The Washington herald., 1908-05-08
bishop satterIee,s Successor

The Episcopal Diocese Of Washington
| has been wisely guided in the selection OF
( the Right Rev. Charles II. Brent as its
1 bishop. Since his elevation to the mis-
siOnary bishopric of the Philippines,
Bishop Brent has come to be recognized
as one of the strong men of his church
His zeal is Of the apostolic order, temper
ed with practical wisdom. His success In
the difficult field of the Orient has been
notable, but not more so than his cham
pionship Of the highest ideals of citizen
ship. For Bishop Brent is not only a
churchman, but also a citizen. and as such
may be expected TO become an exemplar,
in the National Capital, of that righteous
ness which exalteth a nation. In the far
East his voice has been outspoken for
the rights OF the native-denOuncIng the
.niquites of discriminatory and unjust
tariffs, declaiming against the evils OF
the opium trade, leading the hght against
the lesalized gambling which is so de-
moralizng 10 the life of the Filipino. and
which, 70 our shame the government is
encouraging. Something of the mans
temper, his deep and abiding sympathy,
his Christian democracy, may be dis
cerned in one OF his most recent utter
ances, a sermon preached at Cambridge,
England. on his way TO the Philippines.
in February last. Speaking OF the reIa-
tons of the strong and the weak. espe-
cially Of the duty of civilized nations to-
ward those less civilized, he said;
Privilege and culture should not separate US
from the multitude; they should drive Us into the
heart Of the suffering crowd Culture should increase
our sensitiveness and sympathy to such degree as
to make peculiarly quick to discern the needs Of
the weak; privilege should place IN our hands ef
fectiye instruments whercwth to solve the problems
discovered By cultures keen eyes, The expert use
of privilege is perhaps eaiefest need just now.
Socialism has the right impulse but the wrong
method. Il tries TO make life a dead level by
system. Christianity. on the other hand. endeayoTs
by a gospel Of brotherhood 70 place the strong in
such relation to the weak as 10 make life as Though
It even. It has no system by which it ac-
ccmplishes a final solution no scheme that win do
the thing up once and for all 1t is an endless out
put Of the best wisdom from day to day. Practical
schemes are used bat net relied upon. The gospel
CT science is system; the gospel Of philanthropy is
contribution the gospel Of Christianity is sharing
our task in the Philippines, he believes.
is part Of the task that falls upon the
shoulders OF every strong nation, ''the
task OF ministering out of the abundance
Of Western privilege 10 the whole Of the
vast Orient" He rejects the old theory
that there is a gulf separating East and
West. The new and the true theory. 10
his mind, lis that all that separates is in
cidenta! and ali that unites is funda-
mental There is a fine truth here ap-
plicable to the divisions Of Chrlstendom,
and as to these Bishop Brent said, il
the sermon from which we are quoting:
Nor. as I am convinced is there need Of eccles-
astical Wag where there various Christian churches
laboriug side bg side No. that I advocate tolera-
tion as the word is usually understood / do not
believe in liberation with its condescending spirit
except perhaps the liberation which ST. Paul com
meuds when he advises as 20 suffer fools gladly.
There is something bigger and finer than tolsraticu.
mean msgnaniHity. that Christian virtue that does
not carp at what it cannot understand OF fails TO
agree with that avoids controversy except as last
resort. and when il Is forced TO it conducts 1t on
the highest plane; that deIrecates proSeiytism and
sons To build mp It's walls with materials torn cut
Of a neighDor's building: that LOOKS for evidences
Of Gods spirit wherever Christ is sincerely preached.
Thus, in selecting Bishop Brent as
diocesan TO take up the work untimely
dropped by Bishop Satterlee, our Episco-
pal brethren will translate TO Washington
a splendid citizen as well as a jealous
and broad-minded churchman-a cour-
ageous civil leader as well as a sincere
and unaffected preacher. A noble oppor-
tunity awaits him here.