Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-11
METHODIST CENTENNIAL.
FIRST DAP OF THE CONFERENCE
NJ" me'ase In M. Vernon Chusch,
n"'''more-- Interesting bishop
Testers OPENING Sermon.
July leleeranh io ihe IlI.n.irhI


by telegraph 20 the Ipispaich.t
DMTInoRr. December I0.-Tbe Ceuteu.
NAL Conference OF Methodjsm assembled
this morning at Mount Vernon church.
one OF The most benutifu, and costIy church
edihces In the land, located on Moupt Yer.
non sqnire, under the shadow Of the WASH
ing,on monument. A very large number
o' delepa'es were present, and the church
was crowded 10 it, utmost extent, many
persons being unable 10 gain admission.
bfnop Andrews. chlirman OF the Gen.
erat Executive Committee. called the Con-
ference 10 order. and. on his nomination,
bIsbop urdnhery was chosen presiding
cfhcer OF to-day's session, The venerable
Dr. Joseph Cummings read n scripfriral
lesson from Isaiah. chapter xii. A cen,e-
nary bymr, composed for the occasion by
Rev. :. X. Cox. ~. D.. OF Washington,
was sung by the entire body OF delegates.
lhe audience uniting. The singing was
followed by prayer, concluding with the
Lords Prayer.
Bishop Andrews announced that the
Bible from which the lesson had been reid
was once The property Of John Wesley.
AFTER the appointment OF committee on
ctedenttals II was decided that vacancies
IN delegations and In the lists OF substitutes
Bishop Foster read the second lesson for
the day from the 18th chapter OF 81. Johns
Gospel. He then delivered the sermon ap-
pointed for the opening day. lie said:
"Brolher Delegates.-A common bond
draws us together for the hindredrh ami
versary Of our life as Church. We must
ponder on the past, prepare for the emer-
gencv OF the present. and plan for the COM
ing century. A shadow has been east over
the Conference by the recent death OF two
OF our bishops. who were appointed to par
ticipate In this Days proceedings. This
hour, which W ls to have been one OF bright
ness, is eclipsed. Our two great standard
bearers are absent. they looked forward
to our assembling; they even formulated
words for our welcome. The plItform is
empty Of their prescnc. George Foster
Pierce aud Matthew Simpson-thcir fame
sbone for forty years. Bishop Pierce was
born in February, 1911 Bishop simpson
four months later. Each made a mistake
in choosing a profession. Pierce turned
TO the law and simpson to medicine. Both
were delegates to the Conference Of 1896.
Simpson was made bishop in 1852. and
Pierce in 1854. They were appointed re-
spectively a. speaker and alternate TO make
the opening address at this Conference. We
cannot doubt that in whatever world they
are to-day they are deeply interested IN
humanity. They may be assigned to new
duties, but they cannot but be our fellow
workers, not for to-day, but for all time.
We cannot linger at graves. We must re-
new the work which they bequeath to us;
grid ourselves with courage and hope and
advance TO renewed work. We know what
the command would be- Close up ranks,
forward" They would speak from their
pulpis in the sky IN tones OF solemnity.
The programme arranged for coming DAYS
of the Conference confines my duty on
this occasion TO close field. We
are here not so much for remembrance as
for counsel; not 10 celebrate victory, but
to grid our loins, TO devise wise and skiful
methods, to be strong To- meet the deml-
gogy OF our age us our fathers met IL IN
their days. The dawn Of the century is the
time for thought. lnfdelty then stalked
abroad unrebuked. Christendom seemed
to he fading in 1884. The opening OF the
1884 century, il not "a dark, is dark
enough. The conditions OF home aud So
cIety are being reyolutionized; ancient.
lme.EOnored theories are being exploded;
sacred institutions are put TO the strain OF
great tests. We are in the grip Of great
combat for the final dominion Of the world
The false and grOundless will pass away.
The fortress OF lies has kept the world in
slavery. There will be q conflict, but Zion
will he left with no rent in her foundation,
no breach in her walls. The progress will
be slow. hut will be founded on eternal
truth. The Church abides forever. Indl-
,dual churches have no such promise; the
only hope of any Church i the fact OF the
truth il possesses and the ability to cast out
no tfth m nor al
that Calyin,m went down. All its great
truth could not float it, errors. The
absolute permanency OF any Church is de-
pendent in an absolutely true creed. The
Church must guard ITS creed its sheet
anchor, its life-bloOd. Our creed will bear
the test Of the most intelligent criticism.
The Bishop spoke Of platltudes IN the
pulpit, and said: TODAY there Is "A vast
amount Of endless and spiritess preaching.
The greatest need is the revival OF the pul.
PIT in all Professionalism, and more than all
i'm the Methodist Church." The Bishop
made an appeal for temperance, after which
the balelujah chorus was sung and the
session closed with the benediction.
At the afternoon session Rev. James
Gardiner, Of Canada, presided. Rev. John
Wiley, Of New jersey, read an essay on
the work OF the Christian Conference. He
SAID that all the first Methodist societies,
while under the care Of faithful and beloved
pastors, were without sacraments. and
this for eighteen years was their
anomalous and trying state. He then
gave a history Of the difficulties OF the
Church on this account and the appeals
that were sent TO Wesley To provide sacra-
ments for his suffering children in Ame-
rica. On the I'd OF December, 1884, DR..
Coke, with a letter Of testimonial from
Wesley setting forth his ordination
as superintendent, met the preachers
convened in Baltimore for that pur-
pose. 4 formal organization Of the
Church was the WORK Of the conference.
A few wears later another Episcopal
church was organized with "Protestant"
rs the specific term. Thus there were two
EPISCOPAL Churches. First, tie Methodist
Episcopal Church: then the Protestant
EPISCOPAL Church, and the latter no more
50 than the former. The Methodist people
rightiully organizing themselves into
Church, instituted an cpiscopacy, and they
are greater than the episcoqlcv. Thus
the Christian Conference organized an
Episcopal Church with ministerial orders
Of dcacons, elders and bishops.
Rev. Henry 3. Ridgway, ID. D.. OF Hi
nos, Itdu III cS>iI vi tIC ptfHV','''i w '''
Christian Conference. He said from New
York and Baltimore American Methodism
took it, rise. and grew rapidly to fair pro-
portions. The Christian Conference was
composed OF sixty preachers. Thomas
Coke was present. He was present at the
Foundation OF the first Methodist college in
America, and he had called on General
Washington to pledge the loyal support OF
all Molhodsts TO tie Government. lie also
spoke Of Thomas Bas>ey, Richard What
coat, William Black, Freedom Glrrett>on,
and others.
Tonight there were meetings in eleven
churches. including four Of coored Metho-
dists, at all Of which the subject OF mis-
sionS was discussed, aud the general feel
ing was that deeper interest should be
taken in mission work and the spread OF
the Church in foreign lands.