Religious.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1032, 11 December 1891, Page 37

Religious.

(ECUMENICAL METHODIST * CONFERENCE. o> RETURN OF NEW ZEALAND DELEGATES. REV W. MORLEY’S IMPRESSIONS. The San Franoisoo mail steamer, which arrived at Auckland at tho end of last week, brought back to New Zealand the delegates who went hence in September to attend the (Ecumenical Conference in Washington. These were the Revs W. Morley and J. Berry, and Messrs T. Allen and A. C. Coughey, The last throe gentlemen reside iu Auckland. Mr Morley's home and sphere of work, however, are in Christchurch, and he came on at once by the Mahinapna, arriving here on Saturday at noon, ami leaving again the same night for Lyttelton. Tne rev gentleman was met by tho Rev J. J. Lewis, who had a long and Interesting conversation with him, the gist of which, embodying MrMorley’s impressions, wc proceed to detail for the benefit of our readers.

The Conference was the second of the kind, the first one having been held in London ten years ago, and it compre hended representatives of all the various Methodist bodies from every quarter of the globe. In short, thirty millions of Methodists were represented. The proceedings commenced during the first week of October and lasted for some ten days. Questions relating to the world at large, such Jas the labour movement, and social problems, as well as those of a distinctly religious character, were considered, the usual form being for the subject to be introduced in a paper prepared by some distinguished member and to be then discussed by a number of specially selected speakers, after which it was open for general discussion. Mr Morley, in the absence of the Rev. W. H. Fitchett, of Melbourne, read that gentleman’s paper, “ On the Religious training and culture of the young, while Mr Berry contributed a paper on tho labour question. Mr Morley says that the reports received from all parts of the world denoted progress, and the general feeling w»a that a united Methodist Church would become one of the greatest religious agencies of the age. To his mind the best practical outcome of the Conference will be the promotion of a movement towards union amongst all the qumerous sections of the Methodist persuasion throughout the world. The direct aud formal consideration of this question was excluded from the Conference, as it was felt that nothing affecting the internal government of the various bodies should be debated, but the under-current of feeling in the direction of closer unity was so strong that the tabooed subject was forced to the surface. The President of the English Wesleyan Conference, in the course of a fervid and eloqueut address, held out the olive branch to the kindred organisations, which were, like his own, the offspring of Wesley’s labours, and the presidents of the other conferences heartily responded to his sentiments in favour of union. This formed one of the pleasantest and most interesting episodes of the Conference. With regard to the mental and ministerial force of the representatives, Mr Morley was impressed with the conviction that the average English Methodist minister is superior to the average specimen of his American coadjutors. At - the same time he formed a a high opinion of the leading men in the American Methodist churches, and he considers the Methodißt Episcopal Church government to be admir. able in all respects, and specially adapted to the needß of a new country like New Zealand. The bishops of this Church are free from circuit labour, and can itinerate throughout their respective dioceses, exercising thereby direct supervision over every branch of the work. In this way, too, they have every facility for detecting and utilising opportunities for new openings, and of direct, ing the energies of the Church to points where they are most needed. Mr Morley was specially asked what truth there was in the cablegrams which had appeared in the colonial press some time ago stating that the coloured representatives of th 6 Conference were not allowed to dine along with their white brethren. He indignantly denied that the Conference had in any way sanctioned a separation between the white and coloured members, either at restaurants or anywhere else. If any such separation had taken place anywhere, it was wholly irrespective of any arrangement on the part of the Conference. As for the reported disturbances during the Conference, they had been grossly exaggerated, and those acquainted with the eccentricities of Mr Farmer Atkinson, M.P., would not be surprised at any little occasional interrupt tion emanating from him. In the great Republic, Mr Morley says that he noticed, or heard of only too many evidences of political and business corrupt* tion. For instance, a man introducing an invention can hardly expect Buocess to accrue from the unaided merits of his work. He has first of all to “ square” the supervisors, and in fact on every hand bribes are unblnshingly offered and accepted in connection with new business undertakings. In San Francisco he was horrified by its flagrant and open immorality. Entire streets are inhabited almost entirely by women of a particular clasß, who Bit at open windows and gaze at paassrs-by in a manner that renders solicitation superfluous. On the other band, in visiting the Fisk and Vanderbilt Universities he was greatly struck by the magnitude of the work undertaken by those noble institutions, and by the excellence of their educational systems. He made special enquiries from one of the Maine representatives at the Conference as to the effect of the working of the liquor prohibition law in that State. and wherever else in America it had been tried, and he was assured that prohibition has achieved its intended salutary effect. On the whole, the rev gentleman considers that his visit to America has beqn well re-

paid by the Instruction it has afforded him, and especially for the evidencies he saw of the vast and marvellous expansion of the Anglo-Saxon race. In the domain of theology he found that the Christian public of America are more Conservative than th»t of the Old Country, for the most part the old land marks being rigidly adhered to. Mr Morley’s haste in getting home is accounted for by the fact that the annual district meeting at Christchurch begins tomorrow.