, 1876-05-07

tbs said delegation. ind III pursuance OF &hta tutho
6. & Fowler. D. D.. and Gen. Clinton y. Fisk - th
delegates. Tho brethren Waited the General Confer
snes Of th.s Church It it, session n louisville, ky:
truly frate1na and thu de!egstes Will In dus tins 10
port to this body.
OUR FOREIGN MISSIONARY WORK
ha4 continued to have natural and healthy growth 1t
tho fields occupied be{oro the lsst General Conferences
and in accordance Why p1An1 then existing, tnportan
and ssien hsEs PeSa R;sasa ia .,p.a
consequently bean required aud sst cut As tho re
cent missionary contributions have beex tcjurfuualy
affected By The financial condition Of the country
other departments Of tho work We think that sh1a
has been done With good Judgment b. the General
Committee and the Board but not
to the missions. The present Indebtedness Of the So
ciety we Judge to be subject Of sufficient importance
to can for your special consideration.
u follows 1881 schools, eo7, ,1s2 officers and teach
e9s ard 1895 scholars. These figures show tho TN
portance of interest and the correspondence ofits
growth with TINT Of the Church.
oU1 TE&cr SOCIETY
IL one Of Oldest eueVolsace3 End continues to bs
important auxiliary Of the evangestic work Of tho
Church through the Board Of Church Extension md
Freelmeos Aid Society is Of mora recent date. 1Ats
fact may give thin claim to your particular alter
dered to needy Societies, especially in tho destitute
and frontier portions Of country, entities 70 the
continued confidence and support Of the Church.
TIE FnEEDNES's AID SOCIETY
ia the principal agency Of tue Church In anordtng
means Of education to the large and dependent pop
work which it is doing Indispensable to the euocesa
of our sdots to promote the welfare of this portion OF
our p6or1e 1t has been able to establish large nu-
although its fund.- hsvs regularly increased during
each year Of tho quadrennFun they aro by no means
adequate to tho uecessed o1 the cause and IN proee
cut1nR this work hereafter ~ mrat ETH appeal - the
bonarolence and be1aty Of our peopla. The work Of
education has Of 1 interest 10 the Church.
Our ee1 oogs and Ind cur
successfully their Legitimate work. It is expected
that tho Centennial contributions Of this year Will
Teferred to these depsytmens Of our Csarch work
full report naJ b expected from those hsVan2 them
in charge.
Ths General Conference Of 1853 directed that There
after tho statistical tables Of our general minutes
should show .hs number Of nembers Of ouz Church
Who died during e.ch gear. Thess tables now shew
that during lie nineteen years which have elapsed
eincs the rule went into effect, 25a945 members OF
ths Church and 500 ministers have finished thar
pr5tstnns and have gone to their account It ia re&
sou.ble t. dcppcss that most Of these died IN tho
Lord and have t6ef1 Transferred to the Church trl
70. 70. s Ef hs as9
since the last General Conference, 1854 netnners Of
the Church have died and 476 ministers, firing an
aggregate on tue desth-Fou ot M:,So TT Ihe
ing ths sans time uaa 1925. and Of ministers.
l3A, making tho .otai net increase - ~ leo, ,.;o
have died. stated above, tho result will show that
persons have within the past four years been
admitted to The fellowshp of the Church The nun
15so553, aud the number Of ministers wss 10 Ev-
ing totsl humber Of coumunlcants Of 6?1 49, The
Conferences which hare met snce the 1as of January
List report net inrreaso Of 5o9 and II this increase
b saded 70 the aggregate Is reported In the minutes
Of ]s75 liz reui. WI shoN the present Membership
churches reported n the general minutes Of 1915 uas
1858, vhose total estinaed vsfue s7 SO 234 beng
m increase Of l,ls1 churches, ~ Of "a in
waa 5,ol7, their estimated Vane So73l615 belnS
IN Increase in the number Of pareonages Of 7oaand
In he ministry md membership, aad in the corporate
wealth Of the Church, etro~s how greatly God has
prospered during the term 0: vhiGh Ve aro spea1
in9 and is IN evidence that neither tic ministry nor
membership of the Church has declined In spirituality
and devotion to God aud His cause.
