Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-12-18
saNErHIyG yEw y NETnODIsI.

=
Methods, church pa-s through several
phases Of iis development a. christian
denomination. At the beginning Of
the century, Methodism was purely
evan geIistic, a pioneer on lines thrown
out by the great reformers Who fOunded
,he sect. lie frat century having only
well begun. Now It - fairly into iis
s.copd century and 1t bss necessarily
undergone the modification Of methods
and spirit incident to the res7onsIbii
ties Of a foil grown denomination. lts
work broadened from the converting O
men to the religious nurture and 'd1
criou Of the large body of converts
won and their orgs niz s'iUn for al
sinds Of Christian activity. P'ssiinis-
.ic minds both IL n:d ou' Uf The dsnn
.ninstion have bewsiled the charg's
thus brought Oh; but 10 the broad vie"
Of the matter, these modific1iiDDs are
se n to be in the nature Of thi-gs nee
cessary and there has beeu solid gronn'
for rejoicing in lbe fact that, whiie
caring for its own fl .ck. Mulhodisn
has done i-s sbsre OF mission work.
H,@ far the denomination has de.
yattei from visa, sone r"gaId as IT.
Id n,uDripes aud traditions 10 illustra
.ed by the suggest IN of Bishop Nin-
cent 10 Il e Itinerants' club now i
session in this city that minis ers make
use of a prayer-book in their studies
ard his distinrt sanction Of formal
.ad ureicribed service If pastor and
church agree upon 1t. such language
w.uId have been very unweleome in
Methodist church Of forty years ago
and probably would not be heard with
pnthusiasm in some churches Of tie
denomination now. 1t IL probably
true. however, that it would have
seemed less strange when Methodism
was 10 its infancy, and before the Wes
leyan impulse had carried its adheren't
n the extreme Of individualism; fol
Netbodism became more Methodist
after the Wesley's breathed their last
than il had ever been while they lived
B Bshop Vincent is t. virile thinker
His mind is nothing if not fertile and
inventive; and success in several bold
ventures for the good of humanity hal
given him courage TO speak bis mind
He sees the danger of free individual
ism running into cant or eccentricity
aud, although he foresees that some
good Methodists will demur, he use'
his Christian liberty to advocate thu
couchlng of prayers in forms suitable
and dignified. He expressly disavow'
any desire that spontaneous prayer b'
excluded or discouraged. His grounC
Is prudently chosen.
And the best thonght Of the Christian
world is with the bishop on this sub
iect. The bible Is filed with beautiful
forms Of prayer in song, psalm anC
prose, giving the highest sanction t.
the propriety Of observing certain form
In worship. The founder Of our reli
gion himself formulated prayer which
IL not only the greatest Of all prayers
but rhetorically and logically tn
greatest of all utterances ever put int
words. He thus showed that the man
ner of devolions is worthy ofan earnes
though aud a proper subject for instruc
ton, even In the new dIspensation
The writings of 81. Augustine
Thomas A. Kempls, Watts, Wesley
aud scores of others Of every shade o
Christian belief stand In further proc
that the spirit OF worship may b
strengthened aud otherwise aided b.
the study aud use Of the prayers o
others who were gifted In that diree