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My DEAll FllIENDS,— .JJT^ *^^*^^ ^^^'Tl^ ^." oPPortiinity of addressing you at larce upon the numerous objections which are raised by members of yil society against the Church, of which most of you have been baptffl members; but this opportunity I have never been aWeto obtaTn I have anxiously looked for the attendance of a greater numWof those who call themselves Methodists at the ordinances of the Wa house, but have looked for it in vain. I have indeed seen members of various dissentmg denominations attend the house of GodTn the diiferent Churches and Stations under my pastoral chZobu? have noticed with very few exceptions fhe absence of the members of your society. I have occasionally had intercourse with some of you, and have endeavoured to shew you the difference that eiists between the present practice of your society and the pn c^ ce and expressed wish of your Founder; but, as I might reasonably uppose his writings when they were not exactly within my reach, have not succeeded in convincing you of this difference to the exi^nt of my wishes I have consequently thought it necessary to take this method of procuring a hearing from you; and by taking s^h extracts from Mr. Wesley's works as bear upon the subjec ol^ your differences from the Church, as well as from himself, and by making use of such other arguments as with the blessing of God may sC? ZctZVr 'TT'''''' °f yo^^'unnecessfry separS from !f i.nif • °^y°^i' Fathers, to wash my hands from blood-guiltiness at least in your cases, if you should still pertinaciously persi tTn a course of schism contrary alike to the Book of God LeSiVa of the first teachers of Christianity, and the practice of loLweZ rl. ^ /r "^""^ "^tui-ally enquire, why I address myself to you and iof« 1 -T.?^ ''"'"*^"'' *° ^^^^ o"^«r of the thousand and oSe sects which take upon them the name of Christ, and which are con- tinually engaged in biting and devouring one another, as well as "n carping at the dogmas and discipline of the Church, lo this question I shaU briefly answer : hc.\ ^^\t""o^^, °^ ^°'?®' '^ °°t of "lost of these sects, shall naturally be brought under review in the foUowing pages, when I shal come to speak upon the subject of church authority^ I therefore thi^ki? mexpedient to address others, when in doing so, I would bHom pelled pass by unnoticed the peculiar practices'of your society Z. The gi-eat majority of the members of your society have been 11^::?^.^.^":^^', ^^ ^^^^ ^hm-ch, or are It least theVXn of Pvr.on= wau u.ive been m church fellowship. Seeing therefore their withdrawal from the foM, aud knowing that there is no valid reason why they should forsake it, as the Pastor to whom is committed the spiritual oversight of the tlock of God in this neighbourhood, I natu- rally sigh over their defection and desire their restoration. ' 3. Having been in Ireland in the year 1884, at tlic time when the census was taken, I cannot forget that the members of both the Methodist societies (the Primitive and the Wesleyan) were put down in the census rolls, without exception, as members of the Church • and having since that time heard that a Methodist Preacher (Dr.' Alder) who had been on various occasions President of the Confe- rence, had declared on oath before a Committee of the House of Lords that "the Methodist Society was a branch of the Church of England all over the world," I could not but bo astonished when I reached Canada to fmd that the facts of the case were, at least in this colony, diametrically opposite to this assertion ; and that the society which in 1834, to my own knowledge, was declared to be part and parcel of the Church of England, was here among her most determined enemies, and united with any class of dissent winch would call for her entire demolition. ^ 4. I have occasionally in my public discourses, and in my private intercourse with members of your society, given expression to my views upon those subjects, as I hoped with that clearness aud sim- plicity of language which I endoavoui- at all times to cultivate; but have found that my expressions have been perverted (through the blindness of ignorance or the influence of prejudice) to the opposite meaning to that which I intended they should bear ; and knowing the baneful effects of prejudice or ignorance, I think it advisable to address myself to you in a manner which cannot be misunderstood and which will not need the vehicle of common report to bring it within your reach, but may be studied in your closets and examined into at your leisure. In examining the following pages, I must request you will do it with the candour which I intend to make use of in penning them The scriptural direction is, " Prove aU things; hold fast that which is good. I shall endeavour to assist you in this duty by bringinff forward proofs from Wesley's works to support the following asser- tion, that the objections to the Church which are commonly held by you were not held by your Founder, and that consequently Methodism m Mono, and I suppose in the whole of Canada, is not the Methodism of John Wesley. The edition from which I quote is entitled, "The Works of the Rev. John Wesley, A. M., sometime Fellow of Lincohi Colleo-e, Oxford. Third edition, with the last corrections of the author