The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-09-17


And keep your own tlncitul leisure,
l;rlr give me my four splendid boys.
THE SECRET OF METHODIST sue
CESS.
The London Conference of the Metho-
dists of the world began its session on
Wednesday with a sermon by the greatest
living Methodist preacher. Bishop Simp-
son. of Philadelphia. This incident will
help us to the key Of the Wesleyan myS-
tery-for to most minds John Wesley 5
work seems to want an explanation. There
are said to be SIS theories of happiness:
and there are nearly as many ways of ac-
counting for the vigor of Methodism. \
few of these explanations are rather fash
ionablc. One of our esteemed contcm-
porarieS has recently informed an admir-
ing world that Wesley adopted the papal
system as a model for the government oi'
his societies. Anybody who has seen 4
Roman Catholic reporter struggling with
the proceedings of il Methodist Confer
ence-dazed. bewillcred. reduced TO help
lessneSs by the singular spcctacle-may
Judge fo1 himself how badly Wesley sue
or not there be ecclesiastical resemblance
between the Pope's church and John
Wesley'S societies we leave for the spec
ulations of thcologians: but to plain men
it seems strange that Wesley as a pope
did not so much as dream Of having Il
church-only voluntary societies: and
provided for no pope to succeed him,
much less for an endless line of popes.
1t is perfectly clear that Wesley had no
model and no need of one lie did from
time to time what seemed best to him:
and being a good organizer he bound his
societies together on very adhesive prn-
cipleS. The proof of the excellence of
Wesleyan glue may be found III the fact
that 50 nearly all the Methodist of this
country have the episcopal systematic
others numbering less than three hun
dred thousand in total of four millions.
Mcthndism i'll this country cannot be said
to have started as an Episcopal church
through deliberate purpose: but having
taken Oh that form the more central unit
ing forces have preserved the Episcopal
complexion. Sometimes these people are
offered gratuitouS compassion on account
of their subsection to bishops: but they
do not seem to be oppressed. 1t is the
time. For the theory that a bishop can
Il" what he likes gets thinned down in
practice to doing, as far as in him lies
what the churches like. Some years ago
4 bishop found a rare snarl at one Of his
conferences. \ church, a presiding elder
and 4 pastor We're tangled up in a bowling
disorder. The bishop began the task of
untying the knots by a remark that
" MethodiSm makes great use of common
sense" and drawing on this original tool
chest of Wesley he soon found means to
put things straight again. The truth is
that the theoretical evils Of the Mv'ho-
dist system are rarely realized in practice,
because there is historical tendency to
administer the system on the principles
of common sense. The system is doubt
should prove it to those who are perpet-
ually studying the skeleton and forget
ting the vital force. We come much
nearer to the vital force when we cunsid-
er MethodiSm as Il system of popular
preaching. We do not mean great preach
ing, or fine preaching, or wise preaching:
though the Methodist could probably ill
an order for any of these kinds of pulpit
goods. BY popular preaching we mean
preaching that people will listen to and
which will stir them to religious action.
The Methodists have no monopoly i'll this
kind of theological wares; but there was
a time when they had very little compcti-
ton. John Wesley was popular preach
er, and he drew to himself other popular
preachers. When he found man who
was not at all curious about the mans
gown and bands. This troop of takers
swept over England. Some of them who
had never been ordaiueh or so much as
dreamed Of it, dropped into this country
and started a blaze as if they had been
Goals Of fire. They We're such lay preach
ers as Philip Embury and Captain Webb,
men who had securely planted Methodism
here before Francis Asbury came over to
be its bishop. The Wesleyan movement
began everywhere with hot hearted
preacher: and the new local beginnings
have been starting in that way ever since.
Lay preachers found half of the new
churches: but ordaining them has not
spoiled them. and with or without orders
the successful Methodist preachers is
more or less of 4 popular orator.
1t goes without saying that Wesley.
his fellows, and his successors have had
something special to talk about; as ora
tors they had a theme and IA purpose; the
subject was, indeed. 4 very old one, but
they put it before men in II way that had
gone out OF use. Christian ages had
made the shihboeth venerable. but these
men gave it new accent. 1t is only half
telling their secret to write that they
talked well. They talk well because the
matter of which they were full inspired
them. II ndcr ordinary circumstances.
said a IIoosier, Il weigh $50 pounds, but
when I'm mad | weigh a ton" The
Wesleyan itinerantS weighed 4 ton in
their extcmporized pulpitS because they
had gotten hold of tremendous thought
or rather because it had gotten hold of
them. This thought they called the
" Witness of the Spirit. There is no
metaphySic and perhaps no formal theol-
ogy in the expression. II just meant
that. after genuine repentance and true
faith. there follows a conscious change of
the inner man. He loves God, has the
heart of a son in him toward his Father
and knows it, This is the Methodist ac-
cent of the venerable shibboleth OF Chris.
tianity. When he says experience = he
utterS the war cry of his race. There are
those who believe that the sharp accent
is wearing ont; others who affirm chat
the McthodistS have drilled il into the
tongues of other bodies of ministers. and
not few who declare that. however muf-
fled by the theolosies, the old accentua-
ton is still the secret of the VET Sprrll.