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PRIOE THREE PENCE WILSON at NOLAN, PRiNTERS, lifGILL STREET^ •m;%'Tt , ,-1 ',».■' ■ ■ -' ■ i,*- » ^ #• n An individual, conversant with the peculiarities of human nature, and intimate with the different charac- teristics which distinguish one man from another, will not refuse to believe, that there are persons to be met with who seem to consider that, do what they may, they are sure of never being in the wrong, — misled by this hallucination, they are never at a loss to assign a reason in excuse of any false step they take, and so plausible sometimes are these excuses rendered, that we frequently find it difficult to grapple with their ex- tenuating sophisms,so skilfully, and I may add, so im- palpably, are they framed. But such persons, whatever may be their ability, in this peculiar art, seldom or never convince others, so as to induce a belief in their infallibility ; in spite of the haze with which they may surround every action they commit, the beholder, although he may be una- ble to penetrate the mist, entertains secret misgivings that all is not right, and thus permanent impressions are not attendant on the exertions of persons so fatally gifted. To this class, it seems to me, that* Mr. Egerton Ryerson belongs, — that he has ability, none will be so presumptuous as to deny — but few are willing to ad- mit that his ability is of that sterling kind, which, - — - - , • Mr. Ryerson informs us on page 13 of his pamphlet, that he no longeF detains any right to the designation of reverend. ;;*^: honest in intention with reference to all it undertaken, and powerful to accomplish what integrity suggests to be necessary, perpetuates influences which are cherished with pleasure. Those who have read the various productions of his pen, will bear me out in the remark, that they evince rather the tact of one who is adroit at intrigue and wily in dispute, than the sentiments of an ingenuous mind, — this estimate of Mr. Ryerson's character, is tully upheld by his recently published pamphlet, in which he offers to public opinion, his reasons for re- signing his ministerial connexion with the Canada Wesleyan Conference. In these letters, he skilfully presents himself person- ally to the reader, in such a light as to induce compas- sion for the writer, and then, as a natural result, sym- pathy with his movement is expected to follow. Let me endeavour to illustrate this assertion ! In the first place, Mr. Ryerson seeks to hold himself before the public as the victim of ingratitude, rece'ved at the hands of his brother preachers ; on page 12 of his pamphlet, he tells us — *' I have, however, the satisfaction of knowing, that it the first efforts of my pen, after joining the Conference in 1825, were to advocate the right of the members of the Church to hold a bit of ground, in which to bury their dead, and the right of its ministers to perform the marriage service for the members of their congregations, my last efforts in connexion with the Conference, have been directed to obtain the right of christian citi- zcnship to the baptized children, and exemplary adherents of the Church." In this extract, Mr. Ryerson delicately insinuates an allusion to benefits he su[)poscs the Conference to have received through his instrumentality, and with these privileges patent to the minds of his ministerial asso- ciates, — for them to reject his four resolutions ! How exceedingly ungrateful do they appear. Mr. Ryerson also submits to the reader the probabi- lity, that personal indisposition, may shortly incapaci- tate him for continued labour, and thus by inciting pity for the invalid , seeks to awaken sympathy for his opinions. On page 1 1 , he remarks — " Impressed with the magnitude of the wrongs and evils above referred to, dreading personal col- lision in the Conference, anticipating but little suc- cess from it, and feeling uncertain as to hoio few were likely to he the days of my earthly career /' ' and also on page 15, he continues : ' from a con- scious uncertainty as to what moment / may *^ cease at once to work and live^^ on account of frequent and dreoAful attacks in my head.^ " Here we have evidence of Mr. Ryerson -kill in introducing little t?iterweamngs into his questions, which seldom fail in producing, although ephemerally, the desired end. Mr. Ryerson also wishes the reader to regard him as a most disinterested individual, — that his object, in bringing forward his four resolutions, was solely to promote the general good, and not at all for the pni- pose of gratifying his merely private opinions f to-eoa^ a2 4\ \i4 >&. '^m I-'^atir-^flBA^?" 1-i.M.