New-York tribune., 1884-12-07
NETHODISM ~ AMERICA.

METHODISM ~ AMERICA.
On December 81 1881, there met IN Baltimore
the first General Conference of the Methodist Epls-
copal Church in the United States. which from the
season when il met has been commonly known as
the Christmas Conference IL was time fraught
with werhty interests to the ndhercnts of the little
missionary Church in the newly created Republic
Wesley their great and peerless leader in England
after years of opposition and pcrsccut on on the
part of the Anglican Church. had at last decided to
take the audacious but logical stand which made
Mcthodsm as n separate organization possible. I" |
firmly believe" said he, 4" that | am Scriptura
cpiscopos rs much as any man in England; for the
uninterrupted Succession ! know to be fable
which no man ever did or can prove" And so on
September 10, 1881, he wrote the memorable
document brought to America by Or. Coko. and
under the authority OF which Dr. Coke ordained
Francis Asbury bishop in the Methodist Society.
4 hundred years have passed away since then
and = Centennial Conference il about 70 meet in
the same city of Baltimore beginning on December
o; but how different the condition of the body
which it represents. When Asbury, the first of the
line of Methodist bishops in this country, was or
dained on December -, 1891, the little Church had
about eighty ministers aud not more than $4,000
members altogether The Centennial Conference
which il to meet this week will represent great
army of 2J.OOO devoted and success fui min era
and fully 3S0O,OO0 communcants, exclusive of
other important branches of Methodism not par
tcipating. In whatever way II il looked at tins
growth is almost marvellous. And it must be 'e-
membercd that it has been a legitimate growth,
neither stimulated 10y advcntitous circum-tauccs
nor fed by foreign immigration. Mcthodl-m has
fought It's great battle in this country with no odds
i'm its favor and with prestige 60 help il. II had
no smooth message for the hardy settlers of tho
East or the rude pioneers of the West. but, on the
other hand, ior most of them message Of doom and
Judgment unless they speedily repcntcd. 1t had at
first none of the aids which wealth and learning
can give: even its history was rcdolent of the low
est purcus of London. and its name was fastened
upon it by its cncmic, term of reprOach.
But in spite of all drawbacks it increased
nightly, because it SO fully satisfied the heart
hunger of the people to whom it came. II bad
vital and unqucnchablc faith i'm the truth and power
of its Gospel in the excellence and completeness, of
its ecclesiastical machinery. and in the Suitability
of men, souls Methodsm ~ historical fact was
the legitimate ana necessary reaction from the re-
ligious stupor and dcadncss of tho Church OF Ing
land i'm tho eighteenth century Wesley and White
field, Coke AMI Ashury were the historical but not
the spiritual children OF the V-huntnE parsons of
the generation before them. II was good foi the
arorc ~ a spiritual force IN Christianity with its
hish standard of personal pioty with is abiding
apn,c ~ mans personal responsibility with
its lofty ideal of divine holiness with its rcst-
lcas enthusiasm, with its uutiring mission.
AIRY zeal, with Ha knowledge of tho nrrds aud
capacities of The common people, aud, II may be-
addict with it, religious bonhomlc aud sunny vcWS
of lilo II soon became both IN England and Auorlca
ono of the greatest religions AgcnolcS of modotn
tmos
Nor is tho work ol Mcthodsm to hc measured
only by the results IN It's own communion, great
and important rs these undoubtedly are. Mcthodism
as "A religious system has reacted for good upon
other bodies oi Christians, even upon the venerable
and respected Church which s now free to confess
that It has erred IN treating 80 harshly the
greatest gous lea Ter after LoyOa since the days
of Luther. ana thus forcing him to take Nethodsm
out of the Church. The reforms which Methodsm
advocated and the icryid gospel which it preached
soon eavened the whole lump of modern Chris
tianlty and evon the great Oxford movement
within the Anglican Church which began in 1S:'2
is in certain sense the legitimate outcome of the
marvellous religions revival preached by Wesley
The future of American Methodism. rs we survey
1t from the emnence OF its first century of ife is
full of hope and promise. 1t cannot indeed look
for another century of such growth has thus far
marked its vigorous pioneer life. In the nature of
things il has now seized most of the important
poiuts of vantage and attracted to itself the greater
number of those who were predisposed to its dis
cipline and teachings. It's heroic age OF missionary
effort Is becoming tradition of the past, and the
great figures of its mighty preachers and workers are
being soitened in outline by the silent lapse of time
until they will finally become a holy tradition of
an age that is forever gone. But the century that
is to come has other work for Mcthodism to do. To
il row belongs the task of assimaing what it has
acouired of setting in order the spiritual Kingdoms
il has CONQUERED The extension of its missionary
efforts so wisely begun so nobly carried on, the
bulldng of churches the endowment of schools and
colleges the training of a learned and godly minis
fry. the strengi henng of the weak spots IN its
organization. the suborlnaton OF its ecclesiastical
machinery to the needs OF modern ife-these things
NAV well occupy the thoughts and efforts of the men
upon whose shoulders the mantle of Coke and Asbury
has fallen
And in estimating the present outlook of Method"
ism We must not forget that ii ls emnently soclai
religion Ii loves to throw down the barriers OF
caste and inequality II at often exist between
man and man. and to bring them together as the
children of a common Father. with genius
peculiarly its own It has aimed to make the COM
mnna idea of religion reality. not as of old by
sending its disciples to the cell of the monastery,
but by making the Church itself great rctreat IN
which both individuals and families could find not
only the consultations of religion but the pleasures
of social life This is the strength OF MethOdsm IN
this country and by this it will conquer long alter
the theological controversies which marked It's
origin shall have been buried in oblivion
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