The Indianapolis journal., 1884-05-12
AMERICAN METHODIsM.
Sermon of Rev. DIR. Marine at Centrally
nme Meihndint Chmrch.

saving, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us IL Samuel
wi II.
Great events should he commemorated. God
has directed his people to bear in mind what he
has done for them ana to tell it to their chill
,lrcn The Is1aelltes celebrated their dcliverance
from the bondage Of Egypt, and many other
events in their national history. Nations eele-
bls,te their tnshAays, their victories and their
freedom. This year of grace brings us as a de-
nomination to the celebration of the
centennial of American Methodism. To
day. the eyes of the world are
upon us, the press has taken special notice of MS.
and thereby calling pablic attention to
orr history and career in this country while great
minds are studying the problem of our success.
1t is not my purpose to give in this discourse
any special account of the more recent events of
Methodism, such as the introduction of lay
representation into the General Conference.-The
lawlnaking body of the church-and the ex
tension Of the time limitation from two to three
years in the pastoral term, etc. as | presume
that you are quite familiar with the more re-
cent history of our church. Neither do in
tend to make any suggestion to the General Con
ference now in session, as to the election of
bishops, editors, and all General Conference
officers, or as to the great questions now pend
ing. But simply desire to briefly sketch Amer
lean Methodism, from its origin hundred years
ago down to the present time, hoping thereby
to intensity your interest in the proceedings of
our General Conference. which are so fully spread
before YOU every day by the courtesy and enter
prise of the press.
In l770 America" is recorded for the first
time in Mr.. Wesleys printed minutes of confer
ence," with four preachers, Boardman, Plmoor.
Williams and King. who reported BIG members
in America. in 1871 Mr. Wesley called fol vol
unteers for the new field. 'Our brethren in
America" he said call aloud for help Who
will go7" Five responded. and two were sent
Francis Asbury and Richard Wright Of the
latter we know but little, but Francis Asbury
was destined to be the most historical aud repre-
sentative character of American Methodism
When he came to this country he was
twenty-six years of age, and had been in the
travelling ministry about five years. He was
educated, studious. introspectiVe thoughtful.
and endowed with instructive activity that
could only find rest in labor His mind
had e1nnently a military cast-a severe
temperament; q rigid disciplinarian, me-
thodlcal accurate, and self-possessed, withal,
subdued by Christian humility. He
seemed to know no fear. and never yielded to
discourse cement and was seldom surprised; i'll
all respects well adapted to his great field of
work-The new continent His laborS in the
new world were, if possible, greater than those
travelled more miles year. He preached al
most daily for more than half a century. He
was ordained bishop of the Methodist Episcopal
Church when thirty nine years old at its organ
Zation in 1854. 1t has been estimated that in
the forty-fve years of his American ministry he
preached 6500 sermons-at least one q day
and Travelled about 10000 miles-or 6,000
year,-presided in no less than 224 annual con-
ferences, and ordained more than 1000 preach
ers. 1t may be said that no one has done more
for Christianity in the Western hemisphere,
while he unquestionaby stands at the head of
the leading characters of'American ecclesiastical
history.
In 1884 the first General Conference was held
in Baltimore for the organization Of the Metho
dist Episcopal Church in the United States
of America, Dr. Thomas Coke. having
been ordained by Mr. Wesley a bishop, and
Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey
elders, for the purpose of conseerating Fran
els Asbury bishop over the new church, and of
Ordaining other preachers to the orders of elder
and deacon, that the sacraments might be ad-
ministered. A system of government, with its
liturgy, articles of religion, discipline, hymn
book, etc. was formally adopted, and the Meth
Odist Episcopal Church, lnits episcopal organiZa
ton, took precedence Of the Protestant Epsco-
pal Church in the United States. It's bishops
were the first Protestant bishops of the Western
hemisphere. This denomination of the Chris
tian church does not claim to be the church in
The exclusive sense of the ''churchmen," but it
does claim to be church in the broad, cath
olic, scriptural acceptation of the christian"
With singular effrontery and ignorance Puseyites
and high churchmen have perslstently declared
that Mr. Wesley never ordained any of his
preachers for the old world authorized them
to baptize and administer the sacrament of the
Lords supper But Mr. Wesley did all this,
and what was far worse in their estimation, he
ordained DR.. Coke bishop, with view of hay-
ing him organize Methodist Episcopal Church
in the United States, which he proceeded to do.
I know that it is denied that Mr.. Wesley ever
ordained, or intended to ordain, DR.. Coke to the
Office of bishop. His placing his hands upon his
head was with view OF giving him kind OF
fatherly blessing; or, if he did ordain him. he
was persuaded to take this step when he was in
his dotage, and hardly responsible for what he
did. But Wesley did ordain DR.. Coke bishop,
and he fully believed that he had right to do so.
And this was no conclusion conveniently reached
for the occasion. He had abandoned his
high-church pretentions on this subject nearly
forty years before He had declared himself to
be a scriptural bishop as much as any man IN
England or Europe He had been educated to
believe in the doctrine of apostolic succession but
examining the subject pronounced it "a fable
which no man ever did or ever can prove" He
maintained that the succession so much pleaded
by writers of the primitive church was not a
succession of persons in apostolic power, but
succession of apostoleal doctrines. and this view
was seconded by such great lights as Chilling
worth, Melanchthon, Bishop Stillingheet Lord
DIacaulay and others.
Ours is the Oldest episcopal church in this
country There had been branch of the En-
glish Church here before the Revolution, but
when the war broke out the ministers of that
church, who were mostly Tories, turned their
backs upon their focks and left
their country for their country's
good. Tia colonial English Church was
shattered by the war--broken in pieces
ard its fragments left floating on a stormy sea
This Episcopal Church first organized in the
United States has about twelve times the numer
ieal strength of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. According to the address Of the bish-
ops delivered to the General Conference now in
session at Philadelphia this church reports at
the end of her first centurys growth in this
country 80 annual conferences IA missions.
IL, $40 travelling preachers, 1,769,534 members
and probationers-an increase during the last
quadrennium of 60 232. In 1883 there were 49,
74l churches and 1915 parsonages, valued at
81, ,25S 055 There are six theological seminaties,