Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-24
FIRST OF ITS KIND.
A Very Important Service Held at
Trinity Episcopal Church.
LAYMEN'S MISSIONARY LEAGUE
Receives an Effective Impetus in Aid of Its
Commendable Work.
ARCHDEACON MACKAY-SMITFS SERMON

chronieling good work already done, and
the admission of number of Christian men
to holy Offices characterized the service held
at Trinity Episcopal Church, last evening.
The service was the first of the kind in
Pittsburg, and, one Of the first in this
country and is especially arranged for the
occasion of the admission of candidates to
membership in the Daymen's Missionary
League, a new move in Episcopal Church
affairs designed for the purpose of giving
assistance to the Bishop and clergymen of
the diocese, by extending their labors into
districts without the reach of churches of
the denomination.
Archdeacon Mackay-Smith, of New York,
vas present, and delivered sermon intended
to be the first of a series Of discourses to be
delivered annually at the meetings of the
League 1t was grand sermon, breathing
noble thoughts and ideas, interviewer with
truths apparent to all.
LICENSED TO WORK.
Mr.. John o. Slemmons, local secretary,
made the first annual report, after which
seven lay evangeliSts and like number of
readers were licensed to work during one
year in the service of the church.
When the reading of the lessons and the
musical portion of the service had been con-
cluded, Bishop Whitehead announced that
the occasion was the first annual meeting of
the 1aymen's Missionary League, and in
vited the secretary to read the first annual
report. In it was detailed the fact that the
organization now numbered 40 active men,
bers, and had grown from very small
beginning. Meetings were held throughout
the year. at least once monthly. Missions had
been established at St. Georges Church,
West End; also one at CHARTERS; by Emman-
mel Church, at Woods Run; at Mount Oliver,
and one established by layman, known as
st. Cyprian's, and made up of colore0 MEM
bers who met in Trinity Chapel; also an ar
rangement had been made to supply ST.
Paul's with regular Sunday evening
service.
OTHER BRANCHES NEEDED.
1t was suggested that the League ought to
have branches shortly at Shsrpsburg, Pleas
ant Valley, Soho, and other districts far be-
yond reach of the churches. The scheme
of work adopted was similar to what was
known as the rural deanery of Auckland, in
the diocese of Durham, England. Satisfac-
tion was expressed at the interest taken in
the work. Already four evangelists, sew
eraI readers and several clergymen had
given their services to it. Rev. John R.
Wightman had consented to act as chaplain,
and to assist in overseeing and visiting the
different districts
Material assistance had also been rem
dered by Bishop Whitehead, Revs. R: J.
Coster, NJ. BYllesby, j. c. White, DID,,
R. A. Cayley. william c. Rogers
and G. A. NJ. Dyess. Among
the evangelists who had served were
Messrs. Arthur d. Brown; D. W. William
som, Richard d. Corfeld and Robert Knox;
among the readers: Messrs. Charles Shaler.
Jr., W. R. Bratt, R. c. Cornelius, c. K
Chamberlain, c. S. Shoemaker, G. C.
Burgwin, W. W. McCandless, John B.
jackson, H. Il. Brunot and Edwin Logan.
Prot. P. A. Won Weller had also lent as
sistance by musical lessons at least once a
week.
FINANCIAL AID NEEDED.
Sunday schools and Bible classes would
be established, but money was needed to
purchase Bibles, prayer books, tracts, etc.
At the conclusion of the report Arch
deacon Mackay-Smith preached the sermon
of the evening. Ee said that the figure of
St. Paul before Festus and Agrippa was
the grandest known to Christian men. How
he, humiliated by being chained to a COM
mon soldier, was yet the grandest type of
that assemblage. When he looked around
with calm and steadfast eve at the visages
filled with hatred and malice toward
him and fearlessly avowed his
belief in the vision which had
been revealed to him on the road to Damas-
Gus and what Jesus Christ had done for him.
The grandeur of that figure is the boldness
of the man in avowing his belief in God
when surrounded by lnfdelity. The
speaker did not wish it to be inferred that
infdelity was strongest in the world to-day,
but it was during the last generation that
free speech had given rise to the better op-
portunities of infdelity to gain strength.
He was glad to have this freedom, but
it entailed duty on every Christian man
to boldly acknowledge Jesus Christ and
not be ashamed OF Him, as too many were.
In the shops and workrooms the toilers read
and study Tom Paine, and boldly preach his
doctrines, while the Christian man was
usually silent and apparently afraid to
aYow his beliefs.
NOT THE PROPER THING.
It was foolish in Christians. said the
speaker, to think that the smartest men
were infidels. The collegiate chairs of the
leading educational institutions of the world
were Christian. What were Christians
ashamed Of? 1t was this that gave Satan
chance to work, butt he thanked God that there
were men present who were not only
not ashamed, but would go iorth and make
the fight. It was a pleasure to know that !
at last q system was being organized by
which the coming generation could be
properly educated. Many men were only |
half taught BY newspapers. which were the |
only things they read; but the Christian |
church would by the power of love lead |
them to what was right. Men were not ful- |
filling their duty by coming into the sane
tusry. They must do more. They must |
work, that other men be drawn to it and /
then they can 60 to their homes happy with j
the knowledge of the good they have done |
in not being ashamed of the gospel of God. |
''There is storm in the world to-day, and |
the clouds are lowering over the face OF the /
deep. The vessel is laboring and the steers /
man is aweary. But whose is that noble |
form on the prov, watching with calm eve
the wild tumult of nature. Who is He that
stretches His hand over the fercely warring
waves and says, Peace, be still.''
AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY.
The large congregation present listened
attentively to the sermon and then the can
didates were called upon to enter the chan
Gel and the ceremony of admission took
place. This was very impressive affair,
each one having to answer in person the in
terrogations prescribed in the Office for the
licensing of the missionaries put them bv
Bishop whitehead. The entire ceremony
was interspersed with music by the choir.
After the service Bishop Whitehead
stated in an interview that be had been one
OF the first to instigate the work in this
country. That he had been in England in
the year 1888 when Bishop Lightfoot, of
Durham, England, first inaugurated the
idea, and had been SO taken with it that as
soon as he came back to this country be sug-
gested trial Of it, with results away beyond
L al