Marshall County Independent, Volume 4, Number 39, Plymouth, Marshall County, 9 September 1898 — Page 1

ependent Vol. 4. PLYMOUTH, MARSHALL COUNTY, INDIANA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1898. No. 39.

Marshall County

Ind

THE CONFERENCE OPENS

Bishop Warren Initiates the Work with a Masterpiece, Showing the Literary Excellence of the Bible.

IMPORTANT BUSINESS Important Kenolut loan Introduced - Standing

Bim Make Their Annual K port - Character ol Treacher rHed I pon -Ir. iioblu. President of I eiiw I'ni veraif y. I'reent a Taper Sim w inj; I he ( onI dit ion of the Iuatlt ution Kev. Maxwell Re-elected .Secretary of the Conference

Kev. T. J. Ilanwett, Kev. kMAwgl and Key. II ollincworl h A ppoiu led at a Committee to Coufer with Like Committee of Other louveutlou.

The Northwest Indiana Conference, this yer, has, for the iirst time assembled in the ci'y of Plymouth. More J than twenty-live years ago the conference adjourned to meet in this city, but for some reason the session was not held at this place. Plymouth has been the field of hard and meritorious labor for a number whose hands are now puis less, and by a number who are now in the active service and will he kindly greeted as former pastors. Kev. T. S. Stringer of pleasant memory died in a western state, liev, S. T. Cooper, a former presiding elder, has long since gone to rest. Kev. (Jeorge ML Koyd, once a presiding elder of this district, now sleeps in a neighboring city (Yal paraiso). Kev. W. K. Mikels, still in the front rank, will doubtless remember some very burdensome days when as a pastor he saw the foundation laid and the walls of this grand church building raised. The M K. church has had a continuous existence here since 1817. Forty pastors have served the charge. The present church structure is a two story substantial brick edilice erected thirty years ago at a cost of about $20,000. It has an admirable location right in the center of the city. The membership is about three hundred. The Sunday school is larger than the church membership, indicating a field for enlargement. The Epworth League chapter is No. 70, one of the Oxford leagues that changed to an Epworth at the very origin of the Epworth league. The league is an element of this church's strength. The Ladies' aid society and the auxiliary of the W. F. M. S. are the channels of power. The church was burdened for over twenty years with a distressing debt which was canceled nine years ago. A comfortable parsonage purchased eight years ago has been repaired and furnished with electric lights, is admirably located and makes a very pleasant home for a small family. During the past live or six years constant improvements have been made to the church property, chief of which are stone side walks and steps, new entrance to the auditorium, steel ceiling, wall decorations, new organ, new carpet, new heating apparatus, and a multitude of smaller additions encouraging to all who love the Lord's house. The present pastor, Kev. L. S. Smith, is closing his fourth year, is well acquainted throughout the city and gives assurance that the people of all the churches join to give our conference a hearty welcome. It is not probable tiere will be as many changes this year as last, but there will be a sufficient number to move to keep up a remembrance of the fact that the ministry of Methodism is itinerant but whatever be the orderings of the conference the loyalty of the preachers will be beyond all question. They will go where they may be sent with the expectation to do their "level beat." The preachers have the city. Every thing is theirs for a week. The houses of the good citizens of Plymouth have been thrown open to them. If they don't see what they want all they need to do is to ask for it. All the chickens within a radios of five miles have been slaughtered for the gratification of over two hundred itinerants . These preachers come together as is their usual custom for the purpose of transacting business pertaining to the conference and to receive their assignments for the eoming year. There are venerables, middle-aged and ambitious young men in the body, and as they mingle together renewing their acquaintanceships, it would appear to the onlooker that there is a time at least in the life of the preacher when his cross is easy to bear. One thing particularly noticeable at this gathering is the encouragement which too church givat to its worthy

