The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-14
METHODISM.
Its Rise In the Old World and MarysIou
PrOgrsss In the New.

The General Conference, which meet
but once in four years, has houored GU
city IN this instance with its presence. Tn
Aethodists are by no means the larses
body Of Pfoteatants in Philadelphia, bu
this city was one 81 the first, II not tn
very first in America to feel the impulse q
the great REVIVAL Of religion that ia asso
ciated with ths- names Of Wesley An,
Whitfield. Long before any Methods
Church was established on this continen
the Episcopalians and Presbyter;ans q
Philadel phis were distracted by the ores
ton as to what should be their attitude a
churches toward the Engliah preacher
who were turning the world upside down
The Second Presbyterian Church, Of Phil
atelphia, was organized by these VIII,
thought that the pastor OF the First Churcl
did wrong 10 exclude Whitfield trom Il
pulpit. The Episcopalians OF the sam
way OF thinking united with soms others I,
erect hall, in which Methodists nigh
haVs the opportunity to preach the Gcspe
to such as wished to hear them. The trus
tees Of the hail, finding they had an Gle
plant on their hands, diapoeed of it to th
newly established College OF Philadelphia
but upon conditions that the uses Of th
trust should be respected. The Uniyers;t,
o! Pennsylvania still holds the hall OF
Fourth street, below Arch, on the coudi
ton that any preacher who will s;yn th
Whitfield creed, shall have the use Of tha
hall toc public worship. As Calvin;sti
Methcd;sm ia extinct on this continent
the use CT the hall has rot been elaine,
for over q century. a-
This reference to the first appearance O
Methodlsm among us ia sufficient to SHOW
what different aspect the movement hal
in its inception from that it row bears. II
those days it was thought of az an unor
gauized but pervadiug revival, to which
the existing churches might open them
selves or not, according to their coucep
.iona Of their duty. It now stands beior,
the world as the most com pactly orysciyet
OF Protestant bodies, and the BODY EOS.
sssssd by the most intense esprit de corps
It has its own pUlpi,s, and aaks access &c
no cthe.s. It has its ow1 church order
and seeks 10 aggression On that of any
other body. But at the start it meant r.
do none of these Il ir2s. Its founders yerr
Church Of England men, and not ONLY
had no intention Of leaving that church
but did not mean to aend any one else out
OF it. Rather they regarded the movement
as tending to strengthen the Church o.
England az the expense OF the dissentiru
bodies. Its first preachers were allowed r.
preach, but not to administer the sac.a.
uents.
They we're forbidden to hold any service
athcura assigned for service in the parish
churches. Ths-whaie structure of the ear.
LEST discipline recognized Methoiism q, a
kind Of Anglican order, for the conversion
OF the neglected classes from the mere AMI.
mallsm into which they were sinking. tc
some degree OF christianity living. So John
Wesley planned, and if the author;ties al
lis own church had given their support
the movement might have been kep,
within those bounds. But they did all in
their power to drive the Methodists out
They resented their doctrines OF "cor7er
sion" and. Experience" as ar offensive
comment upon the preaching and the
practice Of the established clergy. The
Nethodists, if they continued to attend the
parish church, were likely to hear from the
parish pulpit at short intervals the mos;
Offensive comments upon their ncst cher.
ished beliefs ard practices. They began
to find that chapel and class.neeting pull.
ed enc way, and church the other. That
the two must part company il Nsthcdisn
were to live, had become evident before
John Wesley disd. He gave most reIuc.
tans consent to the demand that his
preachers" should take UPON them the
administration Of the sacrsmeuts. and
should hold services at the same hours as
the parish churches.
With regard to America thsy went q
step farther. The Episcopal Church in
the colonies had no epincopate. 1t had ID
aepeud for clergy upon the emigration 81
ministers Of the Church Of England; or h
any OF its soua telta vocation to the priest.
hood, be must crcHs the ocean and seek
ordination at the hands Of the Bishop al
London. Wesley WAS familiar with the
situation in the colonies. He
had spent many years in this country,
So in l7s4, as the return of peace in
this country through the recognition Of
American independence, be sent out DR..
Thomas Coke, priest Of the Church oil
England, as superintendent" of all the
Methodist churches which had been grow
ing up in the colonies since 1853. DR..
Coke was authorized to orLain "preachery''
who should not preach only, but should
administer the sacrameuts according to q
form drawn up by Wesley for the use oil
the American Methodist societies. l. was
in the came year that Bishop aeahusy, OF
Connecticut, was consecraed by the Bish.
ops OF the Episcopal Church Of Scotland as
the first Bishop Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church. .Easai'a5
The growth and power Of Meshod,su In
this and its native land, is due very larye.
" to the administrative genius of its
founder. John Wesley was by no mean:
90 great preacher as Whitfield. He was
not % great saint as Fletcher or Madley
As dcctrinal theologian he has no rank
and Meth odisu was uost fortunate In hay
ing Richard Watson to supplement tn,
work OF its founder. Butas man Of affairs
rs an executive geuirs, be never was sur
passed by churchmen, Hence the perua
hence Of his work, while the more impress
siye agitation produced by Whitfield pasH
ed away aud was all but forgotten. q,
stamped upon Methodiam the practica
character which its name suggests, ane
which makes it rspulsive to very Larry,
class Of minds. The man who steps insid,
the Methodist system finds himaeif caugh
up in the sweep OF a machinery always il
action. de encounters church life at hiv,
pressure.
4 genuine Methodist church has tor i,
aim to exert the largest amount of spiritua
pressure upon the community in which i
Is placed. For It there are but two cate
CORES OF nankind,-the converted ar,
the unconvertst;-and but one paramount
duty ior the tormer,-to secura the ION
veraion Of the latter. Whatever will arous
the unconyerted to sense 81 the ditFel
erces bstyeen themselves and their NOR
privileged neishbors ia regarded as Ii
the highest policy. Everything Is thu
sacrificed to immediate results. he ia n
successful preacher who, like Jonah, ca
reuse 8 whole community to cry Tor mere,
Now, while this line Of action 10 not nj
likely to awaken as much opposition