Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-03-06
Local.
BALTIMORE NJ. Z. CONFERENCE

BALTIMORE N. E. CONFERENCE
OPENING SESSION WEDNEsDAY-RE
MARKS OF BISHOP DoGGETT-NAMEs
ANSWERING 70 ROLL CALL-PREPA
RAToRY BUsINEss-SKETCH OF THT
CONFERENCE.
&c. &C. &c.
The Baltimore Methodist Conference
met here Wednesday for the first time III
twelve years. The following is a
SKETCH OF THE BODY.
The Conference first sent delegates to
General Conference in 1855, and then in
cluded ssthat portion OF pennsylvania.
which does not belong to the Philadelphia
Conference, the Western shore of Mary
land. the Northern Neck of Va, and the
Grcenbrier district" Among it's first del.
egates to the General Conference are the
INT of Stephen G. Roszell, Beverly
Waugh, afterwards a bishop, and 9TH
ers. In 1870 the boundaries of the Con-
ference were changed so as to embrace the
Northern part of Delaware, all of Mary
land lying North and East of Great Chop
tank river, the Shenandoah Valley, in Vir-
ginia up to Montgomery Co., G%reenbrier,
P~ocahontas and Monroe, in West Virgin
ia, Washington City, and other adjacent
ground not occupied by other Conferences.
There are within the limits of the Confer
ence 1853 travelling preachers; l04 local
preachers o. 96 white members; SO col
ored members; 300 churches SO parson-
ages; 354 Sunday Schools II 1862 Sunday
School scholars.
ARRIVING IN TOWN.
The first arrivals came by the G. & y.
train Tuesday evening and our citizens had
their curiosity excited by a string OF grave,
well dressed men, two squares long, Wend-
ing their way from the depot to the Meth
odist church, where a committee was in
waiting to assign themto quarters. Later
that night the cars on the Valley r. r. az
rived in two miles of town, and-the pas
sengers, including a very large number OF
ministers, were brought to the city by 10
O'Clock and found the committee still at
their post to send them to quarters. Late
suppers were the order of the night for
Staunton no usekeepers.
MEETING OF CONFERENCE.
Wednesday morning, at 8 O'Clock, prompt
ly, Bishop Doggett took the chair at the
Methodist church, and the body of the
church rapidly filled with delegates, the
galleries, in the meanwhile, beginning to
show a goodly number of pretty women.-.
Bishop Doggett read a portion Of the 18th
chapter of LIST Corinthians in his deep i'm
pressive voice, after which the 38th hymn
ttGod of my life whose precious power"
was sung, the singing being the more eff
fective from the fact that it was done only
by the male voices present. After a fer
vent prayer which concluded by the dele
gates joining tie presiding officer in the
Lords Prayer, Bishop Doggett delivered a
short
ADDREs TO THE CONFERENCE.
He said Conference was to be congratula-
ted on so large an attendance on the first
day Of the session, which is a rather unu-
sual spectacle and very gratifying to wit
ness. You are to be congratulated upon
such beautiful, genial weather for your as
sembling, for it is a strange coincidence
that the meeting Of Baltimore Conference,
has been almost invariably accompanied by
a snow storm OF other inclement weather.
Nav it please God to add to this favor,
brigham happy spiritual weather during
our meeting. Baltimore Conference brings
up the rear of the train Of allthe other con-
~ferences. 1t is the last but not the least. Car
rying out this figure of the railroad train,
let us remember that it contains 80 cars.
commodius and generally well filled with
itinerant preachers. Well connected too;
for we are distinguished you know, by the
correctional system in our economy and
we are conducted by a set of conductors
called Bishops, each having the oversight
of a certain number of cars. | advert
to this
UNITY,
for a purpose-to show it's Importance and
from it's Importance show hoW great a
disaster it would be if we were to break the
connection Of u train. But there is a
still greater unity, and that is the unity
of the spirit in the bond Of peace that
unites our Zion to-day. We are closing
our conference year amid very great evil
dences of divine favor. Tranquility exists
in all our borders. There is not a more
4oxo,I cbx7uah IN oil fhic G~Onfinnnt
Earnest calculations of "Thank God"
from the delegates)-not a more tranquil
church. for amid all contrarieties of opin-
ion, within our church we have perfect
peace. Our people and preachers are uni
ted in spirit before the Lord. We are in
the presence of great events, in the centre
of stirring times. Never were greater OF
~intenser activities at work, than are now
exerting themselves on the face OF Society
in our country. Never was infidelity more
rampant, never more bold in its direct at
tacks, openly and i%nsidiously. Never We're
infidels more defiant, more self confident OF
their own success than they are at this
time. 1t is the contest between Darkness
and Light. Romanism shorn of its power
in the East, is enforcing itself with wonder.
full adroitness in the West. New er was
there witnessed in this country such
CORRUPTION IN Tic PLACES,
communicating with rapidity to those in
lower position. The preaching too in
many places is being directed to accommo.
date the elements Of the Gospel to this
world.
On the other hand, there is a tendency in
Evangelical Christianity to consolidate its
spiritual element. I don't mean by that
an amalgamation of churches, but a com.
ing together in the spirit of God. 1t looks