THE METHODISTS.

THE body of Christians to which this name is chiefly and properly applied, and which some have called the fourth denomination of Dissenters, are the followers of the late Rev. John Wesley, who was the founder of this numerous and daily increasing society. The name was first given to Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, and some pious students, who associated with them, by a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, on account of the regularity which they maintained in their lives and pursued in their studies; in allusion to a certain college of physicians, who flourished at Rome about the time of Nero; and were remarkable for putting their patients under regimen, and practising medicine by method, for which reasons they were termed Methodists.

But there are other religious bodies to which the term is applied. It is given to the Kilhamites,-to the followers of Mr. Whitfield,-to the congregations patronized by the late pious Countess of Huntingdon,-also to many members of the Church of England; and, in short, to every person, of any denomination, who manifests a more than ordinary degree of personal religion, and of concern for the salvation of mankind. There is, however, only one body to which the name properly belongs; for only one denomination take it to themselves, and thus convert what was originally given to them as a term of reproach into a distinguishing appellation. These are the followers of the late John Wesley, who hold the opinions which he taught, and maintain the discipline which he left at his death; and accordingly the term is affixed by them to a periodical work, which they publish monthly, called the Methodist Magazine.

Agreeably, however, to common usage, I will now consider the subject of Methodism and its adherents under these four general heads :

1. Arminian or Wesleyan Methodists.

2. Methodist New Connection, or Kilhamites.

3. Calvinistic Methodists of Mr. Whitfield's Connection.

4.

of Lady Huntingdon's Connec

tion.

WESLEYAN METHODISTS.

RISE AND FOUNDERS.

The Methodist Society was first founded at Oxford in 1729. Mr. John Wesley, then a fellow and tutor of Lincoln College; Mr. Charles Wesley, student and tutor of Christ's Church; Mr. Richard Morgan, commoner of Christ's Church; and Mr. Kirkman, of Merton College, set apart some evenings in the week for reading the Greek Testament, religious conversation, and prayer. The next year, two or three of Mr. John Wesley's pupils, and one of Mr. Charles Wesley's, desired the liberty of meeting with them. In 1732, Mr. Benjamin Ingham, of Queen's College, and Mr. Broughton, of Exeter, were added to the number. Soon after they were joined by Mr. Clayton, of Brazenose College, and two or three of his pupils, and by Mr. James Hervey, pupil to Mr. John Wesley; and, in 1735, by the celebrated Mr. George Whitfield, of Pembroke College, then in his 18th year. This society of collegians is considered as the first Methodists. They formed rules for the regulation of their time and studies, for reading the Scriptures and self-examination. They also received the Lord's Supper every week; they visited the prisoners in the Castle, and the sick poor in the town; they instituted a fund for the relief of the poor: and, in order to accomplish this benevolent design, Mr. Wesley abridged himself, not only of all superfluities, but of many of the necessaries of life.

About this time infidelity was rapidly gaining ground, and threatened to overwhelm the whole country*; and there is every reason to believe, that the Methodists were highly instrumental in stemming this mighty torrent; but, instead of being applauded, they were censured. What rather entitled them to encouragement, soon exposed them to a species of persecution. But, notwithstanding all the reproaches with which they were loaded, they continued indefatigable, "abounding in the work of the Lord."

In 1735, Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, Mr. Ingham, and Mr. Delamotte, unwilling to confine their benevolence to the country that gave them birth, sailed for Georgia, in order to preach the Gospel to the Indians. While on their passage, Mr. John Wesley adopted the plan of preaching extempore; and from that time made it his constant practice, See Advertisement to Butler's Analogy.

while he lived. During the voyage, they still maintained that regularity in the distribution of their time, and that singular seriousness in conversation, which at first procured them the name of Methodists; giving full proof that they were duly impressed with a sense of their important undertaking. It appears, however, that they failed in their design of preaching the Gospel to the Indians. While Mr. Wesley was employed at Savannah, several circumstances of a disagreeable nature occurred, which induced him to return to England, after an absence of two years, when he was succeeded by Mr. Whitfield, whose unwearied exertions and astonishing success are without a parallel in the Western World.

Upon Mr. Wesley's return to England, he was invited to preach in several churches; but the concourse of people who followed him being great, and some of his tenets rather strange, the genteel parts of the congregation were annoyed by the crowds, and the clergy took offence at his doctrines, so that the churches in general were soon shut against him. However, his labours were attended with considerable success several appeared to be religiously impressed, and disposed to meet together for spiritual conversation and prayer. In 1738, Mr. Wesley formed them into a society, in which he was assisted by Peter Bohler, a Moravian teacher. This was the first regular society formed by Mr. Wesley; though it seems he did not consider it the origin of Methodism, which he referred to an earlier period. The first rise of Methodism" (so called), says he, "was in November 1729, when four of us met together at Oxford; the second was at Savannah, in April 1736, when twenty or thirty persons met at my house; the last was at London, on this day, (viz. May 1, 1738), when forty or fifty of us agreed to meet together every Wednesday evening, in order to a free conversation, begun and ended with prayer *."

