Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-10
METHoDIsrs Oh GREAT nRIraf~.
Talk with Dr Stephenson On Ch.r.h
Matters in England

Talk With Dr. Stephenson On Charsh
Matters in England.
The WESLEYAN Methodist church has no Do
litical ..filiat.ons' said the Rev. Thomas How
man Stephenson. u. ID, president OF the
Wesleyan Methodist conference 20 A Sra r.
! porter There Wac nothing dubious m DR..
Siephensons manner when be said that III
has been our traditional policy. he went On
ITO avoid. as a church. all interference nth
What may broadly be termed party politics.'
We have IN our membership Representatives OF
pom the great political parties. and If ~ al
! lowed the church courts 10 he used for polificsl
! purposes We would drive out the ad.sretss az
one or the other. We do not want Nethoai.,,,
TO Oe nything but great church aud tler.
onsht 70 oe room IA II Ion persons of all inds
/ o; political belief. Where a question IL stri,-tlv
partisan We don touch it, bat We don't al
tempt 20 dissualC our PEOPLE from becotstnp
Interested; on the contrary, We endeavoF a,
'tach thei1 :S"re ana more that their dutr a.
citzens demands certain amount Of political
! activity
The question of the disestablishment of the
chuich an England l. not one of party politics.
nor Is ~ = very live question just now. The
doctor had made no reference TO the -uhlect
but the reporter had. when that n,s,tte..
comes TO be fought ont there IL wall not be such
contest as In Scotland or Males. In Scotland
tue Presbyterian bodies are one ia creed and
church government: IN England the question
oi disestablishment Is mixed up with the SAFER
uotai claims of the clergy of tine Enfltsh
church. Even Gladstone himself has careInlly
ahstained hitherto from expressing any lude-
menu on the subject He dOes not. as under
stand ms principle. propose To make any move
unless II Is IN accord with the expressed Wi %
majority Of the people. That principle would
an the long run apply 10 the English as well as
10 Tue Scotch church. but when matters
VIII reach thai stage il Is impossible for me 60
say. One thing Win however. help IL much A
conslderable portion of the clergy OF the I'm
gilsh church would like disestablishment Tor
! IL would leave them free TO carry out their asn
views. Ii IL probable that the ripening of 4ir-
establishment viii cOme-when Il does ON ae-
court OF protests made by the high church
party because Of some influence restraining
their sacerdotsl teachings and practices: bus a.
ought 10 be remembered that that wbich
divides the Church of England IL not dIsestaly.
llshment. out the doctrine of apostolic success.
sion, with all that flows from n. Dls-stab lish-
ment would not make any difference socisllg.
HE aristocracy and those newly rich sko
want To be thought aristocrAtic would stiI
belong TO that church and for the first seusra-
| uon, at least l do not think the breach
between the two CLASSES of EpiscopaliAns watild
widen. 30 far n England Is concerned dis
establishment n not at tins time ufHctitabls
That there be no misunders IA ndlng a. 20
the position OF our church ought perhaps TO
say that Methodi-m does recognize many qises-
,ions which are necessarily political, but which
have 80 direct a bearing upon morals that tl,.v
are great moral questions first. With them ss.
a. church, feel free to deal Temperance.
the laws which encourage vice. the characters
| OF public men and other such matters ne are
accustomed 10 pronounce upon. Probably Sue
Wesleyan Methodist church had more to tio
than any other organization with the abolition
oi the contagious diseases act. On such sut,-
jects We DO not hesitate TO speak"
The TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT N GREAT BRrr.fN
Does the temperance movement flourish an
! Great Britain
Yes. There is no doubt that there has been
an enormuos growth of temperance sentiment.
The vast majority of the clergy. of all tenomIs.-
tions, are now total abstainers anu all Christlsa
| churches have their own organizations yigor-
ously AZ work. There has been a wonderful
change IN the habits Of the people especially
| among persons Of the middle aud UPPER
classes. ami there Is no doubt that some forn
| OF local option will occupy a prominent posi-
tior in the next liberal program"
do you require pledge of total abstneEss
| as prerequisite for Membership
| NO; none Of the principal churches ~.
Some OF the smaller ones have such a re/ula-
;ion.'
| CHANGES N ENGLIss NTH JDIsM
HAS the character of English Methodist
undergone much recent charger"
''For thirty years past there has been con-
tinual change. There is a sort of an idea pres-
alent that for many years Methodism was auifs
| content TO leave aggressive effort and an
that Is now associated with the forward move
| mont IN allegiance, content 10 he the church af
well-to-do, comfortable people That is an
I unfair statement Of the case. There was far
many years a timid and cautious policy but a
arose out OF circumstances which. although
| they might not justify il, would at least sf-
count for II. About forty years ago We suffered
! the most terrible CONFUSION that ever reUt
Methodism, and for a time IL was all we could
do TO hold our own, bat splendid efforts ulti-
mately relieved Us of debts and
placed us in good working conditions.
Scarcely had we emerged from that disl uptiOa
when concerted efforts were made to reach the
poorer people ana fiity-seven preachers were
appointed to labor in that field. The import
ance of this missionary effort became more aud
more apparent, hut IL wac not until the arriyl
of Mood: and Sankey that the great change
wrought in the church. Many Of the old con-
yentionalities were broken down. and people
began TO see that Gods work could be done ia
.reer manner than they had previously
garded possible. Then came great struggle
| the turning point in the history Of the move
ment--the question being whether we should
sell our central church In Manchester Toe
an enormous amount and with il build
suburban churches. OF retain the property
(which in the heart of the city, and carry
on mission work. The property was not sold
and the success OF the Manchester mission
made the London mission possible. The Lon
don mission is wonderfully successful. but nos
more relatively than the missions in Biz
mingham and other places. Ii IL quite mis-
take 60 imagine that the London mission stands
alone in representing the forward movements
in Methodism, although its success and popur
larity no doubt assists all the others"
THE EcUNESIcAL coSFrREScE-
"What results do you look for from the scu-
menical conference
The results," said DIR. Stephenson, .-win
necessarily be indirect. but they will be very
powerful The conference will bring much
nearer some form OF Methodist union: in itself
il il some form Of Methodist union. IL enables
ne to speak with one voice ON many questions:
il enables us TO understand each other. will
make cooperation easy and will discourage un-
due rivslries- Ideas expressed in tina confer
ence will be seed sown in the minds of the peo-
pie at large, and il is among the mssses thai ne
shall look for the harvest"
Now. as 10 your personal work. suggested
the reporter
Yes, yea" calculated the Wesleyan Her
cules Strengthening his massive body. Soma
other day."
Hicls-"whafs the matter between you and
Cassein, the milkmany'