SECTION III.

STATING MR. WESLEY'S NOTIONS OF THE RELATIVE SITUATION OF HIS SOCIETIES, TO OTHER RELIGIOUS BODIES OF PEOPLE IN THIS KINGDOM; AND OF THE TRUE CHARACTER AND OFFICE OF THE METHODIST PREACHERS.

No man could understand the nature and design of the Methodist societies so well as Mr. Wesley; as he was the chief instrument in raising them, and governed them for more than forty years by rules which he himself made for that purpose. He has declared again and again, in the most express terms, that the design was not to form a new party in the nation; not to form the societies into independent churches, or to draw away those who became Methodists, from their former religious connexions. The only intention was, to rouse all parties, the members of the church in particular, to an holy jealousy and a spiritual emulation; and to assist them as far as possible, in promoting christian experience, and practical religion through the land. The design was disinterested and noble; and every part of the Methodist economy exactly corresponded with the professed design, which showed the sincerity of Mr. Wesley's declarations. The preachers were itinerant, which rendered them incapable, had they been otherwise qualified, of performing the duties of settled pastors to the societies: the times of preaching, and of other meetings, were so ordered, as not to interfere with the times of public worship in the church, or among the Dissenters. The whole economy was formed, with wonderful consistency in all its parts, to be a blessing indiscriminately to all parties. While this economy remained inviolate, it was of wonderful use. It was highly pleasing to see rigid Churchmen, and equally rigid Dissenters of all denominations, assembled together in a Methodist preaching-house; hearing the truths of the gospel preached, and each feeling the beneficial influence of them on their own hearts. This tended gradually to lessen their prejudices against each other; and however they might still differ, as to modes of worship, it brought them nearer in christian charity and brotherly love. And every candid man must acknowledge, that since the Methodists have generally prevailed, the violence of party spirit, in matters of religion, has, in equal proportion, been diminished. I sincerely pray God, that the Methodists may continue in their original situation, and never become the means of re-kindling the flame of party zeal. This relative situation of the societies, the members of which still held their former religious connexions, Mr. Wesley calls their peculiar glory. "It is a new thing," says he, "upon the earth. Revolve all the histories of the church from the earliest ages, and you will find, whenever there was a great work of God in any particular city or nation, the subjects of that work, soon said to their neighbors, 'Stand by yourselves, for we are holier than you.' As soon as ever they separated themselves, either they retired into deserts, or at least formed

parties, into which none were admitted but such as subscribed both to their judgment and practice. But with the Methodists, it is quite otherwise. They are not a sect or party. They do not separate from the religious community to which they at first belonged. And I believe one reason why God is pleased to continue my life so long, is to confirm them in their present purpose; not to separate from the Church." See the Arminian Magazine for 1790.

Mr. Wesley has very explicitly described both the character and office of a Methodist preacher, in a sermon which he sometimes preached at the Conference, before the preachers then assembled. His text was Hebrews v. 4. "No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." In this discourse he has clearly shown, that the office of a priest, was totally distinct and separate from the office of a preacher or expounder of God's word and will, sometimes called a prophet. That from Adam to Noah, and from Noah to Moses, the first-born in every family was the priest, by virtue of his primogeniture: but any other of the family might be a prophet, or expounder of God's will to the people. In the time of Moses, the priesthood was restricted to the tribe of Levi; while the preachers or expounders of God's law might be, and afterwards were of different tribes. In the New Testament, these expounders of the law, are called ropizoi, or scribes: but few, if any of them, were priests.

The Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest of our profession, sent out Apostles and Evangelists, to proclaim the glad-tidings of peace to all the world. Afterwards, pastors were appointed to preside over, and to build up in the faith, the churches that were formed. "But," says Mr. Wesley, "I do not find, that ever the office of an evangelist was the same with that of a pastor, frequently called a bishop. I cannot prove from any part of the New Testament, or from any author of the three first centuries, that the office of an evangelist, gave any man a right to act as a pastor or bishop. I believe these offices were considered as quite distinct from each other, till the time of Constantine."

