The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-04
DOCTRINE OF METHODISTS
BISHOP SAYS CHURCH CANNOT
ABANDON IT'S RULES.

Must stick to Its Position ON the
Liquor Question, on Marriage and
Divorce and on worldly Amuse-
ments - Bishop HartzeH ON the
South African War-He Takes the
English side and Calls Attention
to Mistakes of the Beers.
Chicago, May s.--The feature to-day al
the Methodist General Conference was he
reading of the Bishops quadriennial adj
dress by Bishop r. G. Andrews. The adj
dress was prepared at a recent meeting of
the Board of Bishops at Indianapolis. 1t
showed that during the past 100 years the
Methodist Episcopal Church had developed
ninety-seven-fold.
The Bishops address stated that the
the church will not abandon its position on
the liquor question. On the contrary
aroused and indignant at the aggressions
of the liquor power, at the inexcusable
miscarriage of the ant-canteen law, and
at the new perils in which the nation is
involving its new possessions, it will sum-
mon and pledge all our ministers and peo-
pie to a more determined struggle against
this enormous evil.'
AS to marriage and divorce. the address
| continued
"In the presence of this evil the church
cannot allow its rules on the subject or
divorce and remarriage 40 be in any case
inoperahVe and void. Let, " need be,
the church law be amended, to more per-
fectly express the New Testament rule
of marriage. But by the voice Of its pub
lie assemblies, by its puIpits, and by the
julicious exercise of discipline, the church
should keep itself pure and aid the civil
law and the practices of society to become
pure.
worldly Amusements.
CLOSELY associated with these evils is
the popular passion of unwholesome,
coarse and debauching amusements.
Whoever watches the daily press cannot
miss the evidence Of shameful degradation
in the theater, concert and dance nall,
and on the race course. And the tendency
TO &eat excess also in other compare
lively innocent forms of amusement can
not escape attention. The seriousness of
life seems largely forgotten its opportun-
ities Of usefulness unoccupied, the vigil
lance necessary for righteousness relax
cd and the love of the passing world gain
ing i'm masterfulness. 1t is not to be won
dered at that every earnest age has tend
ed to reprobate all amusements as in
compatible with the Christian life. Exper-
fence has shown that 1t is impossible to
impose on youthful and immature Chris
tians a law which many a sanity soul, of
thoughtful choice. imposes on Itself. The
attempt to enforce absolute abstention
from recreative amusements reacts to-
ward unrefrained Indulgence. A discrtmi-
nation between the admissible and the
fnadmissible is therefore, imperative. SO
great is the danger to spiritual life that
we suggest that 1t would be profitable to
place among the special adVices OF the
.aWaN
of the perils which attach 10 many amuse-
ments. of the evils inseparable from 9TH
ers. and of the principles by which the
Christian should regulate his choice
among and his use of them"
The address recommends either the abol-
ition OF the time limit or return to the
o I'd three-year limit rule.
HnrtzeII on the BOer War.
Bishop ]. C. Hartzell pleaded the cause
of the Briton in the Transvaal tonight be-
fore an audience that almost filed the
Auditorium. He spoke from impressions
gained by personal observation of condi-
lions in South Africa, from personal ac-
ouaintance with President Kruger and his
advisors, and from close study Of law aud
the administration Of laws by the govern
ment The audience was markedly pro-
British in its sympathies.
Nv way Of irEroducton, the Bishop
smoke of some Of the remarkable features
of the war now going on IN africa.
MOI one half OF the Beers Of South Az
RIGA he said, are in arms against Eng
land More than half Of the Dutch In
! south Africa live In Cape Colony and Ma
| tai. and outside OF a few thousand along
| the northern edge of these colonies adj
| Joining the Orange Free State, while deep
| iy sympathlzing on account Of race and
| blood ties with their Dutch friends who
are fighting England, they yet protest
| their LOYALTY to Queen Victoria.
4 Years ago President Burger, speaking