The Press., 1897-01-21

terest. The presiding elder, Rev. Asa
 Swinerton, was in the chair. The record,
 which is signed by E. Dimmick, Jr, closes
 as follows:
 "Resolved-That to hold and treat a
 human being as property is sin.
 Resolved-Th if sin is more aggra-
 vating in the sight of God under some cir | cumstances than it is under others, it is
 most so when found in his church. because
 there is the profession of his love.
 The president declined putting the re-
 maining resolutions to vote, and called for
 motion to adjourn. No motion being
 made, he declared the conference adjourn ed.'
 The next ''quarterly meeting confer
 ence" was held March 5th, 1889, and its
 last action was to vote ''that the secretary
 enter on the journal the doings of the last
 quarterly conference, after the president
 declared said conference adjourned" Then
 follows this record: ''The quarterly
 meeting conference, held on the Sth day of
 Dec, 1888, being declared adjourned by
 the president without any motion to that
 effect, the Rev. James Shepard preacher
 in charge, was called to the chair, and the
 reading and adoption of the resolutions on
 slavery completed in the order following Therefore, Resolved-That slavery as it
 exists in the Methodist Episcopal church | is exceeding. sinful. .-.-. | Resolved-That we believe that God
 raised up the Methodists to spread spiritu-
 al holiness through the land but slavery | is repugnant to this work, and so long as l evil ic :f01n tod oir of | the church made holy.
 Resolved-That the root of all slavery | is covetousness, and as is the root so are | the branches, both alike are evil, there
 fore the whole system of slavery is evil. l Resolved-That, as we belong to a
 slave-holding nation and a slave-holding
 church, which nation and church we love,
 but which evil we depiore, we consider it | our right and duty as free citizens and
 heart, but in all laudable ways to rebuke
 him and not suffer sin upon him; and that
 so long as our brethren claim it as right | to hold slaves, we shall claim the right of | lifting up our warning voice in speaking, 1 writing and discussing this great moral
 question.
 | Resolved-That, in speaking and writ ing on this exciting subject, we will en- | deavor wholly to refrain from all harsh and unkind expressions towards our brethren
 whose views may differ from ours, but treat them with that brotherly love which the gospel inculcates; and we earnestly recommend that the same course be per
 sued by all our abolition brethren. I Resolved-That the secretary be re-
 quested to forward copy of these resolu- ! tions to the editors of Zion's Herald and
 zion's Watchman for publication"
 The persons present at that meeting
 were: Asa M. Swinerton, president James Shepard and Asa Niles, circuit preachers; Nathan Bartlett, Harvey Bid
 well, Phinehas Grover and Ephraim Dim-
 mick, Jr., stewards; John Bradley, Eb-
 eneser Harwood and James F. Brooks,
 leaders,
 For moral insight and courage, clearness of view, breadth of charity and manly in- dependence these men should be held in
 high honor by their successors.
 Gradually the membership grew until } in 1865, just before the erection of the new church, the year book shows a mem. bership of 40, with IS probationers. Rev.
 Wm! T. Worth was the first pastor after the church was erected, and under his la bors the church enjoyed great prosperity A revival began during the winter of '67
 and '6S, which was almost continuous throughout three years pastorate. 12s were received on probation, 85 adults were baptized, and "A were received into the church from probation. The year book with 3S probationers. Wm. McKendree Bray, appointed pastor , in '69, reports a revival, with 30 proba , tioners. During the winter ''72 and '73 Vim. V. Morrison pastor, there were about r 40 professed conversions. In '74,' W. H. Stetson pastor, there was revival witt 100 conversions reported. During thu , pastorate of Dr. A. J. Church, TT and '7S lover 100 were converted, 87 joined tn class, and 90 joined in full or by letter. The year book then showed membershil of 271. Since that time there has beel 8 no general revival: Conversions have oc , cured under all the pastors In the con , ference years, beginning April '79 and Apri e 'S0; E.. D. Towle pastor, six were receivet on probation, of whom one became ful @ members In '81 and '82 A. P. Palme q pastor, there were 8 received on :proba }, and :'S4, J. E..~Hawkins pastor, IS proba : tioners, of whom 15 became members | The next two and one-half years, E. M y Taylor pastor, 51: probationers, of whor d 32 have become members During ,th
 next 13 months, A. E. Drew pastor, re ,. aai,,r,d ior hot of uhopo hf r came members. .:
 Rev. Edgar F: Clark was pastor froI I- January 18th; 1889, to April 1899, and re # ceived 26 on probation, of whom 19 be T came members. '92 and '93, Dr. c. E Harris pastor, 20 were received on probs tion, of whom F have become members :. Under the present pastor 56 have been rt !, l. ceived on probation, of whom B have a : ready become members. -1 3. : The year book ought to show an fl g. crease in membership, but, as matter ( = fact, it showed last April no increase sine d 1S79... That is due to the fact that durin ,e the pastorate of MT. Clark the list of men b. bers was completely revised. All nol ]! resident members whose addresses coul Iy not be found, and others known to be T c. longer interested in the church, were omi ted from the new list, and are not no l.. counted in making out statistics; althougl o- under the law of 7 the church, they al actual, if not active, members. By tn
 q revision, while the church lost no actu y strength, the reported membership dro of .d pea from 3s5 to z240. Since then the re h has been kept free from superfiuous name or aud the membership reported last Apl ch + zlTn 5S [-t- s-'+ @ -2t.s.;- -<f-.s4 a (Continued.) . .i