MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS. THE WESLEYAN-METHODIST. (No. II.) ON THE CHARACTER OF THE EARLY METHODISTS. To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist THE following thoughts were sug- I am aware that a review of the distinguishing traits of excellence in the early Methodists, presents a subject too extended to be treated in any other than the most cursory manner, in a short essay like this. But, as the few hints which this Paper may contain, owe their origin to the view taken (in No. I.) of the Singing of the first Methodists, it is possible that this Essay may, at least, perform the humble office of suggesting, in its turn, to some of your abler correspondents, topics of future and useful discussion. I have to premise, in the first place, that a call on the people denominated Methodists, to review the distinguishing excellencies of their I predecessors, is not here to be understood as implying an imputation of their having, in any material point, departed from ancient usages. cannot but look upon it as equally a subject of wonder and of thankfulness, that "in spirit, in faith, in purity," we have deviated so little from what our fathers were. We owe it, under GoD, to the care of our venerable Founder, that, in our doctrines and discipline, it is next to impossible that we should be other than we are. Indeed, those doctrines have been so clearly explained, and so well defended, and that discipline has been so long and so thoroughly tried, that we may be warranted in asserting the impracticability of any material change, which would not, in all probability, be for the worse. And as we have hitherto avoided those deviations, on points of fundamental importance, so incident to detached bodies of Christians, the way to secure this advantage is, still to exercise that careful vigilance, to which the constitution of our societies is so favourable. We I would, on the other hand, premise, that it is by no means my intention, in representing the citadel as sacred, to discountenance any improvement in the outworks. "Novator maximus tempus; quidni igitur tempus imitemur?" says the great and wise BACON, "Time is the greatest innovator; why therefore should we not imitate time? are bound, it is true, to use our utmost efforts, and exert our constant care, to preserve the system of Methodism entire; and to hand down the sacred deposit, unimpaired, to posterity. But, in minor circumstances, we are not so absolutely fixed to our moorings, but that the tide of improvement may bear us forward. In fact, while the doc trines, and discipline, and spirit, of Methodism, have remained the same, it has wisely adapted itself, so far, to what the exigencies of the times have seemed to require, as to have recourse to certain modes of doing good, not practised by our fathers, either because their efficiency was not understood, or their aid not called for. Sunday-school instruction has become very general among us, and, properly guarded, will be attended with immense benefit. Missionary societies are formed, and Missionary meetings held, through the medium of which, even a higher end is answered than the direct and important one of raising supplies for the Missionary work; for a sacred zeal is promoted among Christians at home; and the importance of their holy religion is presented to their minds, with a more vivid brightness. With these, and some other similar circumstances, in our view, so far from looking upon them as unjustifiable departures from ancient Methodism, we rejoice to think, that they have been engrafted on the stock, and, instead of impairing its vigour, have rather tended to increase its fruitfulness. "Quis novator tempus imitatur, quod novationes ita insinuat, ut sensus fallunt?" asks the great philosopher alluded to above. We might answer, that Methodism very nearly exemplifies his idea of the only innovation, which is, at the same time, safe and effectual. It must be such, he observes, as the time requires; and, after the example of those beneficial changes, which time is continually producing, must be so insensibly introduced, as that the change may be visible only in its effects. But to return from this digression, which was meant to have been only an introductory observation, we may observe, that there were many peculiar excellencies in the early Methodists, to which, as to a standard, it might not be amiss to bring our own conduct, for the sake of comparison. spect, they are worthy of our imitation. We can assure ourselves, on the most certain grounds,-in opposition to the naked assertions, or laboured sophistry, of MR. SOUTHEY,that no base principle of worldlyʼambition was the ruling motive, from whence proceeded the astonishing labours of the man, from whom the Methodists took their rise. He judged that a peculiar dispensation of the gospel was committed to him, and that the people who were turned, by his preaching, from flagrant vice, or careless ungodliness, were intended, by the providence of Gop, to revive the failing spirit of piety in the Church. That the Church received benefit from his exertions, her friends allow. To thwart or harass that Church was no part of his object. He continually impressed upon the minds of his flock, that they were raised up for a higher and nobler purpose. Those who now revere the memory of one to whom they owe so much, will do well to keep in mind the object, which he represented himself and his people to have in view. While the Methodists of the present day take their stand here, they occupy an elevated position. Far below them, the little struggles of party rise, and conflict, and expire; while the beams of divine approbation may be expected constantly to rest on an object, so pure, so noble, as that of serving their country, by rendering it, in reality, what it is in courtesy called, —a christian country. 