The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-10-13
THE METHODISTS
The Proceedings in the Wesleyan Ecu
menieal Council at London.
cor- q rhe nhic.rn Ereninr Ionrnal.l


Cor. Of The Chicago Evening JOurnal.l
1t is evident that this first Ecumeni-
cal Conference, limited Us are its pow
ers, will not be wholly barren of results.
1t will be sure to lead to an economic
ing of foreign missionary forces of Meth
odism, and there is a probability now
that it will issue a sort of pastoral ad-
dress which, coming from so dignifed
and truly representative body, will
command universal attention, and point
| ing out, as it will, the perils and de-
mands of the hour, cannot fail to do
much good. This conference will also
strengthen the fraternal feelings and
bring the bodies represented in 1t to
better understanding of one another.
There are already many indications that
the conference will benefit American
Methodism by cementing more strongly
the ties by which in these days the
long-separated North and South are be
| ing drawn together The influence of
the gathering in this direction was forel-
bly, illustrated by a scene which occurred
on Thursday A telling fye-minutes
speech was made by Rev. j. c. Price, a
colored man from North Carolina. One
point in this speech was that Methodism
had ameliorated the hardships of slave
T ry. It had softened the heart of the
| master toward the slaves, the speaker
said, and at the same time had caused
| the Christian slave to think kindly OF
his master. This speech made great
/ impression on the conference, and at its
close DIR. c.. K. Marshall, a leading re-
preventative of the NJ. E. Church, South,
arose, and amid loud demonstrations OF
applause, extended his hand to the
black man who had just sat down, say
ing, as he did so, Il greet you as a
brother, and | thank God that your
people are free" This episode was
greatly enjoyed by all present, but to the
| American delegates had peculiar sig
nifcance, and brought, of course, pecu-
liar qualification. In this connection,
it should be stated that speech was
made Yesterday which reminded the
conference that there had been serious
differences between some of the English
Methodist bodies, and which also de-
monstrated that this gathering was like
| " to effect the removal of these differ
ences. The author of this speech was
Rev. William Griffith, Of the Metho-
dist Free Churches. Thirty years ago
this gentleman and two others, Revs.
Everett and Dunn, were expelled from
the Conference of the British Wesleyan
Church for having used the press to pass
anonymous structures on several promIn-
ent ministers of that church. Their
expulsion was brought about mainly
through the agency of DR.. George Os-
born, the leading representative OF BRIT
ish Wesleyansm at the Ecumenical
Conference. Since that time Mr.. Grit
fifth and DR.. Osborn have never spoken
to each other. Yesterday, however,
the former gentleman, referring to the
good he had derived from attending the
conference, said that at first he had no
desire to be present, thinking no practl-
cal result would be reached from such a
meeting, but that now he felt as though
he could not afford to have been absent /;
s'and," he added, "there is not per-
son in this conference to whom L cannot
give the right hand Of fellowship"
These remarks spoke volumes to those
who knew of the old feud and of the
bitterness that had so long survived it,
and among the British delegates there
/: were many hearty "hear, hears, and
, not few moistened eyes. DIR. Osborn
was not at the moment in the confer
! ence room, or a scene of reconciliation
: might have been enacted. Such a scene,
however, is looked upon as one OF the
! probabilities of the near future, and no
one more sincerely than your cores
pondent hopes it will occur, for such
things not only presage good for Metho-
: dism, but they tend also to relieve the
! monotonv of the sessions of this body,
j which, beginning, continuing and hay
ing their end in talk, are necessarily
; for the most part rather tedious"
!, The themes commanding interest thus
! far discussed by the conference have
i been, ''The Statistical Results of Meth
odism p ''Women and Their Work in
Methodism;" "Scriptural Holiness; :;
1.-The Influence of Methodism on Other
> Denominations ;" 1.-The Christian Sab
: bath :" and Temperance" In the dis
: cussion Of the first named theme It
i transpired that Methodism has "a, ,453
' local preachers, 80, 1853 itinerant preach
S ers, 4762 900 members, SO, 180 Sunday
schools, and 4,481 $50 Sunday-school
scholars. The discussion in regard tc
the work of woman was chiefly remark
= able for the strong conservative tone
; Some had expected that this representa-
tive gathering of the worlds Methodisn
:, would favor the general opening o.
j Methodist pulpits to woman, and the
!, conferring upon them, when desired, o.
a the ministerial orders known to the
It church. How utterly those who enter
L tanned such expectations were dlsap
y pointed will be we'll understood when l
: is stated that the essayist, DIR. Antlltf
: of the Primitive Methodist Church
i favored the admission of woman to th'
IS pulpit only in exceptional instances
It while the invited speaker, DR.. Payne
le President of Ohio Wesleyan University
:. said nothing on the subject pro or con
= the cause of female preaching finding
= as a matter of fact, but one special ad
. yocate in all the conference. The dis
a cussion of s'Scriptural Holiness claims
|, speciaI mention, not so much for tn
y ability displayed Dy DI- NeHHohs u -
q MeFerrin, and others in its treatment
4 Z as for the fact that the Conference D,
= a large vote suspended its rules to al
the consideration of this theme to ex
h tend beyond the allotted hour, the un
Outstanding being that the remark
Is should take on the form of experience
Il This was the only instance In which th'
is conference had suspended its rules fol
d any purpose. It had refused to extend
3, 9 the time of a prominent speaker, ever
= = after the assurance from the gentleman
g : that he had only another sentence t
L utter. The fact, therefore, that th'
id conference did for the theme in question
a what it refused to do in other cases
y shows the rapid progress that partIcu
e lar doctrine is making in the high places
= = Of the church. DR.. Buckley and other
ii spoke in opposition to the suspension o
e the rules for this purpose, but q few
d words from Rev E. Jenkins, ex Presl
e dent of the Wesleyan Conference