The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-21

received into our ecclesiastical con.
nection this Conference, consisting OF
lO4 ministers and @ membership of
1900. -
1t is a grateful duty to welcome
these brethren among us, and to
commend them to the confidence and
anectlon of our people. This is a
large accession to our members md
territory. It is, also, q testimony in
our favor, that this is nobly borne bv
men whose former position and long
denberat1ons upon the subject, as
well as their known intelligence, viii
entltle it to special respect. In our
hearts we welcome them. and cor.
daily extend to them the right hand
of fellowship.
AS fact of interest to us and of
promise to our future influence, we
may state that, in the city of Balti-
more, there have been organized Sc
verai hourishing churches upon an
! independent basis. composed of
Methodlsts whose warm svmpothics
are with us, and whose liberal kind
ness has already contributed largely
TO aid us III 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 institntions
nave been closed. Providentially,
many OF our female institutions have
been kept in operation, and are still
dispensing the blessings of sanctfied
education to the daughters of our
land. Everything in our power should
oe done to revive, as speedily rs pos
slble, the male institutions under tbe
patronage of our church.
IN tins connection, we specially
bring to your attention the impor-
lance OF an institute for the proper
training OF young preachers. That
we should make some proper arranre
ments for the more thorough train
ing of our young men before thcy
are received into the conferences
ana sent forth to minister in the
Church Of Christ, appears to us to be
SO obvious as to need no argument to
prove 1t. 1t behooves us to take this
mater INTO serious and immediate
consideration, and secure to the
church the invaluable advantages the
provision VIC suggest can only supply.
inc instruction of the children
under our care, and the interest of
our Sabbath School system, cannot
be too highly appreciated bv Won.
Your body will, We hope. show Your
love for these little ones Of Christ
and lambs OF his flock by the practi-
cal value OF your action in their be-
half. We think it unnecessary to
enlarge on point of such obvious
and vital concern to the church. Let
us remember that it is only bv taking
care OF the children that We can take
care OF tho future nrt sperity Of the
church.
Ii we arc to Judge from the tone of
the rcllglous press, and the action of
many OF onr conferences, great CON
Germ Is fclt III respect to certain
changes III our economy. 1t is obvi-
ousiy unbecoming in us rs Bishops
to occupy any other than an impair
tai relation to those matters. But
we take this occasion to urge ,1pon
you the Importance of giving these
subjects your sober and prayerful
consideration. From our extensive
observation Of the state and wants of
the church, we hesitate not to sav
that some Improvement Of onr eco
nomy may be wisely undertaken at
this time. Well for us if we can hap
plly avoid extremes and do neither
too little nor too much. Let us re-
member that while innovations are
not necessarily improvements, Wis
dom may demand in the department
OF ecclesiastical cNpediency new ap-
plicatlons and Developments of fun
damental principles The efficiency
OF Methodlsm finds its first condition
IN the prevalence Of deep spiritual
life; and alterations in our economy
are valuable as they coincide with
TINS condition, calamitous when they
ignore IT.. On only one OF the points
suggested do we regard it becoming
IN our position to speak directly. and
that Is IN respect to the increase of
the number of the Bishops. For
such an increase as will give the
church more efficient episcopacy,
we think there is an urgent neces-
slty. The intirlnitics of age press
heavily rpon some Of ns and dimin
lsh our ability to answer to the de-
mands of the work for general epis-
copal visitation. The great and in
creaslng extent of our territory