Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-21

reach derry intinerant zeal inspired the
ellis: RS TO undertake it. The result ne
raw Men who neither feared God nor re-
-ded man--swearers, liars, cockhghters;
4orserScers, drunkards-were now changed
70 become new men,
AsBURY THE FIRST BISHOP.
When Wesley sect Asbury to America ne
knew Of what stu1 the young missionary was
made: he expected great things, ana ne was
not disappointed In Christmas week, lft2,
he held the first quarterly conference of
American Methodism. Aug. 4, lfl2, the BRIT
ish conference again met at Leeds: Inc IN
defatgabie and ubiquitous capt WeDu was
there, untlfing IN his appeals Tor the AlheII
can societies. It was resolved TO SEND TWO OF
the foremost men OF the conference. 1hOIhas
Rankin ana George ShadfOrd were selecIeu'
and came to America the following spTIHs;i
Time passed on, and the times that trle9
mems souls" and when the independence OF
the colonies was acknowledged the MethOulst
Episcopal Church which they established IN
1854 was the first to acknowledge IN us
"organlc law" the supremacy OF the new re-
public, and the fir-t formally 10 present us
allegiance to the President OF the natlon'
Passing by the frequent conferences OF thOse
days co nes the great Christmas Conference OF
1854 from which dates what was really the
first General Conference OF the Methodlst
Episcopal Church of America. BY the treaty
OF Paris in 1888 the American republic took
its place among the nations Of the earth.
King George and the British Parliament the
Church of England and the BIshop OF
in America. The Revolution sundered the
political and church ties which bound to-
gether the mother country and the colonies.
Before the conflict of arms, Wesley was with
Lord North and Samuel Johnson. With the
first gun he Went over TO Chatham and
Burke; and in a letter to Lord North remOn-
strated against the attempt to coerce the col
onies, and elOquently pleaded their cause.
To his English itinerants he wrote. warning
them ''to be peacemakers," and Ito be tender
and loving to ALL" He early predicted the
success of the American arms, and when the
independence Of the colonies was won, his first
care was to give to the American societies
permanent church organization.
DARK DAYS FOR METHODIsM.
The war hsd separated them from the
Church Of England. Wesley accepted the sep
aration as the act OF God. Having no Scruples,
such as prompted him TO keep the English So
cieties within the establishment, he deter
mined to form the American into a sep
arate church. And as the preachers
were unOrdaned, and the societies could not
depend for the sacraments upon clergymen of
the Church of England. he resolved to give TO
them Bishop and Presbyters. And this was
the more easily resolved because, out OF 81
.elergymen Of Virginia, there were only % who
Aad not fed the country; and they, with but
very few eXceptiOns-as the church authOri-
ties admft-were utterly unfit to have the
oversight of the Church of God. Nor had
esey any scrupleS about episcopal OrQlna-
ton. With Lord King and Stillngileet he had
come to believe that apostolic succession is a
mere Pigment, and that Bishops and Presby-
tive Presbyters had the right to ordaln. he
claimed that he and other Presbyters of the
Church of Engaudha had an equal right. Hence
his purpose to give o the American societies
preachers who could administer the sacra-
ments. And, as he preferred the episcC-
pal form Of church government. he set
up a church government with its ordained
bishops, presbyters and deacOns. In 1874 he
ordained Thomas Coke Bishop OF the pro-
jected church of America. Subsequent labOrs
of Coke and his presbyters wrought great
changes.
THE FIRST ORGANIZED CHURCH.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was or
ganized. Coke and Asbury were its { st
Bishops. Thirteen elders and three GC3-
cons were elected, The ministers of the
conference were made the discipline Of the |
church. The organism is complete Suisse
quent legislation has added but little to its |
effectiveness. The machine was in running !
and working Ord-r; all it needed was skilful |
engineers TO run IL, and skllful engineers it |
had. 1t had its class meetings, band meetings,
prayer meetings, love feasts, watch nights. |
Sunday preaching, week day preaching, sac |
raments of baptism and the Lords Supper, |
hymnals, collections of psalms and hymns, |
prObatiOners, members in full connection, GER !
tlticates Ofmembership, and church discipline. |
1t had its general rules and articles of re- |
ligiOn. its forms for the ordination of Bishops |
aud elders and deacOns; it had its bap- |
tismal, marriage and burial service; |
it had its class leaders stewards, |
trustees, eXhOrters, local preachers, itinerant |
preachers, preachers on trial, preachers in |
full connection, superannuated preachers, |
Bishops, elders, deacOns, and. though not then |
called Presiding Elders its Presidents Of dis /
tricts; it had its quarterly conference, its an !
nual conference, and, though not then dele |
gated, its general conference; it had its |
ltnerancy, change of preachers, transfers, |
supplies, locations and appointments to cir |
cults, stations and missions; it had its system |
of quarterage, minutes, statistics, and of col |
lectiOns for the superannuated preachers, |
widows and orphans. 1t had its benevolent |
and educational schemes. 1t had the germ of |
the Sunday school in its rule that, where |
there are ten children, the preachers must meet |
them at least one hour every week. 1t was |
missionary in its Organizatioea and it was
missionary in its spirit and enterprise. With
out a separate organized Church extension |
society it raised money to build churches.
such was the Methodist Episcopal Church |
at its organization. Its distinctive theology |
was redemption for al, justdc ton by faith |
privilege to be cleansed in this life from all |
sin, and the necessity to maintain good works |
as the evidence of faith aud measure of final |
reward through grace. Its eSchatOlOgy was |
everlasting punishment for the finally i'm
penitent and the apOstate and an unfadng |
crown Of glory for the believer who endures /
unto the end.
THE MISSIONARY ANNIVERSARY.
Trinity Church was well filed lastnight upon
the occasion of missionary anniversary eX-
ercises. Rev. DR.. Key, President of the Board |
of Missions, presided. The exercises were
opened with prayer and singing.
Addresses were delivered in behalf of mis- |
sion interests by Rev. NICK. f. McCook, re-
Gently transferred from the Florida Confer
ence, and Rev. DR.. Young. Secretary of the |
Church Board OF Foreign Missions.
DR.. YOung's address and also that Of Mr..
McCOOk's was listened to with great interest, !
and the reverend speaker traced the progress
of Christianity in its march around the world,
and pointed out the great masses of heather
that are being brought into the fold of the
church. Last year alone there were 30S, 900
converts to Christianity in heather lands.
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SUNDAY SERVICES.