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9 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

WELSH WBSLKYAN METHODIST ASSEMBLY.I

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

WELSH WBSLKYAN METHODIST ASSEMBLY. MEETINGS AT MACHYNLLETH. PRESENTATION TO THE REV HUGH PRICE HUGHES, M.A. This week the first meetings of the newly-created Welsh Wesleyan Methodi-t Assembly of Wales" were held at Machynlleth, the object of which is to create among the Welsh churches a sense of unity which canu-t xUt wrule Wesh Methcili-m is split into two uiiiclual, unrelated fmgmeuts." The honour of bei;,o, chosen as the fir-t meeting place of the Assembly was readi'y appreciated by the inhabitants irrespective of creed or denomina tion and excellent arrangements had beeu made for the accommoda.' ion of the ministers and others who came into the town in large numbers for the pur- pose of taking part in the proceedings. On Sunday s-rmons were delivered at the Wesleyan Chapel, Machynlleth, by the Revs D William,R, Tretegl% ys, and J. Flix, Oswestry at Shiloh, Corris, by the Revs Dd. Jcnes, Barmouth, and T. 0. Jones, Conway; and at Moriah, Corris, by the Revs O. Evans, Portmadoc, and Peter Jones, Dolgelley. Special sermons were also delivered the same day ia connection with the Assembly at Tycerrig, Eglwysfach, Abercegir, and Cwmllinau. On Monday the Revs Thomas Hughes, Boctle, and R. Lloyd Jones, Liverpool, preached at seven in the evening at the Machynlleth Wesleyan Chapel. The Conference was held at the Wesleyan Chapel on Tuesday, commencing at nine o'clock in the morning. The Rev Hugh Price Hughes, pre- sident of the Conference and Assembly, presided. The President delivered an address and votes of thanks were passed to the retiring officers. It was agreed to hold the next Assembly at Conway, on June 12th, 1900. The Rev Edward Humphreys, Liverpool, was appointed president of the Assembly for the following year. The reports on home mission affairs stated that the amount collected towards the object in South Wales during the year was E140 and in North Wales f239. Mr Edward Rees, Machynlleth, presented the report on foreign missions for South Wales which stated that the total income was £ 427 6s 3i. This was an increase of E30 16s lOd, the largest reported for many years. Mr J. Harrison, Denbigh, brought up the report for North Wales, which showed the income for the year to be £ 1,732 Os 2d, an increase of f20 13s 3d. The following resolutions were passed That the Assembly at this its first meeting gratefully acknowledges the desire of the Conference to re- cognize the special claims and circumstances of Wesleyan Methodism in Wales and heartily re- ciprocates the wish of the Conference that the union and sympathy hitherto existing between the Wesleyan Methodist churches in Wales and the other parts of the connexion of the people called Methodists established by the revered John Wesley may continue and increase in view of the fact that for several years the Welsh Wesleyan Metho- dists have anticipated the establishment of a Welsh centenary celebration fund, the Assembly recom- mend to the Conference that the whole amount raised for the twentieth century fund by the Welsh-speaking circuits of the connexion shall be considered as the centenary fund of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Wales, with the understand- ing that the amount raised shall be allocated on the general principles which have been adopted by the rest of the connexion, viz., forty per cent. for new chapels, ministers' houses, and home missionary purposes in Wales, twenty per cent to aid in the training of the ministry and the intellectual ad- vancement of local preachers in Wales, ten per cent. for foreign missions, twenty-five per cent. for the Connexional Assembly H-All and headquarters in London, and live per cent for the children's home that such part of the centenary fund as is allocated to purely Welsh uses shall be administered by a committee appointed by this Assembly." PUBLIC MEETING. On Tuesday night a public n.eeting was held at the chapel with the object of drawing attention to the twentieth century fund and the centenary of Welsh Mtthodism and also for the purpose of pre- senting an address to the Rev Hugh Price Hughes. There was a large a'tendance. The Rev Edward Humphreys, the newly-elected president of the Aasemhy, occupied the chair. The meeting having be-ii opened with prayer Ly the Rev Wiiliam Hugh Evans, hhyl. the PRESIDENT called upon the Rev Jonn Felix and Mr T. C. Lewis to make the presf-nta-cion d an illuminated address to the first president of ti.e assembly and confer- ence, the Rev Hugh Price Hughes, on behalf of the North and South Wales districts. The Rev J. FELIX read out the address ia Welsh and English. He said that it the 'desire of the recipient the address Na¡¡ in Wel-h. (Cheers.) The address was as follows Rev ir,-It is with much pleasure we present to you on behalf of the Welsh districts on the occasion of holding the first Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Assembly, which was established miinly through yi ur instrumen- tality, this address as a token of our sincere affec- tion towards you and of our unfeigned admiration of your varied gifts. Your appointment as super- intendent of the West End Mission in London was