Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-05-06


err Will be its success. We do not need
today churches that honor winebib-
bling ministers. We do not need
churches which. when they have
church sociable, tell their young peo-
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
Endeavor society, OF which Fruncis L.
Clark is the president. is numbering
| Its members by the hundreds OF thou
sands and the millions is because OF
its ironclad pledge. John Willis Baer,
who for so many years was secretary
OF that young peoples Christian Or
ganizatiou, 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 society's pledge" You
can never raise sin struck world II
you are wallowing in the sinful mud
OF the world yourself. Like John Yves
ley and the Methodist church, lift the
world out of sin by making your
| Christian standard as high as heaven
and as pure as Christ himself 1T 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 It's members
which accounts for the multiplying
powers OF the Methodist church OF to-
day. Methodism came into the world
as protest against prevalent sin.
This fact alone does not tell ali 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
ecclesiastic 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 to
the life giving message that God sent
for the deliverance OF all hiss 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 evangel-
lists. You may not be graduates OF
theological seminaries, but you can
testify of Christ's love. Martin Luz
Their said: There, Iaymep, is the open
Bible. Read ii. Ponder IL. Study II.
Read ii with your own eyes and kiss il
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 his 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 I'm derision
called a Methodist" He was sneered
at because in his day custom dictated
that no man should pray In public un-
less he read his prayer out OF printed
prayer book or speak for Christ unless
he was entitled to wear a cassock and
bands OF an ordained priest. But John
Wesley removed these restrictions for
the Methodists and sent the laymen
forth preaching and praying, as I'm the
latter years Archibald TAFT. archbishop
OF Canterbury, enlisted the services
OF unordained workers in various
branches OF church activity and earned
for himself the title given him I'm scorn
by Jealous clergy OF "the arch
bishop Of the iaity." There, upon his
monument I'm old Canterbury, il CHS
eled in the most beautiful OF epitaphs.
The one desire OF his life was to
make the Church of England the
81 Of hu
let us hold fast this liberty OF service.
The work OF propagating the gospel is
not committed exclusively to any one
class or profession. The iaborers sent
forth by Wesley I'm the eighteenth CEN
tury, like the laymen enlisted by Arch
bishop TAFT I'm the nineteenth. had
work 10 do, and right earnestly and
successfully they did IT, Let us never
allow the pew TO again be shaclxled and
Its lips sealed with the silence of
death. What we need more and more
In the beginning or this twentieth cen.
fury Is not u better educated ministry.
but one which will start forth speak
ing and testifying pew. The simple
fact is some OF our churches are being
preached TO death. We need not more
classical sermons, but more and moro
the good old fashioned testimony meet
ings OF the Methodist church. We
need men and women who in the sim
pie, homely language OF the street can
tell what God has done for their souls.
We need our prayer meetings to be
truly peoples meetings." in which
all take part, place whsse the old
folks will testify. and the middle aged
people Will testify. and where the
young people will testify.
Another great cause for the multiply
ing power OF Methodism is the 'class
system" This ''class SYSTEM" so called,
dates It's historic birth TO the 18th day
OF February. 1912. Like the life OF
the Wandering Jew, may IL never
have death! May this system live on
and on until at last earthly time shall
cease and the struggles against sin
shall be swallowed up In the eternal
conquests OF heaven!
This was how the famous sclass sys-
tenn" OF Methodism was born: Jshn
Wesley and his brother Charles were
visiting their society In the city OF
Bristol. large financial Indebtedness
hung as an incubus over that socisty's
place OF worship. While the members
OF that society were discussing with
the leaders how they should lift the
debt Captain Foy arose and pro-
posed that each member should be
taxed one penny a 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 a penny" Then"
said Captain Foy. put eleven OF the
poorest with me, and IL they can give
anything 1 will call upon them weekly
and collect the same. and IL they give
nothing will give for them as well as |
Tor 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 inspirat ton came to John Wesley
Yes, yes" said the great iaaday 20