The Portland daily press., 1884-02-25

Centenary of Amsrican msthedIsm.


The announcement that Rev J. M. Will
llama would speak upon the Centenary Of
American Methodism," drew q good audience
to Pine street church, this city, last evening
After the usual preliminary services, Mr..
Williams arose and said that although an.
nounced to speak upon the above-named topic,
ne should only have time tonight to briefly
outline the exigencies that necessitated the
formal organizat on of the church, to speak Of
that organization in Baltimore, Maryland, on
christmas, 1854, and to close with statistical
summary OF the growth and present status of
Methodism In this country, He then spoke
Substantially as follows:
At the age of SO, John Wesley. the father
AMI founder of Methodism, had no thought OF
new sect. He was then. and had been for
she past ten years, au ordained clergyman In
the Church Of England, and was scarcely
known outside of his college at Oxford, where
he held fellowship. About this time a yoy-
age to America had brought him into contact
with the Moravian, Peter Boiler. Under his
influence. he heard OF and experienced the
socirlne OF justification by faith. By this ex-
perlsnce his Zeal was greatly quickeued He
began to preach with unwonted earnestness
lie HiaQr an
began to awaken opposition.
Meanwhile, in 1879. Wesley had been APP
proached oy q few persons who deeired ITO ffee
the wrath to come," to inquire OF him con.
corning their spiritual wants He formed
them into class and placed cody and Judi
cious person in charge of them. This proved
to be the origin of class meetings, These
classes and societies grew rapidly, antil, in the
course OF few years, they were scattered
lnroqe nout most OF the counties of England
ano Ireland, while some progress had been
made among the staid, imperturbable Scotch,
In l166, few Of these Irish converts began
meetings In New York, while almost at the
same time others down near Baltimore, in
Mary laud, commenced preaching and holding
meetings. by the time the war of the Ameri-
can revolution broke out, there were several
thousand Methodists in the colonies
UP to this time Wesley had required all his
followers 10 receive the sacraments at the
hands OF the English clergy. Hence the Meth
odlst meetings had been held at honrs other
than those during which the English service
| was conducted. There had been great deal
| OF dissatisfaction In many of the Wesleyan 30
cieties because they could not receive the
hands OF their own ministers. Still Wesley q
Conservative adherence to the English church.
aud his desire 10 have his societies remain NOM
1 lnally ~ least members of the establish ment,
| still restrained him from yielding TO the de-
mands for ordained ministers In the societies.
The exigencies that came upon the societies
L
such as to over-rsle all churchly objections In
the mind Of Wesley. He vas now fully per-
shaded that the time had come for the ordina-
alton Of some of his preachers. The success
| OF the Revolution had disest sblished the En-
glish church in America. Most OF the retors
at the beginning of the Revolution had been
| staunch Tories; and so for this reason, as we'll
| ~ because of the uncertainty of their stipends
they had returned to England. When peace
was declared but few cleigymen were to be
| found.
Wesley now determined to ordain three o.
or four ministers for the American needs, and
to auth, rize these TO organize the church in
America. The proposal was presenter to the
consideration Of the Rev. Thomas Cake
LII. D.
18Th was the man whom Wesley determinei
to ordain and send to America. He was al
ready like Wesley, Presbyter in the English
establishment. Coke at drrt hesitated, and re
qaired time for the consideration. He finally
was persuaded by Fletcher and others, mem
bers of the English church to accept ordination
| as superintendeHt or bishop OF the American
societies. Coke met Wesley at Bristol on the
first Of September, 1874. The Rev. Jsme
Creighton, Presbyter in the Church of Eng
land had also been invited to be present ant
take part in the ceremony.
Wesley had already sought ordination for al
least one minister for his American work o
the hands OF the bishop of London, but his re-
quest had been denied. He now determined
TO take the advanced step.
The latter part OF the week they were OF
their way Southwsrd, and on Saturday they
we're received by Governor Bassett of Dover
Delaware, where MIR. Bassett was erecting
Methodist chapel. BY Ssbbarh, the 14ih o.
November, only eleven days after landing a
New York, he and Wbatcoat reached the nov
famous Barrett's chapel In Delaware, wherl
Coke preached THIS was the man whom
Wesley had Instructed Coke to ordain as bisho,
when he should reach America.
Freedom Garrettson was accordingly sen
out to notify Q preachers to meet in Balti
more on Christmas eve. It was here in tn,
woods OF Delaware, near the present town o
Frederick, that these two men met and con
suited, and here the momentous scheme O
Coke's mission was disclosed and the first Gen
eral Conference of American Methodism ap
pointed
This Conference met on the Oath of Decem
Der, 1854 Garrettson had sped his way owe
twelve hundred miles in six weeks. calling til.
| itiueraDts to Baltimore. aud returning found
sixty present. Coke took the chair
The conference agreed to form an episcopa
church, and to have "superintsndents, elder
and deaoons." Asbury declined ordination {,
.ss Hnsss oi saGi6n s e 5h
formally elect him to that office: Coke aud b
preachers we've afterwards elected and ordain
90 deacons or elders, or both, before the con
ference adjourned.
The conference continued ten days. About
| 10y pto~oucia Wote IA attenuances while tn
whole number OF preachers in the States q
this time was only sixty-one
Iris was the beginning one hundred year
ago. The entire church at that time CONSISTED
OF 81 itinerants IA 1888 lay members The lates
statistics show: v hole number of Methods
ministers IN the United States, %, S39; who'll
number OF lay members. LOIS 604.
The above figures represent only actua
members. not adherents. Multiplying minis
ters aud members by three, certainly not to-
large figure, and we have the grand total o
E,lo5.szO souls, or nearly ons-fourth of the en-
lire nation, under the influence of Methods
teaching. Verify our responsibility il great.