The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-05
BISHOP SMITHS ADDRESS
TO METHODIST CONFERENCE

The annual conference Of the Meth
odist Mission of Hawaii opened yes
terdav morning at O'Clock in First
church, Bishop Chas. ". Smith, D. D.,
IL D., presiding. Rev. John W. Wad-
man, the superintendent, called the roll
and upwards of twenty-five members
Of the conference answered to their
names. a few having been unable to
attend on account of sickness.
Bishop Smith then proceeded to ad-
dress the conference as follows:
".What I have to say is addressed
to this company as ministers and
preachers of the gospel of the Method
list Episcopal church. As such our first
question should be, What are we to
preach to the people?' Mr. Wesley, our
founder, sets US an example. He found
ed our doctrinal system and since his
time there have been no important
changes in the fundamental doctrines
"There are three or four points de-
serving special mention.
"First, we preach universal sal
vation-a salvation offered to all men
everywhere in all conditions and on
he same terms This enables us to 90
to all nationaiities and explains the
fact of three languages being repre-
scented in this conference.
"All men have an equal interest in
our message because Jesus Christ
tasted death for all men. Some men
have taught that God intended to save
only few people-the elect; that
Christ died for these only. Wesley
emphasized the equality of men. Today
this emphasis is not needed for scarce
ly anyone believes otherwise.
"Second, we preach a full salvation.
We preach that God is able to save
to the uttermost all that come. This
means to the uttermost of character
God can save from the lowest depths
of sin. 1t means to the uttermost of
salvation. God can save from all sin
so may be his children in deed and in
truth. If man sins it is not because
he can't help it. Jesus Christ can
save us from all conscious sin-and all
sin is conscious. We make mistakes,
but to sin is to knowingly and con-
sciously violate God s law and if we
let him, Christ can save us from this
He does not save US from temptation,
but from yielding, and we have the
promise that we will receive no temp
tation stronger than we can bear.
Third, we preach conscious or ex-
perimental salvatien-not mere guess
but an experimental religion; one of
the heart as well as of the head. God s
spirit bears witness with ours that we
are His children, and we come to know
it and realize it. The preaching of
such an experimental religion was
started by the Methodists. At first
Wesley was laughed at as an enthusiast
and fanatic. Wesley came to knowl-
edge of this religion not through his
own church experience bnt through the
Morayians, who during storm on the
ocean, when everyone was frightened,
remained calm and peaceful. Wesley
wanted to know their secret and was
told that it was the consciousness of
salvation. Later he was led into this
experience himself. Before this IVES
outward witness to it.
Gin conclusion let me say: Don It
rest until you get this experience. You
can t preach the gospel correctly with
out having the consciousness of being
the child of God.
"a minister cannot tell persons
when they are saved. He can encour-
age them but they must find out for
themselves when they have the as
surance in their own hearts that they
are children of God.
I'These three things-universal sal