METHODIST IDEALS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13996, 3 September 1909, Page 7

METHODIST IDEALS.

DANCING AND GAMES: At the Wesley an Conference at Lin--coin, England, on July 19jth, the ox- ; president (the Rev. J. tscott-Lidgett> said that throughout the year- lio iiad lieen struck by tlie generosity and boundless" activity vf tlieir -people, iiiid in great measure bv tli<;ir ste.nllastiiess lu-.ctifficult in remote country villages, and small towns t-hat were almost out of sight. • The strengtli of Methodisni would he found anioiig s these people. He had been also struck by the lutense dtsive that tlii'j;: should liavc ideals and methods .that would' ipeet the needs'- of the times.. The. desire ior clhciencv was a noteworthy sign of theVtimes.' Here and there they found men out of touch with'the Holy Spirit who had become pessimistic, but pessimism was not, in the hearts, of their people. -. > The tempera nee. report was submitted by the Rev; J. A. tihasp. The conference directed that a temperance secretary should bo. 'apiM>intcdi in - ev<;ry circuit, arid, reedinmeuded that' every church should appoint a secretary to ke>.*p a roll of .abstainers.

• Another resolution expressed ' fctrpng disapproval of the rejection ol tjio Liw»n«iigdßiU?^fett^ll<*r4e , " , It .hoped that the essential, provisions, ol the measure which are - in. iiurmony with the repeated'declarations of tue conference ,might Ixi speedily reintrodueed and successfully, Carried ; "into lan.

Mr JErnrst H. Lamb. -M.P., wsis appointed;- treasurerivt-o - the 1 . .Tciuperauce Coninuttee iu , placv ol the late Sir John Bam ford black. 1 lie . date --cf Temperance Sunday was changed Iroin the last . to. the-second Sunday hi ■■November.-:.; ' ,-Tiie:Rev.. J. -E.- Wakerlcv brought m the re{>ort on-Church membership: At the previous conference a lengthy discussion itook place .on -the subject'. - -A6real .and the-question-.was then serif ; down* to the synods / for eoiisideration. Tln! sne< of the -synods" iind .not : • been : iiiuchi grentcrl'tlian that of the conference,iind thu: committee had ;heen able t-o do little-more than classify- the resolutions which- had been passed. * ■

. .The rcconstitutibn 6f the Chiireli or soc.ctv ; meeting was finally aipprpyeU, Ijsit.- as to the proposals on-the condition of 'Church :iik ntberslup seven s.v-. nods '-approved, nineteen synods uipp? proved, /Jive, synods, wuile hot lipprovwg of tiic.report,".make' altcrnative sugtistionsj.aiui four sy'iiocjf 'urged delay. Trie most striking fact wiucli. eiiuirg l ed uiis .tlio absciicb of uu'animity. in' nearly-. alt tlie synods, Wlicther tln>£* approve# or disapproved of the recommendation/ the resolution was adopted 'by small' Majorities.; ~ : Mr Atkinson jnored a resolution declaring uualiated loyalty to the class meeting as a basis of Church membership,; but. recognising that in the congregations are tliose who" desire to be associated in Ohurcllmembership, but who' feel -they cannot profitably, nieet in class. To these should bo .applied tlie test: (1) application to a leaders meeting; (2; to attend, the communion' service, the society meetings, and to contribute to tlie. Church- funds. The Itcv. G. Armstrong Bennett mow. ,Ed that the conference should, for the time, ceaße. toseek- an-immediate -settlement. Sir llobert Perks • seconded Mr Bennett's amendme.rit. Ho held 'that when one was in. grave doubt the bjst thing to do was to do nothing at all.- _ • ' ;\.Varioiis suggestions an<l recommendations were made,: but in the end Lieu-tenant-Colonel Donniss (Oswestry) carried a resolution to a committee, who should report to; the next conference.

-The secretary read si report from tho Irish conference on tho same question. The English conference agreed that the condition of church membership in Ireland should be left to : be .settled by the Irish conference.

The secretary said that tho Chapel committee had had before it several instances of tlie misuse of .the trust property. / The conference adopted a resoluton strongly disapproving j>f an' : application for dramatic licenses that miglit give the impression that trust property could lie : used for ' purposes alien to the traditions, character and aims of the Wesley all Methodist Church. The conference expressed tho view that dancing, card playing, games of chance, entertainments which legally require a dramatic license, and amusements of a i'rivolous and vulgar type, are contrary to their rules, and canuot be allowed.