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Show rr I i HI !ij g'frtS-frSM f-frt-fr. tf44ttt(-tt-ttf-ttt4t4-4tt-(--'' ' 1 J JOHN WESLEY AND THE GREAT WORK HE 5 j S ACCOMPLISHED IN HIS PARISH OF THE WORLD. J BB ! if John Wesley, whoso bicentennial fl ff millions of Methodists recently eclo- Bi i brated. was born and bred In the B ' Episcopal or cstabllshod church of JA England, whoso ministry ho cntorcd fl In oarly llfo. Ho never failed to In- IB cludo her name in his prayers and he died In hor full communion. Of Wos- H r- ley tho lato Dean Fnrrar of Cnntor- H H bury said: "He loved tho church H which hated him. He saved tho ' Church of England, although at first ' Bho so angrily and contemptuously re looted him." BB , John Wesley was bom In the roc- B I tory at Epworth, Kng., Juno 17, 170;t, Bfl O. S. When John was but 8. the Bfl' ' duko of Buckingham, lord chamberlain Bfl , j to Queen Anne, gave him a free gchul- B I arshlp In tho fnmoiiH school of the BB ' ', Charterhouso In London. BB j Whllo nt tho Chiirtorlicuco school, BB 1 in May, 171G, an o.xploslon destroyed n BB Jj ennnon factory at Moorflclds, f urn BB ' (1! wlch tho proprietor moved to Wool- 1 ' wlch and cstabllshod tho roynl nr- B . ;' fcenal. This shuttered foundiy, twon- BB '' ty-threo years afterwntd, Wesley re- BBY i stored and converted Into tho mother BBg ;l church of tho whole family or Method- B' '! 1st churches on ovory continent. Al- Hfi lit though It would sent 1.S00 persona, BBT : ' it of ton became bo crowded Mint ad- BB-' '' Joummcnt was necessary to tho open Hi, ji fields, and In 177S Wosloy completed H ,1 j and opened, Nov. 1, tho Wesley chap- H' ; el, on City road, London. This has H' 1 1 been many times renovated, but the H j present shell of the building, tho gal- BB' lories and rail nro all of Wesley's BB'' tlmo, and tho place, filled with inc- BBj); montoos, is still a Mecca for all lov- BB' i era of Methodist history. BBv Ml In 1720 Wesley loft tho Charter- H-i ! houso for Christ Church college, Ox- Bjcf 1 ford, taking with him n school ox- Bfl?; Ai hibltion prlzo of $200 a year, but he Hi J never lost his veneration and love for H.J 1 Ws first school. BB I I Wesley's mind turned to asceticism, Ht ; with high church beliefs, strong rltu- H .1 , allstlc tendencies and a mystical bias, Bit ' from which, however, he emerged In H ' ' 1T25, to tho doctrlno of "present snlva- H ' tion from guilt and fear through tho Bfl ' indwelling of Christ," a belief opposed H?' alike to high churchmanshlp and to H' Calvinism. In the samo year Wesley BB' I, r and his mother renounced the doc- H j). trine of predostinatton. ''i Wesley was ordained deacon by ! 1 DUbop John Potter of Oxford, Sept. 'j 19, 1725, and priest Sept. 22, 172S. mt.', His first sermon was at South Leigh r, dn Oxfordshire in 1725. HI' On his 23d birthday he was elected fellow of Lincoln college. His fath-HI, fath-HI, ;j "" then had but $20 to keep his family H ' until after tho harvest, but he wroto Hi jt ,n n'8n spirits, "what will bo my own Bfl ' j fato God knows, but wherever I am BB-"n my Jack Is a fellow of Lincoln." H '. I ' Lincoln collego, within whoso walls Hi j1 Mothodlsra was cradled, was founded Ft I In tho fifteenth century by two blsh- li ops of Lincoln, in order to counteract Bfl ' j iiercslcs dangorous to tho church, but If, I John Wesley, tho revolutionist, was B ' I connocted with It moro than a quar- H' . I, tcr of a century, and Its nnmo appears Htf '' on tho tlt,e PnBs of all his works. H j,' IIc bocamo Greek lecturer, and from HI ij tnon to "io cios f iis "f wna Hi i j hard and w,do student, Hebrew, HBi, Crook, Arabic, Latin, logic, ethics, Hfll inotaphyslcs, natural philosophy, po- HV etry and divinity entering Into his IX wcokly plan of study. In 1727, only 24 h yoars old, ho obtained tho fegreo of ft master of arts. His financial struggles 3G wore over and by strict economy ho J? waa thenceforth able to help his fath-h fath-h er and his family. f Ills father wnB now 05 years old, jvj and to fill tho small living of Mooto t In addition to that of Kpworth, ho I needed a curate. So, although John vas offered a school at good Income. ) he acted on his own judgment, prompt-' prompt-' ed by his filial devotion nnd his mother's moth-er's ndvlce, wont to his father's aid In ,j IJncoInshire, and there remained moro ?tjj than two years. This wus his only jh parochial work. V Tho name of Mothodlst was first ; h bostowed upon Charles Wesley, John's 1 j older brother and his friends, because ! !, of their strict conformity to tho mutli-ll mutli-ll od of study prescribed by tho unity uni-ty verslty, but John Wosloy becamo tho !K father of Methodism, which ho gavo i ft a now Interpretation In his English .' dictionary, "One who lives accord-'i accord-'i 1"S to tho mothod laid down In tho ,. t Bible." H ? Jonn Wesloy returnod to Oxford as H Jf ' a t,ltor ln 172!)