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"' Then had the churches rest, and walking in the fear of the Lord pn^ in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." * * * QUEBEC: PaiNTED FOR THE EDITOR BY HUNTER, ROSE & CO. 1863. CONTENTS. .Iuurnnl» "f daily ItMSactions. Mectms for Iho rocoption into full oooocct.on ..( .ho young M,n,- ters. Kcpovlca l.y tlw Editor. Sermon of F. (!. HiM.ar.l, D.D., Dolo^-Uo of toe M. I- Cburch Iho United Slates. Rcliortcd liy tUo same, clgo "'the President of the Conference at the Ord>„at,on Scr- vice. Reported l.y tbo same. _ Sern.on by the Bev. V. llod,.„n, D.U., the other Amer^an De.e- ,.,♦■» Ronortuil by tlit]i of flune, — tlio (•voniii'i: set apart for llic rt.'ce{)tion (jf iwenty-six yonnu- men wlio liad made fnll proof of tlu'ir ministry, into '• fnll connection '' — it occurred to tlie sul)scrlbcr ^vho ]iad read of. hut ui^vcr before Avituossed sucli a service, that a tolerahlv full report of the meetiiiir might not he unacccptahle to the public; and as lu; was vrcll assured, from his r(da- tions witli some of the cit}^ papers, that lie could easily procure its insertion, he addressed himself to the task. It was too late, however, to provide the ne- cessary materials, or even to obtain a favorable place for hearintij, for the audience ha sei'aps of paper in the pockets of other persons in the pew, he managed to get enough for his notes. Then the speaking was generally so animated that he lost but little of what was said, and he believes that when the report is read by the friends who had the opportunity of hearing the speeches, it will be recognized as substantially cor- 11 INTRODUCTORY. rect. After writing out tlie report, however, lie found out tliiit one of the ministers, hy direction of the Oonfereiice, had also prepared one "whicli was to ap- pear on the following day in the Quclcc Garictte, and althoiio-h he — ihe subscriber — had the option of pre- senting his own througli another city ])aper, he con- cluded tliat such a proceeding might be oprn to mis- construction, and he therefore withheld it. After- wards he tliought that if tlie sermons of the coming Sa])bath. and other addresses yet to be delivered, were ad(hMl to what he had already prepared, an interesting and useful pamphlet might be published, which, from the great interest felt in the proceedings of the (Conference, could not fail to secure a sale sufficiently large to defray tlie cost. Having con- sulte i\v\ . \V. Md-'aiMrii and the Wcv. K. Jones engaged in prayer. The d«'V(jtioiial flcrviecs were solemn and appropriate, and a graeious influ- ence appeared to pervade the (.Jonfereiiee. After the opcnin;:: services were concluded, the Secretary of last year called the names of those who had heen ap- pointed ])y the several district mectinu^-i to altcnd (Jonftr- enco. The roll was then read, aud one hundred and eighty ministers answered to their names. I'he (;onl'er(!nce hein;^ organized, the Rev. Dr. Wood's term of seiviee in the presidential oflBce having now terminated, in a neat and appropriate speecli he presented the llev. Dr. (jreen, who had been apj>ointed as his successor, to the Conference chair. In the course of his remarks he made some touch- ing allusions to the reminiscences of his past connection with the Conference, and the distinguished men from Eng- land, whom it had been his privilege to present to the chair, some of whom had gone to their reward, and to the very great pleasure which it afforded hiui to present to them as their president an esteemed and honored minister of their own order. Dr. Green then addressed the Conference^ in substance, " In accepting the ohair of this Conference, just vacated by my honored and revered friend, I have not closed my eyes to the fact that with it I accept a great increase of la- bor, toil and responsibility. Had I the strength and ability, the wisdom and prudence of the venerable doctor who» with BO much kindness and courtesy, has presided over us during the past year, I should feel more hopeful in enter- ing on the dulL'S assigned me. Others may serve ym with more ability, but it affords me pleasure to know that none can serve you with a more sincere desire to promote your interests and the interests of the church under our care. " The services of the morning have called up recollec- tions which have deeply affected my mind. I cannot for get that many of the great and good in and about the chair of this Conference have fallen during the last few mouths, nnd are gone to their eternal rest ; and in looking around me how few do I see of tl.ose who were my conpanions in my earliest ministerial toil. This day T enter upon the for- tieth year of my Christian ujinistry, and this Conference enters upon the fortieth year of its existence. Thirty- nine years ago this Conference was formed, and thirty-nine years ago I took my appointment on the floor of this Con- ference, with about thirty others, who at that time com- posed the entire ministry of the connexion, and went forth to cultivate a hard and rupged field. But where are those now who were my associates then ? Some of them have been allured from the work by the seductions of the world, and are now striving with the potsherds of the earth ; some have died nobly at their post, and have gone to their reward in heaven ; and a few still linger among us, but I •iiinG Con- com- forth those liavo the iirth ; their i, but QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 9 have been driven from the active work by disease, the in firmities of age, and other causes. In looking round me I am the only one of those now occupying any post in our effective work. It is a mercy that I am here, for which I desire to be thankful, and I am equally thankful that I am permitted to enjoy the confidence of my brethren among whom my life has been spent, and the confidence of the British Conference. I feel encouraged in undertaking the management of the Conference by these considerations, and the fact that I am surrounded by wise and experienced brethren, who, I am persuaded, are both able and willing to afford me any assistance I may require. "In conclusion, permit me to roiuind you that we arc far from our homes and our enlarges, and that it is desira- ble that the business of the rontcreuce should be transact- ed with as much disi);tL h ah is consistent with the impor- tant interests involved ; and permit me to express the hope that while we are faithful to our own convintiona of what is right, we may pay a proper deference and respect to the feelings and judgments of each other." The Rev. John Carroll was introduced to the Conference as co-delegate by the appointment of the Conference in England, and delivered an address. He said he did not intend to occupy their time with a speech. We were here for other purposes than spending time in ceremonial speech- making ; besides, he did not think the oflfice of co-dele- gate required much of a speech at any time. He regarded himself as little more than the ."ihadow of a more substan- tial body; and he expected to contribute very little to the transaction of the business, except by letting things alone- 10 MEMORIALS OP THB I With two or three appropriate suggestions as to the man- ner in which the debates should be conductod, Mr. Carroll took his seat beside the president, amid the cordial greetings of the Conference. The first business of the Conference was the election of a secretary. This was done, as usual, by ballot. Several candidates had been brought forward by their respective friends, and in consequence, no one had a majority of the whole. The balloting was repeated, and finally the Rev. James Spencer, M.A., was elected. Tt was now within a few minutes of twelve o'clock, — the Conference, therefore, after having fixed the hours of meeting and adjournment, adjourned for the Conference prayer-meeting. The prayer- meeting, as usual, was conducted by the president, — a considerable number of the ministers took part in it ; the Divine presence was felt to be with us, and this interesting and profitable service closed at one o'clock. The afternoon was occupied with routine business. The ministers and laymen appointed by the several district meetings were called for and reported. The Rev. John Hunt, the Rev. W. S. Griffin, and the Rev. Alexander Sutherland, were appointed Assistant Secretaries, and the Rev. John S. Evans, Journal Secretary. The Revs. W. S. Blackstock, Jas. Preston, Francis Berry, and George Case, were appointed to report the Conference proceedings for the press. The names of the ministers on trial who had completed their probation, and were eligible to be received into full connection with the Conference and ordained, were called for, and reported. The Conference adjourned at half-past five, to meet \ i QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 11 again at half-past seven in the evening. The evening ses- sion was chiefly devoted to College affairs. The Treasurer's report was read and adopted. The president of the insti- tution, the Rev. S. 8. Nelles, D.D., gave an interesting account of the operations of the college during the past year. It was especially gratifying to learn that nineteen young gentlemen had graduated in the arts this year— the largest graduatino- class not only that Victoria College has ever had, but the largest ever sent out in any one year by any TTniversity in British North America. Though crip- pled in its financial resources, and imposing intolerable burdens upon those gentlemen, lay and clerical, intrusted with its management, it is evidently doing a great and good work. OQJl 5-a^cr^ IS UEMORIALS Ot THE I' < I' ' 1! SKCOND DAY. TnuasDAT) 4th June, 1863. The Confererice met at 9 o'clock, and after the usual de- votional pervices, resumed the business which was under consideration at the time of adjournment the previous even" ing :— W^o have travelled four yea:'s and are eltgihlc to h$ re- ceived into full connexion and ordained? The following are the names of the brethren reported by the district meetings, and received by the Conference: — W. Briggs, F. W.Ware, George Busson, James Gordon, D. A. Parrin, B. A., Joseph H. Stinson, Peter Bawtenhimer, Geo. McRae, Colman Bristol, B.A., Thos. Bell, Isaac Gold, Robert O. Wilson, James Graham, John B. Clarkson, B.A., Robert Shaw, B.A., John Neeland, W. F. Morrison, B. A. James Harmon, James W. Sloan, Richard N. Adams, Hazlcton A. Spencer, Francis 0. Ireland, Geo. Washing- ton, B.A., and Alexander Campbell, 2nd. A vote of the Conference having been taken in the case of each of these, the [)resident informed them that though their public and formal reception would not take place until Friday evening, they were 20W members of the Con- ference ; and invited them to come forward and take a part in the transaction of the business. The rest of the day was principally devoted to the exa- mination of character. The Wesleyan church has from the beginning attached great importance to the blameless- ness of her ministers in life and conversation, as well as doctrine. Believing that personal piety is an indispen^ ■'' QUEBEC CO^'FERENCE. 13 ,, ', ^ is.ible condition of ministerial success, sbe has ever been cateful to receive none into the ranks of her ministcry who have not given satisfactory evidence of being the subjects of renewing grace; and believing it to be possible for the salt to lose its savour, a rigid scrutiny into the character of each is made every year. This is done in the annual district meeting, and the result reported to the Conference, where the names of each minister ia the connexion is culled every year. In a body so largo as the ministry of ii»ij Weslcyan I'lethodist Church in Canada has b(Come, wiih so high a standard of moral and religious quallfica. tion, it would be marvellous if less or more defection did not occur every year; but it is pleysing to know that only two or three cases have been laid over for further examination. This part of the business of the Conference is of course conducted with closed doors. This is necessary not only for the protection cf the accused party, who might bo grievously injured by strangers coming in at the time when statements prejudicial to his character were bein;/ made, aid retiring before ho had made his defence ; but also for «he purpose of securing greater fidelity upon the part of the ministers in dealing with each other. A report affect- ing a brother's character and usefulcess might be in circu- lation, which it might be desirable to enquire into, and which it might be very proper to bring up in a Conference with closed doors, but which no one would feel himself at liberty to refer to in open session, before a promiscuous congregation. In the evening, a few minutes before the moment for ad- journment had arrived, on motion the Conference adjourn- W 14 MEMORIALS OF THE ed, and tlio annual meeting of Victoria College went into session. On motion, a committee was appointed to prepare a scheme to relieve the college from its financial embar- rassment, and report to the Conference. The religious services of the Conference have thus far been highly interesting and profitable. The congregations at the evening meetings have been large and attentive, and the preaching has been of a high order. The Rev. J. 11. Johnston, M.A., was the preacher on Tuesday evening ; the Rev. Alexander Sutherland, of Thorold, on Wednesday, and the Rev. James Spencer, M.A., Secretary of Confer- ence, on Thursday. We had not the privilege of hearing Mr. Sutherland, but from report and from his well known ability we infer that the sermon was able and appropriate. The discourses delivered by Mr. Johnson and Mr. Spencer we heard, and it is enough to say that they fully sustained the high reputation of the preachers for eloquence and ability. 1 \ h QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 15 THIRD DAY H \ Friday, 5th June, 1863. The Conference met at 9 o'clock, a. m. The business of the day commenced, as usual, with devotional exercises, and reading the minutes of the previous session. Nearly the whole of the day was again occupied with the customary questions respecting ministerial character. At half-past three o'clock, the Rev. F. G. Ilibbard, D. D., and the Rev. F. Hodgson, D.D., were presented by the Rev. J. Gemley, to the president, and by him intro- duced to the Conference, as representatives of the General Conference of the Methodist p]piscopal Church in the United States t) the Wesleyan Conference here. They made a few remarks on being introduced, and reserved till a future and more suitable time the fraternal greeting! they were charged to convey to this body. The theological examination of the young men recom- mended for ordination, was conducted by the president of the Conference, and was of an unusually interesting and highly satisfactory character. The class of this year num- bers twenty-six. Nearly eighty young men still remain on trial. Adjourned at half-past five o'clock. MEETINa FOR THE ADMISSION OP PROBATIONERS FULL CONNEXION. INTO The spacious Wesleyan Church in this city, was crowded in the evening, with an audience such as had never before been witnessed within its walls, and the 16 MEMORIALS OP THB services upon the occasion were of a nature to be long remembered by the worshippers. In the central pews which were reserved for their exclusive use, nearly two hundred and fifty ministers occupied the seat?, the mem- bers of the church and congregation filling the sides and galleries. The largo platform erected for special services, afforded room for the president of the Conference, the Rev. Dr. Green J the Rev. Messrs. Hibbard and Hodgson, dele- gates from the General Conference of the M. E. Church of the U. S.; the Secretary of the Canadian Conference, Rev. J ad. Spencer, late editor of the Christian Guardian; the Rev. Dr. Wood, the Rev. Dr. Nelles, I rincipal of Victoria College, and several others of the older and more prominent members of the Conference. The two front central pews had been set apart, and were completely filled by the probationers, who having finished their four years' trial with entire satisfaction, were about to be formally received into what is termed full connection, in other words, publicly recognized as accredited and author- ized ministers of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, in Canada. At half-past seven o'clock, the president rose and gave out four verses of the 433rd hymn, from which we select the two following verses : " I would the precious time redeem, And longer live for thee alone, To spend, and to be spent, for them Who have not yet my Saviour known ; Fully on these my mission prove, And only breathe to breathe thy lora. i QUEBEC C0NFERENCT5. 