The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-03-20

| different States;
That having battled for years to secure the
people of Virginia free and unrestricted SUI
frage, and an honest ballot, and fair count, we
renew our best efforts to secure these great op-
Jects In every part of our common country.
2-- -----
Southern Methodists
The annual meeting of the Baltimore
| Conference, M. e. church, South, COM
menced in Baltimore on Wednesday OF
last week. Bishop A. w. Wilson presided,
and Rev. Jno. S. Martin, of Winchester,
was appointed secretary, position he has
well and worthily filled for thirty-five
years. There were nearly 200 ministers
present, and large body of lay delegates.
Among the various committees, Rev. r..
Smitlison, of this city, was assigned to the
craftsmanship of the Committee OH Tenn
perance.
The reports of presiding elders were gem
orally very favorable, the report from the
Rockingham circuit being very gratifying.
EARLY MErHoDIsM.
We give below a synopsis of DR.. Martins
centennial sermon. 1t is brief compen-
dunn of Methodist history in America.
EThe text selected was from Numbers
xiii. and Sd verse: According to this
time. it shall be said of Jacob and Israel:
What hath God wrought 7" This, said
the speaker. was most momentouS Occa-
sion, because it was the centenary of the
organization of Methodism in America.
This is the one hundredth session of the
Baltimore Annual Conference. estimating
from the conference in June, 1855, which
xa-uc holI fin npfh he off bn
Conference in which the church was organ
lied. Other sessions had been held before
in Baltimore and adjacent towns, but
there had been no organization. The real
pioneers in Maryland were Robert Embry.
an Irish local preacher. who landed in New
Y Ork in 1850, and Robert Strawbridge, who
came in the same year and made his way
to Maryland TWAS due to Barbara Heck
that we first hear of Embry's preaching.
which was before small body of four per-
sons. After the preaching a class was Or
ganized. Strawbridge had, however preach
ed the doctrines of MethOdism, conversions
had been made and log churches built.
Methadism was thus established III Mary |
land before it was in New York. Ashbury
held the Virginia Conference in 1901 at the |
house of Rev. Edward DrumgOod, in whose
house at Sligo Strawbridge had lived be- |
fore coming to America. Drumgood was
converted under Strawbridge and after
wards sent abroad.
There is no valid authority questioning |
the fact that Strawbridge formed the first |
Methodist congregation in America. By |
his fiery and persuasive eloquence, coupled |
with the purest tenderness. large assem-
blies were congregated everywhere to hear
him. He was a real itinerant before the |
days of conferences, going to Georgetown,
over into Virginia, and into Baltimore
county, where he formed the first Metho-
dist society on to Havre-de-G Grace, to Kent
county, and over into Delaware and Penn
sylvania. Though poor and needy, his
spirit never tagged, and he never tired In
his work till he was buried at Hampton.
Under his ministry a host of preachers
were raised up to continue the work, such
Webster, Stevenson and many others.
Among the helpers of Strawbridge was
John King, who was coldly received when
he landed at Philadelphia. He, however,
received his license to preach, and moved
on to Maryland, and with Robert Williams
and Strawbridge went On with their work
through Frederick county and elsewhere
All this was before Wesley's missionaries
had come to America. John King preached
in the city of Baltimore on Front street in
a blacksmith S shop, and once while hold
was broken up by a militia colonel and his
band. Asbury landed in Philadelphia in
1771, and in 1772 he preached at Fell's
Point and formed the first class there,
with awoman as leader, because no man
suitable could be found. At the Philadel-
phia Conference in 1878 his zeal was I'M
abated, and the question of the tendency
to settled pastOrates, instead Of the itin-
Grant services, was vigorously discussed.
Asbury afterwards came to BALTIMORE
George Shadford, a mighty speaker, was
sent to Baltimore, and such was his moving
power in the cause of truth that it is said
when he preached at st. Pauls he made
the very dust fly out of the pulpit cushions.
After 1875 a conference was held every
year in Baltimore, or nearly, till 1779. be-
cause in consequence of the Revolutionary
war ASbury'S movements were limited.
In 1882 it was found necessary to establish
more than one conference. The first,
therefore, met in Sussex county, Va, for
a few days, and then adjourned to meet in
Baltimore and SO on up to 1884 to the
time Of the Christmas conference. Jesse
Lee defined the limit of their powers.
Greater limit was allowed In the North,
because of their longer standing. We
date our seasonal history of the Baltimore
Conference six months after the Christmas
conference of 1884. In that year there
were held one at Green Hill, one at Con-
ference Chapel, in Virginia, and one in
Baltimore. The At members of the first
Baltimore Conference were men remark
able for their natural ability, untiring zeal,
and their clear perception of the truth and
wonderful skill and power in presenting
it. Nor were they without culture. Their
activity in the cause of the church was
almost unequalled. They were the flying
artillery of Methodism. The circuit had
been gradually developed. Fairfax in Vir-
ginia was formed first in 1775, Berkeley in
l778, Warm Springs in 1882, Red Stone in
1884, Pittsburg in 1887, Clarksburg and
Ohio in 1884, Greenbrier in 1887 land
Northumberland in 1892, and others later.
Till 1879 the preachers continued to meet
in Baltimore. Afterwards they met in
Philadelphia, Trenton and New York.
The Baltimore Conference has been the
banner conference all through the history
of the growth of Methodism here.
The first Westinghouse that was ever
erected in California was provided for in
the Monument Street Church, it's pieces
constructed and put aboard ship and sent
around by sea. The speaker in the course
of his remarks read from the first journal
of the church, an old and faded volume,
which contains, among other things, the
names of many of the oldest Methodist
IalnlllPS Ill MdIy4bua. III lpu+ R+, fuV WIS
all that was collected, and yet they had a
surplus to send to the poor New England
Conference. The salary of the preachers
was but $3.50 year, and they gave away all
over that amount they received. The
speaker exhibited a thorough familiarity
with the history of the church, and was
exact in names, dates and fig
ares. He took up in turn the long list Of
distinguished preachers at different epochs
Of the history of one hundred years, and
dwelt with graphic power and eloquence
upon their distinguishing characteristics.
He touched tenderly and lovingly on the
period of separation of the two branches
of the church, and said that in this, Us in
other things. blood was thicker than water.
The organizations Of the church have been
tried by the worlds contempt and scorn
and malice, but have adhered firmly to
their principles. It's episc0pacy has re-
manned intact. When England went down
in the Revolution the Methodist was the
first CHURCH to be organized. He exhorted
the young men to stand TO their colors and
let it be known that they were Episcopal
lians in the true meaning of the term. He
was happy to say that no stain had ever