The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-23
RE-oPENED FOR WORSHIP.
CHRIST CHURCH CONGREGATION
BACK IN IT'S OLD HOME.

Impressive Services in Celebration
of the Restoring of the Historic
Edi1ice-BishOp Nelson's Sermon
on GeneaIogies-His Appeal to the
Congregation As EpIscOpalians to
lie True to Their Faith--The Com
gregatiOn One of the Largest the
Church Has Ever Held.
The reopening services at Christ Church
yesterday morning were deeply impressive
Long before the hour for the morning
service. the pews were filled and chairs
were brought into use for the large con-
gregation. BY the time the organ volun-
tary was begun, every seat In the church,
including the galleries, was occupied, the
members of st. Johns and st. Pauls
Churches being present to worship with
the Christ Church congregation.
At the opening of the services the YES
trymen marched up the aisle first. Behind
them came the ministers, who assisted in
the service, and last Bishop Nelson, who
delivered the sermon
Bishop Nelson's text was taken from the
sixth chapter of st. Luke, BIRD to 3Sth
verses, inclusive. His discourse, deliver
ed extempore, in his usual clear, forcible
and business-like way, dealt with the sub
ject of genealogies, their significance, their
moral, social. political and religious value,
showing their relation 10 the parish of
Christ Church and its institutions, to the
great American Episcopal Church, of
which it is a constituent part.
The bishop spoke with feeling and APP
probation of that reverence which has at
all times existed among the Episcopalians
of Savannah and the recognition of the
ties that bind them 10 the venerable ira
ditions of the past both personal and &c
clesiastical. This spirit the bishop com
mended In unmeasured terms Although
man, he said, should not be content to
merely shine In The reflected glory of his
ancestry, by a true spirit of noblesse
oblge, the fact that a person had d grand
father of whom he might justly feel
proud, committed him to the emulation of
the merltorious achievements of his fore
fathers, and pledged him 10 even higher
ana nobler accomplishments
In like manner, the history of Christ
Church, interviewer with so many asso-
Citations that were pure and lofty, shouh
serve as constant Indictment to all that
WorshiDped &c her altar to maintain her
record and uphold her prestige among her
sister churches.
But this, the bishop said, is only a small
part of their lofty heritage; he wished
them TO think of themselves as belonging
to a church that could trace back her gen
ealogy, not 200 years, but almost 1000 years;
they should stand as the representative Of
a faith once for all delivered to the
saints" an order handed down from
Jesus Christ the great head of the
church, and transmitted through His holy
apostles in an unbroken chain whereby
the church of to-day is linked to her
founder himself, and claims his authority
The bishop disapproved the ecclesiasti-
cal system known as congregationaltsm.
This idea of the church consisting merely
as congregation, segregated and apart
from every other similar organization is
a fatal error. The church should be con-
sidered as a compact organism. the very
body corporate Of Christ, whose every
member responds to the impulse of his in
finite strength and divine affection.
In reference to the memorial window in
honor of the lamented Bishop, Stephen
Elliott, the first bishop of the diocese,
Bishop Nelson expressed his pleasure at
this mark of respect for that peerless
man, who for so many years held up Tie
banner Of the church in Georgia A glow
ing tribute was also paid to the great
orator and bishop, Rt Rev. John w.
Beckwith, whose face is stil so wildly
present to many of the congregation.
The bishop concluded his address with
a strong personal appeal to the congrega-
ton TO stand by their colors to be faith
full to their traditions and to uphold their
principles, that the efforts of the future
might be crowned with even more success
than the labors of the past.
The offertory, If Into All Your Hearts"
was beautifully rendered by Mr.. w. G..
Locke of Charleston, who Is gifted with a
grand tenor voice. The work of the whole
choir was excellent
The organ was fully up to expectations.
It possesses q rich, clear and sympathetic
tone, which fills the whole church. The
interior of the church was greatly admir-
ed. The new transoms and the ivory-like
appearance of all the wood work add
greatly 10 the appearance of the building.
The ministers, who assisted the Bishop
with the services, were Rev. Robb White,
the rector; Rev Hunter Davidson, OF Au-
gusta, Rev. Frederick f. Reese of Ma
con, Rev. Troy Beatty of Athens, Rev.
Charles II. Strong and Rev. J. L. Scully
of Savannah.