Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-03-14

tions 10 our local history. The growing
custom among tho churches OF celebrating
various anniversaries promises to furnish
the society eventually with the history of
many, If not most of the churches within
the bounds of the conference but We beg
to suggest that the uniform experience oil
those who have attempted the task is,
that the earlier such historical sketch is
the better and more easily it
will be accomplished. We again append
the resolution unanimously passed at the
session of the conference in 1877:
'Resolred, That each member of the
annual conference, and each
preacher hereafter admitted to full MEM
bership in the conference, be requested to
prepare brief sketch Of his life, especial.
ly Of his early religious experience and
call to the ministry, and that such sketch
be sent to the Historical society, No. ,0l8
Arch street, Philadelphia
Bishop Bowman's Address.
Rev. Bishop Bowman, president of the
was then introduced, by the
president, and made the opening address
He said that some weeks ago report had
he was expected to deliver an address ON
U1CtuOuio" xAOn 0A4A ANVwS Ouv VIC
was changed, and this morn
ing he learned that he was to open the ex-
ercises with short address and others
had intended to run back over the history
it was in the early days of the church and
compare those days with these. but the
leugth of time allotted him will not per
h 20 thav, fou1 h,,r sod
items. He remembers very we'll when he
thought it "awiul," as the ladies now
60 off to camp meeting and leave
bers how bitterly he cried to 60
along with them. He remembers. when
the church had no foreign missions, and
how interested he was in them when they
were first opened in 1898 and how the
words of Rev. Knox thrilled him when he
spoke of tho duty of the church to carry
the gospel into Africa, and how he felt
that it was his duty to be one of the mis-
sionaries. He remembers how in 1888 he
became the agent of tho Colonization
society, and in that capacity travelled over
a very large portion of the country, and
how he visited this county and was shell
tered from a great storm by a piOus
Presbyterian minister, Mr.. Barr and his
family, and how few years afterwards he
preached here in Lancaster from the very
same text that Bishop James had preached
from on the day beforehand how he
wouldn't have done so, had he known it.
Laughter. The bishop then read stats.
tical summary showing the wonderful
growth of the NJ. E. church in Sunday
schools, churches, preachers, membership,
and wealth. Lancaster city was first Or
ganized as station in 1928 with a mem
bership of 70. Now it has 722. Columbia
was not organized as a station uutil 1885,
and to day there are more Metho lists in
Lancaster county than there were in the
whole of Pennsylvania portion of the Phil.
adelphia conference at that time. The
bishop then compared the Methodism of
to day with that of the olden times, and
confessed that had he forty years ago
dropped into the Duke street church as it
is now, he would not have acknowledged
it to be Methodist church. The beauti
full organ which now furnishes such fine
music would have then been regarded as
the DEVILS music box. Instead of the
handsome church edifice we now occupy,
the only Methodist church in Lancaster
when he first visited it was q rickety old
frame that was plopped up by logs and was
nearly blown down one stormy night when
he was in it-frightening bim almost to
death. All this is now changed !; cOmmo-
dious aud comfortable churches, with
pealing organs, have taken the place of
the old ones the simplicity of hospitality
extended by the fathers has given
place to more sumptuous entertainment
by the sons. Whils in Philadelphia re-
Gently he saw a sign which read,
Friends Book Store" and in the win
dOws he saw pretty pict~ars and music.
He went inside to see if his eyes deceived
him, for he had been brought up among
Quakers and Methodists and he knew
that both in olden times abjured pictures
and music. To his inquiry in regard to
the innovation the Quaker bookseller
merely said I" the world moves and We
move with it," and so it is with the Meth.
odist church. The organ is no longer the
DEVILS music box, but noble instrument
on which to sound the praises of God.
Bishop Bowman told . number of amusing
anecdotes about himself and other preach
ers, and concluded his discourse by say
ing that he had long ago made up his
mind to care nothing of vhat people said
about him to prepare himself for his
work as we'll as he could, to perform ii
zealously and leave the result with God.
Tho Preaching of tho Fathers
This was the subject of an address by
Rev. A.Johnson, an impulsive, enthusiastic
speaker, of Irish appearance, and who pre-
faced his remarks with the bull, that " he
wanted to say one or two things before
beginning" His address was an eloquent
tribute to the fathers of the church from
Wesley down. Their courage, their zeal,
their sanotity, their fidelity, their un-
bounded faith and the ability with which
they enforced tho doctrines of the church,
were highly eulogized. They were men
of bright intellect, with knowledge
of both men and books, who car
ried the truth to every door that
was opened to them, and they
opened doors that were closed against
them. The overwhelming conviction of
their hearts was that they had nothing to
do but to save souls. They climbed noun
tains, forded rivers, penetrated canebreaks,
preached in log cabins, in by ways and
highways their voices were
heard like the blare of trumpets. They
may have lacked training, but SO did the
apostles. Their enemies denounced them
as ignorant tho Pha1isees said the same
of the disciples. They are charged with
having been over-zealous ranters but
Bishop Ames has said that while angels
whisper redeemed men must shout" They
preached in Gods daylight, and theil
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