Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-08

nv that filed st. Pauls church in this city,
Rev Arthur c. A. Hall, d. D., was Fri
LAY consecra ted third bishop of the diocese
Of Vermont The services of the day began
Mt $50 o'clock in the morning, with the Gel
ebration of the holy communion by Rev. w.
II. Collins of Brattleboro. The cpistoler
was Canon Davidson of the diocese of Mon
treal, and the gospeler Rev Henry NJ. Tor
bert of the diocese of Massachusetts, Morn
ing prayer was said at $3.50 o'clock by Rev.
Charles Martin Niles of Rutland, Rev DR..
Adamsof Bishops college. Lenoxvile, p. O.,
and Rev c. II. Brent of the diocese of
Massachusetts. This service was concluded
at 10 O'Clock and the church was then
cleared. At 1919 the doors were re-opened
for those holding tickets to the conservation
ceremony.
At ii O'Clock Rev. William f. Weeks as
master of ceremonies. formed in the chapel
a procession composed of the choir, bishops
and other clergy i'll the following order:
Cross bearer. Robert Lawrence of the choir
of Trinity church. Rutland: the choir of St.
Paul's church. Burlington, under the direc
ton of organiSt II. +. Stockwell, assisted by
=. h. Whitney of the Church of the Advent
Boston: clergy of the diocese in the order
of their canonical residence; the visiting
clergy of Massachusetts and New Hamp-
shire and representatives OF the church of
England and of Canada: the bshop-ccct
vested in his rotchet, with his attending
presbyters Rev Dr.. j. Isham Bliss of the
diocese of Vermont and Rev. DIR. LuciuS
Waterman of the diocese OF New Hamp-
shire; Bishops Lawrence of Massachusetts,,
Grafton of Fond du Lac Niles of New
Hon lai
Rev DR.. Lewis. archbishop of Ontario:
then the consecrator, Bishop Nicely of
Maine. chairman of the house of bishops.
with his chaplain Rev. George y Bliss
Entering the church by the centre aisle,
the members of the choir took their positions
in the choir stalls: the clergy of the diocese
formed in two lines in the aisle the visiting
clergy entering the chancel between the
lines: the bishop-elect and his attending
presbyterS occupied chairs at the entrance
to the chancel. The altar was decorated
with callas, easter lilies. white roses, hva-
cinths and smilax; grouped around the lee
turn and pulpit We're banks of callas and
hvacinths. with ferns and palms: the font
was filled with pink and white rhododen-
drons and smilaX. The flowers were sent
by Mrs Dr. w. S. Webb and by Boston
florists.
The service was choral being Calkin' $
service of the holy communion IN G.. The
celebrant was the Rt Rev. Dr. Nicely. act
ing in place of the presiding bishop: the
epistoler was the Ri Rev. DR.. Lewis and
the gospeler the Rt. Rev. DR.. Grafton. AZ
ter the singing of hymn 1870 The sermon was
preached by the Ri Rev. Leighton Cole
man, bishop of Delaware. Bishop Coleman
is an earnest and eloquent speaker. His
powerful sermon, with the beautiful charge
to the bishop-elect. who stood while it was
being delivered commanded the closest at
tention of all present. He said in sub
stance
BISHOP COLEMAN's SERMON.
keep that which is committed to thy
tluSt."-l Timothy Wac
We hear much now "a days about heredity
and environment These have, it is claimed,
largely to do, if not with the formation. at
least with the exhibition. of character. We
are what we are not simply because we are,
but because others were and are am adj
dressing members of society whose
very existence may he traced to
the principal of heredity, and who
would be among the last to disavow
their relation to environment. Its history
indeed is but the record of a succession of
inheritance reaching back in uninterrupted
line to, aye and beyond, the very time when
st. Paul wrote to his beloved son in the
Gospel the words of my text. Its environ
ment only serves the more to manifest
the significance of the trust. and to stimu-
late to greater fidelity those who have
received it,
We have merely to look at the United
States of America to see how great the
trust is that has been committed to our own
branch of this society, which is none other
than the church of Christ.
The preacher then gave n number of
extracts from the royal charters granted
to the earliest colonists, showing how it was
that in the beginning this country was
rolonized for Christianity, and further for
that form of Christianity which was found
IN the Church of England.
From this historical review he drew the
conclusion that the Episcopal church was
in very responsible way entrusted with
the religions life of the whole nation.
AS to the question of priority of our ser
vices there is no room for doubt, even as tC
New England.
1t is quite truc-and the fact has sig
nificance which all the moro bears me out
i'll my argument-that for two centuries
the Church was only in name and yet in
wonderful loyalty, episcopal, Her prcser
walton without the episcopatc and yet with
out heresy and schisn through SO long and
so critical a period deserves to RAM
amongst the most remarkable overrulings OF
Divine Providence in the ecclesiastical
history of any age.
Both her clergy and laity were fully con
gcious of the many disadvantages thus entaileC
upon her, and they had the warm sympathy o
churchmen in England These made many
efforts in her behalf which, often as they
were on the verge of success, were frustrat
ed chiefly 10y political considerations and
complications. And yet during all thi'
time, although various proposals were made
for obtaining the needed supply Of clergymer
by other means, none of these were ever re
resorted to, and such as We're ordained wen
to England for that purpose.
We often hear discussions as to whether
the episcopate is necessary to the being o
the church or only to her well-being. S,
far as this country is concerned, this ques
ton would seem to have been settled by tn,
very attitude assumed by churchmen during
the period to which | have alluded, and an