Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-12
RELIGIOUS BREADTH,
As Shown by the Subjects Under Discussion
at the Grcat Methodist Council-Little
About Doctrine and Discipline-Timeli-
ness of the Various Topics,

holding this week at Washington, is not the
number of representatives who are there
assembled-though that is a considerable
and noteworthy figure. Neither is it the
vast constituency represented by them
though that is a matter well worth weigh
ing. Wesley has been dead only q century,
yet here are 10000, 900 of Wesleya ms! Nor is it
the remarkable feat of bringing together, be-
meath one undivided roof, members of all
the 20 species OF the Methodist genus of re-
ligion-Episcopal, African, Protestant, Free,
Congregational, Independent, Primitive,
American, British, Irish, French, West
Indian, Australasian.
The best thingabout this Ecumenical Coun-
ell, in the Professors Judgment, is the size
Of the subjects which are proposed for dis,
cussion at its sessions. A big subject is bet
ter than big man, or even a big crowd of
men, any day.
Exactly a century and half ago this year
| young, ritualistic, English parson wrote
down a set of good resolutions. He had been
studying pretty hard in the pages Of ancient
| ecclesiastics, and had at last come to a con-
clusion. He believed it to be his duty-so he
| wrote-to baptize by immersion to pray for
the faithful departed, to pray standing on
Sunday in Pentecost, to abstain from things
strangled and from blood, to fast on Fridays
and in Lent, and to turn to the east during
the recitation of the creed.
The Forgotten Resolutions.
They had memorial sermon at Wash
| ington yesterday in eulogy of that young
| ecclesiastic, but they did not praise him for
| his keeping of those resolutions The repre-
sentativcs of the thirtymillions of good men
| and women who revere the memory of that
Anglican parson did not have it in their
minds at all during that sermon that st.
John of Epworth had ever resolved
l 60 H.
lines of that medieval pattern. Prob
ably John Wesley himself forgot his
| resolutions. The street is such different
| place from the study; experience and an
| cient divinity doctors teach such different
| lessons; the world is so much wider than a
| college quadrangle! Wesley had still some
what to learn in 174l. The Evangelical
Reformation was not founded on that set of
| resolutions. There is no mention, in the
| list of subjects at the great conference, of
| any relation between the points of the COM
pass and the principles of religion.
"Men are made up of professions. gifts
and talents" said DR.. Motley, speaking of
Lord Bacon-''also of themselves" The
best part of John Wesley was John Wesley.
Before the second day of March, l79l, came
round, Wesley had grown into the biggest
hearted, widest-minded man in England. 1t
is interesting to notice the presence of the
pOISOHdl ldCJOE III LILO HISTORY OI
tions. Luther was great, warm-hearted
man, who knew men and spent his
whole life jostling against the livest
men in Europe; he loved nature, and books,
and music; was unwilling to give over any
good thing to the monopoly of the devil
not even the good tunes; strong, good
sense he had and fine impatience of trif1es.
zone of your preachers wears a cassock,"
they told him. "Does he!" said Luther. "If
I'm hi,
two cassocks!" Calvin, on the other hand,
was a man who lived in the house: when he
was boy he never played with the other
boys had no play in him: a bookworm, a
scholastic, logician. That old church of
his at Geneva is just the sort of church
which one would associate with Calvin-a
big, black stone building with shut doors
and high iron fence all around it with
sharp-pointed p1ckets, and the gates pad
locked. Lutheranism is Luther; Calvinism
is Calvin. And Methodism is Wesley-Wes-
ley at his best and greatest.
Impressed by Wesley's Spirit.
The subjects at the Methodist Confer
ence show the impress of Wesley's spirit
They are great, wide, weighty subjects, such
as interest thinking men in this thoughtful
generation. Out oc the two weeks session of
the council, only two days are taken
up with Methodism, with denominational
considerations. All the rest of the time is
given to the concerns of that large parish
which John Wesley (having no other cal)
made mp his mind to take-the world.
"Christian Unity" "The Church and Sci
entific Thought" "The Press and the
Preacher "Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods,"
Education" "Romanism," Temperance"
Labor" "Missions,' international Arbi-
tration,n "The Church and Society,"" "The
Church ana the Future" are among the sub
jects which the Methodists will talk about
this week and next.
These subjects are particularly timely.
They are up to date. 1t is said of the Rev. |
Hugh Price Hughes, who will speak this |
afternoon on "The Religious Press, and the
Religious Uses of the Secular Press,' that no
matter what subject he may have chosen on
Saturday, he will choose another at 1O:3J |
on Sunday morning, if thereby he |
can get theme which is closer |
to the living present. He edits one |
newspaper and reads all the others, and |
breaches on the texts which are written in |
the headlines. The whole programme of the |
conference is electric with this subtle spirit |
of timeliness.
Nothing About Doctrine or Discipline.
These subjects are not only worthy of the |
discussion of modern men, but they are emi-
nently practical. There is scarcely q trace |
here of either of the two matters which have |
always effectually disturbed the surface of |
Christian charity-nothing about doctrine, |
nothing about discipline. There may, |
it is true be a small opening for
the "higher criticism" in the discus
sion of science and theology; but the |
chances are that it will not get hearing.
The Professor notices, not with entire ap-
probation, that Romanism has a place
among the subjects. The spectacle of one
Christian body publicly abusing another is
never a pleasant nor persuasive one.
But we may take it for granted that
it is not the theological but the polit-
ical side of Romanism which is to be
considered. In general the way to organize
a church, to arrange q liturgy. to furnish
q chancel, and to clothe a parson-matters
about which an amazing number of Chris
tian people, and not all of them back in the
middle ages, have disputed even to ami
are untouched; they are as
benefcently forgotten as John Wesley's
good resolutions. The whole aim is to get
better hold on men, in order to uplift men.
Prof Ely, next door there in Baltimore,
must have read the programme with satis-
faction. The "Social Aspects of Chris
which he wants emphasized, are
all emphasized here.
1t is an encouraging and significant pro-
which is outlined for this con fer.
ence. Not the Methodists alone, but nearly
all other religious communions, are thinking
wider thoughts than they used to think and
are trying harder than ever before to follow
their Master by going about doing good
The gospel of the secular life is getting
preached. The duty of a Christian man in |
the face of the problems of his dav |