^n^jtM ^ 4 vey this impression of his disinterestedness, he takes good care to remind us, that, in separating from the Conference, on account of its obtuseness in not discern- ing the inestimable vahie of his scheme, he makes a sacrifice, — and that too of a })eciiniary nature ! and what sacrifice is equal to self-denial on this point 1 We all know the value of money ; in fact, is it not said in allusion to the " filthy lucre :" — " Kill a man's family, and he may brook it ; But keep your hands out of his breeches pocket." Yet here is Mr. Ilycrson so completely absorbed in a proposal he regards as essential to the welfare of a Church, as to be utterly oblivious of self. Speaking of his separation from the Conference, he informs us on page 23 : — " I retire from Councils, in the deliberations of which, I have been permitted to take a part during more than twenty-five years, and reli7iquish all claims upon funds to which 1 have contributed for a like period,'''* Noble sacrifice ! offered to the shrine of his proposed improvement in class-meeting discipline, and artful recommendation of the rejected scheme ! But now, let me carefully reflect on the actual rea- sons for Mr. Ryerson's resignation. For a number of years, Mr. Ryerson maintained an exceedingly influ- ential connexion with Methodism in Canada; — his opinions were regarded with extreme deference, and his brethren, if they did not feel an affection for him, still looked up to him, as one who was peculiarly gifted with discriminating ability. For some years back, al- though Mr. Rycrson still retained his ministerial posi- tion, yet, by being almost entirely absorbed in engage- ments of a purely secular nature, his usefulness as a pastor has been very much lessened, and consequently, the influence he once exercised in matters relating to the Church, has been greatly impaired. We can well conceive of the chagrin that must be felt by the mind, which has been long accustomed to success, when it becomes conscious of the fact, that the deference onco paid to its power, is at length about to be withdrawn, and how gladly it will make use of the slightest pro- text for an estrangement from associations, no longer affording a gratification to vanity, especially if new pursuits and coveted occupations attract in other direc- tions. Instead of being actuated by the disinterested mo- tives, which Mr. Ryerson would lead us to infer, were the real influences that eventuated in his resignation, we can well imagine a mind constituted like that of Mr. Ryersoh's, meeting, in the very Councils in which it had been accustomed to triumph, so severe a dis- appointment as that he experienced in June last, and it needs no exaggerated stretch of fancy to form an idea of Mr. Ryersoii's thoughts, when, submitting his favourite resolutions to the Conference, he found that he no longer could command acquiescence to his views ; how tantalizing would be such a result to his mind, long accustomed as it has been to success, and ren- dered confident and proud from the absence of fai- lure. Well might he soliloquize— 8 <• What ! reject theso resolutions ! thp offspring o( my superior mind, — you preachers of the Con- ierence who occupy, so lar as influeuce and abili- ty are concerned, so inferior a position, — do you presume to (^hoose the decision of your own opin- ions in preference to my recommendation ? in all that has tended to bring Methodism in Canada into prominency, have you not chiefly selected me, as the one you could proudly a])point your repre- sentative, — and do you now consider me so unable to judge of what is best for your interests? I, who fill a most important relation in respect to Canadian youth ; I, who am the Chief Superin- tendent of Schools in Canada, have you the teme- rity to oppose your views to mine "? Abide by the result of your fully. You are no longer worthy of being connected with me ! I decline any further association with you, and now resign those parch- ments, in right of which I have hitherto been co- labourer with you.'* That it is not unfair to suppose that such considera- tions passed ranklingly through Mr. Ryerson's mind, is evident, if we take notice of one of his expressions, which betrays the workings of an arrogant, self-confi- dent spirit, and which, should Mr. Ryerson's pam- phlet reach a second edition, / would suggest that it be improved by the addition of notes of admiration, as then it would tell with better effect. So important is the expression deemed, that, short as it is, it is invested with all the grandeur of a distinct paragraph, — it is found on the 13th page, and reads— " 1 have resolved to tal^e this step afler long and serious deliberation,62£t without consulting an^ human being, ^^ < i I ■»t^ ■•- "- " ■■.ildH HPIi^ Wili l jy ti 9 ffspring le CoD- d abili- do you n opin- F in ail L'anada ;ed me, repre- unuble ts? I, pect to jperin- teme- by the ■thy of [iirther parch- !en ctt- )nsidera- I's mind, )ressions, 3lf-confi- I's pam- hat it be I, as then it, short . distinct reads- long gany Do not these words teem with evidence of a haughty mind, arrogating to itself something very like infalli bility " I RESOLVED WITHOUT CONSULTING ANY HUMAN BEING." Probably, Mr. Rycrson, it would have been better for yoii had yon laid dignity aside, and condes- cended to advise with your brother Ministers, inferior though they may be, before you hazarded the step yon have taken. It is a remarkable circumstance associated with the decision Mr. Ryerson has made, that the opinions he now promulges, in reference to class meetings, ore com- paratively of a recent date. He tells us that his con- nexion with the Conference commenced in 1825, and in 1840 he first gave expression to them, fifteen years after the commencement of his. ministry j but it was not until 1852 that he proposed the adoption of mea- sures " which he thought calculated to assist in arrest- ing the progress of the evil" he supposed had an ex- istence ; that is, after twenty-seven years of pastoral itinerancy, — rather a long time for an individual to be an accomplice in