17 ID ID Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart With boundless chf.rily {llviae f So shall I all my strength exert, ' And love them with a zeal like thine, And lead them to thy open s^ide, The sheep for whom their Shepherd died." After the singing of this beautiful hymn, in which the vast audience joined, as with one grand full voice, the Rev Mr. Rose oflFercd up a most touching and fervent prayer, in which the young men about to consecrate them- selves wholly to the service of their Divine Master, were earnestly commended to hia watchful care and love The general interests and prosperity of the Church Universal, the Bride, the Lamb's wife, were also remembered, and the rich blessings of the new and well ordered covenant im- plored on her behalf. A very solemn feeling seemed to pervade the whole audience, and many were the heartfelt responses to the important petitions. The 744th hymn was then sung, from which wo also quote two verses, remarkably apposite to the circum- stances : *' Hence sprung th' Apostles' honored name, Snored beyond heroic f.mio : In lowlier forms, before our eyes, Piistors from hence, and teachers rise. So shall the bright succession run Through the last courses of the sun ; While unborn churches through tbicir car© Shall rise and flourish large and fair." These preliminary services being over, the president announced the object of the meeting, and requested tho il i; 17 MEMORIALS OF THE secretary of the Conference to require tlie candidates about to be presented for admission into that body to answer to their names. Tlie secretary then called up the following young men^ who all responded and stood before the congre«j;ation,viz: — Joseph H. Stinson, James Harmon, William F. Morrison, B.A., (icorge Burson, Francis ('. PVceland, Alexander Campbell, 2nd, Nimes A. Gordon, Thomas Bell, George Washington, B.A., Sjimuel Jackson, Edmund S. Shorey, AVilliam Briggs, Peter Bawtenhimer, Francis C. Ware, Robert Shaw, B.A., George McRea, John B. Clarkson, B.A., John Neelands, James W. Sloane, Daniel A. Perrin, B.A,. Richard N. Adams, Ipaac Gold, James Graham, Robert O. Wilson, Coleman Bristol, B.A., H. A. Spencer. The president then rose and said that the ehurch and congregation were assembled this evening to attend to a most important and solemn duty, namely : that of publicly proposing and receiving into full ministerial connection with the Wesleyan Methodist Church a nufubcr of young men who, having accomplished the full probation of four or more than four years, and made good proof of their qualifications of mind and heart for the sacred office, had been deemed by the Conference worthy of the trust. In his opinion there could be no object of greater imp jrranco to the country than that to which those young men were about to be formally consecrated and set apart. And co- extensive with the importance of the office were the dignity and responsibility with which it was invested. It was not a work which could be measured by its effects in time alone, for only in eternity could the results be fully QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 18 estiuiatcd. In setting out upon this task it was oi' the last importance that the persons assuming it should have a full assurance that they were called of God to go and preach Christ and him crucified. And when this assurance was pusscHsed, and the Christian minister discharged his duty aright, his influence would tell upon the interests of the country in the most beneficial manner. Take away, said the venerable doctor, the heralds of the cross from any land, silence the ambassadors ofj ChriI^t, who beseech men in Christ's stead to be reconciled to] God, remove the gos- pel, with its humanizing and elevating influences and what do you leave behind ? AVhat but darkness, despair and death ! Who could fully calculate the vast advantages, even in a secular point of view, wliich the grand and ennobling principles of the word of God conferred upon the world? Were not all ranks and conditions of men benefited, and was it not then an object of public moment that faithful and earnest teachers should be sent forth to proclaim these principles? For one he had full faith in an apostolic succession. True, it was not in a succession after the fabled manner of Rome or Oxford, but in the real old apostolical succci-sion of Jerusalem and City road : the succession which Christ himself contemplated when he commissioned and sent forth his chosen messengers, endued with his own spirit. This w^as the true apostolical succession, a succession made up of men who counted not their lives dear to them in comparison with the objects of their pursuit; men who were wise to win souls, and who made everythinp^ else subservient to that god-like aim. He trusted the young brethren now before the congrega- 20 MEMORIALS OF THB I < tion belonged to that fiucccssion, nay he verily belicYcd they did, and were prepared to exhibit tlic credentials they had received from the great Head of the Cliurch. Tho scriptures directed, in the selection of agents for this exalted work, not to lay hands suddenly on any maUj and he believed that if the concirecation were informed of the facts in relation to tho candidates now in the Divine presence, and of tho st:ps by which they had attained th»> completion of their trial, they would be prepared to admit that in each case all the conditions necessaiy to assure a safe issue had been faithfully observed. lie held the doctrine that God only had the right to appoint His minis ters, and that lie only could cull and qualify men for that ho'y office. Then after the work of God Himself in calling them, his servants, already in that office, and thcm;))re('iatini:' the piety and ;;irrsuf'its nienilxTs. and ol' indiv'atini;' sueh of them as it believed were onduWre desi^'nnti'd ol (iod, for extiMisive uselulfjrss as heralds of the CrosH, After any ehiireh, in its eollec'tivf* eharaeter, had thns spoken, the e;indld:ito wa^ haud(>d over to tin* district meetinu', by whi(di his (jualifieations wore examined and tested, !ind if, after siudi an ordeal, he was deemed wortiiy of the trust, he was recommended to Conference. IJut at this point his pro]>ation (tnly (;omme?iced, for ht; had to labour and study for four ye:irs, and at the laid (tf each y<"ar he was rt'Cjuired to exhibit tliat ccu'tain d«';;rci; of improvement and ])roiieieney whioh constituted the stand- ard aj^recd upon ]>y the Conference. If a younir man, so recommended by the Church, sueeeeded in fullillinu;' the four years of probation satisfactorily ; if espeeially it was apparent that his lal)ors were owned of (Jod, in the '.on- versicm of souls, and if he had the strong- persiiai4ion that the Master had committed to him a dispen.sution (d' tlie (lospi'l, it only remained for the (.'onference to recti^nize the Divint; call, and to commission him by the imposition of hands. The young brethren now befm-e him, after duo examination, had made pioof of their ministry, and in the other ways required had been found (jualiUed for their work. l>ut it was usual that before receiving them into full connection, as many of 3 18 MEMORIALS OF THE M I t thoni 118 it was convenient loliear, Hlumkl themsolvoHtlo8cribc tlieir eon version and tlie evidenees they had received of their call; therelbre, beloreproeoedinLT I'urtlier, th-e S(?cretary of tlie Con Terence would reijuire some of them to rehite tlieir experience, and he doubted not it would bo seen that they were in very truth ehoscn instruments for the liord's work. The Rev. J as. Speneer, the secretary, here arose and desired Mr. James (Jraham to state liis experience. The younii' ,i;vntleinan ascended the platform, and while tlu' profoundest silence pervaded the large audience, com- menced in a soi'tened and somewhat tremulous voice to speak of the way in which he had been brought to a know- ledge of the truth, but as it would be impossible to give anything like even a moderately full report of the sub- sequent }iroceedings, if we were to attempt closely to fol- low each of the candidates, we are compelled with much reluctance to con(hMise their touchingly simple and oit- times singularly beautiful and affecting recitals into a narrow space. Mr. liraham said lie owed much to the favitrable circumstances in which his early youth was passed. ]fe had long retained the religious impressions made upon liis lieart by tlie (^hurcli of England Catechism which he had learnct! ; he owed much also to the teaching of the Primitive Methodists in Ireland, whose ministers were ac- comodated at his father's house, and at the age of sixteen he had been so influenced as to feel it his duty to make a proFcssion. ITe then called himself a churchman, but the influence of his school-fellows who laughed at his w^iys, and other adverse circumstances, robbed him of his enjoyment. QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 19 and \w. Coll into a Ciirolcss and slnLj^ish state. Ht» tlKMi conunenccd to road C(3nti()vcrsial hooks and gr.idnatiul info a sort of gtMKM'al scopticisni, so tlial lio cnnio to dou})t the trutli ol' his I'onner cxprriiinco. All this time, however, lie had stronii; coiivictions (tt'diity, .-md \v;is often visited with a dread of the aiii;cr of (Jod. :ie wiis still iKuninally a churehnian, and alter a whih^ (•uinin{;ne<'d a course of reading which was 1h'1j)1u1 in dissipatinj^ his doubts, hut if did not make him rc'li^ious or happy l''ive years a^o, however, he atteniied a cnnip nuictinj!;, and there, sineeielv and earnestly seeking for the blessings promised to peuitimt sinners, he experienced the )>owerof Christ to save. All liis darkness fled away, '' the dungeon Ihinied with light,'' and in the huiguage of the beautiful hymns in use among the Methodists, 1 e felt to say — " With tiiilh 1 |)luiige luo in this sea, llore is my hoi>i', my joy, my rt'st, llillior wIkmi iicll assails I flee: 1 look into my Saviour's ])rpast, — Away sad doubt and anxious fear, Mercy is all that's written there." ITe could then have as readily doubted of his existence as of the fact of the Divine favor, and he had, to the pre- sent tiuu», retained the blessed assurance of God's love. This very evening he fell he could say with :\ happy con- seiousoess of truth : — '• Xot a cloud doth arise To darken the skies, Or hide for a moment The Lord from my eyes." 20 MEMORIALS OF THE ;! : I \- Some of the older ministers, tlie men who, though long familiar with such experiences, jilways find them ro- froshing and proiituble, were nmcli ailected, and not a few ejaculations of" bless the Lord," and "•' tliank God," could be heard, though in subdued tones. Mr. Graham then proceeded to give his reasons for be- lieving that he was called of God to take upon himself the office ol' th(i ministry. First, there was a constant and in- tense desire in his soul for the conversion of others; then he was invited by the (Jhurch to speak in the name of his Master, atul his Master had abutidantly owned His word, liastly, there Avas the abiding conviction of duty, which nothin;-; could sliake. These he conceived to be clear proofs. lie heartily believed the doctrines of the Methodist Church, and was anlently attached to its ordinances. He thanked God fcr the pasi, and now under His eye, and trusting in His strength, again consecrated himself and all his pow- ers to the service of IJim who had loved him and given Himself for him. After a slight pause, the secretary of the Conference called upon Mr. Chirksoii, who, having taken liis place on the platform, spoke as nearly as we could make him out — iroui tltC utifavorabh! seat we had taken — as follows : — He was, thank God, a young sinner saved by grace, and rrjoiced in the unclouded sense of Divine favor. God had lifted ujion him the light of His countenance, and his heart was tiUed with gratitude and love In his earlier yimth he had gone astray like many other young men. Jle was fond of amusement, and contracted habits which, though not grossly immoral, kept him in bondage ; but he QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 21 given hnd received tspiritii.'il tctichinu; which lie could not for preach, Per- haps this arose from the great veneration he entertained for the minij^try of the Church. He was also tlie subject of strong conviction, and especially when some oi' his young- friends were converted; but having no guide he got into difficulties and doubts upon points of doctrine which he could not reconcile with the mercy and truth of God. If (lod had really predestinated some to be saved and others to be lost, he felt he could not love him. He became discour- aged, and with his discouragement the wish to be a minister somewhat diminished, and he almost resolved to devote him- self to the law; but when between fifteen and sixteen years of age he had the privilege of attending the ministry of the llev. Mr. Davis, a Methodist minister, when his convictions revived, his doubts tied, and coming to Christ as a weary and heavy laden sinner, he obtained pardon and peace. The sense of acceptance vouchsafed to him was very clear and satisfactory, and he wtnt on his way rejoic- inur. Sometime after he wi.s asked by the minister he had named whether he had not some thoughts of devoting him- self to the work of the Christian ministry, and he yielded QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 23 faithful it insti- [»• ho rc- wholly svisdom r to his lid con- not re- Per- ned for jcct of young :ot into ich he od. If others iscour- linister to hini- sixtcon ini^ftry en his Christ on and im was rejoic- lie had <^ him- >rielded to the invitation to speak, but here, too, he had erroneous ideas (which he had somehow or other imhibed), that a preacher should make no preparation, but should depen«l altogether upon inspiration from above, .'md the conse- quence was, that he failed in his first attem))ts. lie now saw the need of preparation, and he applied himself dili- gently to the work with some degree of eneouragem. nt. Afterwards his parents consontt'd to his going to Victoria College, and he had remained there six years. ITis stay had been greatly blessed, and he could truly say that the influences under which he hail been brought in that institu- tion were of the most salutary character. There his evi- dence of the Divine favor had become very clear and very strong, and there, with much conscious feebleness, he had b'arned to proclaim Christ to his fellow me!i. As to his I 24 MKMDIUALS OK TIIK ill which he i<*si(hM|, to iiolil ;i |M'(»trM('(('<| iiKM'tiii'.!:, ninl ('Uri(»si(v h.ul proniptiMJ him to nthMul rmd sec \vh:it thiit. iiicjint. lie li:i(l thiM'c S(MMi niTsons prolcNsiiii; |>cnitciic<» lor sill, and Iwv'ird tlicni ]>riiy lor lor^ivciicss, and he Ii'kI also heard the same jicrsons rejoiciiiu, in a sense of the pardon of sin, hut he had no faith in tluMr testimony, lor until tluMi lie had known tluMii as not very rclialde. Still he attendecl th(> services, and hel'on^ l<>"rJ •'> .y"^*"^; i'>''<" named Knox, for whom he ent(>rtained the greatest respect, ami in whom he had the Inllest, conlidenee, W(Mit forward for ]>rayer amoni;- those wlio wer(» seekint;' iu(>rcy. When he saw him do so, he said t^ himself that, if this youn^ man were converted, and claimed to have olilained remission of sin, lie wtinld be oMi<;ed to accept, his testimony, hnt. he did not at all exiicctthat he would do any such thin;c of heart, that neither pope nor d( vil could liave ])ersuadcd him there was a delusion in the work. Vet he was not th(Mi converted, but for thret^ years carried his burden. lie was tlien almost wlndly uneducated and knew but little of the ways of God, but ho still continued to attend the Methodist services, and when he heard tlie nunnbers prny with fervor, he longed for the power to do so too. He thought that if he could make Methodist prayers he would soon obtain what he was seekinN1''F11U';N(!I':. 9^ r(5rm«|uislii?ij^ liis Ijm|m's, lie Ikcjuim' uliiinsf, «liH(;niir.'ii^«'(l, and r«'ar(Ml hv uvyrv would ohlain llic rcli-jion uT wlii'di ho heard (tlluTM sjxn'i'v. Once whih- allciMliu-j; s-rviec, th hcsounht (he Saviour lor a euro, sayiniz " Lord, il' Thou wilt, thou canst inako me cican," was read, and it i-lron^dy iiuprossiMl his mind. Ihiwcnt alh-r tlio scrviec info hin father's harn, and there prostrated hiinscir iKdore (Ihrist, usin*!; tlw; very words of the lej>p^r, and saylnu, " lioivl as thou didst liear his prayer and I lMdi(!V(! that ir thou wilt, thou eaiist tii:!kT rnc (do.ui ; thou canst patdon ni}' sin and renew my liearl, "; and while thus earnestly presiMitini^ his (*as((, he at (me(! Celt the petititm was answere*!, (!i;i( his sins were f'oreiven, that, he was aeeejited tliron^h till! IJeloved, and that Ik; eould re- joice with joy uiiulterahh' and Cull of tilory. F''rom that moment he had dedieatcMJ himself* to the service of th(; Hedeemer, ami hy the help divirH; had not only Imhui enabled to liold on his way, hut haxj)eri(!i!eey sense of the Divine favor, and he too pur- posed to devote his life to publishing the Sinnerst' Friend. He felt this to be the most solemn hour of his whole life, and in the presence of God and His people he here re- newed his consecration of himself to Him. The last young man called up was IMr. Jiurson, who commenced by saying he had been brought up in the Church of England, but he had always been sensible of a vacuum in his heart. He had once, while a lad, at- tended the services of the Methodists with which he was greatly pleased, but did not go back for many years. He then became sceptical and wicked. At length he was iur / QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 27 \ / vited by some ''ne to attend anothor Mothodist service, and the sermon on that occision was from the words, *' Out it down, why eumbereth it the around." The words entered liis soul like a barbed arrow whieh would not bo extracted, and he became very mis(M-a]>le. lie went again next Sunday, wlien amjther minister preached, but it was again "Cut it down," and on the third Sabbath, the very same text was taken. Ft was always ''Cut it down," and he felt greatly alarmed. On his way home beseemed to hear a voice saying to him, "v'lioose ye this day whom ye will serve," and instead of going into the house, he went into the stable, and there covenanted witlf (jod to give Ilim his heart. Yet he continued three months in darkness and almost in despair. Very much depressed, one Sunday morning he proceeded to the church almost determined to give up his hopes of salvation, but the minister was giving out the words of the verse, " Courajre, your Captain eric?, Who all your toil foieknew, Toil ye shall have, but all despise ; I suffered this for you," and all at once his soul grasped the Captain of his salva- tion and was set free. He became a new man, and the work did not stop there, for three of his brothers followed his example, and gave their hearts to the Saviour, — one of whom had since become a Christian minister. For himself, he felt it his duty also to do whathe could for the cause of truth, and he had devoted himself to Sunday-school tuition. Others, however whose judgment he had reason to respect, had thought he should preach Christ, but he /,' \ I 28 MEMORIALS OP THE h I I ! felt almost a V(>iiicuts vhich had made wore the heart ol' the eennexi'm, the\ lioiiM fliis evoninj:^ see no less than twenty-six younu len f'l (' premise raised up to take the vaeimt plaees. Af'tcv (he fathers the ehildren had come, and God was sure to r*rry on his W(»rk. The departed, upon the testimony of those who were lic^t ae<[uainted with them, were all men pos- sessed of an undoubted Christian spirit, and they niiiiht therefore he safely reeommendcd to their successors as good models. The three he hud particularly adverted to were eminently distinguisluMl in this wny : they were the Rev. Dr. Stins(jn, late President of the Conference and the Kevs. Messrs. Wilkinson and iMusgrove, who had both sustained tlie ofliee of co delegate. lie had known these men long and could bear testimony to their continuous, untiring and faithful labours in (Jauada and elsewhere. He had ol'ten heard of representative men in secular life, men who were correct types of their class or order whether in science, learning, or politics, men who faithfully represented in their persitns what others ought to be, and, God be thanked, the Methodist (vhurch and ministry had their own noble and able representative men. Judging from the scene before him, judging from the clear and soul-refreshing testimony these young men lad borne in favour of vital religion and of a ministry fully alive to its solemn responsibilities, there were no signs of degeneracy, no signs of decay. lie had not been connected very closely with the late Revs. Messrs. Wilkinson and Musgrove, for the nature of his duties had somewhat isolated him, but he '^ 80 MEMORIALS OF TlIK had enjoyed the adviiiitai;^ of an intunatt* aoquaintanec and rrieud.ship with l)r. Stinson, ever Hince he ha»p('l lie liad never met witli. His was in(h»ed a most synnnetrieal and evenly halaneed eliaraclcr ; in a word, he was a good jind lovable man, and the pattern of a ('hristian minister and gentleman, When there was hard