The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-27
A PIONEER CHURCHMAN.
Bishop Hips Story of the Early
Days of His EpiscOpate.
shipwrecked on the Way to San Francisco
Missionary Work in All Sections
Of the State.


calls Early Days of My Episcopate." He
claims for his book no other merit than that
of being a faithful transcript of his diary
kept while engaged in missionary work
during the 5O's and written out thirty-one
years ago, and originally intended to be
published after his death In reality it is
more than this. 1t furnishes a series of
vivid and faithful pen pictures OF society in
California during the decade following the
gold discovery, and shows how the latent
religious sentiment OF the people was crys-
talliZed into form and the better elements Of
the community united for the common good.
There is touch Of pathes in this sentence
from the preface: "Thirty-one years have
eOme and gone since then. | live to see the
fUlfiment OF many prophecies it makes.
The death of many hopes il records"
Bishop Kip's interest in the Golden State
was awakened while he was rector of ST.
Paurs Church at Albany, \. Y, through
letters from relative of his family physi-
clan who was one OF the wardenS OF Trinity
Church in San Francisco. In 1852 Mr.
Mines. rector Of Trinity, died and the YES
try wrote 10 friends In the East for a sue
eessor. After the charge had been offered
70 Rev. c. Is. Wyatt of New York il was
suggested TO Mr.. Kip that California offered
new and promising field for his own labors.
The idea struck him fayoTabiy and he con-
would. Soon after reaching this decision
he received a call TO ST. Peters Church in
Baltimore, which lie declined, but during a
visit to that city preached the subject OF 60
ing West to Bishop Nottingham. THE
Bishon" SAYS Mr.. Kip. seemed to catch at
this as suggesting new thoughts. He looked
down a moment and then said in his rapid
impressive way:
"'Pye new light Fvenew light You
must go to California, but not as Presby-
ter. You must go out IN another capacity.
If you'll 90 10 California I'll pardon you
for not coming to st. Peters,"
tt at was the beginning Of the California
Episcu pate.
Subsequently Mr. Wyatt accepted the
call to Trinity. In October. 1853 the GEN.
eTal Convention met, aud among the promi-
BeDt subjects discussed was that of EpiscO-
pal supervision for California. II was pro-
posed to send out missionary BishOp, but
this was opposed on the ground that il
could not be done, as diocese bad already
been organized in this State. This diff
Guilty was surmOunted. after long debate,
by the House OF Bishops deciding, as
California had not yet been received into
the convention or recognized as diocese, to
ignore It's formation and treat it entirely as
missionary ground. Thus it came about
that Mr.. Kip was enabled to crafty his
burning desire to labor in new fields on the
shores Of the Pacific. He was nominated to
be missionary bishop and after a searching
investigation, involving the characters OF
himself and wife. their parents and even
the populations Of their grandparents, he
was elected and soon after confirmed His
conservation took place Oh October rs, 1852,
and on December 20 the new Bishop with
his wife and 1+year-old son, Willie. took
passage on the steamer George Law Tor San
Francisco. via the iS.hmus.
At Panama the family were transf erred
10 the steamer Golden Gate, which the
Bishop thought the most magnificent vessel
sfoat At San Diego, which was reached
January is, 1858, the Golden Gate parted her
hawseT, ran aground, and, storm coming
up, sprsng leak and was abandoned. The
passengers were safely landed, and Bishop
Kip spent his first day in California with
his feilUW-vOyagers, most of whom camped
On the beach until another steamer came TO
their relief The Bishop was more fortu-
nate, for before nightfall he was made the
guesE of an old New Yorker. When Sum
day came he was requested to hold service
and did so In the courtroom, the congrega-
ton numbering about fifty persons.
just forty days after leaving New York
the Bishop was welcomed TO San Francisco
by the yestry Of Trinity Church and within
three hours after his arrival preached the
first Of that series Of sermous extending
over many years, which have brought peace
and comfort to thousands The pulnit nf
Trinity being flied Bishop Kip accepted the
Tecturship Of Grace Church. then a rickety
structure on Powell street, with twenty
members and the Sheriff at the door"
presumably waiting for the contents of the
contribution box. Under Bishop Kp's min
lShatiOn aud Sklllful business management
the church proSpered so that within five
years it was enabled to purchase the lot
on the corner of Stockton and California
streets and begin the erection of the present
edifce, which, with the recent additions.
competing the original design, is not only
landmark OF San Francisco. but one of the
finest specimens Of Gothic architecture in
the country.
But The work of the missionary Bishop
was by no means confined to his home field
He was tireless In bis energy, visiting all
sections Of the State, gathering together
the scattered members OF the faith, estab-
fishing new congregations and welding the
churches OF tie diocese into a harmonious
whole.
In 1856. By a convention Of the clergy
and Law members, Mr. Kip was elected
full oloces H!sbop, and, strictly speak
ing, his lsbors as missionary were at an
END, though he never ceased his activity in
promoting the growth Of religion in all
parts OF the diocese under his Jurisdiction.
Although no one can fail TO be interested
In the Bishop's account OF his Iifework We
have so briefly summarized, the chief charm
OF his book will be found In his descriptive
sketches Of San Francisco, Monterey. San
Jose, Los Angeles, and, in fact, all The
many places to which his duty called him in
the days when the State was young His
impressions were clear and accurate and
his observations unbiased by prejudice. He
notes with amusement a fact familiar to
residents OF Monterey in its early. INDECENT
GAYS that the church bells rang violently
every Saturday evening so the people might
KNOW The next day was Sunday. A curious
error, Which has escaped the prOofTeader
Is making Walter Colton's first name Calvin.
The book is published by Thomas Whirti-
ker, New York, and is for sale at Doxey's.
McPike's Life of Spurgeon.
In the introduction to this work it is ad-
mitted that Mr.. Surgeons biography has
been constantly written up to date In the
current periodical literature of his time.
At his death little remained new to be told
respecting him. Ali that is proposed ia the
present work is to produce a series of
sketches different from anything that has
yet been put in volume form. In respect to
Spurgeon's pulpit work, about 1900 sermons
were printed and multiplied into number
lesscopies His John PIoughman's Talks"
reached a sale uf 326. 900 copies Reference
Is often made 10 Mr.. Spurgeon's wonderful
voice and his extraordinary command of
language. The doctrine he taught had the
advantage OF simplicity; it could easily be
MADE lnteliigible 10 average minds. The
personal character of his religion was his
perfect faith. His mind did not admit of
doubts OF the absolute truth of the Gospel.
But he arrived at this condition of mind
through the troubled waters OF unbelief
Sturgeon describes in a sermon delivered at
Exeter Hail in 1855 his feelings during this
period. There was an evil hour" he said,
when ] slipped the anchor of my faith.
/ cut the cable of my belief; | no
longer moored myself hard by the
drift before the wind l said to reason,
Be thou nv captain | said to my own
brain, Be thou my rudder,' and l started
on my mad voyage" Mr.. Spurgeon seems
IN at ri hio fpo