The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-09

defined and carefully guarded provis-
ions for necessary exceptions to this
limit, then an entire removal of the
time limit of annual appointments
would be of advantage to the work"
The address comments on the ten
dency of ministers to remain in narrow
limits and to cast off their travelling
characteristics, and commends the SUI
perannuated preachers to the better
care Of the church. 1t also comments
with disapproval on the tendency OF
ministers and congregations to prear-
range appointments before annual con-
ferences meet, expressing the hope that
If this continues more reflection will
be given the matter and fuller infor-
nation secured by both parties to the
arrangements. The twentieth CEN
tury thank offering of $20000,000, and
also the appeal of the bishops for a
week of prayer and for revival work,
are referred to with expression OF con-
fidence in success from both forms of
work. After reviewing quickly the
many auxiliary church organizations
and presenting their needs, the address
has this to say of the action of the
conference in granting equal represen-
tation to the laity: THE vote indi-
Gates remarkable approach to unan-
unity throughout the church. We de-
sire to place on record our hearty con-
currence with this action. Equality in
ministerial and lay representation, now
made possible by the concession of the
ministry, is the natural, just and gem
erOus consummation of tendencies in
separable from the growth of our
church. This hour fulfills prophecies
latent in our earliest church life"
What" the address asks, "can we
further give to Christian unity? Lit
tie perhaps in a formal and ecclesias-
tical way. The times are not ripe for
any general movement. We must, as
should other churches, still hold the
truth as God gives us to see it. We
must still do our work faithfully, by
our Cwn agents ana methods, in what
ever fields call us. But, doing this,
we should even more than heretofore
the spirit in the bond of peace We
must unhesitatinsly grant to other
churches the ample tolerance we claim
for ourselves. We must honor them
as branches of the True Vine. as tenn
pies for the Holy Ghost. We must
seek opportunities FOR the expression
of Christian fraternity and for CO.
operation and we must study, with
earnest and unselhsh desire to solve,
the difficult problem Of many churches
in scanty fields"
Respecting the personal life of
Christians and their relation to gov
ernment and society the address ad-
vises preachers to use caution in their
social teachings, and not to be dog
| matists of the grade which must be
ranked with charlatans. 1T is OBJ
vious," runs the address. that the
solution of particular economic prob
| lens is not within the province of the
| church. The church has no authori-
| tative message concerning trusts or
labor uniCns, lOckouts or strikes, cap
| ital or wages, tariffs and taxation,
| currency and colonies. 1t is neither
| appointed nor fitted to dictate social
or economic laws. Must then it's as
semblies, its pulpits and its press alb
stain from discussion of such ques-
tions Of applied Christianity? Must
it be silent on issues which burn with
in the hearts of men? By no means.
Its gospel is for the redemption of all
| life. But it's discussion must bear a
peculiar, a Christian form. They must
proceed under the profound conviction
| that character and not outward con-
dition is the supreme sphere of the
| church; that incomparably the largest
| contributions which the church can
make toward a social millennium are
Christian men and not social theo-
ricS."
lntemperancc is pictured as an evil
greater than the slave trade, and a
reference is made to the ''inexcusable
miscarriage of the canteen law" The
church is urged to stand more firmly
than ever for temperance. Concern
| ing laXity of divorce and the decline
of "the glory of the true and pure
| family" another warning is given.
Amusements are also discussed in the
same connection, and the tendency to
excess is condemned. The hard task
of discriminating between admissible
| and inadmissible amusements is an
| nounced to be before the church. The
bishops commend Wesley's sagacity in
declaring as the rule for Methodists
| simply the prohibition OF "the taking
of such diversions as Connot be taken
in the name of the Lord Jesus" but
they advise that a cogent statement
of the perils of many amusements be
| placed in the discipline. This is their
| language: CLOSELY associated with
| other evils is the popular passion for
unwholesome, coarse and debauchirg
! daily press cannot miss the evidence
of shameful degradation in the thea
| ter, concert and dance hall, and on
the race course. And the tendency to
| great excess also in other compara-
| lively innocent forms of amusement
cannot escape attention. The serious
ness of life seems largely forgotten,
its opportunities of usefulness unoccu-
pied, the vigilance necessary for
righteousness relaxed, and the love of
the passing world gaining in MASTER
fulness. 1t is not to be wondered at
that every earnest age has tended to
reprobate all amusements as incom-
patible with the Christian life. Ex-
perience has shown that it is impossi-