a most affecting interview with |
General Robert r. Lee whom he had bap- /
- IL. I'd
dressed fam ihaTly as Robert.
TRIBUTE TO LIE.
On his diving bed he paid beautiful tri- |
l,uso IL the Great generals character. and |
20 the course Le had taken in the war be-
tween the $ ate-. .,.,,
In 1857 Right Rev. Francis II. White, D.
i. WIS elected 10 assist Bishop Johns, who |
y,"s letting infrm. Bishop Johns, after |
liay1g brought the Church IN, Virginia
!, hrau~h a most trying period. and, having
done a noble work. died in 1915.