The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-25
SERMON BY REV. F. W. ADAMS
Its Growth ms Measured by Yale ana
Harvnrd-The PhilnnthrOpic Achieve
ments of Methodism-Thc Work of
John Wesley,

John Wesley.
1.-THE Achievements of Methodsm'
was the subject Of a very interesting
discourse by Rev. Frederick winston
Adams, pastor of Epworth M. e
church yesterday morning. In part HI
spoke as follows:
When Harvard university was in the
one hundred and twentyfourth year OF
it's career and Yale was nearly sixty
years old, the first Methodist sermon
was preached on the North American
continent, and that by a layman and
not by an ordained minister 1t was
not until Yale was eighty-four years old
and Harvard $50 that the Methodist
Episcopal church in the United States
was organized and yet to-day Method
ism outnumbers the denomination for
which Yale university stood 8 to | and
the denomination for which Harvard
stands over to 1.
| Methodism numbers in this country
| 5500000 members. and 100000 Sunday
school scholars, but it is not statistics
that tell the story Of real development.
am to speak Of some of the advance
ments of Methodism in the influence of
the Methodist spirit on forces without
the denomination.
| Mr.. Adams referred to Dean Farrars
| statement Of what the Wesleyan revi-
val did for the Church Of England, and
| spoke of the brilliant achievements of
England under the premiership Of Pitt,
the great commoner, in making posi-
BILE Protestant India, Germany and the
United States, and quoted Greene, the
historian, to the effect that Pitt could
not have won these tremendous victo
ries but for the Wesleyan revival which
preceded, and the historian Lecky to
the effect that brilliant Pitts victories
were they were not so important as the
Wesleyan revival that made them pos
sible.
Mr.. Adams next spoke of the philan-
thropic achievements Of Methodism. He
said In part:
Greene in his history Of England says
that the ''Methodists themselves were
the least result Of the Methodist revival"
He then adds: THE noblest result Of the
religious revival was the steady attempt
to this, 10 remedy the guilt, the ignor-
ance, the physical suffering, the social
degradation of the profigate and the
poor" And this work Greene calls "the
new philanthropy"
Methodism in her infancy then is
found inaugurating and supporting
great moral reforms for the benefit of
mankind.
Wilberforce, the real emancipation of
English slavery was a product of Meth
odism and the last letter written by
John Wesley was an advice to Wilber
force in his battle with parliament.
John Harvard, the promoter Of prison
discipline and reform, was product of
the Wesleyan revival as well.
We look to-day at the great free hos
pitfalls and free dispensaries In our large
cities with feelings of admiration of
what Is being done for the poor. but how
few Of us remember that the first free
dispensary. in London was established
by John Wesley, because of his longing
to relieve the suffering of the poor re-
ported by his church visitors of the
sick?" With the aid Of an apothecary
and surgeon. himself acting as ply
stefan, he opened free dispensary and
records that in five months over 800 peo-
pie had been treated, and seventy, who
had taken regular treatment, had been
cured of the dstemper, long thought
incurable, This dlspensasy long contin-
ued as an appendage to the Foundry
church. He also established a home for
the poor. loan association for the In
dustrious poor, and the Strangers
Friend society In Bristol In 1889, which |
is still in existence and is one of the |
most effective charities In England.
To-day, in some Of our large cities, a
few churches are devoting a part of |
their church buildings to reading rooms |
and evening schools for the poor. But |
in this they are $50 years behind John |
Wesley, who fitted up one end of the |
Foundry chapel for school and put |
later a sailor, who had become convert
ed at the Foundry, in charge. In sew
eral years he had trained 300 boys and |
some girls. most of whom were fitted |
FOR some trade.
To-day, even In the small towns and |
villages, the free library and reading
room is often found, but 1t was made
possible by the work of Wesley, and had
It's beginning during his lifetime in the
circulating library THE vast spread
If religious instruction by weekly peri
)dicals and the cheap press with all it's
stupendous consequences We're inaugu-
'ated by him" In our day and country
Bishop Vincent has become q true sue
lessor to Wesley in the extension Of
popular education through the great
Chautauqua system, which is in itself
me Of the great movements of the
nineteenth century. Few realize what
,ur book concern has done as an educa-
ional force in the discrimination of re-
igious literature, but some idea can be
,rasped in the fact that it is the oldest
md largest publishing house in the
Protestant world.
Do you know why the Methodists are
allied ignorant? 1t Is. because the
1ethodists have educated so many more
gnorant people than anybody else.
Some people "the Methodists" are ig-
lorant people This odium has chung to
is because our work has been so large
y among the poor and ignorant, But
Who has educated 50 many ignorant
eople as the Methodists? Aside from
he public school Methodism has been
he greatest single factor In saving this
ountry from illteracy. In brief, to
uote Cannon Farrar "Tbe i,,opulea ~ |