, 1876-04-17

Church In Now York. 10th xc1o local
I'rcacherA from ireland, and H. ta not al.
totuIcly cetta1n Witch Is omitted to THO bonor
e b9ips tha pioneer o s,othod.m IN ,no s
persons in New York In August, t16H ~ hs'aW,
lrLgo arrived in thls country hcswcon libo , ohu
765. and hold Acthodst eeryicns posslbly eh1hef
than Enb,sry, though tho l!e,orians 'nsa!"e , 10
give tho latter tie precedence. IL ~as aeas
that tl,o fist educational natit'i1soh
af tho Church was opened (is7}-Gokehbnry
Colege-an.i It WIS In TINT city thas the General
Conference WAS orgAnlTeo Ill Let ana .vna ." snI
observation-disclosures Of bishops. They wc.o the
first Protestant bishops In America. having been
conaccEatod moro than two months earlier shan
tho first lilelep Of sa,c Protestant Erase9pa!
Coke did but ttlo sorvco in tl,ls country, spend
tng mich OF lis timo IN missionary work IN
Euroro but flAloT Ahbury remained hero ttll
tho end o Ills life. travelling continually proacl'.
inc. organizing churches and local conferences.
orslnininR rrcachers, and supervising Tue lutcr-
esta of tho denomination. II ia estimated TINT,
uriug Tho forsy-nyo ycara Of lis 1niniAtry. he
travelled 40 900 miles, and ptaschott ~ 5oo Sos-
sapxer Of tho Churnh. When l,o became B,Hlon
III 1854, there wero about eighty preachers, asid
$4,000 mtn,bers; at Lis death, IN l8lG. tho1e
wcro 100 ministers, end 211, ,00o monberH. Ihb
Protestant body iu tito Unitcd States. 1hoy arc
divided into dozen branches half OF vliloil aro
Episcopal aod half nol- Episoophl. tho latter hav-
ing, however, not moro than 1GQ, 600 Meubere.
by Withdrawals Or separation from tho Methodist
Epiecopat Church, Tho Methodist rroteAtant
Church vas organized by secettera who wcre op-
posed to episcoracy, and wanted lay representa-
owes It's existence 10 separation In 1871 on nc
count nf The slavery question. Thero arc three
cotorei Methodist Churches and . small body
which uses tho Congregational form OF govern
ntent. In all there aEe abont p0o. GOO rnsmbere
in tho United States. with $1,000 travelling aud
local preachers. Tho branch for Which tho Gen
eral Conference at Baltimore will legielato has
over l,50o, ,U00 u,ctnbers 900 travelling prcnoh-
crs, III Annual ConfoFeaces. snd IL bishops.
about 200 ministerial delcgatos elected BY
tho Annua, Conferences, mud 1870 lay dol
egEtcs elected by Electoral Conferoneea
milking body Of ovot 400 dcleEntes. The
Geucrsl Conference Of 1879 was tho first Mt
fcrcnces continue to be exclusively mluistortal
bodies. The Genetai Conference H. the highest
aprollato court and proposly tho only Legislative
body Of tho Church. It works under VIZ re-
ntion without The consent Of tho whole Church,
tho doctrinal standards, tho general superin-
tendency, Ind tho itinorancy. Tho Bisllopa are
chosen by. and are amcnablc TO-, tho Gonesai
Confcr0nce, Which also chooses the officers OF
tho various Church 13oerds, aud mnlses such reg.
ulatioos concerning tho government and general
interests Of tho Church as It SECS lit.
Tho rrosont oeasou will not probably bc as
imporsant as tho last. 1lnfcsB aonlo unforeseen
emergency Dl.ould occur. The brooklyn Con-
ference had the grcat Eook Concern controversy
to aett1c. eight bishops wero to bo c!oacn. aud
tho necessary changes woro TO be ratiilcd for tho
admission OF lay delegates. 1t Is not probable
that any more blHhops Will bo elected At BHlt1-
el) for Liberia, and tho only controversy OF
gnnoral interest at present il that concerning
Presiding Elders. There IL. Of course, thu ust'al
anxiety among tho candidates for tlo various
offices at tho disposal OF tho General Conference,
One OF tho tfuHs:sons certain to como Eofo3o
the General Conference is TINT Of etecsiny pse-
siding Eldcrs. which Las boun matter Of eon-
troYoIsy almost from tho organization OF tho
Church. Each Annual Conference ts divided
into number OF districts by tho Presiding liBh-
on, who nppointg for zach MI ollicor called Pre-
siding Elder. whose duty it ii to watch over tho
nrcacheEa and churches under hiH care. hold
and report to tho Annual Conference on tho
character OF tito proachers aud on tho financial.
