New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-14
ONE sorRcs or METHODIST SUCCESS

Tho key. note OF the Methodist Centenary Com
ference. now IN session in Baltimore was struck on
the openins day by Bishop fcecr I'VE arc here
ho naid. "not 80 much for remembrance IA Tor
council, not to celebrate victory but Ia devise wise
aud skilml methods. o. 10 strong 10 moot tho
domagnsy Of cur agc "a our fathers mot " ~ tho'r
dnvs" lts readiness a. adapt itNelf to changed
conditions Is pofhaps largely the source OF Method.
lat ,uocosa Mcthodism has bean called by Quo "t
,ts most distinguished writcrs thu child oi iroNf
donco IN alluson e. this characteristic.
It was no part Of tho original design OF Johh
Wesley and his associates to found religious Sect
and ono of them said 81 should haVo thousht
the saving of souls almost sin. II 1t had not been
done in a churoh" When WhiteGeld in 1899
preached In the open air to u crowd of Golfers at
Kinqswood the Wesley brothers were as greatly
shocked MS any other good churchmen at the
breach of ecclesiastical order but they found that
good had been accomplished, and new held Tor
usefulness had been opened to them and soon John
Wesley was preaching to 5000 persons at Bristoi
and Charles to large assemblies Mt Mooreheius
As this closed the doors of many churches to the
eyangests, mcetng-houses begun to spring up all
oSor England. but only persons ordained by the
Church OF England were at first allowed to preach
When John Wesley learned that Thomas Maxwell
had taken a text and preached a sermon without
ordination he FASTENED to London to put stop TO
the irregularity, but was prevented from doing SO
by tho advice of his mother.
The success of Maxwell caused Wesley to revise
his judgment on the subject, and it became settled
conviction with him that "a warrant to preach
does not necessarily como only through ono
channel" Other preachers having been ordained,
a conference was held in 174i, but it was
expressly declared at that first meeting that those
taking part were not dssenters and Wesley seemed
always determined that nothing should be tolerated
in his societies at all repugnant to the sole and
exclusive authority of the Established Church.
Until year after his death, in 1871, his preachers
did not administer tho sacraments, and the hours
of service in the meeting houses were 30 regulated
as rot to prevent any from attending service in the
churches But when the demand became general
that tho sscranents should DO administered to tho
people IN their own places Of worship and by their
own preachers, 1t was acceded 10 by the confer
ence and the Wescyans followed the example of
tho Mcthodlsts in America and became II distinct
ecclesiastical organization.
Thus from its earliest days it seems to have been
tacity understood among Methodists that ecclcsas-
teal rules are OF human invention. and may be
changed as circumstances seem to demand. While
Episcopacy was adopted By the first American
Methodists. aud is still retained by the larger
branches 1t is an open question whether it is an
| order an Office; and the proposition TO elect
bishops for brief terms s freely debated. The
right OF laymen to participate III tho legislation ot
the church was discussed for many years; and
finally after important split had been caused III
the church bv the discussion, was recognized by
both the northern and southern branches. Tho
term Of service of preachers was at lrst Six
months, then extended to ono year, then to two
and afterward to three yeas; and there Is no