Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-10-29
ADDRESS TO METHODISTS
ISSUED by the Ecumenical Method
list Conference at Washington.
1he Status of the Church Set Forth and
Useful Hints Given in Regard to Con-
tinuinC and Increasing Its Sphere
of Labor and Usefulness.

-1-@<~ oSOh ShdI SCo "lbii tilC p1Cpctl dCAol
of the address from the ecumenical con-
ference to'the Methodist churches and
Methodists throughout the world had
completed it's work, and the report
would be presented by DIR. Chapman, of
England This gentleman came upon
the platform and read the address, as
follows:
The Ec,nser,ical Methodist Conference to the
Methodist People Throughout the World:
We the members of the second ecumeni-
cal Methodist conference, assembled in
Washington, greet our brethren In every
Hand to which our common faith has spread.
tirace unto We and peace from God, our Fa-
&6er and the Lord Jesus Christ"
We glorify God tor the prosperity which
He has given to our churches. By II is bless
sag they have grown until they number 25
coo. 900 of adherents. This is full of encour-
4geuaent- An organization which has grown
50 rapidly in the free competition of tho
churches, and even crippled in some of its
branches by many artifi ciaI disabilities.
zsnst be in vital harmony with it's environ
xzeDss BY the most memorable test Meth
%04ssRs is proved to be sngularly adapted to
the needs OF men. Although many adjust
Hents and developments must undoubted-
~ be made to accomplish fully our mission,
let us beware of think ing that any vital
changes are nece ssary. Faithfully using
our present means. under the blessing
Soice to recognize the substantial unity
which exists among the various Methodist
bodies. Its firm basis is common creed
We are all faithful to the simple scriptural
and generous theology which God through
the clear intellect and loving heart of John
Wesley restored to His church. The intel
deetuai movement and the social changes of
our time may have led to some changes in
the form of expression or some shifting of
f$le emphasis of our teaching, but they have
o
theology which has abundantly proved it.
self upon our pulses, Indeed, it would be
strange if, while other churches are draw
ing toward it, we should have departed from
IT And there are other grounds of unity.
We are proud of the same spiritual ances-
try: we sing the same holy hymns: our
modes OF worship are very similar, and
what is most important of all, the type of
religious experience is fundamentally the
same throughout the Met hodist world. Our
ecclesiastical principles are not so various
as the forms in which they are accidentally
embodied.
Rejoicing in these things, we think that
the time has come for n closer CO. operation
of the Methodist churches both at home and
abroad, which shall prevent waste of power
and unhallowed rivalry. Before the eyes of
many of US passes the delightful vision of
time when, in each land where it is planted,
Aethodism shall be for every useful pur-
pose and the Methodism of the world shall
be close and powerful federation of the
churches for the spread of the kingdom of
Christ. We need to combine our energies,
for the work we have to do is vast and
urgent. The skepticism and Indifference
which are so natural to the human heart has
4Iseen re enforced by an abuse of science and
philosophy The hard lot of millions makes
St very difficult for them to believe in God,
our Father. There is so much that churches
have not done to redress the wrongs and
neal the sufferings of mankind that Is Is
lizard for many to believe in their divine
mission The standing evils of
aciety are aggravated by the close
pressure in our great cities, and are
. discovered to the eyes of all our daily news
papers. Let us preach and live the Gospel
o of Christ in its integrity, dismssing all mar
TOW conception of our duty. Let US trace
the moral evil of men to it's true source in
their surround ings, their physical natures,
fiieir ignorance, their pa ssions and their
will. and set ourselves to deal comprehen-
sively with them. To these specific ailments
<of mankind let US apply specific remedies.
TO do this it will be necessary for the
zzlcmbers of our churches to make full use
Of their political rights To allow the great
powers of law and government and their
still greater influence to fall into the hands
4sf ungodly men would be incredible folly
snd SIN. God forbid that any of our
churches should become the instruments of
political parties 1t Is doubtless necessary
that individuals should have party attach
ments, and Methodsts are found in
all the great historic parties.
But when member of our
church has taken his place in that political
connection, which is most in harmony with
his ideas and convictions, let him never for
get that there are great moral interests su-
perior to all party exigencies in which he
must seek first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness. Every proposal that i'm
Reriis the sanctity of the home, the purity of
women, the innocence of children, that yio-
istes the Christian Sabbath that sanctions
and increases wrong, should be impartially
and earnestly resisted.
OF a few of the great evils which admit in
SOME degree of public treatment we can not
&c silent. Intemperance, the fruitful mother
s1f evils, is largely created by legalized
asmptatiou. Is it too much to ask that our
people will combine to use all legal
instruments to abate this wantOn solicita-
zion of men to vice and crime? Let
us discourage in every way gambling and
betting. which spring from the love
of excitement and the lust of gain-two of
Che besetting evils, and let US abstain from
all reckless speculation in business which
can not be distinguished from gambling.
Excessive and unfair competition which is
secreting much bitterness in the breasts
OF men and depositing so many of the mate
Eials of CONFUSION in society. should be
steadily avoided and discountenanced. And
shall we not do all we can in quiet time to
mold public opinion and establish courts of
arbitration. so that the complicated crime OF
aggressive war may be averted.
We need to employ with the utmost
economy all our resources. One secret of
the strength of Methodism has been the free
play which it allows to the gifts and
energies of its laity. The pastoral
work of our class leaders has been
of the highest value. Local preachers, born
I'm England and America, were of great ser
vice in the early history of our church. 1t
Is to be hoped that the multiplication of
mysteries may not tempt US to think that lay
preaching is unnecessary. We thank God
for the young men and women in our mis-
sion bands who are carrying the Gospel 20
remote villages AMI into the alleys aid
courts of our crowded cities.
Among the wasted treasures of the church
are the delicate sensibilities, the tact, the
tenderness, and the persuasive power of
holy women. We all agreed that the
needs of the world require, and that the
women should take a more prominent place
an the work of the church. The social
'1neans of grace in which Methodism
IS so rich are congenial sphere
Cor their best talents In social and
2enevOlent work which is spring
Sng up on every hand and is one of the most
aaopeful features of the time. their gifts are
indispensable and valuable. We distinctly
sapprove of associations in which, unfettered
sksd for ministry to human needs and sor-
rows But we hope that with their enlight-
eutug opportunities women may not be
tempted to undervalue the sphere in which
they are not only supreme, but alone as the
sun I'm his path through the heavens, the
sphere of the mother in home.
The children of the church have occupied
the attention of the conference. In the
formation and wonderful progress of the