in some form, standard expressions of these central and common beliefs, which expressions are regarded as the model phrasings of the doctrines, which may be more or less formal, and to which a comparative appeal can be taken, in case of subsequent utterances on the subject, by individuals, or collective bodies, large or small, and the formally phrased doctrinal utterances, or formulations, would be its standards of doctrine.

Wesleyanism, or Methodism, could not be an exception to this principle, for it was manifestly the case in Methodism that its people were drawn together and held together by common and fundamental religious beliefs.

In the very nature of things, Methodism must have had its doctrines and its standard of doctrines.

From the beginning it preached doctrines, and its ministers were essentially doctrinal preachers. It had common, and commonly accepted religious doctrines. It preached, prayed, and sung its doctrines, and, even during its early years, created a great doctrinal litera

ture.

It will be found that Methodism maintained and insisted upon what it called "sound doctrine." While it was liberal as to non-essentials, it strongly and rigidly insisted on what it regarded as the fundamentals of the Christian religion. It stood for doctrines, taught doctrines, and required doctrinal beliefs, and of these there must have been authoritative statements which were standards of doctrine.

V

JOHN WESLEY AND DOCTRINE

HE Reverend John Wesley was the founder of organized Methodism and its active leader for over a half century. He was and is the key to Methodism. He opens the door to its history, its government, and its doctrinal system. He was its start in history, its germ and genius in government, and the molder of its doctrines.

Starting as a devoted Churchman, at the beginning of his career he was rated as a High Churchman, but very early in his ministry he got rid of his highchurchism.

Next to the influence of the Scriptures he was largely dominated by the practical, and was inclined to the thing or method that brought practical results. He also rested, to a great extent, on personal and internal religious experience, and taught with great emphasis the necessity of a personal spiritual experience, and his doctrinal views and teachings were strongly influenced by Scriptural and practical principles.

From some points of view he might be regarded as a mystic, but he was too practical to be a mere mystic, and all the apparent mysticism steadily worked for practical ends.

We repeat, therefore, that the Reverend John Wesley was, and still is, the key to Methodism. He is the key to its history, its polity, and its doctrinal system, and

if one wants to understand Methodism the safest way is to go back to, start with, and follow Wesley, for John Wesley was, and still is, the model Methodist, as man and minister, and as master teacher of its systematic theology.

John Wesley's preaching and his writings were largely of a doctrinal character, and, if we had nothing but his sermons, we would have a great and comprehensive body of divinity.

As Professor John A. Faulkner, of Drew Theological Seminary, has said of the Reverend John Wesley: "He was the great doctrinal preacher of the eighteenth century."

With such a leader, even at the beginning, it was probable, therefore, that Methodism would have both doctrines and doctrinal standards. It was more than probable; it was practically certain.

The great mass of Wesley's sermons were decidedly doctrinal, so that those who heard him frequently were more or less thoroughly indoctrinated.

But he was not merely a preacher but also an author and publisher, and he used the press to such an extent, that, so to speak, he covered the British Islands with good literature, indeed, the best of that time, and made the inhabitants a reading people, and his own followers a religious reading people to a degree that his followers in the present generation have not surpassed, and, it is to be feared, in ecclesiastical and doctrinal matters, have not equalled.

Among other things this literature embraced history, philosophy, natural science, religion, and theology. Himself a broad man he wanted the people to have breadth of knowledge. By print, as well as by voice

and authority he spread and maintained the truth, and a large proportion of that which he published was of a doctrinal nature.

Not only did he preach and print doctrines, but he freely and forcefully entered into public controversies, and Wesley's opponents gave currency to his views in what they printed.

As the Reverend Anson West, D. D., of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, said of John Wesley: "He preached doctrines. Mr. Wesley did more in refuting theological errors and in formulating and expounding the doctrines of the Bible than any one man of the centuries.

"He did not originate any new religious truth-no man has since the canon of Scripture was completed— but he revived, systematized, expounded, and preached evangelical truth in the complete measure and entireness thereof.

"Wesley always gave prominence to personal experience, spiritual life, and discipline, but he had constantly before him doctrine, doctrine first, and the basis of the others. His great care was doctrine.

"In the measure in which he organized, he organized a system of doctrines. He organized on doctrines.""

Notwithstanding such facts and such testimony, some have intimated, and even positively asserted, that the Reverend John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, or Wesleyanism, made little or no moment of doctrinal

matters.

But, if he made no moment of doctrines, of what did he make much moment? How could he get along in

'Rev. Anson West, D. D., address before the Centennial Methodist Conference, 1884.

his evangelical movement and accomplish the work he did without doctrines and very pronounced beliefs?

The Methodist movement itself was necessarily based on doctrines-doctrines as to God, as to Christ, as to the Holy Ghost, as to God's revelation, sin, salvation, and the future life, and without doctrines, stated, accepted, and believed, Wesley could not have preached his evangel, and the people could not have been impressed and moved, and, further, to do this work these doctrines must have stood together in a consistent system.

As a matter of historic fact Wesley taught Scriptural doctrines, and demanded corresponding beliefs from his hearers, and his followers. With his hearers of all classes he reasoned; with his followers, after reasoning, he commanded.

For any one to assert that John Wesley was indifferent as to doctrines and that he put little or no stress on doctrinal matters, is to assert that which is absolutely untrue, and no well-informed and candid student of the history would venture such a suggestion.

From the high-church views of his youth he soon departed, and became an evangelical low-churchman, or a low-church evangelical, but he never ceased to hold the fundamental faith of orthodox Christianity, and to this he added as clearer views came to him. He always had his essential creed, though he conceded there were some non-essentials on which brother Christians might differ and not disagree.

It is true that Mr. Wesley ordinarily was generous in his judgment of those with whom he did not agree doctrinally, but it is not correct to suppose that he treated indifferently the matter of sound theological views either on the part of himself or others.