National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-07

prayer was made that the fruits and labors of
the church militant would be showed forth
that all might bo clothed with the power
that our fathers had. The Lords prayer was
then said, all repeating it. Tho 24sth hymn,
All Hall the Power of Jesus's Name " was
then sung. The Rev. DIR. l.. f. Morgan then
arose to deliver the centennial sermon. lie
presented an imposing appearance, being tall
we'll proportional, about az years Of
age. with clear cut features high and massive
forehead, gray hair, and gray side VIII skers.
He wore spectacles. He has q strong, and
well moderated voice. His introduction was
an expression Of convictions that too much
honor had been placed upon him which he
did not merit, and one which his ambition
never expected to see realized. They
had fifty years knowledge of him in the
ministry, and were able to gauge his capacity.
They knew what to expect and they would
not be disappointed If he failed to rise to the
height of the great occasion. He took for
his text Exodus, xii, 26: What mean ye by
this service ?"
The service referred to was commemora-
tion Of the deliverance of the Israelites from
the bondage under which they groanod in
Egypt. Passing the question along the ages,
and applying it to the present service, the
answer Is well understood by all who are
aware we celebrate this year the centennial
of the Methodist Episcopal church.
The preacher then gave a general view Of
Methodism, beginning with its origin in
England in 1889, tracing its rapid growth
and its introduction into America by mis-
sionaries sent out by Mr. Wesley. Until 1884
it existed only in connection with Mr.. Wes-
ley's societies in England, supervised by men
whom he appointed his assistants in this
distant field, holding the same relation to tho
established church in the colonies that it
did in the mother country, its members re-
coiving the sacraments ut the hands Of the
clergy.
None Of the preachers who labored in con-
nection with Mr.. Wesley we're permitted
under any circumstances to administer either
baptism or the Lords supper All the clergy
of the Established church generally having
fed the country during the revolutionary
war, the societies, numbering nearly 1900
members, were deprived of the ordinances of
the church. Mr.. Wesley was appealed to for
relief in this emergency, and after due con-
sideration ordained Whatcoat and Vascy to
the offices of deacon and elder, and Thomas
Coke being already presbyter of the church
of England, he appointed and ordained him
to the office of superintendent. These three
men came at once to America as Mr.. Wesley's
response to the demand of tho societies
for the ordinances of the church of God.
Immediately after their arrival q meeting
of the conference was convened in
Baltimore ON Dec. %, 1854. This conference
organized these societies into all Independent
church, to be called the NJ T. church in
America, of which Thomas Coke and Francis
Asbury were unanimously elected supern-
tendents.
Pursuant to the organization the form of
government which was adopted was pub
lished in 11S5, the great feature of which was
the itinerant system for the diffusion of the
gospel. The administration Of the timer
ancy is the great responsibility which WAS
committed to the general superintendents
No limit b.ino sat IN tho hos
might remain in the same place, much diff
Guilty was found in working the system. The
general conference OF 1904 provided for this
by a limit of two years The limit of the
presiding elders term to four years reaches
back to 1902. The question of the time limit
slept for sixty years, until the general con-
ference of 1864, when three years were sub
stituted for two in circuit and station work.
no change being made in the term of presid-
ing elders.
An effort is now being made to stir up the
time limit, the aim Of the movement being to
rescind it entirely, and blot from the disci-
plne anything on the subject.
The record of the itineracy is the answer to
all that has been urged against it. The sue
cess of the itinerant system in our great
country natur ally suggested 1t as the possible
and most practicable means of converting the
world and in the year 1919 the Missionary
society of the Methodist Episcopal church
was organized. Before the middle of the
present century three missionary fields were
occupied. About this time DIR. Durbin was
called to the secretaryship of the Missionary
society. The income of the society in 1S4S
was about $4,000 which increased under his
administration to nearly 800, 900 in 1872. The
foreign mission, established and successfully
operated in the four quarters of the globe un-
der his guidance, opened field for the work
of the Methodist Episcopal church greater in
rta nf tnr md 1ofi fhu, tko
whole United States, and before he died our
itinerant general superintendency reached
around the world.
The various UNCONVENTIONAL societies, such
as Church Extension, Freedman's Aid, Sun
day school, and Tract societies, and indeed all
the great agencies by which the NJ. L. church
has gained the position it holds are out
growths of its itenerancy.
At very early period in our history the
subject of the diffusion of knowledge by the
circulation OF books and the education OF the
children and youth of the church engaged
the attention of our fathers. The preacher
then gave history Of the Book Concern,
tracing it down to the present, ana in con-
necton with it referred to the periodical
literature of the church, including the Metho-
dist Magazine, now grown into the Quarterly
Rerier, and the official and non-otticial week
lies and monthlies. together with the Sunday
school and tract publications which find their
way into the thousands of families that COM
pose the aggregate Of Methodism.
As far back as 1850 Mr. Asbury gave special
attention to the subject of education. but,
owing to the state of the country, then in her
struggle for liberty, little or nothing was
done. At the organization of the church an
attempt was made to found q college, called
after the names of the two superintendents
Cokesbury, but its history was brief and
disastrous The failure, though great
disappointment, did not abate the conviction
| felt for the necessity of education, and next
in the line of colleges followed Asbury college
| in the city of Baltimore which, like the other
was destroyed by FIRE Other efforts were
made but all these early efforts were in ad
vance of the times in which they were made,
and so we had to wait for success.
The successful history of college education
among us properly begins with 1928, when
| Augusta College was founded, to which the
church is indebted for the services of such
men az Foster, Miley, and others. Our in
situations for higher education have now sc
multiplied that almost every facility ia fur
nished to the youth of our church. Within
the lifetime of the middle-aged men of the
conference our! church has transcribed the
| literary department of education and estab
lished institutions purely theological, the
value of which is attested by the faithful
and successful labors of the men among us Of
| Concord and Drew.
In conclusion, the preacher alluded to thu
different branches of Episcopal Methodism
all uniting in this centennial celebration, a.
an evidence of increasing fraternity, and ex
pressed the wish that this spirit might b
deepened, and such practical results follow