The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-07-11
MErHoD1sM RIrUALIsM. CHRIS

METHoDISM, RITUALISM, CHRIS THAN SCIENCE AND INFIDELITY. The Methodist shurch is celebrating the bi-centenary Of the birth of it's great founder, John Welsey, on June 2s, |17os, and incidentally 1t celebrates the most remarkable religious movement of
 modern times. .Is
 John Wesley started religious re- vivai in the English church at a time when the spirit if religion was at a low ebb in it. He had no thought of de veloping any new church organiza- tion, but was impelled solely by an en- thusiastic purpose to infuse the vitality of religious faith and religious life into the Church of England, for he was firm in the loyalty of his devotion to it. Methodism grew from small and hum ble beginnings into a new and inde- pendent organization in spite of his ear ly misgivlngs, fev his original conpic- tions and sympathies were of the high church. stamp. But there was de mand for the new organization, and it grew up naturally and irresistably.
 Even at the time of his death, in fIal, Methodism had already been professed by more than 120000 people and now it has a membership Tn the world of near ly s,10O. 900, and its adherents number more than six times as many. In this country alone there are more than 6,oo0- 900 Methodists, and they comprise about one-third the whole number be- longing to protestant churches and fac tions. Next to them come the Baptists with about 100000 less. They are eight times as many as the Episcopal- fans. Only the Roman Catholics are more numerous among the religious be- |lieyers of the United Slater.
 In the census of church attendance taken in New York last November
 however the Methodist ranked third among the protestant denominations. the Episcopalians first and the Baptists second. Their greatest strength has never been in the most populous cities; but we learn from a report of their eff forts at evangelization in New York that never were these so so systematic and so vigorous as now. In nine Meth odist churches organized and subs tantially aided by the City Church Ex- tension society, but now independent and self-supporting, there Is gathered nearly one-third of the Methodist com municant membership of New York, In the crowded district below Fourteenth street of Manhattan seventeen churches and missions are strenuously engaged in evangelization. 8 They are working among the Jews, the Italians the Jap- aneses and the Chinamen, but it is in the Bronx that they seem to be expect ing the most progress. For the next quarter of century" says the Chris tian City, the organ of their city evan- gelization movement, many of the most decisive battles of the faith will be fought out in trans Harlem NewY orl."
 Naturally, the Methodist missions to foreigners in the borough of New York are of much importance in their eyes, for the great majority of the popula- .tion is of foreign birth or percentage. Among the Italians they are hard at work, with the Italian pastors in the lead. They have mission for the thousand Japanese in New York, but of serious religious interest among these there does not seem to be much. Among the Chinamen they may be do- ing somewhat better, relatively. In the Ghetto they maintain a Hebrew medical missionary and they report that they "are gaining strong influence over Hebrew minds, but 1t is stony soil for the planting of christian seed.'
 Generally, the report is of encourag- ing progress of Methodism in New York; but it is Methodism very dif- ferent from the Methodism that swept over this country in the early part of the last century under the impulse of one of the greatest religious revivals in history. It is now, relatively, poll ished Methodism. Plain and bare meeting houses have given place to churches of an ecclesiastical architec- ture. The old Methodists eschewed the vain ornaments of the body. The new are as handsomely arrayed as their means will allow. The old enthusiasm
 expressed in shouting and glorifications has been succeeded by reserve in the display of emotion. A tendency to for malism and ritualism appears, as is made manifest in the advertisements