Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-09-08
The New Bishop.
The New York Tribune Thinks Father
HUlI's Election n sign of the Times.
From the Sunday Tribune1

The New York Tribune Thinks Father
Hairs Election n Sign of the Times.
From the Sunday Tribune
The election of Father Hail. now of
England, as bishop of the Episcopal dio-
cese of Vermont, is a striking tribute to
personal character, and for this reason has
an interest for Christians of every name.
Father Hall, who is priest of the Angli-
can order of Cowley Fathers, came to
this country about 20 years ago, and for II
years labored in Boston. The prospect of
his succeeding in such a field was, to say
the least, doubtful. Not only was his the
ology of the ultra Catholic type, but he
was a member of a monastic order, even
the habit of which must have seemed me-
diRval and un- American to the metropolis
of New England. Neverthess, it was not
long before he gained the respect and ad-
miration of the whole community, outside
as well as inside the church. 1t was not
simply that the people discovered him to
be man of brilliant intellectual parts and
statesmanlike views, but in doing his work
he exhibited a singleness of purpose and
devotion to duty that were truly Christlike.
| The cultured Gallios of Boston, who were
prepared to make clever epgrams about
the utter uselessness of "priestlets' and
monks" especially in Boston, were num-
bered before many years among his warm
est admirers and Father Hall in his long
black cassock was admitted into the pam
theon of BOstOn's living worthless, along
with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Edward Ev-
erett Hale, Philips Brooks and the rest. 1t
was a unique tribute to noble and unset
fish life, paid by city that does not light
ly bestow such a need of its regard.
Then came the exciting election of Phil
| lips Brooks, between whom and Father
Hall a warm friendship had sprung up.
To the unspeakable surprise of the strict
party men on both sides, the latter sup
ported the candidacy of his friend. The
extreme ritualsts we're extremely indig
nant with him for so doing. Some of them
"read him out of the party" and Father
| Page, his superior, recalled him to Eng
land This act provoked widespread criti-
cism at the time, and drew from the press
of the whole state the warmest expressions
of admiration for Father Hall, so that, in
stead of leaving under an implied stigma,
he left in triumph. At the rent election
for bishop of Massachusetts his name was
prominently mentioned; and many think
that his connection with the Cowley order
alone stood in the way of his election.
Now Vermont has chosen him as its bish-
op; and if he shall see his way to accept,
the Episcopal bench will be adorned and
elevated by his accession to it. Moreover,
he will be the bishop, not of paaty, but
of the whole diocese.
The lowest churchman in Vermont need
have no fear of being prosecuted by him.
For though he still stands by his theolog
ical colors, he has come to sympathize with
the larger movements of religious thought
that are modifying the.character of all the
ologies today. 1t would not be surprising,
indeed, if this fact should lead few ad-
vanced high church dioceses to refuse their
consent to his conservation. Possibly some
of the dioceses which opposed the eleva-
tion of Bishop Brooks may take this atti-
tude, which may prove the old adage,
"Politics makes strange bedfellows," to be
true in the church as well as the state.
But whether the election is confirmed or
not, the choice by such staid New Eng
land diocese as Vermont of an Anglican
priest of a religious order for its bishop is
a remarkable outcome of that greater cath
olicity that is coming to include the whole
sphere of religion.