Wofford CollegeDigital Commons @ WoffordHistorical Society Addresses Methodist Collection12-8-1903The Conference of 1859, and ElseSamuel A. WeberFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/histaddressesPart of the Church History Commons, and the History of Christianity CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Methodist Collection at Digital Commons @ Wofford. It has been accepted for inclusionin Historical Society Addresses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Wofford. For more information, please contactstonerp@wofford.edu.Recommended CitationWeber, Samuel A., "The Conference of 1859, and Else" (1903). Historical Society Addresses. Paper 7.http://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/histaddresses/7The Conference of 1859, and Else. BY R EV. SAMUEL A . WEBER. D. D. An Address Delivered Befol-e the His torical Society of t he South Caro lilia Annual Conference . J\t eth odlst Episcopal Church , South, at Oreenvi lle. S. C., Tuesday, December 8, 1903 . .Jf", l ")I'I '1>i"(,1I1 I1l1d Ci'ldl")1H'1I "/ ,!I f' ilis/flr/w l SrJci"'lI of flli; South Grlm/iun OIll/t'1'1'IICI', Lflflit'i< /1 11ft Gl"utlem.l'fl: To me History has e\"f'l' been at onco a favorite study and u pl easing diversion. You bear it said that History is Phi · losophy teaching by exampl e, which is qui te likely so. L how -evor have not attained to the higher realms of his toric research and study. i\line hus been the humbler work or reading and studying- charac ter in the live~ or folks- indi vidual men and women, and ill t,he incident s and ovents of separate and occa· !'odonal epochs in pas t, and cu n ent history , I confess that I haven 't outgl'OWll my childish fan cy and fondn ess (or p ictul'es, Give me n picturc·book , em bellis hed with tho faces of tho living and tho dead , and with scenes and Cil'CtlUlstances whether of war 01' of pence,-and for the time being yOll about unfit me f01' uvery thing else, Quite unoxpectedly, I am , Mr. President and G(,lltlcmen, you r historian for this occasion, H erc not to fill the placoo( a.nothcr; but to fill my own pluec as bost I can. And I come to you wi th just such ins tinc ts tiS what, I have just said wou ld scum to indi· cate , to ask you I ' indulgence (01' some rofe l'e l1 eos , meant to bf' r ealisti c and pictol'ial, to my p er sona.l J'ccol1 eetions of the Sout,h (;m'oli na ' on f(, l'cnuc of . B5~ , which like tbe p l'c~ent Conf,"renc,' was idcnt,ified with t,he gencl'ol1S and clegant hosp itality of Grcenvill€', the queen c ity of OU I' South C~wolina, Pipclmolll. Yes, it \,,'as i n J85!l - BOth of NovembeL', 185!l -- tha.t t he South Carolina Conference met rol' the fil'st time in this goodly a.ud pictul'esqu e city; and Lo1'o aDd then I bad my fil'::.t sight. or that venerubl e body and m y fiJ' ~t CXPf-} l ' j(:tl Ce c')f it. 2 B.,\I~I 'IST EJ>UCATJO:olAL I XR'I' I'I'UTloxs. I pause on the threshold of my especial t he me to me ntion - be-cause I ought- t.hat at t.hi~ time (1859) the SouthC'I'n Raplis t Theological Seminary had just been institu ted and located in the town of Gr eenville . It had l'ece ntly brought to this pJn.ce fou l.' mou, the mombcrs of its orig inul facult,y, fOUl' finc men, who wore th en in the il' youthful prime, and who n.f1.e l' wal'd l'l did u. great wOl'k for theil' Chu rch : Bo.vce, the wise and munificent administrator of a great trust, c lear a nd s trong and dis tinc tly do<:triu::tl ns a preac hel' and as a thrologica\ instt'uctorj Willi:.uns, the s unny Ch l'istian gcntlellUln, the Cill'n cs t and populal' minis-ter of the gospel, and t,he (;onscicntious and woll-furnis hed pl'O-fessol'; Manly, whose very name i s a dCS(, l'iptive adjective of his consocl'ated life and bis usdul li fe-work, a,nd, last but not least, Broadus , whoso ni.\me a nd fam e arc cuterminollS with the Church, nameless here exc:ept in that Name which is above every namc. Excuse me if I copy b(~ l'c tho dedicatol'Y page of Dr. Bt'03d-liS'S MAONUM Opus-Commentary of t be Gospel of ~ Iatth('wwhich is inscribed with th(, name of his fa.thcr-ill -h'lw, who was (). local preache r of the "Methodis t Chu rch: To the Ch eri shed M eIllOl'Y of GF~SNER HARRISON , M. D. , ll'ol' many yeal's Profossor or Anciellt Languages in the Univol'-~ity of Virgiuia, At your feet I lea.rned to love GI'eek, and my 100re of the Bi -ble was fostered by your earn l'st devoutne:-;s, Wer e you s till among us, you would kindly welcome tb e fruit of study, whi ch now I can only lay upon yOUl' tomb j and would gJadly