The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1916-05-11
METHOD|S7S TALK
RITUAL REVISION
NO CONCLUSION is VET REACH-
ED BY GENERAL CONFER
ENCE AT SARATOGA
SPRINGS, n. Y.

Saratoga, N. Y.-The controversy
over the ritual of the Methodist Epis-
copal church, which had occupied
over decade, has loomed up again
at the present session of the general
conference.
The attemp5 to secure revision of
the ritual, including that of baptism,
burial, marriage, reception of mem
bers, and ordination, has been fea-
ture of every general conference
since 1904. This time brought forth
la vigorous debate, in which doctrine
and sentiment, standpatism and pro-
gressivism, strove for the mastery
The Proposed Changes.
The chief proposals offered by the
lows:
That the word devil" be stricken
out wherever it appears and "sin"
take it's place.
That the baptismal service omit
the scriptural words, "forasmuch as
all men are conceived and born in
sin" as an unethical conception of
the marriage relation.
That the bridegrooms promise,
with all my worldly goods thee
endow" be omitted from the mar
riage service, and that the responses
of the bride and the bridegroom be
identical.
That the phrase. ''the trumpet
shall sound and the dead be raised"
be eliminated on the ground that it
means the resurrection of the spirit
and not of the body
That candidates for membership
be not required to subscribe to the
apostles creed and twenty-five arti-
cles OF religion of the Methodist
church.
Commission Presents Report.
The report was prepared by spec
ial commission appointed in 1912.
Advocates of changes in the ritual
urge that modification in the wording
of the service provided by John Wes-
ley in 1889 is necessary to consist
ency of usage and greater clearness
and brevity. On the other hand, OPP
ponents of any change argue that
the present ritual has been made
sacred by continued use.
The report was presented by Rev.
Harris f. Rail of Garret Biblical in
stitute Evanston, H., assisted by
the Rev. Charles Bayard Mitchell of
Chicago. Among those who joined
in the debate We're President A. w.
Harris of Northwestern university,
the Rev. DR.. G. j. Buckley of Phila-
delphia. the Rev. Clarence True Will
son of Topeka, kas., the Rev. l.. w.
Munhall of Germantown, Pa, the
Rev. DR.. George Elliott OF Detroit,
Mich, and j. Frank Hanley of In
diana.
Age Limit on Bishops.
OF equal interest to the debate on
the ritual was the action taken by
the conference in favor of continuing
the retirement of bishops at the age
limit of 73. The conference voted,
491 to 1876, to recommend the con-
tinuance of the rule.
The situation was made acute by
the presence of Bishop Earl Gran
ston of Washington, d. c., and Bis
hop j. w. Hamilton of Boston, both
of whom have reached the time limit
but are regarded as still vigorous.
The vote will put at rest any specu-
lation as to the retirement of these
bishops, and also OF Bishop Joseph
C. Hartzell, missionary bishop of
Africa.
The mosl tense moment of the de-
bate was when the Rev DR.. Edgar
Blake of Chicago, secretary of the
board OF Sunday schools, turned the
tables on the Rev. James r. bay,
president of the Syracuse university
1t was common comment that the
conference was with DR.. Day at the
close of his speech, but was COM
pletely changed in sentiment by the
arguments of DR.. Blake.