- ll"1' there found "Tho H IIo,y c,lll," which had been started H by his brother Charles two years bo- Bfl; 4 foro. lie almost Immediately becamo H j. ,t8 'endor, and so continued until 1735. Bfl' ' This movement was spiritual, humanl- H i tarlan and Bcrlptural, Its first and con- Bf ' Btant work bolng tho study of tho III- BflTT ' ' bio. Among its members was Oeorgo Bj ' j , Whltefleld, who, until ho was 15 years BB I ' old, drew alo for customers 'at his BB j ' -, fathor's inn lu Gloucester. He was H convcrtod ln 1735, In his 21st year, BB' and at once became a member of tho Bfl j club. H ' Tno Wosleys, to whom WhltoflcM BB ! . had becomo greatly attached, sailed H l ',' ' 'or Oeorgia In October, 1735, and In BR i their absence Whlteflold set tho world Hi A to talking by such preaching ns had Bfl T never before boon heard In England. H& ' ,l0 often gavo thirty sermons a month, BBS , and the common pcoplo, hearing him Hm " gladly, thousands wore convorteil. H' 1 The Wcslcys heard of him nnd ai- H' 1 IKialed to him to come to America, PBl and ho passed them on bis Western PB' k trip across tho ocean as thoy were ro- B turning. Hf 1 TlllB was ln 173S' " the nrrival of Bflji tho Wesley brothers in England they Hriiv, v'cro turuwn '" noutact with certain BtRj-i, Moravians, who kopt allvo tho ol.i Bfri doctrlno of justification by faith, and BflBBBBBBBBBt . under tho Infiuonco of ono of them, I'etor Bohlor, John became convinced of his want of that faith "whereby alono wo aro saved." This was emphasized em-phasized by his experience with a man under sentence of death, and the Infiuonco of this was such that on May 24, 1738, ho camo to the full belief be-lief in the now creod, which before had been as a sealed bok to htm. This revolutionized the whole character char-acter nnd method of his ministry. Of Iho event Hov. Hugh Price Hughos wroto: "Tho rublcon was crossed. The sweeping asldo of occleslastlcal traditions, tradi-tions, the rejection of tho apostolic succession, the ordination with his own hands of presbyters nnd bishops, the final organization of a separate and fully equipped church, wero all logically Involved In what took placo that night." l.ocky declared: "Tho conviction which then flashed upon one of tho most powerful nnd most nctlvo Intellects Intel-lects In England Is tho truo source of English Methodism." Wesley hoon organized n corps of helpers, went forth to proclaim the gcspol of his famous eormon before tho university of Oxford on "By grace aro yo saved through faith" tho key tioto of nil his subsequent ministry. On Now Year's eve, 173S-9, seven of tho Oxford Methodists all mlnlstors of tho church of England nnd somo sixty others hold n "watch-night" serv-Ico serv-Ico and "love feast," both of which wero subspqucntly Ingrained into universal uni-versal Methodist custom. "Watch-night" "Watch-night" was first established as a regular reg-ular custom at Klngswood, Dec. 31, 1740. Whltefleld had already begun to I) reach In tho open air, and Wesley adopted the custom with somo misgivings, mis-givings, which wero modified by his romembranco of "tho Sermon on tho Mount." Under his preaching at Drls-tol Drls-tol multitudes hroko out into strange cries and shouts, with singular physl- rnl manifestations such as marked tho great awakening In Now England. Wesloy nevor oncournged such phenomena, phe-nomena, but mndo overy effort to control con-trol them, sometimes regarding tho fits as a dovlco of Satan to stop the work. However, tho evangelists bo-llevcd bo-llevcd that tho largo majority wero tho result of real conviction for sin, and ono ot Wesley's recent biographers biograph-ers of tho Anglican church gives credit for their genuine chnrncter. Tho foundation of tho first Methodist Method-ist "preaching room" ln tho world waR laid in Bristol May 12, 1739, and was afterward known as "tho old room In tho Horso fair." Wesley was obliged to raise tho funds nnd became tho owner. In this way nearly nil tho chapels built In his early career were vested for a while. Aftorwnrd trusts wero created nnd by his "deed of declaration" dec-laration" all his Interests In theso buildings wero transferred to his Incorporated In-corporated "conference" Tho Mothodlst classes and class meetings were Inaugurated In 1742, tho original purposo blending tho raising of funds by contributions from members mem-bers with spiritual consolation, education educa-tion and uplift. Wesley's first