The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-10-22
THE GCUMENICAL METHODIST
CONFERENCE.
"What's hallowed ground?' asks the
poet: and answers:

poet: and answers:
cts what gives birth
TO sacred thoughts in souls of worth.
! Peace, Independence. Truth. 90 forth
Earth's compass round.
And your high priesthood shall make earth
All hallowed ground.
These lines of Campbell came to my
mind with fresh significance as went
to the City Road Chapel. in London, to
attend the Methodist Conference rightly
called "mcumenical," or universal. 1t
is impossible not to feel that ones step
is on hallowed ground. Had it been Il
mosque, the front yard would have been
who had entered. Immediately in front.
across the street, is Bunhil Fields, hold
ing the graves of many saints, among
them one over which is sculptured the
sleeping form of Bunyan. Bone hill was
the name given to the spot when the
homes of the venerated men and women
were carried thither: and it is Il valley
| of bones that have renewed lhcir life.
and carried hallowing influence around
| the earth In it lie the remains of the
mother of Methodism. Susannah Wesley.
! Her monument of Sicilan marble. four
teen feet i'll height, is in the front ground
of the City Road Chapel. where it was
erected eleven years ago. 1t stands close
to Wesleys house. a plain four-storied
brick dwelling, in which he went to re-
side October s. 1119. Wesley once wrote
to the surveyor of taxes: 81 have two
silver spoons at London. and two at Bris-
| toll. | shall not buy any more whilst so
many poor want bread" He had not
| lived in this house more than two months
| when some thieves stole those spoons.
| And i'll the same month fire broke out
very near which Wesley believed was
| turned from his house by change in
| the wind occurring while the family were
! on their knees. At the first cry of fire
| he instantly summoned them all to prayer.
One may smile at this, but if John Yves
ley had not possessed such faith as that
iiot NAVY SALSlCt.
On the staircase is Wesley's clock: but
| would rather respect as u relic the
alarm-clock with which he discovered the
sleep he needed. Finding that he lay
awake some little time every night. he
set his clock for six: still staying awake,
he set it at earlier points, until the hour
of four was reached. "After that, by
the blessing of God. walked no more.
There is no Indication of ascetcism in
the furniture. Perhaps in no other room
of the Protestant world have so many
heads been devoutly uncovered as in the
little back room looking upon the chapel,
where John Wesley died. with the words
upon his lips, "The best of all is. God is
with us
The body of John Wesley lay in state
in this chapel for one day, and March
8, l19D was buried here. An old lady
remembered his having said, Il should
like to be buried here, and on the morn
ing Of the resurrection rise with all my
children around me. Dean Stanley was
once going through the grounds, and
asked the old chapel keeper if the ground
was con>ecratcd. "Ies,' was the re-
ply. "By what bishop?' = 1t is conse-
Grated by the deposition here of the dust
of the servant of God John Wesley"
"A good answer said the Dean, from
whose lips heard the story as | give it.
The "children' of Wesley-who can
number them or mark their graves?
Only the eldest of them are here beside
him in this Westminster Abbey of Meth
odism. Behind the pulpit. set far out to
give place to shrincS more eloquent than
any preacher. may he seen their memo
rial tablets, carved with symbols. and in
some cases with portraits i'll relief. The
memorial of Adam Clarke shows an eagle
With two scrolls one in Hebrew. the other
in Greek. On that of Thomas Coke is
seen a negro pointing to the words
Ethiopia shall soon stretch ont her
hands unto God The memorial of
Charles Wesley is adorned with sacra-
mental symbols, Tyre. and an open vol
umc inscribed. God burics His work
men. but carries on His " prk.; That of
John Wesley has Il globe exhibiting parts
of Europe, Asia, Africa. and America; it
is supported by four books-Bible, Lit
ursy. and Wesley's '.Sermons and
''Minutes.'' There are alsoa shepherd
crook, winged trumpet. and above a
white cloud radiating beams of light.
1t was not far from this spot that Yves
ley and Whiteield used to preach in the
open air. They then bought an old de-
serted foundry, which was thrty-eight
years the headquarters of Methodism.
They then secured this place. and the
foundation stone was laid by Wesley on
April y, Ia. Though it was a wet
day. the multitude was such that lie
could hardly get through with the cere-
mony. The chapel was opened by Wes-
ley on November |, IFS. That may be
| regarded as the date of the severance of
the Wesleyan movement from the Church
of England. Yet down to 1890 no one
not epiScopally ordained was allowed to
oificiate i'll the reading desk or within
the rail. The liturgy was. and is, re-
tanned. To this day the City Road
Chapel is the headquarters Of Wesleyan
Conservatism. Here, longer than else
where, prevailed the rule of separating
the sexes in church | observed in the
Hcumenical Conference Il strong browed
man who must have had curious reilec-
tons on the scene before him. 1t was
the Rev. William GritlithS. who thirty
two years ago was one of three who, in
this same place, were tried and expelled
from the Wesleyan body. Their ot1ensc
was agitatins for lay representation
That expulsion cost the Wesleyan body
sixty thousand members. The expul-
sion took place under the leadership of
the Rev. DR.. Osborne. President of the
Wesleyan body. who now sits here beside
| twenty-five representatives of the free
churches he exiled, and beside Il large
number of lay delegates such as then
| filled his dear old conservative soul with
terror.
When John Wesley was buried. the
officiating minister, John Richardson,
made the first modification of the liturgy
ever known at the City Road Chapel
He read. "Forasmuch as it hath pleased