The New York herald., 1875-12-28
THE METHODIST MINISTER'S.

THE SYSTEM or METHoDIsM AND IT'S PRAcTI-
CAL woRKISGs-THE GRAY NUNS AGAIN
THE CATHOLIC PRoTEcroRY AND THE HOUSE
or REFUGE
Mental recreation and interchange OF thought call
together from week week large number of hetho-
dist ministers connected with the Now York, New
York East and Newark, and sometimes New Jersey
conferences Their discussions unlike those Of All
other ministerial bodies in that the subjects eonsd.
cred are seldom OF purely UNCONVENTIONAL character
The Baptsls have Ministerial gatherings every week,
which rarely noticed outside their place OF
ing The Presbyterans have a Pastoral Association,
which meets also week, and Presbytcry which
At least month and sometimes oltener,
besides, and the Episcopalans have their Church
Conference month; but OF these gatherings
noticed beyond their respective spheres Their
own denominationai papers dismiss them with
brief paragraph. But with the Methodist preachers the
case IS altogether different Their discussions OF
more general character and presented without any
Of the formaies are supposed TO attach
that do attach to other clerical bodies In their make
up the Methodists are very democratic. They, how
ever, do not let their political preferences interfere with
their enjoyments as their Monday morning gatherings
They certainly did not let them diminish the zest with
which they drank IN every word that Dr. Ketell, the
Presiding Elder Of the New York District Of the New
York East Conference had to say ID them yesterday
on matter that purely denominationaL though Of
very great interest TO nne tenths of the Methodist
preachers Of the land The Doctor sought 10 show
them how the democratic
HDEPENDEscE on THE LOCAL CHURCHES
might be made 70 harmonlze with lhe unity OF the
entire system. Practices have grown up late years
IN the Methodist Episcopal Church which entirely
| foreign to ths system OF Methodisn founded by
Wesley and his coadutors And he least offensive
and dvisve Of these that Of local churches calling
| their own pastors and making such arrangements
they please without reference the wants OF other
churches in the district tho Conference to which
they belong BY this process clques bf ministers have
| grown up who fish around for highprlced churches,
and little coeries OF churches who ash around in like
manner tor high-prced ministers 81 that under these
practices 1t has come TO pass that minister
may pass his entire pastoral life between
| three or four churches. And there are some
ministers who so manage and manipulate things that
they never happen TO get salary tss than So 900
So 800 year, though there may not DO than half
dozen congregations IN given Conference able pay
that sum. There Is member Of thdpreachers' meet
ing VINO has spent two pastoral terms with church in
this vicinity and If mistake not Is filling the
second third term with a church lnConnecticut with
which he has alternated or course, the churches must
/ agree TO this arrangement as wei the minister
But the evil Is none the less oppressive upon the
churches who under the system OF hethodsm as il is
gwen in the books and II reslted yesterday by
! DR.. Ketell, are entitled to good preaching and
other pastors who also deserving OF large salaries
which they do not receive because OF The manipuations
Of their brethren. Hence 1t has comeo pass that the
hgh-saared preachers and churches our large cities
clamor for
MORE EXTENDED PASSIONATE
than three years, the present limit, while the low
priced churches and pastors favor return to year
shorter pastorates their chances for Advancement are
measurably increased 1t has also come pass that
opposition has been raised and i'm outcry made
against the Presiding EdershIp tho nominal ground
OF the expensveness OF this socaled fifth wheel to the
Methodist coach The real ground, however is prob
ably that the presiding elders seek to equalize the
talent and the compensation OF the ministers well
the burdens OF the churches By Dr. Ketells putting
OF this matter yesterday the expensveness of the
eldershp in the New York East Conference, to which
the Doctor belongs has force whatever an argu-
ment There are about 40 900 church members in the
I'm fGyal
for the past " thirty cents pet member. The
missionary collections average 81 member, and
all the other local and correctional benevolent collec-
tons, including the support Of the presiding elders ST.
So that 81 per member the average cost of
the system OF Methodsm TO the New York East Confer
ence last year This is certainly not avery expensive
system and yet 1t is creating enemies for Itself in all
our large cities. AS the Doctor mantaned yesterday,
the burden falls upon comparatively few persons,
because the system which would equalzc 1t is violated
The Doctor quite witty at times q. the expense of
editorial and other critics Of his ohce and order
Al the previous meeting a committed appointed
TO cooperate with the Pres5yterans in their hostility
TO the 'Gray Nun" legislation To that committee was
added yesterday DR.. r. Wheatley, aud for their
sderaton there referred also the law passed by the
last Legislature which gave magistrates the right to
send vagrant children 70 the denominatona institutions
whose creed they may profess This Measure DIR.
Wheatey said, has already crowded the Catholic Pro-
tectory and almost depleted
THE HOUSE OF REyuGE RasnALLs ISLAND.
He objected 10 this lsS, bsoauso a vAs breaking up
under the care Of thai Gu aoss training makes
them what they are Dr Curry vas afraid TO take
hold OF this subJect because Aethodists arc on one
side Of IL and Roman Catholics on she other, and
neither are capable Of treating u As t should be
treated. DR.. Whcaicy gave The railing Sum and the
HERALD uncom plimeniary advertisement, and de-
MED that Methodists making aggressive upon
any Church creed poltca,party, and particularly
not upon the Roman Catholics That Church however,
needs watching and they mean 10 watch IT, The com
mttee are to report on the whole subject next Monday
morning
A despatch from Mrs EmIey, OF Staten Island n
nounced that her grandfather, the venerable Father
Boehm his l0lst year and the oldest minister in
America, perhaps in the world, is dying.