performing what he considers to bo erroneous! — but, the peculiarity in the case is this: Mr. Ryerson did not entertain those changes in senti- ment, which he now professes, until about the time that he began to be involved in circumstances of a secular character, — not until about the time that he beg-an to be regarded by the community more in the light of the political adventurer, than as one filling th« sacred office of the clergyman ; and how well we c^n understand the indifference with which the mind r»~ la gards the spiritual condition of the church, with which it seems to be identified, when personal aggrandizement at the same time is the object of its restless exertions ; and how unfit it is, while under such influences, to determine upon what measures are, under the Divine blessing, best calculated to promote the extension of vital religion. Yet it was at such a period as this, when the duties of the pastor were evidently irksome to the ordained priest, that Mr. Ryerson first introduced his erroneous views and resolutions. The succeeding reflections were induced by Mr. Ryerson contending in his pamphlet that a refiisal, on the part of the Conference, to recognize "baptized children and exemplary adherents" as members of the Wesleyan Church, when such parties are not connected with any Methodist class meeting, is contrary to scrip- ture, and is opposed by the writings of the Rev. John Wesley. '^.:,. ^' wvmtm^ mm m"^-*"^***:- In disapproving of the stand the Conference has taken, in not recognizing any as members of the Wes^ leyan Church, except those whose names are registered on the class book, Mr. Ryerson must bo regarded as selecting an unhappy position. He considers such a decision as contrary to scripture and to the taachings of the ilev. John Vi'^eslcy. In respect to the necessity that exists for class inc. tings, the fuct that they were established by the founder of Methodism isi sutficient proof— as to their being scriptural or not, ht Mr. Wes- ley speak for himself. He observes : — * " Another obiection was, there is no scripture for classes ; I anawer, Isi. There is no acriptur© against it : you canno*^ show me one single text that forbids them. The scripture giv^-s that gene- ral rule ' Let all things be done decuatly and in order." But cotnmort sen^e is to determine on par- ticular occasions what order and decency r^quireP J give the foregoing extract for the purpojo of iatro- ducing Mr. Weshy's views as to the consonance of class meetings wiili scripture, not for the purpose of leading the reader to suppose thit Mr. Ryerson objects to them on that principle, nor do I pretend tj argue that scripture strictly points out the peculiar discipline that should control them ; but, I wish to show that Mr. Wesley desired that *' things should be done decently and in order," and shall now proceed to consider class #i • Wesley's plain accouat of the Methodists. M 12 J meetings solely through a Wesleyan medium ; while doing so I shall not attempt to interfere with Mr. Ryerson's extremely metaphysical subtlety, of the difference that exists in being excluded from a Chris- tiatt society, in which the members bear the relation to each other of pastor and flock, from that of expulsion from another association bearing the important desig- nation of the Church of Christ, as so refined a distinc- tion is far beyond my comprehension. The simple condition that Mr. Wesley required to entitle to the privilege of class meeting was, that " a desire to flee from the wrath to come, to be saved from their sins" should be experienced, and that " as many of them as had an opportunity," after they were thus associated, should meet together weekly ; the necessity for thus meeting regularly is explained by Mr. Wesley. * " It quickly appeared that their thus uniting together answered the end proposed therein. In a few months the far greater part of those who had begun to fear God, and work righteousness, but were not united together, grew faint in their minds, and fell back into what they we?-e before. Meanwhile the far greater part of those who were thus united together, continued " striving to enter in at the strait gate, and to lay Iwld of eternal lifeP Here it is plain that Mr. Wesley, with the foresight of a sagacious Christian, saw the necessity for their establishment, and the benefit that would result from stated and weekly meetings. It is true that he regarded class meetings as " prudential, not essential ;" but not * Wesley's plain account of the Methodists. \^ 13 im ; while with Mr. y, of the a Chris- relation to expulsion ant desig- a distinc- iquired to 3, that « a ived from as many were thus I necessity '. Wesley. uniting in. In »se who )iisncss, n their before. 