New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-03
GATHERING OF THE MErHoD1sr TRIBES


! GATHERING or THE METHODIST TRIBES.
The Methodists of the world are about to
assemble, by their representatives, in the old
est of their temples, City Road Chapel Lon
don. 1t seems but yesterday that they were
celebrating their first centennial year in
this country, and the earliest of the several
dates to which John Wesley assigned their
origin in England carries us back only 152
years. The words in which the great
founder of Methodism named this birth
year are so characteristic as to deserve quota
ton. He says "In 1929 two young men in
England reading the Bible, saw they could not
be saved without holiness followed after it
and melted others to do So" These two young
men were John and Charles Wesley. This be-
ginning in 1929 commands our attention to-
day because Methodism now numbers nearly
five million communicates and claims a Meth
Odlst population of some twenty-five millions.
The delegates who will assemble in City Road
Chapel number four hundred, and represent some
| thirty tribes of the Methodist Israel. Canada
will muster IN London under four banners,
the United States under fifteen or sixteen ban
| ners, and Great Britain under ten banners.
The missions rank with their promoters, so
that American Methodism will speak German,
Italian and Hindostanee while England has
an Irish, French and an Austraasian Con-
ference These three English dependencies are
reckoned as distinct tribes.
1t is something more than an ecclesiastical
curiosity that the MethOdists are so united in
doctrine, having, so to speak, a common religi-
GUS complexion, and yet are so variously Or
ganized. 1t is seldom that common religious
thought has expressed itself in so many &C.
clesiastical dialects. The unity of doctrine
is practically complete; the widest diver
gences that we have discovered ex-
list between members of the same
subdivision and citizens of the same city.
These differences are not large and none of
them really underle division. In some cases
| the separating body has wished to emphasize
the common doctrine; but study of the history
of their separation will disclose another dvsiye
force. 1t is the opinion Of many thoughtful
Methodists that there would have been fewer
divisions if the original impulse of MethOdsm
had contained a little ecclesiasticism. In fact
it did not contain the faintest trace of ideas or
plans respecting church government. John
Wesley's record for the year 1929 describes it.
The conversations of two young men took
form in "class meeting" having a "leader"
appointed by Mr.. Wesley. When unwise op-
position to these religious movements made
moro organism necessary, the classes united
into congregations having preachers ap-
pointed by Mr.. Wesley, and these
preachers exercised the function of ap-
pointing class-leaders and as necessity urged,
other features of a church organization grew
up, the basis being always the class and its
leader. The leader was lay pastor he looked
after the spiritual welfare of his dozen or score
of members, and collected their offerings for
In ann, nrt Of fba
ming left all the lines of ecclesiastical
powers and rights to be defined by cir
cumstances and by conflicts. John Wesley Sc
lected his ass-leaders because it was practi-
cally necessary that he should choose them;
he exercised, or assigned to others, various func-
TONS not because he loved power but because
it was expedient that he should direct the
people whom he had led into happy re-
ligiousexperence This experience" was every
thing; it remains the characteristic feature of tho
Methodist movement. The English, Irish,
French, Canadian, American, German, Hindoo
and Australasan delegates will hold big
class meeting in City Road Chapel without n
note of religious discord. They will all bear
the Wesleyan mark of distinctive type of
religious experience.
The divisions of Methodism are partly due to
geography and civil distribution. The American
Revolution caused the independence of Ameri-
can Methodism; American example and indu-
encemade Canadian Methodism; an Irish Con-
ference and an Austraasian Conference (close-
ly affiliated with the English body were re-
suits OF geography. In this country, the Epis-
copal Mcthodists were split by slavery The
colored divisions of the United States NAV
be said to have originated rather by acct
dents than through Gny decisive conflicts
of opinion. The other divisions have mainly
grown out of the struggle to settle the lines of
authority. In this country, the Methodist bodies
fall into two groups, Episcopal and non Episco-
pal The former number some three-and-a-
half million of communicates, and the latter
less than two hundred thousand 1t is generally
believed among Methodists that there are no
religious or moral obstacles to the union
OF all the Episcopal bodies. The objections TO
such union arise wholly from the difficulty of
applying the existing system of representation
to vast body, which Will presently contain
twenty-f thousand pastors and four millions
OF members. 1t is notable that most of the
objects sought by those who have left
the Episcopal bodies were afterward Sc
cured by reformers who remained in
the old Church; lay representation is an
example. But it is probably true that
questions growing out of the Episcopacy
have really occasoned the American divisions.
Indeed it is pretty clear that the discussions
which keep up healthy agitation within the
great Episcopal communions have vital rela
tons to the powers of the bishops There ia
even deeper question under both the divi
sions and the discussions. The unit of