accept any help it can giYe towards undel'standiug th e bl e~sed word of God ) tbo t r casul'o of OU I' ('ommon Ohl'istianity , whose conso-lations and hopes sustained you in life and in df'ath ) and went with YOll into the unseen and eterllal Nomen muitis clul'um ct venel'a-bile. :,\1ihi adhuc magis te r utque pMor. ,I , A,n . And here \'it' also found Li'ul'llluli Univel'sity just beginning its fin e work in generous and fl'aternal l'i,"ail'Y with our Wof-rOl'd Col lege, Dr James C, Li'ur ITIim, whoso his toric na.me and 3 that of tlw i Jlst.itlltion orCl" which he pl"vsi(lPd Shf'd I ustrc eithol' on other ) \V,IS then Pt'esident of the University. Charles R . Jlluson , the p l'oduct of a Methodist homo, and who bud rCf'ont-Jy come hit!1Cl' ft'f1111 out' Cal'olina Female t'ollpga, in Ansollville, N. C. , was t,ben t,he youthIul nnd sLudiou!=i., as he is now the venerable and learned, Pl'ofcssol' of l\latbematics of the Uni\"Ol" sily. Tle lin .. ,,;, by a t't'Ct' nt lll11nificcnt contribution to tho ell-dowment fund of j"urman Uni,-cl'sity. ent'olled his name among the bcndoctol's of South CaroHna and as ft very Ma."Ccnas of his tirues. 1 wish ,I cClLllcl I'(~pl'odllc::e a scene iu uur Confcrol1l..'e. hel'e, ill !SS2- ju~t t,wen j.y-ollC years ago Jt is vivid in my memory at this moment. Bishop McTycil'c was in tbe chair. Dr, James B. Carlisle, our PI'C"s idl!11t of WoffoJ'd College, hud the flool' . Ht, was in the Illid~t of n. nHlst.('~· ful addr('ss and a thrilling appeal on Clll'istiall f'd ut:ation. Ire J'ecogn ized his coadjutor in a simi -lar gl'l'n"t work, Dr. Pllrman~ in the audience, and in pathet.ic tont's und in uncollscious dramatic style, t.hus addressed him , sp en, liing- r~t 011<'0 for himself and the Conference: (I I see befor£' me 01'. Jj1 ul 'man, t;hf' Pl'osident nf the Univel'sity that beal's his name, Peace be wi t hin thy walls and prosperity within thy lJuiaces, Fol' my bl'ethl'en's and companions' sakes, I will now say, PI.' .. u..'c be within thee." Tu~ CON FEH...t~NCE OP 1859. But to my pleasant task. 1~he Coufel'enc.-e or ]859 met at the COllrt Ilollse:. El'ol'o we held Olll' daily sessions and held r elig-ious sel'vice {'vel'Y night alld all di.1.Y on tho two Sundays DC the occasion :)cvel'al of th{~ f'ommiitees and tihe M i~sion Board mot in Greenville 8c vCI'al days beforo the Confel'encc fOl'mally cOll\'cncd, so that t,hl" Lown was in tbC' band::; or the !\'l ethodls1 preache rs (or about t,('U d(l,Ys. No wonder the local CUl'lCat,UI'ist - a good Methodi!-1t and a genius withal - mal'ked the f'xit of a h~tCl' Conie1'l?ncl· b(ll'(' with a solitary rooster ventu1'ing out, from his whilom (.'O\'t.'l't, and ulappillg' his \Ving8, and l5rOwing the exultation of his III<11'Velous e~(Japei.1.l1d present saft't,y. But, door fl'iends, Wl' clan 't stay RO long these latter days. VIc bu.\'(' leal'ned to t'cOtlomize,-whatt:vl-!r that may liU':\]J Cood v1d Bishop ~:a.l'ly pl'esided FJe WilS 7:3 yeul'S old and hud been ~J bishop only five Y('I11'5:. [-Ie was a Uno old Virginia gentleman 1 and would l'emind one of Thos. Nrlson Pa.g-e ':o: ':Old Cvntlernan 4 of the Black Stock, " excopt that the vene rable Bishop '~ ke r -chief was white. H e was c lean s haven and had a full h ad of s now white bail' , The Bis hop presided with dignity, - and with persistency , also. H e could see your point c\s soon as you made it; was Dot a little impati ent H you wor e s low to make it,-and was utte rly out of patience with you , if you didn't make a point at all. I think be ct,l1cd it all illt . Ah! my brethren, there we re giants in those days ,- and J ohn Eal'ly was oue of tb em. He lived in the s ame County in Virginia. with my pate rnal an-ces tors. My grandfathe r was present a.t the campmeeting whm'c and when young F.arly, a.rtt' I' a s truggle at the rude t\\tar. was converted . H e gave '''''ay t,o h is feeling in part by climbing-a black-jac k sapling. He believed in emotional r el ig ion of the I · know-so s tyle- the dircc t . witn e~s - of - the· Spirit typo Any one could have told that who beard his nrdination sel'lUnll a.t the eleven o 'clock hour on the Green\,ill c Confe rence Sunday . It was on the convers ion of the Saul oC Tars us in to the St. Pau l of Christian His tory. He fo und in it a type o[ the old· fnshioned Metbodist s tyle of g etting I'cligion, and that yotl didn ' t have it unl ess you got it , tboll and thore got it. The Bis hop presiding n.t OUl' present Confereuce was at the time of whic b I s peak a lad, ten y ears old , at his fath