not only the means of introducing a new era in the history of our own Church, but also a powerful im- petus to Christian life ar-d aciivities within other churches, aud we greatiy admire the valuable help which is rendered to you in tiiis important sphere by the co. operation of ycur wise and faithful wife. The Council of the Evangelical Free Churches ex- pressed their appreciation of your high qualities by electing you one of its first presidents and your great personal influence has been of immense ad- vantage to the success of the movement and to the enhancement of Christian unity and brotherliness throughout the land. Your election to the presi- dential chair of the Wesleyan Conference by a vote so decisive gave us gnat satisfaction. You were thereby promoted to the highest position our Chufth could confer, and you have added dignity to your office. You have labour-d with character- istic energy and enthusiasm and we would acknow- ledge most thankfully the Great Head of the Church for the Divine guidance and protection ex- tended to you and for the eminent success which has followed your efforts during your tt rm of cffice. We shall long remember the district conventions held under your directions duricg the year, the spiritual influence of which over the life of the churches is universally felt, During your term of office, the twentieth century fund was also inaugur- ated, which is admitted to be the greatest and most important financial movement in the his-ory of the the Christian church. We thankfully acknowledge the prominent part you take in every movement that tends to the elevation of your fellow men and the. extension of the Rede mer's kingdom. We refer particularly to your ceaseless efforts on be- half of temperance, social purity, peace, and the observance of the Lord's Day. You took a leading part in the campaign against seven-day journalism and we rejoice with you in the victory achieved. We feel proud of you as a warm-hearted Welsh- man. Your grandfather, the Rev Hugh Hughes, spent his life in the Welsh ministry and was for years the chairman of the South Wales district. Your father also was recognised as a gentleman of sterling character and he spent his life among us. We cannot forget his well known letter to yoa in which he said that he would rather see you a Methodist preacher than Lord Chancellor of Eng- land. We rejoice to know that you also take a great pride in your nationality and acknowledge your in- debtedness to your nation. We pray that long life may be vouchsafed to you to serve God and your fellow men and to realise fully your highest aspira- tions.—Signed, for the North Wales district, J. Price Roberts, John Felix, John Jones, John Mason, and T. C. Lewis for the South Wales dis- trict, T. J. Pritchard, John Humphreys, A. C. Pearce, J. P. Powell, and D. Davies- Williams." Mr T. C. LEWIS said the suggestion that that presentation should be made was at once taken up everywhere with great unanimity. He might say that they were proud of their President as a Methodist and he was sure they were glad that they were presenting that address not to a lord chan- cellor, but to a Methodist minister. (Cheers.) They knew the old saying, Cas gwr na charo wlad ei hun." Their President had shown that he loved the country of his birth and the nation was proud of him as a Christian minister and as one who had consecrated the great gifts which Gcd had bestowed upon him to the service of his fellowmen and to the glory of God. (Applause.) I The Rev HCGH PRICE HUGHES, who on rising was received with loud cheere, said that was a very happy moment for him. He greatly valued the testimonial which they had so kindly and so unanimously given him, which would be one of the most precious treasures of his family, and which he was glad he would be permitted to hand down to his children— for what was there in this world next to the favour of God that man could more highly value than the good wishes and kind approval of his fellow- countrymen? (Cheers.) He was a Welshman and that he might call a Welsh Methodist of the third generation. His venerible father went to Heaven ° j-u before the conference did his son the honour. of appointing him president which, he mig say m passing, he never thought they would ave done because he was such a great Radical. (Laughter.) He supposed his Welsh blood made him a Radical, who was never satisfied with the existing condition of things. (Laughter.) They knew, Welshmen who li vea amoogst those moun tains and breathed the fresh air and had a wide outlook must be excused if they wanted to make the world like heaven as soon as Poslible. (Cheers.) His father was a good Methodist and a pure Welsh- man, and he might say that the name of the late Hugh Hughes had often been a great inspiration to htm in his youth. (Hear, hear.) If by the will of Providence he (the speaker) was not called to be a preacher in Wales but in England, he was none the less in full and deep sympathy with everything that went on in Wales, and if there was any feel- ing ia his heart it was an ever-growing, intense, and vi-via desire to assist in the realization of the national ideals and aspirations of the Welsh race. (CbeeFB,) He thanked God for the great educa- tional movement which had taken place in that country—(cheers)—for the way in which they