The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-24

me and that / likewise implore the divine
benedlction on yourselves and your re-
''''0NS GEORGE WASHINGTON
LOVED BY SOLDIERS.
Every Union soldier learned to love the
very name of Methodism. On the bishops
OF our church Lincoln leaned as on sec
ond cabinet. And in 1864 this savior OF the
Republic sent the following letter through
our General Conference to the million Meth
odist firesides where loyalty TO the flag was
taught in the same lesson with devotion to
the cross:
" 'Gentlemen: In response to your address.
allow me TO attest the accuracy of its his
torical statements, indorse the sentiments
1t expresses, and thank you in the Nations
name for the sure promise Ii gives.
'Nobly sustained as the government has
been by all the churches, / would utter
nothing which might in the least appear
invidiOus against any. Yet without this II
may fairly be said that the Methodist Epis-
best is by its greater numbers the most
important Of ALL IL is no fault in others
that the Methodist Church sends more SOL
pitfalls and more prayers TO heaven than
any. God bless the Methodist Churchi Bless
all the churches; and blessed be God, who
in this our great trial siYedfnH cn nT the
More soldiers TO the field. more nurses
to the hospitals-from the first. that was
Methodism's way. 1t reached the people.
Denied in the cathedrals, IL sought the
fields. Repealed from the sanctuary, ii set
up the altar among the CRIME of factory
and mine. 1t knew neither wealth nor pow
erty and cared for neither as such-it knew
and cared only for the hearts and souls
of man. Read Thackeray's tribute to our
founders and our method; and nd know know anew new,
are important; that the peoples purity is
the highest work; and that the people re-
spond TO the noblest and best when honest
&c 10 m Il
cray speak: "Whtefield cried out in the will
derness. Wesley Quilted the insulted tenn
Piles TO pray on the hillside; 1 look with
reverence on these men," Such was Thack-
eray's feelings for the earthly founders Of
Our church.
WAR AGAINST SLAVERY.
Slavery has vanished from the civilized
| world; the Methodist Church was the first
| formally to declare against it-and Lin
| coin tells US that what Methodist preach
| ers taught and Methodist mothers prayed
for, Methodist sons died for.
"Bible societies have carried the gospels
| written words over all the world And in
| Methodism's mind these organizations for
| publishing the Scriptures to all mankind
! had their origin; and in Methodisms heart
| their most determined promotion.
| "Methodism brought practical philan-
thropy into religion. Greene tells us that
| the humanitarian movement in England
| flowed out of Methodism's evangelization
/ of the nation. Hospitals and every method
| of human amelioration was from the first
a part of Methodism's work Succor for
| the suffering was, from the first, a part of
| Methodisms mission. All this is universal
| now and commonplace; but in the Protest
! ant world it began with Methodism'S prac
teal purposes. For if Methodism can be
condensed into a phrase, IT would be this:
| The union of the spiritual and the human
| of the theoretical and the practical, of
/ faith and of works.
while Methodism first sang its psalms
| it took thought for education. Its faith
| feared not knowledge. Wesley organized
| schools before he formulated the machinery
of church administration. He wrote text
| books while he penned the articles of
/ Methodist confession. And TO this day the
| mind of Methodism is fertile in devsing
| new and modern methods for educating the
| masses. The whole church is propa-
| ganda of enlightenment. The Chautauquan
/ movement, which makes every home a
! school, is a Methodist invention, and the
beautiful Chautauqua salute, every time it
! is given, is a white and waving praise to
/ Methodism's practical masterfulness in
| lifting up the minds of otherwise neglected
| millions. Secular instruction Methodism
| considers the handmade of moral teaching.
Its founders were men of learning, oxford
bred. and the college and the cathedral,
| the schoolhouse and the meeting house in
| Methodisms thought stand side by side.
| And to-day go universities and schools,
with s30,000O00 of property and endowments
| and nearly 10000 students, proclaim the
| worlds educational debt to Methodism.
POWERFUL AND RICH.
''Methodism is powerful now, and rich. It's
| membership reaches nearly 100000. And
yet its activity is not abated, and its activi-
ty is the activity of the times. Always the
Protestant Church of high and careful or
ganization it's organization to-day is akin
to that perfect machinery of the industrial
and commercial world of the twentieth CEN
fury. Witness the Epworth League-as
| perfect a recruiting force as ever was per-
| fected among the young. Methodism or
ganizes the enthusiasmS of youth; the Ep-
worth League marches forward in ordered
| companies, regiments and battalions-an
army of good will, militant force for
peace and righteousness.
| Organization. conservatism enthusiasm
made practical, ideals made real-this idea
and practice is part of the worlds in
debtedness to Methodism. And the spirit of
the practical manifested in religious activi-
ty is invaluable to a republic where every
theory, however wild, every scheme, how
ever fantastic, is urged upon the people
| with all the allurment of novelty, with all
the dangerous power of infiaming speech
Methodism has stood clear-eyed and calm
against all spurious agitation.
'These words from the episcopal address
of 1900 ought to be committed to memory
by every Methodist in the land and made
the gospel of civic action by every citizen
of the Republic:
" Its gospel is for the redemption of all
life. But it's discussions must bear a
peculiar, Christian form. They must pro-
coed under the profound conviction that
character and not outward condition is the
supreme sphere OF the church; that incom-
parably the largest contributions which the
church can make toward a social milen-
MUM are Christian men and not social theo-
ries. They must distinctly recognize the
fact that neither the church nor any of its
ministers has Thus saith the Lord OF
any other divine sanction for particular
measures designed to amend class relations
And yet they must use caution, justified by
many lamentable instances, lest cheap
and ex cathedra treatment of exceedingly
complex economic problems forfeit respect
and influence among the thoughtful and
good. In these matters the dogmatist and
the charlatan are too often one and the
same.
" 1t is further obvious that the church
must avoid partisanship toward classes Its
message is for all alike. Selishness is the
universal sin. No class monopolizes it
Here the rich and poor meet together. AnC
this sin is the woe and imminent peril Of
both. The church. therefore, will love and
aid all; will be bitter and denunciatory to-
ward none; will, If possible, ALLEVIATE
none; Will declare the virtues, the temp
tations, the sins and the duties peculiar
to EACH and will strenuously labor Il
bring all into one great fellowship of serv
ice. For all over every class it has on
unchanging and adequate message. b,
this message il will save the individual anC
thereby save society. Ii proclaims one com
mon and impartial Lord, Redeemer anC
Judge, one supreme relation among mer
which is brotherhood. one transcenden
good which is character, one all-inclusiv'
duty which is love
IF the Methodist Church realized M
more than TO make the spirit of this ad