The Portland daily press., 1900-01-08

Woman's Auxiliery. 5i.ib
Foreign missions, ItO
-
Total. 46I7.5
Currsnt expenses including float.
ing debt secured by Higgins
legacy. $500. and all salaries. n,s5s 81
Total, Nl,ssO.16
SIX yeara ago the oommunicant list
numbered 1874 names, today 1t mum bsrs
243: baptisms. 81; conflrmations, 81;
marriages, 90; burials, ii2; added to
oommunicant list ly letter and restora-
lions. 90.
There 10 certainly cause for encourage
ment In this statement. IL 10 surely .
sign that God blesses and cares for his
church and that or labor has not bssn
In vain. The one thing We have to re-
gret 10 our loss,s by death and removals,
Numerically We are nearly twice a. strong
AZ We we're six years ago. Financially
We are weaker. Our largest givers have
been taken away by death or removals
The financial loss has been made up By
subscriptions from friends outside OF
Maine. What the future will bring st.
PauPs, God only knows. The past Is
secure. We have the satisfaction OF know
ing that no parish ever made nobier
and drawer fight than st. Paufs. II
pluck, perseverance,. energy and sacrifices
are the things needed for success In
church work 1t affords US great pleas
urs to say that our supply Of thsse Dom.
modities 10 BY no means OF hausted. We
are still on top Of the earth and God will
ing, We propose to.stny there.
Our property II free from debt Our
people are united In the purpose &c make
this world better according to their abil-
ity. There never was a better field for
Christian endeavor than that which lies
at our very doors. II st. Paul's church
does not do this needed work, 1t will be
because she has not been given tho means
to carry 1t on.
II we may judge of the future BY the
past. 1t may be safe to say that our poll.
OF will remain unchanged, Our church
nanship will not manifest itself In
stained glass attitudes, or in the at
tempt to force things purely medarvAl
in their nature. We shall always try to
re member that the twentieth century Is
Just before US and that any institution,
civil CT religious, that fails to keep
abreast of the age 10 doomed to die. For
things essential, we shall 60 not to the
middle ages, but to that perennial source
Of all truth, the Apostolic age. For non
essentials, We shall be content to use
surh things as the age in which We live
demands. The Prayer Book as 1t 10,
adapting itself to the needs Of men light
ing the battle Of life today, 10 the only
book that is worth the using, or will
win respect. As the rector Of st. PauPs
church / have always been willing to ex-
tend the hand of fellowship and good
will to any man who according to his
light Is trying to make the world better.
/ am happy to say that have ysr to find
the man In Portland who on that no.
count, has endeavored to persuade US TO
sacrifice anything In doctrine, polity and
ritual My attitude in this respect has
been prompted by two reasons. First OF
all, / wished to be consistent. Our
church has put itself on rscnrd as In
favor of Christian unity. For church
to announce to the world that 1t stands
for Christian unity and then to refuse
to be friendly toward this very elements
1t would unite, is the height of folly.
So far as my personal service Is CON-
cerued l have only one thing TO say.
have tried to do the best ! could under
the circumstances. II there has been any
failure on my part. 1t has not been the
fault OF my intention.