London: published by John Mason, 14, City Road, and sold at CG, Paternoster Row. 1830." As Methodists, who have in youi- hands the A\esleyan Hymn Book, you will at once perceive that the place ot publication will guarantee the genumeness of the work ; and if any of you doubt the correctness of my quotations, I shall feel plea- sure at any time in comparing them with the work from which the v are extracted. "^ I must also observe, that by the term Methodism I invariably mean the Methodism c? the ordinary members of youi' society— I 'T t t I t E n u a c t( si t( id rensou litted the 1, I natu- when the both the put down Church ; her (Dr. 10 Confc- Flouse of Jliuvch of 1 wheu I least in that the .'ed to be her most nt which J private )u to my md fcim- ate; but )ugh the opposite knowing isable to lerstood, bring it snmiued ill do it g them. t which )ringing g asser- held by thodism thodisni of the I'oUege, author. at CG, .' hands e place and if el plea- ch they ariably iety— I J^ ,-\-\ JdtirZ of ?h^ '",°/JT P'^'^chers-.I never came into contact with any of them, and therefore would not assert that the obiections Which have been ra sed against the Church by some of you ie he?d iLnirn'-^v^.u' '* '^ only natural to suppose that pSLchorVand people thmk the same, I may reasonably consider that what you openly avow 18 known to them, and the principle of christian chaSv compels me to th nk that they would not pemit you t^ hold vTew3 rseT^ou'rTglit '''^ '''^'"' *° '^ *^"^ ^^*'«"' ™'^^-« Bome VS A very common objection to the Church, but an obiection so palpably fa se that a mere denial of it should be a sufficient reftita' ion, 13 that -the Church is scmi-lloman»_in what respect ' «'0h '' (say some of you) -as regards doctrine and practice, you teach subjecswhich are taught in common with you by the Roman Cathohc, and you perform acts wliich Micy also perfom ^ Wo do and strange to say, so do the Mothodi.ts. Tho Romanist believes Jni^L- Ir*'/"' f.'' '^'""''^ ^^ ^n\iy-o^ the incamSn and sufflr! S^lrv 'ohT^ Jesus-of his ascension to heaven, anh^T-'^^''i'°^ idolatrous"land are we to reject wSt he Church Universal now believes and has always belieiod, because a fallen Church receives it ? -But you make use of certain prScea which are used by the Romanist"-lbut here too the MeSod s and the Romanist also agroe; tho Romanist and the Churchman both kneel at the reception of tlie Lord's Supper, and whi e ScreS other dissenting bodies reject this practice as Popish and idoktroSs the Methochsts adopt it without the slightest apology for he prac- tice, and even without the reasonable explanation of it Sven by the Church; so that to the MetlxocUst who charges us with'Sn^ semi- Popish, we may at once retort, the charge !s equally valfda A' nst you as agamst us_that is, in this respect, without the shghtes? force -But we have been informed on good authority that somrof your minis ers in this colony have latterly adopted ii their Churches th^ Popish practice of burning candles\t mid-dry during thoTime of dmne service." I know not whether I should extend the fn^^test degree of pity to the individual who would dare in the s^ht^of God Id vVT r\ ""'^'^l }>' ^^"'•'^^' '"^ *° ^^' unfortunate dupes wS gadly catch at and believe any falsehood that may reach their ears • but to this assertion I must give the most positive contradiction- «ie same charge was, as one of yourselves told me, made a'ahist Xulrtrp'."' ^r,'^^'^'" ^^'':^^' ^^*^^«^* '^^ «"gJ^test shadow of truth. The Chm-ch does not enjoin the bui-nmg of candles durin- mid-day service--during evening service, when Required, they are ?o^ n r ' y^^S the performance of evening service, and findin<. he candles lighted at a time when Methodist chapels would be verc. n^ towards Egyptian darkness from a disinclinatln on themrt of°S? stewards or leaders to waste their funds by lighting tlidr candles aeagavd to i^revcnt confusion durmg the performance of divine ser- 6 vice was a Popish muovntion ; or poaaibly, as Iianpcne.l nt oue timt- ma Church in which I was officiating, the usuaV darkness of the thristmaa season, incrcasetl by extra storms, might in-eveut the minister oven at raid-day from reading the communion service with- out tlie assistance of artificial light, and compel Lim to have lights broudit to the chancel tu enable him to do so, which if seen by this individual or others of the same stamp, would form a most excellent oundation for a report of the Popish innovations that had been introduced into the Church. ^ But, granting that it may be possible that some of the Clercvmen ot our Church were disposed to look with favor upon points of which the majority of their brethren disapprove, and attempt to introduce into their respoctito Churches the genufluxions, and the crossings ond other use ess forms of the Church before the Reformation, do ^ Pn?f "^f P;;"<^^«e« prove that the Church herself is verging towards iTuV. Certainly not-no more than the drunkenness of one Methodist Preacher, or the horse-dealing propensities of another would prove that the Methodist Conference consisted of drunkard^ or black-coated dealers in horse-flesh. uiuusurus J.l ^u "^V"' "°* ^''•'V^^ ^T'^ ^^^^^'^^^^^ 0^' Pwestly absolution; ?n livil.- your ministers take upon themselves the autiiority of PnT' ^n'"" • *?