New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-03
THE EPISCOPAL Address.
A REVIEW OF THE STATE OF THE CHURCH
WHAT THE BISHOPS THINK OF THE CHIEF QUESTION

ihE BISHOPS THINK OF TIE CHIEF QUESTION
BEFORE THE CONFERENCE.
| io"ihg arc the principal portions Of the address
"o bsheps, which was read by Bishop Merrill :
.our General superntondents, charged with the
oversight OF the temporal and spiritual interests Of
,no ehurch, extend to you fellowworkers in the
hihgdom of God our most hearty greetings In the
name OF the Lord, and invoke In your behalf the
gracious favor OF Almighty God
FIRST OF all, in view Of the manifold tokens Of pros
pcrty which abound. Gracious revvals have at
'ehood the labors Of our ministers in almost every
section OF our own country and in foreign lands A
careful estimate indicates that not less than 49,
souis nave been received into the Church since tho
iast General Conference. After the deduction Of an
account OF death and other causes numbers have
gone up from 100, 534 to 2O93,o35. The improve
nents made in the seating capacity and In the archl-
ectual excellence Of church edlces afford special
grathcatlon. The educational work has made rapid
progress, and our beneyolenccs have advanced In a
ra'io nearly equal TO our increase in membership.
reacc reigns through our borders, and while some
questions Of singular interest await your action We
are happy to say that serious agitation of dis
turplng nature threatens The unity Of the Genomina-
tion Our rejoicing is Hinged with sadness as memory
onhgs to us,the faces Of Bishops Simpson, Wiley and
harris, who have died since the last session Of the
General Conference
(After an account of the life and work Of those
bishops and Of other members Of the last Conference
|
count OF the work Of the Bishops during the four
| In diefrent parts Of the world. The address con-
ciuded these remarks with the statement that the door
Is open for evapgezlng agencies and every field needs
icnforcementsl Some communication has taken place
posed Ecumencsi Conference Of Methodism be held
Conference
East and West is gratifying. The dividends dstrib
uted among conferences and the proposed distribution
all arc Interested in their prosperity With some i'm
proyements and the completion of our new buildings
York, our facilities will stand unrivalled In
The Methodist Church has among her educational
colleges 100 seminaries and academies with buildings,
eng "G and other property amounting to
t1tlons has been raised brosdcned and carefully
h 10 tne aay srate OF scientific knowieage
| increased endowmcnts.
! OVER MILLION FOR METHODIST MISSIONS.
At no period In the past much done as Is
now being done for the evangelzatiop of the nations
| and never before did Mehodsm 50 nearly appreciate
the greatness of her opportunities Already the in
| come to our missionary treasury has exceeded
100000 year and the appropriations for the cur
| rent year are beyond 81 200 600 Much more is
needed. Wo hold fields tentatively which ought TO be
occupied with strong force The reasonably expected
growth in fields abroad will develop the need of
four years while the necessities OF the work at home
Will call for a corresponding increase
The method OF exercising supervision mis-
slons In foreign countries will attract your attention
as IL has done the attention OF other General Confer
cnces, and may excite discussion as It IS too broad
subject to be seen alike by all who approach It, For
We expect 10 be In the future. In the past the dut
u servants OF the Church In executing her commands
y There advantages in the VISITS OF the bishops
from this country to the foreign fields which should
sufficient gain to justify the sacrifice They strengthen
inc ponds OF sympathy between the Church at home
and her workers abroad and furnish useful suggestions
gained In one part Of the world helpful In every other
part They, unity the administration IN different
countries and serve In many ways quicken the en-
thusiasm OF the ncplent churches and to keep alive
The spirit OF Methodlsm when its maintenance Is diff
cult and yet essential to the fullest success (The
address Also the separation of of tho
foreign missions from the Jurisdiction of the church,
MISSIONARY BISHOP TAYLoRs CASE
IT must not DO forgotten at this point that the Church
has already sanctioned, to some extent, the principle
OF supervising foreign missions by the appointment
OF missionary bishop to a designated mission field
with jurisdiction limited thereto exclusively. Up to
the present this seems to have been OF ex-
pertinent than fixed policy and tho experiment has
been confined to Africa although the law providing for
It does not restrict It to that country The history OF
that experiment very brief and instructive. 1856
the constitution was amended by due process to
provide for the appointment Of missionary bishops,
and the new provision was carried into effect by the
election and ordination Of the Rev. Francis Burns
Bishop
years acceptably and died. after which the Rev. J. W.
Roberts was chosen and ordained his At
me beginning OF this experiment all necessary pro,
vision was made for his support, tho amenabllty and
the government Of tho missionary bishop. He was
required to live with his family In the district assigned
him. without which he could exercise his functions
and he was to be supported the same other mission
aries. The plan worked satisfactorily long the
conditions continued which existed at its inception
Az that time there were no annual conferences I'm
powers authorized do ordinary conference work, but
not entitled to representation In tho General Con !
ference. Tho missionary bishop was tho superin |
Mission Conference This grade OF conferences was |
constituted annual conference with full powers
as were all tho mission conferences In the foreign and
When Bishop Roberts died no successor was elected |
ti 1854, when, without any new legislation or any
pursuance OF resolution reported from the Com |
mlttec on the Epscopacy ana adopted by the con,
and ordained and left without any regulation for |
bis government or provision for his SUPPORT. IhelS
Liberia, and Liberia was not mission under mission
w 4 m po%e the pse OF
annual conference In tho connection under the general
S' Of hl the een in rs
could neither be abridged nor superseded In that CON
While no serious question as to his church relation
eligibility to tho office has been raised, as no was not
airy appointment Of any kind, IT is not strange that
perpexng questions should arise touching MS status;
he scHy sose syoR through which f
the General Conference conducts Its missionary admin
istration To 1t unfortunate that tho Gen
eral Conference which elected him did not anticipate
some OF these questions and mako pro-
visions accordingly; but it did not, and
these points, the implication is inevitable that the
regulations In force during tho incumbency Of those
who had previously exercised the same Office In Africa
were binding precedents, and were therefore me
only regulations applicable TO the case In hand
AS we understand 1t the Book Committee took TINS
view Of The subject when the missionary bishop FAB apG
pealed to It for his salary from the Episcopal fud
and the General Missionary Committee concurred wno
1t appropriated missionary money for his support
and continued the appropriation from year 10 year
1t will he the duty OF this General Conference 10 sup
ply any deficiencies IL may find In the legisauon III
this well to correct any errors or osstos
1t may discover in the administration OF thoso "hoso
duty 1t has been to carry out the law as they iou ~.
1t will also be your duty to determine Whethor INC
design OF the last General Conference has Dee not VI
the Inauguration OF a system of missionary organic