The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-06
M METHODIST CONFERENCE
ORDINATION or DEACONS IND Ell
DERS BY BISHOP MERRILL,

Conference Sermon by the Bishop-Large
Glasses Ordained as Deacons and Elders
An Impressive Service-Large A Attendance
at All the Sessions-ADniversary of the
Freedmen's Aid society.-Address by Rev.
DIR. John +. Hamilton-Program for To-
day.
The floral decorations in Trinity NJ.
E. church yesterday for the sessions
of the conference were fine. The al
tar and choir gallery were literally
banks of flowers, palms and potted
plants. AT every session there was a
large attendance and the seating ca
pacity of the church was taxed to the
utmost and the size of the audience
tended to emphasize one fact and that
was the absence of Easter bonnets.
Whether it was on account of the cold
weather of the past few days or from
some other cause it is certain that none
of the ladies present can be accused
of coming out to show new Easter bon
nets.
AT o'clock yesterday afternoon the
church was again filled with a large
audience to witness the ordination SER
vice for candidates for orders of deacon
and elder. Bishop Merrill conducted
the service and preparatory to the or
dination explained the meaning of the
service in the Methodist church and
also described In most interesting
manner the difference in the orders in
the church. At the conclusion of his
remarks the secretary OF the confer
ence DR.. Mains, then called the list of
candidates for deacons' orders and the
candidates stood before the altar rail
in the order in which their names were
called. They We're Gilbert B. Thurs
ton, Alvin p. Knell, James A. Lock-
wood, Henry Medd, Alfred L. Hubbard,
Richard S. Povey, William S. Hall,
George A. Stott, and John E. Hillburg
Bishop Merrill offered prayer and Rev.
Mr.. Van Alstyne came forward at the
invitation of the bishop and read the
epistle of ordination, after which the
bishop read the required questions,
Then laying his hands on the head of
each candidate separately Bishop Mer-
rill in an impressive manner gave
authority ito execute the office of dea-
con in the church of God in the name
of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost" Then in silence observed by
the large audience he put in the hand
of each candidate Bible and gave to
them the authority to read the holy
scripture and to preach the same.
Prayer was then offered and the certifi-
Gates We're presented
The candidates for elders orders were
next called to the altar rail and the
congregation rose while prayer was Of
fered. The candidates We're Elmer A.
Dent Benjamin T. Gilman, William Fl.
Kidd, l. A. Marsland, Eugene A. Noble,
George c. Peck, Charles P. Tinker,
Henry G. Whitney, Alvin c. Wiley, z.
c. Carpenter, w. M. Fenton and Hubert
b Munson.
At the invitation of the bishop Rev.
Mr.. North, presiding elder of the New
Haven district, read the service and
Rev. DR.. Sanford the gospel Rev. DR..
Beach, Rev G. B. Ford, Rev G, S.
Wing, Professor Buell. and Rev. Ben
janin A. Gilman assisted the bishop in
the laying on of hands. Authority was
then conferred to preach and admins
ter the sacraments as an elder in the
church in the congregation. The SER
vice concluded by the singing of the
doxology
The program of the conference to-day
is as follows:
Morning, o'clock-Conference prayer
meeting in the chapel. Leader, Rev.
A. J. Smith.
Morning, 8 o'clock-Conferenee ses-
sion.
Afternoon, 2:30 o'clock-Conference
session. Memorial services for the
members of the conference who have
died during the year.
Evening, 7:45 o'cloCk-Address, semi
centennial "reminiscences, Rev. A. H.
Mead.
THE EVENING SESSION.
The conference session last evening
at Trinity NJ. E. church was devoted
to the anniversary of the Freedmen 8
Aid and Southern Education society.
The assembly room of ,u4 church was
completely filled, as it had been at all
of the sessions of the day, and many
were unable to obtain seats. Rev. Dr.
Joseph Pullman of Bridgeport presided
and after the preliminary service the
address of the evening was delivered
by Rev. DIR. John W. Hamilton of Phil
adelphia, corresponding secretary of the
society. DR.. Hamilton spoke In part as
follows
'I desire to say tonight some things
having reference to the lofty stateman-
ship which must characterize the ad-
justment Of the whole problem pre-
sented to the American people. The es-
sential agreemnt of all difficulties Is
harmony. War is the weapon of a rude
people, in rude age. 1t is already an
antiquated thing, measure of pagan
ism. 1t settles nothing, and never did
The word of this world very largely
has been failure and must be done
over again for the classes have been
set over against the masses and this
has occasioned strife. Since the world
began its history has been one of war.
The desire of the stronger to prey on
the weaker, of extension of territory
and of parlance of power has been the
history of the world. 1t has been a
system of competition, absolutely every
man for himself and the devil take the
hindmost,' but we live in an age of
revolution. Jesus Christ came to turn
and overturn the old and to set up the
new kingdom on the basis of righteous
ness. His disciples were to learn war
no more. There is war now, and there
will be, but there are no more anti
quated people on earth than Chinese
and Japanese until recently, and Turks