The Portland daily press., 1888-04-13
THE SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS
OF the Maine Methodist Conference
In This City.
Bishop Fowler Delivers an interest
ing Address.

Bishop Fowler Delivers an interest
ing Address.
Conference Missionary Sermons
Preached in the Afternoon.
The sun shone brightly yesterday, the day
was as beautiful as a spring day in April
wellIcould be, and for this reason the attend
ance at the conference services was larger al
each of the sessions than it was on the first
day.
Forenoon Session.
The exercises Of the day opened at
o'clock a. M, and from that hour until
o'clock conference prayer meeting was
held, led by Rev. A. S. Ladd. The roll was
then called, and the business session opened
by taking up the 14th question, what tray
elling deacons have been elected to the Ell
ders' Order?" None were reported, and the
18th question, "Who are travelling deacons
of the second class?" was considered, and
the name Of William L, Morse was called,
and his presiding elder reported that he had
left the church and joined the Congregation
al church. On motion of William s. Jones,
the secretary was directed to write against
his name the word withdrawn, and the pre-
siding elder was requested to obtain, If pos
sible, his parchments.
The characters Of John p. Roberts and
John III. Roberts passed. their collections
were reported. other committees on examina-
tion de their report, and the presiding Ell
ders favorably representing their cases they
were passed to deacons of the second class.
The 1eth question, who are the superan-
nuated preachers?" was called, and the char
acters Of the following passed, and their re-
lation continued: James s. Rice, Charles
K. Evans, Silas M. Emerson, Ira G. Sprague,
Ezekiel Smith, Joseph Moore, John Rice. Jo-
seph Colby, Caleb Fuller, Charles Q. Gone,
John Mitchell, Luther P. French, Edmund
X. Colby, Alpha Turner, JaDez BuddeE.
Mr.. True Whittier's request for superan-
nuated relation was referred to the stewards,
and the reports of the different collections
called for.
Rev. L. B. Bates then asked to be heard
and upon being granted permission to speak
by the conference, said:
II hold in my hand a circular of the Wes-
leyan Home for children, the children Of
widowed mothers. The buildings OF the
home are worth about $4,000. and Mr..
Sleeper has generously given $4,000 for an
endowment. The home, which is situated
at Newton, ten miles out Of Boston, now has
eight children, two Of whom are children OF
missionaries. We receive at present no
children under four years OF age, because
we have no nurses but we soon expect to
have corps of nurses and then we shall be
able to receive them at any age. We wish TO
have little Offering for the home so that the
good work may go right along, that we may
be able to care for and train the children
left alone in the world.
The third question, "who remain ON trial, {"
was then called and the character Of James
Wright, William III. Barber and Milton b.
Pratt was passed, and upon the favorable
report OF the committee on examination, and
the presiding elder, they were continued on
trial and advanced to the second year. The
name Of Edward G. Strout was called and as
no report had been received from him he
was, on motion Of G. j. Clark, continued on
trial in the first year.
1t was then decided to hold the next con-
ference at Park street church, Lewiston.
The 10th question, what local preachers
are elected to deacOn's ORDERS" was taken
up, and 1t was recommended that the fol-
lowing be elected deacons,. and 1t was so
Henry p. Winter, William III. Barber Iand
William i. Eldridge.
The 10th question, 'swhat local deaeons
are elected to elders ORDER" was called up,
and Cyrus A. Laughton was elected.
The. following resolutions were then
passed:
Whereas, Several subjects Of vital Importance
TO the welfare Of the church are likely TO come up
for consideration at the next session Of the gen
eral conference such as the extension OF the pas
toral term; whether the bishop shall be elected
elder shall be elected by the conference or APP
siding elders shall constitute legal council with
the bishop In the statiOnlng OF preachers; what
right undeI our policy the laity have In the Sc
lection Of their pastors and what right the preach
ers have In the selection OF their Held OF labor,
and several other matters not now occurring to
Whereas, The voice of the conference should be
fore
ed by the chair to consider and report as soon as
may be what action this conference shall rec
ommend to the next general conference upon this
Resolred, That the general conference be re-
quested TO amend the boundaries Of the Maine
of WInsow Which II es north ofthe sebascooE ry
and the secretary OF this conference be instruct
ed to communicate this action 10 the East Maine
Conference and ask the cooperation OF that body
Bishop Charles II. Fowler, d. D., LII. D.,
delivered an address before the candidates
seeking admission to the conference. he
said:
BISHOP FowLER's ADDRESS.
Custom leads us to expect discussion at
this time Of more extensive or wider range
than to the class seeking admission into the
conference. don't want you to consider
that the application is confined to these
brethren only. II will occur to you at once
that few things can be said to man who
is on the pivot of destiny. These men have
reached a most critical point In
life. They are seeking the highest
honor that can be conferred upon
man. | know Of no honor, at least
in this country, so great as that sought by
these men. II either Of you think that by
your education and ability you are comforting
an honor upon the conference, allow me to
quietly say that you are not the men we
want. The conference confers honor upon
You. Your admittance into the Maine con-
ference makes you eligible to any Methodist
Episcopal church in the world.
1t is a rigorous service that is before you.
neeed not emphasize the fact in this rigor-
GUS old State. If you join the ranks you are
expected to keep step with the rest. | sup
pose am prejudiced in favor Of the Method
ist Episcopal church. If you are admitted
into this army you are admitted into the
grandest company Of men the sun ever shone
on. They are the cleanest and best men, as
we'll as the pluckiest, in the world. | rejoice
and live in all other great evangelical church
es. rejoice in the increase of every church.
There are great many magnificent and
beautiful women in the world, yet l think
thousand times more of my wife than do Of
any other mans wife, and / think thousand
times more of my church than Of any other
church.
/ want to talk to you a little Of what you
are called here for. You have been called to
preach, and that means good deal. You are
not called to gabble but to preach. Method
ism Is very largely created by the power Of
exhortati0n. We forage on the enemy. A
man should enter this conference with the
determination that at all costs he will make
out of himself the best possible preacher.
wish you could all preach so that when your
name was announced people would close
their shops to 20 and hear you. 1t takes a
good deal Of work to make good preacher.
al man OF one idea is a bad man 10 meet, yet
you are called to meet every one-idea man
In the world.
Your business Is to preach and it Is no
boy's play. You should be on the hunt for
Something for the people all the time. When
I began to preach had four sermons, and l
Thought that when 1 got through with them
it would be all up with me. | assure you l
didn't want my time extended. But began
to look around and soon discovered that