New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-28
7HE uETHODJsT EcrlfENJClE

The most important religious event of the
year is the Methodist EcWncnical Conference
to be held In London early next month. 1t is
to he complete family gathering, all the
branches and subdivisions of this widesprcading
denomination being represented, from the main
bodies of the British Wesleyan and the Metho-
dist Episcopal Churches, North and South, to
such characteristic sections as the Abrights and
the Brethren. This Conference of universal
McthodiSm cannot have any executive force Ii
will have neither authority nor disposition to
formulate n Methodist creed or 10 determine
any question of doctrine or polity. The dele
gates will meet for IN informal consultation
and exchange of views respecting matters of
common experience concerning which there are
no pronounced differences within the lines of
the denomination.
The full programme of exercises shows evil
dcncc of painstaking care and udicous dis
elimination in the preliminary survey of the
general grounds of discussion. After the first
congratulations are exchanged and the add
dresses of welcome delivered the Conference
will be virtually resolved into large class
meeting of n primitive type. One day will be
devoted to the History and Results of Meth
OdiSm y another to Evangelical Agencies
such as the tinerant ministry, lay preachers
womcns work, and Scriptural holiness another
10 the training of children at home and i'm the
Church another to The Lords Day and
Temperance y; another to "Possible Perilsr
from the Papacy and saccTdotaism, modern
sccpticism, formality, worldiness, improper
amuscments and innovations; another to
various phases of education another to the
press and hymn0logy; three DAYS ID missions
and The closing session to Christian unity. The
topics have evidently been selected with be-
coming caution, everything tending TO revive
deuominatiOnal fcuds and to cause irritation mt
raw and sensitive points being studiously
avoided. We hope, however, that the results of
the session will prove that Cancellation has not
been carried so far rs to deprive the proceedings
Of ytaliZng energy. Precision of method and
| earnestness of purpose have been the charac-
tcrisic features Of Methodist conference work
in England and America. The regulations by
which the deliberations of the delegates are To
be restricted to twenty minute papers and five
minute speeches would have met with thc-ap-
proval of that great organizing genius, John
Wesley himself. But representative Mcthodists
will not be at their best unless they speak with
purpose and discuss matters of vital impor-
lance to their religious communion. The pro-
gIamme affords some promise that the proceed
ings will not be so harmonious as to be dull and
liclcss The sections of the Church which
differ 50 widely in matters of polity and disci-
pHne will find themselves on delicate ground
when they come to discuss the comparative
merits Of evangelical agencies, and one of the
missionary sessions III least ought to be field
day. This rs the day which this practical
question viii be discussed: How to avoid
waste, ryrlries and confusion arising from
different Methodist bodies occupying the same
or contiguous fields" While there is no con-
| hict between British and American Methodists
i'll the home fields of Great Britain the United
States, Canada and Australia, there are some
unfortunate rlvalIies and complications in the
| foreign fields OF China, Japan India and Con-
| tinental Europe. Certainly there can be no
| better opportunity for reducing the number of
Methodist factions III foreign mission work and
masslng their effective agencies for the evan
gelzation of the world than this Ecumenical
| Conference will Offer
| The meeting-pace Of this remarkable re-
! ligious council is the historic chapel where the
| founder OF MethOdism so often preached and
where his remains lay in state arrayed in his
ministerial robes with the Bible in his hand.
| City Road Chapel, London, has been called the
Mecca of Methodism. 1t was there that John
Wesley organized his first class meeting or
society where religious advice was given to
! eight or ten souls convinced of their sin. and
where pennies were collected after PRAYERS
were olfered-where, as writer in The Edin-
burgh Repe,c happily expresses it, @religion and
finance were welded and the system of Metho
dism became living thing" 1t was the centre
from which he made that marvellous series of
journeys during which he travelled 27O, 600
miles and preached 10000 sermons. Around
1t cluster the purest and most inspiring associa-