Mr. Wesley then goes on to observe, that among the Presbyterians; in the Church of England, and even among the Roman Catholics, the office of an evangelist or teacher, does not imply that of a pastor, to whom peculiarly belongs the administration of the sacraments. All Presbyterian churches, that of Scotland in particular, license men to preach throughout the whole kingdom, before they are ordained. And it is never understood that this appointment to preach, gives them any right to administer the sacraments. "Likewise," says he, "in our own church, persons may be authorized to preach, yea, may be Doctors in Divinity, as Dr. Atwood, at Oxford, was when I resided there, who are not ordained at all: and consequently have no right to administer the Lord's supper. Yea, even in the Church of Rome itself, if a lay-brother believes he is called to go a mission, as it is termed, he is sent out, though neither priest nor deacon, to execute that office, and not the other." And Mr. Wesley declares that he and his brother considered the lay-preachers in the light of evangelists, or preachers only, when

they received them as helpers in the work, or they never should have admitted them.

That they were itinerant preachers in the primitive church, who travelled from place to place preaching the gospel without interfering with the duties of the established pastors, does not admit of much doubt. We may venture to say, that one part of the Methodist economy approached nearer to this primitive practice, than any thing which has taken place in the christian church since the days of the Apostles. I have long been persuaded, that no religious establishment, whether national or otherwise, ever did, or ever will, keep up the original spirit of its institution without an itinerant ministry connected with it. This however is certain, that the Church of England, of which most of the Methodists are members, might have received a vast accession of strength from the labors of the Methodist preachers among the middling and lower orders of the people, had the rulers of that church understood in time, how to have estimated them. At present it is not probable, that either the bishops, or the clergy in general, will know or believe what advantages they might have gained from the labors of the Methodist preachers (if numbers of pious people be an advantage) till their losses have fully convinced them.

Notwithstanding Mr. Wesley's ordinations, it is manifest that he had no intention or wish, that the great body of the people should separate from the church or change their relative situation to other denominations of Christians in the land. This appears evident from the following paper which he wrote in December, 1789; and from the extracts from his last Journal, which I shall subjoin.

1. From a child I was taught to love and reverence the Scrip. ture, the oracles of God: and next to these, to esteem the primitive fathers, the writers of the three first centuries. Next after the primitive church, I esteemed our own, the Church of England, as the most scriptural national church in the world. I therefore, not only assented to all the doctrines, but observed all the rubric in the liturgy and that with all possible exactness, even at the peril of my life.

2. In this judgment, and with this spirit, I went to America, strongly attached to the Bible, the primitive church, and the Church of England, from which I would not vary in one jot or tittle on any account whatever. In this spirit I returned as regular a clergyman as any in the three kingdoms: till after not being permitted to preach in the churches, I was constrained to preach in the open air.

"3. Here was my first irregularity. And it was not voluntary, but constrained. The second was extemporary prayer. This likewise I believed to be my bounden duty, for the sake of those who desired me to watch over their souls. I could not in conscience refrain from it: neither from accepting those, who desired to serve me as sons in the gospel.

"4. When the people joined together, simply to help each other to heaven, increased by hundreds and thousands, still they had no more thought of leaving the Church than of leaving the kingdom. Nay, I continually and earnestly cautioned them against it: re

minding them, that we were a part of the Church of England, whom God had raised up, not only to save our own souls, but to enliven our neighbors, those of the Church in particular. And at the first meeting of all our preachers in Conference, in June, 1744, I exhorted them to keep to the Church, observing, that this was our peculiar glory, not to form any new sect, but abiding in our own Church, to do to all men all the good we possibly could.

