The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-03
HOW IT HAS GROWN
"MethOdism' the Subject Of Rev. Mr..
GrOeneveld'S Interesting Lecture.
ADHERENTS TO THE CREED
The Number of Members In the
Congregation To-Day and the
Small Following During the
Time OF Washington.

! series upon 6oou ana EVIL IN the
Various Denominations" at the First
| Presbyterian church tonight Mr.
Groeneveld spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
One hundred and fifty years tell the
story of the Methodist church. Little
more than a hundred years ago there
were in the United States in this church
p ministers and 5000 members in II
circuits. Just about that time the
movement crossed the Allegheny noun
tains and originated the "old Western
conference" which extended from the
lakes to Watcher. on the Mississippi.
Its first two bishops were Coke and
Asbury, and they presented the first
ecclesiastical greeting to George Wash
ington upon his ascension to the presl-
dency in 1889. To-day this church con-
tsins in its records the names of $4,000
ministers. has $4,000 organizations with
a membership of 5000. 600 in the United
States. and an additional million in
Canada and Great Britain. These fig
ures include the statistics of all the Il
different Methodist bodies. The pro-
gress has been marvellous. within the
limits of five generations the movement
has comprised the globe. so that to-
day its adherents are numbered on
every continent and shore. Ii grew
from a small religious society within
the Church Of England. till II is now a
great and distinct ecclesiastical COM
munity. IL has powerful claims upon
the attention Of all students of history.
With its rise and progress came a new
spirit ~ earnestness i'm the religious
life of Christendom.
According to one very painstaking
student Of Methodism, 1t heads up into
three sources. James Arminius of Hol-
land. John Welsey Of England, and
the holy spirit OF grace and truth. Ar
minus represented the reaction from
the extremely rigorous and bold Cal
Vinism of the sixteenth century. He
made prominent the free agency Of
man and eXpounded vigorously the
gospel invitations to come and repent
and believe. His followers were per-
secuted, but his theology spread. 1t
was accepted a hundred or more years
later by John Wesley, and has been to
ills day the system Of doctrine of the
Methodist church, under the name Of
Arminianism.
At oxford John Wesley belonged 10
club. whose members performed all
their religious duties according To strict
rule-hence the nickname Methodists.
At this time. the church was dead.
Carlyle describes the age as one Of
spiritual paralysis" Restraints were
laid upon no vices of any sort. Genu-
inc piety did hardly exist anywhere.
immortality was dominant and infidel-
ity blatant. The little oxford club fel.
the STRINGS of a new spirit Here
Wesley and Whitefield met. one the
greatest preacher, o. the other the mas
tcrful organizer OF early Methodism.
After Wesley was converted. and
Whitefield had felt the day star rise
in his heart they were ready To de-
liver the message OF the old gospel with
new fervor. They produced at first
great outburst Of religious feeling.
Their work then possibly rcsembled
50 mewhat that Of the Salvation army
of to-day. They were treated with SUI
preme contempt, and obliquy was
heaped upon them. But the leaders
persisted and the movement increased
in power. Their victories at first were
mostly among the common people. But
to-day the world respects this church.
Providence, no doubt. selected its
founder and first great leader. Lord
Macaulay says Of John Wesley: He
was a man. whose eloquence and logi-
cal acuteness might have made him
eminent i'm literature; whose genius for
government was not inferior to that Of
Richelieu; and who devoted all his
powers, I'm defiance OF obliquy and de-
risiOn, TO what he sincerely consid-
cred the highest good OF his species"
No one can read Tyerman's three vol.
umes on Wesley, nor Robert Southey's
BlbNlUB DdBtN MllIouN btinb fOI-
WINGED that the place of this man Is
firmly established in the judgment Of
critics, among the reformers of religion
in Christendom.
Wesley owed much to the Moravians.
Like Luther and Whiteiield. he did not
understand the doctrine of justification
by faith alone, until he had sought
peace through fruitless vigils. Hastings
and other forms of acknowledgements.
and failed.
II is curious to notice. how Method
ism, the movement among the common
people, sprang up right out of the heart
of the proudeSt of English universe
ties. and was inaugurated by men Of
education, culture and faith. We see
the same thing in the history Of the
reformation of the sixteenth century,
which was also a popular movement,
though headed by men of the greatest
renown and almost unlimited power
With regard 10 the government Of
the Methodist church, IL is not claimed
that 1t rests upon divine right. but
upon Christian eNpediency. and there
fore il is ready for any notifications
Of it's system which time may show TO
be desirable for its greater effective
ness. 1t was at FIRST very simple. but
one thing after another was added as
the field widened and the work in
creased. The first preaching was I'm
the open air. because they We're driven
from the pulpits Of the Church Of En-
gland. Then chapels had to be built.
Each member paid a penny week To
pay for them. Companies of - were
organized. with a leader. to whom tLcy
brought their contributions. and Nvio
gathered there for prayer and praise
hence the classmecting. The timer
ancy. the local lay ministry. the cir
cult preaching. were made necessary
by the rapid advances. The quarterly
district and general conferences. the
general SUPPLEMENTARY through the
bishops, the presiding eldership also
grew with its prOvidential develop
ment. as they were needed-but all Of
them present a system at once unique.
flexible. and admirably adapted to its
worldwide expansion.
The church is active. bold. agrees
siyc. intensely practical, without re-
gard for what Is Old, sometimes with
out regard for the feelings and
convictions Of representatives Of
other churches. usually aiming