The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-05
BISHOP FOSTER AND THE PREACHERS.


We give elsewhere the text of Bishop Eos
ter's arra gnment of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, for which the Bishop was "held up
at the Methodist preachers meeting last Mon
day, and to which the preachers generally
took exceptions 1t is said to be part of an
address delivered at the Centennial Confer
ence, held in Baltimore last December, but
which was eliminated from the published ad
dress by the editors, and handed over "to the
Christian Standard, from which we copy. 1t
reminds one Of the preachers of Indiana Of
correspondence he had with Bishop Foster
few years ago. The Bishop is a lecturer, as
well as preacher of rare ability, and it is
considered quite treat in the rural churches
to secure his services in one or both capaci-
ties. A few years ago a member Of the North
Indiana Conference, wishing to treat his con-
grationin one of the small cities in the northern
tier of counties with something new and
forcible, invited the Bishop to lecture for him
on a given occasion, and if possible stay over
Sunday and preach, and asking the terms. In
a few days he received an answer designating
Che time and fixing the price of the lecture at
$50 and expenses. The preacher, who was
serving year at not over ten or twelve times
that sum, promptly replied that the money
could not be raised. Consequently the Bishop
did not lecture at that place. The next year
the Bishop presided at the Northwest Confer
the conference in time to hear the Bishops
address to the young preachers about to be
admitted. 1t abounded in good advice and
counsel some of it running thus: "Remem-
Der, young brethren, that you are to be men
OF one work. Your business is to preach the
gospel, and if you do that well
you have no time for anything else.
Remember too, that you paid for your en-
tire time by the church you serve, and that
real estate or merchandising, or farming, or
lecturng." The North Conference man
listened with rapture and hurried home, and,
taking his pen, wrote to the Bishop as follows:
"Dear Bishop was delighted with your adj
dress, yesterday, to the Northwest Indiana
Conference. was especially pleased at the
change that has come over your views within
year. Our people thought they would love
to sec and hear t:5hop and last winter in
Vited you to come and lecture for u.s. at least,
and preach if possible. They knew you re-
ceived good salary for your entire time and
that your travelling expenses were also paid;
but as this was not absolutely official business
they were willing to pay your expenses, but
when you asked them $50 for lecture, taking
for it the time for which you are paid by the
church. they declined, because they could not
afford it, Your views must have under
gone a change, or else you hold one
rule for bishops and another for preachers
who are not bishops"
1t was more than intimated in the discus
sions at the preachers meeting the other day.
that the Bishop lays down one rule, in this
arraignment, for the people, but holds quite
another for bishops and their families, in mat,
tiers Of dress and adornment. Was it he who,
at the General Conference, delivered such
philippe against gold and costly apparel, dis
playing at every gesture most immense gold
cuff-buttons! The Bishop is voracious de-
vourer of books, and he must have a peculiar
mental gizzard if he can make them all min
lister to godlincss. The unanimous verdict Of
the preachers was that, il this respect, the
Bishop is "a crank