10 were o enter il lifer foresight for their suit from regarded ' but not «xactly in the manner in which Mr. Ryerson would have us believe : — he would fain lead to the supposition thxLt class meetings were the only features associated with the Wesleyan system, which Mr. Wesley held to be " merely prudential, not essential," whereas the contrary is the case. Hear Mr. Wesley : * " Why we use them (class meetings) you will readily understand, if you read over the rules of the society. That with regard to tliesc little pru- dential helps (Iliiles of the Society) we are con- tinually changing one thing after another, is not a weakness or fault, but a peculiar advantage which we enjoy. By those means we declare them ALL to he merely prudential , not essential, not of divine iyistitutionr In applying "prudential, not essential" as coming from Mr. Wesley, merely as bearing reference to class meetings, Mr. Ryerson, on page 12, proves himself guil- ty of suppression and misrepresentation, so that when we become intimate with the full scope of Mr. Wes- ley's remarks, Mr. Ryersou's argument recoils on him- self; for, if an individual should not be excluded from the Church be?cause he only neglects the appointment of class meeting, neither should his name be struck from the list of members, although he should violate all the other rules of the Society which Mr. Wesley refers to, because they are every one oj them declared to be " merely prudential, not essential, not of divine in- stitution," a course which would jeopardize the very * Wesley'3 plain account of the Methodists. B i I ! 14 existence of any branch of the Christian Church, by plunging it into the wildest confusion. In order to manifest the supposed inconsistenc y of the Conference urging an attendance on class meeting, when "The Rules," Mr. Ryerson asserts, do not re- quire that the members shall meet the leader, but that the leader should see each person in his clasi, and meet the ministers and stewards once a week, he remarks on page 18 — " Yet, by constant and universal practice, we have transferred the obligation from the leader to the member, and made it the duty of the latter (on pain of excommunication) to meet the former in class meeting, " an obligation which is notoJtsre enjoined iti the general rules.'' ' As we shall generally prefer to abide by what the founder of Methodism considered judicious, rather than be guided by assertions which Mr. Ryerson advances, a specimen of which is found in the close of the foregoing extract, let us again appeal to Mr. Wesley : — * " At first they (the leaders) visited each per- son at his own house, but this was found not so expedient, and that on many accounts." (Here follow the reasons, five in number.) " Upon all these considerations, it was agreed that tlwse of each class should meet all together, and by this mean a more full inquiry was made into the beha- viour of every person." Here visiting abolishei oellent exampl( properly ing an < to be gl is writt< I noA^ individi plary, l ministr to the Christia they ha he mak sable cri on page "B minis Ibeli it wh pract: ings In tl meeting require( from th Weslej'8 plain Account of the Methodists. evmces 16 Church, by sisteney of IS meeting, do not re- r, but that , and meet e remarks ice, we eader to le latter 5 former noivktre what the IS, rather Ryerson the close al to Mr. 3h per- not so (Here pun all Iiose of jy this J beha- Here we find that the first custom of the leaders I visiting separately each member of the class, was abolished as inexpedient, and the latter and more ex- cellent plan substituted ; which good practice> as exampled by Mr Wesley, the Conference have very properly deemed it salutary to continue ; and in rais- ing an objection to which Mr. Ryerson proves himself . to be glaringly anti-Wesleyan, and " wise above what ■ is written." I now pass on to ascertain, did Mr. Wesley consider individuals, who might havej3een exceedingly exem- J plary, but for all that were only attendants on the * ministry of the early Methodist preachers, as entitled ? to the position of members in that branch of the Christian church which he organized, while as yet they had not found a place in the class room : — or did he make an attendance on class meeting the indispen- sable criterion of membership. Mr. Ryerson informs us on page 13 : — i " But I resign (not my connection with but) my ministerial office in the Wesleyan Church, because I believe a condition of membership is exacted in it which has no warrant in Scripture, nor in the practice of the Primitive Church, nor in the writ- ings of Mr. Wesley.''^ In the above Mr. Ryerson palpably asserts, that meeting in class was not a condition of membership required by Mr. Wesley : — so unguarded a declfeiration from the Chief Superintendent of Schools in (iJanada, evinces either inimitable eflroatery, or a^ meagre inti^ / ', 1 16 niacy with the works of the evangelistic Wesley ; not only do Mr. Wesley's writings sustain the Conference in the position it clings to, in making class meetings the test of membership, but so careful was that devoted man in erecting barriers to the introduction of imposi- tion, that beside constituting class meetings as the test of membership, he required proof that each member was an attendant on class ; for this purpose he instituted the quarterly ticket system. To substantiate these remarks, I shall again produce Mr. Wesley's own words : — * " To each of those, of whose seriousness and good conversation I have found no reason to doubt, I gave a testimony under my own hand, by writ- ing the name of each individual on a ticket pre- pared for that purpose ; those who bore these tickets, wherever they came, were acknowledged by their brethren, and received with ail cheerful- ness. These were likewise of use in other respects. ]5y these it was easily distinguished when the Society were to meet apart, who were members of it and wlw not ; these also supplied us with a quiet and inofiensive method of removing any disorderly member. He has no new ticket at the quarterly visitation ; (for so often the tickets are changed,) and hereby it is immediately known that he is no longer of the community P f Question 13. How oflen shall we permit strangers to be present at the meetings of the Society ? * Wesley's plain account of the Methodists. t Minutes of Conference, June 26, 1744. 