er 's home in old Sumtm' Distric t . His fathe r, a Connol' membr'l' of t he South Corolina Confe rence, was on e of my best fri ends , and I account myself happy iu having the fl'i endship of tho son. I voice the thought and fel!ling of this pl'csent audience when I bid him wolcome to his native State, a.nd to the Conrc rcnce of his earlie r minis t r y, and to Gl'cenvllle he r o bis fOl'lnol' home. And I will be a llo wed to s ay t.his , which gi ves me pl'oround pleasure and satis fac tion, that he is all the more wei como Lo m(' and to my bretbl'cn of the Confe l'ence fa )' whom 1 speak, in that he preaches that same simple gos pol, and in the pentecos tal power of it, which c rowned thc mini~try o( the apos toli c J ohn F~rly with s uch phenomenal s uccess is "be hey -day or hi~ min· istry in Old Virg inia. '1'he Rev, F . A. ~100d waS tho Conre r ence host hor o ill 1859. He met t he trains at the old G. & C. d epot , and, perched on an I'minencc above his brethren round about, as signed us , as we Itave him Cll ll' names, to our homes in tbe c ity. Tha.t was befor e tbe timo of Confer ence dil'octol'ics publis hed in the Advocate Ot' elsewhe re. 110 gave me a good bome with the Clerk or thl' 5 Court, rapt. McDa.n iel, and along with me Jonathan Mc-Gregot' , J . W. Me RJY, and A. J . Stafford, u.<:; fello w guests. I need not say that Francis Asbury Mood was the youngest of fnul' brothOl's who at th e same time were members or the South Cal'alina C'onfel'r l1cc ilnd t,hat t,he ir fath er in his early ministry belonged to the s ame body. H e transfel' l'ccl a fe w year s later to Texas and left as his monument the Southwestern Unive rsity--tho great, Methodist educational p la.nt and ccntel' of the Lone Stal'State. His tas k would seem to r equil'e the brain and brawn of a giant. But Dr. V1.ood had nei the r . He had a will to work and bad faith in himself and in God. H e set fOJ' himself a great tn!';k,-and he t r ied, and tried again and again , and finally succflcrl f'd . His life, prepul'cd by his colleague, Prof. Cody , is a. most intel'csti ng book and is the r ecord of a nobl e life of bard work . Our host [0 1' the prosnnt occasion is the Rev. Chas. Betts Smith . He is fOl't,unnto in the convenient assista.nce of our yuungol' bl'e tht'cm , Hel'bert, Spealw and the Junior Harmon , l'l:H' b of whom is a host within himse lf. A.s to my brothe l' Smi th , tbo bost-in -chi c r, pm'haps I had be tte r s uspend judg-ment till after Con rer nnce. Bn t, no. T htLVe known a great many Smiths- first and las t- but nevol' a ono thut has suited me quite so weil, not even excepting the Bishop, I don 't be-Iiove, and I won 't bel iove, that beauty is only skin deep. Why, - some men al'e pretty to me even i n the dark, TilE Ol.O GUARn. or the large body of mini s tors- in chuI'gc of a Confer en ce lay members hip of morc thn.n 87,000 (whi te and black)-of this body of minis te rs who assembled here forty·four years ago, only e ight l'olll t\in . Let me (;all my short roll : A. M. Chre itzberg, Jno A. Portor , Jobn M. Carlisle, A. J. Cauthen, W . W. J ones, W. A. Cla,·ke, O .. \ . Darby and William C. Powe,· . ~ly fri end and c lass mate, R R . Oagnall, was uot then a member as the '\1inutes would St~em to show He was admitted in 1857 but immediately r e t.il'ed !l'om the acti vc work to continue his studies at the Cokcsbul'Y Confe r enco School. He was admitted reg-ulady in the elass of 1862. T . J . Clyde, .Jno. W, Humbert, J, B. Campbell and A. J. Stokes were admitt.ed in 1859. Brothel' A, J. Stufford and I went up also, hoping to be adrnit.t.ecl ut, this COnftH'Cncu. Stalfo\'d was teaching at llcnn ctt.c;villo fwd I was one of tho faculty oC t he Cukpsbu t,y C'Oufl'l'cncH t-ch!')ol. "\Ve desired to be admitted and to be allowed to c:on tillU t' a t school work in connection with nominal p<1sto ra.1 servic(' . Hlit that was dee:lal'cd to be irregular, and so we fell beh ind Oll r (;ollpge class-mates) Humbert., :::;tokos and Weav~ t'. Lillc1::;ay Carl' Weaver! I pause to pa.y the tribute of a ~it;b to his nwmol'Y, }i'Ol' mOrC th<~n hu.l.f of hi!'; college cou r se, be was utterly iudi[· forGnt to religion. So it sl'erned to bis a,;;;sociates <1nd (I'il'nels. Butduriuga r evival in widell Drs. 