had refused to humble themselves before the liquor trade-they had, at least, a sober Sunday. And there were other directions in which they had made the strong Welsh ideas felt in Parliament and else- where. Having stated that the Assembly felt very grateful to their brethren and friends in Machytdle-n for the hearty welcome they had given them, the rev gentleman proceeded to refer totheeffect wh'ch th- inauguration of that Assembly must have. He thought their Church should have a recognised national existence. He was glad to inform them that one of the first things that were done that f'av was to send their loyal greetings to their venerable Queen, and later he received the following telegram The Queen thanks the Nationaf Assembly or the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Wales for their loyal congratulations." (Cheers.) He might fay he had looked forward to that Assembly with interest and he would go back devoutly thankful to God for the honour He had bestowed upon him in allowing him to be associated with his fellow-countrymen in a movement of great historical importance, which was brightened with great promise-1 for the future. (Applause.) The speaker then described the objects of the fund at some lengch, and in the course of his remarks sig- nified his intention to subscribe ten guineas to- wards the Welsh section of the fund. The Revs H. J. POPE, D.D., and T. B. STEPHENSON*, D.D., having also delivered addresses in regard to the centenary fund, the meeting ter- minated. WEDNESDAY MEETINGS. The meetings of the Assembly were resumed early on Wednesday. Excursion trains came into town from Newtown, Aberystwyth and other places, and the town was quite tilled before mid-dry, all the accommodation being severely tested. THE CONVENTIONS A convention was held at the Maengwyn C.M. Chapel on Wednesday morning, when the Rev E. Humphreys presided. The President having delivered a brief opening address, the Rev T. Jones Humphreys opened a discussion upon "The Christian Life," being followed by the Rev John Jones and Mr David Owen, London. The Rev Hcuu PRICE HUGHES then delivered an address to ministers and preachers, in the course of which he said the chief object of the meetings and conventions which had beeu held all over England and Wales was to encourage one another to be better Christians. That was the great object and they had come in those days to see that to be a better Christian meant to he more Christ-like. Their fathers, and grandfathers, and great grand- fathers, and John Wesley used to speak a good deal more, if he might say so, in the abstract than they did in the present day and they used long theological words, such as "justiti cation," "ordination," "sanctification," "entire sanctification," which were all true, but in what was called a scientific age like this they preferred the concrete to the abstract, and what all these words meant was simply that to be a true Christian was to be a more Christ-like Christian. (Hear, hear.) There was a remarkable Englishman of their own times, John Stuart Mill, whose father was a great atheist and he brought his gifted son up in direct opposition to Christianity, and yet it was a remarkable fact that in spite of John Stuart Mill's mind having been poisoned against Christ- ianity by his father, he gradually delivered himself so completely from the prejudices in which he had been brought up as a boy that before he died he said that when all discussions about right and wrong, about the standard of human conduct and everything else were over, no man could get a better rule for himself than this-what would Jesus Christ have done in my place ? But he (the speaker) was afraid that some of those who had gone before us only did what they thought Christ would do in chapel and on Sunday and not on Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday and Saturday. They were, however, com- ing to see that if they were to follow Christ at all, they must imitate him altogether and they must do, not merely what Jesus Christ would have done in chapel or in the society meeting, or when taking the Lord's supper but what he would have done if he was behind the counter in a shop, what he would have done behind the desk in a solicitor's office, or working in the fields, because they Christians must imitate Christ in business as well a in public worship. And they must imi'ate him a so in politics and they must vote as they thought Jesus Christ would vote, not for their own party because it was their party, but for the thing that was right, even if against their own party. (Hear, ii-ar.) When he was quite a little boy one ques- tion suggested itself to his mind that ha.dinilneoced his whole life. He was greatly struck by the fact that not only iu Wales and in England, but speak- ing generally all over Europe men were conspicuous by their abset.ee from places of worship. vYomen and children went. Then he asked himself how it was that these men had almost worshipped, had got enthusiastic over men like Mazzini and Gari- bildi and the illustrious Spaniard who had just died, Castellar. Men were willing to die for these men. Yet everything that was taught by these men was first taught by Christ. He was the best upholder that the working classes ever had and if the working men to-day had a vote and were respected it