The New York herald., 1871-03-19

ponty known as Meihodism was forced into the
world and old not arlse nom any preconceived
notions or deep iald schemes o any man or body OF
men. IL had its inception in the minds and hearts
OF few young men, OF whom the Wesleys subse
ouently became the leaders and chief promoters OF
the movement. IL was ana is development sys.
TEN, adapting Itself 10 the countries, governments
and communities among whom exists. In Great
Britain and Continental Europe II maintains It's
primitive simplicity of government to much
greater extent than 1t does IN this country, though
lts doctrines are The same everywhere.
In 1879 John Wesley Tells Us than he IN the
Gospel the requirement Of inward and outward hoi-
ness and set himself 10 attain ii by seeking first
justification by fam In Jesus, and, haIDg secured
this nc also that hls ministerial commits sion
preach me Gospel did not counne him 10 the parish
al EpNortn. The saviour nad said TO MS disciples
go ve Ito an the world ana preach the Gospel"
ana Ncs y Went forth with he battle cry, The
wOrld IS my pari>h,n and wherever he FOUND un-
saved men and women he sought to turn
them 70 Christ But jnis was an innovation
upon the establishment Of which he was q
menter and he must ether give up Ep-
worth OF give up caring Tor The neglected
masses around him. He preferred The former alter
native and KEPT on MS cyangel suc work preaching
IN grsyeyar0s, IA market squares, in public halls
and wherever he coud gather congregations. The
doors of the Establishment were closed against him
ae was practically expelled Irom tlat Church which
had become So corrupt ana lazy that rs ministers
would rather follow fox hunt than 10 foliow after
the souls ol men.
TnE GRoSsEsT IGNORANCE PREVAILED
among the masses Of the people and the chdrchcs
were almost deserted. The people were as sheep
having no shepherd, and they cared little for God
and less ior relgion. The sabbath was devoted to
F3s
Wesley set ont with the sole purpose
as be tells us. to raise up "a holy
peoplen from this rough material. II was up mu
work from the start. Opposition, persecution, lm-
prisonment and sometimes death even awaited him
IN towns and villages But Ills fath ia God never
wavered. lie believed he was doing the LoTd's will
and that was all he was concerned about. lie CON
sidered himself still faithful member ana minister
Of the Church OF England, and he tried to gather
his converts INTO It's fold. But The Church dld not
want those people, ana the few VINO went were soon
enough chilled by the reception they mey wirh The
ordinances OF the Gospel were deped them and
they were looked upon as outside the pale of the
Church and Of salvation. They appealed to Wesley
TO organize them into societies, so that the sacra-
ments and other Christian ordinances might be adj
ministered 10 them regularly. Wesley struggled
long ana hard against this movement His ale
glance 10 the Established Church was strong ana
truei but the converts Likely to suffer and al
his labor prove In vain unless something the sort
was DONE He iinaliy yielded, and
THE UNITED SOCIETIES"
sprung up like mushrooms all over the land But
Two ministers could not look ate the splrt-
ual wants OF so many societies. scattered over
large area, aud Wesley therefore. raised uD
class OF lay preachers from among the
hottest ana most gifted Of his converts These
mo oryin1
in many districts with far greater zeal
than even wesley himself and not a few OF them
became bright and shining lights and lived to make
the pages OF history OF the great religious movement
of the eighteenth century. The Church raised
terrible persecution against the ministers ana MEN,
Ders Of this new sect, winch threatened such dis
aster to the Establishment. Ministers were fire.
ouently the leaders OF mobs aud riots TO do boaIly
harm TO the Metnoaists, and there was 10 nam too
foul ana sander coarse TO be uttered aga nst
taem; put, Ike Christianity at its inception, this
movement grew ana multiplied. aud s'believers
were added to it daily OF such as should be sayedn
IRISH METHoDIsM.
The movement was not confined 10 England. 1t
spread into Wales ana thence into Ireland, where
some or its grandest trlumphs we're obtained. Yves.
ley crossed the channel forty-two times 10 dissent.
nate The truths of Methodist Christianity and to orga.
MIC societies, and ne always admired the Irish
cearacter and spoke Of it only in praise though he
T8S often sorely pressed in his Innstratlons to the
pQGplc. They wele the most callous ana careless OF
al his audiences, but they were also among tue
m0st jealous and labouOus promulgators Of the gos.
pei alter they bad tasted lis power ana felt It's
influence on their h arts. And tins is character
istic OF tie irish to-day wherever they are
found. Religion, whether true or false, takes
nmer hold The lIish heart than OF any other and
they do and sulier, anu have done and suffered,
more for their faith than any other people. And
wherever tue English language is spoken IN all the
eayth, Christianity, whether Roman or Protestant,
Il maintained ana perpetuatel manly by irIshmeu.
And bY tNelr iistramentaty III great measure, II
net Nho.ly, MetlI0disln, III one form ana name or
Snolhei, ias taken 1907 III every county OF the
world uatH Its converts aud COMMITMENTS number
4,0yO,090 It's travelling preacners II 900 ana It's
local preachers 1868. These are however, divided
1llo
SMALLER sEcrs:
namely, Methodist Episcopal Wesleyan Methodists,
Primitive Metholists, New Connection Metlodists,
United Free Church Methodlsts, Bible Christian
Methoaists Free hietnodIs 3 CalYInstic Metaodists
Wesleyan reform Union Methodist Protestants,
Evangelical Methodist Association Methodist, Epi5-
copa Church soutn local TO tDls country, African
AeIhodlst Episcopal Cnurcn, African Methodist
Episcopal IlOn Church. The Wesleyan MethOdIsts
ate 5y iur the most numerous branch OF Brush
MethodsuL numbering, as they do. 6l6,53) members
loes. Tic PuDlgiye AeUhOdIsus rank uext to the
MeSlevans IN England IL NUMBERS, wealth and IN
huehcS dhu an tue extent ol tuelf missionary opera
ti0ns. They number l6i, ,Z-s members. 9I3 traveng
and ILlop local preachers and $3.50 Glass leaders.
They CEn 90 cnap.is and Te1t s. O3s Otacr places
II worship. Ihey nave also nearly 1000 sabbath
scb00ls, containing 900 scholars aad - 00J
teaebers the!r annual SUBSCRIPTIONS Tor the various
coaneclonu enterprises oi tAe denomination reach
about S2tJ.05Q.
The New Connection Netnodists have $50 cnspels.
25y circuit preachers 2oG local preachers, 50 500
members, 1902 pgoDaGCners, $50 sunday schools,
ll@34 teachers apd ~ $50 scholars. As the Vdri-
Ous iuuds a the Connection, the income 0. the
anAhaIy lanQ u about 3,334 annually, wlsh sur
plUs q SZHo: he amG4n. raised Tor fgrei IN and
"a fFga4g gftu
Tor tAe pateinA Iuud were Ss,2tz. On the chapel
gund account t4e Income l. about .4,5OD yearly tie
grants made itoin this luna toward new cilapcls
andscb0ols gp tOtne present time amount 10 s3573Is
The Connection have missions IN Ireland Canada
AustIfliia anu emma. wealthy mem0e o. this body
has expended Sl20.0O Ia founding asy.uus aud
almshOuses in sheffield. Ine aen m!nail5u or
bTancs is seeking union with tue other Methodists
The Primitive McthollSts number l6l IN members
the nee churc hes IS U9l, the lIbc Christians LiuO
gathered inta so ca2pels aud watched over hy 25i
Ilneraut and iU3 local preachers 1hCy have also
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