The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-12
PASTORAL LETTER READ.
From the House Of Bishop to the
Church.

the Episcopal church the Rev. A. B
Nicholas read the pastoral letter O.
the house Of bishops to the congrega
ton This letter wa sread at the Sar
Francisco convention by Bishop Dud
ley of Kentucky
The cession Of the great synod is
ended. We nave taken counsel to-
gether o fthe things concerning the
kingdom Of Col: we have made more
nearly perfect as we trust, the organ.
izatiea To- the accomplishment Of its
work we have chosen new leaders Of
the militant host; we have devised.
as we believe. larger enterprise Of
future advance. Surely we have gain
ed new courage by clasping the hands
Of brothers beloved and we go forta
boldly into the night, the night OF
trial and of battle locking and wait
ing for the dawn of victory and peace.
But ere We part and set forth. each
10 his appointed place in the great
field Of battle. we hear your voice call
ing to us whom the King has set as
watchmen upon His citys towers,
''Watchman, tell us of the night"
An4 the answer is returned now as
in the old time, "The morning cometh
and also the night
We bid you first of al lrejoice be-
cause surely the morning beginneth
to dawn. We cry aloud, Let no man
heart fail him for fear,' because
surely the signs of the triumph are
plain and unmistaKable, though the
battle must still be long and weary.
The progress has been regular and
marked; yes, we can declare that en-
thusiasm for missions has burned
burned will an ever increasing flame.
See, the women fthe church as or
ganized in the Woman's Auxiliary to
the Board of Missions have this year
laid upon the altar of God the splen-
did united offering Of 100000 for the
work of missions, while but twelve
years have passed since this united
offering was first made. when $4,000
was given. And remember that this
but their way of celebrating our
triennial festival, and that vastly
more than this amount yes, ten times
this amount. is given every year by
our sisters in one way and another
to the work Of missions. the true work
of missions though not administered
by our board of managers.
We ask in view of the peculiar diff
nculties of our time. what are the
special hindrances which prevent the
access of Christ to the souls of our
children; what are the closed doors
and windows through which He
should enter in, but which by our
neglect are barred so fast against
Him?
We answer that first and chief
among the failures Of our people in
the development of their own spiritual
life an dthat Of their children, is the
neglect Of The cultivation of religion
in the home. We have forgotten in
the bustling pursuit Of material pros
perity in the perhaps over-develop-
ment of the value of the individual,
thas the home was the germ Of the
church, that the father is consecrated
priest OF his household, the represen-
tative of the All-Father to those
sprung from his loins. their leader
and commander in approach to the
throne fthe Highest, and in pursuit
of the paths which He sath marked
out. How shall the Holy One enter
and dwell in the heart Of the boy to
expel the evil spirit of base desire. to
quicken the purpose of selfdevotion
to the wor kof God in the world, to
enable the pursuit Of only the things
that are pure and honorable and of
good report, when the father, who is
to him the very image and represen-
tative Of all that IS highesS} is wholly
immersed in the cares of the world?
How shall the maiden's heart be made
strong by the animating Spirit Of the
Holy One to answer to the heaven
sent messenger come to tell Of the
gl- Of the Christ who shall be hers,
BE it unto me according TO thy
word" when the mother who bore
her and is rightly her ideal OF high
est womanhood, hath name to live
and is dead, and amid the hurrying
round of frivolity can not find time
for prayer or Holy Scripture? How
shall our children learn the habit Of
communion with God in secret prayer
when behold there is no family altar
around which they are called to
kneel at morning and at evening,
while the father-prieet offers the sac
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