was entirely due to Jesus Christ. Therefore he came to the conclusion that the reason was that men were alienated from Christianity, it was btciuse they did not apply their Christianity to business and to public life. (Applausp.) They followed one rule in chapel, another rule in society, and another rule in politics. Now they must have the same rule all the week and it was this, that if they were to call themselves Christians, they must imitate Jesus Christ always t and everywhere. John Wesley in his dictionary defined the word Methodist as a person who ar- ranges his life according to the method laid down in the New Testament." John Wesley used to say he was a man of cne book, the New Testament, and that a true Methodist was the person who ar- ranged his life according to the method laid down in it, In that sense might God make everybody Methodist because the method laid down in the New Testament as an example was the life of jesus Christ. (Hear, hear.) Proceeding, the speaker referred to the book In His Steps," which, he hoped, had been translated into Welsh. (A oice It has been.") Very good although he had no doubt most of them would be able to read and understand it in English. It had had the most wonderful circulation since Uncle Tom's Cabin" was issued. He (the speaker) entirely agreed with it. He believed that a man, whether he was a man of business, a newspaper editor, or anything else, ought not to do anything which was inconsistent with his profession as a Christian. A Christian paper would not publish disgusting accounts of prize fights and all sorts of de- plorable things and that wretched betting. It would be a blessed day when they could get a news- paper which they could read from beginning with- out objecting to any part. The millions of copies of that book that had been sold showed that the public conscience had been roused and that people were coming to see that they must apply their Christian principle on week days as well as upon the Lord's Day. Continuing, the speaker referred to the doctrine of sanctification and con- version, and urged those present to come to God there and then. Why leave it to another time ? Some people had an idea that they could only be converted on Sunday night in the winter—by gaslight. (Laughter.) One thing that kept them back, he continued, was the young rich man's gospel and he told them that money was the curse of British Methodism that day and it had ruined more souls than even the love of drink. If they had money, he sym- pathised with them, he pitisd them. They were in great peril, but the grace of God would save them even then if they used their money in the right direction and did not save it to curse their children with too much of it. He asked them to come to God then. They were bound to come some time. He was sorry to see that some people were content to leave it until they were prostrate on their death- bed. Let them go when they were able to help, when they could set a good example to others, and when they could join in an effort to make England and Wales more like heaven. What a horrible thing it was to slink into heaven by the skin of their teeth at their death-bed at the last moment and keep the angels shivering and holding their breaths in fear that they would never reach there. (Laughter.) The preacher concluded after an ap- peal for subscriptions towards the centenary fund. Ordination services were afterwards held at the Wesleyan Chapel in the presence of a crowded con- gregation. The service was conducted by the Pre- sident and Messrs D. Meurig Jones, Abergele E. Berwyn Roberts, Pontrhydygroes and Thomas Rowlands, Abercynon, went through the ceremony of being ordained after which Rev Dd. Owen Jones, Manchester, delivered the charge. At 10-30 a.m. the Revs Philip Price and T. Jones preached at the Maengwyn Chapel. In the afternoon an open air service was held on the Maes at which there was a large audience. The Rev Edward Humphreys, president of the Assembly, opened with prayer, after which the Rev Hugh P. Hughes delivered an eloquent Welsh sermon, taking for his text the 53rd Psalm, 7th to 13th verses. The Rev Hugh Price Hughes next preached in English, taking for his subject Mark ix, 9th verse. The rev gentleman preached for half-an-hour, being listened to with rapt interest. Sermons were delivered in the evening at the Wesleyan Chapel by the Revs J. Price Roberts and Rice Owen, at the Maengwyn C.M. Chapel by the Revs J. Hughes and Edward Bumphreys, and at the Presbyterian Chapel by the Rev J. Hornabrook. Collections were made at each of the services throughout the day and good sums were realized. At Friday's meeting of the Holywell Board of Guardians, the Clerk referred to the matter of the legacy of £2,000 left for the benefit of the poor of the parish of Holywell by the late Hon. Susan Netterville of Paris. After the death of Miss Netterville her nephew decided to contest the will and the Clerk now read a letter from Miss Netter- ville's solicitors, Messrs Sewell and Maughan, stating that the appeal had resulted adversely to the executors of the will, which had been declared null on the ground that it did not comply with French form. An appeal had been made to the Court of Cassation, where they hoped to get a better decision.

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