The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-02
EPISCOPAL ,
CONVENTION
Bishop Coleman Deplores
the War. But. Asks that
Pres. be Supported.

Georgetown, DEL, June 1.-The annual
convention OF the Episcopal Diocese of
Delaware was held in st. Pau's Church
to-day. Rev j. H. Chesley preached the
sermon. In his address Bishop Coleman
reported confirming 369 persons during
the year, Of which number he confirmed
220 In this diocese. Ho also baptized in
this diocese Is persons, 10 Of whom. were
children; 0t1iciated at marriages, funer-
ais, ordained 2 priests, consecrated l
church, laid 1 cornerstone, conducted
services of benediction, instituted clergy
man, conducted g6 celebrations Of the
Holy Communion and delivered 274 SER
mons and addresses.
Regarding the present war the Bishop
said: You may be expecting me to say
something with reference to the war in
which, unhappily this nation Is at present
engaged. l have not cared to say as yet
much concerning 1t because the Whole
mater Is of such recent origin and has so
much about it of the nature OF % leap in
the dark that one is hardly able TO form
an Intelligent and dispassionate Judgment
upon the premises already laid down. My
foremost fee!ing Is one of profound sor-
row that In this age of the church two pro-
fessedly Christian nations were unwilling
to submit their differences to the methods
Of arbitration, to which 1t has been sup
posed that we at least had almost wholly
committed ourselves.
sympathy for the wronged and suffer-
ing is undoubtedly Christian obligation,
but with many 1t is still an open question
whether the best way to benoat aud pre-
serve the lives Of such Is to be found in the
unmeasured agony and destruction OF
other lives quite as valuable, to say tho
least. We havo already experienced, and
doubtlo 8 will experience oil the more
quickly, some of the horrible dcmoraliza-
tion that always accompanies tho resort to
arms, a resort hat only serves to cmpha-
size Il part which our religion should have
helped US to deny so far as Christian poo
pie are concerned, namely, that man Is
the chief adversary of man.
II speak adviseily whom use the worda
horrible Decentralization, being quito pre-
] ared t give, If need be, instances of blood
thirsness and profanity coming under INV
own personal observation that cause me to
blush for ho reputation of o country out
of which some Of its citizens would mako
one infallible censor of all the worlds
faults and failings.It 1t was the fear OF some
such grevious damage to- ourselves, as
necessary concon,itant of so prolonged
wtif as this may be, which led many of us
to deploru the slightest contingency Of its
occurrences "A dread all the more potent be-
cause of what some of u1 hadl ex-
pcrlenccd in the civil strife. which
had just come to an end when IN
a convention of this diocese, held in this
very parish in 1895, l had the privilege of
sitting at the feet of my honored predeces-
sor. hePresidentl tlwas,,not oblivious OF surh
things ard while eventually executing an
other policy. we ought in no stinted Germs
to record our admiration of his sincere and
states manlikc and strenuous efforts to
avoid tho necessity of war.
"Now that he had teen required to use
o, her methods for accomplishing the OBJ
j ct which he hal in mind, 1t is unoues.
tionahly Cur first duty to stand by the
country as he administers its affairs. and
/ vi Id to no ore in my patriotic desires
and efforts in this direction. Such Il dis
position i quito consistent with the hopo
and prayer, which trust will be common
TO u Ii, that God in His wise and lnerc-
ful providence, may soon grant us an hon.
o"able peace and overrule tho portentous
evils OF war to His own glory and the Ma
lions Welfare"
There ar, know, thos, who would
discourage the Offering OF such prayers on
the plea that our enemies will also be Of
firing PRAYERS for the success of their
arms! Eut we must remember that all
through history the great majority of
prayers havc been against some ether
prayers. Because these are con nf1iotng
prayers we will not be any tho less earnest
III asking Gou Wnat we ourselves most
desire. 1t is but prayer. 1t is not dicta-
tiun. We leave him to decide between
those who are praying against each other.
Without this faith in Him and our belief
tlat our cause Is right, our courage and
our natriotism would soon expire.
I'VE do not S op to think whether or
no. our opponents arc making the same
sort of a, pcals to the same common Father
of us al. We make our Owp request
known to Him. and are or ought to be
content to abide his own impartial and
righteous Judgment"
S. NJ. Curtis, of Newark, was re elected
Secretary, and tho convcn ion presented
him with n handsome piece of silverwaro.
The following wero chosen Deputies to
the General Convention: Rcvs H. A.
oliy, X. J. hammond, G. II. Hall, J.
l.. Al Kin, Judge Il. &. Bradford, Il. II.
Rayn ond, 5. NJ. Curtis and DR., Horace
BUR.