The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-09
TWENTIETH CENTURY, LEAGUE
THE VIEW METHODIST ORGANIZE
TION OF THIS CITY.

Its Aims, Necessity and Object as Sci
Forth i'm an Address by Henry III.
Benedict, President of the Association
Projected Paying Off of $4,000 OF
Church Indebted III ss Before the Twen-
tieth Century.
Our much esteemed townsman,
Henry H. Benedict, the wholesale coal
merchant, delivered an address at
Grace M. e. church yesterday forenoon,
which is of such general interest to our
church going population and of such
special interest to the Methodists of
our city that it has been secured of Mr.
Benedict and is printed in it's entirety
in this mornings issue. The address
has received unqualified endorsement
and the highest commentator from
such eminent scholars and divines as
Bishop Vincent who founded the Chau-
tauqua assemblies, and from Rev. Dr.
Kelley, another leading man in the
Methodist denomination, both former
pastors in this city. AS is now well
| known Mr.. Benedict is the organizer
and founder of the Twentieth Century
| Wesleyan league of this city. The
| league is something entirely new in
Methodist church affairs in this city
and elsewhere. The debt Of the Metho-
dist churches of this city amounts to
$4,000, and the Twentieth Century
1900 and clear off this encumbrance. AS
Mr.. Benedict's very able and brilliant
paper well sets forth, the churches
which are heavily laden with debt, are
heavily handicapped and the debt
greatly binders their prosperity. A
heavy debt upon church is in vari-
Gus ways a serious incumbrance upon
its efforts for usefulness. Mr.. Benedict
counsels, moreover, measures which
shall restrain unnecessary or expensive
church building where the field does not
creating new and unnecessary church
burdens, while at the same time he
urges planting new churches wherever
the field betokens chance for har-
vest Mr.. Benedict's own individual Ia
bors in establishing new churches In
distant parts of our own country and
elsewhere bespeak his active evangell-
cation spirit. AS already stated the
Twentieth Century Wesleyan league is
creating a wide interest and Mr. Bene-
diets whole paper on the subject fol-
lows:
MY friends pardon personal expert
ence-a story before I commence.
I was in the Catskill Mountains--was
trout fishing. 1t was noon. l was
hungry.
On the brook / saw ahead of me an old
house 1t was painted white.
/ lifted a big brass thing on the little
front door and bang it went. A man OF
fifty, apparently a well to do farmer,
opened the door.
Pardon me- said I, I'm very hum
gry. Could you do the Good Samaritan
act and fix me up for few hours more
fishing on your beautiful brooke"
wen IloW, otloASCi, JuHS Notl' AAA
that shed over yonder, there's brown
clean towel, tin basin and a hunk Of
hard SOAP Wash your hands, Stran-
ger; come in and Priscilla Will give you
a bite right Off
A few moments later ] was seated at |
Farmer Oates table 1t had a superbly |
white cloth and old blue dishes.
Madam Oates, her good-looklng
daughter, a man and woman, well
dressed and the writer listened at once
to the brothers long blessing.
Mrs. Oates had not helped me when
her matter of fact husband exclaimed:
Stranger. what's your politics?'
I replied that / hadn't pronounced
ideas.
"Wel | have and you ought to have
I'm a prohibitionist Clinton B. Fisk
and st. John were the great men of the
age Why amt you a prohibitionist?
Why do you live and not be stopper
of the rum traffic? Stranger, what's
your religion?"
'I'm q Methodist. sir"
"And I'm one too--the old kind. tell
you that's the thing. Get at the sinners.
Don't miss a sinners heart, Go at them
right and left.
Priscilla give this brother a Big piece
of billed beef and all the beans he
wants. 1t will do him good"
The heretofore silent man at the table
now remarked:
you'll pardon my friend, Farmer
Oates exhortation, won't you. Remem-
Der please, he may not soon again have
so distinguished an audience and you
are a Methodist and you'll be patient,
won't you, if he runs a good while"
| notice by a newspaper local that I
am to address you on a subject certain
ly of profound interest. viz; How to
make New Haven Methodism more eff
Gent
Well first of all remark:
Wipe out the entire Indebtedness of
seventy thousand dollars existing on
our churches exclusive of the small
on the Westvlle church, the
interest of which is paid from the in
come of a legacy.
[ suspect the five thousand dollar !
mortgage on the Trinity parsonage can !,
De canceled almost any pleasant Sun
lay morning when the energetic mem
oership at Trinity SO elect.
The Howard avenue church has re-
2eived some assistance from the Mon
But it's pluclSy membership have asked
II received little help.
The large I NAV saw ma o'l1ificen+ \