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Southern Christian
CHARLESTON, S. C., NOV. 30,1878.
The Associate Editor is in charge
of the Advocate for the present.
Our present number is devoted
largely to interesting matter apper
taining to the South Carolina Confer
ence, to delay the publication oi which
would be to seriously impair its in
terest and value. Brother Chrietz
berg, at great expense of labor and
time, has prepared a valuable direc
tory of the Conference, which at our
request he has consented to publish in
the Advocate. Dr. Wightman’s ar
ticle on “ Religious Journalism,” takes
the place of editorial matter, which
we would have prepared but for the
space we give to this timely and ad
mirable appeal in the interest of our
paper. Our Conference news is unu
sually full and rich. Several of our
regular department are necessarily
crowded out.
Bishop Wightman.
It is with great pleasure, and with
profound gratitude to God, that we
announce to our readers the safe re
turn of our beloved Bishop. Along
with many of his personal friends, we
were doubtful about the propriety
of assigning Bishop Wightman to such
an arduous mission—the visitation to
the Conferences in the far West and
Northwest. But he went to do his
Master’s work, went willingly, went
trustingly, accompanied by the pray
ers of the faithful; and He who said :
“Fear not, I am with thee,” has re
deemed His promise, and now has
restored his servant in good bodily
health, and in excellent spirits, to the
bosom of his family', and to the large
and delighted circle of his friends.
Nor is the bishop a whit the worse
for his thousand and more miles of
staging over the Rocky Mountain
roads; for his dread of an ambush
from hostile Indians , for the many
thousands of miles of railroad travel,
and all the shaking and jostling that
are concomitant even with these im
proved means of travel. We congratu
late the Church on the happy' event,
and fervently pray that the Bishop
may yet be spared many years to
us and all his friends ; and that
his kind and genial presence, his
wise counsel, his fatherly admonition,
his pious example, and his sterling
pulpit efforts, may long continue to
edify our Zion.
Resignation of Rev. F. M. Ken
nedy, D. D.
To the Preachers of the South Carolina
Conference:
Dear Brethren—After waiting for
several months, with the hope that I
would be able to resume my' post as
editor of the Southern Christian
Advocate, I feel that the time has
come when I am reluctantly compell
ed'to abandon all such hope, and thus
publicly advise you of the necessity
under which I act. After recovering
sufficiently' from the severe and dis
abling attack under which I suffered,
just after the General Conference, I
spent two monthsinVirginia; andmy
general health was so much improved
that I was hopeful of being able to
re-enter the office by' the first of Jan
uary'. Recovery, however, from my r
special disability has not answered
expectation, and I feel it right and
proper that you should be informed.
With painful regret, therefore, 1 write
this note to inform you that I shall
present my resignation as editor, at
the approaching session of the Con
ference. Affectionately',
F. M. Kennedy.
Macon, Ga., Nov. 18th, 1878.
We communicate tho above to our
readers with a sad heart. Brother
Kennedy filled the position of editor
of this journal for about eight years.
Ilow well he discharged his trust; how
entirely he met the varied wants of
his numerous constituency ; how he
gradually' succeeded in making all his
readers his warm personal friends, we
need not stop now to descant upon.
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
When it was determined at the last Gen
eral Conference to bring back the Advo
cate to its old place of publication,
Dr. Kennedy was again the unanimous
choice of his brethren for editor, and
right glad were many hearts here in
good old Charleston, at the prospect
of greeting once more their cherished
friend and former pastor. But Prov
idence had decreed otherwise. Soon
after the session of the General Con
ference, in Atlanta, Brother Kennedy
was called to undergo a long and very
serious illness, which disabled him
from entering upon the duties of his
office, and which rendered it necessa
ry that the Publishing Committee
should elect an assistant editor. Not
long since, we published a letter from
Brother Kennedy, holding out hopes
of an early recovery, and a resump
tion of his duties in the course of a
few weeks. By his letter above, how
ever, addressed to his brethren of the
Conference, our readers will see with
regret that his recovery has proved
more tardy than he had anticipated ;
and that he has concluded to tender
his resignation as editor of the Ad
vocate.
We feel sad at heart in chronicling
these few lines, and we know that we
express the unanimous sentiment of
our readers when we say we are sorry
to lose tho valuable services of our
honored senior; and when we tender
him our cordial sympathy in his af
fliction. Brother Kennedy retires
from the chair editorial with a com
fortable consciousness of duty well
and satisfactorily' performed ; and we
can assure him, in addition, that be
has the affectionate prayers of thous
ands of warm hearts for his speedy
recovery, and for his continued wel
fare, both temporal and spiritual.
