Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-01

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
BALTIMORE, Nd, June l, 1893.
It is more than likely that the Protestant
Episcopal diocese Of Maryland. which embraces
the District Of Columbia and Maryland, with
the exception of the eastern shore counties,
will petition the general convention when it
meets in Minneapolis in October Of 1895 for q
division Of its territory. The Maryland diocese
| is large one, as dioceses 60, containing over
SO, 900 communicates. and is perhaps the only
one in the country containing two such large
cities as Washington and Baltimore. Bishop
Paret, in his annual message to the diocesan
convention yesterday morning, recommended
such q division, provided it was equitably made
| SO far as territory is concerned, and that sufi-
cient provision is made fer the support Of the
! two bishops
This was Bishop Paret's first official utter
ance on this matter and it took a great many Of
| those present at the convention by surprise.
1t is looked upon by many as an evidence that
| the prospects for the erection of grand cathe-
dral in the national capital are assured. Bishop
Paret says that he is not ready to talk about
| the cathedral project as yet and that matters
with reference to it stand just where
they were some months ago. The project,
however, is looked upon with the greatest
favor throughout the diocese, and with hardly
an exception the clergy are willing to give it
| their support
In connection with the bishops suggestion
for the division Of the diocese the sermon Of
Rev. Clarence Buel ,archdeacon of Cumberland,
| is looked upon as being rather significant. Arch
deacon Buel's sermon was on 1.-The Cathedral as
the Integral Unit Of the Church in the Visible
Expression of its Completeness" '.God be
fhan ad IA hat in
this diocese has been moved to bring the SUBJ
ject forward in the most convincing terms.
May He give to the project thus happily i'll
augurated such complete success shall find
its result in a noble Christian temple not I'M
worthy Of His acceptance for whose glory it
shall be reared and for whose worship it shall
be amply provided. May it be worthy, too, Of
| an honorable place among all the noble build
ings in the beautiful city of which it may prove
the GROWING monument of grace"
He alluded to the special needs OF the cathe
dral the objections that might be made against
it and the great advantages it would be to the
diocese. Had cathedrals come with the first
planting of the church in this country, he con-
tinued, "they would probably have brought
in with them some Of its abuses which, though
not inherent in the system, had yet grown out
like excrescences and which it has been the
aim of recent efforts to remove. While the
contrary system Of absolute parochial fhde-
pendence has certainly discouraged unity Of
actlOu anu TO the Waste OF power III mas aisO leo
| to a deeper feeling of existing deficiencies and
to clearer perception Of the means by which
they can be remedied.
Having in view the whole working of the
system, both as 1: was manifested in the ancient
church and als o as it appears in the English es-
Enlistment, we are quite free to take up and
modify and adopt the cathedral SO to make
it serve in the mos judicial way the great
needs OF the church in our own land. And
just here take it Is the great secret Of the
cordial approval with which the project for a
cathedral in this important diocese has been
generally received. That is to say, it is not to
be an English cathedral. with all its insular ira
ditions transported to our soil. but il is to be
grand exponent of the catholicity as adapted
to the special demands Of our American
church"
BISHOP PARErs RESIDENCE.
Should the cathedral be built and the diocese
divided Bishop Paret would have the choice of
remaining in Baltimore as the head Of what
would be left of the diocese Of Maryland. or Of
going to the national capital. With a cathedral
Washington would undoubtedly be the more
desirable of the two places, but that would be
no indication that Bishop Paret would choose
it. He would DE just as likely to remain in
Baltimore. Should the division take place
Warrington and Baltimore would be the names
| Of the two dioceses. As he said in his address
yesterday. Bishop Paret has heretofore been
opposed to a division Of the diocese of Mary
land. The matter was suggested to him shortly
| after his conservation and he would not con-
| slider it for a moment. Under his vigorous adj
ministration, however, the number of commu-
nicants have increased to more than sc, 900.
| new work has been taken up throughout the
District and in fact his labors now twice as
heavy they were when he took charge. At
| the convention in the Church of the Epiphany
last year he compelled to ask for q private
secretary, which was readily given him.
VIEWS OF THE BISHOP.
"The wonderful growth of our two great
cities" he said. in speaking of the matter, twill
make division absolutely necessary in a short
while Shall we wait until the absolute neces-
sity comes upon us; until the work suffers be-
| cause too great for one man to bear, or shall
We by wise foTethought go before the absolute
necessity and provide for it before it comes? /
do not think for Maryland alone remember
that in the city of Washington God has given
us national opportunities and national RESPONSE
bilities. Powers Of all kinds are centering
| there. and the church should be strongly repre-
sented there. 1t was the rule of the church in
the best and earliest days that every strong city
should have its bishop, and il there is q city in
our land where more than in others that rule
should be followed it is in Washington. Other
religious bodies have already taken bold steps
to take possession.
I'VE should not allow any love for the dignity
Of our own strength nor any loving sentiment
for the diocese as it is to stand in the way Of
the church's real progress. / believe that the
| time has come when it is our sacred duty to take
this grand forward step. By the laws Of the
church the consent of the bishop is necessary
for division Dearly love every part of
the diocese, every parish in it. and painful as
| it would be for me to give anv of them up.
yet if the convention should approve the act
would give consent. But 1 would require two
things-such fair division of territory and
work as would equalize the two burdens. and
such honorable provision for the support Of
the two bishops as should forbid their becom-
ing by serious annual taxation burden on the
parishes and people.
THE GENERAL CONVENTION.
81 read of noble deeds and noble gifts. of
grand endowments for universities and hos
pitfalls. Surely there are men who can love
Christ's church as well as men love merely
human institutions And to accomplish q result
SO important to the church as this believe
there are hearts and hands ready to act But,
besides the will Of the convention and the con-
sent Of the bishop, the approval of the general
| convention is needed. That body does not hold
its regular session until 1895. We have time to
consider the matter fairly. We ought to be
ready to give our own decision at our conven-
| ton Of 1894 1 suggest that the subject Of the
division be referred to special committee. who
shall report both upon the advisability of the
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