'Vightman , Smith aBd CrOBS did most of the ])l'caching, but in wbicb the Ha.illtly \V. C. Kirk· lund did most of thcpc rsonaJ w'ol'k, Wel:wL' l'wt\;-; powerfully cun · vcrted. It was a, genuine case of stln·bright con\'cl'sioll, The young conve rt didn't doubt it, No1' did those who kncw him beforo a.nd ufh'l' this db;tinct cris is in bi~ life . Rc gl'aduatpd in Juno and soon :1f.1,cr went to Philudl'lphia. to l'OmnWllCe thn study of medicine. He l'I'mailll.!d th e re (01' i1 fHW month~ pUl'· suing bis studies with cou:::ciunl,ious fidelity; bllt realized all th e while a felt want of congenial fi t ness [01' his work. He forced himsell to his task; but bad no b('ar L [01' it. God wa~ inviting him to a higber mission and work. 1\"ledicinC' is i.\ profession; tbe ministry of the gospel i~ a vocntiOIl 1'be honll~ly English or vocation is "a ca.lling." God was cull ing him to pl'pach tht~ gospel. He hesita.ted, bllt not ·Ion:;. 11 0 applied at hi!::> Orst opportunity [01' aclrnis:,;iou into the South Carolina Con.ft'J'(.'IlCC. He railed bi s second year (1~6J) at Yorkville Stat,ion. I rellle.m· ber - oh! so distin.ctly!-how ill1pl'pssiv(~l'y l,he ve-ncl'able Baud English read hisobituul'Y ill the n1t~morial ~pr"ice nt 1,b!' Sumt.er Conference of 1863 . .Atthe end of tb e year (]SG1) hr was grant-ed n supcrnum('l'tll'y rolation, whic h he cout.iuucd to sU!';ltain until bis death, a.t Bishopvillt', in t)umt.t'l' nistric:t, 1'"ebl'Uill'Y 28Lh, 1863. H e was aIlli(~ble iu :-:-pi!' it. , ullcompr omising in in · t€'gTity, uotlinc'bing- in zeal, and Hblmdant in labol's, dlll'lug his short carcol'. He died in tile faith, and his end was p eace, Servant o( God , well done! A WORD PERSONAl •. 'Will my bl'ct.bl'cn suITor a word of testimony and expe r ience. (1 t is alway!'> in place in a Methodistlllceting".) W hf'll I r ealized tlmt T \v~k~ not to be allowed, wit.h my college mates an d others, 7 10 entt'r tbp ("ollf{,] ,t'l1Cf' in 185ft, I turned away fl'om the Con-(("l'pnco and Ol'penville, with a distinct ft'oling 01 Joss Ilnd with a s~nsc of sadm'ss akin to ",bat I afterwal'ds knew as personal bpl'eiW"11ll'ul. r did not apply the lH'xi year at Co!umbia. 1 did apply at, CIll'stC t' in 1861; but the war was ou, and no class at all ·was a.dmitted . . 11, was in lHl.i2 , in Spal'tanbu rg, that Twas admittf·d 011 probation wit,h my deal' Dagnall, wbo still labors and waits wit.h I1W, and my othor two 11'i nels, J ames C. H ttrtsoll and Robort C. Ol iver, who have gono on before Ob ! my breth-rOn of tho Sou l,h Carolina Confe r ence, deady-beloved and longed fo l' , "my joy and (: I'OW11 , " excuse me when I aSsuro you UOW very essential you have be('olne und ::u-e to me. I have il'<.tJ'ned bf'st to know the mean ing of the communion of the Sa.int!=; ill the f,'llow!=;h ip of the Soulh Carolina Confer ence. All tho iuv('s t lllf'tJt of good name and Chr istian chal'actcr I have Jllade among men i:"; just such a r; I have by youI' partiality and sufferance. You can ve ry easily do without me as I don't know how Roon you Innst : but, oil! bow ca.n 1 evor do without you! "If I fo t'geL the", 0 .Je rusalem, Ipt Illy right hand for get hel' (·unning. IIIf .r do not I'cmemboJl' thee , lot my tongue cleave to tbe l'oof of my mouth. " J love th y Church, 0 God, Het' walls befor e Thee stand , Dpal' as Lhc apple of Thine eye, A Del g-n l.Ven on Thy hanel. If e'o1' to blp ....... s her SOilS ~] Y voice 01' bands deny, 'rbeso hands let useful sk ill forsake, rrbis voice in s ilence die. '1' 11 & W ORK A~O 'j'll):: WOllKlI"E:'II. Let me give you a lh,t of Lhe Dh,tr icts and o[ the Presiding glders who I'epor tcd them in 1859: Cha1'leston District,. . . ...... . .. .. . ... W. P. Mou l'..On 8 Orangeburg Distric t . ...... . .. . . . Paul A. M. \Villiams Marion Distric t . ......... . ..... Ab('l M. Chrcitzbf" rg Columbia Distric t .. .. ....••.. . ... . ... \V. A . (~amcwell Cokesbul'Y District ............. . .... . W A. McSwain Spal'tanburg Dis trict ..... . . • . . ...... H. A . C Walke r Shelby District .. . .. . . . ..... . . . ....... . . . H. C. Pnl'::;ons \Vndesbol'o Dis tric t .............. . .... Sidi H. Browne I write from memory and the re may be lbe e rrol' of a name in tho above lis t . You will agree with m~ t,bat this wa ... . a s trong cabine t- very s trong. Tbo Confe rence o( that day could not eas ily have furnish ed u. stronge r one, lndnlgc me for a littJt~ while . Mou7.on wns a. fin e s ermoni ze!', pel'hapF; tho most ac· coptable in the pasto1"<.lote of any man amongst liS ; be was s n..fc but not aggressive in bis Distric t work 'V illiams was an earn est and intelligent preachel' j excell ed a..":t a write l' for publi-cation , and wa~ acceptable and use-Cui OIl hi s Dis tric t. Game-well stood vory high bolh as a pl'('uchc r and pl'('s iding' cldol' . Conse rva.tive, safe, useful, aDd woll-nigh unive rs ally beloved . His POl't aod tbe vcry tooer-: of his solemn and kindly voice pl'c-possessed you wiLh his godly character . McSwain was a SOUl' · jog eagle in tbe pulpit, preached meta.phys ies, sometimes I and was then mueh above hi s aV('. l'agn (>ongl'cgutiOl1 j but could and frequontly did preach with Hno effect and imlllediate r c::; ults . He bad p01'sonal magn etis m in a high d (>groc and ell 'CW cl'owd~ at his District apPOintments. B . A. C. 