New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-09
THE SEcRET or METH0DLsT SUCCESS

mr. NLCIEI or MEIHODISJ SUCCESS
The London Conference of the Methodists Of
the world began It's session on Wednesday with
sermon by the greatest living Methodist
preacher, Bishop Simpson, of Philadelphia
This incident will help us to the key of the
Wesleyan mystery--for TO most minds John
WeScy's work seems to want an explanations
There are said to be S4S theories of happiness ;
and there are nearly as man" ways of account
ing for the yigor Of Mchodism. A few of
these explanations are rather fashionable
One of orr esteemed contemporaries has re-
Gently informed IN admiring world that Wesley
! adopted the papa system as a model for the GOV
eminent of his societies. Anybody who has
seen Roman Catholic reporter struggling with
the proceedings of Methodist Conference
dazed, bewildcred, reduced TO helpessness by
the singular spectacle-may judge for himself
how badly Wesley succeeded in copying his
model. Whether or not there be ecclesiastical
reSemblancos between the Pope's church and
John Wcsley's societies we leave for the specu-
lauons OF theologaus; but to plain men il
seems strange that Wesley as pope did not so
much as dream Of having church-only volun-
tafy 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 n
good organizer he bound his societies together
on very adhesive principles. The proof of the
excellence of Wesleyan glue may be found in
the fact that so nearly all the Methodsts of this
country have the episcopal systematic Others
numbering less than three hundred thousand in
total of four millions. Methodism in this
country cannot be said to have started rs an
Episcopal church through deliberate Durnose
but having taken on that form the more central
uniting forces have preserved the Episcopal
compleXlon 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 bishops, they
think, who have the hard time. For the theory
that bishop can do what he likes gets thinped
down iii practice to doing, as far as in him lies
what the churches like. Some years ago. n
bishop found a rare snarl at one of his confer
ences. a church, presiding elder, and a DIS
tor were tangled up in Il 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 trutb
Is that the theoretical evils of the Metbodisr
system are rarely realized in practice, because
there Is historical tendency to administer tbe
system ON the principles of common sense
The system is doubtless n very effective one
the results should prove it to those who are
perpetually studying the skeleton and for0ct
ting the vital force We come much nearer to
the vital force when we consider Meth
odiSm as system Of popular preach
ing. We do not mean great preocbing
or fine preaching, or wise preocbinc.
though the Mcthodists could probably Gil IN
order for any of these kinds of pulpit 0oods
10y popular preaching we mean preaching that
people will listen to and which will stir Them I'm
religious action. The Mcthodists have no
monopoly in this kind of theological wares
but there was a time when they had very I'm.
competition. John Wesley was n non,lo,
preacher, and he drew to himself other nonnIar
preachers. When he found man who cou,d
move other men with his voice he.was NOT ot all
curious about the mans gown and bands Thio
troop OF takers swept over England. Some of
them who had never been ordained or an much
as dreamed of it, dropped into tins country and
started blaze as if they had been Goals of fir.
ihey were such lay preachers as Philip En-
pury anu captain Webb, men who had secur.l,
planted Methodism here before Francis Asbury
caiho over 10 be Its bishop. The WESLEYAN
'Ni'i'ho "oSah everywhere with n hot
hearted preacher; and the new local BEGIN
hihgs nave been starting in that way ever
SINCE. Lay preachers found half Of the new
churchesi but ordaining them has not snoilod
them, and with or without orders the successful
Methodist preacher is more or less of a nonnIor
orator.
1t goes without saying that Wesley. his fol
lows, and his successors have had sometbinr
special to talk about; orators they had q tbo,,o
and purpose ; the subject was, indeed = ,,or,,
OLD one, but they put it before men in q WA,
that had gone out of use. Christian ages hoJ
made the shibboleth venerable, but these ,,o,
gave 1t new accent. II is ONLY half tolunc,
their secret to write that they talked wnli
Ihey talked well because the matter of which
they were full inspired them. aUndor
ordinary circumstances" said a Uoosicr at
weigh 100 pounds, but when Pm mad ,ve,l
ton" The Wesleyan itin3rants v,iobod -
ton III their eXtemporized pulpits becausc tbav
had gotten hold OF a tremendous thouobt nr
rather because it had gotten hold of Them
This thought they called the Witness Of tha
spirit" There is no metaphysic and nerbons
no formal theology III the expression. II inst
meant tilat, AFTER genuine repentance and true
lalth' there follows conscious change of the
inner man. He loves God, has the heart of q
son In INN toward his Father-and knows If
ms is the Methodist accent of the venerable
shibboleth of Christianity. When he saws aex-
perlence' he utters the war-cry of his race
here are those who believe that the sbarn
accent is wearing out; others who affirm that
the Methodists have drilled it into the tonguos