Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-10-21
THE METHODISTS.
THE QUESTION or THE UNION OF
METHODIST CHURCHES.
step-The Progress Made Toward
The Union.
Correspondence of the RECORD Usros.l

Correspondence of the RECORD USIos.l
MONTREAL &c anada), October II, 1882.
The movement in favor of the organic
union of the numerous branches of Meth
odism, which found such strong ex.
preston and received SO gratifying an
impetus in the London Ecumenical Con-
ference, is still making Roadway, and,
notwithstanding the apparent backset it
received at the General Conference of the
NJ. E. Church South, which met in Nash.
vile last May, there is really fair pros
pect of its speedy consummation. With
the opening of next year, pending the cleo
tion of delegates to the General Conference
Of the NJ. E. Church, which meets In the
spring of the year following at Philadel.
phia, the discussion of this subject will be
revived Who knows but that when that
body shall convene
THE FRATERNAL DELEGATE .
From the Southern Church may pitch his
address to the same high key of brotherly
yearning to which the epochal appeal of
DR.. Ridgaway was pitched! Following
closely on the heels Of this gathering will
come the grand Christmas reunion Of
American Methodism, to be held Deem
Der, 1884, in the city of Baltimore, in
celebration of the organization in that
"cradle of Methodism," one hundred
years before, of the original Methodist
Episcopal Church of the United States.
What will be the issue of that family
gathering, in which old memories will be
called up and the finer sentiments given a
loose vein, time must be left to deter
mine. Meanwhile events are transporting
among our Canadian brothers which put
them in the lead in this union movement,
and which make it almost certain that
ere the Christmas Conference shall meet
the consolidation of the different branches
of Methodism will be, on their side of the
line, an accomplished fact.
THE METHoDIsTs OF CANADA
Are divided at present into four distinct
organizations. The largest of these is the
Methodist Church, having about Ia, 900
members and 1000 ministers. This is
modelled after the British Wesley an Church,
with few changes of government necessi-
tated by the larger extent OF the country.
Next is the Methodist Episcopal Church,
having 2S, 600 members and 400 ministers,
and being governed much as is our own NJ
f. Church. The Primitive Methodists and
Bible Christians are smaller bodies, num-
bering about S. 600 members each, neither
employing more than hundred ministers
and both being on-episcopsl The largest
of these four churches 1.-THE Methodist) was
formed eight years ago by a coalition of
the old Wesleyan Methodist and Methodist
New Counexion bodies. The latter brought
about 5000 members to the new fold, and
hence the union was really less coalition
than an absorption, the former church car
rying with it it's old form of church gov.
eminent, giving up only part of its name
and conceding to the New Connection
brethren the single item of lay
representation in the General Conference.
This partial union of the Methodists of the
Dominion, effected eight years ago, was the
outcome of an effort two years previously
to unit the whole. A joint committee
representing all the churches held meet
ing at that time, to see if basis OF union
could be found. The good ship of fra.
ternal feeling had smooth sailing for a
while in the deliberations of that body,
but she finally struck and was totally
wrecked on the rock of the episcopacy
The brethren of the other churches, form
ing their ideas of these dignitaries from
the English Church, would have nothing to
do with Bishops in any form or under any
name, and the representatives. of the NJ. E.
Church
AT ONCE WITHDREW.
About the same time the Primitives also
withdrew from the committee, impelled to
this course, it is said, by the Primitive
Methodist Church in Great Britain, the
result being the committees disbandment
and the dropping for the time of all further
negotiations. Two years later, when the
subject was reopened by the Wesley ans,
the only church that responded was the
Methodist New Connexion, and then occur
red the above. mentioned coalition between
these churches. The modern movement
in favor of union began about four years
ago in the quarterly and district meetings
of the different churches. All these, after
full discussion, voted favorably. Subse.
quently the principle was Endorsed by the
Annual and General Conferences, with the
result to date that another joint committee
has been created, whose deliberations at
their first meeting Last month were marked
by such perfect harmony, and by such a
oommendable disposition to make mutual
concessions, as to give promise that at its
next assemb ing, which occurs in Toronto
the last Tuesday in November, it will reach
a satisfactory agreement, and, lacking only
the djustment of details, leave the churches
organically one.
The members Of this joint committee
who represent the Primitive Methodists
and the Bible Christians were appointed
by the annual Conferences of those bodies
in the spring OF the present year. In
August the General Conference of the NJ.
E. Church met at Hamilton and followed
suit, appointing as its representatives
twenty OF its most Influential members and
laymen, with DR.. S. G. Stone as their
Chairman. The delegates from the Meth
odist Church were appointed at the Gen.
eral Conference which met in the same
place two weeks later, and then, at the
seat of the Methodist General Conference
and in the intervals between the sessions Of
that body
THE COMMITTEE BEGAN ITS WORK.
As basis for its deliberations it adopted
the discipline OF the largest of the four
bodies represented, and, showing the es-
sential oneness of Methodism in its theo.
logical and moral aspects, at once agreed
without discussion that all parties could
cordially accept both the articles of re-
legion and the general rules OF that church,
which, by the way, are substantially the
same as those subscribed to by the differ
ent Methodisms in our own country and in
Great Britain. On the subject of Church
Government" it was agreed that, as con.
cession from the two stronger TO the two
weaker branches, the united church
should have lay representatives in the
annual Conferences, while as grant
from the Methodist, the Primitive and
the Bible Christian churches, to
the NJ. E. Church, the principle of the
General Superintendency was accepted.
Here the deliberations OF the committee
were cut short. and the General Confer
encs of the Methodist Church being still
in session, the representatives of that
body reported what had been DONE With
the proviso that they were not to consent
to any such recognition of the general su.
perintendency as would interfere with the
presidency of the annual Conferences, or
otherwise limit the pSwers of those bodies,
their report was accepted, and their mum.
Der being increased to forty, they were in
struc.ed TO go ahead in their good work.
Thus, the rock on which the ship went to
nieces in the farmer vovapa /. no,v =, GOOD