2. The first Methodist Preachers used great plainness of speech. They endeavoured, when addressing the mixed multitudes that flocked to hear them, to speak of the things of GoD in language easy to be understood. Had not this been the case, they would never have ensured a continuance of crowded congregations; nor would they, however numerous their auditories, have produced among them any good effect. Their Founder himself set them the example of a most perspicuous and natural method of preaching; and what he practised himself he recommended to others. "I think," says he, that a preacher has lost his way, when he imitates any of the French 1. Their very first principle was, that they existed for the purpose of spreading true religion through the land. This they bore in mind,-on this they acted, and, in this reVOL. I. Third Series. FEBRUARY, 1822. orators. Only let his language be plain, proper, and clear, and it is enough. If any man speak of the things of GoD, let him speak as the oracles of Gop." A departure from the plainness and perspicuity, which formed the distinguishing character of the preaching among the earlier Methodists, is carefully to be avoided. A blundering Reviewer, in the last number of the Quarterly Review, describes the Itinerant Methodist Preacher as pouring out a deluge of sonorous words, that relate to sacred subjects, and devout feelings, which, without any definite meaning, produce in the hearer a species of mental intoxication." This is followed, he tells us, by a temporary moral improvement; but then, the final effect is, (mirabile dictu!) a permanent depravity of character. Not to dwell on the entire want of consistency in this charge, (a matter which the writer probably thought of small importance when speaking of the Methodists,) -it is plain the Reviewer has quite mistaken his ground. It is not, as he asserts, because the language of the addresses in the Methodist chapels is unintelligible, that those places of worship are well attended, but for the opposite reason, because of their plainness, and suitableness to the comprehension of the hearers. If the Reviewer had just, for half an hour, stepped into the Methodist Chapel nearest his residence, that he might have avoided the disgrace of writing on a subject of which he evidently knows nothing, he would probably have thought, that sonorous and unintelligible words seldom find their way into the pulpits of the Methodists. The manner of speaking, to be sure, may appear too earnest to suit, exactly, the frigid atmosphere in which a certain class of reviewers may be supposed to dwell; but the matter of the address is usually plain good sense, delivered in plain, straight-forward language. Stockport. (To be concluded in our next.) ILLUSTRATION OF MATT. vii. 7, 8. [FOR the following Article we are indebted to a most interesting Volume, entitled "Sacred Literature; comprising a Review of the Principles of Composition, laid down by the late ROBERT LOWTH, D. D., Lord Bishop of London, in his Prælections and Isaiah; and an application of the Principles so reviewed to the Illustration of the New Testament, in a Series of Critical Observations on the Style and Structure of that Sacred Volume: By the REV. JOHN JEBB, A. M., Rector of Abington, in the Diocese of Cashel. London: 8vo. 1820."-With this elegant and learned Work every critical student of the Holy Scriptures should make himself acquainted. It will reward his perusal by a rich variety of instruction and of pleasure. EDITOR.] Αιτείτε, και δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· ζητείτε, και ευρησετε κρούετε, και ανοιγήσεται ύμιν. Bas yde αιτων, λαμβάνει καὶ ὁ ζήτων, ευρισκει και το κρουοντι, ανοιγήσεται, W. Ask, and it shall be given unto you; For every one who asketh, receiveth ; These triplets are closely connected, not merely in their subject-matter, but by their form of construction; the first, second, and third lines of each, being respectively parallel to the first, second, and third lines of the other: the parallelisms will be obvious, by reducing the passage to a stanza of six lines, thus: Ask, and it shall be given unto you; For every one who seeketh, findeth : The existing order, however, is incomparably preferable; both. as presenting our LORD's three injunetions in a compact body, and as keeping distinct two separate grounds of encouragement to obey these injanctions. In the first triplet, it will be observed, the encouragement is individual, or, at least, specific: "it shall be given unto you; ye shall find; it shall be opened unto you." In the second triplet, the encouragement is generic, or, rather, universal: "every one who asketh, who seeketh, who knocketh." May not this advance, from promises to principles, from particulars to universals, have been designed, at once to elicit the faith of our LORD's immediate followers, and to establish the confidence of all succeeding generations? Had the assurance been merely of a general nature, had it wanted the personal specialty of the first triplet, sufficient provision might not have been made for the doubts and hesitancies of early converts, of whom it is repeatedly asserted, that they were dull in apprehension, and slow of belief: had