The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-08-02
WESLEY AND METHODISM.
An Estimate of the Great Evangelists
Character by MIR. AsQuith.

Philadelphia Press.
English Methodism enjoyed q great rally
recently, when wesley's Chapel, in the City
road, London, was reopened with the laying
of five memorial stones, one 'in memo
riam," one In commemoration Of the settle
ment and endowment of wesley's House.
one in commemoration of the opening of the
new buildings and two In commemoration
OF the completion of the restoration Of the
chapel, begun on the occasion Of the one
hundredth anniversary of Wesleys death,
March q 1891 In speaking for the House of
Parliament Mr.. AsQuith had this to say OF
the man the assembly had gathered to
honor:
Il suppose you are to-day, Judged by the
test Of numbers. the largest among all the
Protestant communities in the world, and
yet less than b0 years ago 1 suppose it
would be equally true to say that never
since the first day of the Christian religion
did church start from such small begin
nlngs and with such a demonstrate lack of
all the external conditions Of success. Ii Is
true, OF course, that before and at the time
when the Wesleys began their work there
We're, both In the Church of England and
outside it great personal forces moiding the
renglous thought and activity of the times.
Butler and Berkeley among churchmen,
watts and Doddridge among Nonconform-
lists, are only the most familiar in a long
men, great, good, potent influences as they
were, appealed to narrow and limited
| circle.
We have the uniform testimony of his
torians that at that time there had never
been In the experience of England an era
when the highest class was SO completely
penetrated with frivolity and indifference
and the lowest class SO deeply submerged in
animal degradation. 1t looked as II the
England Of Milton and an Of Cromwei-had
Iaiien asleep. From that slumber she was
awakened, not by one man or one set OF
forces, but among the voices that reused
her every historian will acknowledge that
there was none who spoke in clearer accents
| or more compelling zeal than the voice Of
:! am not qualified to speak of his theo-
logical system or Of his scheme of church
| men of commanding practical genius whom
England from time TO time produces, and
who, placed in any. sphere of life. 1 DO not
| spired MS associates. He had the instinct
Tor government II ever a man had. He had.
IN IN a degree which. SO far as I know, has
| lectual and moral concentration.
Everything he saw. everything he
know that on his Journeys he was G an omn i've
| OrouS reader, and We have the excellent
authority Of DIR. Johnson that he could tank
or read was assimilated and compressed into
the service OF the great work OF his life.
When we read that journal Of his-one OF
L
| homely narrative in which from beginning
10 enc there Is not a trace Of vanity or SELF
consciousness, to my mind the most simple
| fessions Of the eighteenth century-when we
read that journal do not use the Language
S fo1iSWn On when VIII say that we
| IN his labors and In his sufferings, hardly
fell short OF the greatest Of practical evan.
| gelists.
But Wesley was not content with preach.
| ing; ne was one Of the pioneers Of English
philanthropy. He was the first man, or al
most the first man-certainly the first re-
| ligious teacher or leader-to force his way
for he had almost literally to do it-into oul
Jails. not merely to bring consolation and
what he was the first to expose, the cruel
ties and the inhumanities of the system un.
Gsp s Which, doas they nof w s, kept In
whole ground, but there Is no type of socia
| improvement as understood by the best anc
Wesley did not contribute intelligent sym
| pathy and support. He was derided as ar
enthusiast and mailman. For two genera
Tor the gibes Of the cultured and for the
| coarser hostility of the crowd.
For all this time, as is its wont, ha.
brought complete and satisfying revenge
| 81 monumentum requiris circumspice. Meth
odism, l believe, has never lost the impress.
OF its founder. In the free air and in tn,
1t has steadily added to it's acquisitions anC
enlarged its borders. 1t is well, then. Il
1 commemorate JOnn wesley In that larger
apostolic succession which is created an(
maintained not by the laying on Of hands OF
the transmission Of titles. In that succession
he Is one of the noblest and the most heroi,
hgures This place peculiarly consecrateC
10 MS memory, which was, as understand
throughout his life. or the greater part o.
his life, the home and the center OF hi.
ubiquitous activity-this place where his un
resting spirit at last found repose, this plac,
is one which we all do we'll to honor 1t be
longs, venture to say, not to a sect or to {
caste. for, though You are it's natural anC
It's appointed guardians, you hold 1t in trus
not for Methodism only, but for Englant
and for Christendom at large"