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It was still bis desire and intention to preach in the Established Church, as he always professed a sincere regard for it; but, for the reasons already assigned, he was not permitted. He therefore preached in Newgate; in some dissenting chapels in London; and in different places in the country, where he could obtain admission. In consequence of lying under this species of proscription, and multitudes crowding from all quarters to hear him, he was at length compelled to take the open air, and commence field preacher. This wide departure from clerical decorum he attempted to justify on

* See Mr. Wesley's Ecclesiastical History, vol. iv. p. 175.

several grounds:-"Be pleased to observe," says he, " 1. That I was forbidden, as by a general consent, to preach in any church, (though not by any judicial sentence), for preaching such doctrine. This was the open avowed cause, (except that the people crowded so). 2. That I had no desire or design to preach in the open air, till long after this prohibition. 3. That when I did, as it was no matter of choice, so neither of premeditation. There was no scheme at all previously formed, which was to be supported thereby, nor had I any other end in view than this, to save as many souls as I could. 4. Field preaching was therefore a sudden expedient; a thing submitted to, rather than chosen and therefore submitted to; because I thought preaching even thus, better than not preaching at all *." This may be considered as the commencement of his itinerancy.

It was at this early period of Methodism when most of his valuable friends forsook him; among whom was that celebrated character before mentioned, the Rev. George Whitfield, who during this time had been labouring chiefly in America, where he imbibed certain doctrines contrary to those taught by. Mr. Wesley. Upon his return to England, in 1741, a separation took place, grounded chiefly on a difference of opinion respecting the question of general and particular redemption: but though they differed in sentiment, they lived and died united in heart †.

PROGRESS AND PRESENT STATE OF METHODISM.

I. In England.-Mr Wesley, finding his societies increasing very fast in London, Bristol, and other places, and having, in vain, solicited assistance from some of the established clergy, was induced to select from his followers those whom he judged the best qualified to instruct the rest. This was the orign of his lay preachers. It seems at first he was exceedingly averse from employing them; but being unable to give due attention to all his societies, and at the same time to extend his sphere of action, necessity, we are told, compelled him to call in their aid. It would appear, however, that he soon became reconciled to it, on account of the success which attended their labours. Having now assistants, pious, zealous, and active, he sent them forth in every direction; some to watch over the societies already formed, and others to the highways, &c. to preach to the most dissolute

See Mr. Wesley's Life, by Dr. Coke and Mr. Moore,

p. 182.

+ See Roberts's "Life of Mr. Whitfield,” p. 256; also Benson's " Apology for the Methodists," p. 138.

and abandoned; to insist upon repentance towards God, and faith in Jesus Christ; to offer a free, full, and present salvation to all, the most atrocious not excepted. Their labours were eminently useful in every part of the kingdom, and numerous societies were formed. Even the colliers of Kingswood, and the miners of Cornwall, who were ignorant, ferocious, and wicked, to a proverb, listened to the animated and heart-searching discourses of these itinerants, by whom some thousands of them have been reclaimed from their vicious courses. They did not, however, labour without molestation; for they were every where spoken against, and in many places persecuted with unrelenting cruelty. Frequently they were beset by mobs, and assailed by showers of stones, and sometimes inhumanly dragged through the streets, until their mangled bodies were bereft of every symptom of life. It must be confessed, however, that the imprudence of some of the members contributed much to the reproach they met with. In London, in 1762, George Bell, and some others, through their ignorance of the operations of the human mind, were led to conceive, that every idea which arose in the mind was the immediate inspiration of the Spirit of God. They accordingly asserted, that the world would be destroyed on the 28th of February 1762. Mr. Wesley withstood them both in public and private; in consequence of which a separation took place. However, Methodism, rising above the imprudence of its friends, and the opposition of its foes, has overspread the country so much, that in England alone, at this day, there are 308,267 members, and upwards of 500 itinerant preachers.

II. In Ireland.-In 1747, Mr. Williams, a preacher in the Methodist connection, went to Dublin, and soon formed a small society. Mr. Wesley being apprised of his success, immediately embarked for Ireland. After preaching in different parts of the kingdom, with his usual success, he returned to England, leaving a Mr. Trembath to assist Mr Williams. In 1748, Mr. Wesley again crossed the Channel for Ireland, taking along with him some zealous active itinerants, to secure and carry on the work in that part of the British empire. Several circuits were soon formed, and meeting-houses were built in every part of the country. There, also, they suffered the most violent persecution, particularly at Cork. But sur

mounting the whole, they succeeded in carrying the Gospel into the interior of the country. They were soon able to address the natives in there own tongue; by which means many hundreds of poor creatures, most deplorably ignorant,