Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-22
Charles Wesley and
His ReLiqiouS Work
New York Sun.

Charles Wesley was born on december
IS, 170S, according to contemporary biog-
raphers, and a tradition unquestioned till
recently, and then not refuted The his
torian Tyerman asserts that 1.-The Meth
odist movement was not begun by Wes-
ley, but by his brother Charles and the
name of Methodist was first given to
the latter about 1927. when the elder
brother had left oxford to work at Ep-
worth and Charles was an under
graduate at Christ church. Charles de-
scribes the incident thus:
my first year at college I lost in my
diversions. The next / set myself to
study. Diligence led to serious thinking.
I went to the weekly sacrament and per
suaded two or three young students to
accompany me and observe the method
of studies prescribed by the statutes of
the university. This gained me the
harmless name of Methodist
That the least academic Of movements
should receive its name from methodi-
cal observance of academic duties is one
of the paradoxies OF history.
Charles, however, has better claims
than this to be considered the CO.
founder OF Methodism. He lacked many
of his brothers. most commanding quail
ties, the iron health and muscular
Christianity" the boldpess, orderliness,
grasp of practical DETAIL the invincible
cheerfulness and energy which made
John the marvel of his age. While John
never knew ten minutes of depression"
in his ninety years, Charles was consti-
tutionally feeble and subject to depres-
sion. He was absent-minded, uncertain,
impractical On the other hand, he had
the intense, If f1tful, ardor, the transient
omnipotence In impotence of the poet
"magotty." John called him in acknowl-
edging his supremacy as bard. He was
the genius" of the Wesley or Wellesley
stock, which after "Christlanizing Eng
land" broadened the path of empire for
her at Waterloo.
Here is a significant, homely glimpse of
the two brothers at Oxford from a con-
temporary:
John was alarmed whenever Charles
entered his study. Full of the muse and
being short-sighted, he would sometimes
walk right against his brothers table
and perhaps overthrow il"
II is certain that the papers on Johns
table were all srfayed in careful order,
and IL Methodist meant nothing but
',methodicap' there could be no question
of his first claim to the title. Charles
was considered BY contemporaries the
more rousing preacher of the two; he
It was he who poured forth the widest
battle songs OF the campaign.
Charles went on the Georgia mission
and abandoned 1t for the same reason
that afterward sent John home-7an odd
enough reason 1t seems now in connec-
ton with Methodism--the indifference OF
the colonists TO ritual distinctions. AT
thirty he was converted" three days
before John, and the pair began timer
ancy and field preaching at the same
time. For seventeen years Charles, too,
rode about the land as a gospeler, and
when he married he took his wife with
him on a pillion In short, in sowing the
spirit he had at least an equal part with
John though he Jagged behind him IN
starting new church.
1t is this last fact Of course, which has
obscured Charles services to the cause.
though the spirit of Methodism has un-
deniably been of wider import to the
world than the founding of the Methodist
church. Charles was Irreconcilably OPP
posed to secession from the Anglican
body. He never quarreled with John, but
he sharply condemned his ordinations.
His HYMNS on the eucharist plainly teach
the ''real presence" He wrote to a
friend that he would rather ''see him
smiling in his conn than a dissenting
minister" Inc one OF his last letters
he addressed his brother in playful
rebuke by a title of which John had
once been fond--"Ecclesiae Anglicanae
Presbyter Johannes" stand by your
proposal; let us agree to differ he
writes. Have the people given you
leave to die, H. A. p. J?' But with the
pure spirit of Methudism Charles was al
ways overfiowing, the spirit of living
religion freed from any deadening In
fluences of culture, Journalism or class dis
tinctlons, and no man did more than he to
spread Il through the world.
Not for nothing did the work originate
in Oxford. 1t was as genuinely an OK
ford movement" as that to which the IT,
tie is commonly assigned. In regard
to origin there is simply this difference
between the two: Methodism was re-
action against the Oxford atmosphere;
tractarianism an intensihcation of it.
But the starting point, whether through
repulsion or attraction, of career usual
ly leaves a distinct and lasting impress
on it, and so 1t happened to the pioneer
who first bore the name of Methodist.
He was borne to his grave by six Angli-
can elergymen, fitting carriers of the
bier.
The most tangible memorial of Charles
Wesley survives In his hymns. Where
John translated, he composed originals,
more than $780, of which several hun
dreds are still in common use, some of
them literally household words" as
Jesus, Lover of My Soul" "Hark the
Herald Angels Sing" ooh, for a Thou
sand Tongues to Sing, Hail the Day
That Sees Him Rise" Christ the Lord
is Risen Today" 1t has been asked
whether Charles, If he had not turned
religious" would have been one Of the
great poets of his country. A contempt
rary replied thus: Had he been so I'M
faithful to Him who called him as to
forsake Paradise for Parnassus, the
Lord might have taken away even these
natural gifts" Conclusive or not, the an
swer is certainly in harmony with
Charles okn view. He despised art for
arts sake and regarded the gift of
speech as an evil unless 1t was reduced
to q humble handmade OF religion. His
considerable classical cultiure-John and
he aIuavs falked Latin t0Rather-he de-