SESSION WEDNESDAY,

Co mm It tee Appointed The Pr.-widiiij; young men. It is a pleasure to the writer to greet his old classmates and learn of the responsible positions which they have been called upon to (111. Such young preachers as W. 11. Wise, L. C. Kent ley. Worth Tippy, Horace G. Ogden and A. J. Waller, who five years ago were unknown in the profession, have by incessant labor in their chosen work won a recognition that few attain insoshoitatiu e. These young men now have charge of some of the strongest and best charges in the conference. It 1 is also noticible at this conference that former DePauw University professors have returned to ministerial work, among whom are T. ,1. Kassett who for decade pounded Greek and Latin in-1 to the aspiring collegiates, and who by his big heartedne8s has endeared him- I self to thousands of young men though-! out the state of Indiana. The confer- j ence shows a strong ministry. I Bishop Warren opened the work Wed- J nesday, briefly outlining the purposes of the meeting. Among other things! he stated that God calls men to preach, and he considered it a duty for such preachers not so called to seek another ' vocation. Preliminary to administer- j ing the sacrament the bishop reminded the pastors that if they had been dere lict in their duties in the past, if they had been trifling when the should have been serious, that the blood of the Kedeemer was at their disposition tor the remission of sins. The sacrament of the Lord's supper then followed. After the sacrament of the Lord's supper Kev. L. S. Smith on behalf of the mayor and the citizens of Plymouth gave the address of welcome to our city, reading the names of even forty pastors who have had charge of the local church. Secretary Maxwell was reelected sec retary of the conference and E. P. Bennett and II. C. Weston, assistant secretaries. C. D. Koyse was elected statistical secetary and S. B . Grimes, treasurer. The treasurer chose the following assistants: W. E. McKensie, J. D. Campbell, J. C. Kemp, J. N. Green and Chas. Jakes. Ohas. L. Harper was chosen conference postmaster. The printed rules of the previous conference were adopted to govern this. Horace Ogden was choeen correspondent of the Western Union Advocate and solicitor for the Methodist Keview. W. D. McKinsie wis appointed correspondent of the Northwestern Christian Advocate. Committees were appointed as fol

lows: Hospital, state of the country, committees to confer with committees of other conferences, and the regular standing committees. The committee to confer with committees of other conferences is composed of Keverands Kassett, Brumbaugh, and Ilollingsworth. A resolution was introduced object ing to precedents being given by the state legislature to graduates of the state institutions and adv eating that a petition to the legi-latnre be drafted providing lor the removal of vir, criminations favorable to the state schools A lengthy paper from President Gobin, of DePauw university ua.- read and re! erred to a committee. The paper set forth the condition lithe university and criticized the newspaper reports relative to the financial condition of the university. Elders Dale, Towue.Beck, Brooke and Cis8ell then read their reports which were accepted by the conference. Wednesday the preachers Aid society organized with Dr. Gobin in the chair and H. L. Kiudig secretary. Keports of various standing committees were received and other routine work. Rirdinp Warren' Addre. Bishop Warren spoke Tuesday night. The address he gave was one of a cotirse of lectures d. liveied at Denver during the time that the Kishop held the chair of professor of English liible in the' I'niversity of Denver. The lecture, although adapted for a popular audience shows that Kishop Warren has been a very thorough student of the Kible both in the English versions and in the original tongues. Without venturing on theological ground at ail the lecturer aimed to show the excellencies of the liible from a literary standpoint. He contrasted the different ways in which similar thoughts were expressed by secular and sacred writers, and gave instances to show the strik ing superiority of the latter over the former. ThuB Tennyson very finely says: "Better fifty years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay," but fine as it is, it pales beside "A day in thy courts is better than a thousand, I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.' The translators of the Kible have in numberless instances given us passages that it hardly seems could be excelled for harmony or strength. Yet often even their noble version fails to give the subtle delicate force of the original. "Come unto me and I will give you rest" for instance, hardly conveys the significance of the Greek, a more accurate translation of which would be

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"Come unto me and 1 will rest you." So also the deep and tender feelings of the father soothing his offended son is disguised by the putting of the word son" for a word which would be more appropriately "dear little laddie." In its proverbial philosophy the Bible is far more pithy and forcible than the proverbs that we use in daily life, "once a fool always a fool" is expressive, and yet it lacks the mordant vigor and sweep of "Though thou shouldst bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle yet will not his foolishness depart from him. The parables of the Bible are unique, finding no counterpart in secular literature. The nearest approach to them are fables. When Nathan reproves David he clothes his rebuke in the form of a parable, whereas direct lan-

guage would have probably only hardened the royal f inner. By the use of a parable Nathan deftly causes him to condemn himself, so bringing his guilt home to his conscience and drawing from him the tears of contrition. The figures and illustrations or the Kible are instinct with life. No meta-

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I Pastor of Plymouth M. E. Church

phor could furnish so apt an illustration of the union between Christ and his followers as that which he uses of the vine and the branches. The vitality of vegetable sap that in the case of the Sequoia Gigantea can raise numberless tons hundreds of feet in the' air, and that in case of a simple vegetable can in its growth displace thousands of tons, is a fitting analogy of the spiritual force that energizes the church of Christ. These herdsmen, fishermen and peas-

METHODIST EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.

