Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/469

 METHODISM 455 Creighton and Richard Whatcoat, presbyters, ordained the Rev. Thomas Coke, LL. D., as superintendent of the American Methodist churches, with the instruction that Asbury should be assistant superintendent. On Coke's arrival a general conference of 60 ministers met in Baltimore, Dec. 24, 1784, and approved Wesley's action by unanimously electing Coke and Asbury superintendents. This conference adopted the episcopal form of government, made the episcopal office elective, and held the superintendents amenable to the body of min- isters and preachers. The " Sunday Service " and twenty-five "Articles of Religion," were adopted. Thus the church first assumed organic form. From this time the progress of -the de- nomination was rapid and assured. Before the close of the century Methodism had reached the Mississippi valley, had been established in the eastern British provinces and Canada, had been successfully preached in New Eng- land, and had met with great success through- out the middle and southern states. It was the first church to recognize officially the constitu- tion of the United States, and to pledge its loy- alty to the government. It had greatly devel- oped its internal polity and divided its territory into annual conferences ; had laid the founda- tions of its benevolent and educational enter- prises ; had introduced the Sunday school into America ; had established a publishing house ; had taken advanced ground on temperance; had been active in attempts to ameliorate the condition of the slave population; and had been positive in declaring the general incom- patibility of slaveholding with membership in its communion. In 1800 Richard Whatcoat was elected bishop, and in 1808 William Mc- Kendree. In 1808 the plan of a delegated general conference was adopted. This body, composed of 90 members, held its first session in 1812. The church, from a single class of five members in 1766, had now increased to 195,357 members and 688 preachers. Doc- trines. These are expressed in the twenty-five "Articles of Religion," which, with the excep- tion of the 23d, were prepared by Mr. Wesley from the thirty-nine articles of the church of England. With the addition of the 23d and a few slight changes, they remain as they were adopted by the conference of 1784. Article I. is the enunciation of the usual orthodox view of the nature of God, and the trinity of per- sons in the unity of the Godhead. Art. II. enunciates the orthodox doctrine of the incar- nation, natures, suffering, crucifixion, death, burial, and the conciliatory and sacrificial character of Christ's passion. Art. III. recog- nizes his real resurrection and ascension. Art. IV. asserts the co-equality of the Holy Ghost. Art. V. declares the sole authority of the Holy Scriptures, and defines the canonical Scriptures. Art. VI. defines the relation of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, and affirms the binding power of the moral law. Art. VII. defines original sin, guarding against Pelagi- anism. Art. VIII. describes the condition of man after the fall of Adam, and declares his utter inability "to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will." Art. IX. enunciates the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith. Art. X. describes the character of good works. Art. XI. protests against the doctrine of supererogation. Art. XII. treats of sin after justification, declaring that "the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification : after we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise again and amend our lives." Art. XIII. defines the visible church of Christ. Art. XIV. protests against the Roman Catho- lic doctrine of purgatory, pardon, worship, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and the invocation of saints. Art. XV. de- clares against the practice of the Roman Cath- olic church in conducting her services in a lan- guage not understood by the people. Art. XVI. defines the nature and number of the sacraments, declaring against their necessarily saving efficacy. Arts. XVII., XVIII., and XIX. define more fully the nature and significance of the sacraments. "The baptism of young children is to be retained in the church." The supper of the Lord is to be administered in both kinds. Transubstantiation and the eleva- tion of the host are condemned as unsup- ported by Scripture or reason. Art. XX. de- clares the sufficiency of the one and only offering of Christ for all the sins of the whole world, and condemns the sacrifices of mass- es as blasphemous and deceitful. Art. XXI. affirms the lawfulness of marriage to Christian ministers. Art. XXII. denies the necessity of uniformity in the rites and ceremonies of the church, and announces that " every partic- ular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites or ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification." Art. XXIII. recognizes that " the president, congress, the general as- semblies, the governors, and the councils of state, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America accord- ing to the division of power made to them by the constitution of the United States, and by the constitutions of their respective states." Art. XXIV. denies a community of goods in the Christian church, but enforces the duty of almsgiving, &c. Art. XXV. defines the na- ture and asserts the right of a Christian man's oath. These articles purposely avoided the questions of Calvinism and Arminianism, and were intended as a broad platform on which all real Christians might unite. Polity. The polity of the church is clearly defined in the book of its doctrines and discipline. There are five judicatory bodies, termed respectively the " General Conference," the "Judicial Con- ference," the "Annual Conference," the "Dis-