Evening journal., 1908-10-28


ties time there have been these orders OF
ministers in christ's church-Bisuops.
Priests and Deacons'
Fitness For the Work,
But who is ht to take up the york
committed to Apostles by Christi Men
chosen as Bishops, men who have been
for years in the Episcopal office. havc
obvious faults of character and OF fail.
ures in wisdom; IL is easy enough for
others to see our weaknesses and our Inn
itations IL is quite natural to ask In the
face Of lofty claims OF an Apostolic sue
cession, Of claims OF Divine grace given
in the two saeraments universally neces.
sary TO salvation, OF a special authority
and power conferred IN ordination. or of
strength and the gift of the Holy Spirit
specially conferred In confirmation, %
ask, who or what are these men that
by their holiness or their wisdom they
have done these great thingsr and the
answer is ready one, the answer given
by the second Of the Gospels and py the
solemn acts of conservation soon 10 fake
place here. that the power the wor~ing
power OF the Bishop is not his own, that
he needs as all Christians need. Gods
help for the saving of his own soul and
for the close following OF his Saviour.
that we have the promise of special help
for the difficult and perplexing work of
a Bishop II We Will but stir up the grace
Of God given 10 us by the imposition OF
hands" but that above the personal help
for the individual man. there is given TO
4 10 Bishop as an official acting as Gods
agent in blessing men. a power rot his
own. the power Of Gods spirit. HE saith
TO them AS My Father hath sent Me.
even 80 send 7 you and When He had
said this He breathed on them and saith
unto them, Receive ye the Holy
Ghost. q" And so I'm a few minutes we
shall hear the Presiding Bishop take up
tho words Of the Head of the Church and
say for Him. Receive the Holy Ghost for
the office and work of a bishop IN the
Church Of God, now committed unto thee
by the Imposition Of our hands; In the
name Of the Father and OF the Son and
OF the Holy Ghost. Amen"
To Go About Diocese.
"As your Bishop goes about this Dio-
cese as others Of us go up and down
Missouri. or Massachusetts. OF New
York, we bless your children not be-
cause Of what we are Of our own
strength, or what we become by Gods
grace. but because OF the power which
Gods Holy Spirit commits TO our Office
for his strengthening of His people,
His beloved flock.
But the first Gospel goes 10 the very
root of the Episcopal Office, the object
and purpose of the succession of
Bishops in Gods Church. the reason
indeed for the founding and the exist
ence of the Church Of Christ on earth.
II is taken from that most touching
scene in St Johns Gospel where the
spokesman of the Apostolic band is
allowed by the risen Saviour to make
up. as it were. by a three fold con-
fession of love for his triple denial
to the Court of Annas. Lowest Thou
Me More than These?" Lowest thou
Me7" Lowest Thou Me?" He asks.
And then follows IN turn the three
| fold commands 10 the penitent Apos-
ties and to us, Christs Bishops, with
all our weaknesses and with all our
failures in science Feed my lambs "
Feed my sheep Feed My Sheep"
It is the Gospel which is put first that
emphasizes the pastoral work Of the
Bishop. the shepherding. the instruct
ing. the tender care Of Gods people
the strengthening and the guiding OF
strong men and women, the training
in holiness and in power Of the chill
dren, the seeking out and the saving
of the lost. the lonely and the wicked
God gives His Bishops authority and
power. but Il Is a very dreadful thing
when we at all forget the ends fol
which these things are given TO us and
pride ourselves that we are Gods in
struments; IL is when Bishops and
clergy lose the burning zeal and love
OF the pastoral Office and being tc
place themselves on authority, or off,
cial position, or social standing, OF
personal ability. that we get that very
horrid thing which men mean wher
they talk OF priestly domination or the
arrogant claims Of the Apostolic Sue
icession. We must each one of us
struggle increasingly to tread close in
the steps OF Him one OF whose titles
very dear TO the hearts OF men from
the days OF the Apostles or of the
! catacenlbs TO our own has been that OF
The Good Shepherd the example oi
the Bishop. as the pastor, the lovins
! shepherd Of Gods people.
/ "And how can We who are Bishop,
{ do our pastoral work? Much Of ou,
time and energy must - -i.-en To on.
cial acts. 10 special services, 10 case,
Of discipline. 10 financial anxieties. I,
letter writing. and committee work ant
all the administrative details Of Dio
cesan work Such things must be don,
as well and as promptly as NAV be
with all the business-iike regularit,
and system that Gods help or natura
ability can give, but there must b,
| a constant effort on the part of ever,
one TO see that this unavoidable dut,
be not allowed 10 rob the Bishop o
5 power 10 do his chief work. we of III,
, clergy must be ever on the watch Al
parish priests and as Bishops TO se
to il that We do not allow business o
administration TO take the first plac
in our thoughts and ideals, that we ap
proach even these things in the spIri
OF prayer, as men who will not forge
that the scaffolding Of means mus
never be allowed TO turn our thoueht
from the spiritual progress Of thes
souls, these servants Of God over whom
we are set as watchmen and shep
herds.
Duty Of the laynan.
Speaking 20 the lavmen. he said the,
must look TO their bishop as a spirituz
advisor. as a chief shepherd of IN
diocese. rather than as If he were III
first Of all its business head and mus
work with him as A leader and frien
In the struggle for righteousness an