The Jersey City news., 1902-06-14
WESLEY'S BIRTH
Bi-centennary Of the Found
er Of Methodism to Be
Ftttingly Celebrated.
ILL CONFERENCE 10 PARTICIPATE
Committees at Work Prspar-
ing for the Great Event
Among the Churches.
ILL CONFERENCE 10 PARTICIPATE

The sessions of the Newark Methodist
Episcopal Conference held in Elizabeth
In April last, were just drawing to
close and the pastors were eager to near
Bishop e. g. Andrews. read his appoint
ments when Rev DR.. Alexander Craig
called the attention of the conference 10
the fact that the time was fast approach
ins when Methodists all over the world
would devote week to the two hum
dredth anniversary of the birth of John
Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
DR.. Craig asked that pastors be appoint
ed to represent the Newark Conference
on the committee to be composed OF mem
hers of every conference in the land TOR
the preparation of that important event
in the church's history. Bishop Andrews
said he would appoint such committee.
If it be true, as it has been said, that
there is Methodist chapel in every place
ON earth. excepting the North and South
Poles, the celebration promises to be
very big affair, and already the busy
brains of Methodist leaders have been
occupied with its plans. The House of
Bishops has taken IT up and in a few
days IT is expected an announcement ex
cathedra will be made. Bishop Andrews
recently dropped a hint as to the general
! outlines. There will be services in every
church, with review after review of 5ohn
Wesiey's life His sermons will be preach
ed and his hymns sung. Many prominent
Methodists, both clergy and laity, will
20 to England to Wesley's grave and the
scenes of his early life and will there
mingle with others of the faith from the
outermost parts of the earth. The pill
grimage to Mecca win be a small camp
meeting in comparison with that vast
gathering
John Wesley, the head and front of
evangelical reaction of the eighteenth
century was born in Epworth, Lincoln
shire, England on June IL 1903 He was
The second son of Samuel Wesley. rector
of the Established Church of that little
town 1t is told of him that when his
fathers rectory was burned, at which
time he was only six years old, he mar
rowly escaped death in the flames. He
was sent to Charterhouse. the famous
school. and afterwards went to Oxford,
where. at the early age of twenty-three,
he was elected fellow of Lincoln. Be-
tween the years 1923 and 1885 a small
rumber Of students met to discuss the
Bible. They abstained from amusement
and luxury, visited the sick and the pris-
oners in the gaol and instructed neglect
ed children. John Wesley was the leader.
They were derided by other students and
nicknamed "Methodists." Among these
were his brother Charles, who brought
George whitefeld. afterwards the famous
pulpit orator. into the society; James
Hervey, the author of the celebrated
'-Meditatfons." and other men afterwards
to be become distinguished. The society
dispersed when John Wesley left oxford
In 1735 on the death of his father.
Soon after that. with his brother
Charles, he came to this country to the
new colony of Georgia as a missionary
for the Propagation Society and came in
contact with the Moravians, whose in
fiuenee affected him throughout life. In
this colony he abandoned attempts to
convert the Indians and devoted all his
time to the colonists at Savannah, officiat-
ing at services In German. French and
Italian and even Spanish in order that
he might talk to the Jewish population.
Because Of troubles too complicated to
enter into here he returned to England
In 1871. On his voyage home he wrote
that he had become dissatisfied with the
ineomp.eteness of a traditional religion
and swayed by the teachings of Mo-
ravian preacher. Peter Boiler, he de-
ciared:-
by Peter Boiler in the hands of the
groat God I was fully convinced of the
want OF that faith whereby we are
saved Later he added
When he renounce everything but
faith and get into Christ, then. and not
4 till then. have We reason to believe that
we are Christians
Wesley then became an evangelist; to
raise up body of men by his preaching
and personal influence. who should them
selves become witnesses of the same
truth BY which he had been saved. was
his lifes work. To accomplish this he
organized classes and societies. In the
pulpit was the preaching power; personal
and private influence dominated the class
room.
His views alarmed the English clergy
and churches were closed TO him Meet
ings were held In private rooms and
gradually as his followers grew he held
open air meetings as Whiiefiesd did. His
first church really was an old building
called she Foundry at Moorfelds; the
first property of the Methodist Church
and where the Wesleyan Methodist So
ciety was formed. Here were drawn up
the famous Rules by Wesley himself
the basis Of Methodism today.
In 17zz Wesley Instituted lay preachers
who travelled under his direction, and in
17s4 he held his first conference. These
early conferences were useful for settle.
ment Of points of doctrine and discipline
and for the examination of fellow labor
era and they were held yearly. So rapidly
did ths work multiply that In 1854 Wesle,
was obliged to form a legal conferences
vestins In trustees the property of the
Connection and giving it a corporate