°' "^J" ^'^ "°* 5 *^"«' *^^re arc in our book of Common Prayer three forms of absolution, but these are not consi- dered as intended to remove the guUt of sin, but as removing church censures from the penitent, or at most as declaring authoiftadvely God H wil ingness to accept and to forgive the returning sinner Ihe Popish no ion of absolution is, that it is judicial and positive-! that without the intervention of priestly absolution God does not forgive sin, and that after the administration of the right, the reci- K!wi f i? ' nl' ^""f ^'■'^'1' '^"^ "' ^^'^ ^«««^*^y ^^-'^Ptizcd infant. The Mews of the Church on the removal of sin are clearly expressed in the following language, with which she addrc^^ses God in her commu- nion service : "Thy property is always to. have mercy; to Tuev OiiLY It appeHaineth lofovffive sin." ^ The doctrine of the Church with regard to clerical absolution may be learned from the following extracts from works which we are reqmred to study previous to our divinity or ordination examination^ l^POJl Aucli a repentance sincerely begun and honestly pursued vre do in general, as herald's of God's mercy, and the miisters of his gospel, pronounce to our people daily the offers that are made us of mercy and pardon by Christ Jesus. This we do in our daily service, and m a more peculiar manner before we go to the holv commumon. We do also, as we are a body that may be offended with the sins of others, forgive the scandals committed against the thurch,--that such as we think are in a state of repentance may die in the fun peace of the church, we join both absolutions in one in the last office, likewise praying to our Saviour that he would foro-ive them ; and th£u we, as the officers of the church, authorized for That end, do lorg^e all the offences and scandals committed by them against the.Jrhole body."— ^js^op Burnet on the 39 Articles irt 25 ,, *\^J^.t%^ the church designs by this form" (the AbsJfution in the Visitation of the Sick) ''that the Priest shall directly convey J K God s paivlou to the couscionce of the sinner for liissins nud offences conmutU'd ugai .St him; or whether that ho slinll only remit the censures of the clmrch and continue him in the privilege of church commuiuon, which lie may bo supposed to havo forfeited by the sins he has confessed, is thought by sumo not to bo clearly or deter- minedly expressed. But if we look for^vard to the Collect imme- diatoly after to bo used, it looks as if the church did only intend the remission of ecclesiastical censures and bonds; for in that prayer the penitent is said still most eurnciUly to desire mrdon and fortjuxiicss, which surely there would be no occasion to do if ho had been actually pardoned and forgiven by God by virtue of tho abso- lution pronounced before; again, tho Priest offers a special request that God would preserve and continue him in the unity of the Church which seems to suppose that the foregoing absolution hud been pro- uounoeil in order to restore him to its peace ; and therefore since the form will bear this sense without straining or putthig any force upon tlie words, I hope it will be no offence to interpret them so as IS most consistent with the original commission given by our Lord and the exercise of it in tho purest ages of the church.'"— ir/iea//cy on the Common Prayer, chap. 19, sec. 6. In the foregoing extracts tho views of tho church are distinC • shewn to be, that the absolution of the Priest, when referred to sins against God, is merely declarative of God's willingness to receive penitent sinners ; but when referred to suia against the chiu'ch, is judicial, removing church censures, and tho punishment consequent upon tliem, and re-admitting the penitent to tho full enjoyment of church privileges ; and is not this latter course followed by every dcuomniatioii of professing Christians, without any offence being taken at it ? Does not the Presbyterian Church of Scotland impose penances upon her offending members, and at their repentance restore them to church privileges?^ Does not the Society of Friends disown from membership persons who have transgressed their rules and upon receiving letters of condemnation restore the offending members? Nay, more, does not your own society exercise tho disci- pline which the church lays claim to, and receive into connection wit]i it persons desirous of joiuing it, or reject those who act in a manner contrary to its rules ? It certainly was \U primitive prac- tice to ruul uut the names of offending members and to state publicly that ^nch persons were no longer in the society. I believe that thia pnictice has long fallen into disuse; but yet, is not the power of writing down the names of persons in your class-book, and thus constituting them Methodists, and the power of erasing their names when tiiese persons do not act in accordance with your principles and again, the restoration of these latter individuals upon their repentance, tantamount to the power of excommunication, or of absolution laid claim to by the Chmxh. With regard to the declarative nature of the absolution of the and concerning the order of proceeding tn absolutinn." those embly titled excommunication , i 8 church, for sins committed against God, I sunnocr, h.