Religious Journalism.
Religious journalism is of modern
origin. The Apostles were the first
to reduce Christian teaching to per
manent record. They were followed
by the patristic fathers. The Jews
next compiled the Talmud up to the
tenth century. The Reformers seized
the advantages of printing, then but
recently discovered, to spread the Re
formation. Wesley, more than a hun
dred years ago, first published reli
gious tracts, started a magazine, and
utilized the press for the diffusion of
Methodist literature. The Western
Christian Monitor, published in Ohio,
in 1815, was the first religious month
ly which appeared in this country,
followed by' The Wesleyan Magazine,
in 1818. Up to this date no weekly
religious journal had been published.
The first was Zion's Herald, in 1825,
a small sheet, measuring nine by six
teen inches. The Christian Advocate
and Journal appeared in New York,
in 1826, and the Southern Christian
Advocate in Charleston, S. C., in 1837.
In our day one hundred and twenty
religious periodicals, of which more
than fifty are weekly papers, are pub
lished by the Methodist Church alone
in the United States.
It is surprising that the almost om
nipotent power of the press should
have slumbered in the bosom of so
many' forms of civilization, through
the centuries, and not until now,
within the memory of men still living,
should have been discovered to con
tain the great electric light of the
moral world. Alike in the material
and moral worlds, Provideuce has
put into the hands of man newspa
pers, for new issues ; that in the grad
ual development of the human race
tho intelligent oversight of God may'
be recognized.
Dropping out of view other forms
of religious journalism, and looking
only upon the weekly issue of papers,
we stand amazed at the momentous
power which is wielded by this single
arm of the press. It is a probable
estimate that five millions of persons
read weekly the religious papers pub
lished by the Methodist Church in the
United States. Who can follow out
this influence ? who thread the mul
tiform rivulets of truth which run
through the Sabbath-schools ? who
trace the countless streams of comfort
which flow through the homes of
crowded cities, and rural districts?
who follow the volume of this reli
gious literature, as it spreads into a
branch of the river of God, and flows
through the church to nourish the
million individual roots of moral life ?
The short interval between the issues
of weekly papers, in which frequent,
constant and persistent appeals are
made, does not allow the moral force
of the gospel to slumber ; nor vice to
take deep root before assailed. With
telegraphic swiftness sin is exposed,
truth promptly sifted of error, zeal
fanned into a blaze, sympathy excited
into beneficence; and thus, infidelity,
in one form or another, so persistent
ly attacked, and that too by the allied
powers of scripture and science, phi
lanthropy and poetry, facts and figuers,
cannot entrench itself as in former
day's, before defeated by tho ever
assailing engine of the church. We
have recently' seen the effect of rapid
and constant appeal through the press,
in starting ten thousand simultaneous
springs of sympathy, which have
poured healing streams of charity
through the death burdened valley of
the Mississippi. The dispatch cir
cumscribed the plague. At every
crisis iu the Church the weekly paper
has moulded the sentiment of the
people, and explained the act of the
governmental power, in any' departure
from established usage, for the ad
vancement of the kingdom of Christ.
By forming rapid conjunctions with
all the facilities of railroads, postof
fice and telegraph, instantaneous com
munication is made with every mem
ber of the church. Schism, like the
plague, has at last found a boundary,
by the quarantine which tho press puts
upon fanaticism, and by' the aid which
it furnishes to destroy tho moral in
fection.
A weekly journal is a connectional
bond. It furnishes the means of uni
fying the character and polity of the
Church. Portly volumes, quarterly'
and monthly, are not so eagerly' and
universally read, as short, spicy ar
ticles which appear from week to
week. Fifty-two appeals annually',
emanating from one mind, infused
with the spirit of Christ, broad in
charity, solid in judgment, strong in
will, earnest and impressive, must,
unify the opinions of subordinate
minds, shape the policy of the church,
and give cohesion to the complex of
fices of ecclesiastical government. The
weekly journal is the mouth piece of
the Church, we had almost said of
God. It is an eclesiastical judge, who
on every seventh day reviewß the six
days’ work of the world. Nothing
escapes its eye. Morals and senti
ments, the fol Hes and fashions of life,
the invasion of pleasure upon duty',
the waning and waxing of the church,
the outcoming of the future, all ar
rest the eye of this vigilant tribunal.
