Evening star., 1898-10-20

right reverend 1atherS take tneSe matters
into consideration and institute such meas
ureS as they think best for the remedy of
the defects suggested.
There have been two thousand more
baptisms in the last three years than in
the like preceding period. Our attention is
directed to a comparison of the relation
between the number baptized and the num-
Der of families in the church. The number
OF families not being returned, we are driv-
en- to a comparison with the number Of
communicates. Fifteen years ago the
number baptized bore certain relation to
the number of families and communicates.
II the ratio was the same today the num-
Der returned as baptized would have been
fifty thousand more than the number re-
ported The differences to be deduced would
be mere surmises. but We think it our
bounden duty to present the facts for
thoughtful consideration and to invite in
vestigation. One surmise we venture
Taken In connection with the large in
crease in the number of our lay readers
and the evident halt in the org anization of
new work, to be presently noted, we infer
the number of baptisms is not as large as
1t would have been had our clergy been
enabled to enter on new fields to a larger
extent than they have.
The number of persons cor f1rmed dur
ing the last three years is 3, 500 more than
In the like preceding period; or communi-
cants number today 63, 145 m )re than in
1S92.an increase of 10 per cent.
The Sunday school statistics are salts
GERS and teachers being 8 per cent, and
that of pupils nearly 4 per cent. The ac-
tivities of the church in the Sunday school
everywhere exhibit health and growth. The
very large Lenten offering of the children
this year is an exhibit of sount education.
Parishes and Missions.
In the matter of parishes and missions
we have made but little advance-there be-
ing but twenty-one more parishes and
forty-three mere missions than there were
three years ago. Yet there are 5O7 more
church edifices. This indicates that in the
period under review there has been more
driving of stakes than lengthening of cords.
lis well if the church be but gathering her
strength for larger effort to extend her
beneficent influence. The ratio of free sit
tlngS in our churches to the whole number
was 54 per cent three years ago, while to-
day it is II per cent.
THE contributions of the last triennium
exceed those of the like preceding period
~ ,loo, l4. 20. The amounts contributed to
the board of missions show large gains in
the amounts given toward appropria tions
and by way of special contributions, aggre-
eating S73, 1878. We have to note how
ever, that the gain for dome site missions
was S91 ~. IL, SO that the contributions to
foreign missions! shows a loss of SIS $50 3S
1t is shown to- your committee that the
needs of the foreign missions are as great
aye, greater, than before. Hence, there is
need that their 7claipls should be more dill
gently considered.
Dispositions From Ministry.
The attention of your committee has
been directed to the matter of dispositions
from the sacred ministry. The number is
deplorably large. and absolutely the num-
ber grows year by year Yet to obtain a
correct view comparison must be made
with the whole number of the clergy Do
ing this We find that the number of deposit
tions in proportion to the number of the
clergy has been steadily decreasing since
1880, and that the record of the last six
years is the best in the history of the
church since 1908.
1T is stated that missions to deaf
mutes are threatened with intrusion This
church feels her ability to minister to all of
this class, but She has not power to pre-
vent intrusion Your committee can only
recommend that the church be made so ac-
ceptable to them that they themselves will
make the intrusion nugatory, and commit
the matter, where of right it belongs, to
our right reverend fathers, the bishops of
the church.
Your committee find great cause for
thankfulness in the large and important
work of the Brotherhood of st. Andrew
but they find also that there still exist s
great cause for its continued and increased
activity. The nations life is builded upon
the morality of its families. The man and
the boy have their peculiar functions in the
FAMILY life, and the woman and girl cannot
wisely assume those functions The family
life is woven with the church's life. The
man and the boy have their place in the
church. When they abdcate those places
not alone do they injure their own spir-
itual lives but they set aUry the ma
chinery of the church, constituted to i'm
plant and nourish the spiritual lives of her
people. In the pew should be found the
and mother and child-bound
together in mysterious union, none of them
should be found breaking the bans of that
union in the house of God.
Excess in Pleasure.
Another matter we find in the state Of
the church that needs correction is a ten
dency somewhat widespread to follow
pleasure to great excess. Day after day
religious duty is neglected for the sake of
social functions. Family duties are for
gotten and church duties utterly ignored.
We trust that the wrong of life wholly
given to the pleasures of the flesh will
make itself apparent, and that hereafter
we shall hear naught of rioting, but more
and more of the devotion of all of the peo-
pie of the church to lives of godliness.
sobernesS and piety.
Your committee regret to learn that the
Scriptures as the Lords day is not observed
as prescribed by the canons of the church.
We believe that the duty to abstain on the
Lords day from occupa tions and amuse-
ments not for His honor ought to be en-
phasized. and we respectfully ask of orr
bishops that they do SO in the pastoral let
ter.
Your committee cannot refrain from add
ing a word about the work of the Women's
Auxiliary. The earnestness and zeal of
these goodly women demand a response
from the men of the church, and an exhibit
ton from them ofaa somewhat like earnest
ness and zeal B.
A view of the state of the church would
be incompletei without word of com
mendation of Hhes beneficent work of the
several sisterhOods of the church. and of
the important undertakings and successful
labors Of many ofoour deaconesses.
Our attention has been directed TO our
church institutions. We find many of them
wrecked, and many heavily burdened with
debt We earnestly recommend that great
care be taken and earnest study had before
any church institution be inauguratei. so
that it may be- we'll known that there is a
need for it, ard aineed not of a temporary.
but of a permanent, character. We advise
that early endowment be secured, and.
further. that the endowment fund be in the
hands of others than the active admins