'Vulke l' was ill many r es poets at the head of the list, and a Icadcl', bOI'n and made, among his bl'ethrt'n "He was a s trong , clea.r , orthodox preache r of our Wesleyan theology. His judgment could about always be relied on . No mcmbel" s word !=; meant quitll so much on the Confer ence fl oor. ::;idi H. Browne was a man of poise and power . His preaching was g en prully a~ c learas a s unbeam and at t imes was in intellectual and s pil'itua.i force. He ga.ve c lose attention to the detail~ of bll sinos~ . Scrmcd slow-motionod but aiway~ got the ro. He made lUl'g o tlSU of his pen and was a write r of mar ked indi\' iduali ty . He looked, ns h t" WUl-', n ~ tl'Ong man. nilliard C. Parsons was thf' youngest member of the cabine t ; but r etired early frol11 poor health and died young. Jl e madt> li no promise of great, use(lIl11l'ss and prominence. H e was well vlIr st"d ill J\1 elhodis t theoic)g"Y and was wiso in administration . 11 0 was l'I 'udy in debate on the 11001' of the ('ol1fo1'on('.o. t\ bel 1\1 . (, h n' i t~b"l'g il-: s till with llS. ·It:ven t.hen he was a marked man . 9 Strong on finan ces and good at figures. Had already made a fine reputation as a strong, and at times e loquent preacher. He early gave pI'oruise of what he bas become, a great man in our Isreal. Tnt: BISllOP'S ADVISERS. The presiding elders then, as now, were the Bis hop's right hand , They (and possibly mo,'e then than now) made the ap-pointments, A good thing is told or good old Bishop Early, but it didn 't happen in South Carolina.. The cabinet wns in session and the Bishop and the elders wor e bal'd at work fixing tbe ap-pointments. Thore was a hitch . The wheel~ looked and wouldn 't go round. The Bishop chafed at the delay, and be-came ne rvous and impatient. This is about the way it was: the Bishop loquitur : "II you pleaso, this is my work. I'll make these appointments. If you please, brethren, I'll make the appointments. If you please, certainly, this is my work. I know the preachers and I know the places. Certainly, I 'll make the appointmonts." And the old gentleman, ala .l!'l'uncis Asbury, to whom the whole connection wa.c;;, as it were, a per-sonal diocese, went to work to make the 'appointments, and hadn't proceeded very fal' till he (ound, as might be expect.ed, that, contrary to wbat be had just claimed, he knew neither the men nor the places; and was glad enough to havo the elders como to his I'escuc and help-and especially to the belp and rescue of the preachers whose appointments were being made, EXA;\fJNATlON Oli' CUARAOTER. But the elders were llone t.he less important on the floor of the Conference during t.ho examination o[ character, conducted then, when not otherwise ordered by the Conference, with closed doors. This proceeding in secret session hac;; been criti-cised as a Star-chamber process, and like that a possible means of injustice and oppression. We all know, and evorybody ought to know, that it was never anything of the kind. It cons tituted an ordeal of ministerial character absolutely unique in Chul'c'b government, The Conlel'ence is in session. A brother's ntlme is called, [ f there is nothing against him, he retires nurl the brethren hear what thore is to be said in his favor. H , how-ever, there should be cbarges or complaints, those arc b1'ought. to his personal attention and notico, and be is allowed ('\'c l'y 10 opportunity of explanation 0 1' d efence. Th e old preac hers used to bold ll S , then young fellows, to s tric t nceou nt. Ou]' gene ral bebavior, our habits of s tudy, our a tt ention to the de tails of the work of a preacher, as to wbf' tbel' we preached too long or too loud , Our bearing in socie ty, especially in tb e society of young indics ,- ull thes e rnnttel'S were looked iu to vcry carofully . CUOOSINO A Wn' E. A preacher - a young b}'other . I mean- was expC'ct,ed to con -s ul t with his seniors in the minis try about the impo rtant s tep of g etting a wife . A young brothe r once cons ulted "tIh. \Vesley about his marry ing a cer