the Evangelical Association labor spiritually side by side, though not united organically, with greater and better accord, and less friction, than ever before. They realize to a large extent that they are sisters, if not twins, and that a great work among the Germans has been committed unto them.

The chief items of the statistics of these two branches of Methodism in America are as follows:

The work which the Lord of the harvest has intrusted to these two branches of Methodism the careful reader may easily prognosticate.

Let us now turn our eyes to the reflectant influence upon the "Fatherland," as exerted by German Methodism in America. It is worthy of note that the missionary impulse of Methodism led the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Association almost simultaneously to send missionaries to Germany, as it had a few years previously induced the Wesleyan Connection in England to commence a mission in Germany through a German brother, Mueller, who, after having been converted in London, visited his native land, and began, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, in a very humble way to bring souls to Christ, commencing with teaching children every Sunday afternoon in his own house.

Private correspondence between converted German Methodists in America and their relatives and friends in Germany produced the first thought, and resulted in expressions of ardent wishes that missionaries might be sent thither to break the bread of life to famishing souls. In the year 1849 the Methodist Episcopal Church sent her first missionary into Germany. L. S. Jacoby was induced to go there by undeniable providential indications, especially by the report which Dr. Nast brought,

* About one third of membership is English. The Evang. Messenger has 12,000 subscribers.

who had been sent to Germany in the year 1944 to open friendly communications with some spiritual ministers and people of the Protestant State Churches, to make them acquainted with the nature and success of the evangelistic work for the German immigrants. Having been educated for the ministry of the established Church, and enjoying intimate relations with some of the most prominent evangelical laborers, he had the best opportunities to refute the misrepresentations concerning German Methodism. He was soon invited to some pulpits, and assured by men like Prelate Kapf, of Stuttgart, Dr. W. Hoffman, superintendent in the Prussian Church, Father Gossner, and the celebrated Pastor Mallett, in Bremen, that they would rejoice to have the fire kindled on the altars of their churches by the Methodist way of leading the unconverted to Christ, although they modified their desire by adding that the Methodist brethren from America would be expected to labor as helpers to spiritual pastors of the established Church. Another providential indication was the effect of the political revolution of 1848, in consequence of which there was more religious freedom given than before, and to this was added the deep impression upon the Methodist bishops that L. S. Jacoby was specially fitted for this new and important missionary enterprise.

Dr. Jacoby commenced his labors in the city of Bremen in the fall of 1849, and six months later L. Nippert and C. H. Doering were sent out to aid Dr. Jacoby. We need not describe the beginning and spread of this work, except that it was found inexpedient, yea, impossible, to secure any permanent fruit of these missionary labors without organizing them as members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. How wonderfully this work has prospered amid many and great difficulties may be seen, in part at least, by a glance at the following statistics:

About the year 1844 Sebastian Kurtz, a German from Würtemberg, was led to Christ through the Evangelical Association in America, and returned to his native land full of the love of God and deep solicitude for the salvation of his people.

In his home he commenced to tell what a "dear Saviour" Ire had found, and exhorted the people to repentance. Many were awakened by his simple, fervent story of "the wonderful works of God." Numbers were converted, and forty united in a private prayer-meeting. He had similar success at other places. A letter from Mr. Kurtz, containing a report of these movements, was published in the Christliche Botschafter of October 15, 1846, which awakened a strong desire to send missionaries to Germany. Correspondence was opened, which resulted finally in the sending of the first missionaries to Würtemberg in 1850. The work has made its way onward through great difficulties until a better day appeared, and victory after victory followed.

We subjoin an abbreviated statistical report, as follows: *

A particularly pleasant feature of the work of German Methodists in Europe is the unity of spirit and fervency of brotherly love between the Methodists, Evangelical Association, and Wesleyans, which finds frequent expression in alliance meetings, held conjointly by missionaries and members of these branches, which are attended and crowned with an extraordinary measure of the love and power of the Holy Spirit. A portentous "sign of the times" is the fact that the Macedonian cry, "Come over and help us," comes to these "Episcopal, Evangelical, and Wesleyan Methodists" from nearly all parts of the German Empire and Switzerland, so that if they could double their men and means every man and every dollar would soon find soul-saving employment.

