The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-07


1t was voted to hold the semi-centen-
nary exercises of Rev. A. Fl. Mead of
Meriden in the afternoon instead or IN
the evening, as planned, in order to
devote the evening to a business ses-
sion.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Owing to the storm yesterday the at
tendance at the afternoon session of the
conference was not so largely attended
as the previous sessions have been. AS
the program was originally arranged,
the afternoon session yesterday was
to have been devoted to memorial SER
vices for the members of the confer
ence who have died during the year,
and the evening session to an address
by Rev. A. H. Mead of Meriden, giving
semi-centennial "reminiscences, but as
the work to be done to-day is very I'M
portant it was feared that the sessions
would extend too far into the night, and
so the afternoon and evening programs
as previously announced were combln-
ed so that the evening could be devoted
to business work and that the work of
day may be more quickly gotten
through with.
After preliminary prayer and singing
yesterday afternoon the memoirs OF de-
ceased members of the conference We're
read. The first was that of Frederick
A. Gascoigne, who died at Brooklyn
hospital January 20, 1896, at the age OF
thirty-four years. He had received
only two appointments from the New
York East conference, but in the short
term of his work in the ministry he had
won high place and had shown avon
derful amount of character. His mem
oirs were read by Rev. DR.. Joseph Pull
man of Bridgeport.
The only other member of the con-
ference who has died during the past
year was Rev. William H. Boole Mr..
Boole died February a. 1896, after hay
ing been a member of the conference for
forty-two years. His first appointment
under this conference was at Clinton in
this state in 1854. His memoirs We're
read by Rev. DR.. Simmons. DR., Sim
mons said that Mr.. Boole was as fear
less of counter opinion as John Knox
or Martin Luther. His last work was
at Pennington, N. j., where he con-
Quoted evangelistic services. He fin
ished those meetings about February
l and shortly after died suddenly with
no previous illness. Besides the me-
moirs by DR.. Simmons further remarks
on the deceased Mr.. Boole We're made
by Rev. DR.. Roach, DR.. Bell, Rev.
Thomas D. Littlewood and Rev. DR..
Steele Dr. Roach is eighty-thr years
of age and has been in the ministry
for tWenty-three years, but notwith-
standing his advanced age he has a
voice of wonderful power and Is one of
If not the most eloquent speaker in
the conference. He spoke of his ac
quaintance with Mr. Boole and said
that in him centered great strength.
He was a man of men, had warm
heart and conviction such as went to
make him a might in a theme which
engrossed him. Cowardice was thing
unknown to him; duplicity excluded.
He lived in God, holiness was his
motto, and completeness of execution
in his design was his mission. His in
tellection was unimpaired at his death.
Rev. DR.. Littlewood was a member of
the same class in which Mr.. Boole was
ordained and DR.. Steele had been close
ly connected with him in temperance
WOIh. LII. Dlttlt Scltl lIdl uC w cio q
man Of strong convictions, but ready to
yield when he thought yielding to be
for the good of the cause. On motion
of Rev. Mr.. Macmillan the memoirs
We're accepted and the editors of the
conference minutes were instructed to
preserve them in the records of the
conference
Rev. A. H. Mead of Meriden then gave
an address on Semi Centennial Remi-
niscences." Mr.. Mead has been in the
ministry for fifty years and gave an in
teresting account of the changes which
have take place in the church and in
the ministry during that time. He said
that he began his pastoral work in the
Delaware district of the New York con-
ference and during one year received 81
for his salary. He also said in concu-
sion that the Methodist church could
never be a society church Conversions
are more and more unsatisfactory
every year than they formerly were,
and asked if in late years the world
had become more Christian or the
church more worldly. Continuing he
said: In the order of church service J.
notice a change. Formerly the order
was universal, but now no pastor can
conduct service in a strange church
until he knows that churchs program.
The matter of the change from the
choir to quartet singing involves the
question as to whether God is better
pleased with what is pleasing to tho
ear or to God. In other words, are our
songs worldly or not? / fear that in
the rush of fashion our old forms are
becoming lost means of grace. Our
boosted civilization has utterly failed
to bring additional rest or happiness to
the universal heart. Never was there
such a demand for Methodism of the
old style as now. In Gods name let us
preach the gospel and not art science
and literature. Get the heart right and
the head will not be far astray. Is it
true that young preachers dress for the
pulpit as actors for the stage? 1 hope
these new things are only in the air and
are not to attract the crowd"
On motion of DIR, Mains it was voted
to extend thanks to Mr.. Mead for the
address and to have a copy prepared
for the conference archives.
The session closed with benediction
by Dr. Mains, and an adjournment
taken until 1880 o'clock in the evening
when a business meeting would be
held.