Copyright Holiness Data Ministry -- All Rights Are Reserved For This Digital Publication, And Duplication Of This DVD By Any Means Is Forbidden. Also, Copies Of Individual Files Must Be Made In Accordance With The Restrictions Of The B4UCopy.txt File On This Disc. AMERICAN METHODISM By M. L. Scudder With An Introduction By Rev. Joseph Cummings, President Of Wesleyan University Illustrated "Ye are chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people." S. S. Scranton & Co., Hartford, Connecticut Zeigler, McCurdy & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio; O. F. Gibbs, Chicago, Illinois; H. H. Bancroft & Co., San Francisco, California. 1867 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by S. S. Scranton & Co., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Connecticut. * * * * * * * Digital Edition 07-26-09 By Holiness Data Ministry * * * * * * * CONTENTS Introduction Book Pictures 01 -- PRESENT STATE OF METHODISM -- Methodism Claims To Be Of God -- The Phenomena Of Its History -- Its Present Status -- Its Rapid Growth, Compared With The Primitive Church -- Statistical Proof Of Greatness -- English Methodism -- Its Numerical Strength -- A Religious Educator Of The Young -- Its Literature Among The People -- Its Missionary Work -- Beneficial Re-Action On The Domestic Church - - Its Moral Power On The Masses -- Maintains Its Evangelical Spirit -- American Methodism -- A Wonderful Religious Movement -- What The Centenary Year Has Shown, By Its Services, By Its Teachings, By Its Commemorative Offerings -- General Diffusion Of The Methodist Family -- Present Statistics -- Relative Increase With Population, With Other Religious Sects -- Its Position As A Missionary Church, In Sun- Day Schools, In General Education, In The Dissemination Of Religious Literature -- A Forming Power In The Nation -- Makes Great Men -- Its Chief Influence Among The Common People -- Its Great Object To "Save Souls" -- True To Its Original Mission * * * 02 -- THE TRUE ORIGIN OF METHODISM -- Marvellous Effects From The Preaching Of The Wesleys And Whitefield -- A "New Life" In These Men The Reason For This -- This "New Life" The Origin Of Methodism -- Peculiar Ecclesiastical Organizations Come From Some Distinctive Doctrine -- Romanism -- Calvinism -- Lutheranism -- Methodism -- Early Experience Of The Wesleys, Of Whitefield -- Dissatisfied State -- Wesleys In America -- The Moravian Ananias Return To England -- Whitefield's Conversion -- The Wesleys Converted -- Methodism Originated In Aldersgate Street, Not In Oxford -- The Impulsions Of The New Life -- Methodistic Results Follow It -- Analogy With Primitive Church -- Vital Force Of Methodism -- Still Continues * * * 03 -- WESLEY AND HIS ASSISTANTS -- The Workmen Of Early Methodism -- Three Classes, The Principals, Patrons, Helpers -- The First Class, Wesleys And Whitefield -- How They Were Alike -- How Unlike -- Excluded The Churches -- Whitefield -- Field Preaching -- Kingswood -- Wesley Follows -- Success -- Whitefield In Wales -- Charles Wesley At Moorfields -- No Back Track -- All Become Itinerants -- Persecutions -- Wesley "Folds" His Converts -- "General Rules" -- Builds Chapels -- Whitefield In America -- Becomes A Calvinist -- Returns -- Separates From Wesley -- Second Class, Patrons-Who They Were -- How They Aided Methodism -- Third Class, "Helpers" -- How Necessary To Methodism -- Maxwell Turns Preacher Against Wesley's Prejudices -- Their Qualifications -- New Phase Of Ministry -- God's Order -- Its Fruits -- Instructive Lessons -- The Men -- The Seed Of A Great Harvest * * * 04 -- HOW WESLEYAN METHODISM WAS CONSTRUCTED -- Organic Wesleyanism A Model For American Methodism -- Peculiar Organization -- Various Opinions Of It -- Why Opposed -- A Case Of Ignorance -- What Wesley Sought -- His Part In Constructing It -- Its Features -- Field Preaching -- Not Essential To, But Auxiliary -- Its Advantages-United Societies -- How They Originated -- "General Rules;" -- Strict And Catholic -- Benefits Of Their Adoption -- Erection Of Chapels. -- A Necessity -- Promoted Independence -- Classes -- How They Originated -- Spiritual Conservitors -- Love-Feasts -- Social, Religious Festivals -- Band-Meetings -- Hyper-Supervisional -- Fell Into Disuse -- Watch-Nights -- Social Prayer-Meetings -- Congenial To The Methodistic Spirit -- Lay Preachers -- Main Arteries Of Methodism -- Itinerancy -- Began With Methodism -- Its Advantages -- Annual Conferences -- Why Held -- How Held -- Provision For Ministerial Support -- Harmony Of The Whole * * * 05 -- WESLEYAN METHODISM TO THE PRESENT TIME -- True To Its Original Spirit - - Good Results Of Separation Of Whitefield From Wesley -- Lady Huntingdon -- Her Connection With Methodism -- Her Devotion -- Liberality -- Becomes Independent -- The Different