the assurance been merely specific, had it wanted the principled extension of the second triplet, it might, in after-ages, have been difficult to prove, that it was not a peculiar privilege of our LORD's original disciples: as the passage stands, both purposes have been abundantly attained: the timi Commentators have variously explained the terms ask, seek, knock. The explanation of EUTHYMIUS ZIGABENUS is worthy of attention: "He commanded us to ASK, and promised the gift: not, however, simply to ask, but with perseverance and alacrity; for this is indicated by the word SEEK: and not only with perseverance and alacrity, but with fervour also, and vehemence; for this is the force of the word KNOCK: " an interpretation, it must be observed, which EUTHYMIUS extracted and abridged from ST. CHRYSOSTOM. See this Father's twenty-third homily on ST. MATTHEW. Perhaps, without doing any violence to the moral meaning, the continuity and progress of the metaphor may be thus exhibited: Ask the way, and information shall be Seek the house, and ye shall find it; AWFUL DEATH OF A PREVARICATOR. To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist AN awful death took place at Sherburn, in this neighbourhood, on Saturday the 22d instant. Being at the same place myself on the Sunday evening and Monday morning following, I made very particular inquiry respecting the truth of the following circumstances. They may be regarded as a solemn admonition against prevarication, and that impious taking of the name of GOD in vain, (especially by horrid imprecations,) which too frequently wounds moral feeling, and affronts the righteous Governor of the world. I have undeniable documents to vouch for the correctness of the following painful detail. A female of tolerably respectable appearance dined at a public-house in Sherburn, about half past one o'clock on the day above-mentioned. She called at the same house again about four o'clock in the evening, and ordered and drank a pint of ale, which she refused to pay for, saying she had no money in her pocket. The landlady said to her," I wonder how you can say so, when I saw several shillings in your hand." The unhappy woman replied, that she had bought some articles after dinner; and profanely added, that she wished God might strike her dead, if she 100 Providential Interposition in behalf of the Early Christians. had one farthing in her pocket. She walked off from the house, and about seven o'clock the same night, was found lying dead beside the footwalk, on the highway, at the end of the village, having seventeen shillings in silver, and threepence in copper, in her pocket, when the corpse was taken up by the Constable. I examined the place where the body was found: there was a little water in the place at the time when I saw it; one of the Coroner's Jurymen sounded it at the same time, and, including mud, it appeared to be about four or five inches deep. It is probable she was intoxicated, and died by suffocation. Selby, Dec. 29, 1821. THOMAS INGHAM. PROVIDENTIAL INTERPOSITION IN BEHALF OF THE EARLY A RESCRIPT of the Emperor MAXIMIN, (who ruled over part of the Eastern Roman Empire after the resignation of DIOCLESIAN,) nailed to a post at Tyre, manifests with what pleasure and joy he had received a Petition from that city against the Christians. In it, he venerates Jupiter and the rest of the gods, as the authors of all good, appeals to the experience of the inhabitants how happily their affairs had proceeded since the worship of the ancients had been restored; how they were now blest with good harvests, had no plagues, earthquakes, nor tempests, and enjoyed peace through the empire; and how opposite to all this the case had been, while the Christian Religion prevailed. He desires that such as persisted still in their error, should be banished from Tyre, according to the prayer of the Petition. This Rescript was a specimen of the rest. Never were christian minds so dispirited and clouded. Thus low did GoD suffer his Church to fall, to try its faith, and to purify it in the furnace. Very remarkable, however, was the divine testimony to his Church. At this time, man's extremity was the opportunity in which the truth and goodness of GOD appeared most conspicuous. There were, doubtless, many true Christians wrestling with their Goo to appear for his Church, and he did so in the following manner. While the messengers were on the road with Rescripts similar to that at Tyre, a drought commenced, and famine unexpectedly oppressed the dominions of MAXIMIN; then followed a plague, and inflamed ulcers: the disease spread over the body, but chiefly affected the eyes, and blinded many. And the Armenians, the allies and neighbours of the Eastern Roman Empire, entered into a war with MAXIMIN; they were disposed to favour the Gospel; and MAXIMIN, by extending his persecution to them, drew on their hostility. Thus were the boasts of MAXIMIN confounded. The plague and famine raged in the most dreadful manner, and multitudes lay unburied. The Christians, whose piety and fear of God were stirred up on this occasion, were the only persons who employed themselves in doing good, every day busying themselves in taking care of the sick, and burying the dead; whereas numbers of Pagans were neglected by their own friends. The Christians, also, gathered together multitudes of the famished poor, and distributed bread to all; thus imitating their heavenly Father, who sendeth rain on the just and the unjust.(MILNER'S History of the Church of Christ, Cent. IV.) |