Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-12-11
METHODIST CONFERENCE
ITS PRIMARY bUsIREss SESSION.

1
church held it's first business session
Wednesday morning in the Mount
Vernon Place M. Z. church ut the corner
of Charles and Monumental street, Balti
more. The ediice is one of the finest |
Methodist churches in the country. The
attendance was very large, the galleries |
for visitors aud spectators being filled at |
an early hour. The lower floor was 90
cupied by delegates and other parties hold.
ing tickets for admission. Bishop +. q.
Andrews called the conference to order,
and named Bishop Cranberry, Of the NJ.
&. Church South, as president OF the meet.
ing.
Rev. DIR. Joseph Cummings, president Of
the Northwestern university, conducted
the opening religious exercises. The GEN.
tenary hymn sung was composed for this
occasion by Rev. s. X. Coz, ID. ID. Bishop
Andrews stated that the Bible from which
the chapter was read was originally used by
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
| Also that the Bible from which the text
of the sermon to be delivered will DO
taken, was purchased by Francis Asbury,
the first American bishop of the church, in
Augusta, Georgia, In November 1905.
The gavel used by the bishop it is stated
was made from log taken from the first
| Methodist chapel erected in America.
The conference than organized by elect.
ing the following officers as business
committee Chairman, Bishop E. q. An.
drews; vice chairman, Rev. DR.. Samuel
Rodgers secretary, II. K. Carroll; treas
urer, T. G.. Magruder; permanent secretar-
les, Rev. d. John T. Martin, of the Church
South; Rev. DR.. ID. @. John, of the NJ. f..
church; Rev. DR.. ID. T. Tanner, of the
African NJ. Z. church.
After the appointment of q committee
on credentials and the adoption of a mo
tion providing for the appointment Of
substitutes, the committee on arrange.
ments announced the programme for
evening meetings in various churches.
The chairman stated that he had in his
possession q book of discipline of the Nj,
E. church, used in Baltimore by Rev.
Francis Asbury In 1854.
| The opening sermon was then delivered
by Bishop Randolph T. Foster. ID. ID.
He commenced his discourse by saying
that "a common bond of kinship and
sympathy has drawn us together at this
time and place. We are met to celebrate
! the hundredth anniversary Of our family
{ life. A brief human life marks It's
, epochs by years. Institutions and nations
count theirs by centuries. These pivotal
. reflection. They are submits from whose
tops We look backward and take note OF
, the past, and forward to prospect and
prepare for the future"
The bishop then referred to the papers
aud addresses to be submitted to the
conference, and said that "they should
, not exhaust themselves merely in con.
A graduation or in ministeriDg to deuomi
national vanity on the one hand, or suci
as to awaken strife and rivalries on tn,
other. II possible, lasting and substsn
tial good should come to US all from tht
y deliberations of the convention, and W,
Q should carry away from it st its clos,
!. pleasant memories and deepened affection
!, for each other, as well as quickened yea
II and broadened plans of usefulness"
The speaker referred in eloquent term!
0 to the deaths of Bishops Pierce and Simp
h | son, the former having been appointed :,
;, preach the opening sermon of the conven.
tion and Bishop Simpson was designAtet
. IS his alternate. The nation" he said
! delighted to honor them as peers and a.
peerless in the realm OF sacred eloguence
q Cultured, scholarly and eminently Chris
tians, they were our common Joy anC
D pride. We share today mutual sorrow
r and mingle our tears in common ovs- si--i
y "houored graves"
n Tho speaker then said that q set o
. peculiar emergencies environed our birtl
as o church, and the turn of a hundred
: years has brought US face to face agaiI
q with similar set of emergencies. w,
q are in the grip of a great combat, con
trast OF ideas. The decree has gone fortl
never to be revoked, which dooms to ex.
tinction the false, the artificial, the uu.
sound henceforth those ideas and agencies
8 only will secure and hold the keys of tn,
future, which send human need and ar,
{ helping to the welfare Of the race. Will
I increasing knowledge and growing sens,
of the right of mind to examine and de
terEine for itself what things are true
. humanity will be more and more loyal t.
a itself, and will whip with the scourges O
incensed and outraged reason all false
hoods and spiritual despotism from theil
= usurped thrones. The yoke of priestl,
2 authority has been broken, and can neve
again be put upon the neoks of men. L
is a great advance. Let us rejoice.
, At the afternoon session Rev. Johr
Q Miley, d. D., read paper upon the worh
i OF "The Christmas Conference" In this
: paper was discussed the relative facts OF
the organization, the initial measures O
3 Wesley, in which Mr.. Wesley inferred bis
3 own right to ordain ministers, the organ
/. cation of the church of 1884, and ths
. ground of the Episcopaoy. On this point
r the speaker said, the Methodist people
rightfully organizing themselves into 9
: church, instituted An episcopacy, and they
! are greater than the episcopscy and il
any with naughty air and the vain oon-
ceit OF crushing logic still demanded
where the Methodist got their episoopacy,
the true nnd sufficient answer is, by the
good will of God they got 1t from them
selves. This they did, and no church has
better or more valid episccpaoy.
This paper was followed by one on the
personnel Of the Christmas Conference
by Rev. H. B. Ridpsway, d. d. He said
that from two points In the United States,
New York and Baltimore, American
Methodism took its rise The Christmas
conference was composed of sixteen
preachers, and the first one the speaker
referred to was Thomas Coke. He was a
native Of Wales. He was present at the
foundation of the first Methodist college
in America. Mr.. Ridgeway also referred
TO Thomas Bassey and Richard Whatcoat,
who were ordained by Bishop Asbury.
During his remarks he referred to all the
members of the Christmas conference,
giving brief histories of each.
In the evening meetings were held in
several churches in behalf of the missions.
The Broadway speeches were made by
Hon. w. Q. Ireland, Rev. DR.. M. @.
Briggs. At Madison avenue church, Gov.
Robert Z. Pattison presided, and Rev.
Bishop j. q. Keener and Rev.
| DR.. j. NJ. Reid were the preachers. At
the Monument church, Rev. w. F.
Il N