The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-04-15
PETERSBURG, Tuesday, April Is, 1869.
OPENING SESSION.

OPENING SESSION.
Pursuant to adjournment OF the socieiy
IN August last, it convened this evening" IN
.h;s rIace in Washington-siree Methodist
Ssnrah at s o'clock. This large church
vas densely crowded with the friends OF
'DT The Society was called to order by Bishop
no,rett, D. D., President, and the order
Of adiournment read by the Secretary. Z.
The President declared the Society ready
On motion Of Rev. ]. G. CRANBERRY, the
soc;etv took recess to hear the annual
sermon, by Rev. DR.. Huston, OF wlnanes
church, Baltimore Methodist Conference
VINO had been invited to deliver the same.
DR.. Huston led in religious exercises,
With singing by the Washington.street
choir, and most ferVent and affectlng
oDening prayer by Rev. John Z. Edwards:
DR.. Huston then delivered the annual
sermon. He took as his text the eighteenth
chap.er and sixteenth verse Of Luke: " And
Chris, said, suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such
is the kingdom of Heaven" Never have We
heard a more powerful effort delivered
with such earnest feeling and In such
affecting ssyle. The Doctor complained
that his labors had untitled him for the
task. and begged to give plain talk IN
stead of q studied address. And the sequel
proved that it was the very thing needed
and wished by all. He took the strong and
high ground that children old enough to
ain were old enough to experience and ENJOY
Che religion Of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ex-
detrimental religion in even the smallest
who we're capable Of knowing right from
wrong was his theme, and we'll did he DIS
cuss il, Powerfully convincing were his
arguments, and deeply affecting the many
incidents related by him illustrative OF this
noint. He said the first truth child can
eres, ia religious truth, and the first rell-
eions truth a child imbibes is doctrine.
He strongly urged the duty of the Church
topreoccupy the minds and nearts OF tne
children with religious truth before they
were contaminated by sin, discardln.g the
great error that man must commit the
over, act of sin before the grace of God has
auaht to do in his conversion, and dWelt at
length on the duty Of parents to teach re-
lieion and the knowledge of God from
youth up-persuading the mothers to DO as
Hannah did: consecrate their children to
God, and pass them from the warm en-
brace of O mothers arms to the fold OF the
Church. By every act and word to keep
the ascendancy gained in infancy, and
guide the slippery footsteps OF youth
Alright by prayer aud example.
The entire audience was more than
pleased, and doubtless will long remember
~, effort of the sneaker
After the sermon, committee on ere
dentials, consisting Of Messrs. Chandler,
Digger, and Snyder; and committee to
prepare business, consisting OF Messrs.
Davis, Hall, and Judkins, were appointed
and then, on motion OF Rev. DR.. Edwards,
the Society adjourned to meet at o'clock
Wednesday morning ct the same place.
WEDNESDAY MORNING.
In accordance with the order of adjourn
ment. the Society met at 8 o'clock this
morning in Washington-street church,
Bishop Doggett (presdentl in the chair.
After religious exercises, conducted by
Rev. D. P. Wills, the President introduced
to the Society the venerable Bishop Early,
of Lynchburg, and Rev. DR.. Huston, OF
Baltimore, who, being duly received, re-
sponded to the courtesy.
The Committee on Credentials submitted
the following report:
Present-Bishop Doggett, D. D., Presl-
dent; Asa Snyder, j. G. Deming, W. L.
Chandler, J. r. Kilby, W. 4. Davis, vice
presidents; Charles ?. Rady, secretary !;
D. B. Dugger, assistant secretary William
Willis, treasurer; Rev. John E. Edwards,
Rev. ]. c. CRANBERRY, Rev. T. M. Edwards,
Rev. Robert Moore, Captain j. Brown, w.
G. Carey, W. T. Davis, and F.W. Bedford,
of the Executive Committee; Bishop
Early, Rev. R. N. Sledd, Rev. A. u.
Brown, J. H. Robinson, W. c. Pcndle-
ton, Thomas ". Green, of Lynchburg
Rev. G. H. Hall, Rev. j. II. Cronn,
Rev. W. E. Judkins, William H. Perry,
Rev. J. W. Sincoe, H. W. Higgins, 3. E.
Hawkins, William T. Morgan, F. II. Archer,
W. II. Wherry, E. c. Eanes, W. A. shep-
herd, T. Z. Fl. Young, A. S. Archer, Major
r. N. Jones, ]. B. Stephens, ?. +. Cogblll,
Of Petersburg Rev. j. A. Proctor, Rev. J
P. Garland, N. H. Forbes, DR.. r. NJ. Pull
liam, r. A. Woodbridge, E. Gary, D. Il
Alley, r. II. Whitlock, B. F. Lipscomb, ]
P. Heath, C. C. Walter, and W. P. Crutch-
field, of Richmond W. F. Davis, J. c
Berry, and Rev. o. Littleton, of Farm
Vile; J. G. Berry, W. F. Davis, Rev
W. Jordon, W.. S. Byrd, B. F. West
coat, Rev. D. P. Willis, Rev. j. G
Martin, Rev. J. G.. Rowe, W. q. Briggs
Rev. G.. E. Watts, Rev. J. W. Compton
Rev. ]. B. Merritt, A. j. Darby, T. E
Brickhouse, W. Cops, W. E. Boyle, G. W
Reynolds, A. B. Atkins, Jas. Brown, Rev. l.
A. Gibbs, Rev. W. F. Brown, j. s. Hunter
J. L. Eanes, J. T. Moore, NJ. A. Perkins
W. Walker, M. Walker, Rev. j. n. Jones
Rev. T. Diggs, C. II. Green, E. A. W. Tsy
Tor. W. M. Jones, D. S. Wicher, D. 7. Payne
James Simms, Rev. j. II. Davis, Rev. H
= P. Mitchell, Rev. J. P. Jordan, W. W. Wor
than, Rev. R. B. Beadles, Rev. R. A. Comp
ton, Rev. WV. Duncan, Rev. ". |. Hunter
Rev. W. G. Starr, S. Hoffman, Fl. B. Loving
G. B. Farrar, Rev. W. E. Allen, Rev. &c
W. Guy, James L. Scoggin, W. w. Webb
@. E. Holiday, w. S. Copeland, Rev. I. Il
Boggs, Rev. r. j. Huntington, P. G. Archer
r. G. Bridgford, a. B. Scott, Rev. j. B
Curtis, T. B. Hay, Rev. R. Michaels, Rev
H. T. Bacon, Rev. r. Moore, ]. 7. Collins
A. Twyman, J. A. Rives, ]. C. Bacon, Rev
W. G.. Williams, T. r. Walton, James +
Z Cosby, j. w. Davis, T. B. Hamlin, Rev
E. G. Allen, Rev. W. G.. Lumpkin, W. NJ
Gile, W. c. Crenshaw, Rev. J. G. Garrett
Rev. P. W. Archer.
On motion of Rev. F. M. Edwards, al
81 the ministers present were elected sctiv'
members of the Society.
On motion Of W. T. Chandler, it was re
solved that the President be requested 4
his annual report. /
Bishop Doggett then read an interesting
report, in which he reviewed the work o