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

movement, for therein not alone the peo-
pie called Methodists but the whole Prot
estant Church received impulses to a new
life.
THE explanation of the choicest litera-
ture of the ages Is given In these words
HOLY men OF old spake they were
ment called Methodism can only be sim
ilarly explained. 1t was the liberation OF the
intellect and the will by the power OF ex-
perienced truth; the mighty impact OF a
There are four characteristics of Meth
oolsm which stand out prominently. II was
doctrinal. experimental, ethical and social.
1t might properly be characterized as an
ethical revival Of religion for personal and
collective righteousness. You take II as
a doctr1nal system and you find that while
II creates nothing new, II does eliminate
and repudiate much that was already held.
It's twenty-five articles of religion are from
the Anglican thirty-nine.
Methodism showed itself to be indif-
1erent 70 doctrinal accretiOns and nonessen-
tlais. but emphatic and positive as to vital,
Verlned and demonstrable truth. Even In its
system OF theology, and nearly all system
ized theology has dangerous clements IN
1t, but even here, II was remarkably phil
osophic. scientific and sane.
1t laid emphasis on the matchlessness OF
the divine love and purpose in making pro-
vision for and In earnestly desiring TO Sc
cure the salvation af all men. 1t laid the
destiny or men not in the divine DEGREES
put on human acceptance. In its grasp or
ton OF Jesus Christ, the second Adam, 10
all the race, and discriminating clearly be-
tween hereditary and personal guilt. IL
readily saw that all children, and indeed
all persons not rejecting the light of life
were under the rich benefits of redeeming
love. IL also emphasized the inherent dig
nity OF human nature In showing that the
diVine remedy provided through Christ for
all men, was accepted or rejected by the
choice and violitiOn Of the individual. In
emphasizing human responsibility. it Gre
"A g ind ali xt-hfn Wit
the added obligation or personal vertical
tlon or the truth meant the emancipation
OF both the intellect and the. will
Methodism thus helped give TO the Eng
lish speaking world an intellectual and
moral aristocracy-the virile manhood of the
Ango-Saxon people OF to-day-not, indeed.
particularly out of its retained govern
mental conception OF God, rather than the
purely Christ conception-as of Father
Providence and Propitious Lord, a God no,
so much seeking satisfaction as seeking
10 save mel, but yet the teaching in tbs
main lead man TO think well of himself
as potentially a child of God and capable
through grace of all the attachments OF
Christian sonship. and service.
1T was this experienced truth which
made Wesley and the movement called
| MethodiSm. 1t Is never abstract truth
which makes men and movements. Ger.
tainiy abstract truth is valuable; so, too
| letters and words are valuable, yet not in
! themselves, but as means of conveyance
| indeed, as Luther remarked, Words are
1 things, but words are never things except
| when they are the voicing of life principle
| or personal force. With a conscientious
| and consecrated personality like Luther
| they were things with some they are only
articulated sounds. Words as they poul
| from the lips of a prophet like Carlisle
sensitizing the conscience, widening the
| vision, swaying the Judgment, moving ths
will--words from Carlisle were things, bu
| why? Because they were the lava of per
| sonal and incarnate truth.
| Again, Methodism was essentially az
ethical movement, and ii was such indeed
| on the only sure ground of ethics, viz.
sound doctrinal truth. In these late years
j under the higher ethical standard of thu
evangelical revival of the eighteenth anC
nineteenth centurieS-a chief force amongs
| which is Methodism-we have had numer
/ Gus schools of ethics with various anC
varying standards, but so far as we know
1 there remains yet TO be consummated tn,
/ first permanent movement for ethics found
ed on any other than a doctrinal basis
| Thomas Chalmers, of Scotland, was pre-
| eminently qualified to succeed in such at
| tempts IL any one could, but he tells III
| that during the years that he preached pur,
ethics and high morality on a purely utili
| tartan basis he does not know of on,
/ drunkard in the town OF Kilmarney tina
| was reformed, or one immoral life that wa
| changed; but when he came personally un
| der the divine doctrines of the gospel O
Christ and preached them persons wer
converted by the hundreds and with ;
| changed life as the new basis for ethic
| the moral transformations were marvel