St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-10-20

opened. 1--WE have got IN the dance
and the theater, and bye and bye we
will get in the circus" said he.
DIR. Waller thought 1t would be a mis-
take to prescribe any particular rules to
govern in the matter of amusements.
He called attention to the Roman Cath
olic prohibition of amusements during
forty days every year. Theater-going,
card-playing and dancing should be
condemned outright, and ministers who
winked at them failed iii their duty.
The regular programme ended at this
point, and Secretary King announced
that the subcommittee Which had been
charged with the preparation of the ad-
dress from the ecumenical conference
to the Methodist churches and Meth
oiiSts throughout the world had COM
pleted its work. The report was pre-
sented by DIR. Chapman, of England,
and runs thus:
Growth of the Church.
The ecumenical Methodist conference to
the Methodist people throughout the world :
We, the members of the second ecumenical
Methodist conference, assembled in Wash
ington. greet you. brethren, in every land TO
which our common faith has spread--"grace
unto you and peace from God. our Father.
and the Lord Jesus Christ" We glorify God
for the prosperity which He has given to our
churches by His blessing they have grown
until they number some 250000O0 of adj
herents. By the most memorable test Meth
OdlSm IS proved TO be singUlarIy adapted to
the needs of men. Although many adjust
ments and DEVELOPMENT must undoubtedly
be made to accomplish fully our mission, let
us beware OF thinking that any vital changes
are necessary
We rejoice to recognize the substantial
unity which exists among the various Meth
odst bodies: its firm basis is common creed
We are all faithful to the Seriptural and
generous theology which God, through the
clear intellect and loving heart of John
Wesley, restored 10 his church The intel.
lectuai movement and the social changes of
our time may have led to some change in the
form OF expression, or some shifting of the
emphasis of our teaching; but they have
not led US even to reconsider that living the
ology which has abundautly proved itself
upon our pulses. Our ecclesiaslic- principles
are not SO various us the forms in which they
are accidentally embodied. Rejoicing in
these things, we think that the time has come
for
A Closer Cooperation
of the methodist churches at home and
abroad which shall prevent waste of power
ana unhOllo wed rivalry. We need to com
bine our energies. for the work we have 10
do is vast and urgent.
The skepticism and Indifference which are
so natural TO the human heart has been re-
enforced by an abuse of science and phiios-
ophy. The hard lots of millions makes it
very difficult for them to believe in God
There is SO much that the churches have not
done to redress the wrongs and heal the suf-
ferings of mankind that is hard for many to
believe in their divine mission. The standing
evils of society are aggravated by the close
pressure in our great cities and are discov-
cred 10 the eyes of all in our daily news
papers. Let us trace the moral evil of men
to its true sources i'll their Surroundings, their
physical natures, their ignorance, their pas
sions and their will. and set ourselves to
deal comprenensiyely with them To these
specific ailments of mankind let us apply
specific remedies. To do this it will be
necessary for the members OF our churches
TO make full use of their political rights.
To allow the great powers of law and govern
ment and their still greater influence to fall
into the hands of ungodly men would be in
credible folly and SIM. ,..i- s.--.-
God forbid that any of our churches should
become the instrument of political parties.
should have party attachments. and Method
lists 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 con-
vlcdons, let him never forget that there are
great moral interests superior to all party ex-
igencies in which he must seek first the
Kingdom of God and His righteousness
Every proposal that imperils' the sanctity of
the home, the purity of women the inno-
cence of children, that violates the Christian
Sabbath, that sanctions an increasing wrong,
should be impartially and earnestly resisted
On few of The great evils which admit in
some degree of public treatment we cannot
be silent. Intemperance, the fruitful mother
of the brood of evils, is largely created by
legallzed temptation.
SHARES Are Planted
in almost every street for the uuwary and I'M
steady. Is it too much 10 ask that our people
will combine 10 use all legal instruments to
abate this wanton solicitation 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 the besetting evils of the modern world !;
and let us abstain from all reckless specua-
ton in business which cannot be dlstin-
guished from gambling.
Excessive and unfair competition which
is secreting so much bitterness in the breasts
OF men and depositing so many of the ma
terials of CONFUSION in society. should be
steadily avoided and discountenanced. And
shall we not do all we can in quiet time to
mould 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 econ
omy all our resources. One secret of the
play which il allows TO the gifts and ener-
gies of its laity. The pastoral work of our
class leaders has been of the highest value
1t is to be hoped that the multiplication of
preaching is unnecessary.
Among the wasted treasures of the church
are the delicate sensibilities, the tact the
tenderness and the persuasive power of holy
women. we are all agreed that the needs of
the world require, and that the con-
ditions of the age allow, that such
women should lake more prominent
place in the work Of the church. We dis.
tinctly approve of associations i'll which, un.
fettered by any VOW. goodly women may be
organized for ministry to human needs and
sorrows But we hope that with their en-
tightening opportunities women may not be
tempted TO underyalue the sphere in which
they are not only supreme but alone; rs the
sphere of the mother is home.
Young Peoples Societies.
In the formation and wonderful progress
of the great societies on the American con
tinent, such as the Epworth league. we
greatly rejoice. We should be glad if similar
societies. adapted to other conditions would
be established in other parts of the Methodist
world.
We feel that our Sunday schools have MOI
as yet realized their vast possibilities; but
the home is The great nursery of religious
faith and life They are one-sided theorie.
OF concession which prevent our looking fol
signs of the religious faith and life with the
dawn of intelligence and the first develop
ment of VIII. False tests in which the nature
OF child is quite forgotten prevent Us from
finding them.
At the conclusion of the reading the
address was unanimously adopted with.
out amendment by the conference. II
will be signed by all of the officers
who have presided over the con.
ference. and will then be distrib
uted by tine senior bishops and
presidents of Methodist conferences
throughout the world as an embodiment
of the views of the ecumenical Meth
odist conference respecting the present
state and future of Methodism. The
evening session was devoted to hearing
statements from missionary delegates
WHOLESALE IRRIGATION,
Gigantic Scheme Projected by