Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-03-23
PARLIAMENT OF RELIGIONS.
"Nhat DO Methodists Believer" Rev
I. II. W. Wharf.

l. w w Hbfhs
The fourth meeting in the "Parliamcnt
OF Religions" was held at the Unitarian
vestry last Wednesday afternoon. Rev. |.
II. W Wharf replied to the question:
What do Methodists Believer" He said in
part.
Methodism was born in oxford uni
versity, England, in 1929, Two young
men reading the Bible, saw they could
not be saved without holiness. followed
after it. and melted others 50 to do. In
1877 they saw likewise, that men are JUS
tilted before they are sanctitied; but still
holiness was their object God then
thrust them out to raise holy people
The progress they made was with much
opposition, but the growth of their belief
was rapid soon spreading to all parts OF
England.
Methodsm was transplanted to the
United States in 1866 At the close of the
Revolutionary war there were eighty
preachers and about 10 600 members. At
the Christmas conference commencing
Dec 2I, 1874, there We're sixty preachers
present, and the Methodist Episcopal
church was organized
Mcthodism was we'll adapted to the
needs of the people Our preachers went
eYeryw here with gospel Of truth, saneti-
fed by the Holy Ghost and differing from
ether phases Of the Bible in that there MAS
a know So in it In these early times
most people felt in regard to their re-
ligious experience that it MAS impossible
to know much about it; at best ii was
hope or guess.
with such gospel fIled with joy and
peace, accompanied by he power at God
and with an agony for souls soul saving
Was its passion. lts ministry. SAYS br.
Reed, uncalled. uuhired. oftens unsup-
ported. galloped 10 their loving duty on
Il " bFYS " a la
less than that of an angels wing; with
one hand they brushed aside the beaut
full dignity and cold formaity of rituali~m,
and with the other pushed away all that
was strait laced or long faced in religion.
Such power could not be conuned
more than light could be shut off from
the earth. 1t spread very rapidly. There
are now Sc 1856 Methodist preachers, not
including II 500 local preachers, 81, $50
churches and 5 S3i ,772 communicates
We believe the Bible is the word of
God that holy men wrote ii AS they were
inspired by God might stop here, but
that would hardly answer your question
as to our special belief as distinguished
from other denominations.
Our doctrines OF the Holy Scriptures are
set forth in twenty five Articles of Reli-
giono. Among these are the following:
J. There Is but one living and true God T
everlasting, without body or parts. OF Infinite I
i,reseryrr If nj, nm yi.iI,i, and imyt.ip,Iq
~ g. - - ~ 1.id,.,,i - 80 81
persons, OF one substance, power an" eternity F
Th 'e n1,, nn az Inv ~ Fo,.or
tb@ yerT aud eIrT1ai t,.5 81 "n, s,,t-tlI'r.
WIN me Father, took man nature in the womS
of the blessed virgin; - that whole aud perfect
nature, that j. To say. thc 6"thtHt aud man +
huod. were joined together IN oue person. never
10 &c hlf''Ti whereof r. one init very "o'
I'M ! , ~; 1" WI" Iul ~
i- and H. he n .,,'rii, iiy f',, r,,,i,i
auilt, bat .Il-J Tor tn, actual -!u- oi men
Chri-t did truly rt-c again from the dead,
and took again Ht~ body. with al things arfer.
tatHluE 10 IN" perfection oil mans nature, .
r." NV ne A-t'aHtH INTO u'"N'n, ana 'n'ft
49, NJ - an ''' AZ 's
Inc Holy Ghnst. proceeding from tho.
Father aud the >ot. i OF oue substance, ma
JEST ana glory With the tathor and the Sou.
very a,d eternal cod