The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-30

the Jews, the Italians, the Japanese and
the Cinnamon, but 1t Is in Tho Bronx that
they seem to be expecting the most prog
ress. Z" For the next quarter Of GEN.
tury,,N says the Christian CITY, the organ
of their city evangelization movement,
many Of the most decisive battles OF
the faith will be fought out in trans
Harlem New York,
Naturally, the Methodist missions to
foreigners in the Manhattan borough OF
New York are of much importance in
their eyes, for the great majority of the
population is of foreign birth or parent
age. Among the Italians they are hard at
work, with 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 China
men they may be doing somewhat better,
relatively. In the Ghetto they maintain
Hebrew medical missionary, and they
report that they "are gaining strong in
fuenoe over Hebrew minds, but it is
stony soil for the planting of Christian
seed"
Generally, the report is of encouraging
progress Of Methodism in New York; but
it is Methodism very different from the
Methodism which swept over this coun-
try in the early part of the last century
under the impulse Of one OF the greatest
religious revivals Of history. 1t is now,
relatively, q polished Methodism. Plain
and bare meeting houses have given
place to churches OF an ecclesiastical
architecture. The old Methodsts es-
chewed the vain ornaments of the body.
The new arc a. handsomely arrayed as
their means will allow. The old enthu-
siasm expressed in shoutings and glorif-
cations, has been succeeded by reserve
in the display of emotion. A tendency
to Journalism and ritualism appears, as is
made manifest in the advertisements OF
the Sunday services at their churches
which we print so regularly.
The religious revival into which JOHN
WESLEY threw all the ardor of his nature
and to which he gave his really wonderful
organizing and administrative abilities
was pushed forward without help or
sympathy from the Church of England.
A1ethodism. looked on by it with derision,
gathered force from outside the Estab-
lishment and not from within II. But
about hundred years after WESLEY
formally started the Methodist move
ment there began at Oxford another and
n o1ytvy ha nv nrl
Movement, which has resulted in the
Ritualism we are now hearing so much
about. Methodism was a revival of
evangelcalism, the Oxford Movement a
reaction toward sacerdotalism, sacra-
mentaranism and religious medRvalism,
At the moment, this reaction is the
most significant religious movement
of the time, for, as we have said, in its
purely ritualistic features it has affected
even Methodism itself, and its influence
to that extent is felt in Protestant
Churches very generally. 1t grows
steadily and becomes more and more vio-
lent in its assault on the genius of Prot
estantism. 1t would get rid Of the
title of Protestant borne by the Episco-
pal Church, as hateful contradiction Of
its whole theory and argument, and sub
stitute the title Of Catholic. to which it
lays hot claim.
The very earnestness and aggressive
ness of this Catholic party, however.
are giving fresh stimulus to the Prot
estantism Of the Episcopal Church.
Protestant sentiment has manifestly
increased in strength during the last
ten years, or, at least, its assertion has
grown holder and more uncompromising
As Methodism celebrates the bi-centenary
Of WESLEY the religious world seems to
be preparing for contest between the
Catholic and Protestant ideas which may
have momentous significance. Mean
while Mrs. EDDY gathers at her Concord
home thousands of Christian Science
pilgrims, and in addition the forces of
religious infidelty were never so strong.