« ^.ii. • quotations from the theological dictionarv nf ?K2k Y^J^^-^^i^g Methodist Preacher, whose wriLo-^re Shlv nni^'''^i ^I^u*'"^' * Society, and from the works ^/orSr^^'w weight with you than even the oDinionV n? fif« «• i, ^ f^^*®' divines, from whose works I have Coted -I * Th«Vt?/ ?V'^'' reson-ed to himself. "_iV«.^ Cul«t, CoZleJ, ."/ro I, I53 *"" I would advise those per.'^ons who nvA ii> fi,n i. ^ -7 t •"' ance to the ridiculous Charge g'int t^^^^^^^^^^^^ rapidly growing downwards on the read to Ponei^ "' fo wS\ ^f •' words well before they give exnressinn fn +ii,? •^' ? ^?^^ *^^'^ flnirM, r,f n^/i • ''^ ^V ^-^PiGssion totliem, since slanderino' thp s^i'^t ro -iiit-ott-'vS r ^^°" ^™ '» ^" - make themselvo/twSr^^^^ jv,commend them to tha I scarcely gave credit to my own e.rs when H. o^'^""^'^^' made to me, that a man, who c7lls himself fwl i ' '1^'' '"''" baptized in the church who sa^ fovvlr" i Y^'^^^^^^ ^'^^° ^as be at church every Lord's Do vo« r'"^-«f',«^f ^' *^^* ^^"'^^^ ^"»^ to not to deserve aranswerclid I nni ii • V!i '". e^t^'^mely foolish as ._„r „.e vimi.huiy yi une individual might influence him to 8 following Watson, a of by your ve greater and other of absolu- leclarative ent to Lia (nitent the '■' In this IS right to ibour, the luty of its adors." — onoanced himself, entrance tbsoluimi Forjudi- Ood has 153. ug utter- t she is gh their *ring the fim Avith s sin as ) give an them to i of him is which rch, but subject ! also in because , * Thou )wledge rer was ho was ', could ;remely lis own > Word, him to lie ser- e to do >lish as every uction, him to give expression to a sentiment which may be Iield by others, who through superior tact would conceal their true objection and shelter themselves behind others of a far different nature ; but wherein consists this going with the multitude to do evil consequent upon attending the church ? Not in the prayers of the church — not in the sermon of her minister; but in this, that after service the Sabbath is profaned by some of the members of the congregation immediately falling into conversation upon the weather, or crops, or politics, or some other subject improper for the Sabbath ; but if this be the case, is it encouraged by the church or her ministers ? Do we not Sab- bath after Sabbath declare to the people that they should "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy ?' ' And will the Methodist inform me b^ u'hai sect is this commandment statedly proclaimed ? Has he ever heard it in any of the Methodist chapels or other i)laces of service which he may have been in the habit of attending, except, perhaps, in some where Mr. Yf csley's old rule of reading the church service is still continued ; but I Avould ask is this practice confined to members of the church? are there not in all congregations per- sons whose hearts are not under the influence of divine grace, and who, thinking the worship of God a weariness of the flesh, endeavour as much as possible to forget the solemnities of divine worship, and enter upon any conversation which may have the effect of removing them from their minds ? Is the Methodist himself free from the charge of profaning the Sabbath by light and trifling, and vain couTcrsation? Are all those whose names are upon Methodist class- books free from this and other sins equally offensive in the sight of a pure and holy God ? But, once more: though all others should indulge in this practice, is there any necessity imposed upon you that 3^ou should do the same ? Cannot you return with your fami- lies from the house of God to your own residences and converse with them upon the subjects which have been brought before you, and thus endeavour to obtain for yourselves a full answer to the prayer which the minister and congregation had united in offering up at the close of the service, " that the words which we have heard this day with our outward ears may through thy grace be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honour and praise of Thy name." Persons who make such an objection as this should first weigh themselves in the balance of the sanctuary, before they pass such a sweeping condem- nation upon the majority of the members of a church, which in influence, in usefulness, and in religious activity, at this moment stands at the head of every christian society, and should at the same time seriously reflect upon the necessity of the grace of chris- tian humility, lest from an over- weening opinion of their own spiri- tual advantages, they may be falling unawares into the snare of the devil, while they are giving way to spiritual pride, and saying to others, " Stand by yourselves, we are holier than you." A third objection to attendance upon divine service is, that our Book of Common Prayer is a mere Act of Parliament. Surely the persons who make use of this excuse must be at an extreme loss for an argument against the Church of their fathers, when . iy are compelled to descend into the company of Romanists to obtain one 10 pmciple on wl>,vi, +i,4rlV?®^s?^y to make any obsei-v«i,in» ?,Z:.^^^ wliich this objection is b,S Zi ^flV'^'i" "P"" tte ;ought about b^ the'pal^aS. tj^L'.':!.."!'"™?'- Book had Its origin at tKmo n/ti^ t?T* P^^«^^« ^^at our Prayer selves or at least such o? yoTas *^I^'^'^'"^^^^^ the habit of thinking that ft L„ i?^^^ "'® °^ *^i« objection-are in survey ofit3 historyf anS of The far? ^r^'?