Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-07-19
VOL. IX....NO. 43.

rapid and glorious increase showed that then
God was with the Methodists. But how
is it now? maintain that no church in our
land is more capable of carrying out any
measures Of reform than the Methodist
church. These glorious results were gained,
when there were but $40 ministers in the
travelling connection. In the year 1889, d
resolution was passed in the General Con
terence, to abandon the principles of Adolf
ton, as laid down by the founders of Meth
odIsm, and to support Colonization And
what is the result. In the last three wears,
the church has actually decreased in num-
bers, although it has nearly 1900 itinerants
In It's ranks. This decrease is in consequence
OF something. What is it.? Why has Israel
turned their back upon their enemies? O.,
1t Is enough to make angels weep. The
Methodist church could have converted the
world, if it had been kept pure This can
prove from what it has done in former times.
from what it has done among the Indians.
and from what it has done in the West India
islands and in heather lands. Once she
was blessed with Coke to head her armies;
man who spent three fortunes in planting
and supporting missions. She was blessed,
too, with the purest and most devoted min
lstry that the world has seen since the Apos-
ties days. Why should such church de-
|
has been tainted with having an ignorant
ministry. This, must say, was never on
the whole true. Though many Of her min
listers were illiterate men, yet she has al
ways had men Of learning in her ranks.
But now she has turned her back Upon her
enemies. There are almost as many min
| listers now in the Phlladel phia conference
alone, as there were in the whole United
States in 1871, and yet the membership in
the Philadelphia Conference is decreasing.
And yet they would not hear brother, who
tried to wake them up to look at the reason
why God is not in them as in former days.
| believe, if the Methodists had done their
duty, and acted up to their principles, they
would have abolished slavery long ago
throughout this nation. Between the wears
ITS and 1871, there was a preacher named
Joseph Everett, an eccentric but holy man,
and a true Methodist. One day, as he was
travelling on the Peninsula, he went to a
ladY's house, and seeing some servants, ask
ed one of them, Who do you belong to?
And who do you belong to? | belong to
Old Missus. And so on. By and by. the
lady of the house came into the ROOM
Everett asked her, Do you own sIaves3
Yes, few. Well, said he will not STAY
IN house where they hold their fellow
creatures as slaves. Will YOU not stop and
dine said the lady. No, said he, not d
mouthful from the hands of slaves. But
you will let your horse eat? No, nv horse
shall not eat what has been planted and
gathered by slaves. So he mounted his
horse, and rode to poor mans house and
got piece of JoAanY=cake and herring for
his dinner rather than eat~afich dinner pre-
pared by slaves: The next time he came
that way, the lady sent for him to her house,
and ne found no slaves, all were free. Now,
l believe If the Methodists had done this
every where, they would have carried uni-
versal freedom throughout the South.
[ will give you another fact to show
what might have been done by the Melho-
d1sts, if they had remained faithful, and
retained the presence of God. This
Joseph Everett preached at Dickinson's
meeting house, in Delaware, and at the
close gave out word, that in two weeks
ne wou ID go and beat up the devils quar-
tiers at Dover, then noted place for gam
bling, borse-racIng, and all manner of
Wlckedness. The time came, and the
meeting was held in barn for in those
days, there was no meeting house for
Methodists They had Jesus Christ with
them, and so they found no room in the
inn They were despised by men, but
full of God. WE'LL before he began his
exercise he told the audience, {" GU that
think you can stand fire, may stay but
} If there are any who cannot stand fire,
You had better 60, for | expect the Lord
will come here with fire to day" Then
ne gave out hymn and prayed, and be-
fore he had done praying the holy fire
from God came down, and the silks and
satIns were seen on the barn floor, and
multltudes crying to God for mercy. In
two years from that time. if you had gone
to Dover, you mi ght have heard the voice
of prayer in nearly every other house, by
sunrise in the morning. This was the
man W no could not stay or eat in house
where there were slaves. He carried the
Holy Ghost with him. Wherever he
went he carried conviction to shareholders,
that they must Set their slaves free, or be-
damned. This will show what the
church can do, if faithful, and what the
McthodIsts might have done, if they had
kept their integrity
o, my friends, can tell you why the
church has no power. The only reason
is, God is not with US. Whv, they have
now something like 10000 preac hers in
the Methodist church, and many tn usands
in the Presbyterian and Baptist and EPis-
copal churches; and with all these we
see souls going down to hell, while the.
church is cranped and defIed, and God IS
not in it, and God is not with the minis
tiers, and God curses all they do with bar
renness and the blood OF souls is found
in the S kits of the church. shake nv
skirts from this guilt. l may be arraign-
ed and tried for this sermon. Perhans