Evening journal., 1894-11-20
CLERGY IN SESSION.
Annual Convocation of the
Diocese of Delaware.
SERMON BY REV. JH oHEsLBY

Blshop Coleman This NTornIng-First
business Session Begun shortly Before
Noon Discussion ny clergy and Lay
men.
Last night the initial service OF the
convocation of the Diocese Of Delaware
was held at st. Johns Protestant Epis-
copsl Church, Market aud Twenty first
street. At s o'clock the whiterobed
choir boys marched ia, singing, followed
by the clergy, and the service WAS begun.
After devotional exercises, Rev George
O. Hall, rector OF st. Johns parish, spoke
few warm words OF welcome to the
visiting clergy and laity He said he
was glad to see the other churches Of the
city represented. He was followed by
Bishop Coleman, who heartily endorsed
what had already been said and extended a
cordial invitation TO all to be present at
the various sessions He conducted the
remainder OF the service.
The addresses OF the evening we're by
Rev George w Dame, Jr of Smyrna; Ed
ward w Bradford, of ST Johns parish. and
Charles Nj Curtis, OF Trinity parish
Each speaker was allowed hfteen
minutes. After twelve minutes, a
warning bell was sounded, and at the
expiration OF the allotted time the bell
| rang again.
Rev. Dame was the Hrst speaker, and
the subject Of his talk was "The Church.
man In his Devotional Life He spoke
Of the necessity of a devotional life. One
thing God desires Is the personal devo.
tion of lives TO his services The church.
man must lead an honest, upright life.
love and support his church, yet II he
does all this, and does not yield per-
sonal love, all these are as nothing He
related, as an illustration, the story of
the Peri who went to the gates of Para.
disc to seek admittance. But an angel
| told her that not until she had brought
something that God loved best
could she enter there So she
went flying away, and stopped
/ on a battlefield and saw great hero
dying. She caught the few last drops
OF his blood, and went back to heaven.
But it was not those that God loved
best OF she new again and found a
woman who was dying with grief for
lost husband She gathered her last
sigh and took 1t to Paradise, but II was
not that that God loves best Then she
went away, still searching for the
treasure. At last she came to a man,
deep In sorrow and repentance, Yearning
to sacrifice his life to tue service Of God.
She caught tear from his weary sin
laden eye, and with 1t hew to heave n
where the gates we're opened unto her
Mr. Bradford talked about THE
Chnrchman In His Secular Life He
thinks the churchman Is bound to the
observance OF the church In both church
and secular life He must clearly dis
tinguish between right and wrong. In
his secular life there is constant con
iiicting OF the two forces He has
temptations TO resort TO ignoble methods
in business and politics, but on the
other hand, has a broad field In which
TO do good, as by his influence other men
may be elevated and ennobled. He took
decided stand against swearing. Said
1t Is revolving, unmanly and wicked
Instead Of lavishing to0 much on self,
the churchman should render a loving,
generous support to his church he
spoke OF the rules that should guide a
churchman's secular life and closed with
3 recommendation that the teaching Of
the church should be applied to the
everyday life.
Charles NJ Curtis. in his talk about
the ChurchmRn In His Recreation and
Amusement, advanced the theory that
churchmen differ from most men in
many respects The church now allows
its members recreation aud amusements,
though there was a time when this was
not so. AS rule the responsibilities Of
the churchman and Christian are the
same. In the Lenten season he shonl
abstain from amusement and recreation.
He should not 90 to theatres and balls.
He should show his devotion to the
church on other occasions especially on
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas. He
took decided stand against some Of the
literature and the modern drams, inso-
much as there Is that in both which
should not be lookea at.
At 10 o'clock this morning the rite OF
holy communion was administered, with
Bishop Coleman as celebrant The
sermon was preached by Rev. j. Harry
Chesley. Of Claymont. His sermon was
, on the mystery Of the gospel. II was, il
part, as follows; "a pressing
need OF the era ia which
we are living is the need Of profound
convictions. And another need is th'
need Of certain truth upon which those
, convictions are to be fastened TIL,
Of the age has so markedly
become the hibbaleth Of specu
lative theology that he who de ferl
not TO them with at least ssmhlance o.
humility and does not endeavor to Gin
cerely pronounce them as his owl
speech, endangers his influence snC
merits himself upon the minds. Of BIZ
hearers as non progressive or behind th'
times
"Whst thing it Is, or what thought 4
is, or what impulse to effect IL is tha
! rises before man and claims bis precep
! tion, his allegiance, his work Bscaus
, 1t is the truth. 1t must submit TO tn
test OF mans reason. 1t appeals to hi
present faculties-it must allow itsel
to be tested by those faculties
"It was just along these lines that th
apostles Of our Lord first presented Rn'
: then recorded that He marked for then
as truth. God. who at sundry time
and in divers manners spoke unto tn
fathers blythe. prophets, hath in thes
? last days spoken unto us by His son.
Z "a new chair has been placed in th
!. univerrsl seminary of the Christian fait
1 -fha nhafr nf tba cnianoa ~ romparatfV