The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-04
THE METHODIST CONFERENCE
Henderson Falls in Love With the Circuit Riders and
They Fall in Love With Henderson.
Editorial Cor respondence.)

>
from this scribe. If L had not form
erly taken this position l would he
inclined to do so after hearing a con-
versation between the bishop and an
accomplished lady. She said: "Bish-
op, now I want you to be certain 10
send back Mr.. X to our town.
The Bishop paused a minute, his
eyes twinkled, and he said: "There is
nothing else to do. No othe. place
wants him.
Bishop Gambler is old fashioned in
his notions about the service in a
Methodist church. He is feminist
the new order of service adopted in
= some city Methodist churches, much
against the will of those Methodists
who cling to the ancient landmarks
which the fathers have set. He be-
lieves that the Methodist church
ought not to discard it's ancient and
honored simple service under which
it has had a marvellously successful
history, to follow the lead of those
churches that have always depended
|
to graft ritualism on Methodism will
be miserable failure and the sooner
the present tentative step in that di-
| rection is abandoned, the better it
will be for the Methodist church.
You will find no old time REVEALS
with genuflecting!
| In his address to the young min
listers received into full connection,
the bishop spoke vigorously against
| the new ritualism that has been
adopted in some Methodist churches.
Among other things the Bishop said:
1--WE can't afford to crowd our
hours of service with other things so
| much that no time is left for the
| sermon which is the feature of the
! service. The creed is all right, but
| the trouble is that some of those who
| insist most upon repeating it often do
not live in keeping with it.
| mot long ago was asked to
preach in a church, and there was so
much that had to be done before 1
| could get to announce my text that
l was kept jumping up and down un-
| til twenty-five minutes after twelve
o'clock Then L got up and told those
people that / would give them just
| the outline Oh the sermon came
| there TO preach. And l Gid it. I
stood there only twenty-four minutes
and gave them nothing but the out
/ line.
mo, we have no right to crowd out
the sermon by anything else. L know
some dainty little fellows with moth
ing to say want and are glad for
choirs to take up the time and
squeeze out their sermons, but such
as this may do for cathedral services,
| but not for Methodism.'
! MethodistS do not like to "be kept
jumping up and down" when they go
to church. They do not like to be
| singing the Gloria" repeating the
creed, and genufecting. 1t is all right
| for those who like ritualistic SER
vice, and as Bishop Gambler says,
"such as this may do for cathedral
services but not for Methodism."
When l go into a Methodist church
and find the congregation jumping
up and down" with the neW-fangled
ritualism / begin to think | have
/ made mistake and gotten into the
wrong church. 81 do not know where
am at" II The city MethOdists
adopt the ritualistic service, as has
been done in few places, they will
separate themselves from the country
| Methodists, for they will hold on to
the simple and good ways of the
fathers, and we will have chasm be-
| tween urban ana rural Methodism.
| Is that to be desired?
The bulk of the preachers and
! III fol
| ing amen in loud tones when
Bishop Gambler paid his respects to
the jumping up and down." and it is
to be hoped that it will have the de-
sired effect and cause all Methodist
churches that have tentatively adopt
T, ed the new order Of service" to go
back to the time honored methods of
the fathers and prevent the further
going toward ritualisic service in the
| Methodist church. / would not be
| understood to be criticizing the forms
of worship of any church, for l hold
with jefferson that ct behooves every
man who values liberty of conscience
for himself to resist invasions of it in
the case of others for their case may,
by change of circumstances, become
his own
/ believe that every church should
have it's own forms and stick to them.
The Catholics have been trained to
their liturgy and ritualism and it is a
stimulus to worship. The Episcopal
ians could not feel the same worship
full spirit unless they took part in the
prayers and responses in the Prayer
Book But Methodism is an organic
ed protest to Journalism and ritualism
1t was born in d day when the Estab-
lished Church of England had lapsed
into a dead Journalism. 1t woke Eng
land with its songs and its pointed
sermons and was called "Christianity
in earnest" Therefore, however suit
able the magnificent ritual is fol
other communions, it is wholly out OF
place in a Methodist meeting house.
At least that has long been the opin.
ION of this Rhamkatte Methodist, who
is happy to find his old fashioned
views upheld and enforced by the