The Evening critic., 1881-09-08
The Method,st EcumenicaI.


Yesterday, in the Old City Road Chapel,
London, assembled the greatest conference
Of "the people called Methodists" ever
gathered since John Wesley laid the foun-
dations of the ecclesiastical organization,
whose growth is literally without precc-
dent in religious history. Tho conference
consists of 400 members, divided equally
between the American and European sec
tons and between the ministry and the
laity. On rude and general classification
the Methodist Church North and South
sends 118 delegates; the colored Metho-
dists are entitled to 20; the Canadians to
%, and the various other divisions to 80,
there being always this distinction to note,
that subdivision Is almost an exclusive
popularity of American Methodism, the
n-Episc0pal form only prevailing in
Europe. OF the non American delegates,
the Wesleyan Methodists send SO: the
Primitive Methodists, SO the Free Church,
%; the New Connection, IL; the Bible
Christians, 10; the Wesleyan Reform
Union, 4; the Irish Wesleyans, 10; the
Wcsleyans, 49, At the present conference
a British chairman will preside ut the
next, which will be held on this side of
the Atlantic, an American, the Office there
after alternating in regular succession be-
tween the two sections The Rev. DIR.
Osborne, President of the British Con-
ference, and, If we mistake not, the senior
incumbent since the death of John Wesley,
will preside. An American Methodist,
Bishop Simpson, will preach the evening
sermon on " Christian Union, and responses
to the addresses Of welcome will be delivered
by Bishops III. W. Warren and ii. N. Nc
Tyeirc, Of the NJ E. Church and NJ. L.
Church South respectively and the Rev. DIR.
Douglass, of Canada. To-day will be given
up to the preliminary work Of salutation
and organization, while in the evening
Lord-Mayor Macarthur, of London, himself
a prominent member of the connection,
will hold an official reception at the
Mansion House. The general topic Of
to -morrows session is Methodist History
and its Results the comparative advan-
tages of the Episcopal and non Episcopal
forms and their agreement with or di-
least interesting subjects that will come
before the conference. On Friday the
general topic will be "The Evangelical
Agencies of Methodism," and on Saturday,
when only morning session will be held,
the subject of " Mcthodism and the Young"
will be discussed. The foreign delegates
will occupy the various pulpits of the de-
nomination in the British metropolis on
Sunday, and on Monday work will
be resumed, the subject set being
"The Lords Day and Temperance"
On Tuesday the selected topic is "The
Possible Perils of Methodism," compre-
hensive theme, including not only the
dangers arising from scepticsm and sacer-
dotalism, but from innovations, worldli-
ness, improper amusements and the like.
On the Wednesday Of next week "Educa-
/ ti0n viii command the attention of the
nor nm, TburcIaxr 20 Tho Trca Of fha
Press for the Advancement of Christianity"
is the theme set apart for debate on Fri
day the fruitful subject of "Home Missions
will be attacked the sessions ON Saturday
and of Monday, the 10Th, being devoted to
that of "FOreign Missions" Upon Tues
day. the Both instant, the labors Of the con-
ference will be terminated by the discussion
of the subject of christian Unity" how il
may best be maintained aud increased
among Methodists and made manifest tc
the world. OF the leading essays and
speeches, for which provision has been made
by the Committee of Arrangements, one
half will be delivered by representatives o
the various American and Canadian
branches of the great Wesleyan stock, bu
, it is selfevident that, the time being &,
!, limited, a very large proportion of the 40t
delegates must be content to act rs listen
ers, or, when they speak, to condense thei
remarks into the very narrOwest limits.
The meeting of Ecumenical Conference o
, 1881, it need hardly be said, is a most i'm
, portant event in the history of the grea
denomination which has not hitherto hat
f much time to hold conventions or to pro
{ coed with the work of consolidation
Whether it has the same power to retail
. members as it has to attract them is one o
the questions which attentive observer
have frequently discussed without agreeing
upon conclusion. 1t was originally in
tended, to use happy phrase, as "a fourtl
t estate Of Anglicanism," and where, as OIL
, the American continent it does not fec
0 the influence of the Establishment
), it runs in parallel channels with Presbyte
|, rianism or Congregationalism without an,
/; obviously distinguishing features. 1t ha
; never lost the impulse of its founder, and /
has done work that perhaps no other dc
I nomination could have done, and that no
!, few other denominations would not hav
+ attempted. 1t is not impossible that in it
@ new phase its logical and most healthfu
r development, and at the same time tina
Q most potent for good to humanity, will b
y found to lie in the direction of domesti
e mission work.