Morning journal and courier., 1894-06-21
BIG METHODIST Day.

quet Hail and Specches-The uba.
lee Meeting in the Evening and an
Address OF Bishop Foss.
The 105th anniversary of the founding |
Of Methodism in this city was splendidly |
celebrated yesterday and largely attended.
The weather was delightful, barring the |
heat. The forenoon aud afternoon SER
vices were held at the First II. E. church.
The groups began to gather early and from
every direction the Methodists came, and
all in happy, cheerful spirit, evidently
to have good time.
The committee in charge of the exercises
have prepared splendid program, which
was printed in the JOURNAL AND COURIER
yesterday. The printer, Mr.. O. II. Ryder
of this city, had provided one Of the most
beautiful pieces of printing in the way of
programs We have seen. 1t is chaste and
beautiful, work of art, and will be pre-
served as pleasant memorial of the day.
A ticket of admission to the love feast had
been prepared by the committee, having
on the back of 1t a picture of the old First
N. E. church on the green. Another pic
ture of the same old church as it was in
1922 was on the last page of the large pro-
gram, showing the other buildings that
were then about that part of the green.
The Glove Feast" began at 8 o'clock, the
singing being in charge of Brother William
Bissell, who seems to know every hymn
and tune In the books. One could easily
understand the elements of power in this
form of "Christianity in earnest" as it
was manifest in the short, happy, enthu-
siastic Experiences" given In by old and
young, interpreted with the most lively
singing. The sisters were as free to speak
as were the brothers. Often two and three
were on their feet at once, trying to speak
and tell their experiences. Every now and
then some excited brother would shout
"Hallelujsh" or "Glory to God.". The
old choruses and hymns made the church
great many preachers from every part of
the state were present and more than TWEEN
ty spoke. All together sixty-four diff
ferent people were heard from in the
hour. One brother bore the name of
Jesse Lee, being deecendent of
that family. Another good brother from
Wales had to sing of his own conversion
in his own native tongue. Altogether it
was most remarkable meeting aud, at It's
close, when tbs leader, Rev. g. B. Ford
asked for all to rise who had not had an
opportunity to speak, and who wished in
this way to confess Christ, over 500 rose
to their feet and sang hymn of consecra-
ton to God.
COMMUNICATION SERVICES.
After ten minutes spent in handshaking
in the old fashioned way promptly at 1890
DE-. Masden called the brethren to order,
and each of the New Haven pastors took a
part in the opening services. At II a. m.
Rev. DR.. s. F. Upham Of the Drew theo.
logical seminary announced his text,
Psalms "A, i: 'We have heard with our
ears, 0 God; our fathers have told as
what work Thou didst In their days, In
times of DID,"
He introduced his sermon by an account
of the social, political and religious condi-
ton of New England hundred years ago.
The times were full of troubles. The party
feeling ran high and the CONGREGATIONAL
churches were spiritually dead, and the
Unitarians had changed the creed of the
Puritan fathers. 1t was at that time that
the itinerant Methodist preacher made his
appearance In New England, and in sim
| pie, earnest style he presched the gospel
| of free and full salvation. Jesse Lee
was the pioneer of as brave and as noble a
| class of men as ever filled the pulpits of
| any church in Christiandom.
| OUR INDEBTEDNESS TO OUR METHODIST
FATHERS.
! Dr. Upham's first point was this: Thai
the real leaders of New England Metho.
dism were genuinely great men, and We
owe very much to the talent and charact tel
character to our early church life. Even
II M6thndfafa q 10 aarnfi In %
appreciate the great worth of Jesse Lee
the pioneer preacher, and Francis Asbury,
the first bishop Of our church. Still lesi
are they known to the other denomina.
lions. They were men of learning and re-
6nement, and would have grace dany pulpit
/ Of their age. Many who have assumed to
criticizs and 5slittle the work and char.
| acter of these two men are like New
Haven author who attempted to give biog-
raphy of Asbury, calling him Astry, and
misgiving his character as badly as he
misspelled his name.
Secondly, we owe much to the fathers
because they left US well formulated sys.
TEN of Christian doctrines. Our fathera
preached often on the doctrines. We have
| never had any great secession from the
church caused by differences of theology.
The Armtnian theology penetrated every
| other great theological system snd modi-
| fed 1t. When Mr.. Wesley left out dozen
| of the articles Of religion of the Episcopal
| church. he eliminated every vestige Of
haptisma) regeneration and trans substsn-
| tiation, all sscrsmentsrisnism, and made
the body of Methodist doctrine thoroughly
Protestant In Wesley's sermons and
hymns will be found the trus Arminian
doctrines that have been preached by
Methodiets-the true relation of infants
ar md fho frr1a
grounds of infant baptism are emphasized
in Methodist churches.
His third point was that we are in
debted to our fathers for right ideas of
church life and activity. They were more
anxious about spotolic success than apo
lostelic succession. They were more in
tere sted in life than farms.
He closed with picture of an old-fash-
toned revival, and exhorted Methodists to
be true to the best things in their church
history and life. The service was great
ly enjoyed and was a mastery effort.
woMANs MEETING.
At 2 o'clock another large meeting was
held in the First Methodist church. This
time 1t was in the interest of the Woman's
Foreign Missionary society. Miss Mary
A. Danforth was the speaker of the hour,
and she gave a most interesting and in
struotive address on the manners and
Customs of Japan" Miss Danforth is a
very bright New England woman who
epsnt five years IN Japan. She was there
in the time of the great earthquake, and
her story of the perils and troubles of that
event were described in way never to be
forgotten.
THE BANQUET AND SOCIAL.
The banquet and social at Banquet
hall from $50 to 1880 O'Clock was indeed
feast of reason and flow of soul, but a
wceful scarcity of anything substantial to
eat The hail was well filled, about 500
persons being present. A number of
tables were Hastily arranged and plenty of
seats provided. There were also walters
and Mattresses in profusiou, but very lit
tie of the edibles.
The first persons present were served
with what was on hand and after perhaps
q couple of hundred had bsen fed the
supply gave out and although wait of
half an hour ensued, during which time
messages were sent to the caterer, no
more food was sent up and the balance of
the 500 present had to go without supper.
After waiting for over half an hour for
an extra supply of edibies to be sent up
Chairman Morse arose and made state
ment to those present substantially as fol-
lows: Eve are much Inundated at the
non success of this banquet, but I can as
sure you 1t is not the fault of the commit
taa Tho cor,omittoa an ankartainuanf