Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-07-06

1
sonal effort. Whereas, if the truth was
known, perhaps no. one in fifty of these
conversions is directly traceable TO the
Sunday school. Yet we believe it to be a
powerful auxiliary for good. and bid it
God-speed in the great and blessed
work in which it is engaged
| Let us look moment at what our church
has done IN the last fifty years in the edu.
catiOnal department of our work. Fifty
years ago we had but three schools. The
Wiibraham academy, the East Genesee
conference seminary and the Central New
| York conference seminary; no colleges
or universities and no theological schools.
To day we have under the direct supervi-
sion of the Methodist Episcopal church,
eleven theological seminaries and insti-
tut 5. The first of these was commenced
at Newbury seminary in lS43. under the
charge OF Prof. VIM. L. WIllett, after
wards transferred to Concord. n. H., and
from there to Boston, Mass, where it is in
successful operation. We have forty-four
colleges and universities. The oldest of
these-the Wesleyan University, at Mid
dletown, Conn, was founded in 1881,
fifty Yeas ago next August. There are
| 130 seminaries and female colleges. The
whole number of students in these institu.
tions is about 21,000. The property. in
cluding buildings, grounds. furniture, ap
paratus, libraries and endowment fund, IS
estimated at about Sl1 $1,000
Surely we have no cause to blush in
reviewing the work done by our church
during the last half century, in furnishing
facilities for the education of our people,
and yet much remains to be done. Too
many of our Institutions OF learning are
encountered with debts which greatly de-
tract from their efficiency. These should
be wiped out and endowment obtained to
secure their permanency. This is being
done, and may the time be FASTENED when
our literary institutions shall be free
from financial embarrassment.
| Let us next call your attention to what
has been done in the publishing depart
ment OF our church. The first book con-
cern was established in Philadelphia in
1889, on borrowed capital of 5000 In
1895 we published twenty-five bound and
unbound volumes; some of these were
tracts, and copy of all of them could be
bought for about Sl7. In 1904 the concern
was removed to New York. where it con.
tinued to grow until 1886, when it was
consumed by fire and the church met with
a loss Of $250,O00. But our people came
nobly to the rescue, and contributed some
| 100000 and we received some S25, 900 in
surance, making some $ll500o, and it
was soon rebuilt; and they now have
net capital of 81 l,500, 600 after having paid
out for objects outside of the regular busi-
ness Of the concern, 81 100000 by the di-
rection of the general conference. Since
the fire, period of fortyfou years, there
has been II clear profit of three and quar-.
ter million dollars. We now publish of
books OF the general catalogue and of
Sunday school books 2,636 volumes OF
Sunday school requisites and tracts, ,294,
making Il grand total of $3.50.
That we may get clear view of the
magnitude of the work done by our pub
fishing houses, look at the daily work.
The average number of books issued daily
is ,909; of tracts, 3,45S; number of pages
of books and tracts issued daily, 449, 1887 :
During the last eleven years, there have
been published no less than Sc 000 900
books and about 100000 of tracts.
These figures do not include the WORK OF
the western book concern nor any of our
periodicals, These be oks are in English,
German, French. Swedish Danish Span.
ish, Italian. American Indian, Anglo
Saxon and Ancient Greek.
In 1881, fifty years ago, we had but two
periodical published by order of the gen.
eral conference: the QuarttriV Re,1eU
! and the Christian AdUocdte. The ChrtStin,l
Adcocate, which has grown gray III the ser
vice of the church, has lost none of the
vigor of its youth, but grown wiser anL
better AS the years have gone by. Ii has
been blest with numerous family, so tina
there are eight children bearing its
! venerable name. Besides these, we have
, other periodicals of different names, st
that We now have twenty periodicals
authorized by the general conference, and
some fifty others devoted to the Interests
, of the M. E. church. Among these VT
shall hardly be pardoned by its gena
editor and its enthusiastic agent if we dc
: not make special mention of Ztoa's Herdld
which is known and read of all men Cor
al least ought to be). This is the organ O
! New England Methodism, and is older
han any other of our church papers, being
born in 1923. 1t has done a grand work
, in guarding and defending our interests
though never recognized by the genera
conference as IN official organ, neither
has it been dependent on it for its patron
r age. 1t was never doing better WORK
than at present, and its subscribers shoult
} be doubled in our conference Long liv,
8 Zton'S Herald!
Time will not permit us to look further
3 at the progress of the church in number
: and financial interest; from the examn
r alton we have given the subject, we ar,
, persuaded that the Methodist church is un
1 parallel since the days of the apostles, il
the work it has accomplished for the Mas
l, ter,
| That there have been marked changes
among us, and that we are somewhat diff
d ferent from what we were fifty years agt
D is unquestionably true; whether we are
r better or worse is question that will bt
0 answered differently by different individ
uals.
/, Our doctrines are the same-the exist
Z, ence and attributes, the deity of Jesu
= Christ, personality and deity of the Hol
+ Ghost, depravity, atonement, repentance
= justification by faith, regeneration, adop
: ton, witness of the Spirit, Christian per
r fection, possibility of final apostacy. i'm
n mortality of the soul. resurrection of tn,
o body, general judgment, rewards and pun
e ishments.
+ Occasionally one has appeared anon,
y US who has questioned some of these fun
o damental doctrines of our church. bu
v most of them have or | trust will drift of
9 to other churches whose doctrines ar
d more congenial with their own
v But as to the manner Of presenting thes
9 truths. there has been II marked change
It Indeed, so great has been the chang
e that we hear it often said. your minister
It don't believe the same doctrines they uset
to. or if they do, they don't preach them
l. And we fear that in too many instance
d this is true. One may sit Sabbatl
9 after Sabbath, for months together
and listen to the preaching in some, and W
p fear many OF our churches, without hear
n ing direct personal appeal made to tn
d impenitent. He may hear discours
g upon archaeology. geology, physiology
q ornithology, zoology, or some other olog
:. all very good in their place. or he ma
e hear good moral essay; but to me, to
G much of the preaching of the present da
!. is strangely wanting in the great funda
b mental truths of the word of God.
|. We hear but little about the deep, darl