The evening times., 1900-04-12

NEW YORK. April 12.-It is more than
mere coincidence that three OF the mo Il
influential of the Eastern conferences OF
the Methodist Episcopal Church have re-
Gently adopted memorials to the General
Conference requesting the elimination from
the Book of Discipline of the present in
hibition against dancing card playing, and
theatregOng.
This action is part of concerted move
ment on the part of the younger and mole
liberal element of the church.
Similar resolutions will be passed by
other district conferences throughout the
country, and some OF the best-in -o.med
clergymen in the denomination believe Jpis
radical change will be adopted by large
vote by the General Conference, which
meets next month in Chicago.
The pastor of one Of the largest Moth
odist churches in Manhattan said yester-
day: This clause in the Discipline is
practically a dead letter. SO far as
know nobody in the Methodist Church his
been disciplined for years, either for dane
ing or for attending the theatre"
The Rev. Ezra S. Tipple. pastor of St
James Church, Madison Avenue and One
Hundred and Twenty-sixth Street. who in
troduced the resolution in the New York
Conference Tuesday, said yesterday:
The proposed change. if adopted will
erase from paragraph 2iS of the Discipline
the words dancing, playing at games of
chance, attending theatres. horse races, cir
cuses, dancing parties, or patrOnizing
dancing schools
This would not in any way weaken the
position of the Methodist Church" Dr.
Triple said, toward questionable amuse-
ments but would rather strengthen it,
The appeal is TO the individual conscience
and TO the Word of God. IL does not in
dicate tendency to conform to the world"
do you believe that dancing is sinful
not dancing Of the Haymarket kind but
dancing. for instance. with ones own
friends and in ones own hOme?"
1t is not sinful per Sc 1t depends
upon the surroundings. the circumstances,
the influences attending it,"
The Rev. Or. George P. Mains.
formerly of Brooklyn. and now connected
with the Methodist Book Concern, at No.
$50 Fifth Avenue. urges the repeal Of the
Objectionable clause in long article in the
Methodist Review
Il believe" said DR. Mains. that this
section of our Discipline. which was in
serted by the General Conference of 1872.
presenting TO the Church an authoritative
index eXpurgatOrius Of amusements, was
a most grave blunder of ecclesiastical leg
islation. ] believe that the effect of this
distinctive enactment has been TO dam
age and belittle the influence OF our de-
nomination. ! have often had the feeling
that in much of our Church teaching the
mistake has been made Of taking narrow
views of the legitimate sphere of Christian
life.
The embodiment of this legislation in
our Book Of Discipline exposes the Meth
odist Episcopal Church TO a damaging
popular aversion. / know of several cases
where We have lost the membership Of
most excellent young people because they |
could not make themselves believe that
for them certain things were wrong
The Rev. J. o. Wilson, pastor of st. An J
drew's Church in West Seventy-s xth ;
Street. said: Il think it likely the propos- (
ed change will be approved by the General +,
Conference. II must not be inferred. in /
that case. however. that the Methodist /
Church is taking position in favor Of the /
psstimes ii now debars.
The present list of prohibited amuse- |
ments says nothing about attending prize |
fights or cockfghts but nobody would in I
fer that the church favors those divers. .oas. |
So far as dancing and theatregoing aie
concerned many of our young people III /
dulge themselves in those amusement !
anyhow. and there is a growing tend euly
10 resent the fact that our church alone |
singles out amusements to be put under |
the ban specifically, which in themselv, s |
may be harmless. In sense this move
ment is one toward greater libsrality. Il |
makes each member the judge before ms |
own conscience Of what he ought 10 60 in |