The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-06-26


enough; that no strategy, no scheme
or device of ecclesiastical polite:
/. would ever have been shrewd enough
to reckon the simplicity of franz
and loving invitation among the mos
powerful resources of Christian states.
manship. L believe that God so loved
q united Methodism that he has SEM
an angel to break the still air, as we
watched over,.our fiocks, with a new
Gloria in Excelsis, a new peace or
earth, and the coming of new day
in Methodism. This address was
frequently interrupted by loud and
prolonged applause, but at this point
the great audience sprang to their feet
in tumultuous demonstration that
lasted a number Of minutes.) 1t may
/ be that some of our shepherds are
sore afraid; but with every fiber OF
my being vibrant with loyalty, first to
Christ, then to Methodism, and then
to my own beloved Methodist Protest
ant Church, | rise and salute this mes
sage as Gods evangel, and have come
even unto Bethlehem to, see this thing
which has come to pass, which the
Lord has made known TO us.
1T will not seem strange to you, I
our minds what our immediate duty
is in this great matter. The change
OF church relations is a solemn re-
sponsibility, never to be entered upon
unadvisedly, but reverently, discreet
! ly and in the fear of God. A commits
sion has been named by our General
Conference. to confer with like COM
mission of your body upon this SUBJ
| tort Vo,- RI not oy0acr and Uo do moi
understand that our membership,
churches, conferences and Institutions
are simply to be emptied out of one
bag into another. You are big enough
to hold us, but you are too big to want
us in that fashion. 1t will take time
and patience, much wisdom and great
| love to adjust all the details of such
a union. But that such union is
honorable and possible and desirable,
| have not the slightest doubt. Nay,
l will go further and say, that If we
have any right to interpret Gods will
by the signs of the times; if the move
ments of men in secular affairs furn-
ish any precedent for their slower
movements in religious affairs-the
children of the world being always
wiser than the children of light; if the
combinations of the forces of selfish
ness and evil can teach us anything or
awaken us to any courage and loyalty
to the Captain whose victory is the
overthrow of those forces, then Bishop
Warren is right in saying that the
watchword of this new crusade is,
God wills it. .-E 1..t.
Il am trying to compress in few
words what l ought to say for know
how valuable your time is. But | can
not ignore the suggestion in your mes
sage which might be properly styled
the larger hope, reunited and COM
mon Methodism in America. This is
to many OF our people the greatest
thought and the natural conclusion of
this movement. Our church is in the
South as we'll as in. the North We
are united in one family that knows
no distinctions or boundaries: The
slavery question divided u.s., but the
Christian question. united us again.
We touch hands and hearts with those
vino differ in other things, but agree
in Christ. And when we think of go
ing back home the question will recur
insistently and painfully, Which
homer" Fathers and brethren, suffer
me to speak of this matter. II l am
bold, it is~your magnanimity which
has made me bold. We are like chill
dren whose parents have separated.
Do not force us to separate from each
other in order that we may reJoln the
family. We want to unite with a
united home. You who know so we'll
how to reach the heart, will you not
speak to them as you have spoken to
us? You who love Christ more than
any Christian denomination, do you
not love Methodism more than any
section of it,,
Isaiah saw the good time coming
when. under the benignant reign OF
the Prince of Peace the discords and
contentious of the earth would utterly
pass away; when even the wild
beasts would respond to the sweet IN
sistence of the appeal of peace, and
dwell in quiet harmlessness with the
lamb and the kid and the failing to-
gether; and little child would lead
them. The good time is not yet fully
come, but it is coming. The atrocities
of war, the rancor of political con-
tests. the violence of greed, the heart
less Indifference to pain and cruelty
and want, are all being assuaged by
the soothing touch of the Prince OF
Peace. Everywhere men are learning
to live together on better terms, TO
work together for nobler ideals, to
still the passions that divide and to
make the earth real home for real
brotherhood.
Shall the church be the last to feel
the throb of this great impulse? Must
we go on fighting when all the world
is sounding a truces Must Christ die
again to break down the middle walls
of partition between us? What is 1t
we are waiting for to teach us to fol-
low the will of God?
THE Civil War divided the Metho-
dist Protestant Church as it did otner
churches. But God and common sense
enabled us to see that we were TOO
small to live divided, and so thirty
years ago we became once more
united church. We have never re-
gretted the reunion, and we KNOW
nothing of sectional questions. IL is
good and pleasant to dwell together
in unity. ,od
"Brethern. is the little child to lead
the great hosts of divided Methodlsm
We dare not ask it as an honor, put IL
If he required of us we bring all our
treasure and lay all our identity upon
tbe altar as sacrifice; II we may Dut
heat a drum or carry nag, Whlie
Iudah and Ephraim once more marcn
~ The came music of peace, JOY