Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-05-07

the Wandering Jew, may II never
have DEATH May this system live on
and on until at last earthly time snail
cease and the struggles against SIN
shall be swallowed up in the eternal
conquests of heaven!
This was how the famous "class sys-
tenn" of Methodism was born: Jonh
Wesley and his brother Charles were
visiting their society in the city or
Bristol. A large financial Indebtedness
hung as an incubus over that societys
place of worship. While the members
of that society were discussing Win
the leaders how they should lift the
debt a Captain Foy arose and pro-
posed that each member should De
taxed one penny week until the de0t
was paid. But that Is not fair" some
one protestIngly said. Here are some
people who are so poor they cannot ar
ford TO give even a penny" "Then,'
said Captain Foy, put eleven of the
poorest with me, and If they can give
ANYTHING I will call upon them weekly
and collect the same, and If they give
nothing 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 flash a d.
vine inspiration came to John wesley.
Eyes. yes" said the great leader to
himself; that is just what Methodism
needs-a system of caring for Its own,
system by which Its members snail
not be herded 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 be placed a separate lead
er who will have charge Of each class"
These leaders in turn were to meet ana
report to their pastors. Their pastors
in turn today meet and report to their
presiding elders. Each man by the
"class system" Of Methodism Is re-
sponsible to some individual person OF
the church.
The "Class System.'
We see the value Of individual re-
sponsibllity 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 tc
collegef WELL" you say, II 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
dreds Of other students, and no one
will be individually responsible for the
lad. think shall send him to one ol
our smaller colleges, where he vii
come In close contact with his teachers
and these teachers will be able to keeI
their eye upon him." You send you
boy to a small college to secure the In
dividual touch Of a professor upon TIL
boy. Think not" said President Har
per only short time ago, that th'
University OF Chicago is in any sense
rival OF the small college. There ID "
professor upon our faculty w
would be so foolish as to advocf -,
idea that young boys of sixteen
be turned loose In this great sinf
with no one to be individually -
sible for them. Chicago unive sity !
distinctively a postgraduate Institution
We have our collegiate department 10
the sons and daughters Of those par
ents living in town, and not for thos
whose homes are in the far distance
Now, the "class system" Of Metho
dism has a double purpose-frst,
makes the Methodist convert mem
Der of a great gospel university Il
which there are hundreds Of thousand
and millions Of members and 1t give
to that convert the enthusiasm whic
truly comes from great numbers, ant
secondly, 1t separates the Methods
convert from the masses. 1t place
him in a gospel family for which som
one is responsible. 1t gives to him
separate gospel garden in which
labor. 1t says: "Old convert, you loo
after that young man and that youn
woman. Visit them in their homes
See that they have the right kind o
companionship. When they are abser
from the house of God learn why the
are absent and tell them that they ar
missed" Individual responsibilitie
, for individuals-tha Is the great mu
tiplying slogan Of the Methodist "clas
system" For whom, o Christian maj
are you responsible in Christs name
The Methodist church, in the neA
I, place is a singing church, whose song
are nearly always keyed to the tun
, of hope and Joy and the glorious ha
/, monies Of blessed hereafter. 1t Is
church whose music Is filed with ha
, leluiah choruses and battle hymns an
inspiring marching melodies. II Is
7, church which believes that our thank
and gratitude for blessings receive
: can be returned to God as well whe
standing upon our feet and, III n
: words Of the psalmist, singing uni
= the Lord" as when on bended knee "
: offer them in silent prayer in Il
: closet. The trouble with many OF ot
!, churches is they always imagli
= Christ as keeping step to the slow TN
of dirge, but they cannot imagin
;. his moving lips as joining In wee
ding march or in the joys of socia
gathering.
D webster's Tribute.
Daniel Webster once said: The proc
TO me that the church was establishe
D by God is found in the fact that II ha
: existed in spite Of the begowned NIL
listers who have been Gagged up
preach their sermons behind theif Il
II pellent pulpits. Any lawyer wouIa
i ruined II he were compelled to plea
J. for his client behind wooden Do1,
10,