The sun., 1900-04-26
DOES NOT READ NOVELS
Bishop Coleman Lectures in an
Entertaining Manner at
Calvary Church.
WESLEY AS A CHURCHMAN
In the Early Days CIergymen Got
Their Stipends in Tobacco, and
Where There Was Fine To-
bacco, Parishes Were
Called Sweet Scented.

II have read but one work of fiction
since 1852" eaid Bishop Coleman at
Calvary P. E. Church, Third and Wash
ington streets, on Tuesday evening dur
ing the course of lecture on "Interest-
ing and Amusing Incidents in the
History of the American Episcopal
Church."
The bishop stated that he was not
much Interested in statements of things
which never happened, but desired to
read about facts.
He then in an interesting manner hur-
riedly traced the history of the Ameri-
can Church from It's beginning to the
present. The first religious service of
the church was heid in America in the
year 1873, in what is now the State of
Oregon.
The first clergyman to officiate in Del,
ware was John 9eo, who died in 1856.
Services were he'd in New England as
early as 1902, 1904, 1905, and 1907, this
vas about ~ years before the Pilgrim
Fathers landed at Plymout Rock. The
first Indian baptized was in North Caro-
lima in 1857.
In the early days tie clergymen re-
ceiyed their stlpe1ds in tobacco. In
some parishes the tobacco was OF finer
quality than others and THESE we're
known as sweet scented parishes. Men
who absented themselves from church
were fined 500 pounds of tobacco. Those
| who failed to get their children baptized
were fined 2 600 pounds Of tobacco.
The bishop made some interesting
statements about John Wesley, who was
the leader of the movement that resulted
in the formation Of TIE Methodist Epis-
copal Church.
John Wesley, he said, was never any
thing but a churchman up to the day he
died. The bishop on one occasion
preached in the same pulpit in England
where Wesley had first preached. There
is an inscription on the pulpit which
states that Wesley died in the commun-
ion of the church. Wesley was a
high chlrchman and believed in con
fession.
He stated that there would not be one
half of tfe diespnters il there had been
bishops in this country in the early day
There was no one here vino could ordaln
or confirm and young men who de sized
to become clergymen had to cross the
ocean. Tuis caused lack Of cler1ymen.
Young men awaiting ordination went to
preaching in other associations.
Wilmington has the honur Of having
the second general cnuv. ntion Of the
church held hare in l7S6 At that con.
vention the apostolic eed was restored
to It's integrity and the Nicehe creed
placed ba * in the prayer box.
The bishop recallt d events which har-
pened at the time the Oxford movement
to,k place in the church. Every inne-
vation i'll the church services was re-
garded as an indication that the church
was going into the Roman Catholic
Church. When evergreens were used in
church decorations at Christmas, it was
looked upon with suspicion.
The bishop told Of the great growth OF
the church. In 1882 it had 30,939 com,
municants, while in 1899 it had 706, ,666.
This was an increase of 10 per cent, " hile
the population Of the country had in.
creased but 25 per cent.
AT the conclusion of the lecture, r v.
Henry Ward Cunningham, rector Of Cal
vary Church, thanked the bishop on he
half of the audience for the lecture and
stated that copy of Bishop Coleman's
work on the history of the church was
in the Public Library, where it could be
seen.