Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-06-21

relations of postulants are entirely with
the bishop. and their status tentative and
probationary. ! mention here the fact
that three men who were looking to the
ministry have been dropped to show that
there is sitting out of such
The number of clergymen on our roll at
this date is, beside the two bishops, 4j
priests and two deacons. OF these there
are resident in the diocese Al, and active
~ employed 49, An attempt in general
convention to require that letters Of
transfer shall be accepted when clergy
man has been licensed to ofiiciate in an
other diocese for a certain time, and is
resident there was defeated, partly on
sentimental grounds and partly because
| of complications with diocesan pension
| arrangements That difficulty is removed
| by the establishment of the general PEN
| sion scheme, and the reform must be
| again pressed in the interest both Of
| discipline of accuracy and of fairness.
Entirely apart from our own grounds OF
| complaint it is ridiculous that according
| to the Living Church Almanac one do
cese in New England should retain on
its canonical roll the names of II clergy
men who are holding responsible positions
in other dioceses in various parts of tho
country-not as officers of general church
institutions.
OF our absentee clergymen, the Rev.
| Ernest II. Marriott is largely disabled from
active ministry. OF the Rev Charles *.
| Drake ! have already spoken. The Rev.
Robert l.. Lynch is living in Boston and
for two years has been continually sup-i
plying i'm Massachusetts with the bish-
ops license. but has not parish. With
the Rev. William f. Williamson | have
not been able to get in touch, and have
no Idea where he is--in this country or
elsewhere. or what he is doing. This T..
may say. that friends outside the diocese
VINO were inclined to espouse his cause,
and through whom he came to Vermont,
have given him up and are convinced, as
| am that he is entirely unfit for the POI
siton of a religious leader Would that
| this question were more seriously cons
sidered before admitting men to holy or
ders.
The Rev. Philip Gavan Duffy announces
himself as the founder and the priest SUI
perior of the order of the divine compass
: sion The order has no ecclesiastical
. recognition whatever, and he is in an
exceedingly anomalous position. Mr..
Duffy was accepted in Vermont. under
special circumstances that seemed to call
| for consideration. with shaded letters in
. | 1907. Within less than three years he
| was obliged to resign his parish under n
still darker cloud. Had | supposed that
| he would be in physical or mental condi-
!. ton to resume ministerial work. ] should
|
it was. after awhile he was allowed in
| spite of plain statements and warnings,
- to oficate in New York. and for "A time
, at the informal assignment of the bishop.
though without ever being either received
" into the diocese or formally licensed.
y This irregular position continues to tho
" present time Notwithstanding repeated
efforts on my part to have 1t legitimatzed
- and some real control established.
could not give him letters dimissory in
1910 nor can | now testify to his conduct
4, during the past seven years when I
:, have had no control over him or his min
!, istry exercised in or from another dio-
cese. Episcopacy in this light is a farce.
. The work done under his guidance among
~ those in dire need of compassion, human
" and divine. may be excellent. But he is
~ absolutely untitled by temperament, lack
y of training and past record to found or
&c direct a religious order or orders of men
=. and women.
- Mention Of the conservation July II.
1879 OF the church at Websterville was
by inadvertence omitted from my report
year ago. The total loss by fire of st.
.. Barnabas's, Norwich on Shrove Tues
~ day must be chronicled with deep regret.
&c The bishop coadjutor will doubtless in
"a his report on the mission work of the
u diocese tell of the brave efforts being
G made to carry on the work and to re.
- build the church.
" st. Pauls, Vergennes. has been beau.
~ titled by the erection of dignified screen
w and rood from a legacy bequeathed fol-
such purpose by Mrs. Henrietta S. Lewis
!. St. Michael's, Brattleboro, is now erect
m ing a parish house adjoining the church
s. At Bishop Hopkins hall we have had
" ! a good year. with somewhat larger
10 number of pupils 90 boa riders and y day
es scholars). with a steady Improvement II
~. . the work done, and good tone in thu
q school. and with a slightly improved fl
he nanca, position, Notwithstanding TIL
nd | greatly increased cost of fuel. food ant
40 | service. This is a cause of real anXiet,
Ie for the coming year. By extensive plant
w ing we are hoping to supply ourselve
nd with vegetables and fruits for the win
n ter but we cannot raise our own mea
.ar or dig our own coal; and we may b
70. forced. however reluctantly. to raise on
terms dixie many educational ,insttu
h. tions) in order to meet the increased cos
of living.
One word more AS you know. ] hav
-. been during all my years in Vermont
~ steady opponent of Prohibition dis
ou tinct from Local option. l have repeated
ly said that I would gladly join in
rod crusade for Voluntary Total Abstinence
but that | could not support Prohibi
Ct ton; and that chiefly for three reasons
~, %. Because ! feared driving the drn
tho evil underground, and FORGETTING all con
in troll in vain attempt to prohibit.
for VI because l ieareo ''e efe".ei inoi q
NV evils OF hypocrisy. fraud and perjury tina
,rv often accompany Prohibition, and III
nd breaking down in the common cOnscenc
ns. of the sense of the obligation of law i
general by the evidence of a commonl
I, dsregarded law.
ON, 49, | resented the imposition on large
oh communities by people in smaller con
an munities of a law which could not be Ell
forced without general consent in tn
.om larger communities.
of This has been my consistent atutud
But extraordinary occasions demand e,
.om traordinary measures, and i am prepare
ST to advocate Prohibition of the manufa'
ture and sale of any alcoholic liquor, say
mt for medicinal and sacramental purpose
as as "A war measure. on these grounds:
%. We need for varied service the me
rom who would be released from employment
,tor in all sorts of ways in conneXion vii
With liquor, its manufacture, distribution, sal
t2), We need the buildings for the sto
rom age of food that are now used for Il
SIS, manufacture and storage of liquor.
l3). We need the foodstum that is no
rom put into drink. II is said by men
's's, authority that grain and other ingredien
are now diverted to alcohol sufficient
ord. feed thousands If not millions of men.
air