The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-20

Methodist Church I'm Canada, 4; African Metho-
dist Episcopal Church. 3; African Methodist
Episcopal Zion. 3: Colored Methodist Episcopal.
I: Methodist Protestant, i; United Brethren in
Christ. |: Wesleyan American. j; Union Ameri-
can Methodist Episcopal: J; African Union Meth
odst Episcopal. /: Free Methodist. l: Congrega-
tiOnal Methodist, i; Primitive Methodist. 1;
British Methodist /: Independent Methodist. ]:
United Brethren in Christ odd constitution i:
Evangelical Association. i.
Among other duties the commission is TO
make the necessary arrangements for the
next conference. subject 10 the approval OF
the several churches represented. The re-
port met with some opposition from DIR.
Embry, of the a. NJ. l.. Church. Directing
To tho small number of members allowed
for his church. and DIR. Buckley. of New
York, holding that the proposed action was
unnecessary and dam erous. Mr.. Atkinson.
of England did not relish the minority rep
resentatOn accorded the Eastern section,
but thought that after all the EDglishmen
would be able to hold the balance of
power. He hoped and expected that the
next Ecumenical Conference would be held
In Australia. After some discussion the
further consideration of the report went
over until tomorrow.
SUNDAY ADJUSTMENTS.
Bishop T. X. Hendrix, of the VI. +.
Church South. Kansas City, occupied the
chair at the afternoon session. The first
essay was on THE Lords Day." by Rev. L.
6. Stewart, of the A. NJ. L. Church of Balti-
more. He said il should not be a day of
amusement, but day sacred 70 the Lord.
Rev. T. Bromage, of the Wesleyan Re-
form Union. said that 1t should be observed
as the Lords day in our homes. not with
long faces, sad spirits, but as a bright,
happy day.
Thomas Ruddle, b. A.. head master Bible
Christian College. Shcbbear. Devon. Eng.
was the next speaker. His subject WAS
.%.x1a -. =. cd
ments. He said in part: There is nothing
In the spirit of the New Testament opposed
to a moderate and rational use OF amuse-
ments. The Romanists have made 1t
council of perfection" to live unnatural.
and the Puritans have fastened yoke I'M
bearable on every single believer. And
both have utterly failed In their purpose.
Whatever may be the duty of the church
towards amusements. it IS obviously not
her duty to be hostile towards them.
Rev. Bishop G. ID. FOss. of the Nj. l..
Church, Philadelphia said the urgent need
of children was play. AS for the athletics,
the jollier the better If they were harmless.
But If the training made nothing but SPLEEN
did brutes church colleges should put them
out. The Sunday paper was indictable be-
fore the bar of God, and the church stood
with it particeps crminis.
Rev. Frank Ballard. of England. said that
the practical question was not whether
Sunday rest was right and necessary, but
how It was to be obtained, and that was
the question that faced the Methodists in
England.
Rev. j. w. Haney. of the NJ. +. Church,
Illinois. denied that the church
sponsible for the Sunday newspaper. 1t
should condemn every amusement such as
the theater, which habitually caricatured
the church, and also the Sunday newspaper.
Mr.. j. f. Bolmer. OF Manchester. Eng
land, said that the strange thing was that
the church had failed to recognize the need
of the people for amusement. He strolled
once into the Lyceum Theater and found
SO many preachers there that he thought
for the time he was In an ecumenical conn
ell People would go to theaters; the the
aters were full while the chapels were half
empty. The church should purify the the
alter, and TO do 1t church members would
nave TO go there. Cries of "Oh, no." and
You're right."l
Rev. Mr.. Hubbard, of the A. NJ. T.. Church.
feared that the gates were too widely
opened. I'VE have got in the dance and
the theater. and by and by We will get in
the circus" said he.
DIR. Waller thought 1t would be mistake
to prescribe any particular rules to govern
In the matter of amusements. He called
attention to the Roman Catholic prohibI.
ton of amusements during forty days
every year. Teater- going. card-playing
and dancing should be condemned outright,
and ministers who winked at them failed
in their duty.
The regular programme ended at this
point