The Portland daily press., 1891-10-16
DISCIPLES OF WESLEY AND THE POPE.
Church of Rome Discussed in the
EcunenicaI Council.
Delegates Then Gave Their Attention
to the Temperance Question
And Adjourned In Confusion Caused
by MIR. Atkinson, M, p.

WASHINGTON, October 15.-The essay of
the morning in the Ecumenical Methodist
Council was read by Rev. M. I. Myers Of the
Primitive Methodist church and was on
''The Present Position Of Romanism." 1t is
the boast of the Church of Rome. he said.
that she never changes, and Is infallible in
all her deliverances and doings. In two Inn
portant aspects, she has shown an astonish-
ing tenacity. The Church of Rome has
maintained an uniform opposition to the
free circulation of the holy Scriptures. This
is one Of the chief points of difference from
Protestant Christianity and is at once her
dread and danger. The second aspect of the
tenacity of the Roman church is her settled
purpose, her unscrupulous methods of pro-
pagating and promoting her own interests.
no wonder she is so strong and apparently
so successful, when her propaganda Is so
united and energetic. Sixty years ago, be-
y0nd a number Of Irish laborers who had
settled in the provincial towns Of England,
and few old families who bad chapels and
chaplains and whose religion. Froude says,
hung about them like ghost of, the past,
present as an heirloom. which was tradi-
tion rather than conviction" male sacrad
to them-with these exceptions, few believed
In or cared for Romanism. That which gave
life and strength to R0manism was the
movement which broke out in Oxford in
1888. This movement prepared the way for
an easy transition for those under the teach
ings of the Established Church of England
to Rome and today the Church of Rome
boasts some hundreds of the nobility and
some million and half Of the people Of
England and Scotland are members OF her
communion.
We will devide the people into four classes:
the upper class, limited in number, the
second class, which will embrace what is
usually termed the middle class, the third
class which will include the respectable and
skilled artizans, and the fourth class which
will contain the residuum. Ofthe first class,
Romanism has, during the last 40 years, re-
ceived large contingent. OF the fourth
class, Rome says she is receiving them by
thousands. 1t may be so. considering the
number Of Irish and foreigners continually
landing upon our shores, and the kind Of
teaching and home life they had in their
early days in their own country.
What about the second classe? Rome
admits that there is such classe. She de-
scribes it as the dense middle class and
upon this class Rome confesses that she has
made Ino impression whatever The third
class, whichstoday Is largely the strength of
the nation: being the producers and bread
she knows of its existence. With the ex-
ception of Methodism and few
non-conforming churches which are
doing their proper work.. this
class Is wholly neglected. They are
pant of the chair of st. Peter lives to regain
the temporal power lost more than 20 years
ago, but IL we are not mistaken, there Is no
need to fear any attempt on the part of Ro-
manism to usurp temporal power either in
Great Britain or America. The tendency of
legislation among all English speaking ma
ti0ns is against the domination In the state
of any religious sect. General Booth, In 20
years, has won more real followers and ad-
herents Of the Anglo-Saxon race than Ro-
manism after hundreds of years, with all
her b0asted wealth and social prestige. For
once His Holiness has spoken out with in
telligence and precision that must command
respect. His recent encyclical touches
questions at the basis of our social fabric and
which will have to be faced and dealt with
by both church and state The subject of
education is most likely to form the battle
ground between the two great contending
parties into which we are naturally dividing
ourselves both in England and America.
Make all churches equal with the state and
give all fair play. IL in the race, Romanism
can outrun us, we shall have only ourselves
to blame and on the head of Protestant
Christendom will be the eternal disgrace.
Rev. VIM. Nicholas of Dublin, Ireland, fol-
lowed on 'R0manism as a Religious Power
He said that among the gross and corrupt
teachings of the Church Of Rome was what
he called its contradictory ecclesiastical mir
acles. He said Romanism as a religious
power, with many was gross and corrupt in
moral practice. The idea of Romanist NOR
ality was incorrect. The Church of Rome
means. The Church of Rome tried to ex-
tend itself by getting into families by do
mestics and governesses teaching its religion
to the young. The speaker dwelt on other
means Rome used to strengthed its course
which, he said, was further morally corrupt
by teaching that the ceremonial law was
above the moral law. The church swayed
thousands by her gradeur of architecture and
music. Parts OF her worship were so pomp-
Gus and formal that spiritual religion be-
who represent the bishop as the bishop rep
resented the Pope, who, he had heard high
Catholic say, was the living representative on
earth Of Jesus Christ. He said, on the
whole, the influence OF the Church of Rome
had been for the evil Of the human race.
The topic for the afternoon was Temper
ance." Rev. DIR. A. 81. Mayhem of Memphis
in his paper on "The Church and Temper
ance Reform" declared that the church
should assume no political attitude with re-
cial or organic capacity. has nothing to do
with politics. She must seek to mould pub
lie sentiment by system Of instruction, and
give moral tone to society to make prohi.
bition possible and practicable. Neverthe-
less, Christian men In their relations as citi-
zens should seek to obtain such practical
legislation on the part of the state as shall
forever abolish the saloon. There Is no con-
siStency In praying to the Lord to give us
good rulers and good government, and tLen
to cast our ballots for a member Of the sa-
loon element because he happens to be the
nominee of this or that party.
Other speeches followed in the same line.
Then John III. Lisle of England spoke. He
said that Wesley's rules obliged ministers to
be total abstainers.
Mr.. Atkinson, M. p, insisted that Mr..
Lisle misquoted Wesley, and that he pIohib-
tied only dram drinking. Mr.. Atkinson
spoke Of the primitive Methodists in con-
nection with "imposters," which stirred up
the indignation of the delegates from that
church. One rose to the point of order that
the speaker had called the Primitive Metho-
dists imposters, and wanted the words re-
tracted.
Mr.. Atkinson denied that he had done so
and begged the presiding officer to rap the
interrupter to order.
This led to great confusion. The Premi-
tive Methodists were all demanding retrac-
tlop, threatening to withdraw.
DR.. Stephenson and other Wesleyans urged
Mr.. Atkinson to withdraw his remarks and
apologize. He bluntly refused to do so, as
serting that he had nothing to apologize for
and saying that If the delegates would not
consume his time he would explain. As
they persisted in the demand for retraction,
he characterized their stupidity in forcible
terms. Seeing no chance of restoring har-
mony, the presiding officer, who had ex
hausted every effort to calm the troubled