Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-04-08
The Methodist General Confer
eDcG.

ence.
Within few weeks the General Con-
ference of tie Methodist Episcopal
Church will convene IN this city. The
sessions OF this important ecclesiastical
body, the occurrence Of the Musical
j estival, the M,llerS' and the National
Democratic conventions, will draw many
strangers to our city, and make it for
wee a ce6te of absorbing interest.
1t W II undoubtedly y be seen that Cincin-
nati 5 not only the most convenient
place in tne Land f.. such assemblages,
but that iIeT 6 2eng are rneXcelled for
Hospitality. Tie coin s,f these several
gatherings in The different department.,
of ACTIVITY which they represent will be
worthy of The weightiest considerations
Hitherto tue Methodist conference
have not always been in lie most ae-
cord about men aud measures. As
many high officers are TO be filed, and
qrest.ols affecting the polly o. the de-
nomina ioh will be issues befo1e uf1e con-
ference, there Nil be The Utmost need
anon. che brethren for repressing all
undue amb. ions ald rivalT.es, which.
alasl too often mar the unity nd peace
Of ouc philanthropc and re igious asso-
Citations.
As journalists we can not tail to re-
cognize the consideration 10 which the
meeting of this great Methodis. Council
is entitled. The.e Was Il day when a
religious convention would receive from
the press hardly more than a passing
notice. But either religion has grown
to a relatively greater Importance Or
the press has grown to a BROADER view
of its requirements as the gatherer of
news and the guile of public opinion !;
for no journal now can presume to do
-otherwise than to give large space and
attention to so influential body as this
promises 10 be. If, as Chann ng Thought.
politics is The body of relig .on, We may
safely say that religion is the soul OF
politics. Every question which to-day
moves mankind takes more or less re-
ligious complexion. And in our coun-
try where, though there be. no State
Church, the greater proportion of the
influential population are either in tie
churches or closely affiliated with them,
it b ,hOoves tie press to lend its columns
for the communication of information
touching the discussions and movements
of persons associated together for dis
tinetly religious work. Ours is nomi-
nally Christian, and we believe TO no
small extent actually RELIGIOUS nation,
and thousands of our citizens do their
voting, as well as all else they do, as re-
ligious men. From the teachings and
discipline as Their churches they re-
ceive suc1 training as fits them for cit-
zenship, and fOe ali other functions
which cons-;bute to the stability and
we ,!th o. tue nat on.
There IS no Church in the country
which is more directly responsible for
tine training OF American citizens than
the Methodist. 1t is emphatically the
Church OF the people. not only because
it comprises mo e of the people among
its members aId adherents, out because
its simple address, direct and ready
methods, and spirited worship adapt it
TO the masses. Something has made
this Church, though entering the field
long after several of the older denom-
nations, grow more rapidly than any
other. It's success is only paralleled by
that of primitive Christianity. Its his
tory borders well nigh upon the ro-
mantle, so fraught is 1t with appreciable
growth and heroic exploits. In about
one century, from l777 TO 1880, 1t has in
creased in all its brances from 6,98s to
3,437,l 100 members. The Methodism of
the world embraces 4,965,0i5. The
Methodism of the new world has far
outst,ipped Its parent. Wesleyanism.
In the old world, showing that while, as
q system, it has elements Of progress for
all lands, it is especially adapted to the
genius and institutions Of America. The
Methodist Episcopal Church of the Uni
ted States (not counting the Methodist
Episcopal Church South alone contains
a total of l,7Os,aoO ministers and lay