Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-03-06
OUR METHODIST BRETHREN

The body of intelligent and earnest cler-
gy and laity now in session among us, is
part of the wave from the pebble thrown
into the water in Oxford, England, over
century and half ago, and which has been
widening until to-day there is not spot
on the civilized earth which is not laved by
it, He was severe man, that John Wes-
ley, notwithstanding the broad spirit OF
Christian charity, that filled his heart
He believed in Duty, and SO concentrated
was his idea that work for God was insep-
arabic from the profession of faith in Him,
that his whole life, with the lives OF his fol-
lowers, was methodized for the work. The
little society that he organized at Oxford
Of young men, had method in their stud
les, method in visiting the sick and poor
and the severest following of method
in imparting religious instruction. So
they were at first, called Methodists
in ridicule, but the multitudes who
adopted this form of serving God, them
selves took the designation SO willingly
and in such overwhelming numbers, that
the fun of the thing died out. In 1851 the
edge of the wave had crossed the Atlantic
and washed the shores of America, and in the
humble private dwelling of Philip Embu-
nv, in New York city, FIVE men met and
formed a Society of Methodists. Seven
wears afterwards the first Methodist Con-
ference in America met on the Fourth of
July, in Philadelphia, at which there were
represented 10 preachers and 1850 members
of this branch Of the Church of God In
America. The conference made appoint
ments in six cities, among which were Rev.
Richard Wright, at Norfolk, and Rev
Robert Williams, at Petersburg-Virgina
having two out of the nine ministers APP
pointed in the whole country. Five years
afterwards nearly one hundred years ago
another conference was held in the Valley
of Virginia, at Leesburg, but the first
G eneral Conference was not held until
1854, when it met at Baltimore, represent
ing So preachers and IA, 996 members, and
to-day, a little more than a century
since it appeared in this country, that de-
nomination according to the U. s. census
outstrips every other in America III
numbers and wealth, and owns S60,CO0,G0O
worth of church property. They are the
representatives Of such Il denomination,
with such, a historyas this, that are in session
among us to-day, and we look curiously at
them, wondering what sort of stuff the men
are made of who have been marching on to
the front so silently and so irresistibly
~,
CHARLOTTESVILLE IN MOURN
ING.
The Athens of Virginia has just received
a staggering blow. That inscrutable pres
tidigitateur. Prof. Herr Alexander, adver-
tised to give two performances within the
classic and corporate limits of Charlottes-
vile, the first to take place on Wednesday
night. The Professor gave one exhibition,
and the next morning the streets Of the
town were filled with sheriffs, hotel pro-
prietors, editors. and constables hunting
him. His mammoth trunk left at his hoy
tel contained three dirty shirts, two guinea
pigs. pair of drawers, and salt CELLAR
Charlottesville was thunderstruck it had
never been done that way before but
when there was found among the Profess
sOr's captured correspondence a letter ad-
visjng him to do it so, as there amt no
people in the State easier than they are
here it tore its hair. Great Heavens
The Athens of Virginia accounted to be
the softest town in the State? The
asChrouicla' man was in Sfarpton Satur
day pricing some sackcloth and ashes. He
appeared much cast down.