^' ^ «^^^" ^^^e a briS took with respect to it, and shall S ^^'f *^^ ^^g«sh Parliament which it was held by youf/o^Lr !f 7'?' '^^^ ^^^ estimaionTn ^W times and p^la^ "^^^^^^f^^^^^^ ^ Roman protection was withcnvn^from uf .'',^^9f^t"i'i^«-but when Je^ft in a state of independence tW 1 ^^^^\t?^ts. and they were TnthstandthemorennwA,5s,i- 1 \-/ ^^^^'® ^nab e sinHe-hindPr] I. peUed to applyr iLXnt fo S^^^^^^ ^'"^^^^^^'^^ aSd wZ' om succours were accordingly sent anrfji •"'' ^ '^^'*^"'^ G^^rman nation • cojnpelled to confine th%isTes^^£T,^^^^^ stead of withdrawing to theii own - . "* °^'' ^^^'^^^^s ; but in- delmrance which they hid eiferedJf?? '' '^' completion of the the defenceless Britons, ai^dredxl'li /i^ ^f""^"' *"^"^ed round upon were Pagan idolaters, ihTaolto^^^^^^^ «"d as"hey tae Christian inhabitants,'^or comSi J? '^'T'^^'^' ^"^ slaughtered nesses of Wales and CornwalL ^ *^'"' *^ ^'^*"'e into the S BiiTp\fTomiTwto t'.lfll^^-lT^ ^* «- time of Gregory T -n attempt to c Jvlt the P^Cs ''^ '^' ^^''''' '' GoTto make sent Augustine, the first ArSi'^^'^'i ' ^"^^ ^'^ eifcct this oS assistants, into thaUoulf inS?.;^roS.'"*^^^"^^' with sS because they were sent bv a Rnmi ? • T ^^^- ^^ ""^«tnot suppose Papists, for at that ^me Pone^Wi ''^°?' *^''^* therefore the? we' e and error were gemina^g^S-^the Chn ^^^'T^T*™-' superSon tyranny and the doctrine ?f«iemeH^^^^^^^ i "* idolatry, spiritual natmg doctrines of the Pnnnp^ i ? °^ ^^^^«' the three diecrim^ Brit-sH-. , ^-*^' a-ivaT^Aug^^ British Bishop, made use of a hSlnf ? ^''^^^°''' ^^ ^'>^<^ the that which was then in use in Romp^\/ *^^"\?wn, different from Gregory whether he should inti^ZtTL T^'^^^^y ^^^^^'ed from tmuance of the British Litur^'t^ rttii'Tf?' f P^^'""* ^^^^ ^o^ —"That he was not bound to fn?w !? '""^^ *^® following answer- jught select whatever p^ta or rn^. "^ *^^ Precedent of Rome but best adapted to promotfth ^ e tf of Z inL' V^? "^«* '''^^'^' ^-^ and compose them into a rvqW ? •. ^°^*°t Church of EnWand 11 ar as I can ag you as I upon the 'formation s this is an tertained, ur Prayer youyour- Q — are in fe a brief irliament iiation in made at ■ opinion of the )ntinuecl it Tvhen cy were nded to re corn- nation ; ;ed, and but in- of the d upon as they htered 3 fast- ry I., make bject, iveral >pose, were tition 'itual rimi- aient Ithe from Tom con- rer; but and ind, «Fas and ary f of Gregory, a revision of the ancient Liturgy which was then in use in the V/estern Church. This service-book formed the basis of those which were used 'n the Church in England for several centuries ; but as each Bishop had authority to make alterations in it for his own diocese, there were various editions of it in use at the time, differing in minor particu- lars, but still agreeing in the principal points. As error and super- stition increased, alterations of greater moment were made in it ; the new dogmas of Rome required a notice in the Service-book,^ and, accordingly, the prayers which before were made through the inter- cession of Jesus alone, were now made in conjunction with the Saints ; prayers were offered to the Virgin, to the Apostles, and to other Saints— and the service which for centuries had been performed in the Vernacular tongue was now performed in Latin, in confonnity with the orders of Pope Gregory the 7th, so that by degrees the pure prayers of the original Sacramentary became so altered and corrupted that they could scarcely be known to have been derived from such a source. We thus see, that although the original of our Prayer Book was pure, yet that it gradually accommodated itself to the dangerous errors which had crept into the Church of Rome ; and as these were embodied in it by the laws of the land, and by the laws of the church, they could not be removed without a reference to the same authorities ; accordingly in the year 1537 the Convocation of the English Church, being desirous to effect reformation in it, appointed a Committee to compose a book, which was called «' The Godly and pious institution of a Christian," which under different names passed through several editions, and was, (as the preface expresses it) ''set furthe by the King, with the advyse of his Clergy, the Lordes bothe spiriiuall and temporall, with the nether House of Parliament, having bothe sene and lyked it very well." In the year 1540, a Committee of Bishops tvas, at the petition of the Convocation, appointed to reform the rituals of the Church; the result of which was, that the prayers for processions and litanies were ordered by the King and his Clergy to be put into English and pub- licly vLsed. In the year 1547, the Convocation declared their opinion that the Communion ought to be administered in both kinds, whereupon an Act of Parliament was passed ordering the Communion to be adminis- tered. In the same year a Committee was appointed to compose an uniform order of Communion, according to the ruler- of scripture and the use of the Primitive Church, which waspubiished with the King's proclamation, enjoining the use of it. Again, in the same year, > new Commission was addressed to the same Divines, directing them to prepare a complete collection of Divine offices for public worship, who accordingly drew up the Book of Common Prayer, which wa^ presented to Convocation, and