or rouLrh work to do, which he might, and often very properly, h;ive 'levc^lvcd upon others, he preferred doing it himself. Ii«' "spiired not himself," but at the call of duty was always re;idy to do anything and to go any where, and, in a certain sens*', he might be siiid to have died with the harness »>n. These three ministers were remarkable for three important (juiili- ties,twoof which were re([uired by all Cliristian ministersand the third by Methodist ministers espetMally, these were a large experience in the thijigs of (lod, extreme simplicity, and a devoted nttachment to our peculiar system. It might seem to some to Ite very commonplace to say tliat deep piety was an essential ((ualification in a Christian minister; but could we remind ourselves too of'en that the seoret of suc- cess in our ministrations of the Gospel was not in the intel- lect, however grand and cultivated, but in the grace and power of God, received, treasured up, and cherished in the heart? The indispensableness of this special (jualification was clearly stated in the Word of Truth, thus, *;ich, God had evidently designed to raise, through him, a peeuliiir system, and a system which would continue to grow and expand. That new system was the Methodist itinerancy; and he blessed God that it had grown, and was uuw in full and vigorous progress. It would be no advantage to blot out any one section of the (Jhristian Church, — they were all needed, — and he believed in the usefulness of the churches of England and Scotland, Avhich, no doubt, ])0ssessed advan- tages of their own, but yet he thouglit Ave had greater ad- vantages at home. We never had felt sympathy with those Methodists — happily few — who thought they saw greater advantages in other church systems. He never was ashamed of Methodism, and trusted he never would have cause to be. Much was now said and written about the evidences of Cliris- tianity, but, after all, tlie greatest and best evidence in its f.ivor was, that it dis])lMyed tin* power of God in the salvation of all that believed. And Methodism had from the first, and all through, exhibited that power. It had been a religion of light, ol' life, of energy, of [)Ower, and of love. Thousands and hundreds of thousands who had experienced its wonderful efhcacyall the world over, were now rejoicing in God their Saviour, or had passed into I It QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 33 >ed other he desire ! time, lie igs to re- in to full hmeiit to iced. In , God had nr sysl;cui, 1 expand, ; and he I lull and ) blot out r were all ! churches ied advan- rcatcr aS(.'d about with so great a cloud of witnesses." The sainted Stinsuii, Wilkinson, Musgrove and others, who have gone to heaven from our QUEBEC CONFEREi^CE. 35 e Head of he wished olciitn and t pleasure was listen- attention, repeatedly tweuty-six who had into full ers of the (resolution, ; desire of ted visitor, imply say- umiog my n refers to ccply inter- other, Dr. nion of the re thought f family in er passage, I so great a Wilkinson, from our midst, are not uninterested spectators of such a 5cene as this — and what a scene for either heaven or earth to con- template I Such a number of intelligent and consciiutioua young men giving themselves up to the work of the luin- istry, is not only a fact over whicli to rejoice, but one to note as a proof, that the never-to-be-forgotten exclamation of our benevolent founder is still applicable : " The best of all is, God is with us/' Will any one doubt this ? Then how will he account for the spirit and purpose cf these young men ? The testimony they have this night borne Bhows most conclusively that they are tlie subjects of that salvation which they are desirous of teaching toothers ; and how has this been eflfected but by the powt^r of God. The period of trial and the process through which they have passed proves our obedience to the apostle's precept to " lay hands suddenly on no man." We have trieii them, and I may add, they have tried us. We have become satisfied that they possess those gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit which fit men for the work of the mini try. They have so tried the work on which they now seek more fully to enter as to know its true character ; jlwI with all their k- owledge of its toils and its trials and of tho deni". ads for sacrifice and for self-denial, they desire, ar- dently desire, to consecrate their talents, and stren-'th and life to its requirements. To what but the power of the Holy Spirit are we to attribute tliis ? Willingly they yever themselves from all prospects of wealth and honour and pleasure, such as the world affords, and which even gooii niou may innocently soek, and that for the pains and privations of the Methodist itinerant life ! Here, I say, Hi -> m Ui 1 86 MEMORIALS OF THE we have motives and objects which the Spirit of Grod only can originate and sustain, and here wo wituess the encour- aging fact that (in these young men, and those T^ho like them, are seen from year to year in our Conference giving themselves up to God) the presence and powov of God abide in our church. I would gladly extend my remarks if I could do so consistently, but I feci that I must now make way for our respected guest, and I therefore beg to say that I have great pleasure, Mr. President, in seconding the motion before the meeting. The Kev. F. G. Ilibbard, D.D., was then called upon by the chairman to address the assembly. He commenced by saying that the president, like St. Paul, being crafty, had caught him with guile. He had come as a stranger to learn, not as a spy to search out the nakedness of the land. He had come to study the deve- lopements of the Methodist system in this country, and had not expected so soon after his arrival to be called upon to speak. He desired to know if the seed sown in Canada had brought forth the same kind of fruit as it had yielded in the United States He had found that there were some little external differences, but the sap, the leaf and the fruit were identical. They were the same, and the results proved that the plants belonged to the same family. — Methodism was the same all the world over, whether the governments under which it grew were monarchical or half savage. Let it take hold of the conscience and of the heart and it invariably produced the same effects. He had heard the examination, in theology, of the candidates for admission into full connection, and was pleased to ob- I QUEBEC CONFERENCE. S7 God only le encour- V. ho like ICG giving r of God tend my lat I must therefore ?fc)ident, in illcd upon it, like St. . He had ch out the : the deve- mtry, and ailed upon in Canada ad yielded were some f and the he results family. — ether the chical or ce and of ects. He candidates sed to ob- serve that they were sound in the essential truths of reli- gion. He had carefully noticed that the chairman had laid special stress upon the vital points insisted upon in the United States, and that these points had been as clearly and faithfully defined. From his heart, therefore, he wished these young ministers a large and full success He was particularly thankful to mark that the old doctrine of a Divine call to the ministry as an indispensable pre-requisite was so jealously guarded and recognized. It was not an abstract knowledge of theology that fitted men for the solemn task of evangelizing their fellows j — they must be commissioned by the proper authority. It was not enough lor a person to have studied diplomacy and to be theoreti- cally competent to negotiate between his government and other states: he must have the credentials appointing him to the office ; he must be able to exhibit his commission as an ambassador ; he must be accredited. And so it was in God's kingdom. What did Paul say? "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we prayycu, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." And he read also that the Lord Jesus had made over to the church the power of the keys. He believed in keys, though not, perhaps, in the sense in which others did, but as God had invested human governments with the secular power necessary to repress vice and preserve order, so he had invested the church with the power necessary to its proper and holy functions. He had also heard the examination of the candidates as to their knowledge of the jurisprudence of the church, and had found they understood it satisfactorily. He saw that they appre- K ! i 88 MEMORIALS OB* THE n 1 . 3 ; j ciated the use of the keys to lock and unlock, so that the censures which they might be called upon in any case to deliver might have their proper moral effect upon offenders. He did not believe in the power of the ministry to decide men's fate after death ; to open or to close the avenues of heaven, but he believed in the ne- cessity of discipline under the authority of the Head of the church. There were persons who professed to hold hud believe thai the church Wiis a mere voluntary association which derived its power from the people, but he believed that its authority was from God. He believed in Peter as a commissioned apostle charged to care for the flock, and the tenderly beautiful passage which committed this trust into his hands would be easily remembered : *' Simon soil of Jonas lovest thou me"? '^ Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee." Then '' feed my lambs ; " the word reno'ercd ^amh was a diminutive in the original and meant little lan)bs or lambkins, and the word feed em- braced other ideas "besides that of giving them food. It meant to tend, and iii) plied protection and discipline, — shcpJirrilke my lambkins. This inquiry and charge extending from the youngest of the flock to the sheep was repeated three times, indicating the solicitude of the Divine shepherd. But what was the special quali- fication required of the under shepherds ? "• Peter lovest thou mo ?" Only as thou lovest me can'st thou feed my lamb>i and my sheep. Brethren, will you mark the supreme importance which Christ attached to this feature, this all-comprehensive condition, and will you endeavor always to lead your flocks under the QUEBEC CONPERENOE. 89 :, 80 that 1 in any [•al effect rer of the )en or to I the ne- he Head fessed to voluntary e, but he liieved in 5 for the )mmitted mbered : ord thou s;'' the pnal and feed em- bod. It ipline, — charge le sheep tude of al quali- 3r lovest ou feed mark hed to nd will er the 11 constraining influence of this godlike attribute ? I trust you will. [The effect of this passage in the reverend gentleman's address, which is but imperfectly rendered, was observable in many wet eyes]. But, to change the figure : if any of us wanted to find out the road to any particular locality, would we go, think you, to a surveyor or topographer, — to a man of science in laying out the country ? No ; but we would go to the man who had gone over the road himself, who was well acquainted with it, and who could tell us of all its turnings and wind- ings. It had been well said that " the knowledge of a peasant," in such cases, " was better than the guess of a philosopher." Well, the church wanted ministers who had gone over the road — men who themselves were personally cognizant of its difl&culties, and of its provi- sions for rest and refreshment. Would any man of sense judge of an apple, and purchase a qii.mtity by the beauty of its form and color? Would he not rather judge of it by its taste, and if found sour or bittor, would he consent to iicccpt its outside appearance in lieu of the qualities proper to that fruit ? Of course not. Well, religion was to be judged in the same way. " O taste and see that the Lord is goodj" and only those who had tasted them- selves could properly recommend the blessed fruits of religion to others. Allusion had been made by some of the young men to Victoria College, and he (the speaker) remembered with great pleasure the old school-house in which he had first been exhorted to give his heart to Christ. It was well and important to have colleges to assist in training young men to the work of the ministry, i ; V \ 40 MEMORIALS OP THE I* > hi I ii' and he was glad to find that so holy an influence had been exerted at that institution upon the minds of its students ; but the real education of a minister was that which he acquired while doing God's work. It would have been just as proper to send Moses to school to learn how to work miracles, as to expect that college education alone would make a gospel minister. It was power that was wanted, the power from on high, so prominently and emphatically claimed by the Principal of Victoria, He loved that grand, simple old word, '' power." A locomotive in itself was a powerless thing ; it could not move itself, and much less could it move other substances; but let the power be supplied, let the water and the fire be given to it, and the steam generated, then there was power — a terrible power. And equally destitute was man, naturally, of power for good, though powerful enough for evil, until the Divine unction was imparted, and then, like the resistless locomo- tive, he would do his appointed work with energy and success. But, oh ! the power might be lost. It was said that before the destruction of Jerusalem a voice was heard several times in the temple, saying : — " Let us depart, hence;" and if ever Methodism bec?ime barren of results, it would be when the power which had so visibly marked its progress in the past had departed from it, — which might God avert. It is hardly necessary to say that the speech of Dr. Hib- bard was heard with extreme pleasure, and that its progress was marked with many tokens of hearty approbation ; but it may not be amiss to state that it was almost unpremedi- tated, he having arrived but a few hours before, which QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 41 hours had heen almost altogether spent in the Conference, as the allusions to the theological examinations prove. The motion was then put and carried by a rising vote of the ministers present, and the services were brought to a close by a prnycr of extraordinary fervency and power offered by the Rev. J. Carroll, co-delegate, who also pro- nounced the benediction. Such a service had never before been witnessed in Que- bec, and it is not improper to add, that it is believed no service in conuection with the Methodist church in this city was ever held which afforded the congregation greater profit or delight. It was considered ample repayment for any effort made to secure the holding of the Conference here, and without question it will continue to be long re- membered and spoken of as oie of the bright periods in the history of the church among us. HI ] ,1, I! ' 'l \ ''V 42 MEM0BIAL9 OV THB FOURTH DAY. Saturday, 6MJiun«, 1863. TiiK Conference was opened in the usual way. Most of the day was occupied with the consideration of character. Some memorials were presented to Conference, and re- ferred to the proper committees. The following resolution was introduced and unanimously carried : — Moved by the Rev. J. Borland, seconded by Rev. C. Lavell, M. A., '' That this Conference hereby expresses its affectionate testimony to the excellent christian character, and useful ministerial work of the Rev. Gif- fordDorey, who has laboured for the last seventeen years in Canada j and as our beloved brother is now about to return to England, we recommend him to our fathers and brethren in the parent land, with prayers for the Divine blessing on himself and his family, wherever their providential lot may be cast/' SABBATH SERVICES. The services of the Sabbath commenced with the ''Con- ference Love Feast" at half-past eight o'clock, a.m. The Love Feast was conducted by the Rev. R. Jones, and was of a most delightful character. So hallowed a service will not soon be forgotten by those of our ministers and people who were present. QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 48 SERMON, By the Rev. F. G. Hibbard, D.D., One of the Delegates of the Genrral Conference, of the Methodist Epis- copal Churcli of the rnited Stata^jto the Conference of the Wet- lei/ftn 3Tetho'Iisl Church of Canada, assembled at Quebec, preach- ed in the Weshyan Mnhodist Church of that Citij, on Sunday morning, the 1'h of June, 18G3. On this occasion the spacious edifice was filled to its utmost capacity, not mimy less probably than two thousand persons, — including over two hundred ministers — being present. The Rev. Dr. Ilibbard before announcing the text, stated that, prior to commencing his sermon, he wished it to be understood that he did not propose to preach to the ministers as such, but that, by the help of God, he would .endeavour to address the consciences and understandings of the congregation upon the groat doctrines of salvation, and without special reference to the circumstances which had brought them together, he wanted so to shape his discourse as if possible to reach some wunderiug sheep. Remembering the words of the loving Saviour, " what man of you having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is loht until he find it,'' he would say let us this day endeavour to find the lost sheep, and if it would please God to give liim even but one such erring soul, the result would abundantly repay the efibrt. K 44 MEMORIALS OF THE \\ 'i Text.— St. Luke's Gospel, 23r(l Chapter nnd 42nd rerae: " Lord rempmbcr me when thou comest in thy kingdom." Those words would at once be recoj^nizcd as the prayer of the dying penitent thief who suffered at the same time that the Suviuur of men was expiating their guilt upon the cross. This wa.s his la.st and probably his first prayer to Christ. The an.swcr to that prayer would also be remem- bered : '' Verily I say unto thee, this day thou shalt be with me in puradisj." Here wy had not only a sublime scene, but a phenomenon so rare that it was proper to guard against misconstructions — a sinner of the worst class, saved from the depths of crime, and translated into the kingdom of God, made an heir of glory, honor, immorta- lity and eternal life, and all through one brief prayer in the last throes of agonized existence ! Through this text I pro- pose, said the preacher, to reach if possible two classes of persons; — first the presumptuous, who always think there is time enough yet, and who delaying their repentance lose the present opportunity, thinking or pretending to think that one prayer, just on the brink of the grave will save them. The other class were the desponding, those who were in the depths of depression and almost of despair. These he earnestly desired to encourage and to bring in humble penitence to trust in the Lord Jesu3 Christ. He had been led to look at this remarkable prayer and at the manner in which it was offered, and he would endeavour to bring out the hidden reasons for its wonderful efficacy, — the reasons why it was so soon answered, and why it was so prevalent w'ith God. There was then true penitence, there was occasion, and there were favourable circumstances W'»^ QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 45 i: '< Lord I prayer mc time ipoQthe ■ayer to remem- thalt be sublime roper to rst class, Dto the nmorta- r IB the t I pro- saes of there is ice lose think ill save 3e who espair. ing in He at the 70UT to acy,-~ it was itence, itances which no ^doubt had shed spiritual li^lif on tho mind of the malefactor. Penitent prayer is alwnys cmi|.l('d with confession, and wc aceordintily find that this pixir sinner was ready to acknowledge his siiifiilness. Ilenr him ad- dressing his still hardc!ied and unrejtentifiLr fellnw, '"And wc indeed suffer justly, but this man hath iione nothing amiss." In this one sentence he takes upon himself the guilt of his life, admits its deep demerit, and without at- tempting any plea or reservation, consents to the ju-;tice of the penalty which dooms him to death. '-We indeed sufT'r justly.