The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-10-28

pei VI COMMITMENTS In tne cnurcn III
l799 but the number in 1895 is given as
622,l94. The ratio of communicates
to the clergy was doubtless much larger
at present than it was one hundred
years ago. ...-..
The bishop closed with q tribute to
the loyalty of Connection, 10 the stand
ards OF the church, the splendid work
or Its church women, the character and
service of it's present bishop, the Rt.
Rev. John Williams, D. D.. LII. D., and
expressed the confident hope that the
bishop now to be consecrated would
carry the standards of the diocese still
higher, and stimulate it to greater zeal
and efficiency in the service of God and
man.
He was followed by the Right Rev.
DR.. Henry c. Potter, bishop of New
York. He said in part: This is the
first time l have ever been asked to
take part in a diocesan convention in
Connecticut, though I have been in tho
New York diocese twenty-five years.
Il am profoundly thankful for the
privilege of coming here at all tonight.
1t is interesting to consider what form
ed the mind of the early church in this
country. 1 am inclined to think it was
made up by the three men we bishops
of Pennsylvania, New York and Massa-
chusetts succeed
Nothing more influenced the early
church in this country than the char
acteristics of these three men, Bishop
White of Pennsylvania, Bishop Pro-
voost of New York and Bishop Bass of
Massachusetts. Bishop White of Penn
sylvania was a man of marked humil-
ity and reserve.
Il read a letter of my father the
other day, in which the following Incl
dent was referred to as showing the
bishops moral courage. The bishop
was a director in a corporation of
which he was a member. He had at
tended two meetings of the directors
at which it had been impossible to
transact business because two directors
were absent Neither of them had a
good reason for his absence and
Bishop White moved that thereafter if
director was absent without good ex-
cuse he should lose his place in the
board.
IA clergyman who would do such a
thing to-day would not be thought
courageous, but he would be thanked
for doing a sensible and proper thing.
1t passed for courage then, however.
Clergymen of that day We're expected
to express themselves with great re-
serve on all public questions of the
day. Their courage might be termed
| inoffensiveness The clergy did not
seem to have the qualities of leader
ship in any particular. They were pos
| sessed of sweetness Of character.
''The other two bishops resembled
| Bishop White in many respects. Bishop
Provost differed from the others in
| having warlike spirit. He was con-
sidered disturbing element in his
parish of Trinity church, New York.
| At the outbreak of the Revolution he
retreated into Westminster. where he
armed body of men and repelled a
| force of the British, who attempted to
| cross the Hudson at West Point
Trinity parish honored itself by re-
| calling him to it's parish at the close Of
| the war"
The three bishops were men in no.
| wise remarkable. On becoming bishop
of the New York diocese 1 made in
| quiries as to my predecessors in the
diocese. One of whom I inquired as to
Bishop Provost replied: YES, he was
| extremely efficient at first. He was a
genial man. He detested Methodists, /
am sorry to say In letter of his he
writes of the disturbing elements in So
ciety, saying he knew or nothing he
| hated so much as bigotry and enthu-
siam"
| Bishop Potter then referred to the
| escape the church had mad at the time
of Bishop Jarvis from following a
! double succession. Referring to Bish-
| op Jarvis, he said:
1.-THE tradition of Bishop Jarvis cour-
! tesy of manners not only lives in New
| England, but in the church at large
| The story is related that he was called
| into the drawing room where he found
that the lady had tainted because cf
the odor of tobacco. His action savors
of the heroic, for from that day to the
end of his life it is said he never used
| tobacco again. He was a gentleman
| considerate and candid 1t is said that
clergyman once said 10 him, with
your permission I will omit the COM
munion service this morning.
If you have anything better in
your sermon, I have no objection
81 come, brethren of Connecticut, to
congratulate you that you have a MEM
ory so fragrant, SO sweet, so devout as
| that of Bishop Provost. 1t is the sorrow
Of all our hearts to-day that your dear
| bishop is not with us. 1t is the Joy of
all our hearts that you are tomorrow
to consecrate another bishop to assist
him. May God prosper him.
| The Rt. Rev. DR.. William Lawrence,
| bishop of Massachusetts, said in part:
81 wish in behalf of the diocese of
Massachusetts to bring to the diocese of
Connecticut greeting"
He referred to Bishop Bass, who as
sisted at the conservation of Bisnop
Jarvis, and said that he had been re-
fused his stipend because he would not
pray for King George after the Dacla-
ration of Independence.
1t has always been the strength of the
Connecticut diocese that it has had a
native born clergy. Tomorrow you
consecrate a bishop coadjutor, a son
of the soil and a son of Yale. One who
is in sympathy with the ideas of The
people. ] believe the church is best
led by those who are in sympathy with
American principles.
Only one school is essential to the