having received the approbation of the Archbishops, Bishops and Clergy of both the provinces of Canterbury and York, was ratified by Act of Parliament in the January fol- lowing. , . , , At the suggestion of some foreign divines, this book was agam j-nyjoed in the ■'^ear 1551= and the alterations then made were mm 1 12 approved of by Parliament in the follomug year, "who declared that they 1 troceeded from curiosity rather than any worthy cause. In the following reign there was a return to the darkness of Popery ; the reformations which had been in part effected in the two pre- ceding reigns were, during the reign of Mary, entirely put a stop to, and Acts of Parliament passed, restoring Popery in all its defor- mity ; but upon her death a fresh Commission was appointed by Elizabeth to review the Books of Common Prayer published in the reign of Edward, and from them to frame another for the use of the Church ; the Commissioners, who were all divines, presented the book which they had prepared to Parliament, 'who accordingly passed a law enjoining its use. Some further alterations \'ere made in the Prayer Book in the reign of James I., but as they were of trifling importance, I shall proceed to the reign nf his grandson, Charles II., who shortly after the Restoration, in consequence of objections made by Dissenters, appointed a Commission to revise it once more, by whom it was brought to the state in which we now have it ; and after it had re- ceived the subscriptions of both Houses of Convocation, it obtained the sanction of Parliament, and the High Chancellor of England was ordered to return the thanks of the Lords to the Bishops and Clergy of both provinces for the great care and industry shewn in the review of it. Thus, " it appears by the proceedings observed in the reforma- tion of the service of the Church, that this reformation was regularly made by the Bishops and Clergy in their provincial Synods, the King and Parliament only establishing by the civil sanction what was there done by ecclesiastical authority. It was indeed, (as my Lord Bishop of Sarum has excellently well observed) confirmed by the authority of Parliament, — and there was good reason to desire that to give it the force of a law but the authority of [the book, and] those changes is wholly to be derived from the Convocation, who only consulted about them, and made them. And the Parliament did take that care in the enacting them, that they might show they did only add the force of a law to them, for in passing them it was ordered that the Book of Common Prayer and Ordination should only be r^ad over (and even that was carried upon some debate, — for many, as I have been told, moved that the book should be added to the Act as it was sent to the Parliament fi-om the Convocation, without ever reading it, but that seemed indecent and too implicit to others,) and there was Ao change made in a tittle by Parliament, so that they only enacted by a law what the Convocation had done." — Wheatley on the Book of Common Prayer. But probably the opinions of John Wesley on this subject may have greater weight with you than the foregoing account, and the declaration of one of our Bishops. In a letter to the Rev. Mr. Too- good, of Exeter, occasioned by his " Dissent from the Church of England fully justified," he thus writes :—" The controversy turns upon one single point. Has the Church power to decree rites and - 1 * * * * You say — secondly, the persons who rl ny>a. Tint V\na PloTTfir 'bll^' t^O PnrlinmPTlt. ceremomes lUiS pUVTCI ill XiXII^luuv ~ Al-J « ixuvc — 13 laved that )f Popery ; two pre- put a stop I its defor- lointed by led in the use of the d the book passed a ok in the !e, I Ehall jrtly after Dissenters, .om it was it had re- tained the Tland was ind Clergy the review 5 reforma- 3 regularly I, the King was there ord Bishop authority to give it 36 changes consulted } that care 7 add the d that the rpad over as I ha.ve : as it was er reading and there f they only tley on the bject may t, and the Mr. Too- Church of ersy turns rites and jrsons who arlianient. Terhaps so. But this also strikes wide— where is ' the express command of Christ?'" * * ^^ * * * " Another plain command is that mentioned but now, 'Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake.' And this we shall think ourselves fully authorised to do, in things of a religious as well as a civil nature, till you can produce plain explicit proof from scripture that we must submit in the latter, but not n\ the former. We cannot find any such distinction in the Bible, and till we find it there we cannot receive it, but must believe our allegiance to Christ requires submission to our governors in all things indif- ferent." ^' This I speak even on supposilion, that the things in question were enjoined merely by the Kiny and Parliament. If they 7vere, ivhat then 9 Then I ivould submit to them for the Lord's sake.'' The following extracts show the estimation in which the Book of Common Prayer was held by your Founder :— " If it be said ' at the Church we arc fed withchaif, whereas at the meeting we have v\-hole- some food,' we answer, the prayers of the Church are not chaff, they are substantial food for any xvho is alive to God.'' — AVorks, vol. 13, p. 197. " It appears to me that forms of prayer arc of excellent use, particularly in the great congregation "—vol. 5, p. 499. " I hold all the doctrines of the Church of England; I love her Lituryy"—\o\. 