Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-06-25

Magistrate, and great credit is due TOE.
W. Patton, Esq, the present President of
this Court. for the prompt and efficient
manner in which he discharges his duties,
Fourth General Conference of the
NJ. e. Church South. ,sas-
This body last Monday night, closed
its fourth quadriennial session. since the
separation on account Of the political de-
lection of Methodism in the churches of
the Northern States. 1t was composed
of l57 delegates. representing 22 annual
Conferences, including the Bench of six
Bishops. The Hall OF the House of Rep
resentatives having been rendered for the
purpose. the General Conference sat in
council there, under the presidency of
their Bishops, from the first day to the
last hour of the month of May; the most
arduous duties of Secretary being pers
formed in good style. by the Rev. DR.. T.
o. Summers. ofthe Book Concern, assist
ed By Rev. E. H. Hyers, Editor OF the
Southern Christian Advocate.
The Bishops-Soule. Andrew, Paine.
Pierce. Early. Kavanaugh-were all pres
ent, and The history OF Methodism cannot
show worthier Bench. The venerable
senior Bishop Soule. now the father of
Methodism in the United States, is above
80 years of age. One looks upon him
with his strong clear eye fixed upon the
hopes of the Christian Institution, and his
heart and tongue intelligently fred with
all the warm and generous emotions
which have distinguished his long and
useful life, and woven the immortal
wreath now ready to rest forever on his
brow; and, in view of what he has done
his godIy services protracted SO far be-
yond the common term of life.-he at
once becomes most titly associated with
Wesley. KcKendree-with Polycarp. Je-
rome, and Chrysostom,-one cannot re-
press the prayer. that "the days of the
years" of this representative of the an
cient worthless. and official dispenser of
that great principle of the Gross. which
is the only chief good, may be still pro-
longed TO bless. and receive the answer
ing blessing of great people. Andrew.
and Paine. and Pierce are "bright and
shining lights" in Methodist literature.
Early. in prim Methodist coat, is most
courIly gentleman of the Old School, and
withal, most rigid administrator of the
law: and on this account, he has had the
misfortune to give offence 10 certain
sprigs Of Young America in tho church,
but the Conference molly sustained him
against their frivolous complaints; and
Kavanaugh, of Kentucky, is the Boaner>
ges of the church. 1t is no wonder the
General Conference hesitated, and finally
determined against looking amongst
themselves for man to rank with such
class of uperintendents as these in the
place of the departed Bishop Capers.
Conspicuous amongst the acts of this
body has been the erection of the Rio
Grande Mission Conference, the estab-
lishment of mission in Central Ameri-
ca. and the most liberal appropriation
($2lo0OO) ever made toward the sup
port Of Domestic Missions, and the gifted
DR.. Sehon is still retained as Secretary OF
the Missionary Sosiety. The cause OF
Sunday Schools has received additional
consideration and strength in the appoint
ment of the Rev. Chas. Taylor to be Fl
nancial Secretary of that Society. "A
financial secretary has been added to the
Publishing House officials, in the person OF
the Rev. R. Abbey, and the great inte-
rests of the Book Concern placed in con-
dition of pecunisry impregnability.
The Literary Standard OF Ministerial
qualification has been considered and
graduated with prudent reference to
the demands of the times in that regard.
Perhaps no act of the General Confer
ence better deserves common mention,
than that by which, on the motion BY DR..
Deems, of the North Carolina Confer
ence, and the Rev. H. N. McTyefre, Edi.
tor elect of the Nashville Christian Advo-
cate, the body refused to endorse that
most singular act of the Board of Mana.
gers of the American Bible Society, by
which they have, within the past year,
determined to repudiate that best edition
OF the Bible in the world-the result OF
six years !aborious proof,readings of Eng
fish text, by their own late indefatigable
Committee on Versions-and return
again to the quaint old English style of
the text Of King James. But this was
done, by no means in captious spirit,
on the part of the General Conference.
but rather as we ought to look on the err
rors OF good men. No doubt every mem.
Der voted heartily for the resolution of
endorsement of that noble charity-The
American Bible Society; but they were
not willing. by the formal expression sug-
gested by the Rev. Secretary of that In.
stitutiou. to endorse the course inaupura.
ted and passed under sectarian lead,
which had brought them at length into
dlfhculty-a course adopted by so mana.
gers in New York, and wholly without
consultation with single scholar of the
Southern Church.
But few and immaterial changes were
made in the Discipline. The Conference