Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-24

improved.
Our missionary work, once the glory of
our church, has been well nigh ruined.
The China mission still lives and needs your
fostering care. Although the financial
condition of the country at present fOrbids
the expectations of large collections, yet
we may make prospective arrangements
for doing a great work in that extensive
field.
The interest OF the colored population
should engage your Serious attention.
Heretofore the colored people within our
bounds have deserved and received large
share of our labors. We have expended
our means and strength, literally and pa
tiently, tor many years, for their salvation
AID Improvement; and If, in anywise, our
conduct has not been appreciated by some
on earth, nevertheless, our witness is on
hi sh and our reward is in heaven. 1t Is
grateful to our own feelings to know that,
il the cOlored people do not remain under
our pastoral care, their departure reflects
no discredit upon our lbors in their be-
half and is neGessitated by no indifference
on our part for their welfare. Many of
them will probably unite with the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, some of them
with the Northern Methodist Church, while
others, notwithstanding eXtraneous influ-
ences and unkind misrepresentation of our
church, will remain with us.
Let us be content to leave to Providence
to vindicate in due time our scriptural re-
laton to the interest of the colored people.
For those who remain with us the church
should provide generously everything I'M
portant to their religious culture. Con-
vinced that your body takes the deepest in
terest in this subject, and will give it your
special attention, we deem it only needful
to speak OF it in this general and sugges-
tive form; and especially as the bishops, in
their pastoral address last August brought
the subject prominently to the notice Of our
people.
In respect to the separate and distinct or
ganizatiOn of our church, no reasons have
appeared to alter our views, as expressed
in August last. No proposal of traternal
relations has come to us from Others, neith-
er do we regard ourselves as in anywise re-
spOnsibe for hostility evinCed toward us.
While the attempt to take fOrcible possess
sion of our property and to disintegrate our
church, declared the mind that would de-
stroy u.s. let it be ours to show the mind
that was in Christ. In our conscious in
tegrity we should calmly await tine ineviJa-
Bile hour when, in the Providence of God,
an enlightened public opinion will vindi-
cate our claims as church of God and a
true type eff MethOdism. Let ms not be im-
patient for the vindicatiOn before the world.
The great future is before Us, and the great
head of the church smiles upon us. Our
fidelity to God will most perfectly reply to
the voice OF defamation.
In this connection it is with pleasure that
we refer to the fact that many Christians in
the North, and especially in the Northwest,
sincerely sympathize with us, and this
sympathy, we have reason to believe, Is
daily assuming 4 more tangible and I'M
pressive form. That there have, at the
sane time, been some defectiOnS in the
church we care not to disguise. very
few of the whites have gone from u.s.
This was, perhaps, to have been expected.
Our regret is rather for them than for our
selves.
But, while we speak of small defectiOns,
we may refer also to the most gratifying
aCcessiOns. The Baltimore annual confer
ence is now represented by delegation in
this body. In February last, Bishop Early
formally received into our ecclesiastical
connection this conference, consisting OF
1O4 ministers and membership of 200O.
1t is grateful duty to welcome these
brethren among us, anu to commend them
to the confidence and affection OF our peo-
pie. This is large accession to our mem
bers and territory. 1t is also testimony
in our favor that this is nObly borne by men
whose former position and long deibera-
tons upon the subject, as well as their
known Intelligence, will entitle it to special
respect. In our hearts we welcome them,
and cordially extend the right hand of fel-
lOwshlp.
Asa fact of interest to us and of promise
to our future influence, we may state that
in the city of Baltimore there have been
organized several tlourishing churches up
on an independent basis, composed of
Methodists whose warm sympathies are
with US, and whose liberal kindness has al
ready contributed largely to aid US in our
time of need, laying Us under obligations
by their love and good works.
Our educational interests have been
greatly damaged by the war, and nearly all
of our male institutions have been closed.
PrOvidentially, many of our female inst-
tutions have been kept in operation, and
are still dispensing the blessings OF sancti-
fled education to the daughters of our land.
Everything in our power should be done to
revive as speedily as possible the male in
stitutions under the patronage OF our
church. ....
In this connection we specially bring to
your attention the Importance of an insti-
tute for the proper training of young
preachers. That we should make some
proper arrangement for the more thorough
training of our young men before they are
received into the conferences and sent
forth to minister in the church of Christ,
appears to us to be so obvious as to need no
argument to prove it. 1t behooves us to
take this m ,tter into serious and immediate
consideration, and secure to the church the
Invaluable advantages the provision we
suggest can only supply.
The instruction OF the children under
our care, and the interest OF our sabbath
school system, cannot be too highly APP
preciated by you. Your body will, we
hore, show your love for these little ones of
Christ and lambs of his flock by the prac-
tical value of your action in their behalf
We think it unnecessary to enlarge on
point of such obvious and vital concern to
the church. Let MS remember that it il
only by taking care of the children that we
can take care of the future prosperity of
the church. 'H,.'H f.. '..
If we were to Judge from the tone of the
religious press, and the action OF
many of our conferences, great concern is
felt in respect to certain changes in our
economy. 1t is obviously unbecomtng
in US as bishops to occupy any
other than an impartial relation
to those matters. But we take this Oc-
casion to urge upon you the Importance of
giving these subjects your sober and pray
erful consideration. From your extensive
observation of the state and wants of the
church, we hesitate not to say that some
improvement of onr econmy may be wise
ly undertaken at this time. Wen for us II
we can happily avoid extremes and do
neither too little nor too much. Let us re-
member that while innovations are not
Il