*' All acceptable prayer must be made in this spirit. He that comes to God to tell liim how i^ood he is, how much he has done, whatamount of alms ho bestows, will go like the Pharisee as he came, and with the additional guilt of an impenitent prayer. The dying thief reproved sin in his companion, and that showed the hatred he felt for it. Though his words were f«;w, they were very si^rlili(•aut. When the impenitent man atliis side blasphem'jd and re- viled, he turned and rebuked him, saying '' Do-t tliou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condeu; nation V Just as if he had said, '^Dost thou not at such time as this fear God before whom thou artso soon to appear y Do not the terrors of this dread hour excite in thee }?omc reverence ?" This was his language, and it showed that his heart entertained an abhorrence of sin. There was a great deal here. My hearers, when you have a penitent and repentant view of sin, you will hate, abhor and avoid it and seek deliverance from its bondage. You will also cume unJer the moral necessity of reproving it in words as the pen- itent thief did ; you will do so in your altered life and /f 46 MEMORIALS OF THE t manners, and your altered life will show that you utterly hate and disallow it. No prayer can findaccGptauco which does not exhibit to the scrutiriiziug all-seeing eye a per- fect hatred of sin and a settle 1 purpose to suppress it- Indifference to sin is the essence of impenitence and im- piety. We may reprove sin in various ways, and our very appearance will do so if we are faithful. A friend told the preacher, that when he resolved to seek pardon he also re- resolved to keep his purpose secret until he had obtained the blessing, when he proposed to confess it. lie becran to pray, but he had not prayed many hours when his friends discovered his altered manner, and taxed him with having become religious. How soon the expression of the c )unte nance becomes altered under such circumstances ! The state of the heart invests the countenance with an expres- sion which cannot be mistaken, — a quiet and serious expression which the world knows well iiow to interpret. Prayer should be offered up in the spirit of patience, and in no other. In this way we take sides with Goti, and it becomes consistent with God to meet us. He loves and desires to bless us, but is held back by moral propriety and by what is due to the government of the universe. When Absalom rebelled against the king his father and was dis- comfited, he fled the land, but in two or three years, through the artifice of Joab, obtained permission to return, but the king could not consent to see him until the matter at is- sue was first properly settled. He could not bring him to his home and his table, though his heartyearncd and longed for his son. Why could he i:ot ? Because he was withheld by the moral prjprieties of the case. So the loving Eternal I- i \ QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 4T Du utterly ICO which ye a por- pprcss it- and iin- our very 1 told the e also re- tained the be.cran to 8 friends h having c c )iinte s ! The Q expres- 1 serious nterprot. lice, and d, and it ves and ■ioty and WhcD was dis- til rough rn, but tor at is- ni to his I god for iheld by Eternal Father and King is prevented by the high moral consider- ations which regulate his administration from blessing the sinner, until the sinner changes his rebellious attitude, but when he does change his attitude and becomes contrite, it requires but a short prayer to reach the divine ear and to ensure an answer of love and peace. But there was a won- derful humility in the prayer of this suftering sinner. He did not ask a high place for himself or any particular allotment whatever. How chastened and reverential his language, *' Lord remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom." '• be pleased to think of me, just to think of me." This was all he asked, and it was nil lie needed to ask. He asked that he might come to mind in the day of Christ's coronation and glory, and left it to His goodness and wisdom to determine his grade of blessedness. He only asked a place, and he was assured that one would bo found for him. When the prodigal son came back to his father, he did not appear as an heir to claim, as before, a partition of the estate, or to ask a share in the name and honor of the house ; no, but he came confessing his sin : ^'I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants." And whenever any of you sliall feel that sin unfits you for the enjoyment of God, you will be con- tent with the lowest blessing, — which is pardon. When the blind man wanted the restoration of his vision and applied to Jesus, he did not ask to be made rich or hunorable, but his answer to " What wilt thou that I should do for thee ?" was, " Lord that I may receive my sight." We have reason to believe that God is able and willing to do " exceeding abun- *■■ ill 48 MEMORIALS OP THE m I dantly above what we are able to ask," and when our prayers are offered in the subdued language which bespeaks truepenitence, they will certainly and speedily be answered. The thief's prayer had another important element in it, which he (the ])reacher) could not pass over : it honored Christ, and all our pruyers must embrace this fenturo, or they cannot be answered. lie was not of course speaking of the heathen who had never heard of Christ, but of people in Christian lands who had heard and who knew what the Lord had done to save them, for '' there is none other name givon under heaven among men whereby we must be saved." And mark how this sinner understood the character of the Divine victim near him. He asserts the innocence of Christ : *' This man hath done nothing amiss," meaning not only that he had committed no crime deserving of death, but had committed no wrong, no impropriety whatever ; that there was no good charge against him, whereas " we " thieves "justly suffer " as the due reward of our crimes. He (Dr. HibLird) had never heard but of one man who pretended to have detected moral obliquity in the life of the Saviour, and it was re- served for his country — the United States — to supply the accuser in de person of the infamously notorious lorn Paine. But it was not enough to acknowledge that Christ was an innocent victim, nor was it enough to admire his character, and to say with some that he was the best man and the greatest reformer the world had ever seen. Nor was it sufficient to admit with the Pantheistic teachers that he was an inspired person in the poetic sense, and an en- thusiastic worker in the cause of humanity. It wa3 not so i !i QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 49 len our ►espeakf iswercd. nt in it, lionored ituro, or jpcakiug , but of [10 knew 5 is none reby we derstood 'e asserts nothing no crime •ong, no [ charge " as the id never detected t was re- pply the lus lom it Christ mire his Dcst man u. Nor ers that an en- 3 not so that the penitent thief viewed his character; ho ro:rarded him as an immaculate and divine person, and for him to say this, exhibited greater faith and cour.iue than for us to say the same, for he dil so in the presence of angry enemies. He called him Lord or Jehovah, the God of the Bible, from which we may safely infer bis belief in Christ's essential deity. This may further be nrpuod from the na- ture of the prayer which he presented, for he was a dying man and his petition had reference t) the after-state. By implication he called him King : " ]>enieniber me when thou comest in thy kingdom," and the necessity fir such a belief in view of the prayer he offered ought not to be overlooked. Over the head of the cross was nailed a piece of writing or a tablet whereon was written in Hebrew, in Greek, nnd in Fiatin, the accusation and cause of condemnation of the iSaviour, that all the thousands there :issembled, — among whom were people speaking these several languages, — might know why he suffered. The Jews had just been celebrat- ing their greatest feast^ the Passover, and at such a time there was always au immense concourse in Jerusalem, gathered from all the nations of the world. The super- scription was, "Jesus, King of the Jews," and it serms tint the penitent thief accepted the statement as a verity. Here were Boman soldiers to make the execution sure, and here were dignitaries of the Jewish church, full of malice and hatred, to sanction it, and to encourage the dense masses of the persecuting, brutal rabble ; but not oui' mouth was opened to speak in his favor. John and Peter were there, and so were other disciples, but they were all silent; — no one lilted up his head or his voice iu dc- ,» ■ I' W' W' •i i !i 60 MKMORIALB OF THE fence of the suffcM'or. '^ The multitude Jind (hey tli:it pass- ed by railed on him, wajjfginij; their lieads ;" " Ihc rulers also, with them, denied him," and " the ehief priests like- wise did the same." Then the soldiers took up the scoffing and '< mocked him," and, as if there ueede«l a climax *o all this opprobrium and coutejnpt, the other thief joined the infatuated populace, for we read ; '' And one of the male- factors which wore hanged, railed on him, s'lyinin', ' If thou be the Christ save thyself and us/ " Here then we have the tJcw and the heathen, the church dignitaries and the rabble all joining together to embitter his last hours. To rail is to blaspheme, to deride is to turn up the nose in scorn, and to mock is to mimic and to trifle after the manner of children. What a scene is this I What words are these \ I see the King of Glory, the Lord of Lords, who had be. come the Son of man, hanging and lacerated, blasphemed and mocked ! At the foot of the cross I see the soldiers parting his garments as their legitimate s};oils, and casting lots for his seamless robe ! I hear the multitude challen- ging him to come down from the cross ; and T perceive that every disciple's voice is hushed in silence ! J5ut amid all the noise of this crowd of scoifers, deriders and blasphemers there is at last heard one speaker, one confessor; and while the dying Lord appears unable to save himself, this man commits his soul into his hands. As if he liad said, "In spite of all this I take thee as my Lord and King; in spite of the ignominy of thy present condition I accept thee as my Saviour ; and oh ! I implore thee, that when thou comest in thy kingdom, thou wilt remember me." Here is, indeed, a prayer worthy of the name ; here is a confes- QUEUEC CONFERENCE. 51 it pass- vulers ;ts likc- scoffing lx *o all ucd the ic male- It' thou wc have and the urn. To 3 nose in manner re these ^ had be. isphcmed soldiers d casting; ehallen- eive that amid all ■iphcmers md Avhile this man laid, "In in spite )t thee as len thou " Here a confes- sion and a penitence, the sincerity of which admit of no question ! How did the man learn anythini^ ahoiit ('hrist? He was a Jew, and his mother had proha})ly taught him, when he was a little boy at her knee, out of IMosos, the I'salms and the Prophets, to expect tho Messiah. Perhaps he had been brought to the 8ynau;ogue in those early (Jays, and had heard the scribes and other teachers expournl the law and the prophets. Yet after all he was but a common sinner, and it is probable that he had noteoiuein contact with Christ until that morning. Wo miulit possibly have seen Jesus before the bar of Pilate, and witnessed the unjust trial at which he was condemned. He had, no doubt, seen the executioners nailing the writing to the cross, and he had just heard the sublime prayer : " Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." More he did not hear until he heard the answer to his own plea: " Verily I say unto thee, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise." He had, perhaps, observed the sun darkening, and who knows but he had heard the message which Pilate's wife had sent to liim " to have nothing to do with that just man" — in the way of condemning him. He might have seen and heard ail these things, but it seems evident that his chief opportu- nities had been confined to that one morning, and to the scene of the execution. If so, he had studied Christianity under very sad circumstances, though aforetime he might have learnt from Isaiah concerning the Man o^ Sorrows, u'td now finding the circumstances to harmonize with the predictions, might have drawn the conclusion that he was in very deed the Messiah the Saviour of men. If the preacher had succeeded at all in presenting the case, his rr^ II 62 MEMORIALS OF THE i hearers must have felt that this instance of divine com- passion was not a depirture from the established method of grace, but that all the essential conditions of salvation were complied with. He would now request attention to the character of the LofdJesi'iS as exhibited throughout this solemn scone; and if there is a person in the audience who denies his divinity or messiahship he will ask him to consider well to what a conclusion such opiuions must bring him. Here we have Christ dying on the cross, and at his side a peni- tent felon invoking his mercy, and committing his depart- ing soul into his hands. Christ answers, and assures him a safe and happy admission into paradise. Wliat does this all mean ? It must mean that he was what he professed to be, an Almighty Saviour, or — an impostor of a darker and more daring type than had ever been found among the very worst of men. This is the conclusio'i,and no evasion will avail the unbeliever. Here we must admit the domin- ion of Christ over both worlds, or brand him as a deceiver who has no parallel in the history of iiiipo.stvirc. Mahomet never professed to save men by his own power. No be- liever in Islaniism ever hpld that Mnhomet controlled the destinies of the snul by virtue of any personal power. If Christ had been a prophet like Moses or John the Baptist, the answer he gave the thief would still have been blas- phemous, and if he had not really possessed the keys of hell and of death, this assuniption would have sunk him below the level of Mahomet in t])c proportion in which his profession was higher. But th3re is no room for such ar- gumeuts ; Jesus was all he claimed to be, and oh I let me QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 53 loin- thod ition fthe jone ; 2S bis ■ well Here peni- epart- 3S him es this jfessed darker us; the but find him noar in the hour of dissolution ; lot me die like the tliief, lot uiy eye take in the sumo scene, and let me roll my biudou of desire on Iliin, and be able to say with Stephen, '^ I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." And just as my soul is departing, let me be able to say, '^ Lord Jesus, receive ray spirit/' or in tlr > language of our poet : "Other refuge have I none ! Hanga my helpless soul en thee. Leave, ah ! leave me not alone; Still support and comfort me. All my hope on thee is staid, All my help from thee I bring : Cover my defenceless head With the shadow of thy wing." Here was an amount of faith worthy to take rank among that of the worthies recorded in the 11th of Hebrews; for, con- sidering the opportunities which this pjor man was favored with, one cannot but regard his ciise as almost marvellous. Here was an admonition to ths first class of hearers he had named. This man had never rejected Christ before, and whatever he had done he was not gospel hardened. How diflferent the case of the persistent rejector of the offers of salvation ! I declare to you, my brethren, with a solemnity of feeling which I feel it utterly impossible to express in words, that when I see an immortal creature with reckless perversity of will refusing Christ, refusing to come to the light, refusing to yield to the convictions of his conscience, and saying in effect to the Saviour of the world, all tho while that his judgment is convinced, *^Go thy way for this I 54 MEMORIALS OF THE time, for I cannot accept salvation to-day/' I declare to you that I tremble and shudder at his daring impiety and at the terrible peril he incurs. Let me warn any who are doing this that tliey take the responsibility upon themselves, that their blood is on their own heads, — for God is in no wise bound to renew the offer, — and each call may be the last. May God be merciful to such, and give them again to feel the force of his truth. But let me say that Christ designs to encourage in all possible cases. I have come with this message to many a despairing sinner, and never could re- frain from the attempt to bring even the most hardened to the cross. I feel that the ability of Christ to save is of so wide a compass. His mercy so great, and his solicitude so constant, that none really need despair who are conscious of even a faint desire to be the partakers of His grace. And when right views are created, even though it were on the verge of the grave, I can take the dying sinner in pray- er to God, for I am satisfied He is not willing that he should perish. I can never admit the thought that a man has sinned too long to preclude his obtaining mercy. While a man yet lives and can feel, while Christ prays and while the Spirit excites to penitence, there is hope. What does St. Jude say? "And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire." Did any of you, my brethren, ever save any one out of the fire, who, though partly burned, escaped with his life ? Did you ever see any one snatched from a burning house ? O ! aged sinner, the house you live in is in imminent peril. " You have long withstood His grace, Long proToked bim to His fHce : QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 55 to you at the doing s, that wise e last, to feel lesigns th this uld re- ined to is of so tude so nscious e. And on the n pray- should lan has V^hile a while at does them er save escaped from a ve in is li "Would not hearken'to Ills calls, Gric'TeJ Ilim bj a thousand falls.'' Yet there is mercy for tliec even at this time, — possibly the last time that the message may n;acl» tlioe. You will re- member, my hearers, that Jesus passed through Jericho "a last time" ou his way to Jerusalem, and