The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-21
Future of Christianity Viewed from All Sides
and in All Lights By Reys. Simon, Watts.
Dawson and Other Noted Diyines.
Spirited Address By Editor Buckley on
the Present and Ultimate Church.
Protestants Warned against Aggressions of
Catholics-Praise for the Press and People
Report Of the Business Committee.
LAST DAY OF THE COUNCIL.


last days session OF the Ecumenical
Methodist Council opened this morning
with Rev. DR.. Thomas Allen. of Wesleyan
Methodist Church, England. in the chair.
Through Secretary King the business
committee reported q resolution looking
to the appointment OF deputatiOn. repro
sentative of the conference, to visit the
Pan-Presby terian council to be held at
Toronto next year. The committee also
reported amendments to the resolution
presented yesterday relative to the creation
of an executive commission to make the
necessary arrangements for the next
Ecumenical Conference. The effect of those
amendments was TO leave the selection of
the commission to the various confer
ences the business committee to under
take tho conduct of the business of the
Ecumenical Conference until the commis-
sioners are appointed. The reports were
adopted without division.
The topic of the day was "The Outlook"
The first essay OF the session was on the
subject of THE Christian Resources of the
Old World" by S. Simon of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church. Kent. He said to some
the success of Christianity means the suo-
CESS OI tUelF OplUlOUS hDOub TellSlOU. OT tu6
success of the particular church to which
they belong. We must emancipate our
minds from this mistake; do not deny its
value motive force. Those who only
see their own side of a question are often
splendidly aggressive workers-mOre tit
than philosophers TO lead certain hopes.
But in the end truth has proven itself to be
a greater force than delusioD.
After stating that the men who are in
closest touch with the masses of the En-
glish people are impressed with the fact
that while theories about the Christian re-
ligiOn fail to aronse interest. the living
and personal Christ is regarded with an in,
creasing enthusiasm. The speaker claimed
that this theory of the public mind was
one of the greatest resources of Christiani.
ty in the old world. The question re-
mained, Are the ministers and workers of
the English churches, prepared to avail
themselves of this condition of the public
mindp After warning against rash and
unfavorable decisions the speaker
went on to say: 1T requires cour-
f by st. ss psnr snnatSU s0ad Of
ecciesiastieal life IA England at this mo-
mens. The rapid diminution of the evan"
gelical party IN the Church of England is
an omlnOCs sign. There can be no doubt
that the remarkable revival of religion
which has occurred In the Anglican Church
has resulted In q great increase in the
High-chnrch party. especially In that sec
tion of the party which is composed of men
manIsts. / must say that the number Of
rltualists among the Christian resources of
England suggests very grave questions.
THE OXFORD MOVEMENT.
Is the aim of ritualism simply and ex-
clusively the exaltation and proclamation
of the living and life. giving Sayior7 Those
who investigated the Oxford movement at
it's ouses will scarcely affirm that indis-
tinct intention. and as first step it was q
movement toward Christ. The enthusiasm
that in spired it was excited by new views
of the history of the church and its clergy,
and by very advanced teaching as the hb-
stance and effects of the sacraments. Those
views were expressed by symbolic cere-
monialism, which made the priest the center
of the service If we weexamine,ritualism now,
We find that its developments has been in
harmony with its beginning. This serious
defect makes Us hesitate in claiming the
successes Of the extreme high churchmen
as successes won for Christ"
Turning from the Episcopal Church the
speaker unhesitatingly declared that the
Evangelical non-conformists of England
were prepared to minister to the dosire for
living Christ. After dealing with the
work of the Salvation Army the speaker
closed his paper by referring to the infiu-
ences outside of the churches which were
telling against evil and which were really
on the side of Christ He said: ION our
side fight every intellectual moral and So
ciai force that seatters the gloom of ignO-
rance; that advances purity and sobriety;
that secures the true rights of men. AS
Christians we welcome the assistance of
every one who aims blow at evil and
shields that which IS good After all, our
confidence chiefly rests in tho men and
women who confess Christ As their master
and who believe that His gospel is the true
remedy for the sins aud sorrows of the
world. And when our fears becloud our
fasts. when our priests fail us because
Christian workers seem helpless In the bat
tle we remember the words which faded
on the lips of John Wesley to be treasured
and repeated by his children throughout
the world; The best OF all is God with
u.s."
Rev. DR.. Watts. of London. made the first
address. He said: Our financial resour-
ces are augmenting greatly. Yet Chris
tan millionaire should be an impossbility.
Our intellectual resources are multiplying
marvelously. Old barriers are being
broken down. Commerce and science are
commin2hng the people. 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 gaming power by our
growing unity. What then" he said, in
conclusion. ''may we not accomplish with
our ever accommodating resources? Ii the
men of this generation are true to God,
then the next generation will hail united
Methodsm."
GODS TRUTH Is MARCHING on.
Chancellor Edward Mays. of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church South. of Oxford,
Miss. spoke of the Christian Resources of
the New World" Let agnostics and athe-
lists sneor as they would; let pessimism
wear its gloomy front as it would, yet the
glorious fact remained and the hard, cold
logic of statistics demonstrated it TO be
fact, that Gods truth is marching on"
Rev. j. A. NJ. Oh ,man, of the NJ T..
Church, of Philadelphia. said that the fa-
cility with which this country could and did
assimIlate halfa million immigrants yearly
was marvellous. and we woulG hardly
be conscious of it were it not for the pro-
fessonal agitatOTs. Anarchists, hopeless
criminals and paupers that constituted too
large n fraction of the tide. The public
school was the bulwark of our liberties and
free institutions-a most important agency
of fharmoniZng. and unifying. and welding
together the diverse elements OF our popu-
lation. iApplause.l "Palsied forever be
the hand that is uplfted for its overthrow,
Applause
Rev. DIR. w. V. Tudcr, of the NJ. +.
Church South, Richmond. Va, quoted the
late DIR. Curry as saying that the greatest
need of tho church to-day was that tho
pockets of church milllonaires should be
emptied in the service of church missions.
He would 60 q step further and say that