St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-21
Subjects Of Vital Interest to
the Church Occupy the
Closing Day.
English Eeclesiastieism in It's
Pr Relation to Advance OF
Christianity.
Bishop Keene's Warning to
the Brethren From Brit
IL aims Domains.
The Roman Hierarchy Gets q
Little Lift--Democraey
q Must Rule.

and last days session of the ecumenical
Methodist council opened this morning,
with Rev. Dr. Thomas Allen. of Eng
land, i'll the chair. Through Secretary
King the business committee reported
resolution looking to the appointment
of deputation representative Of the
conference.-the visit the Pan-Presbyterian
council to be held at Toronto next year.
The committee also reported amend
mentS TO the resolution presented yes
terday relative to the creation of an
executive commission to make the
necessary arrangements for the next
meeting of the ecumenical conference.
The effect of these amendments was to
leave the selection of the commission to
the various conferences, the business
committee to undertake the conduct of
the business of the ecumenical confer
ence until the commissioners are ap-
pointed. The reports were adopted
without division.
The topic OF the day was ''The Out
look" and the first essay of the session
was on 1.-The Christian Resources of the
Old World" by 5. Simon, of the Wesley
all Methodist church. Kent. He said to
some the success of Christianity means
the success of their opinions about re-
ligion or the success of the particular
church to which they belong. We must
emancIpate our minds from this mistake,
though we do not deny Its value as a
motive force. After stating that the
men who are in closest touch with the
masses of the English people are I'M
pressed with the fact that, while the
cries about the Christian religion fail to
arouse interest, the living personal
Christ is reg arded with an increasing
enthusiasm, the speaker claimed that
this theory of the public mind was one
of the greatest resources of Christianity
in the old world. The question re-
manned: Are the ministers and work
ers of the English churches prepared to
avail themselves of this condition of the
public mnd?'
English EccIesiasticism.
After warning against rash and un-
favorable decisions, the speaker went
on TO say: lit requires courage SuS-
tanned by St. PaufS Observation-Disclosures
to face the condition of ecclesiastical
life i'll England at this moment. The
rapid diminutiOn of tile Evangelical
party in the Church of England is an
Omnous sign. There can be no dou bit
that the remarkable revival of religion
which has occurred in the Anglican
church has resulted in great increase
of the high church party. especially i'll
that section of the party which is COM
posed of men who are scarcely dis
tinguishable from RomanistS.
The number of ritualiStS among the
Christian churches of England suggests
very grave questions. Is the aim of
ritualsm simply and exclusively the
exaltation and proclamation Of the
living and life-giving Savior? Those
| who investigated the Oxford movement
distinct intention, and as first step, it
was a movement toward Christ. The
enthusiasm that inspired it was excited
by new views of the history of the
chErch and its clergy, and by very adj
vanced teaching as to the substance and
effects OF the Sacraments Those views
were expressed by a symbolic ceremo-
nialism, which made the priest the
center OF the service. If we examine
ritualiSm now, we find that its develop
ment has been. in harmony with the
beginning. This serious defect makes
lis hesitate in claiming the successes of
the extreme high churchmen as sue
ceSSeS won for Christ"
Turning from the Episcopal church,
the speaker unhesitatingly declared
that the evangelical nOnconformistS of
England were prepared to minister TO
the desire for a living Christ. After
dealing with the work of the Salvation
Army. the speaker closed his paper by
referring to the Influences outside of
the churches which were telling against
evil and which were really on the side
of Christ. He said:
..Op nur lido .irhtc aucr,- intel
moral and social force that scatterS the
gloom of ignorance. that advances pur-
ity and SObriety, that secures the true
rights of men. As Christians we wei
come the assistance of every one who
! aims blow at evil and shields that
which is good. After all, our confidence
chiefly rests i'll the men aud women
who confess Christ. as their master and
who believe that His gospel is the true
remedy for the sins and sorrows of the
world
Progress Of the Church.
Rev. DR.. Watts, of London, said
financial resources are augmenting
greatly, yet Christian millionaire
should be an impossibiity. Our intel
lectual resources are multiplying mar
velously. Old barriers are being broken
down. The lands of the Greek and
Latin churches are profoundly stirred
by our modern thought and life. and the
old Superstitions are passing away.
Finally, we are gaining power by our
growing unity. What, then, may we
not accomplish with our ever accumu-
lating resources? Ii the men of this
generation are true to God, then the
next generation will hail a united Meth
OdiSm.
Chancellor Edward Mays, of Oxford,
Miss, spoke of the christian Resources
of the New Worid.' Let agnostcs and
atheists sneer as they would, let pessim-
ism wear its gloomy front as it would,
yet the glorious fact remained. and the
| hord cold Iopic cf statistics demon