It pronounces sentence which goes
forth in the of public opinif*'
either to denouncer vice or to encour
age virtue. We recognize, too, a uni
versal pastor in the weekly 7 visits of a
paper to the houses of God’s people.
Age and childhood, the sick bed aud
domestic care, homes buried in soli
tude, ships on the sea, asy'lums, jails
and penitentiaries, all receive visits
from the ecumenical pastor, whose
word of comfort or voice of warning
comes with the authority of a mission
from heaven. Many of these pastoral
papers visit a flock of thirty thousand
every week, through tho varying
seasons of the year. Some of these
voiceful messengers preach to a hun
dred thousand souls every seventh
day; and the sermons may be re-read
through months and years, thus ever
enlarging the pastorate of the paper.
Amazing influence! The weekly pa
per is the winged seed of the gospel,
which wafts the germ of moral life
over deserts and seas, beyond the
chime of church bells, from which
shall spring in those regions trees of
life, whose leaves shall be for the
healing of the nations. Then we dis
cover in the weekly journal an edu
cator, a text book of nature. It were
impossible for the masses of men to
read many volumes, or for business men
to do more than snatch paragraphs
from papers. The world is too busy.
A short summary of news puts the
world in a nut shell, hints on farming
start advanced agriculture, a picture
of one happy home beautifies another,
a column devoted to schools and col
leges educates thousands, a review of
new books shows the shortest way 7 to
new fountains of intellectual delight
and all the varied knowledge of the
times, spiced with wit, from week to
week, spreads before the reader the
richest viands gathered from every
field of life. The man is not educated
who does not read a newspaper. He
is ignorant of the world, for the news
paper contains the history 7 of the
world. He loses a fortune, deterio
rates his happiness, blights his pos
terity, if by 7 neglect or parsimony he
plods blindly along a path long since
abandoned by intelligent men. How
the blood starts afresh in the moral
veins, as one sees, in the religious
journals, the rapid changes of human
ity in its phases from barbarism to
civilization; and how his joy'receives
new life-force as he learns that the
world is approaching its day' break of
millennial glory in the evangelization
of all nations. He feels himself living
for a purpose, while active in hasten
ing the grand possibilities of the fu
ture. A man shuts out the light of
heaven from his heart and home, and
buries himself and family alive if he
does not take a weekly 7 religious news
paper. The world is moving, and the
man must move with it, or be flung
off into outer darkness.
These views were suggested by the
return of the Southern Christian
Advocate to the home of its nativity.
The long absence is almost condoned
by the fact that the paper has left at
its transient home so beautiful a
daughter as tho Wesleyan Advocate.
With three such weeklies as the
Southern, the Wesleyan, and the
Nashville Advocate, furnishing each
forty columns, at the low price of two
dollars and fifty cents per annum,
every' Methodist family' in the land
would possess a ey'dopedia of the
world, a library of his church, a his
tory' of revivals, an epitome of all
real intellectual pleasures, and a cos
mopolitan letter writer, which brings
his family into sympathy with
friends all over the globe. How can
we shut out these papers from our
houses ? They flow with gospel light,
sparkle in every column with truth
and beauty, and even better still,
shine in the glory of the cross of
Christ.
Especially do we congratulate South
Carolina Methodists ou the return of
the time honored paper to the State,
and tho recent enlargement of its
columns. The growth of the Church,
the diversity of itcrests, the local
news, all demanded a journal to rep
resent the Conference within its own
boundary. While kept away, under
a stress of circumstances, the Advo
cate did a good work even in this
State, but it was sadly felt that Meth
odism here needed a homo organ and
repectable journal to represent the
Church in the State. The Advocate,
issuing from Charleston, the commer
cial centre of the State, and the near
est point of telegraphic sy 7 mpathy
along the Atlantic slope, has superior
advantages for publication. The edi
tors are conservative men, not fana
tics, but tried and found true to the doc
trines of the church, level and broad on
the grand questions of social life. They
will furnish the Church with a high
toned Methodist weekly for the sole
advancement of the Kingdom of
Christ in the State.
