Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-10-22
RELIGIOUS TOPICS.

| Ton, ana already noticed in the Smyrna
Tunes, presents a perfect bird d's-cye view of
our new Conference. 1t is very timely in
its issue for its comes Just as the General
Conference has set this entire territory apart
as one Conference and is OF considerable as
sistance in the arrangement of our work.
All OF our Church members will be interest
ed in the matter OF Encouragement of the
Presiding Elders districts and as guide to
this work we present the following statistics
of our Conference. The Northern line of
boundary for the Conference is the Pennsyl-
yania State line, and this divides two of our
circuits, viz: Chester circuit on the Will
mington district lies mostly within our
bounds; Marcus Hook being the only
Church north of the line, but that being the
only town of importance on the circuit has
there located the parsonage and the pastor
living in that town will. fall within the Phil
adelphia Conference.
Sloan charge was included in the statis-
| tical table of our last minutes with the Mt,
Lebanon appointment. 1t will remain in
the Philadelphia Conference while the bal
ance Of the circuit-perhaps 75 members
will appear in our minutes.
| The main questions for consideration in
the arrangement of the districts, are those of
access by the Presiding Elders mutual inter-
ests Of members in several districts, and adj
equate support to P. e. without burdening
any charge. The division should be us
nearly as possibly by geographical or politi-
cal boundaries and the numerical and fnan-
cial strength of the several districts as nearly
as possible, equally divided
| lfit should be deemed desirable that there
should not he an increase CT the number of
districts at present a fair division could be
made by the following arrangement =
The upper district to be called after our
chief city, the
| WILMINGTON DIsTRIor to include the ap-
pointments south of the Pennsylvania line
lying in New Castle county, Delaware, and
Cecil county, Maryland, the southern boun-
Diary being the Sassafras river and Appo-
| quinmink creek, giving to that district an
addition of Odessa, Middletown and Cecil
ton, and not dividing Smyrna circuit.
EAsToN DIsTEIcT: to include Kent, Queen
Anne's, Talbot and Caroline counties, Nd,
and Kent county, Delaware, adding to the
district fredericksburg, Bethlehem and Bethes-
da charges.
Snow HILL DIsTRIcT to include Sussex
county, Delaware, Dorchester, and the south
ern counties of Maryland and Virginia.
On the basis Of last years statistics, we
would then have
Districts. Appointments Members. Salaries.
| Wilmington, "a e1b9 $20GO0
/ Easton, rs 6S60 S20250
Snow Hill, 2T 1900 sl8so7
Many of the charges have made consider
able increase in salaries during the year and
through the blessed influence of the camp
meetings held during the summer, doubt
| not our increase at our next conference will
not be less than |, 900 members.
| What is thought to be better arrangement
still, and one which ought not to be consd-
cred burdensome to the churches, is the di
vision of the work into four districts, as
follows g.
WILMISGroN DISTRICT with its Southern
boundry as ut present.
DOVER DISTRICT: including all south of
Appoquinimink creek in New Castle coun-
ty, all Of Kent and Sussex counties in Del
aware and Ccclton and fredericksburg lying
just over the boundry line in Maryland.
EAsroN DisTRIcr: including all west Of
the Delaware line in Kent, Queen Anne's,
Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester counties,
having for its southern boundry the Nanti-
coke river.
Snow HILL DISTRICT; to include Wicom-
leo, Somerset, and Worcester counties, in
Md, and Accomac and Southampton in Va.
This district has always been regarded as
much too large and the p. Elders have ex-
pericnced great inconvenience in having to
cross the Nanticoke river to reach their ap-
pointments in Dorchester county; although
the number of the churches will be some-
what reduced, it will still be the strongest in
point OF membership in the conference, and
although our people may not be as tavora-
bly, circumstanccd to meet financial obliga-
tions as some of the upper districts, yet a
very large per centagc of the missionary
!, appropriations made to the conference goes
to that district and if necessary this could
be increased. The statistics of this division
: would he about as follows:
Districts No. of Charges. Members Salaries
Z wilmi gton, 81 1923 Sls.15G
novcr, is b,0S2 sl2,65l
I | East3n 20 1882 Sl2, ,i0l
Snow Hill, 20 b,sl2 Sl0,9ss
This estimate includes only the salaries
paid to preachers in charge.
Respectfully submitted to my brethren,
t lay and clerical. 5. l.. GRAcEy.
| DIR. Bellows, of Philadelphia, preached
the following sermon before the National
: Conference Of Unitarian Churches in New
y York, and his sermon, like that of Bishop
: Lee before the Episcopal Convention, Great
a ed much earnest discussion in the conference
We take from it the following extract:-
! Unitarians, rcformers, Protestants of the
It Protestants as we are, we have never pro
!. fesscd to be setting up n new religion or re
yying one older than Christianity; we have
as body, aimed only at purging the Chris
y tian church of certain things which had beer
il taken into the system Professionally al crises
II of special want or peril, or peculiar weak
ness or trial. We have desired to recOgniz,
= the claims, the services, the spiritual expe
IL rience and victories of our predecessors il
II charge of the great trust of the Gospel ant
v the church Down that main line Of tradi
:, lion and faith, the precious fruits of Christ
!" life and teachings and death have descended
L and gathering wealth and hallowed powe
Ii and holy fragrance from the ages and gener
| nt;a haf n
opportunities. have aided in developing it
significance in increasing its volume, the
ID form now tie revered river of our religion
of strength, the river of God which is full G
!. water.
NJ We do not propose TO build into the ten
sc pie we fashion on or over this stream, a
ST the drift-wood or wreck of old ianes thu
!, we find In il, nor to worship the theologict
- crocodiles and Lizards that may have foun
us its waters hospitable or nourishing. Neitht
is do we mean to abandon the stream becaus
st of its drift-wood OF the monsters that we SC
- here and there swimming in its waves. "
% believe that God has chosen to make tn
is Jordan of his tie baptismal stream of hi
of manity, and that until he works some ne
nm miracle, like unto the life and character al
10 teachings of Jesus Christ, and baptizes
~ new Teacher and Saviour in new streai
10 we shall be presumptuous and unwise
re go back 10 fnarpar anu Apanu, VI efch
,re 20 forward to Mississippi or Amazon, as
~ size and depth, or commercial or polite
ise Importance could measure the compass
his choice. 1t is in no dread of free inquir
no in no desire to entangle OF BATTLE othel
for consciences, in no caprice of opinion or fe
w. ~. of what the world will say that the Untari
ec' denomination has planted itself, or rath
uct has been planted by its progcnitors, up'
in the great traditions of the New Testame
,be and the historical church. II its provide
tial birth-right, its saving instinct when
IN alone nutriment for it can proceed. 1t is frc
to convictions stronger than any formal arg
nal ments, from attachments deeper than rt
ho sonng, from wants and cravings that "
NJ not be denied, that our Unitarian church
WI held their anchorage in the storms of me
,ri- ern scepticism and devout infidelity, a
nen the moment the question was raised, decl
!, 4, ed themselves, by decisive and oyerwhel
=, " ing majority, :he disciples of our Lord Jes
we Christ.
n is =
,ost -Thurlow Weed thinks he will CO
bnma IN vote in Noyember