The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-10

Coulter and MIR. Wood, rendered Jesus,
Lover OF My Soul" in an impressive
manner, after which the benediction
was pronounced by the bishop.
BISHOPS REPORT AND Address.
Annual Message to the Council Of This Do
Brethren of the Clergy and the Laity:
Our meeting reminds US OF the com
mon blessings OF God, which we are
most prone to forget, and in the &C
acknowledgement Of which we are ever
tempted to be formal and conventional.
Certainly the majority of us here have
been preserved in health and have had
no providential hindrance to the happy
discharge of our duties in the year that
has gone since our last gathering in
the council OF our diocese. I have been
able 10 visit the churches in all parts
OF the diocese, emitting some which
were visited in the spring of last year,
with the intention of giving to them
parts of the months of August, Septem-
Der and November of this year In the
number of postulants for the ministry
and candidates for holy orders we have
cause for gratitude in looking on to the
future of our growing field
I'm the number of the confirmations
greater in our part of the State than
ever before, we have cause OF gratitude
to the Lord of the harvest for his bless
ing on the labors of the pastors Of our
hocks. These years of temporal de
preston have not been without their
moral and spiritual blessings, and since
the recovery Of our people from the
passion of gambling and the haste to
be rich, and the delirious fever of
speculation, they seem to me to be
more reasonable, more humble and
more open than before to the in
huences from the serious side OF life
and more responsive to the claims of
religion and the duties they owe to the
institutions of the Christian church.
Tho education of the people out of
the spirit of Ecclesiastical bigotry has
been the subject Of remark by many of
our intelligent ministers and laymen
whose lot is cast and whose work Ia done
in communities where the Episcopal
church was unknown few years apo
When those who have been reared in
other communions come to find in ours
more excellent way they are no longer
subject to unkind In tolerance from their
own people, and indeed for the most
part they are treated with that Chris
tian kindness and consideration which
the sacredness OF consciousness and
liberty in the convictions OF duty with
regard to the affairG OF religion demand
from our Christian brethren of all the
churches.
Common school education has opened
the homes OF the IN asses Of the people to
our prayer book and if we can get them
to read the Bible as their rule of faith
and practice and their prayer books as a
guide and help to them and their chill
dren in the worship of God, we NAV do
good and permanent work among all
classes of the people far wider than the
measure OF our expectations and our
hopes. Our missionaries have been in
many instances Strengthened in the
comforts and even in the NJ cessities of
living, but they have borne it b-avely
and their fidelity mas drawn them closer
to the people. Thus the report that
have to make has in it some grounds for
encouragement and renewed consecra-
ton and gra to the great head OF
the church"
The report then gives the list of
poslulates r; caived during the year and
those remaining on the list of last wear:
The candidates for deacons (2), and
priests orders (23), the letters OF dismiss
sorry given re ceived and accepted the list
of lay readers mum bering So, and the
clerical charges within the wear. tho
ordinations, combinations, the churches
visited where there were no confirma
tions and the account of the consecra-
ton of the Grace Church, Botetourt
county. on May 3, 1894; st. Paul's
Church, Newport News, May 81 churches
visited for special services and the new
church buildings and others in progress
OF construction
Fourteen new churches have been
almost completed in the past wear.
These surely are encouraging signs that
in many parts Of the disocese the people
are alivs to the duty they owe 70 them
selves and to their children, and to the
honor of God and the infinite value OF
religion, to build houses OF worship,
and to keep them decent and comeiy
and II possible to make them attrac.
tive and beautiful. In some places il
may be that the inspiration OF higher
Christian sentiment and spirit of sscri-
flee and duty in connection with the
house OF God have not yet found their
way to the consciences of congrega.
tions, some of our congregations, and IL
so 1t is surely an indication OF Christian
manhood, to say nothing of Christian
civilization, when people will let their
ministers go unpaid and their churches
unkempt and uncared for when thew
spend abundantly upon their homes,