The San Francisco call., 1901-10-09
THE GREAT CONVENTION.

- AN FRANCISCO has proved worthy of the
kindest conception of her quality, and perhaps
- better than her fame, by the interest of all her
people in the great General Convention of the Eps
copal church that is sitting in solemn session here.
We have frequent political conventions that meet
to consider temporal things and temporalities
touch us daily and often mistake them for the real
quick it is only natural that such conventions at
tractve and that interest in them asserts itself in
many ways. But here is great body OF solemn and
earnest men, gathered from many zones met to
slider things eternal and not made with hands, and in
stantly among all people runs the voice of the
Spirit crying that these things neable the real
quick the highest concern OF man.
Iii this convention are gathered those who come
from places wide apart. The preacher of the Word
whose shelter is an Indian tepee, and who spreads
the sacramental elements in forest temple, sits be-
side him who breaks the bread of life in the cahe-
dral in light dyed to softness, in air sweetened by
music 1t is spiritual democracy in convention
sembed, to which all kindreds and tongues OF men
are welcome, coming in the and countersgn OF
common form and faith
The people faithful readers of the daily proceed
ngs of this convention, and among many there is
surprise at the revelation The Episcopal church in
this country works quietly the forces of nature
1t affects but little grandeur in its churches Even
in large cities these are quite plain wooden struc
tures imposing but little burden upon their builders
and leaving the parish free from mortgage and inter
est The church charities are administered, its place
in society held and its mission executed with such
absence OF osentaton that when its general conven-
ton reports aggregate the work done aston
shed at the grand total
1t is still missionary church, when Heber wrote
From G eenands Icy Mountains" and from many
do1aC br;or of
the gospel progress on far continents and islands.
There is morbid conception of religion that re-
ates it solely to death, to the last incident of
tality, and turns its hope to dirge, its song to
threnody, and its purpose into the disposition Of
things unseen forgetting this world and its sunshine
and the banners which the seasons unfurl upon it's
mountains and plains
Those who hold this morbid conception may take
great comfort in the wholesome ways of this
tion and may learn that whatever world the eye Of
faith may beyond this great body is inspired by
the conviction that nothing in this present world is
too good for mans reasonable enjoyment in prepara-
ton for the world to
The debates have been intellectual combats in
which training genius and courtesy have most highly
illustrated rhetoric art of persuasion, and the
discussions have disclosed an abiding interest In the
church. hand in hand with genuine patriotism which
inspires confidence IN that feature OF our system
which keeps church and state apart for the good Of
each
In another respect the great convention gratifes
and charms people by its gentleness Of spirit
toward all other religious bodies. This spirit was ut
tered in Dr. Huntington's vision of the future
Church of the Reconciliation.
So, in its lesson Of charity, activity, union of the
humble and the high, in the universally of its SYM
pathies this body has entered the heart of peo
pie and has raised San Francisco perceptbly higher
than before above that which is merely gross and
sordid.
! The prayer uttered by the English dean in his
memorial poem the death of President Mckinley
embraced in the scheme Of faith all who are and San
| Francisco cries out with him
Oh guide thy peoples by the way of peace
Through cleansing splendors to the gates of light