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I DePauw University Buildings. ant8 have furnished an inexhaustible mine for the greatest minds of the ages to work in. From what source did they draw but from the Divine source of all truth ? Elder Dale presided over the meeting, Kev. Kinsie read the scripture lesson, selected from the Nineteenth Psalm, and Kev. Ogden offered the invocation. The local choir furnished the music. The second day's work of the Methodist conference was begun at ti.'M) o'clock Thursday morning with Kishop Warren la the chair. The minutes of the former meeting were read and approved. The conference, upon the request of the bishop, voted to transfer K. C. Wilkinson to the Minnesota conference,

The characters of the various minis ters were then reported by their respective presiding elders, and they an nounced the amount of funds collected for the various purposes. This was very teJious, requiring a great part of the morning session. The characters of all preachers

S. SMITH. passed except two K. G. Hammond, of Whitestown, and Ii. M. Simmons, of Cniou Mills. Charges were preferred against K. G. Hammond on account of his poor memory as to debts contracted. He asked to withdraw from the ministry without an inquiry into the case, but the request was denied. A committee was appointed to investigate. Dr. S. P. Colvin and Dr. D. If. Wood were appointed as counsel for the defense, and Dr. R. D. Utter and Kev. Dunkleberger as counsel for the prosecution. At a previous church trial by his local board, he was pronounced unlit for the Methodist ministry, and for six months has not been active to the ministry. B. M. Simmons, of Union Mills has become a convert to the Dowie doctrine and as he is not in accord wilh the church creed, could not conscientiously remain in the church. Mr. Simmons acknowledged that he is no longer in sympathy with the Methodist doctrine and asked to withdraw from the church and ministry. The conference permit led him to withdraw. F. T. Peters and James T. Sawyer were discontinued as preachers on account of being invaluable as dispensers of the faith.

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Miss Krennan, of the Epworth hospital was introduced to the conference and made appropriate remarks. Dr. M. C. K. Mason, of Cincinnati, gave a fifteen minutes talk on the Freedmen's Aid society yesterday morn ing and last night gave a lecture on the same theme. The afternoon session was called at 2 o'clock Kev. J. W. Walker in the chair. The address was given by Miss Maggie Krennan of the Epworth hospital at South Kend. Krietly she outlined the work of the hospital managers and with various illustrations showed the christian benevolence of the institution. Young girls without homes, boy tramps and others without friends to administer have been saved from suitering and want at the most critical times of their lives. Miss Krennan is a very pleasant speaker, making no effort at oratory but in purely conversational language opened wide the hospital and its purpose to those who have not had the opportunities to investigate. Kev. A. W. Wood followed at three o'clock with the missionary sermon, giving salient statistical information, and awakening the sympathies of his audience. At 4 o'clock Dean M. D. Buell, D. D. of Boston lectured on "Modern Methods of Defending the Faith," an able presentation in which every preacher as well as laymen were thoroughly interested. Last night Kev. M. C. B. Mason of Cincinnati, the colored preacher who so delightfully entertained the audience at the morning session gave an exhaustive address on the Freedman's Aid and Southern Educational Society. This afternoon Mrs. Jennie Hughes Caldwell, Ph. 1)., of Crete, 111., will deliver an address on "Woman's Foreign Missionary Society," followed by a temperance address by Kev. Dr. .1. G. Evans, of Abinddon, 111. At 7:30 this evening will occu the educational meeting, in the interest of DePauw university. Kishop Thomas Bowman will preside and able addresses will be delivered by President Gobin and Vice Chancellor W. H. Hickman, D. D. Tomorrow night will be DePauw night and every body should be there with their enthusiasm.

Teai M. B. Buell's Lecture. Dean M. D. Buell, D. Ü. of Boston, gave an able address at four o'clock Wednesday afternoon giving an analysis of the "Epistle to the Galations." He showed the justification by faith in Christ as contrasted with the justification by the law. The contention of the false teachers that the doctrine of justification by faith, preached by one who was not himself an apostle of Christ, was (1) without Christ's authority; (2) without scriptural authority; (3) dangerous in ethical tendency, as removing the restraint of the law: determined the chief divisions of the Epistle and their order, which are 1, personal; 2, doctrinal; 3, hortatory. Paul's preaching of justification by faith," said the speaker, "rests upon a divine commission." He did not invent the doctrine before conversion; he derived it from no human source immediately after conversion; he received no instruction, but rather recognition, from the apostles during his first two visits to .Continued on Eighth Page.