Year: 1860

property, her numbers, &C., and come at
once to the consideration of the moral and
religious condition of her people. Histo-
ry teaches that the advancement of all
people in moral improvement is slOw-so
slow, indeed, that it can only be discerned
by comparing one age with another; and
SO it is with the people of our Connexion.
If we compare the people of this year with
those of last, we can scarcely perceive any
difference; but if we compare the people
of this year with those of the year 1916,
when the Connexion was first organized,
then the difference is clear and palpable.
In learning virtue and all the refnements
of Christian civilization, we are a whole
generation in advance Of that period. To
the minister or other public man who went
from house to house among our people IN
1916, trying to do them good, and is still
engaged in the same work, the improve
ment of the people in the location, furnish
ing, and management of their homes is
most striking. If the gravity of my sub
iect would allow of it, could both amuse
and instruct my young readers by compar-
isons. But let the young lady who sits
on the sofa in the elegantly carpeted par
lor, while she reads this letter, ask her
grandmother what kind of seat she rested
herself upon, and what sort Of carpet COW
cred her parlor Let the young gentle
man who is now taking lessons on the pi-
ano forte ask his grandfather what kind of
instrument he used to play upon. But to
enlarge here is needless. The intelligent
reader can carry out the comparison for
himself The improvement Of our homes
now, compared with those of 1916, is as
striking as it is gratifying to every lover
Of Christian civilization.


Nor is the Improvement in our homes
more striking than the Improvement in our
language. We are getting entirely clear
of the dialect of barbarism, and becoming
masters of the clear, beautiful, and express
i've English. This in itself is an achieve
ment of vast importance, for it opens the
door to us to all the learning, refinement,
and religion in the world. The English
language is emphatically the language Of
religious liberty and of Christian civiliza-
ton, and all who are possessed Of it are
possessed of one of the most powerful
means of advancement.


Since 1916, there has been among the
people of our Connexion a vast increase in
Bible knowledge and the great truths of
Christianity IN that year but a compara-
lively few families possessed a Bible; now
it is difficult to find family without one.
Then but comparatively few could read
the Bible; now almost every one can read
or his children can read to him.


Let these evidences suffice to show a
great moral and practically religious i'm
provement is going on among the people
of our Connexion-an improvement which
our General Conference ought not to over
look when they come to elect a Bishop
nay, an improvement which they should
do everything in their power to encour-
age.


In noticing the surrounding circum-
stances of our Connexion, can only call
the attention of the reader to two peculi-
arities of the age in which we live. The
first is the spirit of inquiry which pervades
it; the second is the spirit of utility In
quiry is extending to everything, especial
ly to everything in reference to the rights
of man The religious, moral, social, and
civil rights of man are more inquired into
and better understood than ever before.
Nor is the spirit of inquiry in advance of
the spirit of utility, Everything is being
subjected to the test of utility, and every
thing which cannot stand such test is be-
ing cast aside as rubbish. Useless gov
ernments, institutions, religions, and use
less men, are being cast aside, and left be-
hind by the advancing hosts of the age in
which we live.


From this hasty sketch of the condition
of our Connexion and its surrounding cir
cumstances, we see what sort of a man it
needs for Bishop. 1t needs man who
does not merely love progress, but a man
who has made progress, and is still advanc-
ing 1t needs useful man-otherwise
he would fall under the contempt of the
people of this age of utility. 1t needs a
cultivated man, free from the dialect and
manners OF barbarism-a man well instruc-
ted in religious truth and Christian liber-
ty, that he may be able to defend his peo-
pie against the errors of infdels and the
oppression of tyrants; man with head