Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-08-16
ECUMENCAL CONFERENCE.
OF ALL CHURCHES BELONGING TO
METHODIST FAMILY.
An Important Gathering Of Interest TC
The Religious WOrld-The Confer
ence To Assemble In London
On September 9th.

The Ecumenical Council, or universal
conference of all churches belonging TO
| the Meth odist family, which Is TO assem-
BILE in City Road Chapel, London, on
| September 8, will be an imporian, gath
ering OF one of the creates, religious sects
in the world.
Ii is the wish Of many that the Council
will result in bringing the various branch
es OF the Methodist church into closer re-
lationship with each other, and possibly
open the way for their unity. The con-
terence will continue for three weeks and
sessions will be held daily. The import
ance of this gathering may be judged by
specify ing the various bodies having a
close relationship with Meihodism which
are expected to take part.
First comes the Methodist Episcopal
church, the oldest Methodist organiza-
tion in this country, formed at Baltimore
in what was styled the Christmas Con-
ference, on December IS, 1884. This
church was organized with two bishops
1t has since had So. and now numbers
nearly 2,ooo, 900 Communlcants. The
second body in size is the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South, which was oTganiz-
ed in 1874, owing to action by the parent
church on the subject of slave. holding.
This body finds its membership chiefly
in the Southern States, though II has con-
ierences in Indiana, Illinois and on the
Pacific coast. II has eight bishops and
more than ooo. 900 communicates.
The Methodist Protestant Church is
an ofshot from the Methodist Episcopal
organization. Ii separated from the parent
body on the questions of lay representa-
ton and the abolition of the Episcopate.
This church was formally organized in
1880. 1t has no presiding elders and no
bishops, but does not differ except in this
and in church discipline from the Meth
odist Episcopal Church. This church
has 1900 ministers and I27 900 men,
bers. Besides these, there are several
colored branches, German Methodist
denomination, Congregational Method
lists, Free Methodlsts, Primitive Method
lists and other divisions. Altogether there
are fifteen distinct Methodist organiza-
tions in the United States numbering in
the aggregate nearly 4, 600. 900 members,
to say nothing Of Canada. which furnish
es many more.
The differences between these various
bodies are in the main so Slight as not to
tortify separate organizations, but 1t is
not probable that any general union will
be brought about until men grow wiser
and less selfish than they aIe now. 1t is
the property interests which stand in the
way OF organic union. The old idea that
it is better to be big FISH in a small
pond than a little fish in a big one ap-
| plies here, no doubt, and to the contin-
| ued alienation OF the various families OF
| Methodism. The gathering of all these
branches of Wesleyan Methodism, how
ever, in iraternal communion will be a
step toward lowering the bars that sepa-
rates them, and will result, it is to be
| hoped, in closer and more friendly rela-
tions between the members Of one OF the
most important religious bodies IN all
/ the world.
The origin of many of the popular
| hymns that are sung with zeSt wherever
| Christian people assemble to offer praise
to the Creator greatly depends the inter
est in both the songs and the singers and
reveals that mighty kinship of human
deafness fame on a few simple verses,
soul biographies living in song. Crock
| of Ages, Cleft For Me" This greatest
of hymns was written in I775 by Rev.
Augustus Toplady, very learned Eng
lish divine, who died at the early age OF
38. The hymn has the rare, wondrous
spiritual ecstacy he revealed in his daily
life. In his last illness he said al
cannot tell the comforts that feel in my
soul; they are past expression. 1t will
not be long before God takes me, for no
mortal man can live after the glories
which God has manifested to my soul.
The marble tablet over his grave says:
"He wrote Rock OF Ages. Cleft For Me. y
Mrs. Vanalstyne. better known as
Fanny Crosby, the blind poet. wrote
\ the hymn "Safe In The Arms OF Jesus
Tor music in twenty minutes, but into il
was put the essence OF her whole lite o
faith. Miss Crosby, after days jost
ling through the city streets, guided by
some loving hand, returns to her little
home and pours fourth her soul in song
OF the many hymns written by Mrs. Sarat
Flower Adams, the only one that ha:
survived is the hymn, "Nearer, My God
to Thee" based on the story of Jacob
vision at Bethel, the imagery of whict
narrative it follows most faithfully. Ont
day Charles Wesley was sitting by al
open window, looking over the beautifu
fields, when he saw a little bird pursued
by hawk. The poor thing. weak anC
frightened, in seeking to escape from it
enemy flew into the room and found RET.
uge in Wesley's bosom. As the poe
was then in great trouble and needed th'
safety of refuge. the consolation of hell
from higher power that his own, th'
incident seemed TO him a divine messag'
and thus inspired he wrote the tamou
hymn, "Jesus, Lover OF My Soul.
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