KESWICK MOVEMENT, The. In 1874 Canon Harford-Battersby attended a con fer enc at Oxford and there passed through a deep spiritual experience. On his return to his parish, Saint John's, Keswick, he was very desirous that his people should have the same experience. So the first Keswick Convention was called by the vicar and his helper, Mr. Robert Wilson, in the year 1875. Its title was "Convention for the Promotion of Practical Holiness." Its purpose was help men to be holy." The following directions ,were given to those coming to the convention: 1. Come waiting on the Lord, desiring and expecting blessing to your own soul individually.
2. Be ready to learn whatever God may teach you by His word, however opposed to human prejudices and tra ditions.
3. Heartily renounce all known evil and even doubtful things (" not of faith ").
4. Lay aside for the time all reading except the Bible.
5. Avoid conversation which has a tendency to divert your mind from the object of the meetings. Do not dispute with any but rather pray with those who differ from you.
6. Eat moderately, dress simply, retire to rest early, The convention became an annual affair at tended by hundreds, of people. The meetings
were held in two tents each having a capacity of 2,250. Many subjects were discussed such as (The Renunciation of Evil,' by Faith,' Obedience,' etc. Canon Bat tersby died in 1883, but the work has been continued. The movement has been productive of considerable devotional literature by such writers as. F. B. Meyer, W. H. A. Hay Aitkin, Bishop H. C. G. Moule, Andrew Murray, Hu bert Brook, J. Stuart Holden, Arthur T. Pier son and G. H. C. Macgregor.
At the Keswick Convention of 1891. those present from Scotland decided to hold a like meeting in their own land. As a result, for years, beginning with 1892, an annual meeting has been held at Bridge-of-Allan. It was called "The Scottish National Christian Convention for the Deepening of Spiritual Life." The movement is world-wide and of great influence in Christian circles. Consult Harford, Charles F., Keswick Convene tion: Its Message, Its Methods and Its Men' (1907), also Macfarlane, Keswick; Sketches and Reminiscences' (1917).