7, p. 278. "I believe there is no Liturgy in the world, either _m ancient or modern language, which breathes inore of a solid, scrip- tural, rational piety, than the Common Prayers of tlie Church of En"-land. And though the main of it was compiled considerably mo°e than 200 years ago (1784), yet is the language of it not only pure, but strong and elegant in the highest degree."— vol. 14, p. 317. But I might give you another piece of information, of which pro- bably the greatest part of you are ignorant. Mr. Wesley not only approved of the Book of Common Prayer, but also enjoined its use in his Chapels ; as proof of this assertion I shall refer to the follow- ing passages :— " I have prepared a Liturgy little differing from that of the Church of England, (I think the best constituted national Church in the world), v/luch I advise all the Travelling Preachers to use on the Lord's Day in all the congregations, reading the Litany only on Wednesdays anil Fridays, and praying extempore on all other Jays."— Vol. 13, p. 219. ^' We advise every one who preaches in the Church hoars to read the Psalms and Lessons with part of the Church Prayers, because we apprehend this will endear the Churcli Service to our brethren, who probably would be prejudiced against it if they heard none but extemporary prayer."— Vol. 13, p. 224. Let me ask you is this course followed in Mono, where your ser- vices are held during church hours, or can any of you mention a single station in British North America in which the Liturgy or the Litany, or even the Psalms and Lessons appointed by the Churcb, are read ? You cannot. ''xlemporaneous prayer is everywhere used to the exclusion of the L jok of Common Prayer, and hence has arisen your disregard for forms, and your attachment to prayers composed frequently by men who cannot express themselves gram- matically, but who make up for their deficiency in learning by a B 14 ^ aspliemous familiarity with the Divine Being, ^<- nnd who think that they can only be heard by loud as well as by long speaking, and from a knowledge of the inexpressible distance between their inco- herent addresses ana the simple and beautiful language of the Liturgy, endeavour to defend themselves by taking shelter behind the Popish objection that the Liturgy is a mere act of Tarliament But, say some others, «'We cannot attend Church Service- the Qppomtmeuts for preaching at our Chapel or for Class-meetinc are atthesame hour as the Church Service ; we cannot attend both and think It our dut> to be present at class or preaching." ' This is one of those many points in which I think your practice is most diametrically opposed to that of your Founder, for he would not permit your services to be held during Church hours ; but not to make mere assertions as to what I consider to have been his opinions, I shall give you his own words: "Wherever there is anv Church Service, I do not approve of any appointment the same hour because I love the Church of England, and would assist, not oppose It, all I can."-yol. 13, page 65, date 1786. •' Exhort all that were brought up in the church to continue therein— set the example your- self, and immediately change every plan that would hinder their being at church at least two Sundays in four; carefully avoid what- . ever has a tendency to separate men from the church, and let all the servants m our Preaching-houses go to church once on Sunday at l?w A !"' ^' P^f P^ , " Saturday, 6th April, 1755, I preached at Wednesbury, and at eight on Sunday. Butthe great congregation assembled m the afternoon, as soon as the service of the church was over, inth %vhich we take care never to interfered ~Yo\. 2 pase 3'>4 Friday 14th Oct., 17G3-"On Friday evening I read to them all tie rules of the Society, adding : « Those who are resolved to keep these rules may continue with us, and those only.' I then related what I had done since I came to Norwich first, and what I would do for the time to come, particularhj that I would put a stop to preaching in the time of Church Service." ~Yo\. 3, page 162. With these passa«-es before me, how can I think that persons who do not obey the directions of Wesley can be Wesleyans, that those who hold their services universally during church hours, can be genuine disciples of him whose name they bear ? Before proceeding further, let me request that you will pause and seriously weigh the objections that I have considered, with the answers I have made to them, and should you not have perceived the force of these answers, read this letter over a second ame ; for I have no hesitation in asserting, that if your minds are not blinded by pre- judice, but are really desirous of acquiring the truth, you will, from .n!o ^^® ^1®*^ If^^ severely censured for the above expression ; but those who censure me should pause before doing so, lest the sword by which they pierce me Sk ' *k'°".