The Washington times., 1894-10-15
Closing Session of the Brotherhood OF
st. Andrew Convention.
SERMON OF BISHOP SESSUM
His Anniversary Discourse Heard by More
Than a Thousand Delegates-Afternoon
Meeting at Convention Hall-Farewell
Services in Epiphany Church.

pied the attention of delegates to the Brother
hood OF st. Andrew convention, which held
its closing session in the Church OF the Epiph-
any last evening.
But two sessions were held yesterday, at
$3.50 in the afternoon and at 7:30 in the even
ing. Holy comm union was celebrated in a
number of churches in the early morning At
$3.50 Bishop Sessum preached the anniver-
sary sermon, and at IL O'Clock the clerical
delegates occupied the local Episcopal pull
pits.
Brotherhood men crowded the Epiphany
Church yesterday morning to hear Bishop
Sessum preach the anniversary sermon. The
bishop spoke from this text: art thou a
king then? am king. but my kingdom is
not of this world" He began by referring
to the coming of the God. and spoke of the
/ reasons why men are drawn to the King Of
| Heaven.
But when He says that his kingdom is not
| OF this world, said the speaker, 'and when
| we find that the king is not crowned. it is
natural for the world to be staggered and
| ask what means this paradox.
''Ihen, because men are in conflict with
! outward affairs the dream of the divine king
| dom is swept awav. And while the heart
| cherishes this divine dream we will clash arm
! against arm, and men say we will leave it for
] tup power vi OIlulpOlclCc ~ ItdlILt lHIS Ill
vine kingdom. We need to persuade men
! that the vision is only vision. and that the
! the only way that the kingdom may be ac-
/ compIished is by the inspiration of this Di-
vine King; that the only power by which this
world can be conquered is by the divine wea-
/ pons OF the Divine Christ
Perhaps the church has been presente d TO
| the world as means to an end beyond itself.
| Perhaps they have imagined that the Church
/ of God is some little coterie of favor. Because
men have been taught that the church is only
a temporary vehicle TO transport them to the
| heavenly kingdom, therefore, they say, they
will have none OF that but get something
which will save the world. 1t is the business
| OF the men of St.Andrew to tell men that there
| is no difference between the Kingdom of God
| and republic of aen.
"It is the business of the men of ST. Andrew
! to tell men that the Kingdom OF God is real
and that the Heavenly Father is not an auto
crat, and all men are brothers, and that men
shall not live by the law of self-preservation
but of love.
TEMPORAL WELFARE NEGLECTED..
"If We find outside of the church institu-
tions which recognize the brotherhood Of
man it is because the church has paid all at
tention to the spiritual welfare of mankind,
but as left the work of caring for the tempo
raj welfare Of man 10 these other organiza-
| tions.
when the gospel OF Christ is preached TO
| men they fear that the present government
cannot be supplanted by kingdom of evil
! Men should learn that this triumph is the old
| principle which was the foundation of the
/ whole world. Because men come in contact
with the outward things Of the world they
seem to contradict the principles upon which
| Christianity is builded.
Men say it is difficult to understand the
| proclaimed truth that the kingdoms of this
earth shall become the kingdoms of the
| Heavenly Father and ask where and what is
| the kingdom of God. 1t is for the men OF the
| Brotherhood of st. Andrew to show clearly
to the men of the world that the kingdom of
| God is in all things. That it is in the busy
| commercial centerS of the great nations, i'll
the factories and shops, in all occupations, in
| all places where there is power and energy.
Everywhere where man suffers and tolls
there God rules in all and over all, invisible
! though His power may be. Let US teach men
that God is in all their work and show them
| how dependent they are upon Him for what
| they receive, although they may believe such
a statement. We, as members of the Brother
! hood of st. Andrew. should use all the in
| strumentalities of the human life and be one
! of the agencies by which the love of God
shall find lodgment in the hearts of our
| fellow-men, and then the ministry shall have
new name and all the sons of the Father
shall be kings and priests in His eternal
| presence.
NOT A SAD GOSPEL.
''Men may, aye, men do tell US that the gos-
| pei OF Jesus Christ is a sad gospel; that it is
right to call it the gospel OF the man of sorrow;
that the cheeks Of the Divine Hero are misty
with the tears of His ancient seers. 1t is the
! business of the men of st. Andrew Brother
hood to proclaim and show by their life aud
example that Christianity is the most joyful
religion in the world.
1.-The final message which leave with the
men of st. Andrew is to so endeavor to imi-
tate the divine Christ that the world may see
! what glad and glorious religion is ours and
then may we partake of part of the Joy and
glory which is promised to US in the life
eternal
One of the largest audiences which has
ever assembled in this city gathered at Con-
vention Hall yesterday afternoon, to hear
laymen and prelates, prominent in the
Brother hood of st. Anerew, discuss three OF
! the fundamental principles OF the organiZa-
ton of 1.-The Protestant Episcopal Church.
| Lessons for the creation and existence of the
! Office of bishop for the continued and con-
/ sistent conscientious use of the prayer book,
! and causes for the creation Of cathedrals were
given.
! While the audience was composed largely
of members of the Brotherhood. there was a
| goodly number of ladies. and of gentlemen
not Brotherhood men present.
When Bishop T. V. Dudley, of Kentucky,
chairman Of the meeting, raped for order ut
| $3.50. each one of the more than 1000 seats in
the hall was occupied and several hundred
persons were standing.
FUNCTION OF BISHOPS.
After singing and prayer the bishop intro
duced Mr.. Silas McBee second vice president
of the Brotherhood of st. Andrew, who, in
answering the question. "Why we have bish-
ops?" proceeded to give an extended history
of the Episcopal Church, and attempted to
! demonstrate the fact that eventually the Epis-
/ copal denomination will absorb all others and
| become the worlds religion. In the course
of his remarks Mr.. McBee said:
Il will ask you to consider few facts as
! they stand before US to-day. Facts precede
/ dogmas AMI theories in the events of the
I worlds history. The crucifXion and the re-
/ surrection were facts before they became
| theories. The church was fact before it be-
! came a theory. For the past 800 years over
! 400, 900 inhabitants of this earth have teste
the fact that Episcopal Church government is
| the best in chrlstendom.
''God had seen fit to endow US with stable
creed and it is the duty of the bishops to
! guard and effuse that creed In this world
to-day the re are 2S,750,000 Episcopalians,
19.500, 900 Methodists, Is. .300,0 600 Roman Catho-
| lies, II, 100000 Presbyterians. 100000 Bap-
lists, 6,000,000 Congregationalists, and 32.
| 600, 900 members of other denominations
| am of the opinion that it will be but short
time when all the other scattered and con-
! fl1cting denominations will unite and the
Episcopalian will be the worlds denomina-
tion. The world is crying for salvation. Will
we not work consider and trust God for our
success in converting the millions of heathens
on the earth tO-daYI'