There is a movement going on in the Methodist body
which seems not unlikely to result in a fusion of some at least of the Methodist Churches. An interesting correspondence between four ex-Presidents of the Methodist Conference and the Metho- dist Tittles is republished in yesterday's Times, and from it, it would appear that there is no insuperable difficulty in the reunion of the Old and New Connexions, and no difficulty at all as regards doctrine. The chief difficulty would be as regards discipline, and perhaps as regards finance, since, of course, the wealth of the two bodies is unequal, and the rivalry at the time of the split was so great that the chapels of the two sections, instead of taking up, as far as possible, different ground, are often in close proximity, standing side by side. Of course, in such cases there would be great difficulty in deciding, after the reunion, which building was to disappear and which to remain, at all events where there was clearly no use for both. We heartily hope that the movement of reconciliation may make progress, and in the end succeed.
Previous page
