The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-04-16
AT CONFERENCE.

Northfeld, April 9.-Ye sterday was
not one of the strenuous days of the
conference as the forenoon was prac-
| tically given over to meeting old
friends and making new ones. The
| Bishop entertained callers and strolled
about the town in the forenoon and in
the afternoon devoted his time exclu-
sively to the preliminary work of the
| session. In the afternoon the exam
ination of undergraduates occupied
the attention of the examining board
and several new candidates presented
themselves for examination, while
others scheduled to appear we're not
present. In the evening the Rev. DR..
Durham of Delaware, Ohio, occupied
the pulpit at the Methodist church.
He was introduced by Presiding Elder
Newton Of the Montpelier district.
He took for his theme Goods Bless
ing and It's Result and announced
his text 81 will bless thee y n
and thou shalt be blessing, Gen.
xii q. His discourse was eloquent
and forceful and fully sustained the
reputation he has for ability as pull
pit orator. He is a regular member
of the Central Ohio Conference and
is by that BODY accredited for evangel-
zeal work. From this conference he
goes to New Hampshire.
This morning at O'Clock the first
session of the conference proper was
held. At 8 O'Clock the holy COM
munion was administered under the
direction of Bishop Warren after
which the formal part of the program
was commenced. Hon. Frank Plum
ley was introduced and spoke as fol-
lows:
Bishop and clergy of the annual
Vermont Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church, - Dr. Warren and
gentlemen - 1t is a pleasant task
which is assigned ME to voice to you
the warm and hearty greetings of our
people; to give you glad welcome
from our hearts to our community and
to our homes Neither Methodists
nor annual conferences are new to
Northfield. We have endured and en-
joyed them both before. One hundred
years ago, less one, Methodism took
root in Mortified and it has had since
then continuous and vigorous
growth and has been for many years
the largest Protestant church in our
town. 1t is nearly century since
the honored Hedding ministered to
our people. If we did not give him
the inspiration which made him the
accomplished and mighty leader of
our national Methodist host, his stay
here did not prevent his future great
ness. A long line of noble, self-sac-
rificing men have followed him in
Christian and pastoral work among
us and the fruits of their labors are
found in the united, harmonious and
vigorous body of Methodist men and
women who constitute the present
church and meet to worship here.
This is a Methodist greeting to
Methodists; greeting of the laity
to the clergy; of the pew to the pull
pit. The last general conference
showed their faith in the laity when
with equal representation of the pew
with the pulpit they broke the
shackles of our church and made our
people free as they placed upon their
records the greatest governmental
| utterance of the general conference,
and said that involuntary and en-
forced itinerancy like involuntary and
enforced servitude was relic of bar
barism and unworthy of great
and intelligent host of men and
women who form the body of our
church. l welcome you to growing
sense of unwisdom of many things
! that now rest among the rules of our
church and which are best used when
least observed and like other blessings
which no longer bless Twill brighten
as they take their fight. "
We welcome you to keener appeci-
alton and clearer view of the fact
that the present Methodist body is
not a child but strong of stature,
clear of vision, with high purposes
and lofty ideals and the leading
strings of the past are better broken
than retained. We have good Scrip
| tural warrant for the assertion that
when one becomes a man he puts
away childish things We welcome
you then to larger confidence and
greater faith in the men and women
of the pews In times past and in
times present we are not permitted to
be unmindful of our duties and we
/ welcome you to new consideration
of our rights and privileges. Enlarged
responsibilities beget more earnest
service and larger RESULTS. A mighty
concrete whole of Methodism should
be constituted of equal units.
To our laughing waters, our rip
pling streams, our valleys and oul
hills, our hearts and our homes we bio
you all royal welcome.
To this Bishop Warren responded al
follows
Brother Plumley Il gratefully ac
cept the privilege OF replying to YOU
most gracious words of welcome; the