"5. But as more Dissenters joined with us, many of whom were much prejudiced against the Church, these, with or without design, were continually infusing their own prejudices into their brethren. I saw this, and gave warning of it from time to time, both in private and in public. And in the year 1758, I resolved to bring the matter to a fair issue. So I desired the point might be considered at large whether it was expedient for the Methodists to leave the Church? The arguments on both sides were discussed for several days; and at length we agreed, without a dissenting voice, 'It is by no means expedient, that the Methodists should leave the Church of England.'

"6. Nevertheless, the same leaven continued to work in various parts of the kingdom. The grand argument (which in some particular cases must be acknowledged to have weight) was this: "The minister of the parish wherein we dwell, neither lives nor preaches the gospel. He walks in the way to hell himself, and teaches his flock to do the same. Can you advise them to attend his preaching? I cannot advise them to it. What then can they do, on the Lord's day, suppose no other Church be near? Do you advise them to go to a Dissenting meeting? or to meet in their own preaching-house?' Where this is really the case, I cannot blame them if they do. Although therefore I earnestly oppose the general separation of the Methodists from the Church, yet I cannot condemn such a partial separation, in this particular case. I believe to separate thus far from these miserable wretches, who are the scandal of our Church and nation, would be for the honor of our Church, as well as to the glory of God.

"7. And this is no way contrary to the profession which I have made above these fifty years. I never had any design of separating from the Church. I have no such design now. I do not believe the Methodists in general design it, when I am no more seen. I do and will do all that is in my power to prevent such an event. Nevertheless, in spite of all I can do, many of them will separate from it: (although I am apt to think not one half, perhaps not a third of them.) These will be so bold and injudicious as to form a separate party, which consequently will dwindle away into a dry, dull, separate party. In flat opposition to these, I declare once more, that I live and die a member of the Church of England: and that none who regard my judgment or advice will ever separate from it. JOHN WESLEY."

Extracts from the late Reverend John Wesley's last Journal.

1785-July 25-Page 9. "Our Conference began at Bristol; about eighty preachers attended. On Tuesday, in the afternoon,

we permitted any of the society to be present: and weighed what was said about separating from the Church. But we all determined to continue therein, without one dissenting voice. And I doubt not but this determination will stand, at least till I am removed into a better world.

1786 August 25-Page 21. "I went to Brentford, but had little comfort there. The society is almost dwindled to nothing. What have we gained by separating from the Church here? Is not this a good lesson for others?

1787-January 2-Page 26. “I went over to Debtford; but, it seemed, I was got into a den of lions. Most of the leading men of the society were mad for separating from the Church. I endeavored to reason with them, but in vain; they had neither sense nor even good manners left. At length, after meeting the whole society, I told them, 'If you are resolved, you may have your services in Church hours. But remember! from that time you will see my face no more.' This struck deep; and from that hour I have heard no more of separating from the Church.

1787-November 4-Page 85. "London: The congregation was as usual, large and serious. But there is no increase in the society. So that we have profited nothing by having our services in Church hours; which some imagined would have done wonders. I do not know that it has done more good any where in England. In Scotland, I believe it has.

1788-August 4-Page 122. "London. One of the most important points considered at this Conference was, that of leaving the Church. The sum of a long conversation was, That, in a course of fifty years, we had, neither premediately nor willingly, varied from it in one article, either of doctrine or discipline. 2d. That we were not yet conscious of varying from it in any point of doctrine. Sd. That we have, in a course of years, out of necessity, not choice, slowly and warily varied in some points of discipline, by preaching in the fields, by extempore prayer, by employing laypreachers, by forming and regulating societies, and by holding yearly Conferences. But we did none of these things till we were convinced we could no longer omit them but at the peril of our souls.

1789-July 3-Page 162. "Our little Conference began in Dublin, and ended Tuesday the 7th. On this I observe, 1st. I never had between forty and fifty such preachers together in Ireland before: all of them we had reason to hope alive to God, and earnestly devoted to his service. 2d. I never saw such a number of preachers before, so unanimous in all points, particularly as to leaving the Church, which none of them had the least thought of. It is no wonder that there has been this year so large an increase of the society."