River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-04-29

ciety which was
rotten to the core. The archbishop of
Canterbury wrote: Christianity is
/ ridiculed with very little reserve and
the teachers of it with none at all"
Southey declared that the clergy had
lost all authority and respect. Arch
bishop Leighton pronounced the church
a fair carcass" Voltaire in France
was ridiculing the eaclesiastics and
making the world lap1Sh at the Bible.
Frederick in the very Apme of Luther
was leading all Prussia fnto rational
Ism. Methodism was a sunrise of
evangelical truth. 1t was Tle projec-
ton of the German Reformation, with
greater spiritual life than Luther gave
1t, into the thought and hearts of the
English-speaking people. And it Is in
teresting to note the intimate connec-
| ton between Luther and Wesley. 1t
was while listening to the reading of
one of Luthers essays on Salvation
by Faith and It's Fruits" that Wesley
said: Il felt my heart strangely
warmed"
The five cardinal points of Metho-
dism were Repentance, Faith, Justi-
fication, Sanctification and the Wit
ness OF the Spirit.
Repentance meant a turning from
sin in heart and life to Christ. 1t was
taking Gods side against sin. To the
early Methodists sin was a terrible
reality, and, therefore, Christ as a
Saviour from it was a glorious per-
sonality. They believed in the guilt,
pollution and power of sin in this
world and the next Wesleys sermons
on hell made no attempt to soften or
modify the words of Christ concern
ing the worm that dieth not and the
fire that is not quenched To him sin
brought, as the Bible teaches, ever
lasting retribution, and the one es-
cape from it was through Jesus Christ.
There was bottomless pit of degrade
ton from which the sinner might be
saved TO the topless height of glorifi-
cation.
Faith was not simply the assent of
the mind, but the consent of the heart.
1t was not cold intellectually which
held creed, but a loving reception of
Jesus Christ as Saviour from all sin.
Justification was the act of God by
which the sinner was pronounced just
on the merit of Jesus Christ. Though
MethCdiSm insisted on works as the
fruits of conversion, it believed in sal
walton only by grace. Character did
not bring salvation, but salvation
made character.
Sanctification meant a holy life in
the service of Christ. The witness of
the Spirit brought assurance of sal
walton.
The pioneer Methodists, led by Wes-
ley and Whitefield, believed in in,
Simultaneous conversion. Theirs was
gospel with power enough to bring
down Saul of Tarsus in his prosecuting
zeal and make him like a little child
sitting at the feet of Christ. A lieu
tenant in the English army, hearing
that humble Methodist preacher had
an appointment at certain place.
went there with the intention of lead
ing the mob and breaking up the meet
ing. Unable to stir the mob as he
thought he could against the preacher,
he decided to listen for awhile and
learn what he had to say. The result
was that before the meeting closed
he was weeping, broken hearted, made
confession of faith and Joined the
Methodist society. Methodism was not
only evangelical, but evangelistic
Long before P. P. Bliss wrote Hold
the Fort for Am Coming" the Metho-
dist preachers, in heart if not in word,
taught the church to sing "Storm the
Fort for God Is Leading" They
obeyed the command of Christ and
went to the multitude in the open air.
Methodism has given to the world a
long list of heroes. John Wesley was
himself hero of courage, industry
and patience. More than once was he
dragged through the streets by the
hair of his head. More than once he
preached on the blood of Christ while
the blood was trickling down his face,
the result of an attack by the mob.
John Nelson, the stone mason, was a
| Christian hero. When arrested as a
vagrant, though he was making an
honest living, and pressed into the
English army, he kept faithful to
Christ. His wife appearing before the
Jail window and saying to him: John,
be true; God will take care of me and
the children shows that there was a
heroine in the family.
The world owes to Methodism the
demonstration of the fact that there
need be no divorce between faith and
| learning. Methodism had it's rise in
the University of Oxford. The Holy
club, with John Wesley at its head,
met for the study of the Greek New
| Testament.
And so with other great religious
| movements. There is no more conflict
to-day between true learning and faith
| than there was in the time of Wesley.
The conflict is between the Bible and
| the vagaries of learned men.