Wills our hearts filed With gratitude and praise
to God for His goodness to u ~ Church and people,
We yetofce to make mtution Of
TIE PROSPERITY
God hss youcbsafed the other branches Of Method
sm In America 1t also high Satisfaction to us to
fnow thst toe other evangelical churches Of this and
have SHARED largely in the oupouring OF tho Divine
Spirit AID have been earnestly sno soecese1uly on
gagged in evAnge1tssio lzbo1s. These cheering fac9
sfrd aasrauce Of the continued progress aud ulti-
tdato tiutph Of Evangelical Protesfantlsm N ta1s
land. From the Journals q The Aunaal Conerensas
which will be before you for your examination AoQ
from your personal knowledge yon will ps aole 70 IN.
derstaud Tie manner in which have the
duties required Of us Us the General supennsenenns
that every four years administration OF the I'm"
ortsut trust committed to us is reviewed by tne hfgn
rst authority Of the Church. II have erred in uug
snt or failed in the practical discharge Of duties,
Il roaat desirable should understand our errors
and bx abs 10 modify our administration aceotoagy
n our administration been judicious snd useto!,
snd tie Geuorat Conference should approve II snen
action viii perpetuaee that contdencs which ing
Church bss heretofore uniformly given to h her enef lie,
pastors To enable you tho better 70 Judse o. oof ILL.,
innistration, We conaider it o1pedient TO state
somE or TEE PRINCIPLES BIZ WHICH VIE HAFE
BEEN GOVERNED.
tvro II or administration had not been cf1Glccsuv
e1tch satssnt would not be inappropriate, but, :.
hes boe criticised, It ia certainly fitting Knd sppfo
pristc that auch stat5msnt should be made. Il mas
sctrxf to N tia. church Organization and govern
me1t which kav4 Fto9d near1y . ssntuEy and wh:sn
have been found we'll to al PHASES Of society
and changes Of public sontfmenf and eonditaons o.
he nnbo mind; in the crowded city, In heathen
lands. In civilized countries, undcf Tbs reign o.
rnvalty in our great Republic, in tixno o. pescc N
time Of war. among tho loves. ana moss ana
I'll ths while pre- eminently useful snd proving 3se1
be one Of the most aggressive and one Of the most
progressive forms Of ID 1 anv other than
ths most profound consideration and the most Jealous
guardianship. lApplauseJ Thus impreased :, ,rn9 we
1note st appreciation of discipline and usagee:
rha conneetional character Of our Church We tes4o
~ OF the highest Importance and gteatest
army in detachu1ents under independent autno1uEs
would be feeble aud ineffective in compaf1son wt,a
the samc army moved by one supreme antnor1sJ,
having unity Of pnrpose end hetion. Germany.
Under the Empire, is much more potential among tne
nstiUns Of the earth than when under the
If independent patty soveseigntiies 50 the henoo1a
Enscnnal Church tu the sublime unity OF hef e1anut
ri,rnose and under the government and direenoo u
tho f,eneral Conference n her supreme auLholats'
10 mnch uiRhtier In her actoin and influence
..n sno could possibly BE- in independent dlV1slons.
sha cn better antxgouze great errors contend W1ta
srronnnns yicos overthrow combinations OF "lekea-
ae. .TI1 nress forward the trumphs Of divine trutn
neG1 IA grsr, In The earth. The Methodist Eplscopai
rhurch IL not Z c9nfederacy Of e,ghty-ons annua'
eanfarences nor mere association Of some sooo pas
t~rsi char9es II il simple body Of which tho pae-
49, md Churches and conferences are componens
-srts and alI members one Of anotner. ror ny one
a rit w. ara al baptized into one body nnetnef n
smrr,cs. or in Africa, In Europe, or N ASA. Re
49,. h~ec n,l msdo to drink into ono spirit ana tna
ircornora,ion is 80 actual and 10 MA thAt one
-;srnber su{fers al the members sunaf vain H. ol y
na nsmh-r DO hpnored III tho members fe)oieo WIN
- Tonseduent1y tho nanbers should haSo tne ha1ne
n.rs ons Far snother, We cannot give attention 70
ana norton Of the Churchto tho neglect ot Auotes
nortion' This General Conference cannot tlenuuny
irois1ate for oue part the Church TO tne
n snnthar pa1t OF the Church. Tbs q sA
eeneral Conference, the admtn1stz1uons o. .ae
eral and this oRorsa9nt o. ese4 PAs
must BE- WITH squa1 eyo to a II their e13z:nes a1a
interests damaud. The1e II no eo11utnnon1 W oy
which any Rhmbe1 o. aaezahen e70 20 e4eSoas4 A1@4