The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-03

| llC liltlc sOtltlN, formed III lfZJ. grew
| slowly, and consisted in its sixth year
of only fourteen members, the most men,
| orable of them being John and Charles
| Wesley and George Whitfield. The de-
parture of the Wesleys to America ter
minated the history of the oxford Meth
odists" and the existence of the Holy
| Club"
Movement Spreads.
The return of the two brothers to
England, however, revived the denomina-
ton epithet, for by the next year. 1897.
they and the Whtfields had spread the
religious sensation over much of the
United Kingdom. They were excluded
from the pulpits of the national church.
and had to preach in the open air, and
IN many places they and their adherents
were denied the eucharist. They were
therefore. compelled to unite their fol-
lowers into societies" to give them the
sacraments, and provide for them places
of assembling and worship. The year
1888 is considered as the true epoch of
Methodism. In that year Wesley began
the erection of his first chapel at Bris-
tol, opened his famous "Old Foundry"
in London, and formed in the latter his
first society" which he says, in the
Introduction of his general rules" was
the rise of the United Society"-that is
to say, of organized Methodism. In the
same year "bands" were formed for the
first time, in the city of Bristol, and it
is the date of the first publication by
the brothers of their Hymns and Sacred
Pcems," the beginning of that Metho-
dlst1c psalmody which has spread over
most of the protestant world, and which
has been the chief liturgy of the denom-
ination.
Thus had the great Methodistic move
ment" begun. 1t soon extended over
Great Britain and into Ireland. Addi-
tional Societies We're continually
Termed; general rules were prepared for
them by John and Charles Wesley joint
ly These rules" are the recognized
terms of membership" throughout the
Methodist communion. and they express
ly declare that no other Condition than
such as they define lis previously re-
quired of those who desire admission to
these societies" They are singularly lib-
eral, being remarkable" says a meth
odist writer, "as containing not a single
dogmatc condition of communion"
They are thoroughly practical requiring
as the only condition, a desire to fee
the wrath to come and be saved from
SIM" and the exemplification of this de-
SIRE first, by the avoidance of certain
specified vices, secondly, "the doing good
of every possible sort, and as far as pos
sible. to all men," especially in certain
specified respects.
Becomes Liberal.
Wesley, though at first, as he acknowl-
edges High Churchman," and as strict
'ritualst" as the Anglican church pos
sessed in his time, had now become one Of
the most liberal of men. Throughout the
remainder of his life he refers often to
the liberalty of the terms of member
ship in his societies, and demands of all
good men the sacrifice of sectarian bigo-
try and cooperation In practical religion.
Though he now formed societies" not
churches technically or strictly consid-
cred, yet when, many years later. he pre-
pared a plan of organization for the Meth
OuISl tDlScOpdI4 t1uICH III lHt - Hltu
States, he still retained the general
rules as representing the only condition
of membership, and asserted in a separate
part of the book an abridgment of the
Anglican articles not as an obligatory
symbol to be virtually subscribed, but as
a merely indicative standard Of the best
theological opinions. Members of the
church were to be amenabe not so much
for their individual opinions as for max
ing strife and trouble in the denomina-
ton by them. 1t cannot be questioned
that John Wesley was not only jmmen-
surably in advance of his age, but also
far in advance of ours in evangelical lib
erality'
The societies rapidly increased, and
Wesley and his few clerical coadjutors
were soon compelled to organize more
thoroughly their converts If they would
not labor in vain. The societies were
therefore divided into Glasses" of about
twelve persons each, and placed under
the inspection of select leaders" They
met weekly, sang, prayed, and related
their Christian experience
Class Meeting.
The "class meeting has since been the
germ of almost every Methodist church in
the world. Each member contributed
penny week and a shilling quarter for
the support of the cause, and thence arose
the whole financial system of Methodism-
The clerical laborers could not supply the
| increasing local societies; laymen of ma
tural talent were therefore recognized,
first as "exhorters." and then as the
local preachers to conduct their public
services in the absence of their clerical
guides. Wesley soon called out some of
his ablest local preachers into the gen.
eral field to travel and preach continual
ly like himself, his brother, and White
field: and thense rose the lay 'itnerant
ministry'-one of the greatest factors in
the Methodist movement throughout the
world TO give regularity to labors of
these lay evangelsts, they were assigned
to different sections of the kingdom;
A. s. ATr<I ss,f~