The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-20
CITY INTELLIG ENCE.
EoR ADDITIONAL LOCAL IrEMs aIrr ON rnrnr rAara
M. E. CHURCH.

Anniversary OF the Methodist Episcopal Church
Extension Society was held in the Union NJ. e.
Church, on Fourth street, near Arch. On that
occasion the Rev. Bishop Ames delivered an
eloquent and interesting address, the publica-
ton of which has been precluded by the
crowded state of our columns for the past few
days. Below we give this address, which will
be read with interest, The Bishop spoke as fol
loWs:-
Mr.. President:-When the General Conference
of the NJ. q. Church assembled in this city and
in this house, in the month OF May, 1854, they
found, of course many important subjects de-
handing their attentions; for with the growth
OF the Church, its responsibilities to the world
constantly increase More is demanded OF right
from O church numbering one million than
could Justly be expected from feeble commu-
Mon. Among the various questions that came
before the body was this matter of church
extension; and they bestowed upon the subject
such consideration as was practicable. it was
decided with great unanlmiJy that this particu-
lar department connected with our church labor
demanded for its more careful and efficient
management especial supervision, and with the
view to secure that supervision, and carry for.
ward more systematically and more economi-
Cally this great department OF Christian effort,
this Society that now meets this evening to hold
its anniversary was constituted, though hinder
ing causes prevented the full organization OF the
Society until some time after the session of tue
General Conference.
need not say to an audience of Americans
that the matter of providing comfortable
houses of worship is one OF great interest to
us both as citizens and as Christians Not only
the country in which we live, but the Govern
ment under which we live, are remarkable
and somewhat peculiar, When our revolu
tionary fathers decided it was not in the power
of State to make the Church, they took a
long step in advaGce. For almost the first time,
Christianity on this great continent has had a
fair field for the display OF its power and energy
untTammelled by any legislative or political in-
terfeTence. In all the Older nations of Chris.
tendon, the Church aud the State are so
blended together that they hardly deem it pos
sible or one to exist without the other.
We have in our country two maums which
are peculiarly American. One IS that the
people are above the State-for they make it,.
We do not hold that men in the civil offices
give us our rights. Our rights antedate the
Constitution, and the Constitution itself is
but the embodiment of the judgment of the
public as 10 the rights which belong to citizens
living in the civil estate. This is one of our
maxlms. The other is, that the Bible is above
the Church. since the Church grows out of it,
and derives all its sanction from it,
1t is true that Christ and the Apostles built no
churches, founded no institutions. No splendid
churches sprung up around the path trodden
by our Saviour and HIS disciples; no schools of
learning, no hospitals for the sick, no asylums
for the blind. But great principles touching
faith and morals we're planted IN mems con-
sciences. The great Teacher taught us; and we
therefore preach, and ali that shall come after
us, that the first duty OF man individually is to
seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
After this, next is the performance of the duties
that he owes his Maker and the securing of the
blessings vouchsaed to him personally; then all
other things shall be added to him.
Hence, it has been the maxim which has
governed the Methodist Episcopal Church in
America, and Weseyanism in Europe, and
throughout the world, that the first work of
the Christian minister is to lead souls to
Christ. The hrst object he has to contemplate
in his mission, is the leading of men and women
10 Ci rist as their Saviour; and having organized
those who trust in Christ into Church, they
hold, in our confession OF faith, that "The ylsl-
BILE ChUrchIof Christ Is congregation or faithful
men, in which the pure Word of God is preached,
and the sacraments duly administered according
to Christs ordinance, in all those things that of
necessity are requisite to the same"
Having done this, then come those natural
results OF accepting pure faith, pure morality
accompanied by quickening spirit, power
that brings into active empioymentalith the hgher
the purer, the nobler faculties of man.
Our fathers preached the gospel as the apos-
ties preached it. They preached 1t on the banks
of streams, they preached 1t in private houses;
they cached 1t wherever they could go, every
where, by the Wayside, and in the synagog1eS
when allowed. So the first pioneers of Metho'
dism proclaimed their ministry in these pro
vnces of the British kingdom until, as Mr.. Wes-
ley said, "God so strangely made us free."
The matter of Church extension, of course, Is
no new thought. The records Of the Govern
ment show the part which has been played by
the various churches in this great work of
making provision for the religious instruction
OF the people of the land.
And perhaps there is no one tulng JnaG DeJteE
evidences the intimacy of that connection
which binds the Church to the community than
the favor which God gives to the Church to
secure the aid from the community needed to
CARY forward this great interest OF Christianity
and of the community
The Government, for the FIST time, in 1850
directed its agents to examine this particular
matter OF church edihces, their cost, their capa-
blity their ownership. And in remarking what
| wish to say upon this, choose rather to take
the statistics of the Government than those OF
! the Church.
Perhaps we are disposed to view with too
much complacency our own work in the mat
= ter 1t is rather customary in certain circles
among us TO say that 'Methodism is the child
4 of ProVidence;n and sometimes we place the
s accent on the definite article in such way as
to make the impression that Providence has
a no other child-whereas, in all truth and can
dor we must aekno Wledge that Providence has
pretty large family. There are many children
that can claim Providence as their parent; and
vet, perhaps there is this to justify us;-For
some of the older members OF the household
looking upon it as rather an inleTloper, and
hardly entitled to the privilege OF klnshlp; and
perhaps angry at the pecullarties OF the infant,
" were disposed to reject it altogether. so far
from admitting il 10 be the child OF ProYl-
dence, some very unkindly called 1t the child
4 OF the Devil almost. We can hardly be sur
prised ii they had such feelings. II was SIM
guar kind of infant in some OF Its habits;
most restless and itinerant youngster, that
greatly disturbed the order OF things as they
had been long tablished. In honest truth,
they were establ he'd little after the manner
OF the honest wsgoner wnom traveller IN a
very muddy road in one of the frontier States
came upon, and found with his team stuck iast
IN the mud. Being rather a practical phlloso-
pher, ne ala not seem to be particularly out