The New York herald., 1873-11-11
CHARACTERIZATION OF CITIES.

The Question from Laymen's stsnd-
poiut--Meth0dism In Fra ance--Intcrest-
ing Meeting OF the Methodist Ministers.
The question, "what more can be done to pro-
mote the cause OF God in New YORK and Brook
lyn ?" was discussed yesterday In the Methodist
preachers meeting by Mr. w. X. Peyton, OF tho
City Church Extension Society, by Rev. Il. s.
Osborne. pastor Of Greene street church. and
Others Mr.. Peyton who Is a layman, by invita-
ton, opened the discussion. He said there was
lack OF in the operations OF the Methodist
Episcopal churches in the city. There Is ten
dency to Congregationallsm among the people.
and they take little or interest in city church
extension. He thought one reason for the neg
lect inactivity ID the division OF the city OF New
York betwe two conferences. II the city was
united in one conference he believed the cause OF
God would be promoted thereby. He cited an in-
stance which took ilace about ten years age.
when Ninth street Methodist Episcopal church
was offered fOr sale and an appeal was made 10
st. Pans church for che use of their building and
for peouniary aid to save Ninth street church
from being sold. The trustees objected to give the
use OF their building for church which was not in
their own conference But though they finally
ceded Tom this stand, they absented themselves
from the meeting. which proved aDortive, and tho
Ninth street church was sold to the Catholics. The
great mission work OF New York lies on the east
side OF the city, where very few rich men 1--we. He
contended that the laymen of the churches should
eel more interest In the success OF the church at
large, without feeling less in their local and
particular church. Ire work OF
THE CITY CHURCH EXTENSION SOCIETY
has been carried on Tor ten years by less than half
a score OF men. The churches should open missions
round about their own localities and trust every
thing 10 the missionaries and church extension
societies. People have been converted IN the mis-
sions who would not have gone near any church
glad that this subject had oeen discussed as he be-
Heved nothing bu- good can come from it, 'Wc
are not as a church." he SAID, 'reaching the
great mass OF the people III this city. Are we
lacking the endeav0r 70 do this or do we want
the masses In our churches he asked. We should
vide an early morning service Tor the poor, who.
from press OF domestic duties and cares, or from
attend the haif past ten A. Nj. services and thus
help to bring the masses under the influence OF the
Gospel. Then we shall see old-fashioned Methodist
REVEALS The average number OF converts Ia tho
Mission is greater than in the regular churches
We our agencies to reach the masses
churches. The Methodist Episcopal Church is for
the poor. and II we go again INTO the work as ef
, old we shall have success and God will bless our
enorts. Mr.. Pcyton believed there are too many
drones in the Church. The great bulk OF our
church people are not workers IN the cause Of
CHRIST; but IT, aS ministers and laymen we work
together In future, we shall have no cause. he
Thought. to complain OF our snccess. The Church.
shall tell in the world.
Rev. John Parker asked how the masses OF idlers
IN the cnurches could be set to work as well a. the
Mr. Peyton thought there was too much worldli-
ness In the Church TO get many to work. and too
great desire to hear good sermons.
OLD METHODS AND NEW.
= Another layman said that the form or the ques-
something had been and Is being done. He emu
merated, among the present methods OF evangeli-
thought, lacked effectiveness, because it was mos
sufficiently exegetical; other methods are the
weekly or seinlweea prayer meetings. Lectures cure,
are peculiar to Methodism; another, the Sunday
school e1orts. These having been already discussed
mention. Then we have also Bible and tract dstri-
button and domiciary visitation, personal efforts
been done by the Onurch or The ministry in
these directions We have driven the Bible iroIN
our churches, he remarked, and now we are asked
Bible IN our pews as we have hymn books such
question would not have been raised. But having
night to retain 1t in the schools. Then there
compar atIvely little done in the way OF tract or
sonsy socees Tere se ~ i4o mis-
slons In this city which employ 266 missionaries OF
every grade and name, who make soo' 600 visits
woman and child In the CITY, But whoever has had
experience In this work knows that the same per-
sons receive these visits over and over again; SO
that $4,000 or 30 00C persons might m0n0pOlze the
800, 900 visits OF those missionaries And as to
amid great prosecutions and under many embar-
rassments and inc0nveniences, wrote thirteen let
ters to churches and individuals which he sent long
oilce at our DOORS and Tor three cents our letters
can be carried thousands OF miles, and yet how
many letters he asked, had the members present
written to uncOnverted friends in city or cOuntrye
nt THE PRESS AN EvAHGELIzING AGENT.
ligious and secular. These are Important agencies
Tor the promotion OF the cause OF God In cities.
And he believed the latter was the most important
because 1t reaches the class whom want TO
evangellze, while the i0rmer Is put into the hands
mainly II not wholly, OF religious people. Hence
as possible into the secular press Then there are
methods OF advertising religious things which the
to the cause OF God-such as those adopted Dy men
OF the world in their business Politicians at eec-
tion times showmen at other times, magicians,
quacks and patent humbugs OF every Sort send
their labelled wagons or their labelled men up and
down our streets extolng their business. Why
does not the Church send some such agents out in
the same way with the truths or ScripLures We
lose sight too much OF the fact that this is pecu-
liary reading age, and that methods OF evangel-
ization to be successful in the future must appeal
to the eye rather than the ear. This is why bust
ness men spend so much money In advertising
curDstones, DC. Let not the Church lie longer
under the reproacn OF NOT being as wise in its
generation as are the children OF this world,
but let 1t adopt the principles OF business In
it's work for God and His cause.
BANKRUPTlNG THE CHURCH.
Rev. Mr.. Osborne asked q series OF pertinent
questions which, in enect showed that minister's
and church people are afraid OF hard work and
prefer TO pay large salaries TO eloquent preachers
rather than set themselves to work for Goa. He
thought II the church members conducted their
own business as they do the business or God and
His cause they would very soon be bankrupt
Pastor Cook, of Paris, gave little sketch OF the
progress OF Meth0dism III France, and Of his own
trip to the western part of this country. lie sails
for Europe on Saturday.
Professor Tourjee, or Boston, gave an interesting
sketch OF missionary operations In and around B0s-
ton, which have resulted Ia the organization 0f
twenty-one new Methodist societies
Resolutions were adopted touching the death of
Rev. Mr.. TarleOn, and o minute regarding the
death OF Rev. Mr.. Bowdsh both members OF the
meeting The same subject OF discussion was con-
tinued 10 next meeting, two weeks hence and
Drs. Curry and Vincent were invited to speak on
It,
HYDROPHOBIA IN BROOKLYN.
A Man Bitten ny u Cat-Terrible Effect
of tho Injury.