Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-20

Principal Topic Discussed Before the Meth
odist Conference Yesterday.

i ot4et NohicFencc Acss<Ae0y'
WHAT THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH SHOULD
| BE--THE THEATER SCORED AND DEFESDKp-
TALKS AGAINST THE SUNDAY sEwsrAPER-AS
Address TO THE ME-HoDisrs OF THE WORLD.
| The afternoon session of the ecumenical con-
ference yesterday was devoted to discussion
Of the two topics. The Lords Day" and Tho
At,i;ade of the Church Toward Amusements. ("
Bishop E. r. Hendrix. DID, of the NJ. E.
church south presided, and devotional
exercises were conducted by Bishop Isaac Lane
OF the colored N. Z. church. There were not
more than a half hundred of the delegates
at the devotional exercises, but they began to
| file in slowly afterward. There was no business
session and TIE conference proceeded at once
| to the discussion of the two subjects assigned.
TIE LORDS DAY.
The first essay of the afternoon was by Rev.
7. G. Steward, D. D., of the 4. n. church
on the subject. The Lords Day." Since DIR.
Steward was selected as the essayist he WAS
commissioned cha lain in the army and WAS
unable to be present at the conference yester-
day In his absence the reading of his paper
was entrusted to- Rev. James ii A. Johnson OF
Bermuda. In the course of his paper the
sayist said that the Sabbath should not lie
day of amusement, but a day sacred to the
Lord The sabbath was everything TO the peo-
pie Of Christianity, = day of rest from labor, of
prayer and of thanksgiving. Religion could
| scarcely exist without the Sabbath. Morality
does not exist long separate from religion. No
| morality meant death. Every government
should concern itself in the welfare Of its sub
| jects. and il was important that they should be
healthy. physically and morally. Virtue and
intelligence were the necessary support of the
public strength, and without these qualities
the physical being degenerated
| Rev L. Bromage Of the Wesleyan Reform
Union said that the Sabbath of Gods
hottest and best gifts 10 man. 1t came with
Gods benediction and Christ had said that the
day was made for man
The cH-RcH AND AMUsFMKSrs.
In considering tue attitude Of the church to-
ward amusements, Mr.. T. Riddle. NJ A, Bible
Christian church, Highampton. England, took
the ground that the church should not be hos
tile. He believed in amusementr, and thought
that even the evils Of gambling were No argu-
nent against amusements-
Bishop &. ID. Foss of the Methodist Epiacopal
church. Philadelphia. said that no pastor could
doubt that the importance of the subject en-
titled 1t to place Il matter for discussion
The attitude of the church must be determined
| under well-estabiished precepts. They are:
recognition of the needs for amusements; APP
probation of the good and condemnation of
the bad; the taking of sach diversion and such
only as can be used In che name of the Lord
JESUS He gloried lii the EpwCrth League,
which sent its young members from their prac-
teal activities INTO innocent home games and
pure amusenents. The church should make
no long list OF amusement forbidden that would
necessarily be incomplete. Rev. James Nettle-
ton of London held that amusement was neces-
sary to keep a sound mind IL healthy body.
The difficulty lay In drawing the line between
harmfu, and innocent amusement
AGAINST THE SUNDAY PAPER.
Rev. 3. NJ. Messick of the Nj. E. church south
OF st. Louis found nothing SO deleterious as
the Sunday paper. 1t had become so through
The church itself Church ueonle advertise in
IL subscribe for IL and read ii instead nf the
Bible
Rev. J. W. Haney of the NJ. E. church, Illi-
nois, denled that the church was responsible
,Er .e ou l ~ " Ssi
tbon singing No songs and taLina No .ecraa-
ton that could not be used in the name of our
Lord Jesus. He did not believe it was the
business OF the ehurc1 TO turkish amusement
,ba ,baatsr NwS;rI hsb;,naIIr r;natrSaJ tS "o
- o.: - En- g.. L., - ~ ~
PEOPLE WILL GO TO THE 1hEArfR-
Mr.. j. T. Banner OF Manchester, England,
said that the strange thing was thai the church
had failed to recognize the need of the neonle
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'''-'0- ''
The Conference Address
"The Ecumenical Methodist Conference to the
Methodist people throughout the world.
eve tho rambsrs Of the o.oo,a ..,,,,,,;
cal Metnodis' conference; assembled IN wash
ington, greet our brethren In every land to
which our common faith has spread. Grace
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tLe IcrI Jesrs Cbrist' ~
1--WE gIorifv God for ,b. nroar.r;.v ,r,;,h
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