The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-12
ADVICE OF THE BISHOP
DIR. CHANDLER INsTRUCTs THE
 NEW ITINURANTS.
Third Days Session of the Alabams District Methodist Episcopal
 Church South. Conference at Pensacola.

I9 o'clock. Rev. J. W. Shores, one of the veterans of the body opened the ser
 vice with religious exercises. The
 minutes of Thursdays session were read by Rev. pr. J. M. Mason, secretary of | the Conference. A large attendance was
 present at the opening exercises. The
 bishops exhortation to the preachers to be punctual in their attendance seems to
 be bearing fruit, as there was perhaps ! a larger attendance at the opening than at any time before. k Rev. J. M. Dannelly, speaking for J. R. Saunders of Pensacola, rendered to the Conference a steamer excursion upon the | bay Saturday afternoon. This will be
 very great pleasure to the preachers of | the body.
 Aresolution was passed at the last Con- l ference requiring the committee on memories to prepare memoirs of the wives | of preachers who have died during the year. In view of the possible embarrass- ment growing out of this rule, a motion was made that 1t be rescinded.
 Bishop Candler delivered very forci-
 ble request that the preachers overcome
 the fault of chronic good humor and dis l order.
 | A communication was presented from | the North Alabama Conference in which | 1t offers to treat with this Conference | with view to uniting the educational interests of the two Conferences, espe- cially in the college at Owenton. The Bishop took up the class of the fourth year and the following had their characters passed and their examinations approved: David P. Slaughter, W. R. Bickerstaff, J. B. Trotter. Eugene w. Coleman, and Walter B. Parent. They
 were elected elders and will be ordained next Sunday.
 s. W. Williams and N. A. Gillis were not before the committee. Their charac- ters were passed and s! N. Williams was continued in the third year. Mir. Gillis by written request was allowed a loca- ton by the Conference.
 Herbert ". Hudson. D. H. McNeal, Robert R. Jones, James Clendensim. Will liam F. Slough, Elza B. Paul and Frank Jenkins were elected local deacons being duly recommended and having passed an approved examination.
 Charles H. Reese was proposed for deacon's orders aud was duly recon-
 meided. Owing to some question as to time of relation, the case provoked con- siderable discussion. At the last he was elected by a large vote. William c. Mil
 Ter and William E. Mcconnell were also duly elected deacons.
 The Bishop from the chair spoke of some false views of church relation that are often entertained. He said men ought not to feel that for every little thing they miistatry to hpd a more con genial ecclesiastical Held. s@Many a man goes off and dies of suicide and then concludes that he was martyr, When you die, die for something" he said, Il don't go rowing around with lot of theological gypsies ceiling fiimsy ,theologi- cal lace. and swapping horses. don't go around hunting truth. The fact, is there isn't any truth lost. The old Bible and the old church has truth enough for Sal vation purposes. If the thing you are looking for is not essential, why do you
 disturb the church about non-essentials?" ?" Rev. pr. Law representink the Ameri-
 can Bible Society spoke before the Con- ference. March :, next, will be the con- tennial of the British and Foreign Bible l Society. The American Bible Society re- quests that March 6. the nearest Sabbath ! to the centennial date, shall, be observed l as Bible day. A motion to that effect
 was referred to the Committee on Bible Cause and the date will be set for that purpose by Conference action.
 A call was made for local elders, but none made aplication.
 The class of the second year was then
 called before the Bishop to be received into full connection and become actual
 members of the Conference. The very grave and important vows of the itinerant
 ministry were propounded and essented l to by the individual members of the class. Bishop Candler spoke of the difference
 between an itinerant and any other sort of a ministry. It is sthe best kind of
 ministry to bring results to pass. he said, -G..ir kt.ak akk oVff of years ought to be cultivated. But
 really church ought not to get attached to a ministry And when a minister leaves a place he ought to leave and stay left. Very few men can go on the back track A new field will make greater preachers, better preaching and better churches. Paul couldn't go back much and he was a better preacher than any of the present day. said Bishop Candler.
 The first class of questions relate to
 matters of personal exeprience. And this
 is right. We speak those things We do
 know. We ought to study and must
 study, but it Is the certainty of the things
 we speak that comes out of an experience
 that makes 1t powerful.
 Study from deep conviction is right and
 ought to be kept up to old age. But study
 from ambition to get better, considera-
 ton or merely to make literary reputa-
 tion is mischief. It is the knowledge that
 puffeth up.
 If a mans religious experience goes down his preaching will not save nlm from a fall at the end. The common mor- alities will fail if his religious life is not kept up. One of the easiest places in the world to fall from grace is the pulpit. If a man keeps on preaching when his de- votions are decaying he will not ever be safe in the common moralities.
 It is the place where a man loses the sense of proportion and comes to magni- fy trivialities," the Bishop declared. ''The great principles of living faith in Christ is more important than trifling reforms. It is not lack of courage to hold aloof from the little side issues, going around in the world with a bitter ethical sticking plaster to heal the mortal wound of sin.
 Tt takes no common experience. A great experience is demanded and the church is right to require 1t of us. Thus 1t is asked are you going on to perfec- tion? It does not say the highest perfec- tion that the circumstances will admit of. But it calls every man to the highest standard and ideal.
 But Christian perfection does not turn on any mans theory of it. Many men have their opinions. So has any other man, but a man Is not to vaunt his own opinions.
 Those who say that they have 1t and fall into the IecusatIve case. other parts wanting, is not apt to be better than other men are. Sourness is not sanctity, and mere profession is not piety.
 "Extravagant language and high sound ing words do not make an experience. Hsio nuIa finus anunaffunaa ora y11ora pro-