The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-03-28
Bishop Andrews.

oiiio CiIy, uttiVeTeu all dQQreSS IN CIie AUSuS-
ia Street Methodist Church, based upon his
Official visit to the missions OF the NJ. E
Church in Germany, Scandinavia, Italy,
Bulgaria, and India in 1861. The remark S
were designed for the edification Of the Con-
ference, and the church being very much
crowded, comparatively few of the citizens
of the city had the pleasure of hearing him.
Those who were so fortunate as to procure
seats were SO much impressed with the details
given of the learned Bishops Is months
travel and observations in the countries
named, that formal request was presented
him to repeat the addressed in the M. E.
Church, South, on Monday night last.
After much hesitation on his part, and per-
sistent importantly on the part of some of
our citizens, he consented to do so. When
the time arrived, y O'Clock, p. M, for the
services to commence, the spacious edifice
was crowded to It's utmost capacity on the
floor and in the gallery with an intelligent
and refined audience, eagerly awaiting the
instructive entertainment. The choir sang,
with thrilling effect, 'Greenland's Icy
Mountain" after prayer by Rev. DR.. Mar
tin, pastor of the congregation. The Bishop
then entered upon the duties of the even
Geographically describing the missionary
work in Germany, Sweden. Norway and
Denmark-more particularly dwelling upon
the difficulties encountered in Germany,
where the intellections,,of the people had been
schooled to bring everything to the test of
human reason. and subordlnating faith in the
inspiration of the Bible and the sufficiency
of the atonement to the metaphysical re-
filming and scientific researches of that high
ly cultivated people. Indeed, the Bishop
said, the missionary work in Germany, was
not the result of any preconceived plan of
the Methodist Church of America, but the
result of the conversion of German emf
grants to this country, whose hearts had
been touched by redeeming grace, and whose
minds had been opened to the riches Of the
provisions of mercy in the dispensations of
the New Testament. From such small begin
ming had the missionary cause dated its
progress in Germany. He rapidly passed
on to the States of Scandinavia, and then
to Italy, where, in the Eternal City, he
dwelt with graphic interest to his audience,
describing the splendid architecture, the
monuments of art, the forum where "Cicero
Numbered and Caesar ruled" the coliseum,
the Amphitheatre, and the many august
trophies of the genius of the Romans, and
then the advancing tide Of Professionalism
until it planted its banner under the shadow
OF the Vatican. Here in the ancient mistress
of the world and the seat Of the Roman
power and authority, the first Protestant
church had been erected by the Metho-
dist Episcopal church /; othess had followed
by other denominations. until perfect free
dom in religious worship was guaranteed,
and every creed could offer its devotions in
accordance with the dictates of conscience,
without molestation. After abiding to the
civil liberty which had been established by
Victor Emanuel, the representative charac-
ter of the legislative head of the govern
ment, and paying tribute to the learning
and moral heroism of the missionaries who
were defeating their lives to the cause of
Professionalism, he carried his audience on to
Bulgaria and the city of Ritschuk, with.its
splendor and squalor, and thence to Bonn
bay. in India. We cannot, in the space al
lowed in newspaper article, take up in
detail and minuteness the interesting de-
scription of this vast country, with its
$50, 100000 population, embracing an area
of IS, 1000 by $4,000 miles, its approximations,
barbarism, castles, tribes, their habits and
forms Of worship. They were presented in
graphic and captivating manner, enchain-
ing the attention of the large audience for
more than an hour. Scattered throughout
this strange and extended region, are here
and there the self-sacrificing missionary,
teaching the Gospel Of Christ and extending
a knowledge of the Bible-England's strong
arm offering protection, and holding up the
hands OF those who are sowing the seeds of
Christian civilization. The Bishop rapidly
sketched the advance of English rule and
power in that country for the past 100 years,
from the trading posts first established, the
East India Company's administration, then
civil government consummated, by whic
the entire dominion OF India is in the hands
OF the British Isle. 1t was the Bishops for
tune to be present in India on the occasion
of the proclamation, in 1876, at Delhi, of
the Queen Of England as Empress of India,
and ON that occasion the splendor, the gor-
geous trappings, the marvellous riches OF
the orient were gathered to add augustness
to the ceremonies Princes, with their
retinues, ore thousand elephants, with rich
trappings and ornaments, vast numbers of
camels, column after column of soldiery,
trumpet, tvmbral and drum, gilded equip
ages, peculiar to the country, and all the
wealth and much of the poverty of that
wonderful country, where the treasures are
gathered into the keeping of the few, while
the many live in squalor and debasement,
were massed around and in this historic
city to proclaim the Christian Queen of
England as the Empress of that benighted
and degraded country. With an exhaust
less flow of language, graphic imagery. and
descriptive powers we have never heard
equaled, the Bishop brought the gorgeous
picture before his spell.bound hearers, the
prelude, he said, to that not distant time
when the King of Kings and Lord Of Lords
would be hailed as the ruler of the hearts
and consciences of this vast aggregation of
barbarism, of which song and story have
brought down through the ages so much to
interest and stimulate the Christian peo-
pies of the earth.
Although the Bishop was laboring under
severe indisposition, and had just concluded
the arduous duties connected with his rela-
tions to the Washington Conference, his in
telligent audience followed him step by step
in his travels with intense and unfagging
interest, and as he concluded his rich por-
traiture Of the closing scene of the occasion
at Delhi, and the solemn application of the
lesson it taught, nothing but the sacredness
OF the house of worship could have sup
pressed an outburst of enthusiastic admira-
ton.
The visit Of Bishop Andrews to Staunton
will long be remembered bv our citizens.