stutistica!, and spiritual condition uf tho dis
trlct. Tie Presiding Elders alao form sort OF
him In regard to stasionIns tho prcacLera fer
tho coming year. 1t is no.Y proposed that til 9
power Of appointing thoso o[ilcoro shall
10 talseu from tho Duhopa, mud that
! tho Annual Conference shall elect them. The
party III favor of this change, although strong
Still sn,alpr party Ia In fayor Of abohhh,ug the
Presiding E!derahip aitogcthor, NJ . uselcEa and
oxpenslvo pieco of machinery: 3lost Of The
Annual Conforoncoa haro si.niilod thGir, ,yowB ol
tile proposed change, and from thoao expressions
a.ul sho drift OF tho colItr0gorHy IN tho dcnotn
national papers, II IL bclicyaa tnat two-shtrta o.
tho tlologatos III tho 0onorsl Conference will op
poso it.
| 1t IL possible that goalo action may be taker
| to prolouS tho pastoral tctn,, which IL now ln
| tsod to three yea7H. for asv iu favor OI rem0v
ing Nil restrictions aud al owing pastor to HcsYe
| q church an long M is desired. subject to renp
preserve tho ittueranoy and also Eive all tho ad
sautagca Of settled pastofata without
my Of its usual drawbacks. This movement doss
not appear to haTo yet developed any consid
erablo atrengtt. A commilec appointed at tlat
last sossion Iii Hrookl.n wii repast BYstcm ol
Church Courts, consulting. Of slvo successive
gra.lat!ons from tho l'arlsl, Court 10 the bu
prolao Court, which - to hayo jurisdiction oVc,
Bishops aud other General Conferences officers
Repo,ts Will 30 received from ths keM Yor! ri
Church Extension, mud Education Doarda, and
the Frcednon's Aid Society. The book agent.
ut Now York; aIessra. Nelson Il Phillips. hRye
ciyon general satisfaction, and will nndonbtedI,
| DO re-elcctoh. OF tho book agents Mt Cincinnati
| Hitchcock j. Watden-tho uusltor will rctre
It MAY i,o regarded I'd moro than probable thu
Dr.. Wentworth will be Io.eectcd odlto
Of the Ladies' fepontofy. CINCINNATI; pr
! HaEAuita u tH"*lt" =" 4tStts"s Atp"
Yo.k; Ur. Edwards. Of thu Northwestern Chris
tiau .1droeale; and DR.. Mast, Of tho Gerlnal
publications. The editosshlp Of tho Christian
1Icocate Of tina city will not bo 10 rGadily dlB
posad Of. Thsro la An opposition to Dr.. Curry
the prcaout incumbent, which Hlfa doubtless do
vslop considerable strength ln tho Gonotal Con
ference. Although Dr.. Curry has held thu poSt
fion several tc1ma, aud IL recognized as on obi
editor tl,ere ls dissatisfaction WITH lis pollcs
Tl.e opposition llas not combined ~ favor Of an
| uartiCtar cAufltuntD but Dir, L, 0, IihYpu
Chancellor Of byracuau University, and the Re1
]. II. buckley Of Stamford, lnny bo considerc
NJ probablo competitors. Thcro arc no othc
cditorshlrH which a5o uncertain. or tho tire
Missionary Sccretarlos olocted at tho last uoner:
Conference. ol,o ur. Eddy, has tllu1 II it ba ds
cldcl to have three Secretaries for the next fou
years, tho prcaen. incumbcnts. DFs. Daaillcl m
ltoId, aud III, Fowler Or Dr. Newman will prob
ably be elected. Ur. Fou!or is Chancellor Of til
Eofthwestern Uniyorg!ty, iH ono Of tho flnct
pulpit orators tho Church has. and ls sckuow
edged to l,o 4 u1au or great executive ability
Dr. Newman is widely known aa pastor Of. IL