Now the presence of about thirty thousand zealous churchmembers and of more than two hundred itinerant and local ministers, tens of thousands of copies of religious papers spreading and exemplifying Methodist doctrine and practice, which Dr. Chalmers called "Christianity in earnest," exerts a mighty

* These items are taken from the report of 1887; there has been a marked increase of preachers, members, churches, Sunday-schools, and papers since then.

influence, both directly and indirectly, upon the unconverted masses of the State Churches in the Fatherland. Thousands of the common people, who still long for something better than chaff to satisfy spiritual hunger, welcome this "Christianity in earnest" with open hearts and arms, and to thousands of others it is, as it were, a thorn in the flesh, though by no means an angel of Satan, but rather a good angel, suiting a spiritually fossilized Church with the "fists" of truth; and the State Church begins to awake from her lethargy, and looks over the situation, and becomes alarmed, and convinced that a reformation is needed. Evidences of this awakening are the introduction of Sunday-schools, the movement to utilize the better elements of the laity in Church work, efforts to introduce itinerant evangelistic laborers by Dr. Christlieb and others, and the earnest discussion of the depreciated condition of the Church and religion generally by conventions of clergymen and in religious periodicals, like Stöcker's Deutsche Ev. Kirchenzeitung, Pestalozzi's Waechterstimme, etc., although they arrive at different conclusions as to ways and means. And this is only the beginning of an irresistible movement upon the well fortified works of the arch-enemy in Germany.

And now, what may be the legitimate conclusions to be derived from the foregoing facts and premises?

1. That God intends to save and use the German nation for his own all-wise and glorious purposes.

2. That English Methodism, both in England and America, has been providentially placed under a strong and lasting obligation to work for the spiritual regeneration and restoration of the German race. They should never forget Spangenberg, Luther's "Introduction," Barbara Heck, Philip Emerich, and other German men and means which Providence employed to bring into existence this great religious movement called Methodism. This moral indebtedness can hardly ever be fully liquidated.

3. That God has brought into existence that Methodistic work called the Evangelical Association primarily for the rescue and salvation of the neglected Pennsylvania Germans, and later on to co-operate in saving also the millions of German. immigrants of recent years.

4. That God awakened and converted and called William Nast to be, under him, the instrument in the hands of the

Methodist Episcopal Church to establish German Methodism (denominationally) in America as a very efficient means to lead the immigrating Germans to Christ.

5. That the German Methodists and the Evangelical Association having the same calling, the same doctrine, and essentially the same kind of church government, ought to labor side by side in love and unity for the fulfillment of the mission to which they have been so providentially appointed.

6. That the German Methodistic work in Europe ought to be assisted most liberally by the three mother-churches in America and England; for the harvest is great, but the laborers are few.

7. That there cannot be any valid reason given why the German work in Europe should not be organically united and consolidated into one Evangelical Methodist Church; but there are many strong reasons in favor of it. God has given the Methodist branches there one work to do; they use one and the same language; they labor among the same race; they have essentially the same church government; they preach the same doctrine, and employ the same modes of operation; they have the same object, and are moved by the same Holy Spirit. And, economically considered, such a union would save a great deal of expense in building churches, etc.; and ecclesiastically it would augment incalculably the force of impression upon the German nation, and give Methodism a much better standing in the eyes of the whole German people. And last, but not least, it would be a step in perfect accordance with the fervent prayer of our blessed Saviour, John xvii, 21, 22.

And now, finally, we are prepared to state the answer to the question placed at the beginning of this article: "What is the Providential Design of German Methodism?" Answer: To rescue the German race from unbelief and sin, and lead them into that salvation to the uttermost which fits them to fulfill their destiny in the divine plan of saving the human race.

Reuben Yeakel.