The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-08

moments before his departure. He died in the
S0th year of his age, in the place where he was
born. Such had been his purity of life and care
fulness of conduct that he had not an enemy on
earth. On the 18th Of May, 1883, Jesse II. Peck
died at his home in Syracuse, n. Y. After his
election in 1872 he was abundant in labors, until.
in 1881, his health began to fail, He passed
away in glorious hope. lie was a man of great
simplicity of character, a~lertness and strength
of mind, and Of rare conservation to God and to
the work of the church,
"Of the editors elected by the last General
Conference one has been called away. Erasmus
Q. Fuller, editor of the Methodist Advocate,
died in Atlanta, Ga. October, 1883, He was a
courageous man, an able and faithful minister,
and in the face of great difficulties he rendered
important service to the church. We also make
special mention Of the death of George w: Wood
ruff. the secretary of the last General Conference.
He was a competent officer, and an earnest, la
borious and devoted minister Of the Lord Jesus
Christ"
The address then reported in detail the con-
ferences and missions visited by the bishops,
and reported the work in all these fields pros
porous and full of promise"
The address commended the plan for another
ecumenical conference in the United States IN
1887. The work of the Freedman's Aid and Mis-
sionary and Woman's Foreign Missionary Socie-
ties was summarized and praised, and the organ
izatiOn of the Woman's Home Missionary
Society was favorably noted. TIL gift of George
l. Seney of 5000, 900 for a hospital in Brooklyn
was mentioned Win SdGlSIacJlOn.
The address praised the devotion ofMethodists
to constitutional prohibition, spoke of the laxity
of divorce laws, and urged the Importance OF
making a distinct utterance on the prevalence
of the terrible crime of polygamy in the Terri
tories There should be more care taken In the
admission Of preachers to conferences, and a way
devised for the easier retirement Of inefficient
ministers. The growing custom of unofficial
negotiations between preachers and people with
out consultation with the bishops was rebuked as
IA rara,,e tfN Eha aeenrfia1 aonnonV of fha
church"
The address spoke of the length of the pastoral
term, ono of the main issues to come before the
conference, thus: I'm every instance where this
matter has been brought to the attention of the
conferences, the majority-generally a very large
majority-have protested against the removal of
the limit. In a few instances, however, confer
ences have desired some fexibility to meet very
exceptional cases of great emergency, and some
of the conferences have asked the attention Of
the General Conference to the question whether,
without endangering the itinerancy. there might
not be some provision made by which in such
cases the ministerial term could be extended for
four or five years under suitable safeguards.
Whether these exceptions could be made without
endangering the general system, we Commend to
your careful consideration"
The address ''regrets the fact that but little
church literature is read by very many Of our
members, and that, in consequence, great num-
bers of our youth are without the proper
knowledge Of the history, doctrine, uss.ges and
movements of the church. We note, however,
with high satisfaction the ncrgydisplayed in the
Sunday-school Union and the Tract Society, and
the number and value of the publications issued
from these departments"
1.-THE number of Sunday-school teachers and
pupils has increased during four years to ! 932,
926.
THE statistics of our educational work show
in the entire church ten theological institutions,
forty-fve colleges and universities, sixty classical
seminarics, eight female colleges and seminaries
and nineteen schools of high grade connected
with foreign missions. In these institutions the
value of buildings and ground is estimated at
81, 594, $40; the amount of endowments is 81. 031,.
176; the number Of teacher 1,409; students for
the last year, 28,62l, with an estimate of stu
dents since their beginning of 414,5lS, Upon
these grounds and buildings an estimated debt
remains of 1892, 476, the chief part of which
rests upon a few colleges and seminaries. That
this debt may be wholly removed during this
centennial year is devoutly to be wished"
The address was signed by all the bishops.