Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-07
MErHoDIsM SHIFTING GROUND.

METHODIsM SHIFTING GROUND.
The general conference Of the Meth
odlsts recently held. is widely COM
mented upon. and the impression Is all
most universal that II is TO be olassed
among the most important ever held.
Among the measures passed was ona
abolishlng the time limit by which
ministers were allowed to stay In one
place only so many years. In future
they may be reappointed 10 the same
pulpit Indefinitely. Then there was
cleaning up in Offices supernuous sec
retarles and other functonares Of
missionary societies were abolished,
and non-payIng publications were DIS
continued The rule against certain
forms OF amusements was retained, but
after a heated debate. the result Of
which was that the rule viii be applied
only In exceptional cases. In other
words, from now on the young people
OF the Methodist faith viii be found
more frequently than formerly in the
theaters and the whlr OF social enjoy
ment, without causing agony among
the older members. as previously This
is perhaps, one OF the most remark
able features Of the conference. For
without question It means the shifting
Of ground OF modern Methodism.
The fact is that the followers Of John
Wesley did not separate themselves
from the parent church on account Of
any serious difference in doctrine, but
IN practice. The Methodist influenced
somewhat by the German pietistic ten
dency, took up the battle for personal
holiness at a time when worldliness al
most covered the old dead forms OF &C.
clesiastical life They attached less
importance TO opinions than to prac-
tees and as a consequence they urged
devotional exercises and condemned all
that which was considered detrimental
TO spiritual feryor and zeal, Dancing,
playing games Of chance. visiting
theaters. and INDUCING IN secular
amusements came under the ban, as
Improbable TO a spiritual life Prayer
meetings, class meetings, and other re-
Hglous gatherings took their place. This
popularity OF Methodism gave It a
standing 10 the religious world II had
a mission and Il set about Us perform
ance with methods peculiar to IT.
self. and with success.
But judging from the debates at the
conference. a change In this respect IS
impending II has perhaps been made
clear by long experience that prohibitiye
rules against that which the enlightened
conscience does not condemn. must re-
suit II slaylsh PharIseeism on the one
hand. and open defiance on the other.
What the result will be Of the APP
parent change Of base will be seen In
the future. one OF the distinctions be-
tween Methodism and other "isms' win
be wiped out. The "revyalist" meth
DDS. which pleased the unenlightened
masses IN the early part Of the century,
viii be relegated 10 the past, and some
test Of Salvation" win have TO be
found. other than the emotions that are
excited by vivid pictures Of a place Of
torment. or by touching anecdotes.
And thus. one by one the churches Of
the world are forced 10 abandon their
first positions. The world Is crowdlng
them from all sides Their theology is
torn 20 shreds by a criticism that
can no longer be sienced even ia the
pulpits. Their ethics are rendered OBJ
solete by the ever changing fashions Of
which human beings are prone TO be-
come slaves. But the lesson Of lt an Is
this. that every structure that is not
reared upon the solid rock Of revelation
must fall. No other foundation can
be laid but that which has been laid by
the divine Author OF the Church All
others have proven 20 be sand IN the
raging storms Of the passing centuries