charged their assigned duties. Who will say that that day in City Road Chapel was not an eventful one in the history of Methodism, and in the progress of the race? But what would have been thought of the man who, twenty years ago, had made a prediction that, in the year 1881, a negro Bishop would preside, in the city of London, over a great Ecumenical Conference, representing the Methodism of the world?

It deserves to be placed on record that the colored brethren bore themselves with meekness and becoming modesty in the midst of their many honors, and that their part in the exercises of the Conference and in the outside meetings was, in the main, most creditably performed. It ought also to be stated that the men of African descent were treated with no more respect and kindness by any person than by the delegates of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In the Conference and out of it, they were as courteous and brotherly in their bearing toward the colored representatives as if they had been the recognized leaders and princes of the Methodist Israel.

4. This Ecumenical Conference has certainly secured for Methodism a more general consideration, from all classes, in all countries, than it had ever previously received. The secular as well as the religious journals have discussed the great movement which, beginning with the Wesleys and their fellowlaborers, has extended into all lands, and won its triumphs among all conditions of mankind. Some of the criticisms of the Conference and of Methodism have been unjust, snarling, and captious, but these have been the exception and not the rule. In general, the public journals have candidly and cordially conceded the power and excellence of the work wrought by Methodism. It has been fairly acknowledged that Methodism is a great revival and reformatory power; that its spirit is earnest, aggressive, and diffusive; that its peculiar polity is pre-eminently adapted to evangelistic and missionary labors; that its organizing force conserves, develops by activity, and trains for holiness and usefulness, those who have been saved from their sins and made members of the Divine household; and that the whole movement has been kept in the line of its original purpose to spread scriptural holiness, to bring sinners to repentance, and to hasten the establishment of the Redeemer's kingdom in all lands.

Another thing generally admitted in respect to Methodism, is the beneficial influence which it has exerted over all other evangelical bodies. It has imparted a measure of its spiritual life to every religious organization with which it has come in contact. The whole Protestant world has felt the influence of this manifestation of "Christianity in earnest." Methodism does not advance as rapidly in comparison with other evangelical Churches as it once did, for the reason that it has so thoroughly Methodized those bodies. Its members and children are at home in those Churches, because they find there the spiritual life which was first excited or kindled into a glow at Methodist altars. Rev. R. W. Dale, a leading English Congregational minister, and well known in this country, in a great meeting held in the Town Hall in Birmingham, said:

He might, perhaps, be permitted to regard himself that evening as the humble representative of those various Churches scattered all over the world who, from year to year, and from generation to generation, thanked God for the fire kindled in the hearts of their ecclesiastical ancestors by that great movement of which the Methodists were the living representatives. What would have happened to the Christianity of this land but for the descent of the fire from heaven which came upon their fathers? They (the Congregationalists) had a history stretching back some three centuries. It was just three hundred years this very autumn since the Bishop of Norwich complained that Robert Brown was disturbing his diocese with doctrines which he looked upon with great alarm; and since then Congregationalism had been doing what lay in its power to sustain the religious life of England. But they had come to a condition of great weakness when the movement with which the Methodists were associated arose, and they would be ungrateful to those through whose ministry God conferred upon their fathers, and through them upon them, the highest and noblest blessings of his grace, if they did not bless God continually for Methodism.

In the criticisms on the Conference which have appeared in Europe and in this country, two points have been made, though in various forms, which may be briefly noticed. It has been avowed that the Conference was inclined to engage in laudations of Methodism. The Nonconformist and Independent, for instance, in an article generally commendable in its tone, says:

It might have been well if some friendly voice could have broken in upon the speeches of the early days to remind the Conference that Methodism and Christianity are not synonymous.

It might have been said with just as much propriety of the Pan-Presbyterian Council, "Somebody should remind these Presbyterians that the Reformed Churches do not include the whole of Christianity." And if the Nonconformist had withheld its criticism till the close of the recent Congregational Union at Manchester, it might, perhaps, have felt disposed to say to that body, "All the Christianity in the world does not express itself in the Congregational forms." In truth all such criticisms are unjust and superficial. The Conference was a Methodist Conference; the Council was a Presbyterian Council; the Union was a Congregational Union. Neither one, so far as we remember, sought to exalt its own work and mission by a disparagement of other evangelical Churches. When God has accomplished a great work by any body of men, it is right that the fact should be mentioned. It is a Pharisaic humility which hesitates to magnify the grace of God in us. God has wrought a victory of faith through the Presbyterian Church, which justifies its Pan-Council and all its ministers and members in singing the long-meter doxology on every appropriate occasion. When the Congregational Union glorifies the principles of Congregationalism, we think of its three hundred years of history, of the obloquy and persecution patiently endured, and of the faith of the Gospel firmly maintained; and we feel less inclined to find fault than to join in its song of praise and triumph.