Standing at the back of this finan
cial enterprise is the largest and most
reliable publishing house in the South
ern under the\ v fpg; ; <rement of
tne biu firm, Walker, Evans & 1
well. The paper is already a finan
cial success. The church is not in
volved one dollar. The firm assumes
all liabilities, and have liberally con
sented, after a reasonable profit, to
put the balance into the treasury of
the Church. With a paper of such
merit, issued from the best publishing
centre in the South, with tried editors
and financial guaranty 7, ought not the
old Southern Christian Advocate
to find its way into ten thousand Meth
odist families in the State ? There are
forty-three thousand Methodists in
South Carolina. They ought to be
informed of the status and progress
of the church, and they ought to re
ceive tho weekly 7 visits of this co-itin
erant pastor. Let the preachers and
people weigh the influence of the
paper. Let ion thousand Advocates
be issued the following y’ear. We
must have them. The prostrate Slate
demands it. The fortunes of the
Church call for it. What an auxiliary
ten thousand sermons and appeals
issued weekly over the State would
be to the pulpit, to revivals, to mis
sions, to the finances of the Church,
and to the advance of Methodism over
the land ? How can we neglect to
utilize this power which is now so
providentially' thrown into the hands
of the Church ? There is a solemn
responsibility resting on every Meth
odist to take and to circulate the only
organ of the Conference in the State,
a responsibility only measured by the
length and breadth of the influence
of a sound religious journal on the
fortunes of his Church and common
wealth. J. T. Wightman.
Directory,
FOR THE NINETY-THIRD SESSION OF THE
SOUTH CAROEINA CONFERENCE,
To be held at Newberry, S. C.,Dec. 11, 1878.
NOTICES.
I.—Services.
I. December oth, 1878—Preaching
in the Methodist Church, Monday, 7
o’clock, P. M., by Rev. R. Lee Harper.
11. December 10th, 1878—Mission
Board will meet in the Methodist
Church, 10 o’clock A. M.
111. December 10th, 1878—Lecture
before Historical Society, in the Meth
odist Church, at 7 o’clock P. M., by
Rev. Sami Leard. Subject: “Life
Sketches of the Fathers of Method
ism in South Carolina.”
IY. December Utb, 1878—Opening
session of the Conference at 9 o’clock
A. M., in the Courthouse.
NOV. 3
V. December 11th, 1878— Sermon
before the Undergraduates, in the
Methodist Church, at 7 P. M., by Rev.
Henry M. Mood.
ll.—Committees of Examination.
I. Committee for Applicauts will
meet at Mr. L. E. Fulk’s.
11. Committee for First year will
meet at Station Parsonage.
HI. Committee for Second year will
meet at Mr. R. C. Chapman’s.
IV. Committee for Third year will
meet at Circuit Parsonage.
Y. Committee for Fourth Year will
meet at Hall of Young Men’s Chris
tian Association.
lll.—Memoranda.
1. liackmcn will convey members
within the limits of the incorporation
for twenty-five cents.
2. Members coming in their own
eonvey'ances will find good livery
stables, at moderate charges.
3. N. B.—As a few changes may
possibly occur at the last moment,
delegates had better see committee of
arrangements before proceeding to
their homes. By' rail they' will be
mot at the depot. Otherwise call
at the Station Parsonage.
4. W'rite name of host, and y'our
own name, in the spaces left therefor,
in the card below, and use, if neces
sary :
Introductory Card.
Newberry, S. C., Dec. 9. 1878.
Dear
This card will introduce to your ac
quaintance , assigned as
y'our guest during the Conference
session of the M. E. Church, South, at
Newberry.
A. M. Ciirkitzberg, Ch’n Com.
Members. Hosts.
Attaway, J Mr. W. H. Dickert.
Anld, F Mr. J. O. Peoples.
Avant, A 1’ Mr. E. P. Chalmers.
Ariail, W. II Mr. E. P. Chalmers.
Ariail, J. W Mr. T. P. Slider.
Ranks, M. E Dr. P. R. ltulf.
Beasley, J. S Mr. .1. O. Havird.
Boyd, Geo. M Mr. J. Kibler.
Brown, M Mr. T. F. Greneker.
Browne, S. II Mr. J. D. S. Levingston.
Byars, D. D Mr. D. Bushardt.
Boyd, 111. J Mr. I). W. T. Kibler.
Barber, R. W Mr. J. E. Chapman.
Bisaell, Ji C Mr. J. Hair.
Boozer, B. M Mr. C. P. Dickert.
Blake, W. K Y. J. Pope, Esq.
Brown, J. W Mr. Jos. Glenn.
Bowman, O. M Mr. C. P. Dickert.
Barton, G. W Rev. Z. L. White.
Brown, A. B Mr. W. C. Parker.
Brunson, \j*A Mr. J. P. Poole.
