The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-08-11
WESLEY AND METHUDlSM.
An Estimate Of the Great Evangelist's
Character by MIR. Asquith.

English Methodism enjoyed
great rally recently, when Wesley's
Chapel, la the City road, London,
was reopeued with The laying of five
memorial stone some in "memoriam,
one in cUmmemUratiOn OF the settle
ment ana endowment OF Wesley's
house, one in commemoratiOn OF the
opening of the new buildings, aud
two in commemoration OF tue com
pletion OF the restoration of the
chapel, begun on the occasion of the
one-hundI edith anniversary of Yves.
ley's death, March ,, 1891. In speak
ing for the House OF ParlIam sut, Mr..
Asquith mad this to say OF tue nau
the assembly had gathered 10 honor
II suppose YOU are to-day, judged
by the test of numbers, the Idrg est
among all the Protestant com nu-
mites in the world aud yet less than
100 years ago | suppose It would be
equally true to say that never since
the first day of the Christian religion
did church start from sucn I'm all
beginnings ana with such demon
stable lack of all the external con.
ditIons OF success. 1t is true, of
course, that before and at the time
when the Wesleys began their work,
were there, butn in The Church Of
England and out of it, great per-
sUnal forces moulding the religious
thought and activity of the times.
Butler anu Berkeley among church
men, Watts ana DOduridge among
Loncontormists, are only the mosI
familiar in long catalogue of illus
trlous uamts. But these men, great,
good, potent influences as they were,
| appealed To narrow and limited
circle.
I'VE have the uniform testimony
of historians that at that time there
had never been in the experience of
England an era when the highest
class was 50 completely penetrated
with frivolity ana indifference, and
the lowest class SO deeply submerged
in animal degradation. 1t looked as
II the England of hundred years
before-the England of Milton and
of Cromwell-nad fallen asleep.
! From that slumber she was awaken.
/ ed, not by one man or one set of
forces, but among the voices that
reused her every historian will now
acknow ledge that there was none
VINO could speak In clearer accents
or more compelling zeal than the
voice of John Wesley.
Il am not qualified to speak of the
theological system or of his scheme
of church government, but Wesley
was one of those men of command
ing practical genius whom England
from time to time produces aud who,
placed ia any sphele of life, do not
care what, would have dominated
anu inspired his associates. be had
the instinct for government if ever a
man had. He had, III a degree
winch 80 far as | kuow has rarely
been eXceiled, the faculty OF i'll
tellectual and moral concentration.
Everything he saw, everything
he tnough hit ,aLd everything he read
ana We know that OH his journeys ne
was an UmnivorOus reader, aud we
have the excellent authority of DR..
Johnson that he could talk on any
subj ect-everything he saw, thought
or read was asslmnated and COM
pressed into the service of the grea {
work of his life. When we read that
journal OF his-one of the uDstudied
masterpieces OF literature, the home
~ narrative in which from begin
ming to end there is not a trace of
vanity or self consciousness, to my
NINA the most simple anu the most
truly selfrevealing of all the confess
slons of the eighteenth century
when We read thSt journal do not use
the language OF eXaggerasIon when
| say that We seem to be following
IN the steps of one who, both in his
labors anu in sutfsriugS, hardly fell
short Of the greatest Of practical
Evangelists.
But " esley was not coltent with
preaching The was one of the pioneers
of English philanthropy. He was
the first man, or almost the first
Enthusiastically the first religious
teacher or leauer-to force his way
: tor ne had almost literally 10 do 1T
into our goals, not merely 10 oring
consolation and alienation 10 the
prisoners, but to expose what he
was the first TO expose, the erueltles
r ana the IanumanIIIes of the sysTe N
under which they were kept in con-
tiuement. fine does not allow me
TO 90 over the whole ground, out
there l. no type ef social improve
: meut as understood by the best and
( most forward minds of that time to
2 which Wesley did not contribute in
: teiIlgent sympathy and support. lie
] WAS uerided uS an enthusiast aud q
; mailman. For two generations hi:
] name and his work were the target
for the gioes of the cultured ana IOI
! the coarSer hostility of the crowd.
, "toT all this, time, as is Its wont
has oroughta complete aud satisfy
D ing revenge. 81 monumentum re,
P quirIs cIrcumspice. MethodIsm,
3 believe, has never lost the Impres,
e OF its founder. In the free air anC
, In the open fields it has not only
4 held its own, but il has steadily
z added TO its acquisitions ana eularg
, ed its borders. LIZ is we'll, then, u
{ commemorate John Wesley in tina
e larger apostolic succession when i
created ana maintained not by tn,
. laying on of hands or the trausmis
sion of titles, In that success sion n,
, Is one of the MODEST and the mos
l. heroic figures. This place peculiar
ly consecSted TO his memory, vbIei
was, a. l understand, thrOug hOu
his life, or the greater part Of hts life
the home ana the center Of hi
ubiquitous activity-this place vhel,
? his unreSting spirit st last found re
DNSP This Mace il one which We al