that there He found a man, little of stature but large of soul, who availed himself of this last visit, and gladly received the tidings of salvation. Of late I have often thought of the many who, from mouth to month, and year to year, had heard tho message of mercy ; I have thought of them as soldiers on the battle field, or as confined in the hospitals in every form of mutilation, or as sick and dying, yet I felt confidence to say to such : " Soldier, there is mercy for thee; lift up thy heart and believe in Jesus;" " Ikying nian there is help for thee if thou art penitent." O I how I love to exhibit this loving Christ, and to trust in Him I and if I had a greater soul, or a thousand souls, most gladly wouM I commit them all to Tlim. If I did not believe this T would want my com- mission revoked, for I would not know how to preach. I rejoice to believe that «' While the lamp holds out to burn, The vilest sinner may return." And I only desire to guard this point by saying that at such a time penitence and faith are as indispensable as at any other period of life. God will not save a man because ho is frightened or because he cannot do better and must go to judgment. Is there a person in the audience who doubts the difference between the holy and the unholy ? Then II 56 MEMORIALS OP THB let me state it : the penitent thief dies with the light of the blessed promise, — " This day thou shalt be with me in paradise;" but how dies his impenitent companion ? They both pray, and to one Christ gives no answer, while to the other he stretches out the hands of Divinity and opens the gates of Heaven. The silence he keeps towards the first has a depth of meaning which the soul cannot com- prehend. I pray iind God does not respond! I come to the foot-stool of my Sovereign to make my petition, and he deigns no reply ! See another coming ; he presents a brief prayer and immediately the king opens his palace, and un- locks for him the treasury of the kingdom; nay, he admits him among the heirs to the throne. Why this difference ? Look at the impenitent, " If thou be the Christ." He puts unbelief in the foreground, he easts doubts upon the power of him to whom he prays. Look at the request he makes. He does not ask for salvation. His wishes are only the promptings of animal desire. He suffers and asks to be relieved from pain. ** If thou be the Christ," exert thy omnipotence and take us down from the cross. The moral defectiveness of this prayer was the cause of its rejection ; there was no faith in it, no contrition in it, no desire for God in it. And ! how many there are who pray just in this way. They get into trouble and say in effect, *' If thou be the Christ," if thou art able, get me out of my difficulties, recover my wife or my child from sickness and peril ; but there is no devout aspiration for pardon or for grace to lead a new life. Is it strange that such prayers are not answered, and should not the silence which God preserves be regarded with more dread than if the rebuke n QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 57 / came with seven foUl-thun-lers ? I have no oxpoctation of ever preaching to you or seeing you aLTnin, and our next meeting will undoubtedly bo at the judgment. Let me then hold up Christ once more, as he hangs on the cross ; and while I lift up my heart and ask that God would in- cline you to pray the prayer of tho prnitont thief, let your own hearts go out in earnest supplication for the same blessing. And tlien let me beseech the young men about to be set apart for the work of the ministry, to be ever mindful to keep Christ before the dying. Tell them there is a power above the power of death, of sin and of Satan ; that all power is given to the LorJ Jesus ; that every sin- ner may be saved ; that his blood cleanses from all sin. Tell this not only to the dying, but to all men, and tell it always. ! I would that I were younger, and had more years left to preach to a dying world, — to preach to all, and cry in death, " Behold, behold the Lamb !" May God add his blessing. Amen. A hymn was then given out, as usual, when the Rev. Mr. Gemley, the pastor of the church, announced that after singing, the ordination of the young ministers, who, after a full probation, had been accepted by the Conference, would be proceeded with; but if any of tho audience desired to leave — it being already past noon — they could do so during the singing. Very few persons, however, availed them- selves of the suggestion, and after the hymn the solemn ceremonial was commenced by the Secretary of the Conference calling upon the young men by name to come and stand at the Communion railing, which they did. 68 MEMORIALS OF THE CHARGE. The President of the Conference, Rev. A. Green, D.D., then addrt'ssinj^ these parties said, — My young friends — the solemn transaction in which you are now engaged, and through wliicli you are about to consecrate yourselves in a more formal manner than you have hithcito done to the service of the .sanctuary, is one which will form a most important era in your lives. Whether you look forward to your holy work or backward at the steps by which you have arrived at this point, you have cause of devout grati- tude to God. Hitherto you have been teachers only, but hereafter you are to be pastors, and in this new relation you will assume new and weighty responsibilities. These will require that you should seek for the additional grace by which you nuiy be enabled faithfully to discharge your duties and redeem the vows you are about to make. I trust your future course will show that you possess the at- tributes held necessary to qualify men for admission into the holy office by the apostolical form of the imposition of hands. If any of you should entertain the idea that your education in theology is accomplished, and that you have nothing now to do but to read and preach, you are sadly mistaken. You will not by any means be done work when you have well studied and prepared your sermons, and you will have but discharged your office in part, when you have faithfully preached the gospel. You will require to be constantly fed with the bread of life, and it will be yoiir duty to feed others at their own homes. It will fall to your lot to resolve 'many doubts and to allay many fears ; many questions relating to the work of grace in the human QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 69 heart will bo snbmitteJ to you, which must bo answered, and by frequently secinj^ and conversing with your flocks, you will scat yourselves iu their afTcctions. If you do so, they will hang upon your lips with contideuce, and you will bo the cause of blessing to them. Never forget that you are pastors, and that, as such, you nre bouiid to be ex- amples which others may safely imitate, Vreach Christ. The apostle, as you know, says, ''We preach not ourselves," and I know of no more pitiable exhibition of human weakness or folly than a minister of the gospel who puts himself in front of His Master. A man may preach elo- quently and forcibly, and discharge the other duties of the holy calling with ability ; but if he makes the impression that he means to exhibit himself rather than his Lord, his mission will be a lamentable failure. Put Christ right iu front. Present him as able to save all that come to God by him, and in preaching Christ use Bible language. Study to make yourselves familiar with the divine word, so that you may always be able to quote it appropriately and cor- rectly. I confess I look with much anxiety upon the tendency there is among ministers to fall into the temp- tation of attempting eloquent rather than soul-saving ser- mons. Remember that the word of God is the Sword of the Spirit, and that without the influence of that Spirit you can do nothing. Remember also, that when Christ gave a commission to his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, He directed them to remain at Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. If under the influence of that Divine In- structor you preach the Word, if you do so iu season and out of season, aud if you exhibit in your own lives the ^i f 1 I 60 MEMORIALS OP THE graces of the Spirit, you must be successful ; you must be the means of converting and saving many precious souls. And may the Lord of the vineyard who has sent you, go with you and fully prepare you lor your blessed work. The usual form of self consecration by audible answers on the pnrt of the young men to the questions proposed iu the discipline an 1 the solemn ceremonial of ordination by the imposition of the hands of the president and other aged ministers, were then gone through. The vast congre- gation loooked on with the profoundest silence, and no doubt many an earnest prayer was breathed to TIeaven that the vows now being recorded might never be broken- Most of the young men seemed deeply affected, and the whole scene was one which could not fail to be productive of profit to those who were present. [In the afternoon the Rev. Wellington Jeffers, D.D., preached to a large congregation from " Ye are the salt of the earth," and we had the promise of one of th^ minis- ters, who reported him in full, that he would supply the sermon, but to the present it has not been received. We are in hopes, however, that it will yet come in, when we shall be happy to add it to the other '* Memorials/'] EVENING SERVICE. As in the morning, the church was filled to such an ex- tent that forms and chairs had to be brought into the aisles and every other vacant place admitting of them, and Siilor the singing, prayer and reading of the Scrip- tures, the Rev. F. Hodgson, D.D., of Philadelphia, already mentioned in these pages, preached the following — ;m, ■*? QUEBEC CONFERENCE. SERMON. 61 Tbxt. — Psalra xxxvi", 37tli vorsc : "Mark the perfoct man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." My bretheren and friends, the "^orld as you are aware, is described in the word of truth as lying in wickedness, and there never was a time since meii began to multiply on the earth when this declaration was innpplicablo; yet it is quite possible to think worse of the world than it de- serves. We SCO wickedness, shjimcless, rampant and tri- umphant, and in cur indignation, wo lose sight of the hap- pily numerous exceptions. Elijah fell into the same error, and David in his grief, said, '' that all men were liars,'' but God always had a seed in the earth. We read of one who had the constant testimony that his v;ays pleased God; and of Noah, it is said that he was a preacher of righteous- ness. Elijah in a time of great corruption fled into the wilderness, and when God asked hi:ii what he did there, he answered that the people had thrown down the altars, killed the prophets with the sword, and that he alone was left, and that they sought his life liul what did God say to him in answer ? Wliy, he ao.surcd iiini that so far from this being the case, there were yet in Israel more than seven thousand men who had not bowed fho knee to Baal. And we also find that David vetraetod his opinion, and said he had spoken with undue haste. It is true that wickedness abounds, and that the chiidreu of darkness are many, but it is equally true there are also children of the light and of the day, and that though they may appear to be few, yet when counted up they form a goodly company. It is quite proper for the Christian to sigh and to cry I M 4 62 MEMORIALS OF TUB r if 1- I' ; i • over the abominations which prevail, but he must not con. fine his view to that side of the picture, he should look at the goodness and should magnify the grace of God as displayed in the character of His saints. " Mark the perfect man and behold the upright " — behold the power of redeeming grace in the life of the perfect man. I propose to treat this subject in the way in which it naturally devides itself, by considering : — 1st. The terms descriptive of character used, and — 2nd. The declaration respecting the end of such a man. The character described — '' mark the pe/yet/i man, behold the vprir/ht man." The terms perfect and upright, are not intended to describe two classes, but refer to the same indi- vidual. This is a poetic mode of description which abounds in the sacred Scriptures, a prallelism in which the first and second terms have the same meaning, the second being added to give dignity and force to the passage. The word perfect is frequently used in stating the claims of religion and exhibiting a conformity to its purposes. Souie per- sons it is true object to the word perfect, as applicable to no human oeing, but as it is employed in the Bible, I must accept it as correct, and have only to remind such persons that the difficulty is between them and it, not be- tween them and me. But the objection is chiefly to the thing itself, and as I apprehend it arises from a miscon- ception, I will endeavour to remove it and to present the subject so plainly, that (if the objection does not exist in any mind before me) its growth in the future may be ob- viated. Now, the perfection intended is not an absolute and entire perfection excluding the possibility of defect. Ab- QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 68 I solute perfection is the attribute of God only. The per- fection of the man in the text rcpresoDts a state which combines all the pre-requisites of salvation. God demands certain moral qualities in man, and whoever comes up to the standard is perfect. If any Christian is found possessed of these features, he may be so designated with entire propriety. Let me then inquire into the leading charac- teristics of this state,— V'hct are they? Nothing less than real holiness or freedom from sin. Is it not said that '■^ Christ gave himself for us, that he miaht redeem us from all iniquity and purify us unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works V We must not suppose that we may condemn and forsake some form of sin, while other forms may be tolerated. Freedom from sin does not iniply infal- libility, but fallibility does not necessarily involve guilt. Mistakes are nut sins, and any sincere soul may test the fact that it is impossible to feel condemnation or a sense of guilt for involuntary errors. A person may endeavour to feel guilty, but the appeal will come forth, "judge me Lord." Nor does christian perfection involve freedom from error in practice, for errors in practice will follow errors in judgment. The sincere man conforms to his convictions of right, but if he be mistaken, his practice will be wrong, and yet there is no guilt. Nor again does freedom from sin, imply freedom, from infirmities. This is sufficiently evident from the way the Scriptures treat the matter. Paul was conscious of infirmities, and prayed to be deliver- ed from them, but when told " My grace is sufficient for thee," he replied, "most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest '■'1 ; I 1 64 MEMORIALS OF THE )> upon me. " It is inconceivable that he should speak thus of sins, and if so, infirmities arc not incompatible with holiness. Tn writing to Timothy, the same apostle re- commended him to take a little wine on account of his often inilrmitics, and sarel}'^ he did not mean by tVis to ex- hort his son in the gospel to minister to sinful affections. Again freedom from sin does not imply that the subject never sins. No mere man can lay claim to such a state, for *' if we .^ay we have no sin, we deceive oursel/es and the truth is not in us." All that the perlcct christian state implies is, that the man has confessed and forsaken his sins and believed in Christ unto salvation ; that he has been pardoned, renewed and sanctified, and that there has been a renovation of the moral principle in his heart. This harmonizes with the declaration, that '*If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ;" also with 1st John, 1st ch., and 7th verse, " If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin :" also with 1st Thess, 5th ch., 23rd verse, '' And the very God of peace'sinctify you wholly, and I prr.y God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." It implies that wo love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and that wc implicitly and gladly obey him. Again such a state does not imply freedom from temptation, for temptation does not necessitate sin. Our Lorl Himself was •' tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin." This passage does not mean that be was tempted in all the forms of QUEBEC COXFEIIEXCE. 65 f< lassage l-ins of tciiiptatiori cvory man mny li:ive, but that as cacli niau lias his own peculiar su^iceptibilities to temptation, so was he tempted at nU tlic points he was susceptible ol' boin;^ so. Every true Christiaa is conscious of the power to overcome, and he 7nust overcome or his ruin will be iuiivitabh;. " There hath no temptation taken 3'ou, but such as is com- mon to men, but God will with the temptation also make a way to escaj)0, that ye may be able to bear it." This state does not imply freedom from liability to fall iVom grace. Our first parents in paradise were free IVom sin, yet they fell, and of the angels t(jo s.unc apostatized. This is a point of practical importance, but in bein^- thus parti- cular I do not imagine I am saying any thing new or un- usual, fori have no doubt you have been fully instructed in this doctrine. If some one of you convinced of the at- tainablencss of this state, should set ab )ut seeking for it with all his iieart, should fast and ]>ray and cry to God and should o])tain so clear a sense (>£ it as to be enabled modestly, yet explicitly to say so, and should afterwards yield to temptation and fall into sin, wlmt wouni be the lan- guage of many, even in Methodist circles '^ W'hy, unless things are much dilFerent in Canada Jrom the United States, I fear some would shake their heads and say, '' 1 never like to hear such high professions, and am always sus- picious of those who make them." My bretheren, what- ever may be our spiritual eonditi()n, let us not deny what the Scriptures so plainly teach and join the blaspliming' world in casting doubt upon the grace which brings a full salvation ; for it is true, as it is true you live, that the grace was received though subsequently lost, and it is 6 » M 65 MEMORIALS OF THE equally true that it might have been maintained and may yet be recovered and kept to the last hour of life. It may seem to some that the position taken involves a contradic- tion, and t' at iufirniity and perfection are wholly irreconcil- able ; but it is not a contradiction, the man is perfect in ono sense — the spiritual or moral — while in othors — the mental and physical — he is yet imperfect. You stand under an apple troe bending with the weight of its liuit; you pluck an applo, which in colour, rind and seeds scenes exccllen^, but yuu taste it and find it sour or bitter, then yc-u judge that it is not yet ripe, and that it should have continued to hang on the tree until it wjs mellowed by the sun : so, many a man favoured with a perfect physical stature, with a tall commanding fiTCE. 