The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21

] the young Pruten0ef WAS tNptCttu. JOnn WostNt
was summoned before the authorities ana made
| to take the oath Of allegiance to the King.
| George H.. and TO sign q declaration against
| Popery. Charles Wesley was indicted because,
IN pu bic prayer. he had besouEht God To call
| home his banishel ones, which was interpreted
| to mean the house OF Stuart Weseys jour
nal" shows that. In scores OF places. the Method
| lists wero modified while holding services In the
| public streets and at their own houses In some
towns rioting lasted for n week. and the suffer.
ings OF the early martyrs were almost parallcled.
On juno %. l144. the first Methodist confer
ence was called In London. There were pres
| cut John and Charles Wesley; John Hodges,
rector OF wenvo In Wales; Henry PIERS, vicar
of Bexley; Samuel Taylor. vicar OF Quinton.
and John Merton. Besides thcse there were
four lay preachers. Thomas Aiaxheld. Thomas
Richards, John Bennett. and John Downcs
The participants In the conference applied
themselves TO defining repentance saving
faith, justification. sanctincation. free will. tho
witness Of tho Spirit. and other doctrines.
The conclusions reached were recorded In
The form OF minutes. Some almost prophetic
statements are found therein. such as
I'VE believe the Methodist. will either be
crushed out or will ieaven the whole Church."
Practical questions OF permanent Importance
were raised. such ns: rs 1t lawful to bear
arms ~ and ia II lawful to use tho law 2"
There was Quaker element In tho Wesleyan
societies. inclined to deny the first OF these In
auiriei. and a Moravian element disposed to
dispute the second: but, after debate. both
were decided aflirmatively. Another Wesleyan
conference was called in Bristol In l'45. and
subsequently such meetings were held annually.
In l747 John Wesley visited ireland. where
Thomas Williams, n lay preacher from Eng
land. had a few months before established q
society. which had Increased until It then num-
bered 300 members. The arrival OF Wesley
promoted the work OF conversion. and he found
1t necessary again to visit Ireland In 174s. We
note that tho grand jury controlled by the
Anglican Church In Ireland presented "
Charles Wesley as n vagabond and n dis
turber OF his Majesty's peace. and tho
appearance OF John was the signal for q
gathering OF mobs. Before 1853 John Yves
ley had visited every part OF Ireland except
Sligo and In that year he entered this county.
where ho found . colony OF German origin.
Whom the twenty first Wesleyan conference
was held at Manchester In August. 1898. there
were represented twenty-five circuits, with
scventy-one preachers. in England; four cir
cults, with four preachers. in Scotland; two
circuits, with two preachers. In W ales. and eight
circuits. with fifteen preachers, In ireland,
making thirty-nne circuits and ninety-two lay
itinerants. besides the local preachers, the wes-
itys themselves. anu those ClefRymen OF tho
Church OF England who cooperatod with them.
VII.
The doctrines taught by John Wesley and
his itenerant ana local preachers included the
fundamental principles Of Christianity hold
by tho Reformed churches generally, but
excluded ritualism and decentralization. and
occupied a ground apart from Caivinism as
regards unconditional election, predestina-
ton. final perseverance OF the saints and kin
dred dogmas In opposition to the last
named views Wesleyanism asserted that, not
withdrawing human depravity. a measure OF
free will Is restored to all. together with that
supernatural light which "lighteth every man
that comoth into the world" and that
even those who have been truly converted
may subsequently, fall away and finally DO lost. |
Especial emphasis was also laid on tho possibil- |
ity OF instantaneous conversion and on tho wit
ness OF tho Spirit which was explicitly defined
and inculcated as the privilege OF every be- |
Hover. The doctrine Of Christian perfection. |
not perfection which does not admit of q con- |
tinual increase. but freedom from sin. from |
evil desires and evil tempers and from pride,
was constantly taught. Itwas also affirmed that |
such perfection Is not usually. IL ever,
attained At the moment of conversion; that |
IL Is attalnablo by faith, and by that only, |
but that Its attainment was possible In |
this life. Tho conditions for membership |
In Wesleyan society were few and simple, |
although they embodied a standard Of spiritual |
life and conduct to which comparatively fow
Christians In any age have conformed. Tho
General Rules Of the United Society propound-
Ing these conditions we're issued In May. l743,
and sgaed by John and Charles Wesley; few
changes have since been made. The peculiar
Wesleyan Institutions for tho promotion of q
Christian life and the exercise of discipline
were, first, regular itincrant ministry exercis-
Ing their functions In circuits which involved
inccasant change. and which covered a vast
e1panso OF country: secondly, tho classes,
with their leaders and tho authority reposed
In them; next the bands and their leaders;
then the district meetings and conferences;
and, finally, love feasts and watch nights
Members OF the societies were instructed to re-
ccive tho Holy Communion at their parish
or In their own meetings when IL was
administered by one of the regularly ordained
clergymen of the Established Church who CO.
operated with the woseys. Dlssenters con-
nected with tho societies were permitted to ro-
ceive tho Lords Supper at the affairs OF their
respective religious bodies for at this period OF
heir career. both John and Charlie. Wesley and
their coadjutors in the Church OF England con-
l!nuAlly declared that they did not cherish
The purpose OF forming n new sect or
restrictions and acquisitions which no church
IN Chrstendom would have thought IL wise to
Impose. and the absence OF various provisions
essential to church. Neither ministers nor
members. when accused OF unsoundness In doe
rine, OF ineniccncy or immortality, had tho
privilege OF trial. much less OF an appeal: they
~ero peremptoriiy excluded by the exercise OF
he judgment OF tho founder. Nor could they
complain OF this, since none was Obliged 10 re-
main In u Wesleyan society. and all had nc.
'ep'ed Wesley's teachings upon that under
standing. We should noto that during this
period in the evolution OF Mothodism Charles
Wesley was the coa'ijutor and counsellor OF the
ounder lie was religious poet OF the first order
ma preacher OF amazing cloqucnce aud force.
although moro variable than his brother. Many
II his hymns were improvisei while preaching;
'lhers were written for special occasions, and
~ John Wesley were set To music. Tho en-
hu,iasm OF the Mcihodiss made them the
inest Nngeis in the Kingdom. In 1888, before