The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-15

den, presiding.
Address: The Rev. John w.
Hamilton, D. D.
With one Of the prettiest and most
sacred services in the arrangement OF the
ritualistic work of the Methodist church,
the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, the
eighteenth session Of the Southwest Kan
sas conference was opened yesterday
morning. During this solemn service the
Holy Ghost was upon the ministers and
in the audience with as great power as
was manifested to Paul, when he was
stricken on the road to Damascus. Sol
diers are these Methodist ministers. and
who can say they are not fighting as
good a fight as Paul, and will find as great
reward when the great day comes. Bishop
Vincent's ministration of the sacrament
add d to the inspiration Of the scene and
1t was a happy beginning for the weeks
arduous work with the many details of
conference work
Following the holy communion, the con-
ference was organized for the business Of
the coming year by the election of Of
fcers and the naming of committees, a
list Of which will be found in the official
proceedings.
Rev. Henry E. Thayer, the eloquent
pastor Of the Congregational church, well
coined the Methodist ministers in behalf
OF the churches of the city. His address
was widely commended upon as being
the hardest in its welct me and the most
eloquent ever delivered before the confer
ence, and Mr.. Thayer found a warm re-
spouse in the hearts OF everyone pres
ent
Rev. Thayer spoke as follows:
Worthy Bishop, Fathers and Brethren:
I am happy in being allowed to speak to
you on this occasion of your annual con-
ference, and to bring the greetings of
the ministers of this city. l know your
rejoicings for the past years and antici-
patlons for the coming year. In your JOY
also rejoice.
THE preachers functions are better
understood today than ever before. No
class Of people have had more taken from
them than the men from the pulpit and
none have been more favored by their
stripping. Some. looking on the preacher
as deprived of so much. may even ask
rs there any call for the preacher" but
the office is more dignified than ever be-
fore The evolution of the homi.etic Of
flee is worthy even of your eloquent
bishops treatment Note the course OF
the preachers losses: First he was strip.
ped Of the supernatural power. The
preacher Of the early and middle ages
thought his power to be in his super
natural endowments. Then arose the
Apocryphal gospels and the legends OF
the church regarding the supernatural
Bernard of Clairvan thought it necessary
to rescue the place of Jesus birth from
the power of the Saracen. That was al
effort Ia save the supernatural to the
church but II cost great loss of life w,
should not recall that man had he no
written the hymn Jesus. Thou Joy o.
Loving Hearts" With the supernatural
went the ecclesiastical power. We neeC
not outward authority. only the authori
~ of the Christian conscience.
we are no longer priests except a.
every Christian is the priest of God t,
serve his fellows. In more modern time
we have been stripped Of large parts o
the teaching function. In early Nev
f-uSid.4u iRe preachers prepared IN
youth for college and men for the pull
pit. We have yielded that function to tn
schools. The press and general Hteratur
have come forward to share the counsel
of the pulpit. We do not even teacl
theology. That is consigned to the theo
logical seminary. The preacher does no
utter dogmatic forms. only speaks out o
living inspiration. With three hundre
years Of theologians behind me in Con
gr gait ,nalism ii is not for me 10 spea'
disrcspectfuly of theology. I simply sa
that dognatic from for its own sake
not in place in the pulpit Let the preach
ers conscience and heart be regulate
by long and faithful study. let him b
wei grounded IN the principles of III
faith then let him speak as the oracle G
God
If out Of the heart the preache
speaks there viii be little cause for strif
or division Men of every sect will hea
their own faith EXPRESSED.
What then is left 10 the preacher? A