organizations, while thoy pnrtook largoly of tho charactor of modern churches, wero called societies, soci-eties, and ho did not then asplro to any other designation. Tho first was formed ln London In April, 1739. ; Before long, however, tho Wesloys wero excluded from tho pulpits of the Anglican church, nnd by 1740 tho clergy excluded them nnd their con-erts con-erts from tho Lord's tnblo. Tho societies so-cieties grow In number, and on Feb. 23, 1743, John Wesloy sent out the "goncral rules" In his own name, signed lator by Charles Wesley also. In theso the society was dellnod as "a company of mon having tho form nnd seoklng tho power of godllnoss, united In order to pray together, to recolvo tho word of oxhortatlon, and to watch over ono another in lovo, that thoy may holp each other to work out tholr saHatlon." Thero wns but ono condition for nd-mission nd-mission "a deslro to floo fiom tho wrnth to como and to bo saved from their sins." Hut to show fruits It was oxpected that nil should evidence, their i deslro "by doing no harm, by nvold-Ing nvold-Ing evil In ovory kind, especially that wbich wa.. mofct generally practiced," Including "such diversions as cannot be used in tho name ot tho Lord Jesus." Je-sus." Thus was laid the broad platform of the spirit and creed on which was to stand the great Mothodlst church and Inspire Its forvont zeal, its social temper, tem-per, its philanthropies and its spiritual character. But Wesley was Anally driven, much against his desire, to make a distinct separation of his societies from tho church of England. The brothers began be-gan to administer the sacrament, and thus full provision was made for the societies, although many Methodists continued to attend tho communion of tho Anglican church. Tho Irregularities alarmed, the prelates pre-lates of tho day and ovon the Itev. Samuel characterized tho action of his brother. John Wesley, as "schismatic." Hut through It all tho mother stood by John In his new movement and enjoyed en-joyed attendance nt tho Infant Methodist Meth-odist church In tho Foundry chapel, when It withdrew from tho Fetter lano society. John Wesley was summoned beforo Edmund Gibson, bishop of London, but after a sevcro catechizing tho lattor rnld: "You can rend tho acts and laws as well as I. I determine nothing." Notwithstanding this, tho bishop shortly short-ly Issued n pastoral letter, ln which ho charged tho Methodists with boasting nnd enthusiasm, and finally excluded Charles Wesloy from tho vicarage at Islington.' Again, in 1740 tho bishop summoned Wesley beforo him, but when ho had concluded his examination, ho said: "If this be all you mean, publish it to tho world," an Injunction which Wes-. ley gladly obeyed. But fleld-prcachlng again alarmod tho bishop, and in another pastoral ho classed tho Methodists with "deists, papists and other disturbers of the kingdom of God." Wesley was denounced de-nounced in pamphlets and otherwise as a restless deceiver, a Jesuit In Jls-gulso Jls-gulso and a dissenter, while his followers fol-lowers wore called young quacks In divinity, buffoons In religion, movers In sedition and ringleaders ot the rabble. rab-ble. In answer to tho clergyman who for-bado for-bado bis preaching ln his parish, Wesley quoted tho Scriptural com-mnnd com-mnnd and closed with his famous words: "Whom shall I boar, then, God or man? I look upon all tho world as my parish." Therefore, lu 1712, ho spent tho year In extending his "parish," preaching in various places In London, Bristol, Wales, Nowcnstle-on-Tyno nnd other places, but was refused tho opportunity opportun-ity to assist tho curato In his fathor's eld church at Epworth. As tho congregation con-gregation camo out, however, ho announced an-nounced that bo would preach that ovoning from his father's tomb ln tho churchyard, the sight ot which was so Inspiring that tho pcoplo pressed him to stay longer, and for eight days he occupied tho samo pulpit, consecrated by tho ashes of tho dead rector. To thoso services Methodism In Lincolnshire Lin-colnshire owes Is organized churches, which ln 1901 numbered moro than 2S.000 members. In 175 Wesloy added to his other "Irregularities" tho calling out of lay preachers, and whon this step was challenged ho dcclarod "Soul-damning clorgymen lay mo undor moro difficulties difficul-ties than soul-saving laymen." Tho clergy was enraged ond usod ovory means to sllcnco him and disperse dis-perse his incotlnga. Somo of his lay preachers wore stoned, beaten and left for dead by mobs; but Wosloy kept sturdily on, mindful that his mother had boon a Iny preachar In tho rectory at Epworth, and many women Joined tho ranks of thoso commissioned com-missioned