Methodism, after a century and a half of life, meets in its first Ecumenical Conference. It has grown from infancy to a stalwart manhood. It has had a struggling life, but a life of power. It has planted its victorious standards on many a shore. Its onward march has been militant but triumphant. "In time past" the Methodists were "not a people, but are now the people of God;" they "had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." A Church has been raised up in the wilderness, saved out of the world, redeemed from the power of Satan. This Conference meets to consider the ways in which God has led his people, the work which has been accomplished, and the greater work which remains to be accomplished. It would have been strange if the Conference had not remembered that the words of Christ were the life of Methodism; if it had not made grateful recognition of the hand of God in its

marvelous history; if it had not given heed to the statistical results of the great movement; and if it had not recognized the power of Methodism to purify and elevate society, to influence other religious bodies, to promote great reforms, to advance the cause of Christian education, to use the press for the promotion of the Gospel, to carry forward missionary work in all the earth, to maintain Christian unity, and to make itself a bond of brotherhood among the nations. It is not strange that the evangelical agencies of Methodism were considered, that its possible perils were discussed, that its need of a trained and educated ministry was affirmed, that its work for different classes in society was reviewed, that its resources for the evangelization of the world were estimated, and that its catholicity -its earnest fellowship with all Christian workers-was distinctly and emphatically avowed. All this, to be sure, relates to Methodism, and Methodism was precisely the subject which the Conference had met to consider. It was not responsible for Congregationalism, or for any other form of the religious life. It considered its own work, its opportunity, and its accountability. But the intimation that the Conference thought Methodism synonymous with Christianity is unjust, unprovoked, and cruel. However high Methodism lifts its denominational standard, it lifts still higher the common banner of a crucified Lord; and it will be found standing side by side with all evangelical bodies in "the supreme conflict," as Mr. Dale expressed it, "between the freedom of the Protestant faith and the remaining power of Rome; between the truth of Christ and the spread of unbelief."

Another objection made is that the Conference was not properly ecumenical, that it was pretentious to use the word, that Methodism is but a small part of Christendom, and that a proof of its restricted development exists in the fact that the addresses made to the Conference were, with a single exception, delivered in the English language. It was never claimed that the Conference was ecumenical as it respects the whole Church, but only so far as Methodism is concerned. "Harper's Weekly," in its issue of Sept. 24, 1881, says:

The great Methodist Council which is now sitting in London is a very interesting and important assembly, and in the truest sense ecumenical, as representing every part of a great Christian Church.

101 The members of the Conference came from all lands, and represented more countries and a greater extent of territory than any of the ancient ecumenical councils. It is true that the business was transacted in a single tongue; but that rather shows the diffusion, predominancy, and aggressive power of our English speech than limits the domain of the Conference; for the clerical members of the body are accustomed to preach, in their regular ministrations from Sabbath to Sabbath, not only in English, but also in German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and in the various dialects of India and the islands of the South Pacific seas. We conclude, therefore, that it was not improper to describe the convocation held in City Road Chapel as a Methodist Ecumenical Conference. It is evident that the prediction of the Committee of Correspondence, appointed by the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in May, 1876, that the proposed Ecumenical Conference of Methodists "would attract the attention of scholars, thinkers, and reformers, and would lead to a discussion of the movement and of the whole Methodist history, work, and mission, in every leading newspaper and periodical in Christendom," has had an abundant fulfillment. As was anticipated, Methodism had every thing to gain and nothing to lose by this examination and discussion. Never in its whole past history did the denomination stand so proudly before the world.

5. This Ecumenical Conference has rendered possible future Methodistic co-operation in England and America. That such co-operation is desirable does not need argument. The waste of money and men, resulting from unfriendly rivalry of different branches of the one Methodist family, is inexcusable folly and wickedness. There are serious evils in this connection to be removed, both in England and America. It is not proposed to discuss the question, "What constitutes a sufficient ground for independent denominational existence?" albeit it is a question which Methodism ought to consider. However this question may be answered, it is plain that Christian Churches, holding the same faith and maintaining substantially the same usages, ought to be friendly and co-operative bodies. The Conference has made this so plain that it now amounts to a conviction. The feeling and purpose of fraterFOURTH SERIES, VOL. XXXIV.—7