Daily Republican., 1879-03-18
WILMINGTON METHODIsM.
A square Look d II in WstH3ltSfsn
ny Rev. q. N. Pegg.

t Rev. c. M. Pegg pastor'of Scott NJ. Il
church, according to announcement
. preached sermon on Sunday evening
to large congregation on the subject
"a Square look at Methodism in Viii
miDgtOn," from the third chapter o.
Collossians and the 18th verse: "Le,
the word of Christ dwell in you, richly
in all wisdom; teaching and admonsh.
ing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace
in your hearts to the Lord The fol-
lowing is a synopsis Of Mr.. Pegs re.
marks:
To deal honestly with each other is
the course for true christians to pursue
toward each other. The rich in dwell
ing of the wsrd Of Christ inclines to
this. The desire to teach and admon-
ish one another in the things Of God
leads US to consider some of the evils
and needs of Wilmington Methodism.
Among the evils that have wrought
to the detriment OF our Msthsdism is
lst Its rapid growth. A few years
since Methodism was scarcely known in
this city. Now 1t has eight church
organizations. A church may grow too
fast as we'll as a child. The oysters
doedgers bring up some oysters and
some shells, the fishermen gather good
fish and bad ones also. So in the
growth of Methodism some of the best Of
the good have come into the church
and some of the worst of the bad 80 far
as religious things are concerned.
I'd Laxness OF discipline. Men have
been retained in the church who have
deliberately disregarded its sanctions
and trodden under foot its interest.
Churches do not like to decrease in
numbers, SO men are retained who have
no right there and are spiritually dead.
3rd Division. There has been dis
sension among ministers and officials
members, officials themselves and in
the membership Of the church. Here
is one of the ragged rocks in the sea
of our religious life on which our Meth
odism is f.arfully humping to the i'm
periling Of her welfare.
4th Instability. There are those who
have the stature of men and women
who act most chldishly. When they
ought to be like magnificent steam
ship ploughing her way through
wratnful sea, or as powerful locomo-
tive rushing on over its track Of iron,
puff of wind blows them out of their
course or a pepble filings them from the
track.
5th Ieresy. This wrought in all
ages, apparently extinct at one period,
it has been resurrected and reha bitated
at another to retard the progress of the
church of God. 1t has shown Its honrs
and hoof in Wilmington Methodism
under the spicious pretext Of devotion
to the word ofGod. The devil disguis-
ed himself in the writhing folds Of a
serpent where he would seducs our first
parents from their allegiance to God.
Here it came in the person of Method
ist Minister of professed loyalty to
Methodisnl, man who was lifted from
want into circumstances of comfort, in
to an influential position from whence
in q most dastardly and serpenlike
manner, he stabbed the mother who
cherished and baptized him with her
love. This Christless act don in the
name of Jesus, introduced discord into
compa -atively peaceful religious com
munity caused disunion in families and
has baked the work of the church of
God.
Despite all, Methodism is Gsd's of
spring and SO declared to be by his
providences over it. 1t ought to be
growing power here. Wilmington
ought to be the model MethOdism of
this peninsula, which it has not been
for some time in the past.
We are assured of its possible future
from its conquests and progress in
England, Australia, United States and
throughout the world. Among its
needs here in our city are lst, better
acquaintance with the history Of the
church. There are those who do not
know whether MetLodism originated
from all Irish bog or the thought of one
of the brigh st minds of one of the
grandest universities S on earth.
End unwavering faith in the doc
trines and polity OF Methodism. Our
doctrines are reasonable, scriptural,
soul saving. Some people don't like
doctrine; they want that which stirs
the emotion. Friends, plum puddinss,
pies and cakes are nice, but 1t is beef
and bread which give you flesh, mus
Gle, blood, bones and nerves. That
which serves the emotional is nice but
the doctrines of our church strengthen
the mind, broaden the views, purify
the heart and cram the religious ex-
perience with the felicities of the hea-
venly life. The usages of our church
have been largely introduced to other
denominations.
Sd A thoroughly saved, washed, and
sanctiti-d ministry and membership.
This would be OF more value than any
system of reckoning known amongst
men can tell. 1t would be worth vast
ly more than rich church members who
own dance houses and drinking hells
with which to debauch the public con-
science; worth more than prominent
lawyers, judges and manufacturers;
more than great crowd of church mem
bers who are so spiritually starved
they need something against which to
lean, as the cattle of Barney Garner,
which were so poorly tended during
the winter they looked in the Spring as
though they needed the side of barn
to lean against for support.
4th. A blessed baptism of the Holy
Ghost. This was the finishing qualifi-
cation for the work undertaken by the
disciples of Jesus. his made the
shriveled arm powerful, this inspired
men to cross tempestuous seas, to climb
high mountains for Christ's sake, and
belt the earth with the truth of God.
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