History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

The respective theories are working out along their own lines in the history of the world. The civil
governments are thus demarcated: czars and emperors and kings in civilized communities, and
despots among the barbarous peoples, in all gradations of the paternal idea. Akin to these are the
Church governments, — the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Church, the Protestant Episcopal
Church (national in England, but a sect among sects in America), the Methodist Episcopal Churches
of various names and degrees of episcopacy, all expressions of the same paternal idea. Over against
these are the republics of ancient and modern times, notably in the van the United States of America,
which is beckoning the oppressed peoples of all lands, either to share individually in its blessings
of civil equality, or educating them to throw off the galling yokes of anti-republican systems. Over
against these also are the Presbyterian and Congregational denominations, both Calvinistic and
Arminian doctrinally, but agreed that the New Testament methods of the primitive Church are to be
accepted as the model for Christ's visible Church in all ages. The conflict between these, it is
confessed, is not an equal one; like the forces of good and evil, the preponderance is with the ideally
wrong and the practically evil. It is consonant with the depravity of human nature. There is
something in it that loves lordship. It has been forcibly expressed in vulgar phrase, "Every man has
a pope in his belly." Even the oppressed take the cue, and in their station begin to oppress others. The
acute Snethen has luminously set it forth, "One of the deplorable effects of power is, that those who
feel oppressed by it without resisting it have a strong propensity generated by it to oppress others."
It must be confessed that the ideally true can only prevail among men as intelligence and virtue make
them self-governing. In the measure this is not the case men must be governed by others through
brute force or arbitrary authority. There can be no question, however, on which side final victory lies
in this irrepressible conflict. God reigns above and Christ is to be King of this world. His ideal
kingdom is to become actual. Beginning in the hearts of men, it rules by love, and so supersedes the
restraints of law. "All ye are brethren" holds the germinal truth for all ultimate governments in State
and Church. For the former it is found in constitutional monarchies like England, and constitutional
republics like the United States. In the latter it is found under Presbyterial and Congregational
regimes. The fatal and sufficient objection to all hierarchal systems, however attempered and limited,
is that their trend is in the wrong direction, and should be discouraged to the point of opposition by
every friend of civil and religious liberty. These positions are held to be logically irrefutable and
practically established. No claim that under arbitrary and irresponsible rule there is greater efficiency,
potentiality with numerical and material extension, even if shown to be true, can be allowed. The
republics in State and Church are demonstrating that it is not true. Limiting the demonstration to the
objective of this History, — the Methodist Protestant Church, — this review of English Methodism
and this formulation of principles is part of the task which, if successfully accomplished, will
vindicate its fathers and founders with its right to exist and to perpetuate itself.
Eminent men presided over the Wesleyan Conference during these fourteen years: Watson,
Stephens, Bunting twice, Townley, Morley, Marsden, Newton, Treffry, Taylor, Reece, Grindrod,
Jackson, and Lessey. Stevens says, "Foreign, universal propagandism has now become the
characteristic idea of the denomination." And it was so. Missionaries were sent into most parts of
the world, It sent out ten, twenty, and thirty missionaries in a year. The work was systematized
through the Board of Managers, composed of the most distinguished of ministers and laymen; of the
latter may be named Thomas Thompson, James Wood, Thomas Farmer, Thomas and William
Merriott, Launcelot Haslope, George and James Heald, Thomas Allen, and Joseph Butterworth. Its
Mission House became tantamount in importance with its Publishing House. Twenty-five thousand