The Portland daily press., 1881-12-28
Flames Freeman Clarke's Events and Epochs IL
Religious History."l
Ritualism and Methodism.
wesley's Early and Later Faiths.

g Wesley's EARLY and Later Faiths.
5 None OF the numerous writers on Methodsm
seem to be aware of the gulf which separated
Wesley's early and later forms Of religion.
Even the latest Methodist biographer, Tyer-
man, speaks of Methodism as though it began
at Oxford. But one of the most striking feat.
ures of this whole extraordinary history was
, this, that the early and later religious systems
of Wesley were radically opposed to each other
so opposite that he himself always declared
that he was no Christian till after he saw John
Boelher; and yet in zeal, sincerity, devotion,
sacrifice, his first religious life was like his last
He believed essentially the same doctrines In
both; in both his one object in life was relig.
ion; yet the difference was as radical as he
himself declared 1t to be. From the time he
went to Oxford until he met the Moravans his
object was to save his soul; after that time his
purpose was to save the souls of others. Under
the first dispensation he was what people call
Puseyite, praeticing austerities, receiving fire.
quent sacraments, secluding himself from the
world. He and his companions read the pray.
ers of the church frequently, kept all its holy
days, slept little, ate frugally, spent an hour
| every morning and evening in private prayer,
were tenacious of the doctrine and discipline of
the church in the minutest points, scrupulously
strict in observing all its rubrics and canons
"We were," said Wesley afterward Sin the
strongest sense high churchmen." 1t seems
that they practiced confession and discussed
the propriety of mixing water with the sacra-
mental wine. Wesley seriously thought of
| forming society which should strictly observe
saints days, holidays, Saturdays, and mix the
sacramental wine with water. He refused TO
| accept his fathers rectorate at Epworth, be-
cause he thought he could be more holy at
| Oxford, and because the care OF 1000 souls was
| more than he dared to undertake. Afterward
| he had no such fear, no such sense of RESPONSE
bility; he willingly kept the charge of hund-
reds of thousands of souls, and the care Of all
the churches.
/ The radical difference between this first state
and the last lies just here-that in the one,
prayers, sacraments good works and sacrifices
were all performed in order to save his soul; in
the last state they were done out OF gratitude
and love, because his soul had been saved. His
soul was safe; he was able to trust his soul to
God; he had no more anxiety about it.; his
heart, hencefoFth, was full OF Joy and hope.
He saw there was no reason why others should
not have the same happiness with himself. He
had not gained il by la0ors, fastings or long re-
ligiois exercises, but by simple act of trusti in
the divine love. Any one else might do the
same-might do it Immediately, and SO pass
from death TO life. In this lay the secret pow
or of Methodism-this assurance that "now
is the day of salvation" for all mankind. Nor
can we fail TO see that this great change in the
inner conviction and life OF Wesley was identi-
cal with that through which Paul passed from
Jewish ritualism into the freedom of the sons
of God; identical, ALSO with that by which
Luther passed from Roman Catholic risualism
M a nf ha 0f
religious movements have thus had their origin
in the same change of conviction in three
human souls In the language of technical
theology the new conviction is named "Justif-
cation by Faith and not by Works; but its
essence is below all theology, and means that
the soul has realized the imminent necessary
relation between the infinite strength and the
human weakness, between the divine love and
the earthly need. When this experience has
once been felt in the heart there is no longer
any need of priests affairs; sacrifices or ritual.
All forms melt and dissolve in the fire of this
heavenly love. 1t is the creation of q new life
and out of this new life in one man thousands
and tens Of thousands of his fellowmen are
made alive also. Whoever does not perceive
this has missed the meaning of Methodism.
Methodism is ritualism developed into higher
state of Christian experience Ritualism is
Methodism arrested at a lower period of its
development
II Wesley had continued in those religious
and in America, he would have lived and died
a good and holy man, but he would not have
tAs on f YEAR ws have
been wanting; the courage would have
been wanting which led him to defy all ditfi-
culties and dangers; the inward peace would
wanting which made him cheerful
and glad of heart in the midst of obloquy and
opposition, when the tinid good stood sloof
and the wise frowned. These truths, which
are at the root of Methodism make up very
large and comprehensive system, not composed
by an arbitrary selection, but by the action OF
a loving soul seeking for truth in order to be
saved from error and sin, and humble enough
to be taught by any one who seems to stand on
higher ground. Methodism is therefore not
one-sided sytem, mot mere enthusiasm, but 1t
combines the truths and avoids the errors OF
many tenderness of thought. Wesley was trst
under the influence of the English church, and
always retained respect for Its venerable
forms, its moderation, its anti Calvinistic view
of human nature, its wholesome ethics. He
carried logically this system to the extreme OF
Puseyism; but when he saw that the soul could
not be saved by any system of works, but only
by union with God and by his grace shed from
on high, he transferred to the religious life
after justification, the ascetic discipline which
he rejected as means OF justification. he
thus avoided the AntinOmian heresy, while ne
exalted faith as high as the Antinomians have
done The churehmen who preached morality
could not but admit that the Methodist dld
more to improve the morals OF the community
than they themselves had ever accomplished.
The next influence on the mind OF Wesley was
from William Law, whom he always regarded
as man of God. From him he learned q iar
higher standard of Christian character than the
church had given him; and though he after
ward thought that Law did not set forth sal
walton freely given through faith, but refined
and elevated legality, he adopted all his views
of Christian character in his doctrine OF periec-
tion-putting after justification what he believ-
ed law had put in the place of it. From the
Moravians he learned his doctrine OF an inward
assurance of pardoned sin; but he rejected the
Morayian opposition to growth in grace, and
their doctrine of an infused holiness. He
always opposed the Calvinistic doctrine OF as-
solute DEGREES, which he thus characterized;
fThe sum of predestination is this-o1e IN ~
of mankind are elected 10 reprobated. The
elect shall be saved, do what they will; the re-
probate be damned, do what they ean."