The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-07
THE METHODIST MINISTERS.

Crusade--lt fnlscences OF the Past
Age-AdjOurnnent Over Conference.
The Methodist ministers have held their last
weekly meeting during the Conference year q
1894. Tomorrow the New York ana the New
YORK East Conferences will sit In annual session
the former in st. Johns Methodist Episcopal
church, West Fiitythird street, this city, and the
latter IN Simpson Methodist Episcopal church,
Clermonl and Wioughby avenues, Brooklyn; and
the brethren who now compose the Methodist
Preachers Association Will not meet again as such
for three years-perhaps never. Some VINO ara
now here win be transferred TO country appoint
ments too far distant TO allow them to attend the
weekly meetings. Others, now in the country.
will come to the cities and win meet. from week
to week. with the few brethren who manage 70
spend the greatest part OF their ministerial ivesiB
the cities. And thus the peaSOnegle of the meeting
WIN be changed, though 1t VIII continue to be COM
posed OF the travelling and local preachers OF New
York aud vicinity as heretofore.
Yesterday, being the first Monday III the month
was devotion day. The numbers present on tuess
occasions are usually smaller than Oh other days.
but there was better gathering, numerically.
yesterday than there sometimes Is. The prayers
ana experiences rotated around either the ap.
preaching conferences the temperance move
ment Some "reminiscences OF a past generation
were brought up by the venerable and Rev. fathes
Siiliman, who has passed his fOursc0re years.
fity-elght OF them passed IN more or less active
service ID the ministry OF the Methodist Episcopal
Church. He entered the Conference In 1916. and IL
one OF three only now living who entered In the
class OF that year with him. They belong to the
New York East Conference. Father Davis, m
other veteran, who mas seen almost as many
natural and ministerial years as Father siiman.
gave little sketch OF his early ministerial life and
experience lie was the hrst man 10 ESTABLISH
Methodist preaching In Williamsburg, wnen 1t was
ar rnr he
gregations were so small that he was sometimes
afraid ne could not speak OF them IN the plural num-
Der. But after walking to Middle Village on sunday
mornings and holding service there, and walking
back again and preaching in Williamsburg IN tho
ground, began to sing, gathered q crowd around
hlm, talked 10 them and then invited them into ma
cred conrregation What striking contrast
between the Williamsburg OF to-day and that Of
forty years ago. Father Davis was the first also e
Rev. A. G. Bowdsh is now stationed, and from
whence he reported that over 200 persons mad been
converted during the Conference year, 100 OF
| whom had already united with the Church. There
also the Conference collections have quadrupled
and quintupled and the place in which they wor.
ship has become too strait for them, and the
society is planning to enlarge their church edffce.
Father Davis was amazed at the contrast between
| his first appearance in Astoria when after walk.
ing all the road from Williamsburg to mold an
evening service there. there was not one who
asked him ii he wanted cup OF tea or place TO
lie down. and he had 10 tramp the same road back
at night. This venerable brother is an English
\ y
the minlstrations OF such fathers OF Wesleyan
Methodism as Jabez Bunting Bramwell, Richard
Of twelve years he joined the Wesleyan body, and
! at the age Of eighteen he began to preach rs .
local preacher. IN which capacity he came to
| America III 1927 and took appointments "a above.
I Rev. George Lansing Taylor, who has been Tor y
| couple Of months or so travelling in the South for
| his health, related a few OF his religious impress
| sions OF that section ana It's people. They
! hungerng for the bread OF lie. There are not
preac6ing ana he believed this spirit OF longing
/ Tor the word OF God would be the redemption OF
| for hearing the word OF the Lord.
address the preachers. But the Doctor, an ex-
/ cecdingy modest man, who said he was as much
afraid OF the reporters as he was or darkness, but
| VINO nevertheless eyed them with evident de.
| to be interrogated by the brethren, and then
answered their queries. This Is his IavOritc style
q address on the TEMPERANCE question, in connec-
\ ton with the women's movement. He does not
care to give advice or opinion about the legal
aspects OF the question, but says to who want
however, thinks the better way IS to gei
up a moral sentiment against the rrafhc
MasN rum s snGr IN ONO who have oees
! pledged against the business, over 500 Of
them nave been converted to Goa, and not one Of
that was lar better record tnan any constable in
Massachusetts or elsewhere, could show. In hts
! own city Of Boston, the most law. abiding city In
the world, as he believes, and where they have the
most stringent excise law in the world there are
+ 500 HquOf pluccs where uflLkS are sOlu openly
over the bar. The Parker House sells from So O0Q
10 $1,000 worth day. and yet after Two days. trial
recently it could not be proved that Mr.. Park er
/ had sold glass OF liquor over his bar within the
/ last TWO years Another case OF Mr.. Young, hotel
keeper. on whose premises the constables seized
$4,000 worth OF liquors. wines, &C., was acquitted
because OF the inability OF the prosecution to snow
! that he had sold drink over his bar. Yet 10 II
matter OF pubic not0riety that these men make
their principal hotel profit out OF this branch OF
sher business. The Doctor having suggested TO
the preachers that he would Ike to address them
on some Monday morning on the physiological
aspects OF public speaking, ne was invited TO do so
on April u, or sucn other time as might be con-
venjent TO him.
Rev. DR.. Curry, Mr.. Atkinson and MI. Wheatley
were appointed committee to nominate offcers
TO be reported at the next meeting TWO weeks
hence, to which time the preachers ADJOURNED.
A woman's temperance meeting VIII oe neid IN
the parlors OF Association Hall to-day. ut three
O'Clock A central organizat ton, to consist OF Two
ladies' rom each church, is to be efected at that
time.
MORAL HER0ISM."