St. Landry democrat., 1881-01-08
The Methodist Church.
shreveport Standard. I

gdgou III VIC ctii1Coo WIN VI Pr
noting the efficiency of their eccles-
iastical organization, serves to recall
to our mind the wonderful progress
made by this Christian church since
its organization, which does not ex-
tend much beyond century of the
past. Lord Macaulay, in one OF
his inimitable essays, says that no .
history of England could be called |
complete which should not contain
an account Of the rise and progress
Of Methodism. Though one regrets
that the noble historian did not live
long enough to discourse, III his
great work, on a theme SO worthy
Of his genius and learning, yet the
deficiency is somewhat supplied by
Mr.. Lecky, who treats the subject
in his recent work On that period of
English history in an eloquent man.
ner and with a fairness which one
would hardly expect from a man Of
his peculiar religious opinions.
Macaulay does not think that the
Established Church ought to have
allowed such o schism as that which
a man of Mr.. Wesley's talents and
enthusiasm was enabled to cause.
He thinks that the church ought to
have paciied him and have given
him work to do within the pale of
her authority. He contrasts her
conduct with the probable conduct
of the Catholic church, which would
have put q cassock on him and have
sent him forth to do good i'll any
manner which should present itself
to him. But, when his step was
first taken, it was plain to be seen
that the new sect would so Oh col
lecting proselytes in great numbers,
though perhaps their widest dreams
hardly foresaw that, in q century,
it would grow to such colossal pro-
proportions as we have seen it in
the present generation.
This has been owing to several
potent causes. About thirty years
ago Mr.. Webster, at Fanueil Hall,
speaking before such body as we
have here to-day, said "Methodism
is religion in earnest" This is emil
nently true Of this religious denomi-
nation. Nor should any one be
astonished to witness the success of
similar earnestness in any calling,
whether secular or ecclesiastical.
When men subject themselves to
the privations and inconveniencies
which beset every Methodist circuit
rider, one is ready to admit that
they are inpelled by such devotion
and earnestness of purpose as can
not fail to win success for almost
any cause which should command
such exertions as these.
Another cause is that Methodism
appeals to the body of the masses
for encouragement. Eschewing fine
churches, large salaries and expen-
sive educational establishments, they
make all their religious methods =
appeal to the capacity of the poor
and the ignorant as well as to that
of the rich and the learned. It is
their boast that, with them, as was
said by their divine master, the poor
have the gospel preached to them.
And the boast is perhaps more true
of them than of any other religious
organization except the Catholic
church. At first sight one might be
disposed to think that the two
bodies are, in all respects, as far
apart as the poles. One might be
. inclined to think that the Catholic
church is the peculiar representation
Of central authority and the Metho-
dist church Of the republican prin-
ciple. But, even in their ecclesias-
teal polity they have some resem-
blance, neither of them recognizing
such independence of separate con-
gregations as the Independents or
Congregahonalists do. When, how
ever, it comes to the vast body of
the lay members, both of them are
the embodiment Of perfect repub-
lican principle. Both in the Catho-
lie and Methodist churches the
absolute equality Of all these is
recognized not only in theory but in
practice.
With earnestness of purpose and
scope enough to take in the masses,
il is not surprising that the church
has increased so wonderfully
throughout every period of its
history. Nor is it surprising that it
has particularly set its roots deep
and strong in Republican America,
SO adapted are its tenets to the i'm
pressible people of q new country.
It should be remembered, too, that
its American infancy was nursed by
the fostering personal care of a
Wesley and the transcendent elo-
quence of Whitefeld. It was
more apt to grow under the opera
ton Of such influences than if its
growth were fostered by The hot
house stimulus of q state establish
(. ment.
q The New Orleans Court of Ap-