The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-07-11
THE COUNTY CONyOCATION.
INTERPRETING MEETING oF EPIsCo-
 PAL cLERGfMES AT MILFORD.

Sermon by Rev. Mir. seovili1, Assistant Rector of Trinity Church This city-Essay on Recreation by Rev. MT. wiidman of waiiinsford-The Ehegesis by Rev. Mir. Morris of Oxford.
 Tho New Haven County ConvocatioR of the Episcopal church was held at St. Peters church, Milford, all day yester- day, and was attended by about fifteen clergymen. Rev. Mir. wildmnn of Wal linefofd acted as dean of the conyoca- ton and Rev. Mir. Brown of Branford, as the secretary. In the morning there was sermon by Rev. MT. scoville, as sistant rector of Trinity church, New Haven, on the subject: 'The Applica- cation of Christianity to Modern Life. '" The sermon was most excellent one and was greatly enjoyed by all present. The sermon was followed by the cele- braton of the holy communion. At noon dinner was served by the ladies of the parish nt Mrs. Peck's.
 The afternoon session began at 2 o'clock and after the transaction Of some preliminary business Rev. MT Wlldman of Wallingford. the dean of the convocation. read very interesting essay on Recreation" It was discuss ed by the clergymen present, in which discussion 1t was said that religion was made little too severe; that the reli- zion of the day was too much influenced by the old Methodist asceticism, which was more rigid by far than the Puritan asceticism. It was asserted that all re- ligion was too much dominated by an ascetic conception of religion. Rev. Mir Morris of Oxford was the exegete of the convocation and his exc gesis was as follows:
 REV. MIR. MORRIS ExEGEsIs.
 The text of Scripture which has been chosen for exegetical consideration Is the ninth verse of the sixteenth chapter of St. Luke's gospel: And l say unto you make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness,th that when ye fail they may receive you into ever lasting habitation."
 me more l lHouSHt ol thSoC "oiN after l was notified of my appoint ment as an exege for this occasion, the more perplexed I became, and l am sure that the result of my undertaking | which I hereby present to you JusLifies | this feeling.
 The parable of the unjust steward was meant to teach simply two things, viz, the value of prudence and the blessed results of the right use of wealth.
 l And if in it dishonest and unscru- pulous man seems to be praised for what he did, it must be observed that prudence, per SC, is commendable wher- ever found. The worldly self-seeking steward was not commended by the worldly lord for his dishonest action but for the prudence which he showed in so planning that he would be sure tc be received and supported in some com fortable house among his beneficiaries after he should lose his position as stew ard and his ordinary means of liveli. hood. And that the divine Lord ShoulC have assented to this earthly lords lcommendation, and use such a bad mar as was the unjust steward for an ex ample to teach a moral and spiritua lesson, is no more strange than the fac that he prepared for his servants imi taton the wisdom and prudence of the evil poisonous and loathsome serpent when He says, be ye therefore wise a: serpents and harmless as doves. Thai lord, He seems to say, that proprietor o1 temporary things was right in com manding his servants prudence, though it was wickedly shown in his using fol his own purposes, money which wa: not his, and over which he had contro for so short time.
 The Savior seems to contrast Himsel with that lord in the words, And say unto you, I, your Lord and judge commend the same prudence and fore thought to you, my disciples and hear ers."
 As this unjust steward made himsel friends by means of that which it is nov in your power to use to eternal advan tage, so 1 say unto you, mak, to your selves friends. Be ye likewise prudent and make to yourselves friends of tn mammon of unrighteousness that whel ye fail they may receive you into ever lasting habitations. Unguidei by tn original Greek of these words, som might infer that the Lord directed Hi hearers to make mammon or riche their friend, so that when the, should fail or die it, personified, woul receive them into heaven.
 This might seem to some to be con sonent with the precept, Lay up fo yourselves treasures in heaven" A de vout communicant in one of my parish es, with an inquir1ng turn of mind, an not by any means ignorant, for he wa once successful and well known schoo teacher, asked me the meaning of thi passage and remarked that he did no see how the mammon of unrighteous ness could be made such a friend, bu supposed it could be, because the Bibl said so.
 But it is evident that the friend
 meant in the everlasting tabernacle have in themselves no such right to re
 ceive any one there, or the friends il the temporal habitations have to re
 ceive any one there. It is evident tha they with the unrighteousness mannol
 one may have made friends, yet thes friends, though they are in the ever
 lasting tabernacles, cannot assure hir
 of place there, as his friends on cart
 can assure him of place in their Gwel lings here.
 It is Christ alone who makes a6
 mission to the everlasting tabernacle
 possible. It is He alone who says, 'Ir herit the kingdom! Enter then unto tn 1 io.r Thu ord ,, Il1t IIa of