The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-07
BISHOP McVICKAR
Delivers Strong Address Be
fore Episcopal Club.

of Rhode Island, the spirit which
should influence this nation at the
present crisis. In an address delivered
before the Worcester Episcopal Club at
the Bay State House, last evening, the
Rhode Island divine admonished his
hearers to take up the white mans
burden" and transform the race of F'ili-
pinos from truculent savages to civil
lied citizens.
Another burning question has late
ly been thrust upon us unexpectedly, a
question in which the church has its
duty to perform" said Bishop McVic-
kar. Il am no imperialist or expan-
sionist, but 1 believe there are certain
duties we are bound to perform Time
after time, in reading about imperial
ism, 1 have looked for utterances in
which duty rather than policy and
commercial advantage was the essen
tial dominant feeling. I am led to be-
lieve that the time will soon be here
when the great Christian nations will
before adopting any radical change of
policy first ask themselves, What is
our duty to the other nations of the
world?' rather than that older query,
! How will it hel0 us?'
In the present instance we have a
| duty to render the inhabitants of the
Philippines. Possibly our duty to the
savage races is the greatest We should
all do our share to take up the white
mans burden, as Kipling has so beau
tifully put it. 1t is on our Christian
manhood that all the duties of the pres
ent and the privileges lie"
Over so members of the Episcopal
Club gathered around the banquet ia
bles in the Bay State House last eve
ming. Clergy and laymen met and
spent the evening in pleasant social
converse, Thres long tables were ar
ranged at right angles to each other
in the eastern end of the large dining
room. The occasion was entirely in
formal and after finishing a light re-
past, the guests lit their cigars and
leaning back in their chairs, devoted
themselves to the somewhat heavier
feast of oratory.
State Senator Charles G. Washburn
acted as POSTMASTER, and realizing that
no speech is considered complete at the
present moment which has not an al
fusion to expansion in it, took care to
introduce that topic. He spoke of the
large numbers of foreigners that have
come to this country without affecting
the character of its laws and customs,
and stated his belief that the introduce
ton of ignorant Filipinos would in no
wise affect the character of American
civilization. He also touched upon the
vast change in public opinion which a
year ago hesitated at the acquisition
of Hawaii and today looks toward a
share in the forthcoming partition of
China. He then outlined the duties
and responsibilities which civilized and
Christian men owed to the less fortu-
nate races. These remarks proved the
keynote to the whole evenings discus
| sion.
The first speaker introduced was the
| Very Rev. Wilfred l.. Robbins, dean
of All Saints Cathedral in Albany and
| formerly assistant rector in All Saints
| N Worcester The topic assigned
Dean Robbins was, THE church as an
instrument of instruction He said
in part:
The Church of Christ is a pillar of
| truth, a guardian of faith. The Cath
Ollie faithyhas been developed to safe
| guard truth against speculation The
| path of knowledge in secular matters
| leads along the route of investigation
| and inquiry but in spiritual matters
along the route of revelation. The
child, | claim, should first of all be
| grounded in a knowledge of all the
broad principles of the great catholic
| faith.
| The next speaker was Bishop McVick-
ar, whose topic was, 1.-THE church as
an instrument of inspiration He be-
gan by saying that laymen had only
| themselves to blame for forcing the
| clergy to talk, and that it spoke well
for both that the laymen were so will
ing TO listen to sermons on Monday
evening. He disagreed slightly with
| the preceding speakers remarks
THE great credential of the church. y
ne said, lis its divine origin. She must
always have message to humanity.
She can never be an anachronism. God
and eternal truth are the same through
| all the changes Of the world.
The church always deals with eter-
| nal truth, and therefore does not have
TO alter methods as much as is the case
with secular teaching. Righteousness
| IS always righteousness. Truth NAV.
of course, be dealt with in different
ways. 1t is not always necessary that
| the church confine herself to strictly
| spiritual things, if truth is assailed in
the outside world as it so often is. The
Waterman musst then rise from the
walls and proclaim his message.
Inc clergy are not infallible The
Bible itself has been used to prove all
slavery to the more recent days when
1t has been employed to furnish argu-
.nents for free silver and bimetalljsm
| agree that the faith must be taught
yet they who must have inspiration
| must seek it,
| We shall need all our inspiration in
| the coming century The prophecv
that the 18th century would open with
| political and close with social difficult
ties, is coming true. Great questions
arise for settlement. It is sometimes
said the church has nothing to do with
matters. l say this is false. Our
church has its great message to pro-
| claim, We will proclaim it both to the
socially unfortunate of our own coun-
try and to the conquered races we NAV
| be called upon to govern.
/ Before adjournment, Mr. Washburn
| introduced to the club Rev. Henry B.
| Washburn. the new rector Of ST.
Marks. He spoke of the inspiration he
felt in being called to labor in his
home city and paid compliments to
many of those present for aiding him
thus far in his career. He objected to
| the oft-repeated remark that a man
can perform his best work away from
home. For his part, he said, the in
| SEPARATION and presence of his friends
would call out all the best there was
in him.
49,.
Young children, to avoid