t..'l.in Lady . li ND," said tbe wise man-wiser it might seem about other folk 's mnrrying tban h is own -hNo. I am quite s ure s he wouldn't suit you /I " But, M.r. Wesley , " persisted the other , " s he is a good woman- very pious-she lives c lose to the Lord. " " Ah! my brothe r ," 1'0· Burned our great founder, " the Lord may li ve with a good s ister tbat you and I can 't. " It is told of another thltt when be went to consult his olde r brother about getting to himself a. wife , tho older brothol' doubted and begg ed him to proceed cautiously . " But I feel qui te s ure she is t he very woman to be my wife. " " Well , my young brother , you had bet to r make it a s ubject of prayer ." "But Ihave done 50- 1 have pl'ayedovcl' the matte r , and the Lord has ans wer ed my praye r and told me to court the lady ." " Oh! well, " - and the in te r vie w closed . Ho proceed ed wi th the courts hip ; but the d ear young s is ter s aid, No. She wasn ' t going to s ubmit to a,ny s lwh snap judgment. I don ' t, blame hel'. My bearers who are mathematically inc lined will observe my frequen t t1 S0 of corollaries and scholiums (jo:;cholia?) in tbeoonrse of- s ha ll I call it?-my demons tl'ation . The good sister is too important and too dis tinctly a Ccuture in OUl'economy and or our work not to ha ve a s howing in this nondescript produc tion of mine. ,"Vhy, a t the las t annive rsary occa.'5 ion of this Historical Society , womun was the feature of the meeting. The address was on " Tbe E piphany of Woman . II Good. Yes , indeed. The s ister is hel'o and her e to s t.a.y,-and in the fore in every good wor k and word. A venerable and beloved preachel' of the B~ptist Churcb-unc, too, whose nanlt: is a::; ointment poured fortb - once naively and sweetly remarked : II Well, iI I did not have a. wife and thore 11 was only onC! ma,rriagl'able woman in the world, I 'd court her, and , if sho wouldn't h~n-e me, I'd b('g t.he privilege of boarding at her hOllso. · J To all of which I say, Amen and Amen . The author of "Proverbial Philosophy" says : "Seck a good wire of thy Lord, for she is t,be best gift of His Providence." In the book of Pl'overb~ it i.e; said, uWhoso findetb a wife flndeth a good thing" Solomon knew a good thing when he saw it, and he not only wl'ote by ins piration but, ft'om lal'ge ex perie nce. Look here, boys, do you get ma.rried. Each one of you get u wife; only be sure in doing so that you fulfill the conditions of the \Vise man, "a prudent wife is f l'om the Lord . " The Bishop and tbe elders may addse you to go s low j but euch onc of them has a wile. And I have found out in agenel'al way by observa· tion iu such casus, C'tltp gruy marc is the bettor horse," THE MISTRESS (11-' 'rliE MANSE, r tUI'D away for this occasion from woman--God bless he r!-as we find bel' a regular and s ympathetic and I'cspon~i\'e mem· bel' of OUI' congrcgations, (Ob! what would becomp of us if the sisters would boycott th e parsons?),- or again as we find her as hel' PilstOl"S right hand in loving alms-deeds and labors of mercy and charity, 0 1' a.s we find hoI' in Sunday Scbool work, 01' us we find her at work in bel' soc ieties for Missions, both at borne and nbroad,-I turn aside from such inviting fields t.o woman as we have he r in ollrparsonages, Wh en 011 occasion we l)ray at the famity altar 0 1" in the public servicc for the pastor. let us not neglect to pray at the same time for the Mistl'PSS of the Manso, In bel' dolicate and responsible work a.nd in the peculiul' bUl'den~ she hal=> to bear,-oh! she craves and s hcnced s our sympathy a.nd our prayer, If a. pI'eachel' is sent to a POOl' charge and put on short allowance, how she will scrimp, and save, and turn, and patch, and darn, that something may be saved from u small salary to kee p the children at school and after 1), while to send them off to college; and when Con[m'cnce.: Comes uI'ound bow bappy it makes her to dony hel'.o;;elf a. new gown that bel' husband-the handsomest IUall ill the Confcl'cnc(" in ber loving eyes-may weal' a new coat, I am so glad of t,bnt beautiful custom of Out'S to mention ill lo\-ing memory the names of our deceased \vivcs at, tbe annual memorial service ur tbl' Confe r ence. But let us not wait till they di e' 10 thilLk justly and speak sweetly of these hand -maidens of till' Lord. 12 A Tm'X>J.()(H CAL SE..'flNARY ON 'VIIEt:r.S. The Committee to exumine n.ppliC'ants consisted of H. A . C. Walker, Samuel Leard and Corneliu~ McLt..