504 



METHODISTS. 



of rock experience in a land-slip or in blasting l>y 

 gunpowder. Should the time when this earth comes 

 into collision with another body, comparable in di- 

 mensions to itself, be when it is still clothed as at 

 present with vegetation, many great and small frag- 

 ments, carrying seed and living plants and animals, 

 would, undoubtedly, be scattered through space. 

 Hence, and because we all confidently believe that 

 there are at present, and have been from time im- 

 memorial, many worlds of life besides our own, we 

 must regard it as probable in the highest degree that 

 there are countless seed-bearing meteoric stones 

 moving about through space. If at the present in- 

 stant no life existed upon this earth, one such stono 

 falling upon it might, by what we blindly call natural 

 causes, lead to its becoming covered with vegetation. 

 I am fully conscious of the many scientific objections 



which may be urged against this hypothesis, but I 

 believe them to be all answerable. I have already- 

 taxed your patience too severely to allow me to think 

 of discussing any of them on the present occasion. 

 The hypothesis that life originated on this earth 

 through moss-grown fragments from the ruins of 

 another world may seem wild and visionary ; all I 

 maintain is, that it is not unscientific. 



METHODISTS. I. METHODIST EPISCOPAL 

 CHUKCH. In the following table is given a 

 summary of the statistics of this Church, as 

 compiled from authentic sources, for the year 

 1871: 



The number of local preachers was 11,382 ; 

 of Sunday-schools, 17,555; of officers and 

 teachers, 193,979; of scholars, 1,267,742; of 

 adult baptisms, 66,770; of baptisms of chil- 

 dren, 54,517. The benevolent contributions 

 were: for conference claimants, $141,144.99; 

 for the Missionary Society (by churches, $454,- 

 975.25; by Sunday-schools, $162,334.86), $617,- 

 310.11; for church extension, $74,643.36; for 

 the Tract Society, $21,445.21 ; for the Ameri- 

 can Bible Society, $84,107.29 ; for the Sunday- 

 school Union, $23,159.47. 



The receipts of the Freedmen's Aid Society 

 were $52,576.51. It sustained, during the- 

 year, 34 schools, to which 75 teachers were 

 attached, in the different States of the South. 

 The number of pupils in the day-schools is 

 6,500 ; in the Sunday-schools, 5,000. 



The total assets of the two Book Concerns, 

 at New York and Cincinnati, are $2,597,854. 

 Deducting notes and liabilities, the net capital 

 is $1,477,779. This is $16,541 less than the 

 previous year. This decrease was occasioned 

 by the destruction of $85,704 worth of prop- 

 erty by the Chicago fire. 



The trial of Dr. Lanahan, assistant agent of 

 the Book Concern, in New York, which com- 

 menced in January, 1871, upon charges which 

 were given in the ANNUAL CYCLOPAEDIA for 

 1870, resulted in his restoration to his office. 

 A few months afterward, Dr. Lanahan sought, 

 in the Supreme Court of the city of New 

 York, a mandamus against Dr. Carlton, princi- 

 pal agent, to compel an examination of the 

 books of the Concern for the purpose of ob- 

 taining evidence to be used in a civil suit 

 growing out of the agitation of the charges 

 which had been made against the management 

 of the Concern, and in which Dr. Lanahan 

 was defendant. Dr. Lanahan was again ar- 

 raigned before the Book Committee for bring- 



