The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-18
EPISCOP AL CONGRESS.
THE OPENING SESSION or NOTA-
BLE RELIGIOUS BODT.
The First Meeting Devoted to Celebrating
the Holy Communion and SER
mon by Bishop satterlee'

history Of this city was inaugurated TO-
day when the Episcopal Church Congress
Of the United States convened here III
seventeenth session.
The occasion has been looked forward
10 with a great deal Of interest and elab-
crate preparations have been made for
the entertainment Of the distinguished
guests VINO have been arriving during
the past few days from every section Of
the Union, numbering among them men
who are al Of more than ordinary note.
some Of them Of national and internation-
"a reputation. most Of them men who
have made the study OF certain phases Of
scrlprlral teaching their life work, and
an Of them scholarly, brainy gentlemen.
The first service-it can hardly be call
ed a sossiOn-was held at Christ Protest
ant Episcopal church. beginning al ii
A. NJ. when the Holy Communion was
celebrated by Right Rev. II. y. Satterlee.
-. D.. Bishop Of Washington, and the
beautiful sanctuary was crowded 10 its
capacity.
The subject OF the Bishops address
was. "rhou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy soul, and thy mind
and with all thy heart 10 was re-
markably clever and interesting paper
and was received with the closest at
tontion. The speaker first stated the
difference between the love Of heart and
soul ordained and the union between the
three al the same time. The prevailing
tendency OF religious thought 10 separate
the love of the heart from the love OF the
mind. and he quoted conditions Of re-
ligious thought in the various countries
illustrating this fact.
RELIGIOUS CONTRAST.
He contrasted the prevailing religious
thought of the nineteenth century with
that Of the first century and said that II
YOU were 10 adopt a nineteenth century
creed Of Ian McLaren, you would have 10
drop the creed Of the first century and
the teachings OF the Apostles.
lie contrasted strongly the wisdom Of
the spiritual man. Reason, he declared.
was no longer confined 10 the lower
spheres Of science alone, but IL ascend
cd TO higher things-the wisdom OF this
world and the wisdom Of mind for
Christ. The facts Of Christs incarna-
ton. orucifxion. ascension. are just as real
as any Of the facts Of nature. Theology is
the science of sciences. I'm whatever
direction we use our faculties Christ is
the light of the eye. Of the mind of the
soul.
The beginning Of ST. Johns Gospel is
the beginning OF all theology, said the
speaker. + Iff0OIl OF lUtANilA iOil'o NAlit
10 those who start out thinking on the
right basis. lie showed that the ac-
acknowledgement Of God in Christ so far
from bettcrng thought. gave IL an inn
pulse and a background 10 build from.
He closed with Professor r. G. Moberly's
oxhortation TO study, the personality Of
Jesus Christ.
BISHOP RANDOLPH'S ADDRESS.
The inaugural address was delivered
-. q
Mague Randolph OF this diocese and WAS
striking and interesting. Among other
things. whilst contrasting the system OF
the Episcopal Congress with that IN vogue
i'm other legislative bodies, he said. Even
with It's chosen and distinguished speak
crs and wrtcts who come hundreds Of
miles TO enlighten us upon the subjects
assigned 10 them. II puts restraint upon
loquacity. and ~ the call Of IT'S bell. the
sneaker must vanish with elOQuencc un-
spoken from tho arena Of discussion.
"Dinuseness of speech has In these later
wears 90 a. remarkable extent cnuracfcr-
lied the deliberations OF national con-
crosses. and parliamcnts and perhaps
church conventions. Those who served
with Washington in the Virginia Legs
lature and other great dolibcrative bodies
that left their mark upon the world tell
us that he seldom spoke ana when DE
did ne confined himself 10 ten minutes
and the main points in question. Ihc
same is said Of benjamin Franklin. Nnd
they. with jefferson. were the moulding
minds of the bodies of which they were
members.
LONG SPEECHES.
Now We have speeches OF indefinite
duration. extending over weeks oi sea-
siOus Of legislative bodies. To some *
tent il IS q tendency IA ecclesiastical leg
isldtufcs, 10 has Its trials ana IT'S dicdiy
hours. but there is one compensation
they are legislative bodies ana they nave
to act, ana the constant danger 10 inc
people Is that they VIII act too much.
They are the representatives, OF hcict'
struggling parties, and In our country
IA many quarters of han asslmilateu nae
tiOualitlcs. Of crude opinions, ana con-
tending interests, and there is danger
that such elements under shliul leader
ship. OF under the thrill OF an eloquent
tongue, may De lead INTO pIeclpltaic ana
revolutionary legislation.
a session Of such congresses may seem
to be wasted in idle and interminanle
talking. but II the talking delays anu ae-
feats action it may be blessing IN dls-
Eulse 10 the people Of the country. Apart
from this necessary restriction upon time.
81 congress like this has the advantage
over a legislative congress in its COM
IardtlVe freedom from party passions
and from the ambitions Of personal nOlu-
Tety. The world ls coming more ana
more. and must come with the progress
OF free institutions, TO be governed 10y
free debate 1t Is no longer IA tie power
OF any human authority TO decide what
concerns the people outside OF the peo-
PIC lItiln'4Ntrf lot lllNf arc III the 4irt
resort, the fountain of authority. In
spite OF all the efforts OF arbitrary sys-
TENS OF authority 90 the contrary, an OBJ
sewer OF modern history recognizes the
fact of a steady widening ~ the area Of
permissible opinion
SOCIAL UNITY.
Following this. the subject Of social
Unity Was discussed by Rev. Frederick
J.. EesSe. of Macon Ga. and Rev. Pro-
lessor Ezra II. Gould, ID. b.. of Philadel-
PIMA, Edwin l.. Goodwin. editor New York
Post. Rev William >. Ramsford. ID. d..
Of New York. and George Wharton Pep
per- of Philadelphia. Although no deci-
sion under the rules OF the congress could
bee taken. the concensus OF opinion seemed
10 indicate that the Church should c0ntne
her work 20 the building of the spiritual
man and hitting him 10 decide this great
question IN q Christian spirit.
Ar. Pepper the brilliant Young Phila-
delphia lawyer. in his defence OF social
evolution as opposed 10 revolutionary
forces which he delivered as a summing
up Of the discOurses OF the evening di-
Vidcd hOnOrs with Professor Gould. whose
denunciatiOns Of trusts and monopones as
unjust public piiierers was one OF the
events Of the evening.
OFFfChRS OF hNIGHIs or LiBOR.