Branches Of Calvinistic Methodism -- Arminian Methodism -- Favored With An Executive Leader -- Its Rapid Spread Over The Kingdom -- Its First Peril Internal -- Sacramental Contest -- How Settled -- Unabated Prosperity -- The Calvinistic Controversy -- Its Origin -- Its Actors -- Result Of It -- Wesley Growing Old -- Provides For His Societies After His Death-"Deed Of Declaration" -- What It Embraced -- Same Year Provides For Organization Of American Methodism -- Methodism Educates Its Members To Be Evangelists -- Extends To The Islands Around -- Wesley's Death -- Triumphant -- His Character And Position -- Movement For Independence Follows -- How It Resulted -- The Missionary Work The Glory Of Wesleyan Methodism For The Last Half-Century -- Coke Initiated It -- West-India Missions -- East-India Missions -- Died On His Passage -- Missionary Society Organized -- Its Comprehensive Scheme -- What It Has Done -- How Affected The Church At Home * * * 06 -- AMERICAN METHODISM -- INITIATED -- Favorableness Of America For An Evangelical Movement In 1766 -- Diversity Of Sects In Different Parts -- Toleration In Religion -- Opposition To Methodist Doctrines -- Low State Of Religion In The Colonies -- Prejudices Against Methodism -- Originated Without Plan For The Future-Priority In New York Or Maryland Disputed -- Its Initiation By Four Local Preachers -- Philip Embury -- Whence He Came -- Persecution Overruled -- Embury In New York -- How Moved To Preach -- Barbara Heck -- First Sermon, And Where -- More Room Needed -- Captain Webb -- His Qualifications -- Another Place Of Worship -- "Rigging Loft" -- First Chapel Built -- Webb Itinerating -- Appeals To Wesley For "Helpers" -- Another "Methodist Fire" -- Strawbridge In Maryland -- His Work -- His Characteristics -- His Success -- Opposition In New York -- Chapel Crowded -- Converts -- Robert Williams-Introduces Methodism In Virginia -- Great Success -- Four Local Preachers Introduce American Methodism * * * 07 -- AMERICAN METHODISM -- WESLEY'S MISSIONARIES -- The Young Societies Ask Wesley's Help -- Scene In The Wesleyan Conference -- Request Granted -- Richard Boardman And Joseph Piilmoor -- Material Aid Furnished -- Boardman's Qualifications -- Piilmoor -- Hear Ty Reception In Philadelphia -- At Work -- Reception In New York-Other Missionaries -- Francis Asbury -- Richard Wright -- Asbury Be Comes The Chief Leader In American Methodism -- His Early Life- Conversion -- Enters The Itinerancy -- His Heart In America -- Supplied With Means To Embark-Hard Passage-Arrives In Philadelphia -- "Old St. George's" -- His Love For Itinerancy -- The Field Mapped Out -- Spread Of Methodism -- Native Preachers - - Asbury Establishes Methodism In Baltimore -- Chapels Built -- Captain Webb At The British Conference -- Thomas Rankin And George Shadford Appointed Missionaries -- Rankin Takes Asbury's Place As "Assistant" -- Why The Change -- First Conference -- Its Results -- Revolutionary War At Hand -- New Trials For The Young Societies -- How Met * * * 08 -- AMERICAN METHODISM -- ITS FIRST NATIVE PREACHERS, AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR -- The Revolutionary War Begun -- Influence Of The Religious State Of The Colonies In Producing It -- Relation Of Methodism To The English Church A Disadvantage -- Methodists Reported To Be "Tories" -- Wesley's Loyalty An Embarrassment -- Wesley's Missionaries Return Home -- Asbury An Exception -- Their Return A Good Providence -- Asbury's Prudence -- Great Revivals In Virginia -- Encourage The Struggling Church-The Young Itinerants -- Their Heroic Lives -- William Watters, The First Native Itinerant -- Philip Gatch -- Benjamin Abbott -- Francis Poythress -- Caleb Pedicord -- John Tunnell -- John Dickens -- Nelson Reed -- Asbury In Retirement -- The Sacramental Controversy-Threatened Severance Of The Infant Church -- Happy Issue -- Methodism Inseparable -- Great Prosperity -- Came Out Of The War Largely Reenforced * * * 09 -- ORGANIZATION OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH -- Full Time For It To Be Done -- Union Hitherto By Spirit Rather Than Letter -- Well It Was Delayed Till 1784 -- Proper For Wesley To Originate It-His Independence In Doing It -- Wise Selection Of Coke And Asbury To Effect It -- Dr. Coke's Antecedents -- Wesley's Reasons For His Course-His Address To The American Societies -- Ordination Of Coke, Vasey, And Whatcoat -- Imposing Scene -- They Arrive In America -- Meeting Of Coke And Asbury -- Christmas Conference Called -- What It Did-Asbury The Leading Spirit -- His Fitness For The Leadership -- Baltimore -- The Chief Men Of That Conference -- The Importance Of Its Measures -- Wesley's Part In It -- "Rules And Regulations" Adopted -- People And Preachers Pleased With Them * * * 10 -- CHURCH EXTENSION -- 1785-1812 -- Pioneer