The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1888-06-16
VOL. XXXIII.
rRATERNAL ADDRESS OF THE REV
9. A. STEELE, ID. ID:

York City, May ", 1851
10 the General Conference of the Methodi.
Episcopal Church:
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND BRETHREN:
have been charged with the pleasan
duty Of conveying to you the fraterna
greetings of the Methodist Episcopa
Church, South. In the name OF NOR,
than million followers of the Lamb
bid you hail and Godspeed
We were born of the same divine
spirit. We were nursed by the same &C.
clesiasticsl mother. We are linked to-
sether by the hallowed associations of ar
heroic childhood. We are marshaled
under the same banner. We are pursuing
the same providential mission on the
earth We are zone army of the living
God, to whose command we bow" Uni
ted by so many and such sacred bonds, il
is not possible for us to feel other than
the warmest and most fraternal interest
in your work.
We rejoice, brethren, in your prostert
ity. We watch with grateful hearts
ycur worldwide activities, and perceive
that "the Lord is with you," and "has
given you the dew of heaven and the fat
S,ss Of the earth" You have blessed
America with the fruits of your noble
tolls, made distant realms rejoice in your
light Your ranks have "the swing
Of conquest" in their march, the
enthusiasm of victory in their hearts,
and they bear the banner of our
common Methodism far to the
front of the mighty conflict with sin.
We thank God for your great institutions
of learning, by which you are bringing
l[ethodism into closer sympathy with
the highest culture of the age,and putting
the lever of Christian education under
the masses that shall lift American socie,
ty to higher and purer life. The ring
ing cry,"A "A Million for Missions" has been
heard in our Southern camp, and has
thrilled us like a buggle sounding the
advance on the eve of battle. Above all,
we thank God for the deep spiritual life
you manifest, and for your fidelity to the
fundamental principles of Christianity as
they are taught by Methodism. We see
in you mighty army of the Lord of
hosts, organized, aggressive and victori-
GUS.
Mr.. President, l am glad to bring you
a good report from the Methodist Episco.
Pal Church, South, which, after you, is
ihe largest division of Methodism. There
has been a steady advance along all lines,
and the outlook was never more hopeful
than it is now.
We are faithful to the doctrines, polity
usages, traditions, and experience Of
Methodism, and "are travelling home to
God in the way our fathers trod." Deep
and genuine revivals of religion have
blessed our Church from sea to sea, and
the Lord has added multiplied thousands
to our fold. Our institutions of learning
are prosperous, and are welding wide-
spread Christian influence on our people.
Our publishing house is happily free
from debt, and its presses are doing ex,
cellent service for the cause of Christian
literature. Our Church Extension Socie-
ty is dotting the land with better church,
es than we have ever had before, while
the woman's department of this work is
building parsouages in all the weaker
portions Of our field. Our Missions are
growiug in Mexico, bravely holding their
line in Brazil, organizing for an advance
in China, and we have recently thrown
picket line into the sunrise empire of
Japan.
Sir, without boasting, we may say the
tauuch old ship has outridden the storm,
md is now putting on every pound of
team, and spreading every inch of can
as to the gale, and, breasting the pillows
With triumphant prov, is steering straight
or the port of heaven, while "all her
ompany, rejoicing, glory bursts from
very tongue!" Applause.
The Methodist Episcopal Church South
While strongly conservative, is in pro,
ound sympathy with the progressive
plrlt of the age and is striving, with
loble earnestness, to build up Christian
utilization in the fields where Provi-
l'nce has assigned our toll. We believe, |
lr, that the Gospel offers the only per. {
aanent basis for human society, and {
hat its reign in the hearts of men will ,
olive all the social, economic, and politi, |
al problems that agitate our land. 1t /
the highest constructive force in civil- |
alton, and its success will be the
armony of the world. We believe that,
; public opinion is the basis of our
Iovernment and the source of our laws, |
general diffusion of knowledge is es. |
initial to the stability of our free
lstltutions, and that the peace and 4
elfare of the whole country demand the i
lucatlon of all classes of our people.
ma, sir, New England itself would not /
old more tenaciously to the system of r.
eee public instructions, with all Of its n
omitted defects, than do the people of d
ar southern States. Applause.1 |,
We believe that the separation of h
le Church and State is essential 81
the maintainance of both civil v
??tdi ?d religions liberty, and we look il
lth alarm on any tendency to depart Il
ON this fundamental principal of our e
Vernment; but we also believe that d
:, Church outght to educate public W
lsment in favor of righteousness, and N
8 Christian conscience of America a,
ght to dominate its political life, and h
" the only hope Of . free ballot, a,
,ether in the South or in the North. Ii
'or men to regard American citizenship n
a gift Of God, and vote as they pray, b,
~ nad and continued applause W
Ne hpliovo that %1,,s Nnvut., Z. - =,