Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-06-11
ra4 RIVAL sPsRrr o. ruR uRrue
Dist CUCRCU.

In the course Of an address daliyerod
before the general conferences OF 10
Methodist Episcopal Church south. by
the Rev. DR.. II. b. Ridgwav. fraternsi
delegate of tho Methodist EniscouaI
church, the speaker declared Il 10 be a
matter OF profound thankfulness that
neither branch had found occasion to
change the doctrines common to both.
The old cardinal points," hs said, ..of
fuu and free atenement for every
sumner . present saving faith for every
pen1teut, direct witness Of the holy
spirit to adoption for every bslisvsf,
ADD an entire 0Ancti6cAtioo from Mn
Tor svery hunRsSing and thirsting child
o. God, axo eiU maintained IN the
Peeeehtn9 and literature Of ths two
churches. And while thseo are held in
voivinR a. they do the emcisucy IT
Aetnodlsm a. . saving power, thero
vlu b no danger to Our thsoloRy. .
Aethodism With us 10 still . revival
church. Our affairs still blaze with the
pentecostal IRE, and the salvation of
2nneEs - regarded - the paramount
work Of the church. We arc becoming
not only numerous, but Q wealthy and
cultured, people. Schools colleges and
theological institutions are rapidly null
tip!yin0 AMONG rs. Taste il suggesting,
and wealth is supplying our people
with more varied means Of refinement
and enjoyment. II may b remem-
bored that history affords numerous in
stanees--as for example. where tho stur-
dy Vandals of the north were trans
planted TO the luxurious shores of A.
rica-that it only requires two genera
lions OF . people raised in soft and
needless self-indulRence to relax the
sinsws OF the hardest race; and % We
are guarding against tho decadsnoe of
the aggressive revival spirit among rs.
The wisdom Of the first OrQanizorp
OF the Roman army 10 seem in that SOL
diers we're Furnished with weapons and
armOr for hand to hand encounter Of
battle. Gibb0n tells us that, under the
Emperor Gratian, tho army, onfes-
bled BY luxury. abandoned tho weiRhty
helmet aud cuirass, the heavy weapons
OF their ancestors, the short-svord and
tho plum, which had subdued the
world, insensibls dropping from their
feeble hands; and with their disuse cot
in the rapid disinteRratiOn aud fall Of
the mighty empire. We are convinced
If the spirit Of our collegiate and theo-
logical training, Of our social culture,
shall be to cause us insensibly to drop
from our grasp the old weiRhty sturdy
weapons Of the m0urnsr's bench, the
hand t0-hand grappls with souls, instant
immediate fruits under
the word, and to fall back into Q long
range warfare with imperceptible and
results and indsfinite waiting
then will our decline speedily cot IN and
our power will soon leave "a and spirit
ual c0nquests will be. matters of the
past. We feel that the surest way of
keeping the vast s0ldisry Of our church
from tamperinG with their swords and
20 spelling their temper is to keep them
all alive aud active in their work. Moth
ing more surely saves the theology of the
church from psrversions than its iucss-
santapplioati0n in the saving of sinners.
The dslivorance Of dsspairing souls
from death 10 the ever recurring vindi-
cation Of its divinity"