--od , It would be carrying conls to Ne wcastle to s~ak further of Wa.lker. Sam-uel Leard, too, who only a fow years ago wont from us to bo forever with the Lord, tLfter a blameless ministry of 61 yea l's, is pleasantly r emembf'red as a vcry Fit . .Iohn of loving di c iplcship, and as a writer of pleasing and instructivcannals of QUI' de nom-inational history in South Cal'olina. Cornelius ~l cLcoc1 was less generally known. H e was a man of vcry considerabl e cu l-ture. By seH-education he came to know somothing of Latin and Greek and Hebrew ; knew quite n good d eal or Ii£ciesia."ti · cal History ; knew mathematics uptomensurationnnd sul'veying, ~t'i.nd he knew-bow well he knew! -old Murray's .EnglishGrn.lll-mar. He examined on grammar, a.nd without a book We found out something of what he knew ; he found out more or what we didn ' t know. 'rhis examination was my introduc tion to the Conference Course of Study which I afterwards r esumed when I was regularly admitted into the body. Our class wentthrough the whole four years without a break. I had some excellent teachers ell TfJlltt>, e, g" A. M. Chreitzberg, J. T ]'nlgo, Henry M. Mood , Thomas Mitchell , bes ides these mentioned above, Brother IDlgo stands first in my l'ccolJection of all my cxnm-iuers. This Courseof Study was then om'theological seminary, And it is largely so s till , Out" sister cbUl'ches are at great labor and pains to teach their thcologues some things "hard t.o be understood," as P eter said of some of the writings of his dearly-beloved Brothel' Paul. I have thought that \ve have a lighter task than our bre thren of other denominations in learn· ing and teaching the doctrines of gruce, And yet it may be allowed t.hat fl'ce gl'H-ee, like i reo trade among the politicians, is l'<.1sier in 1,hool'Y than in pl'act,ice. SOlTooLS AN J) SCJlOor~ TJo~A Cl[)m,8. 1 t hink I cuulu wI'i te a book on my schools and school teach-ers. Dating fl'om my earliest recollection at my mother's knee, and Intel' in the I'abecedary " instruction of t,be pl'imary school, un tlll'ougb Academy and ColiC'ge , and still further in my Con-ft·'j'once Course of Study, und further still in my COmmer ce and L'OmlllllniOIJ with my felluw-men , the process i ~ curried on t.ill 13 DOW, to be continued else where at the clay of my d eath. How much do lowe to my scbool teaclH~l'S, first of all to James H. Carlisle, the inspirat ion of my College day~ and ever sinccj to Samuel Landel', who prepared me for College and who after-wards associatod me with him for a. while in the work of teach-ing, the most thorough teacher I have over bad1-and to Robert W. Boyd, who was of essential service to me in my early ex-p erience as a teachor, at our Conference School at Cokesbul'Y. He was t,he vcry man I need ed at that particula.r time. Happy tho young p1'cacher who has a capabIn and kind c ritic in the rOl'mat.ive period of his minis try. The Bascomese was a tempta-tion in the way of pulpit style about the time I began. Excuse the offensive mw of the first person singular in what I sballnow say. To be a second Bascom, if not to leave bim in the shade as I might intervene between him and the sUD,-ab! me- how I r emam be l' my shol't-l i ved am bition to soar toward the Empyrean Bascomese was a. dis tin ct disease, and I bad my case-broke out thick like when one bas the measles, tbe most picturesque of human ailments that I have known about. It was in the fall of 185!). It was during my novitiate as t eacber and preacher at Cokeshury. r had fol' my pupils John Attaway, R. R. Dagnall, J. C. Russell, W. M. Wil son, C. C. Fishburne, N IT. Melton, Jno. L. S ifly, II. ~f. Morgan, W. A. Hodges, E. G. Gage, Mal-com Wood, John E. Pcnny and Joo. L. Stoudemire, who became members of the South Carolina Conference. Elo'mH.TS Arr PULPIT ORATORY, Occasionally I took my turn in the Cokesbury pulpit with the vene l'able and beloved Joel Townsend ; the former Rector of the School, Geo H Round, a man of great personal dignity and an imposi ng figure in tbo pulpi t-Lis !'-OCt'mons would do to print just as he prcachod them- ; Pl'Of. James Wesley Wightmnn, ayonug· er brother of the Bishop, and who showed occasionally some-thing of the Bishop's consummat.c power and eloquence; Rev. S. B . .Jones , who was much admired even then a..'5 a. pulpit orator; the Presiding Elder, Rev. 