St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-04-24

the late DR.. ]. 0. Peck, whose early life
was spent on territory included in this
district. An association was formed, to
bear the name of that distinguished rep
resentatiye of Methodism. donation
from the library of our lamented brother,
]. o. Sherburn, further enriched the
association. We now need money to pay
for book case and to procure few
more recent works, when the library
will begin its work.
Conditions and Needs.
The conditions of this region, which
have been so frequently described, re-
main about the same. We have large
and increasing foreign population, and
many discouraging things with which
to contend. But the difficulties are
sometimes exaggerated, and in any case,
these people are of the very kind to
whom we send missionaries abroad; here
they are brought to our very doors, and
there is still power in the Gospel of
Christ. Perhaps our chief difficulty is
the scarcity of workers. and for this the
meagerness Of support is largely respon-
sible.
Many needs might be suggested. We
need more missionary money to enable
us to maintain the work in certain fields
and to enter certain others. We per-
haps need the ban taken off the en-
ployment of deaconesses as pastors
where the exigencies so demand. But
more than anything else we need a re-
vived sense of the Importance of our
work; we need conservation that is
genuine, thorough and abiding.
we must develop renewed sense of
a divine and imperative CALL We must
feel, and under God, make others feel
as did Paul, Woe is me if | preach not
the Gospel" Not, "Woe is me if do
not get a thousand dollar appointment
Sacrifice is gold in Heaven; and the true
preachers will be ready to make deposits
of that kind in that bank. But no one
has right to demand sacrifice of others
who has not set the example or who is
not ready to do it again.
If God calls one man to preach, de-
voting his whole time to the ministry
and foregoing ease and profit and
pleasure for that end, he equally calls
Others to support the preacher in his
work and to make sacrifices for that.
May the spirit of true devotion come
more and more to pervade both preach
ers and people, making them in the
fullest sense, workers together with
God" that they may hasten the coming
of His kingdom in the earth.
FRIDAY EVENING.
Friday evenings session was devoted
to the anniversary of the consolidated
society from the Freedmens Aid, the
Board of Education and the Sunday
Schools. The church was again crowded
and seats were placed in the aisles. The
male quartet with Mrs. Don c. Stiles,
soloist, furnished the music and the
scriptures and prayer were offered by
Rev. ]. A. Dixon of Bradford. Rev. NJ. A..
Turner of Newbury introduced Principal
Bishop of Montpelier Seminary as the
first speaker, who spoke briefly along
educational lines. He said there was
need of the academy in the land when
162 towns in the state furnished nothing
beyond district school education. This
included GA per cent. of the entire state,
with school population of 29,67S.
Rev. DR.. Downey followed with a
scholarly address upon training a child
in the nature and practice of religion.
He said the best definition of religion,
which was probably anonymous, was
that religion was the life of God in the
soul of man. He believed that the twin
virtues of patriotism and piety should
go hand in hand in training the child
He criticized the testimonies in the ex-
perience meeting when there was moth
ing to experience, and said that intel
lectual and moral weakness was the
bane of the world. Carlyle had eternally
satirized the Methodist when he said,
There sits the Methodist eternallv in
specting his own insides." He wanted
the child to be taught that God is
love- and after the child loved God he
would serve Him.
SATURDAY MORNING.
Saturday mornings session was de-
voted entirely to business, the presenting
of the reports and few short addresses.
Rev. W. A. Loyne, the host of the New
Hampshire conference at Laconia where
Bishop Berry presided last week, ex-
ference and Rev. w. ]. Atkinson of White
field, N. H and Mr.. Springer of Dakota
conference were presented to the confer
ence.
The Bishop announced the following
board of conference examiners: Nj. S.
Eddy, c. D. Lance, F. T. Clark, w. C.
Johnson, l.. NJ. Moody, P. A. Smith, r.
F. Lowe, N. E. Currier, William Shaw,
E. L. M. Barnes, r. J.. Chrystie, w. B.
Dukeshire, J. M. Frost, E. O. Thaver.
These were appointed to try appeals:
W. c. Johnson, NJ S. Eddy, A. H. Webb.
L. O. Sherburne, P. A. Smith.
c. D. Lance was chosen to preach the
next missionary sermon. His alternate
is E. A. Legg
The executive committee to have charge
of Deaconess work was elected as follows:
L. O. Sherburn, chairman; w. E. Doug
las, secretary; E. 0. Thayer, Treasurer,
NJ. H. Sharples of the Primitive Meth
odist church was admitted to this con-
ference and these transfers were also
made: DR.. E. c. Bass transferred to this
conference from the New England South
ern conference; Rev. A. c. Brown. of the
Free Baptist denomination, admitted as
a local preacher; Rev. D. c. Thatcher
transferred to the New England South
ern conference; Rev. c. 6. Gorse trans
ferred to the New York conference; Rev.
W. c. Newell to the Troy conference.
The place of the next meeting of the
conference was left with the presiding
elders.
During brief intermission the Confer