The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-05-08

I'm EstaDusned cnurcn, wntcn Denovcu
at that time more in outward ceremo-
MES than In spiritual truths, Isaac
Taylor" so records the author Of The
Next Great Awakening calls the
church of this period a fair carcass, -
and Blackstone says that he went to
hear every preacher Of note in London
and that there was not one whose dis
course indicated whether he was u fol
lower of Cenfucius or Mohammcd or
Of Christ. The Established church of
that time believed in carrying the ply
lacteries upon the forehead, but not
in practcing Christ's spiritual lessons
in the life. 1t was so given over to
Journalism and rites and ceremonies
that it had no warning to give even to
men in its pulpits who, like the Phari-
sees of old, We're vhited sepulchers,
fair to the eye, but within harborlng
decaying corpses and whose private
lives We're a repulsive stencil. 1T is
the inward witness, son, the inward
ucl Wesley, to his son John this is
the strongest proof Of Christianity"
SO John Wesley and his followers res
olutely set theirfaces against the prev
alent sins of that day. They vehe-
mcntly declared that the Christian
church should not only have pure
creed but that its members should be
men of pure private lives. In the high
spiritual standard set before the indi-
vidual church members we find the
chief cause Of the marvellous develop
mcut of the Methodist church.
No Compromise with Sin.
My brother, it is of vital Importance
that all Protestant churches realize
that they are making fatal error
when they in any way compromise
their high spiritual standards by al
lance with sin. The higher the stand
ard of the Christian church the great
er will be its success. We do not need
today churches that honor wincbib-
bing ministers. We do not need
churches which, when they have a
church soclable, tell their young PEG
pie they may dance and play cards. We
do not desire churches whose members
in their everyday actions are noWise
different from the people of the world
One of the reasons why the Christian
Endeayor society, OF which Francis Il.
Clark is the president is numbering
its members by the hundreds Of thou
sands ana the millions is because Of
its ironclad pledge. John Willis Baer,
who for so many years was secretary
Of that young peoples Christian or
ganzation was right when in my
presence some years ago he declared,
"The high standard of the character
of the Endeavorers is due to the high
standard of the societys pledge You
can never raise a sin struck world if
you are walowing in the sinful mud
of the world yourself, Like John Yves
ley ana the Methodist church, lift the
world out of sin by making your
Christian standard as high as heaven
and as pure as Christ himself. at is
the inward witness, son, the inward
witness this is the strongest proof Of
Christianity" 1t is the inward wit
ness Of the purity of its members
which accounts for the multiplying
powers Of the Methodist church of to-
day. Mcthodism came into the world
as n protest against prevalent sin.
This fact alone does not tell all the
story OF its marvellous multiplying
power. There are many other reasons
for the growth Of Methodism One of
the chief OF these is the fact that John
Wesley was the emancipation of the
laymen, as Martin Luther was the
emancipation Of the Bible The English
ccclesiastic opened the dumb lips Of
the pew. The German reformer broke
the iron clasps holding together the
lids of the word Of God which barred
to all but ordained priests access 70
the life giving message that God sent
for the deliyerance Of all his sinful
children. John Wesley said TO the
blacksmith at his forge and the cob
bier on his bench and the wife in her
kitchen: go forth and be my eyangel-
lists. You may not he graduates Of
theological semnarics. but You can
testify OF Christs love. Martin Lu-
Their said "Therc, laymen. is the open
Bible Read it, Ponder IT, Study IT,
Read it with your own eyes and kiss it
with your own lips DO You wonder
that when John Wesley built the Meth
Odist church upon an open Bible and
then in public meeting set all bis peo-
pie testifying Of Gods word and love
he became one Of the greatest gospel
reformers Of the ages?
sneers For Wesley.
John Wesley because he sent forth
the common people preaching and
praying everywhere was IN derision
called a Methodist lie was sncered
at because in his day custom dictated
that no man should pray in public IN
less be read his prayer out OF q printed
prayer book or speak for Christ unless
lie was entitled to wear q cassock and
| bands Of an ordained priest But John
Wesley removed these restrictions for
the McthOdists and sent the laymen
forth preaching and praying, as in the
latter years Archibald TAFT archbishop
Of Canterbury, enlisted the services
Of unorlained workers in various
branches Of church activity and earned
for himself the title given him in scorn
bv n Jealous clergy of "the arch