The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-14
METHODISM.
by Jesephus Daniels, Secretary of the Navy

in society. there is jbelated appreciation;
Of all the quiet and helpful work of
the thousands of Dinah Morrises who
have shaped tho lives of men so we'll
and with such repression of self that
Neither they nor those they helped
understood how lasting were their
nllnistrations,
canonizcs Susannah Wesley if ii cano-
nized its saints for her sublime faith
and noble works were not inferior to
these qualities displayed in her sons.
If / were an artist and wished to paint
the picture of the best word creation
of the spirit of Methodism. ] would
put the calm and beautiful face of
Dnah Norris and the strong and
serene features of Susannah Wesley
on canvas and let them share the hom-
age we pay TO immortal womanhood
of the heroic .daXs. -, --.... ..., ,.., Il
Just as we look to George Enots
PEN picture of the spirit of early
Methodism In Great Britain. so we look
to an American novelist to tell the
story and portray the spirit of pioneer
Methodisni in the new world, In TIL.
Circuit Rider Eggleston has not only
shown the foundations which malt
Methodism the largest Protestant
church in the United States but has
with equally perfect description shown
in the everyday life of the men who
left the sea coast and maze homes on
the frontier the he roic mould of the
advance guard of the mighty tread If
peoples who have developed the new
world and lt,i6 deep the mudsill upon
which The eaifice Of our great Amer:-
IAN democracy rests.
On our continent. With wide eX
panse, plenty Of elbow room. no limit
/ ing traditions the Methodist itinerant
went into the wilds of the forest with
the first settler, and was the companion
in hardships and adventure of the
hardy men. most of whom were of
British stock, who felled the trees.
built the log cabins in which such
granite men as Lincoln and Grant first
opened their eyes.
Sharing the privations OF pioneer
life these circuit riders were OF their
blood and lineage. were brave and un-
afraid, and these spiritual mentors
/ guided the people into ways of right
living and Christian experience, and
the churches they established have
! ties, and largely shaped the character
Of the American life and given direc-
I ton to American thought.
In the old country, Mr.. Wesley was
slow to follow the manifest destiny of
the institution Of which he was the
! earthly founder, He found ii hard
/ 10 bring himself TO the idea that the
! only rope for the organized religious
awakening of which he was the lead
: or vas in a new church. freed from
all the traditions of the great church
in which he had been reared and in
which he had been ordained. But in
the end the non -Conformist blood pre-
vailed over his faith in establishment
when in new America IL became as
evident that Methodism could not full
fiji its mission without complete and
full Independence as that new wine
could not be put into old bottles No
! matter how great was the wrench to
/ the ecclesiastical calls in his mind.
! Mr.. Wesley followed the leading OF
power higher than any human source
and CIT the cords that tethered the
expanding new church in the new
land
| Looking back. with the light of the
decades which have proved the wis
dom of his action. it is difficult to I'M
derstand his hesitation except from
the thought that no mere man could
feel that he had the right to organize
a Christian church. And in that Wes-
ley was right. The Methodist church
as an organization was the product of
workings greater than any man, even
| a superhuman man, could understand
or control
God moves In mysterious way His
wonders to perform The seed
terminating at oxford. bourgeoned in
| to full grown tree in an out -of-doors
atmosphere in England and trans
planted in America became the might
! lest agency in the religious life of A
virgin country. The history of the
Methodist church should warn great
men to follow the leadings of the ruler
OF the universe, and TO throw over
board every tradition or ritual that
stands in the way OF the largest service
to mankind
America had no traditions that held
1t back from radical departure from
old paths when it found the way to
mems hearts was by blazing out a new
road through the forests. He is a wise
man who catches the inspiration Of
high tradition to a nobler life. He Is
wanting in the real value OF tradition.
no matter how old or good. who lets
1t become a ball and chain to impede
his rapid march toward the best
Every great man must. as Carlyle tells
us, be to some extent a hero-worship-
per. You can tell his character by
knowing his heroes.
own traditions. How many men are
so much the servants Of inherited be-
liefs that they go through life hobb
ling when IL they had the courage to
put aside all the weights they would be
able to press toward the high mark Of
the goal Paul set before us. As long
A. Wesley hesitated and doubted. the
early Methodists in America were
shackled. but when they were I'M
loosed and became free and indepeh-
dent organization. what strides they
| NJ IL tn Ia