Breeden, wTk......iMayi'j. P.’Kmafd. ”
Brainlett, J. T Dr. P. B. Ruff.
Browne, 11. B Mr. J. B. Leonard.
Bobo, S Messrs. Johnstone.
Chreitzberg, A. M...., Station Parsonage.
Campbell, J. B Mr. W. S. Langford.
Capers, W. T J. F. J. Caldwell, Esq.
Carson, Wm Mr. J. IX Cash.
Carlisle. J. M Rev. R. A. Fair.
Cautlien, A. J Mr. C. Chapman.
Clarke, W. A Hr. E. 11. Christian.
Clyde, T. J lr. R H- Clarkson.
Coburn, J. R Mr. 11. 11. Biease.
Connolly, M A Mr. R. C. Chapman.
Clifton, J. A Mr. J. 11. Biease.
Chrietzberg, H. F Dr. O. B. Meyer.
Carlisle, Jas. H Circuit Parsonage.
Connor, D. L-. Dr. P. B. Ruff.
Collins, Greer Mr. Jacob Sligh.
Cogswell, II Mr. J. N. Fowles.
Carlisle, J. E Y. J. Pope, Esq.
Counts, J. C Mr. W. O. Goree.
Dagnal, It. R Mr. J. Hair.
Darby, O. A Dr. O B- Meyer.
Derrick, D Mr. C. Chapman.
Duffie, It. L Mr. It. C. Chapman.
Duncan, W. W W. H. Wallace Esq.
Dantzler, D. D L. J. Jones, Esq.
Dickson, J. W Messrs. Johnstone.
Dantzler, I). Z Rev. L. Broaddus.
Dibble, A. C Jas. M. Baxter, Esq.
Dibble, F. S Mr. It. H. Wright.
Ervine, A Dr. S. 11. Fant.
Elwell, S. P. H Mr. J. O. Havird.
England, J. F Mr. J. A. Chapman.
Finger, John Mr A. J. Maybin
Franks, R. P Mr. T. F. Harmon.
Fishburn, C. C Mr. T. P. Slider.
Ferguson, M. M Mr. W. O. Goree.
Gantt, A. G Mr. J. I) Cash.
Gatlin, G. W Mr. U. B. Whites.
Gilbert, T. E T. S. Moorman, Esq.
Galluchat, J Mrs. G. Mower.
Gaines, B T Mr. It. H. Wright.
Harper, R. L L. J. Jones, Esq.
Herbert, T. G i Circuit Parsonage.
Hill, S J Mr. J. K. G. Nance.
Humbert, J. W Mr. Jas. Y. McFall.
Hutto, Wm Mr. J. Kibler.
j Harmon. G. T Mr. T. F. Harmon.
| Hamer, L. M Mr. W. T. Tarrant.
{ Hodges, E. T Mr. James Y. McFall.
! Hartin, F. L Mr. J. D. S. Levingston.
I Hamby, A. McP T. S. Moorman, Esq.
| Hamer, L. R Dr. P. B. Ruff.
j Johnson, L. A W. T. Tarrant, Esq.
Jones, B. G Mr. I J . ltodlespiger.
Jones, S. B Mr. J. P Poole.
I Jones, Simpson Mr. R. T. Reagin.
Jones, W. W Mr. U. B. Whites.
Jackson, A. W Mr. W. A. Cline.
Jones, J. L Circuit Parsonage.
Jones, R H Mr. T. F. Harmon.
Jennings, R. H Mr. J. H. James.
Jeter, W. T Mr. D. W.T. Kibler.
Kelly, J. W Jas. M. Baxter, Esq.
Kennedy, F. M Y. J. Pope, Esq.
Ivilgo, J. 8 Mr. J. i). Hornsby.
Kistler, P. F Mr. J. N. Martin.
Kirkland, W. D Hon. M. Moses.
Kirton, W. H Mrs. E. A. Bradley.
Roger, J. W Mr. J. D. Hornsby.
Lander, S Dr. O. B. Meyer.
Lawton, \\ . H Jas. M. Baxter, Esq.
I Lester, A. H Hon. M. Moses.J
Little, J. R Mr. Robt Leavel.J
Little, L. M Mr. W. 11. Hunt I
Loyal, L. C Mr. L. M. Speej^L
Lipscomb, T. C Col Lipscoi^B
Lee, A. B Mr. It. C. Cham;®
Legett, A. C Mr. J. B. Leo,