69 for it is almost impossi])lo for a Clirlslian to be faithful to hi?« pn fnssion witliont excitinp: animosity. This very fiith- fulnoss is a standincij rchiiko to tho rni^icondnot of the wicked, and they \vill rosont, it, hut there is that in him which will ovorccnio ovon his liittorost foos. Thoy cannot stand nsrainst his Ji-ontlcnes^ and his for'hc nance When (he cnmfty is all on one side, and thiM'o is only p:ood will and kindness on the other, it nnnt sooner or later give wjiy. Look at Stepfien in the hands of his iriruri;ue adversaries ! Tliey hurl murderous stones at liis unoffending heiid ! his blood-stainod, battered and mnnah'tl form is yielding up its life, — but he has yet the power of atteninee. He speaks ! listen to his dying accents. Doc^ he invoke vengeance U]ion his murderers ? Docs he even exhibit resentment towards them ? Hear him : " Lord l;iy not this sin to their charire." How similar to his ^Master'spraver : '' Father for- give tbem, for they know not what they do." Whata spirit to die with ! He has perfect tranquility ; lie is neither agitated nor agonized. G^jd sustains him; Go(l verifies to this the first Christian martyr his blessed Avord of promise, and with David he may say, ^^ thou'^h T walk through the valley of I he shadow of death I will fear no evil, for thou art ever with me," &c He has an abiding sense of security. He always feels safe, and let liim die at home or abroad, he is cqu'dly happy. He irjay die surrounded by his weeping friends ; he may be called to die far fr.nn home, among strangers ; he niay be hurried away by the ex[)loslon of a steamboat, or by the collision of railway traitis, but in any case he is safe. He may die on the battle field where thousands rneet iu mortal strife ; but he is safe : all is M I ■ "ff! lit I 70 MEMORIALS OP THE TTcU, death can do him no harm. And this is not the re- sult of philo-ophv or stoical insensibility ; on th« contrary it is thi) result of forethought, of previous preparation. It is because ho knows and feels that all is well, and will be V7cll that lie experiences this quietude, this serenity. ^' For mc," he says, •' to live is Christ, but to die is gain." With death there will be an end to his toils, trials, temptations and afflictions. I have now breu twenty-five years in tlic ministry, and have attended Conferences every year; — during tlusc years I have heard, almost regularly, the an- nouncement of some deaths among my brethercn, and I have ncvCi' known one instance in which some one who was acquainted with ihe deceased did not rise up and say, " I knew our dear departed brother wo'l ; I visited him in his last illness, or I was with him in his last hours, and the gospel ho had preached to others ^as to him the source of unspeakable pe:co, corufort and joy, soujetimcs of ex- ceeding great triumph." Such were the testimonies in the United States Conforeuces, and I have no doubt it has been the same in the Canada Conference; — blessed be God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Some of you will, without question, have heard of Dr. Payson, a well known and justly esteemed minister of the Congregational Church in New England, — well, he was c il!cd to die — he saw he mu:>t soon depart, and while yet able to do s<», he writes to a friend, in these Avords : — " Were I to adopt the figurative langUMge of Bunyan, I might d.itc this letter from the the land of Beulah, of which I have been for soiue weeks a happy i/ihabitant. — The celestial city is full in my view. Its glories beam upon QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 71 mo, its OfJors'arc wafted to tik^, its sounos strike upon my ears, and its spirit is brrathod into my heart. Nothing separates rue IVotn it but the river of death, which now np- pears but as an insignificant rill that mny bo crossed at a single step, whenever God shall give p rniisjsion. The Sun of Righteousness has been irraduilly drawi'^g nearer and nearer, tippcririnri- larger and brighter as he approached, and now he fids the whole henii^phcro, pouring forth a flood of idury, in whicli I seem to float like an insect in the beams of the sun : exulting, yet almost trembling, when I gnzo on the exce-sive brightness, and wondering with ex- cessive wonder why God should deign thus to shine upon a simple worm. A single heiirt and a single tongue seem altogether inadequate to my wants : I want a whole heart fur every separate emotion, and a whole tongue to express that emotion." Pardon mo, my brethren, if I speak of my own domcstio circle. Religion is intended to unite us in bon^ls of the closest sympathy, tu help us to rejoice with those tliat re- joice, and to weep with those that weep. Well, death had made no inroads in my household other than the removal of two infant boys — he had never touched an adult; but I had a daughter nearly grown to woman's estate, and just compleiing her education, when lier gradually changing aspo't intimated to our hearts that God was calling her homo by that fatal disease which has laid low so many of the most lovely of the earth. She was to die, and she knew it; but she felt no anxiety lor herself, — she knew that the exchange of mortality for life would be infinitely advan- tageous : but she felt for others of the family, and es- ki ■' f 72 MKMORIALS OF TUV, rk\ i in r i 1 j 1 ( i ..J pccinlly for .'in al Stnt brother. (Hero tlio vonrrnlilc doc- tor rccito'l, ill very tciulor Mnd nfTrctlMf;' tonr><. tlic r.nttiits oC Uio loiter in wlileh tlio dviiiir sister rrcoiuinciKicc] to her mueli loved brother the reliuiuii uliich was her Htay and her solace in the prospeot of tlujjreat chaiitiO which await- ed her ) 8ho eonelude(J in llil.s way : '' I do iml Tear deatli, for my Father's arms arearciind me, and he will carry my spirit sale to lh(.> bettor world. Tliink uC lur, my jireeions brother, but not as a dweller in the cold .silent tondj, but a*^ a, hnppy spirit wiio will ^-till love you and waleh ovci- you." Wi'll mi^ht the poet sing: — '* Sure tho last end Of (h(! good man is peace I Uosx caliri liis exit! Niglit (lews f'iiil not more gently lo the {•romp', — Nor wca'y worn-out winds expire so :-o(t, Behold him in the cveninj^' tide of li!'e: A life well spent, whose ii'arly care it was His riper years >hoiild nut uphraid Iiis gici n : r>y iinjM'rceived degrees lie wears away ; Y»t, like the sun, seems 1 nger at his snting! (Hijih in his fuith and liopes), look how he reaches After the ]>rize in view ! and, I'ke a bird That's hampered, struggles haul to j',et away ! Whilst the g!ad gate- of sight are wide expanded To lot uiw j.'liiiii'.s in, the lifst fair fruits Of the fast-eoining harvest: — Then, oh then! Each earth-boi n ji'y grows vile, or ilisappears, Shrunk to a '.hiiig of iiaie:;]!!. — Oh! how he Lmgs To have his pas-port signed, and he dismissed ! 'Tis done, a :d non- he's happy ! The glad siul Has not a wish nncrowncil. Even tlie lag flesh Rests too, in hope ot meeting once again Its better half, never to sunder more. QtrDHC CONFERENCTE. T8 Nor shall he hope in vnin : — the tlino draws on Wlion not a single si»ol dI" hui i.il earth, Wlietbtr on land, or in the s|».iciou3 sen, But must give buk it^ lunpf (.-ommilttil dust Inviolate." I3ut, tt deservinii ol' your conteniphi- tion. This view suu^net^ts the importance ol" ri^lit example. We arc constantly surrounded hy a crowd ol' witnesses or observers wlio mark us narrowly. I'erhaps it will be said it is very proper that ministers andothcial men in the ciuirch should be eminently pious, since they are th(! ehiej'oljiccts of attention ; but let mo tt 11 you that there is not one member exempt from this seiiitiny, this close wateliin^, — and if you fail in any particular, the voict; of ceiiPuro is not withheld because you arc not au otliee bearer: " Aha I' say they, "there's your religion.'' S')me persons will shape their judgment by your frailties ; ami by some thoughtless word, or unlovely temper, as readily as by 8ome graver fault, you may fix the destiny of a !-oul, llusi)anl! father I wife! mother ! remember this. It is not possible to over-rate the importance of example. " Ye are our epistles," says the apostle; and what would written epistles be of tliem.selvcs without the living epistles? Men might admire the writ- ten word, and say that the theological scheuie was indeed beautiful, but the inquiry for examples or witnesses of its practical efficacy would naturally be demanded; and if they t 1 if 1 i ^ ' k t II I . r « 74 MEMORIALS OF THE \7crc not fortlicomlD^", llic ihrory \you1(1 vrry ?;oon be pro- nounced utopinn. AVIicrc arc the witnesses? Is it not painful that when tl.e question is put as it is sometimes put: '* Is such an one a luember of your eliurch?" wo are prone to Ik sitato in -giving the reply, fearing often, with but too much rcasoJi, that tlic ''such an o-je" men- tioned may have c jmproiuiiicd liimsclf, antl, to s rue extent, tlie cause he luus es[)ou ed. (>h I that God would so elevate the church that we niiulit have no liiflicultv in irivinji: the name of the faithful ChiisLian, and, if necc>^sary, the street and the nunrbcr of t,to meet the requirements of their condition, and perhaps you are saying, '' Oh ! if I could get into such a state of experience, I could niucdi Inciter bear with my trials! Widl, it is your happy privilege, and the sooner you seek and obtain this grace, the sooner will you be prepared to meet your duties in a happy and cheerful spirit. How lonirit of life in Christ Jesus, lias made me free from the law of sin and death." I I " There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn frum Iinmiinuers veins, And sinners plunged benea'h that flood, Lose dll their guilty stains." • (ending onored, but let nn. and • course ing his sires in I pcrft'Ct ' minis- oils and th yoiir livdi yuu t may be iiteft'ort, s of their )uld get cr bear and the ^vill you cheerful c:!:Mng ? live by Sjiirit of w of bin QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 77 Or in tlie explicit language of inspiration : *' The blood of Jesus Christ h's Son, cleauset!) us also from all sin ;" and the power to effect this cleansing is present among us thfs evening. " 0! that it now from Hoaven might fall, And all my sin3 consume ; Come Holy Ghost, for Thee we call : Spirit of burning come. Refining fire go through my heart. Illuminate my soul, Sciittcr iliy li^ht through every part, And sanctify the whole.." If God should not deign to own this discourse, then, dear friends, there remains 3'et the solemn sacramental service, the life-giving bread and the wine, emblematic of the blood of the new covenant '' wl i 'h spcaketh better things than the l)lood of Abel." Let us come so near to (Christ in the ordinance as to feed the full virtue of that blood, and, Saviour of men ! display thy power, and mr.y many who are nuw about to approach thy table retire to their homes with the blessed evidence that ihey are made entire- ly whole, entirely clean. — Amen. After singing ami prayer the ordinary service was closed, and then the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered to ])rubably not less than five Jiundr(;d per- sons. So ended tiiis sacred Sabbath, and it is hardly neces- sary to add that it was one, the memory ot which will never be lo.st by the Methodists of Quebec. One of the most I 'ii 78 MEMOniAtS OP THE pleasing features of this last solemn ordinance was the large number of young people of both sexes who surrounded the table and partook of the sacrificial emblems — a feature sug- gestive of higli hopes of prosperity to the Quebec church. May the promise of the seed time be abundantly fulfilled in a glorious harvest. ) I I 1i QUEBEC C^XFEIlE^'CE. 79 Wi FIFTH DAY. ^:o^•D^A', Bth June, 18C3. The Conference was opened \\'ith the usual religious services. AftT some routine business had been disposed of, the following resolution was unanimously adopted : — " That a deputation bo app anted by this Conference to wait upon his Excellency the Governor General ; tho deputation to consist of Fovs. A. Green, D.D., Presitlcnt of Conference ; Jmuics Spencer, MA., Secretary ; John Carroll, Co-Delegate ; E. Wood, D.D., Superintendent of Missions; S. S. Nelles, Prcsiilcnt of Victoria College; G. H. Davis, ]Moral Governor of the Wcsleyan Female Col- lege ; AV. Jeffers, D. D., editor of tho Christian Guar- dian ; John Borland and John Gemley. AFTEUNOON. After devotional exercises, the Annual Report of tha Book Committee was presented to the Conference, and after some conversation, .idoptcd. The Rev. G Dorey, who returns to England to enter the work there, took leave of the Conference in a few afiPoctionate words, in which ho made reference to tho many pleasures he had experienced in the iiiinis^rrlal work for the seventeen years he had resided in Canada, and in his intercourse with the ministers and members of our church. lie deeply re>^rettcd that necessity compelled liim to leave his Canadian brethren ; but failirj;:; health led him to decide on returning to England. Tlie presi- I 80 MEMORIALS OF THE dent replied to Mr. Doroy in a few kind and aflectionate terms ; and the Rev. John Douse eniragcd in prayer, commending Bro. Dorey and his family to the Divine pro- tection and guidance. A memorial from the French Canadian Evangelical Union was presented, and referred to the Memorial Com- mittee. The Conference next proceeded to the election of an editor for the Christian Guardian. This item of business always gives rise to a little pleasant oxcitomcnt among the members of Confccnce, but not such as would load to any dishonorible or improper rivalry. The ballot, when ascertained, stood as follows : — W. Jt'flers, D.D 139 J. Spencer, M. A 59 Scattering 27 Dr. Jeffcrs mnde a short and excellent speech in ac- knowledgment of the confidence reposed in him, for the third time, by the brethren around him. Xlj ^ QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 81 SIXTH DAY. Tuesday, 9th June, 1863. TnE Session was opened in the usual way. Some part of the day was occupied in questions relating to character, and routine business. At 11 o'clock, A.M., the p:entlemcn composing tho deputation from the American General Conference, were formally introduced to tho Conference. On coming forward Dr. Ilibbard said : iMr. President and Brethren, — Perhaps my firs* words should be in the way of apolony ; apology for not coming earlier to discharge the duty of the commission which has called us here. My friend, Dr. Hodgson, and myself wore appoined a delegation, and a senio^ member, Dr. Bangs, was also appointed, his early association with Cana- da, and his attachment to the brethren here, being well known. Dr. 73angs, old and infirm, had little hope or ex- pectation that he would be able to fill the duties thus con- fided to hira, and yet there was some hope. T\'e waited a year and a-half or more, and God took him to his final home. I cast about at my earliest convenience, and by c'>mmunicating with the ex-president, Dr. Wood, I got iurormation respecting the sitting of Conference ; we made armngomeuts to visit you, and by the good Providence of G^'d are here accordingly. The object of our mission left tli<3 delegation at liberty to select the time of fuHilling it anv day before the next session of the General Conference. We have, however, come at our earliest opportunity to visit y(i!i ; and if the visit was not made sooner, it was not for want of prompting of heart nor from tardiness of feeling on 82 MEMORIALS OF THE Ml I I our own p.art or that of tlio brethren on the other side of the line, AVo have felt some embarrassiuent in coining here at this late hour to present the congratulations and fraternal greetinj^s of the church to you : but I hope, brethren, that these p;reetin<:s have not grown cold since the General (conference. The heart of Methodism never grows cold ; wherever it is, it is a warm heart, and boats warmly, not only for our members, but for all who love the Lord Jesus ('hrist in every place. When Paul enumerated some points which constituted^ the unity of the Church of CJod, you reniernberhe said, " One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ." lie never said we have one form of civil polity or ecclesiastical government to constitute the unity of thechurch. No, unity does not rest on these accidents of society, and I am thank- ful it does not. Why is it that my foot, my hiaid, my eye, and my ear, all work harmoniously, and serve the common interests ? Do we find any anatomical resemblance be- tween these organs ? Were we to dissect them with the scalpel knife, we could not see where the point of unity lay ; the ear has no resemblance to the eye ; the feet to the hands ; and yet they are most harmoniously working to the same end. And what is the cause of it, sir? Why one soul animates them, one mind governs them, one interest binds them together ; and so when God dwelleth in his church by the Holy Ghost, giving one spirit, actuating all one will, no matter on what side of the line we live — no mat- ter what may be the peculiar cast of our economy — no matter what language we speak, we are all one in Jesus Christ ; Jew and Greek, barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, male or fc- QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 83 niat- iKitter irist ; : or Ic- ( 'i male, are all one in the essential points in which Christ has placed the unity of the church. Hut I am glad to see a Metho- dist any day. It docs touch me to look at or meet a member of my father's family. You cannot convict me of bigotry ia this matter; have we not one common ancestry? Ah, sir, there are tics of unity between us iti virtue of our common Methodist ancestry more dear than tics of blood, and more lasting than the cotivcntioMalitics of society. We date back, under (iod,to the instrumentality of one mind, and the lonucrand further back we go, the nearer we come to absolute unity ; just as the family of Adsm, we can trace our genealogy — the further up the stream of time we go, the weUVOV we reach the one common parentage. Shall wc be forgetful of these things ? shall we allow little accidents, little political or geogr.'iphical- separations to destroy these great primal truths ? Sir, ancestry is a great principle in l;iw ; ancestry is one of the great forces by which God governs the world. The church of God had its origin in the family. lie never created a public church till he or- ganized a religious family. And now, sir, if we cannot tell of I'igypt, of the lied Sea, with the entrance of Israel, the passage of the desert, and of the Jordan, into the divinely promised land, we can tell what God did through our Joshua, who brought us out of the darkness of the past (-entury, who divided unto us a great heritage on both .