Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-06-07

and II is they that are undutitully
putting the church on trial.
Suppose that bishops, knowing OF
such heresies, and knowing also the
distress and disquietude thereby
caused, we're tamely and cowardly to
remain silent under such lamentable
circumstances, would they not be
justly liable to the charge of violating
their conservation vow of driving away
such doctrine? Doctrine from which
we all pray, in the Litany, that the
good Lord may deliver us.
A secular paper (the New York
Times) lately expressed in forcible
terms my own views upon this whole
subject: A church is not an arena
nor "a forum, but an organization estab-
lished to attain definite and valuable
ends by stipulated means.
When one of its ministers reaches the
point where it seems to him that what
he believes is so much more important
than what he continues in common
with his church to believe that it is
incumbent upon him to proclaim his
disbelief in season and out of season,
then the honest and manly course for
him is TO abandon its ministry. But
if he insists upon these performances
while remaining a minister Of church
which expressly discountenances them,
corporate self-respect must .impel the
church to sever the connection. "
AS an illustration of the too great
| consciousness and pride of intel
lect so commonly productive Of or con-
tributory to heresy, l may mention a
proposition that has recently been
made for the foundation of what is
called A Lay Church, " which is to
be "a congregation whose bond Of
union, instead of a fixed creed, shall
be the common purpose of ascertaining
/ religious truth, which shall be accom-
| plished, not under the guidance of one
/ and the same man in the pulpit, but
by the communal effort of its members
in the pews " 1t is further declared
in the prospectus, "that it is of the
nature" Of this so-called church,
THAT its patrons may at the same
time belong to other churches, or to
no church. " It is to have "a free
platform for diverse religious views
not excluding very condescend-
ing l-"the faiths of the established
churches" provided that "the state
ments are made with sincerity and
reverence. 49, The Open Court, Janu-
airy, 1903
If it were not about holy and eternal
things, such a programme might we'll
be termed grossly grotesque. And
yet, as / have said, it is an illustra-
tion of the spirit which disdains law
full authority and proudly asserts its
own.
However so sad all these things are,
the church, of course, has nothing
whatever to fear for herself. She is
utterly impregnable, even when as
saulted by the gates of hell. 1t is for
the individual deluded souls that we
sorrow most and supplicate the mercy
and enlightening grace of Almighty
God.
turn, in my concluding words, to
a more congenial subject, that Of the
men s thank Offering.
As ought by this time TO be com7
4 monty understood, this Offering is "a
be made on behalf Of the men Of the
church at the General Convention ia
Richmond, October, 1907, and is to be
of the nature of a thank offering for
the great mercies vouchsafed this
American Church and nation during
the three hundred years that shall then
have elapsed since the first preaching
of the gospel at jamestown in 1907.
Delaware early shared in the blessings
accompanying the pioneer missionaries
from our Mother Church of England
, and it is but right that her laymeI
, shall be foremost in making their con,
! tribution to this national fund. A.
, vet, but little, / fear, has actually
, been done or given. May l not hop,
, that they will no longer delay bearing
/ their share in this practical demon
stration of their loyalty and gratitude
5 Henry b. Thompson and Thomas f.
Bayard, representing the Anti-Briberl
I League of Delaware, who were present
] we're invited to address the conven
3 tion, being introduced by Bishop Cole
man. Both strongly advocated thu
I anti-bribery movement and asked fo
the cooperation Of the church.
, HENRY B. THoMPsoN's ADDRESS.
Mr.. Thompson said all agreed tina
I it would not be proper to induct poll
: tics into the convention, but as briber,
affects our future citizenship it il
proper to consider it in the convention
e The aim of the Anti-Bribery League
: is to blot out an evil which permeate
the Republican, Union Republican an,
|, Democratic parties. The league in
!. tends to aid the attorney general il
enforcing the laws against bribery
1t will also endeavor to arouse mora
= sentiment to the extent that no self
y respecting person will be guilty O
bribery. Without arousing publ
sentiment nothing can be accom-
l. plished. At the first meeting of tn
: league it was decided that the sures
way to get at the people was throug
the church. A jurist told him h
thought the best move made by tn
league was to appoint delegates to tn
church organizations.
Mr.. Thompson appealed to the mem
bers Of the convention TO aid in tn
work. 1t has been said that the Epis
y copal Church has not as widespread a
influence in the rank and file as som
] other denominations, but by investiga
tion he has found that the church ha
Q more men in official positions and me
at the head of public affairs than an
= other church. He enumerated som
= he could think Of, including Willar
Salisbury, chairman of the Stat
Democratic Committee; Harry II. Bi
lanv, Republican city chairman; Me-
ritt n. Willis, Republican count
chairman; ID. z. Barnard of the Unio
committee, and others, and he e'
pressed the belief that the church ha