Nonconformity

English religion is wider than Anglicanism, for individualism is irresistible in England. “Chapel” is not so “nice” and attractive as “Church”, but it is as national an institution. The Nonconformists are the spiritual heirs of the old Puritans, who disapproved of the Church of England and claimed the right to worship in their own way, with the pastor of their choice. Their movement, under the general influence of Calvinism, produces three types of free Churches. Two of them were thoroughly democratic: the Congregationalists, whose distinctive doctrine was the independence of each congregation, and Baptists, who only differed from the Congregationalists in their doctrine of adult baptism. The third was the Presbyterians, uncompromising Calvinists and rigid authoritarians The Congregationalists and the Baptists are still numerous in the industrial districts of England; so are the Presbyterians in Scotland. But the Nonconformist sects have lost much of their vigour. The English Sunday, sacred to Victorian Protestantism, is openly flouted, and Bible-reading sadly neglected. Church attendance has been steadily dwindling, fewer clergymen are ordained, and many parishes are under-staffed. Politically, it is Britain’s loss that Nonconformity, once the soul of British Radicalism is no longer vigorously militant; but, in a strictly religious context, this may progressively lead to a better understanding between the various sects themselves, and perhaps facilitate steps towards Christian Unity.

Methodism

In the dark days of the industrial revolution, John Wesley, a clergyman inspires by the ardent charity which leads to sainthood, undertook to bring comfort to the pariahs of the new system. For their sake, he preached 40,000 sermons, and traveled 250,000 miles. Workers who had come to be regarded as a sub-human species were re-Christianized by Methodism. It now numbers more adherents than all other English sects combined. As a social reformer Wesley initiated the whole movement of social progress which was to be carried on by the Evangelical Revival in the 19^th century: the abolition of the slave trade, prison reform, factory legislation, popular education and foreign missions.

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