The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1903-06-04


That vast revival which Methodisrn
worked in the masses. spread In every
English cathedral. to every Protestant
house of worship: and gathering
force and increase with the years. II
has rolled on like the stone cut by
bands unseen from the mountain side,
till the Twentieth century is filed
with the coming glory of mans uni
versal Lord
Equilibrium of enthusiasm and
form is the condition of conservative
progress. And progress that is not
conservative is merely impulse En-
thusasm creates: form preserves.
Methodism was the realization of this
necessary balance Their order line
was the origin Of their name: their fer.
Sor quickened failing faith. Zeal for
human rescue. systematized for practi-
cal ends, Is debt the world owes to
Methodism-though the debt Is for
gotten in the universal adoption long
ago of the spirit of Wesley's method
by every Protestant creed. Let no
man undervalue authority, order and
form. Without II liberty is mere ca
price. religion spasmodic and fruitless
emotion. Even ocean waves are ryth-
mic Diffused electricity lights 70
lamp, drives no wheels. cures no Ills.
Early Methodism insisted that II was
of the Church of England. only vital
ICED and made potential by the Spirits
visitation-so great was Methodism's
appreciation OF custom. law and form.
This love of law, this reverence for
government. made loyalty . secular
principle of Methodism. The storms
of wrath against ancient wrongs
which the French Revolution loossd.
seemed likely to overthrow all kuuan
Institutions. good and bad. God wss
deshroued In France and a Spurious
Reason crowned Hurricanes of chaos
swept out of this center of chaos to
other lands and calmer peoples. HAD
they devastated, also. the Angio-Saxon
world. no mind can measure the eject
on civilization and the destiny Of man.
History tells us that Methodism stfiied
this tempest among English-spea&ing
peoples. Burke fulminated-but the
masses never knew. Wordsworth,
Coieridgs. southey sang-but tho mill
ions heard them aot But Ia streets
and lane, In shop and head and minc.
Methodisn spoke and the people heed
ed. And % II IL that tho myriads OF
the tsague Of Shakespeare remained
and stiu remain tho hosts Of lAw-regu-
lated liberty, sane. calm. believing
their history defaced By NO excess. the
flags VI their nations unstaine4 by
frenzy -sAeA blood IL thai no beos-
facsies to nankind? II It is. profane
history, eeadly written, says that man,
hsoa's debt for that IL due to Moth.
odism."
Quoting President Hncoln's 1854 let
ter to the Methodist General Confer
ence wherein the president said: III
il no fault in others that the Methodist
church sends more soldiers to the Held
more nurses to the hospitals and more
prayers to Heaven than any. God
bless the Methodist Church! Bless al
the churches, and blessed be God. who
In this our great trial. giveth US the
churches" Senator Beveridge contin
ued: More soldiers to the field. more
nurses to the hospitals-from the nrs'
that was Methodisms way. 1t reached
the people. Denied in the cathedrais
II sought the fields. Repelled from the
sanctuary. it set up the altar among
the CRIME Of factory and mine. II
knew neither wealth nor pcvorty and
cared for neither rs such-tt taew and
cared esls bor the hearts and souls q
moa-
-D,a,svy has van4shed from the CIV
ilissd world; the Methodist chncct
was tAs apst formally to decdaTs
Asatnst tend Lincoln tetas - tha
what Methodist preachers Taught and
Mstholsst motheCs prayed for. Metho
| dsst ssps disd for. Msthod3sm brough
prasttsel philanthropy ieto rel1gioc
| Sasesr ~ the sH6erlag was. from thu
first, Z part of Methodism's mission
| An tAis il universal now and common
place; bot In the Protestant world J
beeaa with Methodism's practical puE
poses For II Methodism can b con
| desssd into phrase It would be this
| The. union Of the spiritual and the hu
man, OF the theoretical and the prac
| teal. Of faith and Of works
while MethodIsm first sang itz
| psalms, II took thought for education