The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-04-02
SHEER REVOLUTION.
Rev. James Boyd Brady's
Proposed Relaxations of
Methodist Discipline.
DANCING AND CARDS.
He Thinks the Prohibition of These
Amusements Drives Rich and
Enlightened People Out
of the Church.
Special to the Jersey City Ne.us.


MoRRIsTowN, April 2. 1894 propo-
sition to open the question OF
permitting members of the Metho-
Episcopal Church to indulge IN
some of the so-called worldly
amusements,s with the sanction OF the
church, was made to the Newark Metho-
dist Conference in this city yesterday
afternoon by the Rev. DIR. James
Boyd Brady. pastor of the
Franklin Street Church, Newark.
He suggested changing the part of the
Book of Discipline relating to the subject.
so as to allow greater liberty to church
people with respect to amusements. HIS
purpose was to advance the church by
not depriving persons Of its benefits be-
cause their consciences did not disapprove
| of certain things which the church does
not countenancs.
DR.. Brady offered the proposition In the
form of q resolution as follows:-
| Whereas, 1t is evident to many experienced
pastors that there Is a strange yet strong tend
ency among our educated and wealthier mem
bers to forsake our church for other folds on ac-
count of certain customs and tisages which are
demanded in our discipline; and
Whereas, As Mehodsm should be not only
flexible en- ough to stoop to the poorest but also
| elastic enough to rise to the richest and still
| lead them on to green pastures; and
Whereas, It is likely that PARAGRAPH 242 and
others of kindred nature will receive the atten-
| ton Of the next General Conference; therefore,
be 1t . =,
| eg ates ought to advocate such an adjustment OF
| our governmental system to spirituaiize wealth
| and refinement with such dignity and delicacy
| Of balance shall avoid Infringing on the fun
| damental principles of our scriptural discipline
| on the one side end without colHding with the
/ intelligent conscienca and godly Judgment OF
| our best people on the other.
THE OLD LAW.
The paragraph referred to in the resolu-
tion is entitled "Imprudent and un-
| christian conduct" and reads as fol-
| lows:-
In cases Of neglect of duties Of any kind. i'm
pendent conduct indulging lsinful tempers or
| words the buying, selling or using intoxicating
| liquors as beverage, signing petitions in favor
Of granting license for the sale of intoxicating
| LIQUORS. becoming bondsmen for persons en-
raged in such traffic renting property place
| ia or on which to manufacture or sell intoxicat-
ing liquors, dancing, playing at games OF
circuses dancing parties or patronzing dancing
schools, or taking such other amuse-
ments as are obviously of misleading or ques-
tionable moral tendency, or disobedience to the
Order and Discipline of the Church-first, let pri-
| vate reproof be given by a preacher or leader,
and if there be an acknowledgment OF the fault,
and proper humiliation the person may be
borne with. On a second offense the preacher
or leader may take one or two discreet members
Of the church On third ohehse fann iet n,m Unite Dc
and there be no sign Of real Illumination, he shall
be expelled.
A REVOLUTIONARY PROPOSAL.
There was no discussion of the subject
at the time the motion was offered, but 1t
is expected that there will be lively
| debate when it comes before the confer
ence later in the session. A motion was
Immediately made and carried to refer 1t
to the Committee on the State Of the
Church.
The proposition made in the resolution
would open the door to many changes
that have long been desired, not only by
Law mem bers who desire TO indulge in
some of the harmless amusements that
"worldly" people enjoy. and to do so with
tors have seen that the stringency of the
church rules has driven people to other
denominations or kept them out of the
church entirely.
DR.. Brady was interviewed by NEWS
reporter shortly after he offered his reso-
luton. He was reluctant to talk on the
,subject, but said his reason for introduc-
ing the resolution was that some OF the
rich and educated people who wanted
more liberty in nonessentials than the
Methodist discipline permitted were leav-
ing the Methodist Church for others for
prohibited by the Methodist Church.
"I want our church to be firm in
essentials" he added. ''bpt in nom
essentials, scriDtural and charitable. In
minor matters i'll which ones own
Christian conscience alone can be the de-
termining power, our discipline should
be delicate, cautious and flexible"
CONSERVATIVE VIEWS.
Bishop Bowman was asked what he
thought of the resolution. II prefer not
to talk about it," said he. 81 will say.
however, in general way, that 1 ap-
prove of the drift of the paragraph as it
The Rev. DR.. d. r. Lowrie, of Jersey
City, who was elected yesterday one Of
the delegates to the General Conference.
said be was in favor OF letting the Book
u of Discipline alone.
1 II saw. keep the bars up" was the way
he put it. "They are being taken down
fast enough. The trend of the world is
toward that without our helping them."
The Rev. DIR. Alexander Craig of New
ton, an old war horse of the Conference.
said;-.
II am In hearty sympathy with all the
prohibitions in the Book of Discipline.
don't believe converted men and women
ought to desire to indulge in these
amusements. The class of people who
are driven out Of the church church
not modify any of the prohibitions. am
not SO sure of the wisdom of putting into
the Book OF Discipline these specif1ca-
tions, because it is impossible to cover all
the evils which the spirit and polity
of our church really prohibits; but now
that they are in it would be kind of sur
render to the world to STRIFE them out"
Rev. j. A. Gutteridge, of Harrison. one
of the number, said there ought not to be
any specifications of the kind mentioned
in the Book of Discipline. but each in
divfdual- should be put upon his con-
science in such matters.
The Rev. Dr. j. L. Hurlbut of Plain
field, secretary of the Sunday. School
Union and Tract Society of the Methodist
Church, said he thought there ought to be
some little modification of the Discipline.
but just what these notifications ought
to be he was not prepared to state.
The Rev. Daniel Halleron, of Jersey
City, said:-"I think this resolution un-
wise. Agitation of this question at this
, time is not judicious, especially on the
: floor of the conference, as wrong con-
struction might be put upon 1t
TO the detriment Of the church
would like to have this question ven
tilated behind closed doors. Then we could
, discuss the st of the arguments and the
|