Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-04-24

seminary and provides teachers in
places where ignorance and degrade
ton abound; knowing no difference
in race and color, it is doing a tremen-
dous work among. the blacks of the
South; it takes the most advanced
grounds in temperance, and is in it
self by church rule, and almost by
practice, total abstinence society.
Wherever vice, ignorance and suffer
ing are found this church has it's agen-
cies to alleviate and to uplift Not
that the Methodist church is alone in
these lines Of work, but that it is ev-
erywhere doing its, full share
The Methodist church of to- day is
waging no controversies over creeds
and doctrines. Founded on the incon-
troverted truths of the Bible, il seeks
nothing beyond, it wants nothing less.
The government of the church is sim
pie. Like some mighty piece Of ma
chinery in which every wheel, and
cog, and cam and lever is so adjusted
as to do perfect work, without miss,
Or jar, or friction, so the machinery
Of this denomination goes on and for
ward, doing the mighty work set be
fore it with as little wrangle and com
motion as any great organization in
the world
The Methodists began their work in
Vermont later than some other de-
nominations. Their methods and ad-
vent into many places were not hailed
with pleasure by all SO called Chris
tians. They began in fields already
preoccupied and were in a sense in
terlopers. They were poor. At first
only small classes were formed here
and there, to become, possibly, after
the time revival, church. They
owned no churches, found no welcome
in houses already built; their preach
ers, jealous and devoted were often
times uncultured and unlearned in
the things of books, but wise in ex-
periences of the Book
Their circuit embraced whole
county, and their preaching places
were long journey apart; but the
work went on from year to year until
there were few places where the
Methodist could not meet with his
brethren in a comfortable church
building every Sabbath If he chose,
and until the denomination became
one Of the largest in numbers and in
fiuence. This like all Protestant de-
nominations Of the State suffers great
ly from the departure OF it's young
and better members to other states,
and from the fact that the native pop
ulation is steadily diminishing, and
homes once filed with children for
the Sunday schools and the churches
are almost depOpulated or filed with
foreigners, usually Catholics. The
denomination in the state at present
has about $50 preachers, over 200
Sunday schools, about 200 churches,
$4,000 church members, and church
prop erty valued at $SOO,OO0
This church in many parts of the /
country is the leading denomination;
1T numbers it's adherents by millions,
and its churches would easily accom- !;
modate one tenth of all the people Of +
the United States with sittings So +
great is it's necessities in the line Of +
new churches, that an average OF /
nearly three are being dedicated /
daily. 1t numbers it's colleges by the T
hundreds and It's seminaries OF learn .
ing by the thousands. In it's mission !
ary efforts it covers as wide a field as
any denomination in the world, OK .
pending a million and quarter dol T
lars yearly. We have spoken Of only /
the Episcopal Methodists. If to this
were added the other branches Of the I
church, which differ only in small |
matters the aggregate would be large
~ increased. The gathering held at /
Barton is only one Of the smallest of
which nearly 200 meet annually.