•i' IJang.s, — whose name I love, and the sound of whicdi inakcs mo feel like dro]»pin_'.ij a tearj — came to Quebec, and lir^-t bcp:;in to plant the standard of Methodism uiider re;^ular minis- tration and regular work. Others had lab' uied here pre- viously, but the regular advance ol' the army now comes ; he throws out lines, pickets and outno.sts, and includes Quebec, with her strongholds, in the territory which he proposed to conquer for Christ, as Columbus did when he rook America in the name of his sovcrciuii. Dr. Baujjs took the i)lace in bihalf of the Cliurtdi of Christ, and laboured with some success ; of hers labored with still greater success in after years. I. recollect Dr. Luckey, one of the oldest ministers of the New York Conference, told rae that he was received on trial at the John Street Church, New York, and and was ajipolnted to Canada. There wore then no railroads, not even canal boats — but there were horses and saddlebags. 1 thank God for the historical recollection of them. Bishop Asbury came to Mr. Luckey, and enquired, " How much money have you got ?" lie said about 12s I To go to Canada he had a horse, saddle bags, and 12s I The bishop gave him a little more, to make it 85.00, and thus he started for Kingston. Ah ! sir, if ever we forget to plant the gospel, the shades of our fathers will come back to rebuke us ; if we fall out and forget our obligations to God and one anotln r, what shall I say ? The very ashes of the dead will rebuke us, and the ( le re, 11 : II he I ( QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 85 memory of the \K\^i rc|.r()Vo us. Xo, sir, wo will not differ in heart. I (ravel tlio grouuJ gone over by these self-.saerificin.ij; men and wliero tlioy .si:ff..'red in plantinL;; the gospid, and I cannot travel in the rail car and think that I am at liberty to f'oriict what the plantinir and rearinii, oC Mitbodisni has cost. \ wish there were more of the old-lashi^ned stuff among us. I was born undor the old regime, when we were not afraid to shout, get haj'j)y, and exhort each other Oh I sir, [ would give uiorc for the coming back of the spirit of ex- hortation than for all that earth could give. ] love good old warm hearfed .Methodism ; old gospel ways. Our work in the United States and Canada i.s essentially one, with different instrmncntality, with a litth; shading, here and there, of variations ; and we are touching it up a little on our own side of the line, but I do not know whether we shall do it nuudi good. — I am not half as zealous as I was. Acre teaches conservatism. Two thiiiirs are uece.s- sary on a railroad train — one is steam t(^ n:ake it go, and the other the brake to stop it; and i should just as soon think of travelling without steam, as to go without a brake. You may have heard ol our great progress, and of our tinkerings. The tinker is an important member of society — he is an interesting institution ; and it is just as necessary to have one who can stop a leak in a vessel is to have men to build the vessel ; but \ would first know whether the man understands his business. Some would have lay delegation, and many would modify the presiding elder- ship. It is a matter of fact that the theory of chairmen of districts, men having pastoral charge, instead of our U V it *^>. ^> ^^, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. .^^^" / '/ /A Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 ^ 'iS V <^ \ # LI ! 1 : i : " '■ i \ : I ^ ■ \ : 86 MEMORIALS OF THE present system, is a growing sentiment ; there is a feeling that we must have it, and I confess I say so too. Wo are getting to be a well peopled country, so that the presiding eldership is not now a neces- sity. But I am sorry that our increase in population has been allowed to interfere with our old circuit system. I would wish to record it as my conviction that the circuit system is the great power in the ministry. Our present arrangement makes it necessary to place in pastoral charge inexperienced young men. There are books and there are men, and men must study the one as well as the other. I must have some knowledge of society and of human nature, and that the itinerancy furnishes me. We feel, in thus dropping the oversight of seniority, that we are corrupting our circuit system. Many charges are left to the oversight of young men. I speak it not to their dispar- agement. I love young men of spirit and enterprise. I love all these things ; but in losing the circuit system, we lose seniority and experience. It is not only the duty of the ministers to preach, but judiciously to manage the affairs of the church ^ and thus it happens that young men are often put over old men with grey hairs and deep piety. Young men sometimes fail in the prudence and efficiency needed, ari«r. Bangs should not be able to come suggested my appointment — he is gone, I am here. Reference Jias been made to this good man — he was my friend, my personal friend; and he who had the friendship of Dr. Bangs, had a friend worthy of the name. He was simple as a child, atfectionate as a woman, yet a man of stern principles when in the discharge of his duty, and then if occasion justified it, he erected and shook his mane like an angry lion. But if they wished to take ad- vantage of Dr. B., they had only to appeal to his gene- rosity, and the old man was disarmed, and in danger of losing his cause. My coming here has been interesting to me on another account — it has brought me within the dominions of Her British Majesty, Queen Victoria. I was twelve years the subject of George III., for I was born in England. A brother asked me in what state I was born ; I said in the state of Yorkshire, England — (laughter.) My father brought me, when a boy, to this country, and I left England without casting a lingering look behind ; but I have cast many since. I have walked through her I QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 95 . 15anirs ly niiine ■nt and sought I could illing to )osc the \, it was ! dt'lcga- 'ost.s me J not be le, T am —he was bad the le name. I, yet a is duty, ook his take ad- [s gene- ngcr of tstiDg to lin the I was Doru in born y hter.) , and I d ; but h her igi verdant lanes, in which I was accustomed to play when a boy, and awoke to bo disappointed. It was all a dream. I do not expect to visit hjnglnnd, and for this reason, God has given mo health and work ; my place is thercfDrc fixed. I feel like the Irishman who said he had been long enough in the country to become a native. T love my country ; T love England, too. When a man takes a wife he feels bound to leave father and mother, and cleiveiinto his wife ; but he will make a husband of doubtful fidelity who ceases to love his mother. It is interesting for me to be here, to be associated with a branch of our common Methodism. I love Methodism, and yet I trust T am not bigoted. If I am bigoted, it is not a hereditary disease, but contracted since my birth, and my piirentsare not therefore responsible. My father and mother, grandfathers and grandmothers, on my mother's side and on my father's side too, were Methodists. I know my father and inother were liberal christians, they loved all who loved the Lord Jesus Christ. I was not made a Methodist by direct effort on their part. I am a Methodist from conviction, and the more I have examined and the more I stand up for the defence of Methodism, the more I love her and the more I am ready to stand up for her. With respect to the changes somedesire to bring about, »vhilst my brethren arc putting en the steam and then the brake, [ have had the honor to be brakesman. You have read the history of Methodism by Dr. Stevens — he has been called our ecclesiastical Macaulay — the history of Methodism with non-lay delegation ; a history that records an almost unparalleled instance of God's power in working '>■' it h Vr i c' ? ■ f H! ;; 90 MKMORIAIiS OF THE with human instrumotitality. Scarcely doca 1»o lay down his pen, yea, whilst dipping his pen into tho ink to complete that history, lie proposes to tjilther ministers of the American Church, he said there was one point which he felt he could not ignore, though he felt a good deal of dclicai?y in referring to it. The matter he had in his mind was the relation which wo sustain towards the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. lie confessed a feeling of dissatisfaction at the reception given by the General Conference to the representatives of the (so called) *'* Methodist Episcopal Church" in this country. It was known that we had been obliged t) defend our legitimacy, as a branch of the great Methodistic family, before the courts of law, when attempts were made to deprive us of our church property. And in one of the suits which wo were compelled to defend, an Ameiican Methodist bishop sent his written t3stimony declaring that in our annual presidency we so far retained the essential spirit of the Methodist Episco- pacy, that wo might consistently have retained our former name. The Rev. Dr. HrBBART) said; — He just rose to say, good-bye. He thanked the president for the great kind- ness, both ofiScial and personal, which had been s .own him since he came to this Conference. He thanked the brethren, also, for the kind attentions he had experienced at their hands during his intercourse with them. In refer- QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 105 ence to the point mentioned by INIr. Carroll, he paid " wo acknowledge you as in the succession.'* '' We are all in this line." " There is a lineal descent." ^' Abraliara had two classes of heirs. The one class lie retained in his house, as the inheritors of the patriarchal rights and blessings ; to the other class he gave a portion, and sent them away." "We confess the difference between Isaao and I hmael." Dr. Ilibbard went on to say he was will- ing that the stream of Methodism should spread out and fertilize the plain ; but he would, at the same time, preserve the distinctness of the channel. Again he bade the brethren good-bye, wishing them all prosperity in their work. In the midst of disunions and isms, in church and in state, he would pray and labor for union. The Rev. Dr. Hodgson said, he supposed a speech from him would be a superfluity. He and Dr. Hibbard had had a bit of controversy as to who shou'd be foremost in this deputation. He said his appointment was an afterthought; and he had floored Dr. Hibbard, and compelled him to go forward. Hj said the General Conference did not intend to judge between, parties in matters of controversy. He would acknowledge a minister of the gospel in his proper position and relation ; but vot as an cqiud with those in the regular Methodistic succession. If any had ever under- stood him otherwise, they were very greatly mistaken. He bade all an affectionate good-bye; trusting that, when the night of clouds and trials shall be past, we shall all " meet in the morning" — the morning of a brighter day than earth has ever seen. The Rev. R. Jones said Dr. Hodgson was quite correct in saying that the last General Conference did not pretend M 106 MEMORIALS OF THE i I tojudpjc between our Conference and the " Episcopals," for the reason that that question had been decided long be- fore in our favor. A petition from the Quarterly Meeting of the Quebec circuit, requesting the re-appoiutnient of the Rev. John Gemley to Quebec, for the fourth year, received from the Conference the following reply : Conference Room, Quebec, June 11th, 1863. To the Recording Steward of the. Quebec Quarterly Boards Quebec, C. E. Dear Sir, — We have received a petition from the Board of which you are the Recorain:!; Steward, accompa- nied by a resolut'on from the trustees of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Quebec, requesting the re-appoint- ment of the Rev. John Gemley to the Quebec circuit the fourth year. You will receive the following as a reply, passed by unanimous vote of the Conference, and will please communicate it to the trustee board : — Hesolvcdj — That while we admire the deep anxiety for the prosperity of the work of God which prompted the prayer of the petition, yet, from tlie peculiarity of our work, we deem it unadvisable to disturb our existing regu- lations and usages in regard to this matter. You will bear in mind that our system is one of itinerancy — that this fea- ture of our economy, has, we believe, to a considerable ex- tent, under the Divine blessing, been a cause of our unpa- ralleled prosperity as a church, in these provinces — that our present law limiting the appointment of our ministers to the same circuit to three years, is universal years, ippli QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 107 ) ! lopals/' ODg be- Quebec 7. Jobn rom tho 1863. Boardy om the jcompa- ''esleyan appoint- euit the a reply, ud will anxiety )ted the of our regu- 11 bear lis fea- ble ex- oiifereri(!C. Tlic occasion was gne of plcusinu; interest to all present. A most cordial vote of thanks was presented to.tbc Rev. Johr) Dousd, for the able manner in which ho had repre- sented our church at the English Conference, in August last. Certain resolutions wliich bad been adopted in the An- nual Meeting' of \'ictoria collogo were brought forward and passed^)ro/r>/'?na, in order to their being inserted in the journals of the Conforciice and |)rintcd in the minutes. The next question in order was taken up, viz: Who are our superannuated ministers? The list of superannuated men being completed, the question, Who are the super- numeraries y was put. These are among the most diflficult questions which come before the body from year to year. The number of claimants upon the fund is increasing so rapidly tlu^ Conference feels bound to watch the matter carefully; and at the same time, so sacred arc the claims of those ministers who have worn themselves out in the ser- vice of the church, or who have become disabled through disease or accident while engaged in that service, it is felt that they should be treated with the profoundest respect. The rights of all require that the claims of each should be examined with the utmost care. No one is at liberty to become a superannuated minister who is net really worn out or disabled ; and, to the honour of our aged ministry it must be said, there is seldom any desire to do so. To most of our senior men no thought is more distressing than that QUEBEC CONFERENCE. Ill rev. the cspectcd lion was ;lic Rev. d rcpre- August the An- tvard and I in the ites. Who are aunuated ic super- b difficult r to year, iasin^j so e matter Iclaim3 of the scr- through it is felt respect, hould be ibcrty to .lly worn n is try it To most ban that of being laid aside from the active work of the raini-^try and made pensioners upon tlie funds < "the Church; their earnest prayer generally is that they may *' cease at once to work and live." Still the number of those who by the judgment of their brethren are pronounced incompetent to the toils and hardships (A' the itin'-rai't work is becoming greater every year; and as it is generally desirable tha their claims should be prom j>(ly and fully met, and it would be a disgrace to the church as w< 11 as a crime to let it bo otherwise, increased liberality will be required from year to year, to meet these increased burdens. Alter the questions who are the superannuated and supernumerary ministers? had been answered, the report of the Superannuated Minister's Fund IJoard was submit- ted by the llev. llieh. Jones, and received. There was one fact in the report which was received with great plea- sure, namely, that the income had been sufficient the past year to fully meet all the claims. This is as it should bo. For two^or three years preceding, for the first time in our history, it was not sufficient, and only a per centage on the claims was paid. This is not only a just debt, but a debt of honour that the connexion should feel itself bound to pay to the last farthing. It afforded the Conference great pleasure to receive from the Rev. E. B. Har'^er the intima- tion that the official members of Montreal had with their accustomed liberality voluntarily offered to contribute their share toward making up the amount. It is hoped that Other wealthy friends will second the movement, and that in another year the treasurer of the fund will find himself in a position not only to pay all the current claims, but to dis- cliarge the arrearages on past years. 112 MEMORIALS OF THE ii > r The Rev. S. S, Nelles, D.D., read a memorial addressed to His Excellency the Governor General in Council, pray- ing for increased aid for Victoria college, which was adopted as the memorial of the college. Though the Con- ference have resolved to tax themselves heavily for the support of our educational institution, and not only keep it from sinking, but to maintain its efl&ciency, however great the sacrifice it may involve, they are by no means forgetful of their just rights ; and though they feel that, with the assistance of their liberal and devoted people, they are both able and willing to help themselves, they are nevertheless determined to continue to urge, with undimin- ished earnestness, their righteous claims to a just division of the educational endowment cf the country. Though prepared to suffer wrongfully if needs be, they do not feel that in this instance they are required to do so without en- tering their earnest and solemn protest against the flagrant injustice done them. The Conference closed at half-past ten o'clock. QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 113 dressed I, pray- ch was lie Con- fer the ly keep lowever I means 2el that, )lc, they bey are mdimin- division Though not feel ihout en- iagrant NINTH DAY. Friday, 12th June^ 1863. The Conference assembled on Friday at the usual time, but with greatly diminished numbers. A large portion of the ministers had left on the previous evening. The ses- sion was spent in what may be called gathering up odds and ends. The Sabbath School Committee presented a very grati- fying report, from which it appears that this important de- partment of the operations of our church is not only main- tained in a state of efficiency, but is progressing satisfac- tori)y. A resolution was passed, with great enthusiasm, re- questing the British Conference to re-appoint the Rev. Enoch Wood, D.D., to the office of Superintendent of Missions. It is evident that the lapse of time detracts nothing from the popularity of Dr. Wood as a C onference officer, or from the affectionate esteem in which he is held by his brethren as a gentleman, a Christian and a brother. The vote itself may be regarded merely as a matter of course, and therefore as unimportant, but the spirit in which it WIS carried gave unmistakable evidence that Dr. Wood li\es in the hearts of Lis brethren. The Rev. S. D. Rice was nominated by ballot as co-dele- gate for the next year. The Rev. John Carroll, co-dele- gate, and the Rev. S. S. Nclles, D.D., were appointed delegates to the next General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States. 9 I: ti : !!