Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-13
THE METHODISTS.
TED FIFTH DAYS SESSION OF TEE EcUMEN-
ICAL COUNCIL.
A Discourse On What Preachers Should Be- and
What They Should Deed Calls Than
To Bis Work and Thsy
guA Be- Fitted for L..


WASHINGTON, october 19.-The fifth
day OF the Ecumenical Methodist Coun-
Gil opened with Bishop j. w. Hood, OF
the African M. r. Church, Fayetteville,
n. c., in the chair. The topic OF the
morning session was 1.-THE Church and
her Agencies" and Bishop r. 5. Foster,
Of Massachusetts,, proceeded to address
the Council on "The Responsibilities
and Qualifications Of the Preacher"
He began by saying that he eraved
the fOrbearance Of the foreign dele
gates, as he despalred of the forgiveness
of his brethren In this country. be
would touch alone upon the second
point Of his intended address, as be re-
garded Il OF superior importance. The
speech was as instrument as really as
the sermon. he must consider what
the instrument was TO be used for. The
preacher was an instrument OF God Ia
The regeneration of men, 10 be co-work-
ers with Christ in saving sinners. Sal
walton was restoration Of man TO right
relations TO God. The minister was q
part Of the fundamentally for that
purpOse. The preacher was to be
viewed as a man in a body addressing
hisfellOw-men, charged with message.
He should Oe a manly man. His con-
sciOusness should lift him to dignihed,
noble manhood. He should be able TO
look his fellow-man ia the face, TO
scrutiniZe and be scrutinized; TO win
confidence and respect. The preacher
needed high qualities Of mind and prop
about that which he spoke; he
should be man OF experience. Men
were not born into the Fellowship or
God by the vOlition Of God; there was
process, and every soul entering the
kingdom must enter by that process.
Truth lodged intelligence, stirring the
heart, leading the sinner by the gate
way OF repentancer; by such a process
was the preacher made. But that was
not all. The theory to which the Church
held was that God called His ministers.
He selected them and made it known 20
them and to others. God dealt with
men as rational beings and dealt with
th.ir intelligence.
Preachers became at times imbecile in
I'm their efforts because Of lack of knOwl-
edge of the way 20 90 about their mis-
sion. No man could think OF God under
standingly who did not understand his
mower as manifested IN his works. So
when those TO whom he preached came
10 the teacher with doubt he should be
able TO grapple with those doubts; 70
overcome them and show them the way
to the truths of gospel. The preach
ers should eat OF all knowledge; touch
him where you would he should be
electric in his power Of lighting up the
minds Of men.
On reassembiing, the topic for discus
sion was "The religious press and the
religious uses of the secular press
Rev. Hugh Price Hughes of London de-
liyering the essay. DIR. Hughes, began
with a history OF the birth Of the Jour
nal, the first daily appearing he said in
1909. There wer5 row 5000 daily pa
pers. Was it not strange that this great
agency had rarely received the cOnSid-
GRAFTON OF the churches.
IL was now the fourth estate, the
greatest engine Of the world, and be-
comes so without the aid OF the Church
or it's blessings. Christian churches
must face the fact that this great en-
CINE was i'm the hands OF men who were
I'm some cases Indifferent 10 the Church
and I'm others absolutely full of hatred
for il. IL had been said that the news
paper was mightier than the pulpit. and
perhaps that estimate was not too high.
The powers OF journalism used on the
right side was enormous and irresiSti-
bic. For the creation of public opinion
In these swift days the press was SUI
preme. If so disposed the editors OF
the daily papers could render meal
Culable service 20 the cause OF God.
The religious press should never be
used for political purposes. The
preacher had learned from the journal
fist, said DR.. Hughes, I'm conclusion, and
"God grant that they may now learn
little from us. For united we and the
journalist can hasten the creation Of
that state which Christ is bringing to
all lands, in which there shall be no
room for OF sign OF misery.
Rev. DR.. Joseph T. Ferguson, Presi-
dent Of the Primitive Methodist church
OF England, could not say amen to all
that had been said and especially where
he said that religious papers should not
take cOgniZance OF politics. In England
there were thousands Of people that re-
ceiyed their politics not from
the daily papers, but from the
weekly religious journal. Occasion
ally it became necessary that religiO-
political questions should be treated by
them. Murmurs Of diSapprOvall. He
would not go further into that subject
because he saw il troubled his Wesleyan
friends. Rev. Thomas Shape, Of Liver
pool, made a plea for closer relations
between the church and the secular
press, particularly so II it is clean and
is not published and edited in the inter
est Of, or with the money OF, corrupt
men or corrupt influences.