Year: 1866

young men before they are received into tho
Conferences and sent forth to minister In tho
Church of Christ, appears TO us To be 80 OBJ
vious as to need no argument TO prove it,
II behooves US TO take this matter into seri-
GUS and immediate consideration and secure
to the church The invaluable nd san,ages the
provision we suggest can only supply.


The instruction Of the children under our
care, aud the interest Of our Sabbath school
system, cannot be too highly appreciated by
you. Your body will, we hope, show your
love for these little ones Of Christ and lambs
of his foch by the practical value Of your
action In their behalf. We think Il nm
necessary to enlarge on point of sucI,
obvious and vital concern TO the church.
Let us remember that u Is only by taking
care of the children that we can take care
Of the future prosperity OF ihs church.


If we are to Judge from the tone of the
religious press, and the action of many Of
our Conferences, great concern Is felt In re-
spect to certain changes In our economy
1t Is obviously unbecoming in US as Bishops
to occupy sny other than an impartial rela-
tioB to those matters. But we take this oc-
casion to urge upon You the Importance q
giving these subjects your sober and prayer
fnl consideration. From our extensive OBJ
s'ryation Of the state and wants Of tho
church, We hesitate not to say that some i'm
provement Of our economy may be wisely
undertakes at this time. Well for us IL we
can happily avoid extremes and do neither
too little nor too much. Let us remember
that while innovations are not necessarily
Improvements, wisdom may demand In tho
department OF ecclesiastical expediency new
applications and Developments If fundamen.
tal principles. The efficiency of Methodism
finds its first condition In the prevalence Of
deep spiritual life; and alterations In our
economy are valuable as thet coincide with
this condition, calamitous whe6 they ignore
it. On only one of the points Suggested do
we regard II becoming in our position TO
speak directly, and that i, In respect 10 the
increase Of the number Of the Bishops. For
such an increase as will give the church o
more efficient episcopacy, we think there Is
an urgent necessity. The infrmities ofigo
press heavily upon some Of us and diminish
our ability TO answer to the demands of the
work for general episcopal visitation. Tho
l'great and increasing extent Of onr territory
should be considered. We should by all
means have Bishop, for obvious reasons,
| residing on the Pacific coast. And while we
do not recommend a Bishop for every State or
Conference, we are fully persuaded that the
number Of Bishops should be 90 increased rs
to enable them to be pastors Of the people ~
well as chairmen of conferences and pastors
of the preachers. II we would carry out tho
invaluable plan Of our itinerant general su-
perintendeucy, we must haye an addition Of
a number of vigorous, active and pious men
to your present college Of Bishops.


| And now dear brethren, In conclusion,
allow us niiectionately to remind you of the
solemn responsibility that rests upon you ~
delegates representing the affairs of our be-
loved Zion. We have only suggested In
outline some Of the work before you. Il Is
your province to 90 fully and thoroughly
into the particular consideration of the SUBJ
jects within your Jurisdiction, avoiding all
partixan feeling, discharging from our minds
all prejudices that would cloud our judg-
ments, rising from all private and selfish i'm
pulses, humbly invoking that wisdom that
is from above, which Is pure and peaceable,
and gentle; In honor prefcrring one another;


In brotherly kindness and charity, and with
an eye single to the glory of God; let us On.


deavor to do our duty here as ministers OF


the Lord Jesus Christ, praying God that we


may have grace to edify the church, that
we may rejoice that we have not labored in
vain In the Lord.


J. O. ANDREW.


i ROBT. PAYNE.
| JOHN EARLY.


l II. II. kAVANACGH.