'V. A. McSwain, who was grea.tly ad· Illil'ed,-and the Pastor , Rev . J. VV. North , One of the strongest doctrinal preachers I have ever beard- possibly the strongest of the Conference since the days of the eccentric Sumuel Dun-woody, So when I did pl'each r must be at my best. I hUrVt'~ long siDce lost my notes; but I can distinctly l'cmt'mbcl' SOUle of 14 the ins tan ces of my youthful eloq uence. I am tempt('d 10 give you a. specimen or so- ex pede Hercul em. (J ut, no. I will only venture to tell you how some of my fli g hts of ot'atol'Y wor o l'cceived . Remember that my cong l'cgntion wa !=; composed large ly of my pupils, and many of them a.boul my ow n agc-young fellows of a bout t he avol'ago sense and nonsense. The old rule us ed to be: (1) "Begin lo w, g o slow ; (2) take firc, a::;-cend higbe r j (3) when mos t impressed , be self· possessed . " I bad got beyond my firstly , " begin low, go slow. " - nnd neve l' did g et to thirdly , "when most impressed , be self-possessed ." No, at the time of which I am to te ll , ] was a.t my secondly, 'I t.o.ke fire, rise highe r ." I had jus t left t he earth, fragrant and beautiful with no weI's, and was making excurs ions tbl'ough the s tarry heavens, when away back from one of th e back bonche's, some thing betlveen a hiss and whis tle punctuated my e laborate sentence, And I have neve r s in ce adventured lhe bifuiut,in without a lively r ecollection of my early expe l'icnec. I r ClUc m · ber so well when on onc occas ion I was doing 0 1' try ing to do something extra in the way of ora torical eITeet 01' vi ctOl' iul I'll ,t· oric , or poss ibly both of these, my good fl'i cnd , t he noctor, who sat conveni ently in front of the pulpit, lool. cd up a t me with s uch an air o[ mild r eproach , that I was g lad to g et throug b with a promis e to myse lf not to do so any mor c. Diffe r ent this wus my treatment by deal' old simple-minded Turner I{endl' ick . H e had an unqua.lified complimen t for mo, whether 1 fail ed badly or not JoiO badly. It was al ways the s ume: "Fine, s it' , ve ry fin e. Great SOl'ltlon, Brothe r \Veber, - you' ll be 3. great preache r some of these days. " And so it went, and so it goeS ,- nOl' do I have t.o draw o n my imagination for my ructs. THE 'MAsn ;n W ORKMAN. And, now , will my brethren- I mean my younger brothl'cl1-' s u lfer a word of ex hortution. If I had my lifu to goovol' I would make the art of preaching a s tudy. I would learn how to preach, 0 1' at least I would try to do so. I woulon 't try h) leUI'll to p reach mt!taphys ical sermons, nor to discuss scientific questions and issuo') in the pulpi t , n OI' to de live r discourses on apologf)tic theology , which need s no apology from me, Such pl'eaching may ser vo a good purpose on occas ioD. I address mysc)( rathe r to the a\'crago preacher who is to preach to the average congl'o· 10 gatioll, - and I would advi se him to study and to learn the artar delivery- uu art equa.lly in placo fol' tho e xceptional work of a glT'at preacher - a star preacher if y Oll please, and Cor the c ver y-Sunda.y work of a. fie ld-baud in tbe vineyard. Now tbe schools - 1' beoIogicaJ Semin::u'ies, bummer School!=; and othel'- teach this in c lasses and by correspondence, and I would advise my young brethren to avail themselvp.s of s uch convenient opportunities. It means the a.daptation of common sense to the highest calling and gl'enlcfo;t fU llc tion open to hum~\U employment. To know how to l'egu iatn the voicc, to husband the str ength, to be natura.l unde r the su pernatural impact and impress of the Spirit, to use so as not abuse one's powers and gifts,-ob! I am sure the re is I'oom a.nd reason fol' some such ad vice as I am adventuring . • • .. • • • • • • l\L\Kl~O A:"I'D PRESEllVINO HISTORY , But, I for bear. I have a good d eal more of the same sort in my memory and all my heart. I would like to tell you about our Con fe renco singing in 1859 j about our BI'othe r in Black ; about some of the Conference debates and d ebate rsi about some of the prl'ac iling. and nbout the annivc l'sary exercises of the S. S. and ~1issi(lnaI'Y Societies,-nnd I would like totell you about Green-ville and the Greenvillians or those da.ys, &0-. , &c., but time fails mo. And so t mark my address to be continued at a.nother time and elsewhere. 1 am so gJad to be able to r espond to tbe cou rteous invitation of Rev. H. B. Browne, the able and suc-cessful President of our Historical Society, and to address you this evening. May God con tinue to give us success in the good work of writing and preser ving his torY iand lot us further pray t.hat He may continue to give us still groater s uccess in the much better work of making history.

The Conference of 1859, and Else

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