Smyrna times., 1866-02-07

bleS ll5,000 TcstamcTts and several thousand
with passages of Scripture, or 6G0, 600 volumes
i'll all. They have distributed 6.0OO. 900 tracts;
these are strictly religious publications and
evangelical literature. Our mission in Bremen
was established in 1893, and 2G young men
have entered the pastoral work We have
three classes Of young men, This institute re-
cclveS students not licensed to preach; they
teach German, classics; d0gmatic and pastoral
theology and church history We regard it as
essential to our prosperity there 1t is hard
tor young men to acquire an education there
without aid, anI there is no other place in Ger
many where a Methodist education can be OBJ
tanned. We could to-day make IA draft ON
young minister, there for foreign missions in
any part Of the world. They are patient, en-
during and rcrSevcring. In Germany this in
Stltute promises great Usefulness. We all re-
member the long and severe contest in that
country for religious liberty and the struggles
of the early church. In Germany Methodist
experience FIRST commenced There rose the
star which Wesley followed We have always
believed that "A true believer could apoStatizc
If it he true with one it is generally true in
churches; and we find an Illustration in the
present religious condition of the German
churches. There are doubtless many who live
Alright, but they admit tn fact that tormality.
rationalism, infdelity, Sabbath breaking, pro
family and vice abound there, and there is ne
cessity for Il revival of the truth of the Gospel
Christ and His salvation are the pressing
wants of the people there. The government
regard us tav0rably, and rcvivals are frequent
and ttrvcnt there, and the motive for prosccu-
ton is great and pressing. This institute is IA
necessity. 1t is $lO0OD in debt and we need
another building costing sic, 900, and $40. 600
more are needed for the endowment Of its Pre-
sidency. also present the claims Of the Evan
gelizariOn Fund of the Irish Church. Our
brethren there have labored earnestly for many
years. a few years since the Conference wa,
convinced that unless they increased their force
they must continue to decline, and they deter
mined to do it, They established parochia
schools and made arrangements for tire cduca
ton Of young men; funds were necessary, ant
the good people raised all they could, but no
enough. In lS55-6 they appealed to US anl
received encouragement that they might &c
| 100000 from us. They have received $40,
! 900, which is spent in school houses and col
| lege. They have lO4 schools and l23 teachers
in the schools the teachers preach, and tn,
schools seem to them and to me n necessity. -
We have deemed this a fit time for us to pre-
sent to the Irish Church the balance Of tn,
800, ,OO0 They need it, they need sympathy
They need it, and we oYe it to them. Amcrl
can Mcthodism was planted in Ireland, anC
was ansplantcd to this country. They toun,
a home here, and Phil Embury preached il
this city the first Methodist sermon preache,
on this continent, with the exception of thos
Of Wesley. Strowbridge, another Irish preach
er, began about the same time in Maryland
and from them has risen all the Mcthodi>m i
this country and Canada. Ireland has contill
ued to furnish the preachers to this day A
lrishman Introduced Nethodism into Nov
Scotia and Australia; ireland gave us Dr. But
Ter, who planted Mcthodism in Iudi9. Its on
duty to stand by ireland in the hour of he
trial The close Of our war and the death Z
slavery are to have great effect upon the mi
grafton of Irishmen hithcr. 1t has been
question whether we could maintain ourselvc
against internal difficulty. That question ha
been settled; there is no doubt about our pei
petuity These and other considerations vi
bring to our land tide Of emigration ncvc
equaled, never calculated. Is it not our intt
rest and our duty to pre-Americanize them ?
And it is because of all this that ask you I
remember these subjects and interests which
/, have presented You. There can be no MOI
. urgent claims than theirs; there can be 7
more appropriate contribution. May Go
make this occasion blessing to us and the cl
tire Of our community.