The Grenada sentinel., 1896-05-23
REMAINS UNCHANGED.
The Methodist Discipline as It Re-
lates to Amusements
STANDS BY ALMOST UNANIMOUS VOTE,
Notwithstanding Arguments in Favor OF
Free Agency in the Individual to
Decide as Between Good and
Evil Amusements.

ter presided at the session of the gen
eral conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal church. The feature of the ses-
sion was the discussion of the amuse-
ment question. Nearly half an hour
was consumed in changing the method
of nominating candidates. During
the debate on the subject, DR.. Buckley
said that the Cleveland papers were
right in saying that the excitement
and confusion Of Tuesday, during the
nominations, was unsurpassed in the
history of Cleveland conventions.
Lewis Curtis was elected as agent OF
the Western Book Concern, with head
quarters at Cincinnati. He, with the
other agent to be selected, will have
charge of the Methodist book business
at Cincinnati. Chicago and st. Louis
A resolution was unanimously
adopted reciting that the sale of
liquors in the national capitol was
national disgrace. and asking in the
name of 10000, 900 people that congress
abolish the practice.
The committee on state OF the church
drew the conference into an exciting
discussion by recommending that that
part Of the discipline relating to spe-
citic amusements be not changed.
Under the present law persons iR'
dulging in intoxicating liquors as a
beverage, renting property to Or be-
coming bondsmen for liquor dealers,
dancing, playing at games of chance,
attending theaters, horse-races, and
indulging in many other popular
amusements, shall be expelled from the
church, unless the offender exhibit real
humiliation.
Levi Master, of Michigan, said that
he thought the specifying OF alleged
sinful amusemcnts was great mis-
take for the church. "All Christen.
dom is divided on the question: said
he. Il do not believe that it is al
ways wrong to 60 to a theater or to
play cards. If you forbid a horse
race, why not forbid football game"
This question should be left en-
tirely to the individual judgment
of the members of the church. 1t is
better to allow individual Judgment
than to prohibit amusements that
Christendom is undecided on. We can
not afford to follow the lead of the
church OF Rome by crushing individual
Judgment. This amusement law is a
dead letter. You can not enforce it.
Therefore move to strike out all that
part of the section that relates to
DR.. J. B. Grow, of New Jersey, said:
This is an age Of worldliness and sin
full pleasure. If this paragraph is re-
moved it will be regarded as a move
ment toward worldlincss. Is there any
one here who is willing to say that
any one of these sinful amuscments
shall be practiced by our members? l
hope that paragraph will stand. l
stand for God and Methodism and not
for the world
]. F. Berry, editor OF Epworth:
This is question in which the young
people of our church are specially in
terested, and they are against the
proposed change. Sin multiplics fast,
and we can not watch our young folks
TOO much.'
Rev. DR.. John D. Walsh, of Ken
lucky: This is an unfortunate chapter
in our discipline. but we can not
change it now. The world is looking
at us. and if we take out some of these
sinful amusements the world will say
that we do not object to them
The conference by almost unanimous
vote refused to change the discipline
on the subject of anusements.
George T.. Mains, of New York, east,
was elected junior book agent at New
York, on the fourth ballot: he sue
cccds Sanford Hunt, who died last fall.
Mr.. Mains has been pastor of the New
York Avenue church, Brooklyn, n Y,
and secretary Of the Church Extension
society Of tl-at city.
Henry c. Jennings, Of Minnesota,
was elected junior agent of the West
ern Book Concern on the fourth ballot.
Mr.. Jennings is presiding elder of the
Marshall (Minn. district.
The question of the revisal of the
lIymnal was discussed for fully an
hour. Many earnest arguments were
made. The Hymnal will not be re-
vised.
The ballot for the third missionary
secretary resulted in no choice.