The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1891-1893, 1891-12-20

represent the Com mlttee as they rep
resent the clergy and laity of
your diocese In the presenta
tion of slight testimonial
Of our loyal respect and esteem. our
sincere affection and love, and Of
our grateful appreciation Of your
faithful efyices to the church at
large for the last half century,a and es-
pecially to this diocese for no incon-
siderable part Of this long period as
its chief pastor.
The particular form which this
testimonial, after some deliberation.
has assumed, SO far from being any
innovation or novelty in the church
as some regard well.nigh every
thing lot of local famil arity-but
serves to recall an invariable part Of
her significant ritual ''for many ages,
even till after the Reformation"
We all remember that In the pre-
face to our Prayer Books "the Pro
testant Episcopal Church in these
States" gratefully acknowledges its
indebtedness, under God, to the
Church of England, for her first
foundation and long continual. ce
OF nursing care and projections" but
1t is not IS generally known or re-
membered that in the ordinal of the
first prayer book of the Reformed
Church of Christ in England, com
monty called the First Book of Ed
ward the With, and which has been
commended by high authority as
the noblest monument OF piety. of
prudence End OF learning which The
sixteenth century constructed" the
Pastoral staff, "made in the shape of
shepherds crook, was constantly
given 10 The bishop at his consecra-
lon to denoCo that he was then con-
sfltuttd onherd over the f pck Of
Christ, and was expressly ordered
to be used by him AS an ensign of
his office at all public ministra-
tons Wheatley), as it is used in
several dicceses of the Church Of
England to-day.
No one, apprehend, who has
ever been privileged to be present
at the services attending the conse-
Grafton of a bishop in this church,
ard according to- our present ordi-
nal, can scarcely fail to have been
profoundly impressed at the solemn
words Of the concluding charge
given to the candidate: "Be to the
flock of Christ a shepherd, not a
volt; feed them, devour them not.
Hold up the weak, heal the sick,
bind up the broken, bring again the
outcasts, seek the lost" But with
what additional force and beauty
and impressiveness do these com
forting words come commended to
US when We recall the fact that
originally and for ages they were &C
companied with the solemn delivery
into the candidates hands of the
pastoral staff--the ancient symbol
of that sweet sway of love of the
Good Shepherd which pervades the
entire language of the charge,
and upon which indeed it is founded
And so are the sign and the thing
slgnided this loving relation of the
flock to it's ruler and guide-pre-
eminently pastoral.
SO much, Rt. Rev. Sir, l have
ventured to think not altogether i'm
pertinent to this occasion and in this
connection but | shall have been
wholly misunderstood if any one sup
poses tor a moment that | am max
ing any plea for the restoration of
the pastoral staff to its primitive
place in the ritual Of the church.
This, for one, l neither desire, nor
nope, nor expect.
Yet in this day and country and
IN this, our community, when the
various regalia and insignia of office
IN numerous fraternitits and benev-
olent organizations whose good
works are SO abundantly evident,
are of every day observa,ion-when
batons and slaves and squares and
compasses and plummets and trowels
ahd maces and swords and the like
are constantly seen in professions
on our streets and in lodge rooms,
and are not 0nlx conaidarad xoru