Evening journal., 1897-12-29
THE BISHOP PREACHED.
Delivered the Sermon at DR..
Mortimer's Anniversary.
PROMINENT CLERGY PRESENT

BID IitE INVENT I -tltlH ANNl-
vERSARY OF REV. "A. C. NORTH
MER TO THE PRIESTHOOD AT
ST. MARKS YESTERDAY
Bishop Coleman took a prominent
part yesterday in the celebration of the
twenty-hfth anniversary Of the ordina-
ton to the priesthood of Rev. Alfred
G. Mortimer, ID. d.. rector Of St. Marks
p. e. Church, on Locust street above
Sixteenth, Philadelphia.
The ceremonies were of an elaborate
character, and st. Marks Church was |
crowded. Many prominent clergymen |
from all over the country were pesent. |
Bishcp Coleman preached the SER |
mon. His text was: Let a man 50 ac- |
count of us as of the ministers OF |
Christ, and stewards of the mysteries |
of God l Corinthians iv., /.
He began by saying that about the
service there was a special and person
al interest, but first let us consider the
sacred ministry itself. st. Paul does not
claim for himself and his fellow labor
| ers that they are Christ, or His vice.
gerents, but simply His minister's.
Christ is the pilot, His ministers are
the boat, and the members are the pas
sengers. They can dispense only what
they receive they are on the mission
sent by Christ In deciding on the sac
red ministry, they are obeying a voice
from without. When asked if they
think they are truly called, they conf
IDENTIFY reply, l think it. There is no
class of men in the community who as
a rule, so thoroughly feel their person
al demerits, but there is the conscious
ness that they are the ministers OF
Christ. They are distributors of the
good things which are for awhile en-
trusted to their diligence and fidelity.
They are to celebrate for the people the
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. and
to press its universal and devout OBJ
4 servance. They are to open as Christ
2 would open and shut as He would shut.
With such prerOgatives and privileges,
. it is not surprising that priests should
magnify their office. The ministry is
of Christ and for Christ, and the people
\ will readily esteem them highly for
} | their works sake. Clearer and clearer
! should they recognize that their mis-
Il sion is from One whose Kingdom is not
d of the world. AS now we are joyfully
: celebrating throughout the the Catholic
s. Church the incarnation Of God, so His
,; ministers sOuld seek to employ them
selves Of that which is earthly Ons
virtue which will help this growth is
love. The more of love we have, the
more of God we have, for God is love.
=, By happy coincidence your devoted
- rector was ordained to the ministry a
Is this season. 1t would seem surely no
amiss to express to him our hearty
- congratulations at the condemnation O
a quarter Of a century's work BY rea
son OF his writings many places hav'
l. been comforted, and on their behalf,
2e may express their grateful acl1nowl
2 edgments. The rector of st. Marks j
not one Of those who merely content
- himself with the wish for the sprea
lg Of religion, but he is ever ready to la
No No Dor for this result. By the measure O
at his industry he would appear to thin
ye his life would be short. The true
So hearted pastor has nothing to do wit
es encouragements or discouragements-
We one thing with which he has to do,
- work. Failures are oftenfimes the bes
ST. thing that can happen to us. Success
is not unfrequently our hardest task-ma'
~ ter.
IN. In 1872 there were in the Unite
in States 1900 clergymen and as bishops
now there are 4,675 clergymen and
- bishops. In 1872 there were 250,0(
ny communicates; now the number
sc 100000. In 1872 there were As dioces'
for and missionary Jurisdictions; now the
Al are n. In 1872 the average annual COZ
'o' tmbutions were $4,000 600; now th'
- are $4,000, 600. This measure has M
been attained by any either religion
body in our land to-day, except by in
migration. There are also more fr
81. quent celebrations Of the Holy Cor
E. munion, more frequent attendance, al
I. the beauty of the service which we S
is a real and permanent advance
p: 1871 five bishops, supposed to be hil
churchmen, recommended that clerg
men should be prohibited from usil
incense, lights about the holy tab
mixing water with the wine, etc, al
that by a canonical provision the eXa
length Of cassocks and surplices shou
be determined. The light of st. Mari
has gone into many dark place. 1t
the rectors privilege to minister
those who have co-operated with h
so zealously. There is very much ,
I: for him and all of US to do Our I
: ton is but nominally Christian, and
fidelity is more prevalent than is co
. monty imagined. The incarnation
God is not only denied, but scorn
We should be stimulated more a
and more to greater vigilance. The bat
rket is to be won by those who practice sc
- denial and self-restraint. The time
o5Sl I1i passing away to the day Of judgme
easy and we must give God an account
ired. our lives. Evil is not invincible, q
virtue is just as contagious as vi
et. When the Christian Church is true
- her mission the unlearned and the p
will have the gospel preached to tn
has as Wei as the Ilen anu eIedl. III ~,
hool day OF ms secohu invent may Ch
mar couh1 us as ial1iiul sO0"aiuS'
ide's LEARN RAPID WRITING. QUI
rris. FIGURING. ETC. AT