The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-25
Which Will Assemble on Sept. 4 I'm
the Famou Church i'm which John
Wesley Frequently Preached.
HOMECOMING OF METH0DISTS
IN WHICH DISTINGUISHED CHURCH
MEN WILL BE NUMEROUS.
In $50 Years the Denomination Has
Now Exceeds Seven Millions.
co-rrerponaenee Of tne -1ndianapolis journal.

Correspondence Of the indianapolis Journal.
LONDON, Aug. 1.-THE first week in Sep
TENDER will be a memorable one In the re-
ligious life OF London, and TO at least one
body OF religionists it will be memorable
throughout the world. for 1t will witness
the homecoming TO this city of the forces
of worldwide Methodism, and the gather
ing together in the very church in which
John Wesley himself used to preach of
those 500 ministers and laymen, 300 from
America and 200 from this side, whose honor
and happy lot il will be to represent the
twenty or more branches of this numerous
family in what, after fourteen days of fell
lowship and counsel. will pass into history
as the Third Methodist Ecumenical Confer
ence. The first of these conferences was
held twenty years ago. That also. as the
present one will do, had its habitation un-
der the historic roof of Wesley's own
chapel. but the second found its fitting
place Of assembly in the capital of that
new world in which Methodism has had its
greatest expansion. 1t was held ten years
ago in Metropolitan NJ. Z. Church, Wash
ington. ID. G.
A fortunate circumstance in connection
with the first homecoming of those who
represented worldwide Methodism was that
at that time a Methodist held that civic
position in London which is second only in
authority and honor to that of the sover-
eign. At the Mansion House in the lord
mayors seat was Sir William Macarthur,
the son Of a Methodist preacher and him
self a Methodist OF the fervid, old-fashioned
kind, as the thousands of Americans who
saw him will readily recall. 1t was a won
John Wesley to have one of their own faith
in a position of supreme dignity such as
that. and when 1t came about that, during
Sir Williams term of office John Wesley's
chapel. in City road. happened TO be the
gathering place of the first Methodist Ecu
menical. British Methodism. 1t may well be
supposed. was in high feather. Here was
a chance to let the country in which Meth
odism was born see in the strongest posi-
BILE light, under the glamour of the highest
civic patronage. what Methodism had
grown to be both in the mother land and
IN those lands across the sea where this
simple form of worship had found a wider
field and altogether easier conditions.
U TO THE OCCASION.
This Methodist lord mayor of London
met the occasion in a really magnificent
~ aCat66t
always present when his higher civic du:
ties would permit. but his greatest serv-
ice-one for which American no less than
English Methodism must always honor his
memory-was in rendering the conference
itself and all foreign visitors to IL a for
NAL reception at the Mansion House. No
circumstance of civic state was lacking at
this memorable function. Sir William Nc
Arthur was so determined not TO slight his
co-religionists that he did not diminish by
even so much as a single variety the seven
kinds OF wine that are provided at Mansion
House receptions. These products of the
finest vintages of Europe were all present
on the bountifully laden refreshment ia
bles, with each of the different colored
glasses in which they are served, and the
American delegates, despite their advanced
temperance sentiments, were at liberty TO
share in these stimulating beverages, had
they chosen to do so, equally with their
brethren of the Methodist Churches in
England. who, it is well known. are not so
self-denying in such matters. But they
didn't. and at first some of them seemed
to resent the social necessity which had
compelled them to even look upon the
wine when IL is red and when it moveth
itself Alright" But good feeling ~triumphed
before long. as it could hardly help doing
under the genial. whole-souled influence of
such a host as Sir William Macarthur
proved himself TO be.
One recalls this Methodist lord mayor as
a fat. jolly looking Irishman. with all the
wit and good nature of his race. His
features were rosy and full. He was hearty
I'm manner, and there was a sort of
righteousness about him which was more
suggestive of a Methodist class meeting
than OF the mayoral dicnities of a great
city like London. In all the splendid re-
gala OF his office did Sir William receive
the thousands OF distinguished Methodists
who that day thronged the Mansion House,
and when this imposing formality had
ended, he proceeded TO do something which
made the ministers from America fully
forgive him for having. in the true British
style of hospitality, put the temptation of
wine before them. What he did in fact.
considering the place and all the circum-
stances. was something which ought to be
commemorated by every Methodist his
torian on both sides of the Atlantic. The
era of fash lights iIad not dawned twenty
years ago. otherwise the camera would
surely have caught Sir William in this act.
ard posterity would have been the richer
for II. just as, ten years later. il caught
Bishop Hurst in the act of welcoming that
second Ecumenical at Washington.
AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE.
What the lord mayor of London did that
day. after formally receiving his guests.
was hrst TO put on a pair of gold-rimmed
spectacles and then TO take out of the in
side pocket of his mayoral robe a we'll
worn Methodist hymn book. Then. mount
Ing a canopied pedestal. he called the
meeting TO order. preliminary 10 the
speech-makins. by opening the book and
announcing a hymn. The writer recalls
these circumstances and the scene which
followed as one o. the most impressive oc-
casions in a life that has certainly not
lacked i'm the opportunity TO see things.
The hymn was lined as the early Meth
odists used to cali IL; that Is. IL was read
between the singing two lines at a time.
The lord MAYOR himself rendered IL in this
old-fashioned manner. aking US back by
this old-time touch TO the period when
Methodlsts. whose representatives were
now guests OF honor in London's Mansion
House. were nearly all either too illiterate
10 read or too poor TO buy books. o how
those Methodists sang that day. the lord