The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-07-24
The ItinerancY.

The Itinerancy.
The question If the itinerancy has
again come to the front in Methodistic
circles, and the two parties of the church
ere discussing the matter pro and con with
that energy and bitterness demanded by
its Importance. AS has repeatedly before
been the case, the issue has been discussed
in the church meetings, thence taken to
the District Conferences, thence to the an.
nual gatherings of the laity and clergy
and by these it has been referred 10 the
General Conferences. The latter have re-
peatedly considered it in all it's bearings,
but as yet no definite conclusions have been
reached. The discussion of the question
has, however, developed two welldefined
parties in the church, and between these
the controversy has waxed fierce.
The first is what may be called the
party OF old fogies; those who believe an
Institution past all criticism because it was
established by John Wesley and his con-
temporaries, and was adhered to with
scrupulous care by the fathers Of Method
ism. This party is fond of referring to
the good old times when Methodist
brother was recognized by his coat, and a
sister by her huge bonnet, just as Scotch
peasants imagine that Roman Catholic
is known by his horns and tail. The era
OF great religious awakenings, when the
jerks and other forms of nervous disease
were common, forms the ideal period with
these antiquities, who conceive thing to
be good simply because it is old, and
whose strongest argument against an in
novation lies in the fact that it is new.
'Our fathers were wise and good men,
and did thus; why should we changer
In the spirit of the inkeeper, who abused
newcomer for being unwilling to use q
towel which had served the purpose of
forty others, they say, ''The itinerant sys-
tenn has been the meaDs Of cleansing
thousands of souls; who are ye to object
to it?'
Such is the old Methodist party, FORUM
ately diminishing both in numbers and in
t1uence. The oppositionsis composed Of
men who are unwilling that any institution
established by Wesley and his fellows
should be regarded as indispensable to the
well-being of the church. They are not
disposed to consider an assent to the itin.
erancy as an article of faith, and conse-
quently are ready and willing to modify
the itinerant system whenevr it shall ap.
pear to have lost its vital force. Rightly
considering questions of this kind of ex.
pediency rather than of faith, they are
anxious to press the matter to an issue on
the former ground, and to insist that, as
the reform is necessary, it shall be carried
into effect without needless delay. They
have succeeded in once extending the
period of the pastor ate, as well as in ef.
fecting other important changes, but the
total abolition of the itinerancy is consider.
ed SO radical a change Of the spirit OF
Methodism that even themselves hate to
attempt it. @
There was no doubt once time in the
history of Methodism, especially in this
country, when the itinerancy was an un.
qualified blessing. Sparsely settled com.
munities were not able to support q
lclergyman-ln fact could do very little
towards his support-c nsequently they
would seldom have had any church serv.
ices had 1t not been for the regular month.
/ y or semi-monthly visit Of the circuit.
rider, who supplied sometimes as many as
twenty-eight different localities every four
weeks, with such preaching as he could
do. It was not much but it was some
thing, and in many wild regions of the
American backwoods, the circuit riders
teachings were the sole moral restraint o.
hundreds of families. It is not we'll there
fore, to belittle the influences which these
men exerted for good over the ignoran
and enthusiastic people Of the frontiers.
i But the trouble is that the itineran1
system has been continued when tile ne
cessity for it has ceased. so that in oul
large cities, Methodist preachers are re
/ moved and changed from place to place
under circumstances in whicha fixed pas
torate would be much more to the interest.
both Of preacher and people, Whereve,
the itinerancy is still needed by the cir
eumstances Of the people, it should q
course be retained, but when the people
are able and willing "a s,,,,vv,1,rf : sv1aatnr