The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-20

OUR LONDON LETTER,


The Great EeumenIeaI Council OF The
MethOdists-BishOp SImpaOn's AddreE,
and the Manner In which Il was Re
ceived.
LONDON, September s,
Special Correspondence Of the ntellIgencer.
The great family reunion Of the Meth
odists OF the world, otherwise known us the
Ecumenical Conference, began its sessions
in City'road Chapel, Wednesday, septem'
Der 18th, and by the time this is read will
not be far from the point OF adjournment
On the day previous the delegates were en-
tertained ut Exeter Hall by the Religious
Tract Society. This gathering, which was
held ut o 4. 81, served the double purp0sC
Of enabling the Society to advertise the
work il is doing and Of inducing the dele
gates from America into the mysteries and
pleasures Of a Breakfast Meeting" lin
stitution peculiarly English. Bishop NJ
iFyeire, OF the NJ. f. Church South, said he
had contracted great liking for this form o.
meeting and hopedit would soon be import
led, tariff free, 10 the United States BISHOP
Simpson, after Complimenting the society
passed iaCetiOus criticism on the break
last, It was out OF harmony, he aid, with
the publications OF the society, for trtctS
we're small and short, while the meal thai
had been provided that morning was dis
dtinguished by characteristics the opposite
to these. DR.. Osborn, President Of the
lBritish Wesleyan Conference, could not lei
the occasion pass without slight dip into
Methodist history, of which he is so full
md his reference was exceedingly apt, iol
he reminded the society that John Wesley
WIS the pioneer in the field Of tract litcrl'
\ ture, twelve page publications, for sale at q
penny each, having been issued by him
from the Old Foundry nearly u hundred
md fifty years ago-publications which
were Contemptuously spoken Of at the time
bus Foundry trash."
The conference proper began at 10 A. NJ,
The day following. The building in which
il convened was altogether too small for
such an assemblRge, but the associations
clustering about II rs the old homestead Of
the Methodist family marked II rs pre-
eminently the right place, and coincidence,
of course, must be sacrificed TO sentiment.
How the ticket committee could succeed In
having the church only comfortably filled,
not In the least overcrowded, at the opening
Service, when 1t IL said there were eight
thousand more applicants for tickets OF I'D
mission than were supplied, Is thing not
easy to make out, but 1t was done, and
though rather rough on the outsiders, was
by no means disapproved by those who
were fortunate enough to get in. The dele
gates, numbering 400, and coming from all
parts Of the globe, occupied the ground
floor Of the church, while the gallery was
given up wholly tOspGCtat0R. The British
land Continental representatives sat on one
side OF the middle aisle, and those from the
limited States and Canada on the other.
Looking over the conference II was notice.
liable at once that nearly all the ministers on
Inc British side wore lie clerical coat and
cravat, but that OH the American side
apriestly insignias were the rare exception,
1 The service was opened by the reading
of the prayers Of the CHURCH Of England by
Dr. Osborn, The doctor, who was put
forth rs the leading representative Of Old
world MethOdism, Is n rather portly gentle
Imam, with iron.Rey bushy whiskers, and u
form Of Countenance which Is Indicative Of
great depth Of feeling and the possession Of
considerable orat0riCal power, lie read
tho prayers like one very familiar with
them, and on the British side the regulation
book responses were made; but to tell the
truth, this aplng Of the Established Church
Nt II WOgll's convention OF Methodists was
not relshed BY the delegates from America.
Unfortunately, too, Dr. Osborn neglected
to interieCt into his prayers any petition
Nor the President Of the United States. The
Queen and Prince Ct Wales were remcn-
iered but ut this opening service poor
Garilell's name vas not once men
toned. The Psalms appointed Tor ilJh
day were also read from the Prayer
Book, and these, by their peculiar appro.
pFiatepess, proved the redeening feature Of
tic affair, Hearing read the words, "The
Lord hath chosen Zion to DO Q habltatlon
for HIMSELF and again, tho words, HE.
bold how good and how pleasant II Is for
brethren 70 dwell together In unity il
seemed us though the forefnthes Of the
English Church, when they AZ pointed these
Psalms f9r the 9Th day Of September, must
have had In yiew Tho holding on that day
|of this identical EcumenlCal Conference,
The hymn beginning
"YC servants Of God your Master proclaim,
And publish abroad Ills wonderful name.H
was sung, and after very brief extempo'
IranepIs prayer by DR.. Osborn, the pulpit
WIS takeh possess ion Of by Bishop Smp
Son, WHO had been chosen TO preach the
iopening sermon.
The venerable bishop stood In the plact
lwhenCe frequently the Founder OF Meth
odism had dispensed the truth. In hiE
hand he held dingy.looking little book
the old Bible which Wesley used wfer
preaching on the streets and commons O
London. Before him was one Of the mos
distinguished audiences the Christian r.
liop eyer called together--the picked mer
I0f all the Methodist bodies In the world
with the elite OF British Methodism look
ing down from the galleries. Perhaps nc
minister ever had n grander opportunity L
deliver an effective discourse, and the
Bishop was cqual to the emergency His
Itext was. 1.-THE words which speak unto
you, they are spirit and they are life." The
sermon demonstrated that the words o.
Christ, as recorded In the Bible, though
sseming To be like other words, are differ
TENT from all other words In that there ~ 9
liie-giving power In them. For Il
Illustrations the Bishop drew largely
from the history Of Methodism
Zone Of his strongest points was in showing
how the prophetic utteranre, "The JUS
Shalt live by faith" travelled through the
Centuries till Il reached and converted Lu
ther at Erfurth; then three hundred years
later took hold OF Wesley In Aldefsgatt
street, In this city, and from London wen
out, as The cardinal doctrine Of Methodism
10 evangeli1e and save the world. Ihl
Wesleyan revival, the Bishop said, had
saved England al critical period from be
coming what France became. He had
heard Cardinal Manning himself pay thai
Ihut inr Whalpy'R nreaghihg Of the Catholic