The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-18

The city has as its guests for the
week beginning yesterday, a body OF
men who stand out distinctly in the
ideals of the people of nearly every
christianized nation. The Methodist
ministry of the state is gathered In
annual conference to discuss. consid-
ar and determine matters OF church
polity. The gathering Is no more
noteworthy than others of the same
kind in this and other churches. But
the value of all such religious assem-
hlages is far greater than many. he
cause of Indifference. believe. The
ministers corne as It's representatives
charged with the perpetuation Of the
doctrines of one great christian ac-
tivity. They meet. not to better their
own individual work except as they
grow in grace and in the knowledge
OF the truth. hut to devise ways and
determine means Of making the
church and the doctrines which 1t
teaches a more exalted inspiration to
those who md shelter within its fold.
They seek to give to the members of
Methodism a more spiritual and up
JiltiIlN SAAN WI SkdNS ~ IIlills
istry and the church organization.
Such men. working with a zeal equal
to that of the great founder of their
denomination and asking no greater
reward than the ful1llment Of the
ministry of Christ. deserve all that the
city OF Grand Forks can give them.
They are worthy a hundred fold of
the hand Of welcome and words of
greeting.
distinct from the general belief in
which all Christian churches agree.
it is unnecessary to call the minis
terial attention to either the history
or the principles of a e church. Roth
are the essence Of tho faith which
has grown in little more THAI a CEN
fury and a half from a few hundred
until it now numbers in it's several
branches six and a half million ad-
herents and more than sixty thou
sand churches, about one-half Of
which are in the Episcopal branch.
the conference of which Is being held
In this city. The evangelism Of the
church. which has always been a
prominent factor in it's uphuilding.
has been in a measure responsible for
the growth. But the inherent inten-
eity of that faith whereby we are
saved" to quote Wesley himself, and
the conversion which. as he says. fol-
lows. has drawn strong men and wo-
men unto the church. There was
something tangible. something that
filled the void of an unanswering
religion and answered the cry of the
seeker after truth. in the doctrine.
Wesley probably gave the hest reason
for this living element of the religion
when shortly after his conversion to
the new doctrine he declared that five
days before he had not been a Chris
tan: though he had been for two
years a missionary and a preacher. ON
this occasion he said: when we re-
nounce everything but faith and get
into Christ. then. and not till then.
have We reason to believe hat We are
Christians" Prior to this time Wes-
ley had regarded faith as a union of
intellectual belief and of voluntary
self-suhmission-the belief of the
creeds and submission to the laws of
Christ and the rules and services of
the church. acted out day by day and
hour by hour. in all prescribed
means and services Of the church and
in the geenral duties of life. From
this conception Of faith the element of
the supernatural was wanting and
equally that of personal trust for sal
Walton in the atonerrent of Chriet. The
difference between this condition and
the n Wesley defined as his test of
conversion was the line of demarca-
ton between the Methodists and the
faiths from which they came.
wesley became an evangelist he
cause he had a forgotten gospel 10
~preach--the gospel by which men
were TO be converted AS he had heen.
n to be made new creatures" And
this result. this new birth, was not de-
pendent on any churchly form or or
dinance. on any ministerial preroga-
tive. or on any sacramento grace or
influence. To raise up, accordinely.
by his preaching and personal inlu-
ence a body of converted men who
should themselves become witnesses
OF the same truth by which he had
been saved. became his great lifework.
This was the inspiration under which
he became a great preacher. This
also made him an organizer Of his
living witnesses into classes and So
cieties. In the pulpit was the preach
ing power; in the class room was the
private and personal influence. The
vital link between the two was the
doctrine and experience Of conversion,
The first conference was held by
Wesley in 1744, and forty years later,
In 1884 he took measures for ves,ips
in trustees. for the use Of the people
called Methodists." under the iuris-
diction of the conference as to the ap-
pointment Of ministers and preachers
all the preaching places and trust
property of the connection. This con.
ference was an enlargement on the
former ones which had been chiefly
Tor the settlement of points of doe
trine and discipline inc for the cx-
animation and ~accrediting of fellow
laborers. The conference of 1884
consisted Of one hundred itincran,
preachers. appointed by Wesley. less
than a third as many as are attending
the conference in this city. Such. in
brief. is the story of tho inception of
Methodisn, whose ministers are the
guests.
The church n. -seht celebrated its