The Lamar register., 1903-07-15

5 AE IN


John Wesley, whose bicentennial
millions of Methodists recently cele-
brated. was born and bred in the
Episcopal or established church OF
England, whose ministry he entered
In early life. He never failed to in
clude her name In his prayers and he
died in her full communion. OF Wes-
ley the late Dean Farrar of Canter-
bury said: He loved the church
which hated him. He saved the
church Of England, although at hrst
she so angrily and contemptuously re
jected him
John Wesley was born In the rec
tory at Epworth. Eng. June IT. 17O3.
o. 8. When John was but 8, the
duke of Buckingham. lord chamberlain
to Queen Anne, gave him free schol-
arship in the famous school OF the
Charterhouse in London.
While at the Charterhouse school.
in May, 1716. an explosion destroyed
cannon factory at Moorfelds, from
wich the proprietor moved to Wool
wich and established the royal ar.
senal. This shattered foundry. twen-
ty-three years safterward. Wesley re-
stored and converted into the mother
- church of the whole family of Method
J list churches on every continent. Al
though 1t would seat 1900 persons.
1t often became SO crowded that ad-
journEient was necessary to the open
fields, and in 1878 Wesley completed
and opened. Nov. /. the Wesley chap
ell, on City road, London. This has
been many times renovated. but the
present shell of the building. the gal
leries and rail are all of Wesleys
time. and the place. filled with me-
mentoes, is still Mecca for all low
ers of Methodist history.
In 1920 Wesley left the Charter
house for Christ Church college. Ok
ford taking with him a school ex-
hibition prize of 5000 year. but he
never lost his veneration and love for
his first school.
Wesley was ordained deacon by
Bishop John Potter of Oxford, Sept.
10. 1925, and priest Sept. %. 1928.
His first sermon was at South Leigh
in Oxfordshire in .1725.
On his 23d birthday he was elected
fellow of Lincoln college. His faith
er then had but $50 to keep his family
until after the harvest, but he wrote
In high spirits, what will be my own
fate God knows, but wherever | am
my Jack is fellow of Lincoln
Lincoln college, within whose walls
Methodism was Graded. was founded
in the fifteenth century by two bish-
ops of Lincoln, in order to counteract
heresies dangerous to the church, but
John Wesley, the revolutionist, was
connected with 1t more than a quar-
ter of century. and its name appears
on the title pages of all his works.
He became Greek lecturer. and from
then to the close of his life was
hard and wide student. Hebrew,
Greek. Arabic, Latin, logic, ethics,
metaphysics. natural philosophy, po-
etry and divinity entering into his
weekly plan of study. In 1877 only "a
years old, he obtained the degree of
master of arts. His financial struggles
were over and by strict economy he
was thenceforth able to help his faith
er and his family.
The name of Methodist was first
bestowed upon Charles Wesley. Johns
older brother and his friends, because
of their strict conformity to the meth
cd of study prescribed by the uni
versity, but John Wesley became the
father of Methodism, which he gave
new Interpretation In his English
dictionary. "One who lives accord
ing to the method laid down in the
Bible"
John Wesley returned to Oxford as
a tutor In 1929, and there found THE
Holy club" which had been started
by his brother Charles two years be-
fore. He almost Immediately became
its leader. and so continued until 1875.
This movement was spiritual, humani-
tartan and scriptural, its first and con-
stant work being the study of the BIZ
BILE. Among its members was George
Whitefeld, who, until he was 15 years
old. drew ale for customers at his
fathers inn in Gloucester He was
converted in 1875, in his 2lst year,
and at once became member of the
club.
The Wesleys. to whom WhitefielG
had BECOME greatly attached, sailed
e for Georgia in October. 1875. and in
their absence Whitefield set the world
to talking by such preaching as had
never before been heard in. England
He often gave thirty sermons month,
and the common people. hearing him
gladly, thousands were converted.
The Wesleys heard of him and ap-
pealed to him to come to America.
ana he passed them on his Western
trip across the ocean as they were re-
turning.
This was in 1898. On the arrival of
the Wesley brothers in England they
were thrown in contact with certain
Moravians, who kept alive the oil
doctrine of justification by faith. and
Inder the influence of one OF them.
Peter Boiler. John became convinced
of his want of that faith whereby
alone we are saved" This was en-
phasized by his experience with
man under sentence of death, and the
influence of this was such that on
Gigantic Railroad Projected.