to glvo tho gospel to ovory creature. Ho begun, continued and onded his work not to destroy tho English church, but to vltnllzo nnd splrltuallzo It. His societies wero intended as auxiliaries to the established church and ovor subordinate to It. Ills sop-arntlon sop-arntlon from It grow llttlo by little. At all his conferences ho opposed a schism, until tho Independence of America brought him fnro to faco with n now proMom. Tho Methodists horo I wero loft wli' out mi ordalnod ministry minis-try capable of administering tho sacra- ments. They looked to Wosley as their father and asked what they should do. Tho crisis was reached In 1784. Years before Wesley had been con vlnced that. In tho primitive church bishops and presbyters had the right to ordain, and he now procoeded to ex erclso that right, Influenced thereto chiefly by the demands of his American Ameri-can followers, but partly by Scripture, history and reason." On Sept. 2, 1784, Hov. John Wesley, Thomas Coke and James Crolghton, "presbyters of the church of England," formed a presbytery, and ordained Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasoy as elders and Thomas Coke, LL. D. "superintendent for tho church of God under our care In America." When tho term bishop was afterward after-ward substituted for tho superintendent superinten-dent by tho Mothodlst Episcopal churclf, ho tenaciously opposed It, although al-though he made no objection to tho designation Episcopal. Wesley was In his 82d year when his net of "separation" was thus con summated, much to tho surpriso and chagrin of Charlos. Ho died on March 2, 1791. In four Instances John Wesley becamo be-camo a lover beforo ho made tho mistake mis-take of marrying, at tho ago of 48, ono who provod unworthy of his affection. affec-tion. Miss Betty Klrkham, sister of ono of his early Methodist friends, was his first love, and his correspondence with her was of tho most romantic nature, suited to the chivalrous fashion of the day. Afterward ho corresponded In lovor style with Mrs. "Pendnrves, who, however, married a Dclany, and then camo his ill-fated affair with Miss Hop-key, Hop-key, ln Georgia, Into which he was drawn y his guileless and unsuspicious unsuspi-cious nature. But the broken courtship which brought him most pain was with Mrs. Graco Murray. She was a sailor's B "V' widow, a dovoted workor In tho Newcastle New-castle orphanage and was a skilful housekeeper and nurso for tho sick who found rofugo In Wesley's northern north-ern homo. Sho was of singular modesty mod-esty and piety, a coworker with tho Wosleys, nnd readily accoptcd his offer of-fer of marriage' ln 1718. But John Bennet, ono of Wesley's preachers, nlso fell in lovo with her, nnd aftor tho opposition of Charles Wesley to her marrlago with his brother, Bennet mnrrled hor. Wesloy did not moot her again until 178S, thrco yenrs before his death, but ho remembered remem-bered her with affection and grlof all through his life. In 1751 he married Mrs. Vazellle, widow of a London merchant. Wesley Insisted that her fortuno should bo rottlod upon herself and hor children, nnd that ho should not preach or travel less than beforo. As his Itinerant work included thousands of miles on horso-back horso-back nnd countless sermons, sho tired of accompanying him, whllo whon sho remained at homo sho becamo almost a monomaniac with Jenlousy. Sho seized her husband's papers and gnvo hlB letters to enemies or' published pub-lished them In tho newspapors. She shut hor husband and his brother up ln a room, and railed at thorn with violence; often drove long dlstnncos to seo who was with hor husband; assaulted as-saulted him wlthvlolont fury, nnd oven In tho presence of others toro his hair. And yet his lcttora to her show that ho possessed tho utmost tenderness tender-ness of affection. Whon Wesloy died, In 1791, there wore In England about 79,000 Methodist Metho-dist members and 312 ministers In circuits. cir-cuits. In Amorlca and Canada thero were from 40,000 to 50,000. At tho OScumonical Mothodlst conference con-ference in Imdon In 1901, the follow. Ing figures wore given to Indlcato tho oxtont of Methodism throughout tho world: Ministers, 48,331; local preachers, preach-ers, 104,780; churches, 89,087; mom-hers, mom-hers, 7,059.?85; Sunday schools, 81 ,-228; ,-228; teachers and olllcors, 801,292; scholars, 7,077,079; adherents, 24,-899,421. 24,-899,421. It Is assorted by Methodist authorities authori-ties that It Is tho richest denomination denomina-tion In tho United Stnos ln tho owner ship f property; that Its conributlons pro the largest and that Its work In li llnnthropy and higher education i' tho most oxtonslvo. |
