New-York tribune., 1902-08-20
UETHoDISH AND MUNHALL.

The Methodist Church will probably be sur
prsed TO learn that 1t is in a parlous state, In
q serious crisis, and IN danger of lapslng
into open infidelity and the everlasting
bow-wows. Such tidings will be unWel-
come to the subject and object Of them, and
they are by no means agreeable to convey
But stern duty constrainS us; and, indeed. we
are not sure that such delic1Cy and forbear-
ance are required in reading the riot act to an
organization which has so far fallen from grace
as to put spires upon and chOirs into its churches
and thus TO worship God in the beauty of art
and architecture as well Of holiness. When
10 this we add that many of its teachers and
preachers have actually taken to employing
. scientific methods of study and research, and
esteem the highest attainments of the human
intellect as not inappropriate for the service of
Cod. we Indicate pretty completely the scope
of the Indictment which is framed against the
Methodist Episcopal Church by its critic In
chief, and which is here and there eagerly
echoed in non-if not antl-Methodistic quar-
ters.
The authority for this arraignment Of Method
ism is a certain Mr. Munhall, who will be re-
membered as having formerly been a prOvin-
cial dentist, and who has in recent years indus
triously striven to attain some vogue as pro
fessional "revvalst" and Biblical expounder OF
the ultra Orthodox variety. Some have called
him the Rev. DR." Munhall, and seem to re
gard him an authority on Methodist doctrine
and poIity. 1t is strange that they should do
So for, OF course, his authority would be far
greater outside the official ranks Of that Church
than within them; Just as the apostle of ode
sun do move" had his chief strength in his en-
tire enforcement from astronomical science.
That, however, is a side issue. The point of
chief interest is that Mr. Munhall says there is
q crisis in Methodism; that many Methodists are
courting the world and conforming to its fash
ions; that a large majority OF the teachers in
leading Methodist institutions of learning deny
the infallible authority of the Bible, and that
as n result there is comparatively little increase
in the membership of the Church.
All Of which would be very dreadful if it were
true. Perhaps it is dreadful to have Mr. Mum
hall think il is true if he really does so; dread
full that is to say. for Mr. Munhalls peace of
mind and ease OF digestion. We must confess
however. that there is no indication of our
Methodist brethreus sitting up o nights in
worriment over it. They seem TO think that in
Offering TO their Creator the best that Is at their
command in art and architecture and scholar
ship they are laying before Him a not unac-
ceptabIe tribute. They seem to prefer the
earnest, profound and reverent intellectual cult
ure of such schools as wesleyan and Boston
universities TO that represented by the estimable
Dopper who insisted that the devil must have
horns and cIoven hoofs and barbed tail be-
cause a picture in his family Bible thus repre-
sented him. and of course, that book must have
been infallibly inspired from lid to lid. It is
even rumored that there are Methodists who
think that church which has within the men,
ory of men of middle age grown from 0,0O0 to
27OOO congregations. from $4,000 to nearly
100000 members, and from 100000 TO more
than 1900 600 Sunday school scholars, is not
quite In danger of immediate extinction. OF
course It has not, with all these things the ap-
proval of Mr. Munhall, which is very sad We
should say it is amusing were it not that Mr..