Wichita eagle., 1888-03-17
NJ. E. CONFERENCE.
BISHOP B0WMAN'S ADDRESS TO
THE CLASS.
He Favors Mental Application on the Part
of Uniyersities-Work of Lay
Convention.
THIRD DAY.

chair. The devotional exercises were con-
Quoted by n. S. Buckner.
The journal was read and approved. The
conference requested the transfer of the
| following brethren and they were by the
! bishop transferred, viz: Jonathan Zook,
! from Central Ohio conference: A g. Fore
man, from the Des Mones conference;
| Sprague Davis, from the South Kansas
| conference; f. Shannan, from the Illinois
! conference; Joseph Combs, from the ILL
nois conference: J. P. Van Wye from the
| Iowa conference
The question who are received into full
connection was taken up and the names of
the following brethren were called and
| they came forward, viz: J. w. Pruin, John
w. Pratt, Jeffrey Martin, J. H. Smith, c.
3. Penn, W. J. Barron, f. r. Williams, C.
r. Robinson, o. A. Smith, J. a. Davis, r.
Z. Engle, G. P. Van Wye.
Address of the bishop: The two years
that you have been upon trial in the con-
ference has been sufficient to test your
! adaptation to the, and the conference has
had time TO test you. The church has
some times made mistakes in receiving
men who were not suited to the work of
the ministry. 1t has sometimes happened
that man who at the end of two years
has appeared unsuited to the work has
afterward shown himself eminently fitted
for the work
The questions | am TO ask you refer to
your work in and out of the pulpit.
Have you faith? We mean more by this
question than some do in the use of it.
We mean saving faith. Have you been
justified and converted, We would MT
receive a man who had not been converted.
AS Methodists we believe their is another
and higher experience, called christian
perfection, sometimes called sanctification
and holiness. Conversion is sanctification
begun. In using it in the higher sense we
say entire sanctification. We believe it
possible to love God with all the heart, and
many of the churches so believe now.
though some of us can remember when
this was not so, but they are coming to
believe this in all the churches If you
have not reached this state, are you
earnestly striving after it? 1t is the doc
trine of the church that it is to obtained
in this life. 1t is your duty to preach it,
but not to the neglect of other things.
Here mistakes have been made and per
sons have run off on one idea and become
not merely excentric but crazy loose their
minds and say foolish things.
You ought to preach this doctrine but
you ought to preach others also. Some in
your congregations are not saved, are not
converted, others have attained to this
higher state and they want to be edited
and built up.
Again, as preacher in these days, you
must be student. When some of us
began preaching there were many in. the
church who knew little if anything about
grammar but that day has passed and now
in many of our churches we have students
and graduates and persons who are ac-
customed to think, and the want that we
should lead them; and even the children
are being educated, and our people will !
desire that we shall be able to command |
their respect in the proper use of our Ian |
guage.
You ought to be students, but not to the !
neglect of other work that will come to
you in the discharge of your duty as pas
tors. If you can give five or six hours a
day to study it will give time for other
work.
You may succeed for a time with but |
little study, but not long. In the frontier
and few church privileges they will bear
with you for a time, but they will soon |
weary of your preaching if you neglect |
your studies. Students do not grow old so |
quick; many men grow old because they |
cease to study.
You are to study men as well as books |
Study them that we may know how to win |
them, how to aid them, and have them aid |
us.
We all have our peculiarities, and we
can avoid difficulties by knowing how to
approach men and do them greater good by
these peculiarities. 1t is your
work and you must do the best you can
Again you are to be patterns and exam
pies for the people to follow. You may
expect that some will pattern after you and
the same spirit you manifest.
| am Grieved to see what | think to be a
growing irreverence and disrespect for the
house of God. think it is largely due
to the failure on the part of the preachers
to instruct the people on these subjects
and set them the right example. A great
deal of it arises from the failure to in
struct the children. / have been aggrieved
10 find that parents who have taken upon
10 teach them the Lords prayer and the
,atechism have wholly neglected thi. duty
In the old Methodist family you found the
standard books of Mcthodism, and the
children were instructed in the doctrines
and usages of the church. AS the pastor
you ought 10 insist upon your rights to
each the catechism in the Sunday school.
Train the children and the men and
women will be all right. If we are honest
and believe our doctrines and usages we
ought to instruct the children in them and
urge upon them their acceptance
The work in which you are TO engage is
% me the most honorable that man can en-
gage in. l had rather occupy the place on
pastor of nice, good congregation thau
my other on the globe. As Methodist
PREACHERS We will go out TO do all the good
We can and 10 glorify God. When YOU
ant preach and maintain the doctrine
md usages OF the church you should
quietly retire"
The class was then asked and
the usual questions. and
hey were severally voted on and ad-
nitted into full membership and elected
O Deacons Orders, Mr.. J. W Pruin. John
1. Bracht, Ieurey Martin, Il. A homes,
T. II. Smith, c. B. Penn, ". j. Barron.
}. A Smith, A p. Van Wyr. /:
The following brethren, already deacons,
we're admitted into full connection, viz;
edward r. Williams, Charles K. Robin
on, John \. Davis, r. B. Engle.
The question who are readmitted was
aiken up and the following brothers were {
eadmitJed: I. a. Goodrich, located from {
he South Kansas conference: J. o. Hazel ,
on. located from the Cieniseo conferenCe: .