Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-05-07

IFS lips sealed with the silence OF
death. What we need more and n.ore
in the beginning of this twentieth cen
fury is not Il better educated ministry.
but one which will start forth speak
ing and n testifying pew. The simple
fact is sonle of our churches are being
preached TO death. We need not more
classical sermons but more and more
the good old fashioned testimony meet
ings of the Methodist church. We
need men and women who i'm the sim
pie. homcly language of the street can
tell what God has done for their souls.
We need our prayer meetings to he
truly peoples meetings in which
all take part. Il place where the old
folks will testify. and the middle aged
people will testify. and where the
youn. people will testify.
Another great cause for the multiply
ing power of Methodism is the class
system" This class system" so called,
dates its historic birth to the 18th day
of February. l142. Like the life of
the Wandering Jew. may it never
have death, May this system live on
and on until at last earthly time shall
cease and the struggles against sin
shall he swallowed up in the eternal
conqucsts of heaven.
This was how the famous ''clasS sys-
tenn of Metho,lism was born: John
Wesley and his brother Charles We're
visiting their society in the city Of
Bristol. \ large financial indebtedness
hung as an incubus over that society's
place of worship. While the members
of that society were discussing with
the leaders how they should lift the
debt a Captain Foy arose and pro-
posed that each member should be
taxed one penny week until the debt
was paid. But that is not fair some
one protestingly said. Here are some
people who are so poor they cannot af-
ford To give even penny" Then"
said Captain Foy. put eleven of the
poorest with me. and IL they can give
anything | will call upon them weekly
and collect the same. and If they give
nothing I will give for them as well as
for myself. and each of you can call
On eleven of your neighbors weekly,
receive what they give and make up
what is wanting" No sooner had Cap
tain Foy spoken than in a fash a d.
vine inspiration came to John Wesley.
Yes. yes said the great leader to
himself: that is just what Methodism
needs !: system of caring for its own.
a system by which its members shall
not he her,led together as wild animals
are herded together. but system
which will single men out and place
them in circles of tens. and over these
circles shall he placed n separate lead
or who will have charge of each class"
report 10 their pastors. Their pastors
in turn today meet and report TO their
presiding elders. Each man by the
''class system of Nethodism Ia re-
sponsible To some individual person Of
the church.
The "Class System.-
We see the value of individual re-
sponSbility in the temporal world. Why
should we not see the same results
from the class system of Methodism?
Your boy is about sixteen years of age
Where are YOU going TO send the lad to
college: Well you say. Il would
like in many ways TO send him to one
of our great universities. but the
trouble is am afraid There the boy
will only be lost among crowd of hun
dr,slS of other students. and no one
will be individually responsible for the
lad. | think shall send him 10 one OF
our smaller colleges. where he will
come in close contact with his teachers.
and these teachers will he able tn keep
their eye upon him" You send your
boy To II small college TO secure the in
dividual touch of IA professor upon the
boy. Think not" said President Har-
per only short time ago. that the
University of Chicago is in any sense
rival of the small college There il not
professor upon our faculty who
would he so foolish as to advocate the
idea that young boys of sixteen should
be turned J"ose in this great sinful city,
with no one TO be individually respon-
Sipir iOt thtHi uFiSO university Is
distinctively Il postgraduate institution
We have our collegiate department for
the SONS and daughters OF those par
ents living in town. and not for those
whose homes are in the far distance"
Now. the class system OF Metho-
dism has a double purpose first. IL
makes the Methodist convert mem
Der Of great gospel university in
which there are hundreds of thousa nds
and millions of members and it gives
TO that convert the enthusiasm which
truly comes from great numbers. AMI
secondly. il separates the Methodist
convert from the masses. Ii places
him in gospel family for which some
one Is responsible. II gives to him a
separate gospel garden in which to
labor. II says: old convert. you look
after that young man and that young
woman. Visit them in their homes
See that they have the right kind OF
companionship. When they are absent
from the house of God learn why they
are absent ana tell them that they are
missed Individual responsibilities
for individuals that is the great null
tiplying slogan of the Methodist class
Nl....-.