The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-14

the better eXperienc Youth consecrated TO
God is the best assurance OF manhood so CON
secrated. and those trained for the altar from
boyhood must always be the class the church
must look TO TO fill her ranks and do her work
There have been splendid exceptions 10 ali the
churches history, and no lack Of them IN our
own, but. when AL Is said, IL is the boys CON
secrated by fathers blessing. and anointed
with the chrism of a mothers tears and prayers
the priesthood In the church OF God IL Is 70
eucn, your own boys. brethren, at your own
firesides, that she must always depend upon to
recruit the ranks Of her service.
The young deacon began bis ministry In his
native state, and there and in Maryland he made
proof Of that ministry till the shot was fired that
shook the land to its center. and ushereo 10
new and changed and terrible world.
Mr.. Beckwith became chaplain in the con
federate army, serving till the war closed on the
stan Of Gems. Hardee or Polk. and proud OF
his commission. with its rank OF captain, which
had assigned him to the work OF bis mercitul
Office amid the wounded and the dying.
When the strife closed he served for some
short time in Demopolia, Ala, and after in a
congregation just organized on Deer Creek. in
Mississippi which he named after his old Mary
land parish-"All HallowS."
In 1865 he became rector Of Trinity church,
New Orleans, and there made himself known
to the churcl, north and south, as one of the
foremost among its younger men.
A MARVELLOUS WORK.
That brilliant and marvellous work which, in
three short years, built up disheartened, dis
organized and poor little parish into one of the
foremost In the whole church, and
of vigor in the whole south. and
which remained piece of work permanent and
firm, founded for others TO build upon till this
day. drew, naturally, the eyes Of many men
Georgia would take no REFUSAL your first cleo
ton declined, you elected him again, and at
last. yielding to the chivalrous impulses of a
noble nature sauctifed by grace he chose the
har1ar iall and Iaff davAtad tvhn
glrded him round and walled him in with
fences of love and trust, and took up the heavy
burdens and the cold loneliness OF the episco-
pate.
1t was no small nor easy place to which the
bishop of Georgia was called. Like all our
southern dioceses, you had suffered bitterly.
The land was covered with the scars of battle.
Your people were in mourning. There we're
cities Of burned aud blackened ruins. Impov-
enlistment was the rule.
And, besides, he was to follow and sit in the
seat OF one OF those born leaders and kings OF
men who at due intervals have, thank God, illus
trated our humble American episcopate. It
was no little thing for any man to stand in
Elliott's place, to suggest the inevitable com
parison, 70 recall the princey presence. the
lofty soul. the polished intellect, the tender
heart OF Georgia's first bishop
am sure your second bishop felt this. l
am also sure that it was his hearts desire to
carry on the great traditions OF your episcopate
and uphold it's high ideals.
And with his memory in our thoughts and
gathered here to drop our tribute of flowers and
tears upon the grasses of his grave, we can hon
estly and gladly bear him testimony that in
sorrow and pain of heart and in much bodily
suffering bis desire did not pass unfulhlled.
/ say 10 bodily suffering, for think IL was the
exception when man served in your southern
armies and endured the terrible stress of hunger
aud half nsksdness. Of want and Watching, of
marches and battle, and did not como out with
his bodily health shattered for life. though he
might bear no scar Of gunshot or saber stroke.
said, just now. THE loneliness OF the epis
copate." IL Is one thing no man knows till ne
tries IL, the terrible loneliness of q bishops
life.
The burdens of the episcopate. its grefs, dis
appointments and anxietes can be guessed and
they can be borne and the cares of oil which
are rolled rightly upon one. But beneath all
lies the perpetual sense of loneliness.
THE LIFE OF BISHOP.
The bishop dwells apart. The closeness of
the pastorate exists not for him. In the most
serious interests he must decide for himself He
bears, in most things. an individual response
bilty. He is conscious Of criticisms TO which
he can make no reply, of blame even to which
he can make no defense. He is the most help
less of men in face of malice or ill-will. lie
must sit alone aud keep silence, sometimes
under the most cruel misapprehensions At
times il is q faint experience of our Lord
Gethsemane, what! could We not watch with
me one hour?"
We send the American Bishop forth into vast
spaces of our socallsd dioceses or jurisdiction
where there is no organization to help, no soul
to share responsibility, where all thin rs are ex-
pecLed from him and nothing is given, where
the only body with which the church, by law.
has PROVIDED him TO assist and advise is body
(the diocesan council or convention, namely }
expressly organized, in its first intention, to
limit his prerogatiVe and embarrass the free
dom of his work.
The enormous faith in the historic episcopate
which exists In our church has never had its
equal hitherto. The American Churchman
seems TO believe the episcopate so all-powerful
that bishop can bear all burdens, provide all
means and build up diocese single handed,
and ut the same time never make a mistake
and never give an offence to deacon, priest or
layman.
He can exercise no control as to who shall
come into his diocese, or who shall leave it, as
to whom parish shall call, or whether it will
call any body. He is absolutely powerless in
the most essential matters connected with his
administration, and yet the diocese and the
church and the world hold him responsible for
growth or failure, for the defeat or victory of
an army in which every officer is independent,
where, in the face OF the enemy, each man may
march off the field at his own will
That in such a chaos, as OF Anarchy and old
Might the church should live at all. much less
grow and increase is to me a very strong proof
OF her divine origin ~
She has the historic epscopate." She
makes much of it in profession. She stands
upon it as one of the essentials in her notes oil
unity. And yet, from the day she got it, she
has beep busy tying it's hands, inventing un-
heard-of contrivances to prevent the exercise
of its divine obligations. She has surrounded
1t with such a mass of American political
IN lchinery, in the way of ballot-boKing and
eleotinR, that 1t is absolutely captive to the bow
and spear of squatter sovereignty"
QUALIFICATIONS FoR A BISHOP.
recall a struggle, many years ago, in an ex
ceptional diocese, q diocese with q theological
seminary i'll 1t of some note; a college, schools
for girls and parish schools; a diocese consid
cred an essentially educational diocese; and the
struggle lasted for two years before the plair
principle was established that a man to be
legislator OF the church, and with power to vot
on canons to bind the bishop or to prescribe tn
manner OF electing him, and the way he Should
! exercise his powers, should be at least a membe
| of the church, the opposing idea being tina
| anything human of the male sex had an inner
ent right tobe member of the convention o
an Episcopal" diocese, if a civil corporation
! called parish, chose to elect him!
Men venerable for years, dignified with uni
versity degrees, opposed the plain, common
sense idea that as man to vote In a Mascnl
lodge must bs a Mason in good standing and
! man to vote even in ball club must be a mem
| Der IN good standing OF the club, and as q mar
| TO vote in Georgia, for instance, must be citi
zen of Georgia in good standing chat is, a
| least not convicted of felony,) so a man to vot
| in the COUNCILS of the church of God must be
member of the church in good standing!
| Through such pitchy darkness as of the Eide
| Night had the church. in this land, to grope he
way into comprehension of her own natur
and business among men.
The weakness of the church 10 the mother
land for generations has been her "Erastiar
| ism"
The names of half-dozen really able me
| bishops and doctors as they werel, such as Bul