The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-10-23

"a tS"sVH hlhNH FROM inc llctNuHlStS nnu
d Suggestion to rrcsby.orlnns and
Others.
Chicago Inter OCEAN.
Tho great Ecumcnical Conference,
representing the entire body of Mctho.
dists, closed its session OF twelve days
yesterday. II must have been quite
sen5ation for Washington. Our national
capital has never been prominent in re-
ligion. Its interests and attractions
have been political, with m occasional
dash OF science. II its founder, in whose
honor the city WAS named, had been
told that when the city was about 100
years old Il great ecclesiastical gather
ing would be held there, one represent
ing some twenty-five millions OF adher-
ents, he would hardly have guessed the
denomination. Yetitwas appropriate
The City OF Washington and the Meth
odist church are about OF an age.
Neither has any faint OF mcdicvalism.
The Methodist church has never persc-
cuted Tor hcrcsy, the capital OF the
United states has never witnessed any
such scenes Of blood and cruelty as have
stained the annals OF all the European
capitals.
The address to the Methodist people
throughout tho world which the cou-
ference issued is suggestive, in some
what negative way, OF the query: Why
should there be so many distinct
Methodist denominations when there is
substantial unity among them all?
They all sustain the same relation to
Wesley and whatever is distinctly
Wesleyan. They have the same general
ideas and convictions rs to religion and
the conduct OF lie. Blu: these Metho.
dist divisions arc not weakening,
Tor the reason that they are
not kept up by and made the occa-
sion OF unfriendly controversy. There
does not appear to be any root OF bitter
ness in any OF the branches. Union is
impossible, but unity already exists and
does not seem to be seriously cndangcr-
ed. III some cases the cause OF division
has wholly passed away, Slavery made
several schlsms in the Methodist ranks
OF the United States. In other cases
the cause OF separation was merely 4
matter OF emphasis or accumulation in
the rendering OF the faith as expounded
by John Wesley. his associates, and
disciples. The Washington conference,
by its absolute freedom from any lean
ing toward any branch OF the general
church showed the essential unity
which prevails.
The Presbyterian church may we'll
ask ii unity is not preferable to union.
Soon after the war Il movement was set
on foot to bring the old and the new
school Presbyterian denominations to-
gotllcr as one ecclesiastical body. At
last that was done. The Southern
branch kept up its distinct orsaniza-
ton, but throughout the North the
union was complete. The was 4 good
deal OF billing and cooling over the
union, and perhaps it was a
wise move, but certain it is that
hardly had it been effected before
4 note OF discord was struck. The first
to disturb the harmony was Dr. Patton,
who could not brook the ncw:schoolism
OF Prof. Swing, and ut the present time
this same hypercritical theologian is dis
turbins the peace OF the church by his
attempt to cast out Prof. Briggs. Had
the two schools dwelttogethcr in unity,
instead OF forming union, all this
might have been avoided. Two fami-
lies, living under one roof and sitting
ut one table, are much more likely to
quarrel than two neighbors.
When 1t comes to foreign missionary
work, union might be preferable, al
though the example OF the American