The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-03
-RINlTYS SEMl-CENTENNIAL.

rae record OF his achievements. No hon.
.-. in the Church OF Eng,and were too
....,t Tor MIN He'd be been an ambitious
rsr OF selfish man ecolesiastlc prefer
r+.rt of the highest dignity could easily
ft,e been secured by mis- great intellect
XXI uucOnquerahie Will. But he cared
r..hirE for human honom To use again
. language of Macauiay. "he devoted 81
OIL. powers in defiance OF obloquy and
,l..fsIon TO what ne sincerely considered
ts. highest good OF his species This BE-
tr. literal truth Of great scholar aud
81 great man capable of great possibilities
t worldly achievements. Of whom Macau-
las also says land Buckle. the skepiscai
.. nor OF !he History Of Civilization In
urrfsud" thinks the estimate hardly
sI cxaggcration'D. that his genius for
.rysrnment was not inferior 20 that OF
u-utiicu." When such a man devotes hts
.r.iro life with unnagglug zeal aul
,-eIduity 10 the good Of others lin the
teeth OF clenched antagonisms." despite
prrsecutlon. abuse. derision ana contempt.
oefen misunderstood and uuappreciated
oven by his friends, Il Is no wonder that
tl. great and good OF all churches now
give him one OF the most exalted places
IN the annals Of time. and such revereut
.,,,ls n- tho Church OF England Or
l,5vth. che Bishop OF London. exGaim.
when contemplating his career, "Air
wesley may be found at your feet ia
aaothcr word''
WeSIey's Co-Laborerr.
IFS oo-Iaborers were many Of them.
rr.rhty men. great In learning Ia intellect
an iu character. In calling your atten-
ton briefly 20 them. ! can best employ
Tic language OF celebrated Euglishman.
.sfeihodism was Graded in the rectory at
TaRorth and rocked by che hands OF SUI
.tuns Wesley. and It's eo.ly yoath was
John Wesley Charles Wesley. George
Wlteded. William Morgan. James Her
sal, and other scholars at oxford were it's
earliest professors. IL afterward number
"A among lie followers John Fletcher.
Adam Clarke. Joseph Benson ri aard
Watson and Thomas Coke. And who are
these John Wesley. fellow OF Lincoln
college presbyter OF che Church % Eng
Iand-thc eminent scholar. profound To-
r..ian. with talents for organiza tion aud
esvnrnment. that would have qualified
Rim mad he been born n prince 10 he
fha greatest monarch that ever sat OF the
throne Of Alfrsd--to plan and develop the
erstem. and 10 organize and direct is
forces. Charles Wesley whom Dean
Stanley calls sweet psalmist Of the
church Of those days" but y HON We call
t.e sweetest singer IN Israel since David.
Israers great lyric poet. swept the cords
~ hts tuncful harp-to write its songs:
George Whiteheld-the greatest pulpit or
ator. living or dead-to preach II 10 the
multitude: John Fletcher Of Madeley.
prince OF pOlemics-with wit wel-;emper-
81 and keen as a blade OF Saladn. and
with logic ponderous and crushing as
mace welded by arm OF Occur de Leon.
but with heart as tender and loving as a
womans-to defend It's doctrines. Adam
clarke tho great encyclopedia and Orien-
tll scholar Of his day. and the learned
Richard Benson-to write its commen-
ssries. Richard Watson who scared
saii the great Robert Hall. Unto regions
81 thought where no genius but his own
can penetrate and who was the only
syssemizer said Dr. Alexander Of
Princeton. who IN theology approached
tha emincnce Of Turretin. or reasoned like
Pal,y. and descanted like Hall'-to write
81 Institutes OF Theology: and Thomas
Coke Of Jesus College. oxford doctor OF
civil laws. and the father OF modern mis-
flons-to carry Methodsm into the re-
eious beyond" such were the authors
and illustrators OF Wesleyan Methoiism.
Wen may Il challenge the churches 70
present "A greater array OF various and pc
cIliar gifts"
Methodism Politically.
What did Methodlsm do for England
politcally2 ! fully share the belief OF
many thoughtful men thar the preaching
~ John Wesley and his successors saved
England from the horrors OF the French
revolution. Tho times were ripe for revo-
lufion Corruption IN church and state
WINS deep. widespread and hopeless. All
authority was fast becoming contemplate.
InndeHty perrneated and saturated all
ranks ana conditions Of society II had
become rampant and derislve II had be-
come Questionable 70 believe Scholars
generally. and many who affected scholar
ship, held anything like an orthodox be-
lief IN contempt The clergy OF tho es-
tnblishment. with some notable and
glorious exceptions were irreligious
triaers knowing nothing OF experimental
faith. did not rise above cold and mean
irrless moral essays; did not understand
or profess n single doctrine OF vital and
saving faith and many OF them would
laugh ln private ~ the doctrines which
they sometimes perfunctorily preached in
public At this critical time. when the
wholesome. conserving and conservative
doctrines OF Wesleyan Methodism were
preached. society was just over the
crater OF a vuoano and the danger Of a
horrible explosion was imminent Strong
testimony from high and non-Methodistic
sources can be adduced 20 establish my
proposition All historians now agree
with Macaulay IN consigning 90 merited
contempt those books called Histories OF
England. under the reign Of George H..
n which due importance IS not given 10
the rise and influence OF Methodism Mr..
Lucky the author Of ENGLAND IN the
Eighteenth Century" himself a skeptic,
with no sympathy with the MethOdiss
church or its doctrines. gives "a ''promi-
mont place" 20 the Methodist movement
among tho causes which saved England
from tho maelstrom which engulfed
France
Tho English Church and English so
cifty were large debtors TO these Metho-
dist preachers who then excited only their
contempt II Il difficult now 10 under
stand the prevalence and magnitude Of
che corruption Of that unhappy time
whom tho spirit Of God aroused Wesley
and his followers to earnest and uncom-
PROMISING demonstrations OF vice and crime
nod solemn warnings OF the wrath Of
God. ln fho language Of another: Among
poor ana rich drunkenness was nearly
universal. nearly everybody sold gin. till
government imposed n heavy license on
i's sale and then numbers OF men lived
bv turning informers. Everywhere mon
sold their votes just as shey would sell
eErs or shoes Public immortality was
crying scandal and Wnlpole declared that
an enemy IN the field might buy the
country. ana that every member % the
House OF Commons. had his price. Pri-
vltc life was fouled a. SIS fountains and