The National tribune., 1907-10-03

the apostolic creed in its integrity, and
urged the retention of the Nicene and
Athanasian creeds. Parliament passed
an act authorizing the conservation OF
three Bishops for America. The OBJ
Ijections of the English Bishops were
met, and DIR. Samuel Provost. of New
York; DR.. William White, of Peunsyi-
vania, and DR.. David Griffith, of Vir-
ginia, were presented, of whom White
and Provost were consecrated in 1887.
Bishop Seabury was subsequently rec
ognized. and there were changes made
in the constitution of the Church ap-
proximating it more closely to the Scot
tish and therefore primitive liturgy.
After this effort Episcopaliansm
Iseems to have lansuishad for number
of years, but then new blood came in.
and the Church began a healthful, ac-
tive growth. disturbed only by sharp
controversy for years rejecting that
which was going en- in England between
the high and low churchmen. A num-
Der of distinguished men came to the
front in this controversy, among them
being Bishops Burgess. Eastburn.
Chase Potter and McIlvaine on one
side and Tying on the other A strong
missionary work was begun about this
time. which made it's influence felt all
over the country, and one Of the lead
ers in this was Bishop Jackson Kemper.
to whom was given much of the coun-
try west of the Allegheny Mountains.
so that lie playfully called himself the
Bishop of All-Outdoors. The war of
the rebellion came on to interrupt the
progress of the Church, but the Epis-
copalians did not suffer such an inter-
rupton of their Intercourse as visited
the other Churches. and when they
met in General Convention in New York
in 1862 seats werc assigned to the
Southern Bishops ard delegates and
their names called as usual The war
was over by the time the next Cen
eral Convention was held in 1865, but
| a dOctrinal war had deVelc ped over
the issue of Ritualism. and this greatly
disturbed the Conventions Of 1868, 1871
! and 1874. This finally eliminated in
| Il ScCtSSiDli oI lfie Low 'lu4 C'iill-!l ull-
der the leadership Of Dr. Cummings and
the constitution of the reformed Epis-
copal Church" Since that time the
Church has had a growth to satisfy
even the most sarguine. Every year
has seen a great extension of its mem
bership and its work. There are nov
| so dioceses and 81 missionary juris-
dictions within the limits of he United
States, one missionary establishment in
| Africa, one in Cuba, two in China and
two in Japan, besides three in RraZil,
Haiti and Mexico. There are now nine
organized chaplaincies on the continent
of Europe which are American. In 1901
there were 2,S25 parishes, exclusive os
mission stations, with 1854 church edi-
| fees. 5000 clergymen. T3T.0 com
municants. and in the Sunday schools
46,673 teachers and 1891 scholars.
In the year previous there had been
1886 baptisms, 45.093 combinations
1906 there were reported 5.109 minis
ters. 7.142 churches and S17.St5 com
municants. The Reformed Episcopal
Church reported 100 ministers, rs
churches and 9,2S2 commandments:
making the total number of Episcopa-
lians S27,127.
The spirit of aloofness, Gf disdain of
criticism, of conscious and unquestioHed
superiority which formerly marked
Episcopalians has been superseded by
the spirit which John Wesley in vain
tried to infuse into the Church when
he established his "Methodisin." Now
the Church is coming constantly into
closer contact with the great mass OF
the people: it is taking deep and
earnest interest in all that concerns
the masses, and it's efforts are being
directed by marked wisdom and the
brcadest of Christian sympathy. whici
will account for its remarkable progress.
1t has been singularly successful in pro
viding fields of labor for the women.
and thus enlist in its cause those potent
helpers in all that pertains to broader
humanity and the spreading of Chris
udnity. Among these institutions -
the Order of Deaconesses. which ha:,
/
tic and foreign Missionary Societies, the
brotherhood of St. Andrew, the Church
clubs, the Daughters of the King, the
Church Temperance Societies, the Pa
rochial Mission Society. the Church sun
day School, the Church hospitals and
other forms of activity have been organ
lied with the happest results, and the
Church seems to-day on the eve of Il
far greater development than the most
sangune of the earlier workers in il
could have hoped for. 1t is making for
itself a very large place in Christian
work in the United States and becom-
ing one of our mightiest forces for
good.
| The Baltimore bankers are conSid-
ering the plan of using finger prints as
a method of Identification. The police
officers who have used this means for
years are enthusiastic advocates of it