17 esley; not oiiference meetings it devoted of ini posi- es the test ember was instituted iate these ley's own ess and doubt, )y writ- tet pre- e these vled^ed heerful- espects. len the ^bers of a quiet orderly tarterly 2nged,) e is no permit of the Answer. Let every other meeting of the Society in every place be strictly private, no one stranger being admitted, on any account or pretence whatsoever. In order to this see that all in every place show their tickets before they cmne in. If the Stewards and Leaders are not exact and impartial herein, employ others who have more resolution. Question 18. How shall we prevent improper persons from insinuating themselves into the Society ? ■§ Answer 1st. Give Tickets to none till they are recommended by a Leader, with whom they ha/ve met three months on trial. 2ndly. Give notes (of admission) to none but those who are recommended by one you know, or till they have met three or four times in class. How could Mr. Rycrson, if he has read the above quotations, venture the assertion, that in the writings of Mr. Wesley meeting in class -was not exacted as a condition of membership. Here we have the plainest evidence that meeting in class was the only possible way of receiving the quarterly ticket, and the posses- sion of the ticket was the only accredited proof of mem- bership ; and so severely striet was Mr. Wesley in requiring the production of this proof, to entitle to a participation in certain Church privileges, that if the Stewards and Leaders were not exact and impartial in compelling it, others were to be employed who had more resolution, because by it was known " who were members of the society, and who were not ;" and who- mvmnmt nt^ miQm il m m m m u. t t r ia uim i mst\m t m i»f » > wfmumK u mvm if fMm i .«isww»!«w» 18 ever was found without this proof " was known to b« MO longer a member of the community," (i.e., Wesleyan Society). And even when bestowing simple notes of admission, a circumspection so careful was to be prac- tised, as almost to insist that candidates for entrance to religious exercises should have been previc'^siy found in the class room. In maintaining the position it now occupies in res- pect to class meetings, as a test of membership in the Methodist Church, it becomes evident that the Con- ference is clearly upheld by Mr. Wesley as its exem- plary precedent ; and no adherent of the Wesleyan connexion can conscientiously condemn the preachers, if in the sincerity of their hearts they have deemed it more advisable to abide by the teachings of their founder, than to be swayed by the unsuccessful inter- polations of Mr. Ryerson : — it is true, Mr. Ryerson gives us to understand, that in the course of his experience he has met with multitudes whose inclinations were directed towards the Wesleyan Church, as the body with which they would prefer to be identified, but they were prevented from allowing their inclination to resolve itself into action, by the terrifying impedi- ment of class meeting ; and this result, Mr. Ryerson urges, should be a sufficient plea for the adoption of his four resolutions. Now, I should rather think that the case stands thus : Mr. Ryerson, from the peculiarity of his engagements (such as Mr. Wesley, were he now living, would not sanction, nor even tolerate, in any preacher associated with the Society he has founded) ^ t i 19 t for the last ten yenrs or more, has been brought into contact with a large number of individuals, who were probably any thiucj but Wesleyan in their sentiments, and to whom it was a matter of perfect indifference which section of the Christian Church they belonged to, provided they were allowed to go on in an easy manner, that is without having conscience unpleasantly aroused ; and if circumstances directed their attention to the Wesleyan body, the bug-bear of class meeting loomed formidably upon them, as too searching for their tastes ; and I do not wonder if Mr. Ryerson,who we may suppose to have been influenced by such asso- ciations, has experienced similar feelings as regards class meeting, and gladly availed himself of such ex- pressions of opinion as might coincide with his recent views, for the purpose of introducing his amendments. But the Conference would have been guilty of the most flagrant impropriety had they sanctioned and adopted his proposed alterations, for all candidates for member- ship in the Wesleyan Church are required to evince " a desire to flee from the wrath to come," and T un- hesitatingly affirm that where this impression is sin- cerely felt, no objection will be raised to a Church, should preference incline to its choice, on account of class meetings being cherished and perpetuated in its policy ; but such means will be cheerfully confessed to be promotive of spiritual advancement, and their ad- vantages will be eagerly embraced : and if success be a criterion of perfection, class-meetings rank pre-emi- nently higher than any other scheme devised by the ffmg*aMj»ga»»wt9twtiB*w>a«iw