The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-22


 Buckle characterizes him as the first of theological statesmen
 Isaac Taylor asserted: The Methodist movement is the starting point of our modern religious polity and the field preaching of Wesley and Whitfield is the event from which the religious epoch, now current, must date it's commencement" i
 The historian Leslie Stephen. in his great work The History of English Thought in the Eighteenth Century" says: "Wesleyanism, was ill many respects, by far the most important phenomenon of the Eighteenth Century," and to the same purpose speaks Justin Mccarthy in his history of The Four Georges" using these strong words: There is not much about this period of English history con- corning which the modern Englishman can feel really, proud except that great , religious revival which began with the thoughts and teachings of John Wesley" Effect of Wesley's Work. | w H. Fitchet in his interesting work | bearing the title How England saved l Europe" and justfying by it's contents
 the title that 1t bears, points out the | benign effect of Wesley's work in check ! ing the destructive power of French in- l fidelity in the remarkable passage: l Great Briton was invigorated by the
 great religious movement of which Wes- | ley and Whitfield were the leaders. That | movement was practically a new birth of Puritansm spiritualized and ennobled, purged of it's gloom. of its fierce political l leaven. of its narrowness. It is not easy to realize how 1t might have affected
 English history if in the middle. of the Eighteenth Century. with its tdrowsy ! church, Cts enervated moralsts laxity Of public life. there had arisen instead of a reformer like Wesley, an English Vol taire, distilling the gall of his scepticism, the acid of his bitter wit. into the life of England. In that case the Reign of Terror in Paris might have been rivaled by one as fierce and bloody in London. Wesley to the zeal of an apostle and the spiritual ardor of d saint, added the patriotism of an Englishman, and some thing at least of the intellectual vision of a statesman. And he did something more that crystalize into happy and enduring form the great religious body that bears his name. He affected for good the whole tone of English society. The religious re- vival of that period had the office of purified domestic life. It wove bonds purledfed domestic life. It wove bonds of quick and generous sympathy betwixt all classes. It put a more robust fiber into the national character. It gave a new tenderness to charity, a nobler dar- i ing to philanthropy, loftier authority to morals, as well as a new grace to religion. So it helped to cleanse the national life. Among the elements of strength to Great Britain at the begin ming of the struggle with revolutionary France, is surely to be reckoned the in- vigora ton bred Of a revived faith in religion"
 In this connection let us pause in our consideration of these notable testimo- nials to Wesley's work and worth in order
 to inquire what would have been the fate of our young republic if the doctrines of VoltaiSe had at that time prevailed over England, the seed plat from which the stocks were being drawn for the plant ing of the American nation? When John Wesley helped England save Europe did he not also help to save our own land from doubt despair and destruction?
 About that time also England and all Chrstendom were beset bv another peril, which if not transformed into a bles- sing. might easily have become the occa- sion of the most dreadful revolution. Through the inventions of Jas Watt and others the modern industrial era was be- Ing brought to birth. Discussing the ef- feet of these inventions which changed with exampled rapidity. the whole course of English history, "hringing in their train the dangers of the gravest kind" Mfr. w. F. H. Lecky, the celebrated author of England in the Eighteenth Century" says: "T'he true great and welfare of nations depend mainly on the amount of moral force that is generated within them. Society never can continue in a state of tolerable security when there is no other bond of cohesion than a mere money tie; and it is idle to expect the other classes of the community to join in self sacrifice and enthusiasm of patriot ism if all unselfish motives are excluded from their several rela ations Every change of conditions which widens the chasr and impairs the sympathy be- tween rich and poor can not fail, however beneficial may he it's other effect. to bring with it great danger to the State. It is incontesta ble that the immense in crease of manufa curing industry and of the manufacturing population has had this tendency; and 1t is therefore, con ceive. peculiarly fortunate that it should have been proceeded by religious revival (the Wesleyan movement which opened new spring of moral and relgious energy among the poor. and at the same time gave powerful impulse to the philanthropy of the rich
 Effect on Modern Industry.
 The acute student of industrial ques- tions, the Hon. Carrol D. Wright, of Massachusetts has concurred with MT. Lecky's view and has clearly stated in recent article another effect of the Wesley revival on modern industry. He says:
 "A body without a spirit is dead mat ter, and this Is quite true when we con-