In 17S-1 Wesley ordained Thomas Coke (q.v.) superintendent for America. and at the Christ- , mos Cdniference of 1784-85, held in Baltimore. Md., the Methodist Episcopal Church was eon stituted by the ordination of Francis Asbury as superintendent and the drawing up of an episco- .
pal Church constituthm. The new overseers as sumed the title of bishop, much to Wesley's dis gust, who, out of deference to the Church of England,desired them to be called simply superin tenth-Ms. But that he considered them to be bishops in the full sense there can be no doubt. In his letter to the Conference stating and de fending his position lie says: "Lord King's cc count of the Primitive Church convinced time many years ago that bishops and presbyters are of the same order. and consequently have the same right to ordain. For many years I have been importuned to exercise• this right ;" but he refused out of deference to the established order. lint in America the ease was different. There there were no bishops, so that for hundred's of miles there was no one to administer the sacra ments. "Here. therefore. my scruples are at an end, and I conceive myself at full liberty, as I violate no order and invade no man's right by ap pointing and sending laborers into the harvest" of course it is understood that the American Episcopacy is in order presbyterial purely. though it is certainly sufficiently catho lic in its powers of supervision, especiall3 in its absolute control over pastoral appointments—a control that is, however, limited in practice when dealing with popular preachers andl wealthy churches. The other of the two orders is that of deaeons• who are strictly differentiated from eld ers. It is. however. a principle of Methodism that no one type of Church order is of exclusive authority, that the Scripture lays down no model, and that therefore a Church may exercise erty in matters of polity if she is true to the spirit and gellertil et?Mplexion of the Apostolic.
Church. The non-episcopal Methodist Churches are true to Wesley's idea of oversight through their conferences and districts• but presbyterian in ministry and congregational in some features of their administration. A peculiar feature of all Methodist polity is the itinerancy. or the re moval of preachers from one charge to another. which is done by the bishops with the advice of the presiding elders in the :tlethodist Episcopal churches, and by a stationing committee in the other churches. In the Methodist Episcopal Church the pastoral limit was placed at two years in 1804, at three in 1864, at five in 1888, and in 1900 the limit was removed entirely. Preachers are 1101V reappointed from year to year by the bishop.
TnroLooY. Few Churches have had less doc trinal disturbances than the Methodist, and this because the main lines of belief have always been accepted with unanimity, and because the stress of evangelism to which she has been called has not given opportunity for speculative dis cussions. NO one has expressed more briefly and admirably the doctrines received by all Metho dists than Bishop John Vincent: "I. I lieve all men are sinners. H. I believe that God the Father loves all men and hates all sin. Ill. I believe that Jesus Christ died for all men to make possible their salvation from sin, and to make sure the salvation of all who be lieve in Him. IV. I believe the holy Spirit is given to all men to enlighten and to incline them to repent of their sins and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. V. I believe that all who re pent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. receive the forgiveness of sin. This is justification. VI. I believe that all who re ceive the forgiveness of sin are at the same time made new creatures in Christ Jesus. This is regeneration. VII. 1 believe that all who are made new creatures in Christ Jesus are adopted as the children of God. This is adop tion. VIII. I believe that all who are accepted
as the children of God may receive the inward assurance of the holy Spirit to that fact. This is the witness of the Spirit. IX. I believe that all who truly desire and seek it may love God with all their heart and soul. mind and strength, and their neighbors as themselves. This is entire sanctification. X. I believe that all who perse vere to the end, and only those, shall be saved in heaven forever." As to the sacraments Metho dism holds that the Lord's Supper is a memorial I of Christ's death for the spiritual feeding on I Him, that Be is really present only in the hearts of those who receive Him, and that. baptism is a sign of a regeneration already accomplished by faith, and as to adults should he given only to believers. As to infants, is allowed, hut not required, and when given is on the ground that the child is already a member of the Kingdom of God. As to atonement. Methodists universally hold to the fact, but are not agreed as to theory. hi Eng land the penal substitutionary theory has been held. at least until recently, and that was the common view in America until Professor Miley, of Drew Theological Seminary, published his hook on the Atonement in 1879, advocating the govern mental theory. But it has been the universal conviction of .Methodists that a real atonement was paid to God for the sins of the world, though in 1900 Professor Bowne of Boston advocated the view that it was an act of love to influence men. .\s to depravity, Methodists hold that it is I total in the sense that no man is saved except I through God's inciting and enabling grace, but not total in the sense of the Reformation creeds. In eschatology opinions differ. Unlike the older , Methodists, many hold now to an intermediate state, and to processes of salvation there for those who never heard of Christ. Dr. Pope pre , sented this view in his Theology (1875-76), and his book was placed on the course of study for preachers. The natural immortality of the soul has always been maintained, the first dissentient being Professor Beet in his The Last Things (1897; 3d ed., enl., 1899) and more explicitly in his Immortality of the Soul: .1 Protest (1901). Eternal punishment in some' sense is a cardinal tenet.
ETnics. Wesley always retained some of the ascetic fervor of his High Church days, and set forth in his "General Rules for the United So cieties" (1743) a standard of conduct of a strict and self-denying type. These rules forbade soft ness and needless self-indulgence, the using of many words in buying or selling, the use of in toxicants as a. beverage, and the reading of books or the taking of diversions that could not be indulged in in the name of Jesus. The early Methodists were accordingly noted for their Qua ker-like strictness of life, this even showing it self in regard to dress and jewelry. Amusements like theatre-going. dancing, and card-playing were looked upon, as by the Puritans, with whom Methodists had many points of contact, with abhorrence.
\VoRstir. Wesley was attached to the liturgy of the Church of England. and drew up for the societies at home and in America a service based on the Prayer-Book, which he abridged and changed remorselessly. This was not adapted to American needs and was never used in this country to any extent until re cently. It was republished by the Rev. Charles S. Harrower in ISO!, and the responsive parts have been widely adopted. But the spirit of Methodism seems opposed to read prayers, and though a modest liturgical service was suggested by the General Conference of the Methodist Epis copal Church in 1896, it goes no further than a responsive reading, the Gloria, and the recitation of the Apostles' Creed, and even this is too rit ualistic for some churches. In special rites, how ever, like baptism, marriage, and burial, all Methodists use a prepared service.