<^ y^ 114 MEMORIALS OF THE A resolution was passed recording the Conference's high appreciation of the character and labours of the Hev. James Mus the pence and purity of the church, have secured an uncompromising examination of character. Be careful then to maintain good works, avoiding all appearance of evil, that co-operating thus, we may all appear before the throne complete in Christ, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. We have this year been visited by tw<7 honored Repre- sentatives of the General Conference of the United States Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rev. Dr. Hibbard and the Rev. Dr. Hodgson. They have cordially avowed and fully recognized our unbroken lineage. Their communications have been most frank and afifectionate, and their ministra- tions most fragrant with heavenly unction. You will, with us, rejoice in this renewed proof of Methodistical unity, while the occasion furnishes a just reprooi to the vain and groundless assertions of " many adversaries.' ' The returns from the several districts show an increase of numbers in our church and Sabbath school. For par- ticulars we with pleasure refer to the printed minutes, but while from them you will find cause for thankfulness, there are also grounds for humiliation before God. Our increase is not in proportion to our means and auencies. With more laborers, let there be more prayer, more zeal, more confor- mity to the spirit of Christ, and then we shall have occasion QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 117 with Icrease Ir par- Is, but there ;rease more infor- ;asion to triumph and say, thanks be unto God for his abundant loving kindness ! " He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoicing, bring- ing his sheaves with him." For the future, we deprecate retrogression, and unani- mously exhort you to advancement. As a community we have no new principles to discover, though its circumstan- tials may change. The system the Father of Lights has vouchsafed to the Wesleyan Methodist church is scriptural, and sufficient for all the purposes of spiritual conservatism, and of progression. Whilst, however, a system may be complete, its utility may be circumscribed by human in- firmity, or selfishness, or inactivity, and therefore indivi- dual responsibility becomes a matter of weighty consider- ation. No agency is efficient until the Spirit of Power vitalizes it. First prayer, then mightier achievements for Christ. There must be personal, experimental religion. '' The Methodists were raised up to spread scriptural holiness." And we have, before God, vowed to be holy ourselves. Nothing should be better understood, than that we have not derived our polity and speciality from either sentiment- alism, expediency, morals, or politics; and it is a fatal mistake to make our perfection to depend on secular theories. Certain pleasurable, evanescent sensations are not to be taken for holiness. By holiness here we underr stand more than regeneration. By holiness we mean Christian perfection by the blood of Jesus ; and by Christian perfection we mean, not only power by faith over remaining sin, which the child of God has with the Spirit's witness 118 MEMORIALS OP THE 1 ■*. and his own, but sin abolished, and the soul continu- ally filled with, and ruled by the love of God. What Mr. Wesley said to his societies should be indelibly impressed on our consclcncGS : — ^' Let us steadily look into the per- fect law of liberty, and continue therein. Let us not rest until every line thereof is transcribed into our hearts." The orthodoxy of the Wesleyans in every country is a remarkable fact, for which we praise God; but this is a day of bold and perilous latitudinarianism and agitation ; and we caution you against the masks and seductions of error. The preventatives are : a steady maintenance of your spirit- uality, a candid and devotional study of the inspired Scrip- tures, and a determined adherenee to the teachings of the standard works of Wesleyan Methodism. " Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." It is one of our unalterable general rules that every member shall attend all the means of grace ; and absence, when we have opportunity and health, is a sId. It is not the talent, or imagined want of talent, in the pulpit, which is to govern your attendance, but this injunction, '^ Wor- ship God.'^ Congregational singing is the authorized usage in our congregations ; and where instrumental music is used in our benevolent and social gatherings, it is hoped that due attention will be paid to that important rule which prohibits " singing those songs, or reading those books which do not tend to the knowledge and love of God." Clasp-meetings, lovefeasts, and bands are among our most precious and essential privileges, where Charles Wes- QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 119 mtinu- at Mr. )ressed le per- lot rest ft try is a IS a day d; and error. •spirit- Scrip- of the ire lest it, after Id; and every bsence, ^ is not which 'Tal times addressed the (conference at length during its sessio'is ; and not only by the very able performance of their oflficial duties, but l)y their very agree- able private intercourse with many of our iniiiisters, they endeared themselves to us all. 13oth of these brethren were already pretty well known to many in Canada by their published works, as able and prominent ministers of the church; but a closer acquaintance has raised thom still higher in our esteem. Their visit has left nothincc but delightful and profitable memories and reflections behind. Dr. Hibbard's transparent style makes one f(!el the benign influences and enlivening power of gospel truth, and makes one see the simple grandeur of original Methodism ; Dr. 126 MEMORIALS OF THE II 'I ♦ Hodgson's style raakes one think of the forciblcness of right words, and the immense advanta«j-e of a rlL-ht manner of stating and presenting truth, argument, nnd motive to the mind. May God bless them, and may we have the happi- ness soon to meet them again ! " Our respected contemporary, the New York Christian Advocate, under the head of ^ Our Delegation to Canada,' notices the return oi our beloved brethren, in the following manner : — ^Drs. Ilibbard and Hodgson have called on us, having just returned from their visit to the Wcsleyau Conference of Canad;i, which has just held its session at Quebec. They, as delegates of the General Conference, reported flatteringly of our brethren in Canada, by whom they were received with groat cordialit}^, and with whom they spent a delightful week during their session. Tney feel that the bonds of our common Methodistic brotherhood are fully recognized by our brethren across the line, and never were more important for the conservation of chuicli and state than now. Our brethren in Canada preserve a grcat- ful and lively recollection of the self-sacrilicing labors of our fathers, who planted and nurtured the church there ; and this ancestral bond is both a legitimate and powerful tie. They are, we are happy to learn, prosperous and in good heart. Twenty-six young men were ordained elders and admitted into full connection this year, and they are reported as a class of excellent promise. Their educational interests, in connection with the Cobourg college, are in- creasing, important and valuable, both in their eflPccts on the character of their ministry and on the public mind at QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 127 large. Their increase of membership was, if we remember right, by over 5,000 the past year. They are doing well in holding on to the old paths, both as to doctrine nnd dis- cipline, and present a good specimen of the parent English Church. Their sympathies are for the cause of liberty in the States, and for the peace and prosperity of our Union. Loyalty and freedom seem to makeup tlieir platform senti- ment in these matters. Our brethren, the dclegales, ex- press themselves highly pleased with the spirit and courtesy in which they were received, and in which the object of their mission was responded to, and they feel more than ever the importance of cherishing and strengthening the international bonds of our common Methodism. "We shall be glad to see their delegates to our next General Confcr- enc3 in Philadelphia, May 1, 1864.' " •y are t-ional [The following card was published in all the English papers printed in Quebec, immediately after the termina- tion of the Conference.] WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.—A CARD. Mr. Editor, — You will much oblige me by inserting the following resolution. Permit me to say that the minis- ters of the Conference freely state that they li:ivc never been more agreeably entertained thau during their recent visit to our ancient city. Yours very truly, John Gemley. it .IP m 128 MEMORIALS OP THE " Resolved, — That the very cordial and unanimous thanks of the Conference be presented to the members of the Wesleyan church and congregation, and to other Christian friends in Quebec, for the hearty welcome with which they received so large a number of ministers, and for the hospi- table entertainment extended to them during its recent ses- sion ; and that the Rev. Mr. Gemley be requested to com- municate the same from the pulpit, and through the local papers. (Signed,) " James Spencer, M.A., " Secy, of Conference." QUEBEC HOSPITALITY. As a further proof of the sense entertained by the minis- ters of the handsome manner in which they were entertained in Quebec the subjoined notice has been taken from the Christian Guardian of 1st July : — " It was pleasing to hear our Quebec friends express the pleasure they felt in enjoying the company of their minis- terial guests ; and it is equally pleasing to know that their guests were more than delighted with the hearty and muni- ficent hospitality which was shown them during the session of Conference. We believe that some parties felt a little anxiety as to whether nearly three hundred ministers could be conveniently entertained by our friends in Quebec, con- sidering that it was the first time the Conference met in that city. But all doubts were soon set at rest, and all the ministers found themselves in most comfortable homes, thanks of the iristian ih they ! hospi- 3nt ses- to com- le local nee. )) G minis- rtained om the •ess the minis- lat their muni- session a little :s could jc, con- in that I all the Ihomes, I QUEBEC CONFERENCE. 129 where all that could be done was cheerfully done to make their sojourn in the ancient city as agreeable as possible. Never has the Conference received a more hearty wel- come, or left more grateful and pleasurable recollections btliind. It was a privilege to most of the members of Con- ference to visit a city of such historic interest, with so many features peculiar to itself, and with surrounding scenery of such unsurpassed grandeur and beauty; and it was not the least of tlie hospitable attentions paid to the minis- ters, that they were furnished with facilities for visiting the vari'jus points of interest. Quebec Methodism has a higher place in our hearts than ever, and we trust the friendships formed there will be reiip.wed, if not agnin in this world, at least upon the Mount of Zion above, in tlie city of the glorified ! "It would be a culpable omission not to notice the kind- ness shown by ministers and members of othvr denomina- tions, whose churches and pulpits were put at the disposal of the Conference for two sabbiiMis, luid many of whom cheerfully offered to receive mem1)cr.s A' the Conference as their guests during our stay in Quel)ec. We believe that the llev. Mr. Clarke in partieul:ir, of Chalmers's Church, even exceeded that spirit (>f liberal uud brotherly kindness for which he is so affectionately remembered by Wesleyan ministers who have been stationed by his side." SlQSl^ L 9 10 APPENDIX I r h It having been deemed desirable to preserve a record of the names of the friends in Quebec who accomodated the ministers during their stay, the subjoined list, re- arranged from that prepared in anticipation of the ar- rival of the reverend gentlemen, by the Rev. Mr. Gem- ley, the pastor of the Wcsleyan Church here, is given. Tn two or three cases, however, the list indicates only ivhere the ministers lodged, not the persons through whose hospitality they were lodged and boarded, for several members of the confirres-ation who had no accommodation in their own houses, cheerfully undertook to provide homes ior as many as they would have been glad to take, and it may be added, that in these cases the billets were of the most unexceptionable character. LIST Of the Members of the Wesley an Church and Covgregntion of Quebec who entertained the Ministers^ together with the vamcs of their guests. HOSTS. GUESTS. ( p. German, Banks, J , ^ J. C. Ash, ( T. Atkinson. Bates, W. J ] James Armstrong, ' ( J. Jackson. B»y"."' if.ilX:^'^- APPENDIX. 131 HOSTS. record lodated list, re- tlie ar- . Gcm- given. es only 1 whose several odation } homes , and it of the 'egntion ler with GUESTS. r W. Andrews, Bignell, W J ^- AndiMws W. Price, It. Erewster. Bickcll, J. Dowcll, f D. C. Mc \ll. McDowell. r N. F. English, Bickoll, Thomas J '^- ^"fe'l'^h, \V. English, [a. llurlburt. r T. A. Ferguson, Bridgland, J. W , .' J'^hn Hunt, j 11. Jones, [ J. W. iVIcCallum. Brown, W f P. Addison, ( N. Brown. Bowles, Joseph Dr. Wood. Budden, H A. Burns, B. A. T. Gold. Burnet, W... Cairns, H. F Clapham, J. G. Cole, B { T. Oobb, J. Norris, K. E. Tuppor. G. Young. B. Cole. Collins, W. F. Corndil, C Cornell, S eako. Short. J E. P( (W. S f J. Mills, IT. Williams. f R. A. Flanders, Id. Suth ithorland. Crocket, A S ^- ^- IJingman, \ J. L. Kerr. Dawson, S.J f Wm. Bryers, ( R. Robinson. W. \y. Ross, G. R. Sanderson, Dr. Jeflers, _ J. Carrol. f R. Brooking, Dinning, William, Jun J J; ^; Pearson, j D. A. Perrin, B. A. { George Washington, B. A. Dinning, AV J.Walter. Dinning, James. 132 APPENDIX . HOSTS. Dufl'ctt; Jaiucij Ellis, William. OUESTS. f A. Drcnnan, ( 11. Johnston. f William liriggs, I II. Cairn.H, J .J. Thurston, J. R. You man s, a. T. Kichardsou. f J. B. llo I S. Hose. Falkonbcrg, A Fisher, Mr (jcmloy, Rev. J Glass, Henry Glass, J ward, 11. LantoQ. i;. S. Shorcy. ( (i. Brown, ( John Douse. i). A. Johnston. Henderson, W. C. J. Borlaiid, (S. (J. Phillii\ A. M. Rush, E. B. Ryckman, M. A. Henderson, Charles j ^J/ ^}' <^; I^"l^«^ fDr. C. Fro'hman, Uealcy, J. R J" f' '^«""S'^- '" b. Jackson, Hethcrington, T. [ J. A. (lordon. [ A. Caniphcll, 1st, I A. Campbell, 2nd, '\ C. Vanduson, [ J. K. Willislon. Holdfelt, J { George Case, ( James Uniho am. Holt, Peter. ( R. N. Adams, J John Learoyd, "I W. McFaddcn, [ George McKitchie. (G. H. Davis, Hunt, William ^; ^':^'^'' ' 1 0, il. LUswo J. Preston. J. Barber. iworth. Hunter, Mrs.... Hunter, Ralph. f John Davis I C. Fish. APPENDIX. 133 HOSTS. Kemp, J yy GUESTS, iracsford. Laird, Mrs. .John J \y^ jj j ( J- (i. Liiird, aird. Langlois, J , rp Langlois, John Thomas Boll. Cle;:jhorn. Lawson, D. J. Saluion, J. B. riclloy, M. D. W. McGill, Q. Benjon. Legalloo, T J y. (, Ireland, ( L. 0. Kicc. Lecheminant, W t. Hannah. (A. L. Peterson, Lcmesuricr, AV ! ^- I'iiuh, 1 K. I'rotty, (, R. L. Tucker. Leitch, P < W. N. Coolcy, } J. P". Latimer, Le Sueur, Philip S George Kennedy, i S. Tucker. Le Sueur, Peter. r J. H. Bishop, f William F. Morrison, ■ J. Hannon, A. Campbell. [ Logie, David. r J. E. Betts, < J. Brock, (j. Tompkins. Louis, J pki J. B. Armstrong. George Burson, G. Dorey, "I James Gray, W.Scott. [ E. 11. Dewart. McLeod, Mrs. May, Thomas S J- E. Dyer, ^ W.R.Dyer. 'Dr. Hibbard, Dr. Hodgson, J. B. Clarksoii, John Ryer.^on, W. Pollard, D. McDonald, . E. B. Harper, M. A. McNiece, Mr \ D. Hunt, C James Harris. 1 1 I If! if! f :i ! 1 134 APPENDIX. HOSTS. McWilliams, J Micholetti, Mrs. Middloton, R. GUESTS. i F. Cokiuan, ( W. Culeman. S. Bond, T. Cosford, J. H. Stinson, C. Taggart, C. Turver. r T. \y. Constable, J J. Spencer, ^ W. Willoughby, E. Barrass. Morkill, Thomas A. Langford Morpby, John f T. Stobbs, i M. Swan, I C. Sylvester, [j. Waketield. C P. D. Will, Moore, J ^ J ^y. McCullough. Mountain, J. i F. Berry, } W. H. Po oolo. Noad, H. J Charles Lavell, M. A. t. m 5 W. Philp, Parke, T J ^^ Hadwin. i James Massin, Patton, R { W. Horton. Powell, John J' H- Johnson. {Andrew Armstrong, John Armstrong, — Richardson. C J. A. Dowlcr, Riches, Mr j t^t jjgy, ( J. Jacques, Robinson, J J j. w. Savage. J. B. Ayk'sworth, M.D., G. M. Mechan, M. A., W. Savage, S. Wilson, W. Young, J. Bredin. Russoll's Hotel. Ross, James.. Ross, Mre. D. { R. 0. Wilson, I H. A. Spencer. 5 V. B. Howard, \ A. MUlor. ! 1 APPENDIX. 185 D., HOSTS. GUESTS. E. E. Sweet, A. Sutherland, Shaw, R. J J M. Fawcett, E. A. Ward, , E. Clement. Shaw, James 5 i' ^o^' I K. bhaw. Shaw, John 5 ^•.?'?'^^' ( William Briden. Smith, John. Storey, G Tolmie, .T.... { R. H. i ( A. Smi Smith, th. II. Rcid, William Cross. R. Corson, liam Crejghton, reSers. fR. Co \ Willif It. Je: James Huffhes. Tibbits, James \'l- ^^^'^o}> Vaux, Thoma.- Wakehara, George f J. S. Evans \ Joseph Iluf ivans, igill. J. 3. Talraan. Wood, W ^ P. Bawtenheimer, ( W. Ames. Watson, Mrs , 5 George Carr, ( J« W. German. (J. S. Clarke, Webster, A. D J ^' ^- ^oyle, I D. B. Madden, (^ R. Creighton. White, Mrs. D \ ^^- Sanders, \ Joel Briggs. ' G. Goodson, W. S. Griffin, T. Hurl hurt, J. C. Slater. H. F. Bland, Whitehead, J. Withall, W. f H. F. Bla \ S. Might, ( V\^. Steph enson. 136 APPENDIX. The undermentioned friends, members of other churches, kindly volunteered their hospitality, and entertained the Ministers whose names appear opposite their own : — HOSTS. GUESTS. Clark, Rev. W \ Edwin^Fesaant. Cassils, W. C Dr. NoUoa. ,, ,. T Ti SW. L.Scott, ,,.„ . ,r f James Mathcson, (i.llcspie, Mr | j^ y Richardson. (lilmour, John J. E. Sanderson, M. A. ,. ,, f R. J. Fornian, ""«"' ^^'' 1 J. A. Wiiliama. {W. S. Blackatock, William Irwin, William Lund. Macphcrson, D Dr. Groen. -.r mu f James Hodgson, Mason, Thomas i t u u „ ' ( John Howes. McBlain, Mr L. AVarner. McCunifT T T ^ D. C Clappison, Mcouaig, J. 1 j g^ Huntin-ton. Oliver, T A.T.Green. PowiH, Rev. D J. Shepley. Russell Andrew ^ ^^- ^- P^^ker, M. A., Kusseil, Andrew { R. Whiting. Besides the ministers whose names are given in the foregoing lists, a few others who came in the character of visitors only, and the wives of some of the members of the Conference, were entertained, and several of the friends were ready, in case of need, to receive one or two such guests more in each of their houses APPENDIX. er churches, jrtained the ivn : — 187 After the lists were made up, in one or two instances, there was some change ; for instance, Mr. H. Glass received two ministers in addition to those for which he is credited, but it is not easy in such cases to get at the exact facts. It may be, also, that some one or two names classed with the Methodist congregation may belong to other commu- nions, if so, the parties must forgive the error as it has not been intentional. M. A A., en in the laracter of embers of he friends two such iruiTu :^pys