THE 'LIFE AND WORK OF JOHN WESLEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9116, 15 May 1891, Page 2

THE 'LIFE AND WORK OF JOHN WESLEY.

Bishop Ncvill delivered a lecture before the St. Paul's Yonng Men's Association lest evening in St. Paul's schoolroom upon " The Life and Work of the Rev. John Wesley." There was a good attendance, including many members of the Wesleyan denomination. The Yen. Archdeacon Edwards presided.

Bishop Neyill, in the course of his lecture, discussed the question aa to whether Wesley, in his act of appointing persons to America, intended those acts as acts of separation from the Church of England and as evidence of his independence from it, and answered this question in the negative, his reason being that Wesley over and over again said it was not so. Wesley, unfortunately, believed that the ends justified the means—which was not a very good doctrine—and he thought that the condition of the people of America justified his taking action. Since, for good or not, Wesley belonged throughout all his life to the English Church, no apology was called for from an officer of that church for dealing with his (Wesley's) life, and Wesley being a churchman, the followers of his doctrine should ba churchmen too. If they were not followers of Wesley let them not take his name, who so vehemently denounced separation from that church. At the same time the lecturer desired to fully acknowledge the purity of motive, the earnestness of work, and the virtues of the Wesleyan community, both of the ministry and of the lay people. In conclusion he drew certain deductions, not merely to prove that he was right and other people were wrong, but because the greatest issues were at stake. It was time, he thought, that the results of their unhappy divisions should be seriously laid to heart. They had still wars of the sects — they could not dispute that. Was it good to put up, for example, five places of worship in a place where there was little money lor religious purposes, where one place of worship would suffice ? Was it good to bewilder -simple folk with fine points of difference with only human opinion for their basis ? Was it good to give a handle to the scoffer, who said that when they settled their little differences he would begin to consider whether religion had anything to offer him ? Was it good to make the religious education of their young people impossible because they could not decide these questions ? Was it good to despise the teaching of Christ as to union ? Nor was this all—Christianity itself was at peril. Modern history proved the truth of this. If some argued that schism waß justifiable on account of the sacerdotalism of the church, he replied that such a charge came with an ill grace fram those who held the doctrines that were set forth in Charles Wesley's hymn book. If they agreed with Wesley, their mouth was closed on thU subject; if they did not agree with Wesley, why did they bear his name? Bat surely in a new country, approaching a new age, they could afford to give up their quarrels about other countries and other ages, and owning Christ as their Master, cleave to His body and obey His laws. On the motion of Mr H. F. Habdy, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the bishop for his lecture.