The Wilmington daily Republican., 1900-03-03
METHODISTS
WILL FAST.

For the first timo In the history Of tho
Methodist Episcopal Church call has
been issued by the Board of Bishops for q
week OF fasting and prayer-trom March
% to April !. Methodists throughout the
world are asked to assemble In their houses
Of worship once each day for prayer and
| supplioation, and also to make special
| prayers in their homes, particularly to the
end that In the time OF our thank offering
we may bring to His altars at least 1000
600 penitsnt seekers who shall find peace
and security in His church"
hat reasons exist for the request 10
freely admitted, not alone by the Bishops
in the lengthy address In which the call Is
cmbodisd. bus by Methodist Episcopal
cleraymen OF this city.
The church Is standing still. During the
last two years this fact has Dee.l noticeable.
A grave council was held by the sixteen
Bishops Of the church, at which the pres
ent conditions were discussed from every
View point, the result being the striking
Ninds and Joyce, aud just given 10 the
public.
Bishop Cyrus D. Foss. when asked
about the address and the cause leading
to II. said:
''rhe issuance of this request for a week
Of fasting and prayer Is unusual in tho
Methodist Church. We have set aside .
oibE uuy AL ms pun Pooo VA SutApuS uG-
casions but never before longer period.
The canses which led to this action are
unusual. That accounts for 1t. We are
on the eve of tho twentieth century. We
waLt to broaden our work; to raise ad.
ditional money for benevolent purposes"
Concerning the facts which statistical.
prove the Bishop would not speak. The
address itself, which speaks for the Meth
0dist Church says on this point:
"Our statistics for the last year shown
decrease in members. Year before last
our. advance was checked. The lost ground
is paved with tho dead. sWe are surround
ed by powerful enemies The attack is on
odist to take himself or herself to prayArN
tv call nightly ON God
me hodism began in experiences. ~ has
therefore, never boon obliged to 60 away
from home to learn about itself; nor has
1t ever bad schtsin or quarrel about doc
trine. They are many saints In the world
who have the seal of the covenant. and
know that their sins are forgiven, who
do not know that they are essentially
Methodists and testify that their sins ara
forgiven. And there are now, unhappily.
many Methodists who lack present knoWl-
edge Of New Testament salvation. They
have slipped cog In their experience, and,
like many old families who have to date
back to some buried ancestor to flnd their
date back t, some dead experience to find
their assurance and title to spiritual nos
Diliiy. 1t is this slipped cog in our ex-
perlence that alls our statistics
Tho bishops. however, in tho address,
gave many reasons for the slack of spirit
ual power In the church''-ths gulf be-
tween capital and labor. strange forces
alternating the poor; labor unions organ
lied compac;ly, influenced by men hostile
to tho church, tho gatherings being held
on the Sabbath, thus keeping the men out
of reach; the sDecnlatiOns and vagaries OF
Christian Science, light literature super.
abundance of am usements. criticism in
the home of things sacred. including
preaching and preacher, and higher Crltt-
cism attacking the Bible itself.
The bishop, turn to the subjsot OF
church imperialism. That has much to
do with this call to Methodlsts throughL
out the world, according to tho address. II /,
states: "With this feebleness upon us
we are conforming crisis. Asia Is open
to us. The ambitions Of the great powers
and the demands for markets wide as the
world are to master and overlay with 'cir-
cles of influence all heathsn territory In
the next few decades The Greek Church
and the Roman Catholic Church and tho
Lutheran Church aud the Church Of Eng
land have great histories, and have served
In tho development of Christ's kingdom,
ouu Nc W. huu io'h w tuoIH LUZ 'AO Otuu-
gelzation and spiritual quickening Of the
world.
"Me,hodsm, born with the republic and
with lhc nation, cannot now
break step. She Ia forced to march with
the nations Gag and the nations CONF
merce. Whatever be the duty of the ma
tion, Gu. duty at least is clear to enter
every open door We must carry the gos-
pei into these old lands and new fields.
In the next genera ion it will DO too iato
for u"
The Christian Advocate, the leading pa
per of the Methodist Church, which pub
lishet the address and the appeal Of tue
Board OF Bishops yesterday, says:
To-day our Methodism confronts q ser
icus situation. Our statistio' for the last
year show decrease in the number of our
Year be 'ors last our advance
was checked. Last year our advance col
umn has been forced back little. The
lost ground is paved with the dead. We
lre surrounded by powerful enemies. The
attack Is on every side.
The gulf between capital and labor
threatens us On both sides, On one side.
mot many mighty, not many noble, are
'alled." On tho other. strange forces are
alternating tho poor. The labor unions.
organized most oompacty nrs much in-
luenced by men hostile to the church.
Their gatherings arJ generally on the
sabbath, thus keeping the men out Of
)ur reach.