^^ "'•'' "^'^""•^ ''«h° ^^'*^«Jey- '^^^ following passage wUsh^w Whether his views and mine coincide or not on that subject :_IIe is speaking xvSZ. the use of the words "Dear Lord" or " Dear Saviour » in prayer, and thSf asff Is not this using too much familiarity with the great Lord of heaven and earth ? «fia= +f-^°^ scripture, any passage either in the Old or New Testament which jus- tifies this manner of speaking > * * Do we not frequenty use this un^cr ntural expression concerning our blessed Lord, in private conver/ation as'o" * *^ " 1 n e do well to be cautious in this matter.' —Works, Vol. 7, p. 29J:. 15 fvho think that speaking, and 311 their iuco- guage of the shelter behind Parliament. Service; the s-meeting are end both, and ur practice is for he would urs ; but not lave been his there is any le same hour, t, not oppose all that were sample your- hinder their J^ avoid what- ind let all the n Sunday at ), I preached congregation e church was 2, page 324. thein all the keep these lated what I Id do for the 'aching in the 3se passages ot obey the 10 hold their e disciples of H pause and d, with the )erceived the e ; for I have ided by pre- u will, from 3ut those who they pierce me Jge will show speaking upon nd thus askg: 3n and earth ? ent which jua- I un.'criptural > ^ * $ A A the proofs I have adduced, at once acknowledge that at least on the points considered, the present practice of Methodists is not agreeable ?o the practice enjoined by AVesley. My next letter shall take under review objections to the mode of administering the Sacrament of BSm,ind to the grace conferred in it; and also those general oSections to the Church which spring from an erroneous view of your religious position and so called Ecclesiastical polity. I am, my dear friends. Your faithful servant in Christ, JOHN FLETCHER. Mono, September, 1852. LETTER n. '^^ Th^^fii^st^f the^objlctions referred to at the conclusion of my last letter is, that we require Sponsors in the administration of Baptism. Without examinincr into the origin of this custom-which I consider Stv hrdTexfstence in theipostolic times-Ishall re er youo« this subiect, as Methodists, to the opinions of your Founder:—' I lnQXe''no whether in the administrations of baptism you agree with me^-n aLitting sureties for the baj^tized." -Sern.on on the Ca- So Sr>irit vol 5 p. 497. This sermon is one of those which your BetSs acknowledge previous to their admission into full con- n xion wltli your CoVrence as containing their own views on rnSal subiects ; how is it then that they never admit sureties for tCl^^^^^ Wesley wrote a tract entitled, "Serious hou'hts concerning Godfathers an.l Godmothers." I Bupposc this has never been seen by any of you, and as it very nearly expresses my own views on the subject, I shall subjoin ^tjv^tbou comment, for ?think his language will have more weight with you than my own. !\n the ancient church, when baptism was adnunistcred, there were two or more sponsors (as Tertullian calls them, an hundred vears after the death of St. John) for every person to be baptized. As tbese were witnesses before God and the Church of the solemn fnVagement those persons then entered into, so they undertook as the very word implies) to watch over those soixls m a peculiar SanJei? to instruct, admonish, exhort, and build them up in he Sh once delivered to the Saints; these were co^^^^^^^^^. ^;^^, ^ ^1^^^^ of spiritual parents to be baptized, whether they were "^fan s or at mm's estate, and were expected to supply whatever spiritual helps weie wanting, either through the death or neglect of the natural ^T""" These have been retained in the Catholic Church from the earnest times, as the reason for them was the same at all ages; m our church they are termed by a proper and expressive name, god- fathers and godmothers. And it is appointed ' that there shall be for every mSe child to be baptized two godfathers and one god- mother, and for every female one godfather and two godmothers. 16 take this without evrconsideHn^^ir.'.^'"^' t^'^^t^^^^'yunder- «eriously thinking how 1^^^^^''^"^ V^^f undertake or once man would undei^akeTt, because ? 'in^^^', w^' ^^^^ "^ ««"o^* 4. "I nnqwo,. fi,.c* "J.'^f^'^use It IS impossible to perform it mothers arnotmSneVlnT^-"^'''^ *?^' godf.^hers and god- said they are IXternec ss^^^^or ^ '}''''''' '' ««"°of be istered without them S 1?^^ ^^''^ ^P*'''!" «^»n^'t be admi^ expedient, for wh n ihey are' pridend^ l"l ''''' !^^ ''' ^^8^^^^ unspeakable use to the npr^n«! P'^iV^^I'^ chosen they may be of fort to the pa?;nts of them "^'''''^ "°^ '^ ^reat relief and com- fo&r::^om:7:!tC:^^^^^^^^^ many undertake this Ignorant persons, if not oTn v ^ -^ ^*'*®y ''"^^'take ; giddy, think how to pel form H but w W 7"^. "^^ T'' '""'^ «^"o««& of the churci?, whiS/l^re^iir/'guarra^d^^^^^ ^ It is not the faul^ ordering « that none but commu^nicanL be f Z L ?! ^t'^ *^"'^' ^^ or godmothers.' Now commnntn^?! admitted to be godfathers persons, who will bo h coSi ami Jff"""^ ^f"'"™^ to be serious It is altogether the fouTt of tho^p ffr ^""^ ""^^^ they undertake, account whatever either desire or ^nt'^ .?"''"*' ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^"7 their children that do not take caii. nf^f •"'°'' *^ ^" ^P^^^^^s for inconsiderate and cruermen who hoi *^'''' '^"^ '''^"I^' " is these flesh that deprive their Srennfn^Mi^^'^'''^''^''^^^ ^^^ t^^eir own tution, and bring a scLdai ou'^hf f ". J^ ^^ ^^^^ wise insti- abuse of it. I «iere?ore earne ^eX^S wrT '^ *^"^ ^^^^^^ either for their own or their children's so ,k «. ^i,^?^' ^'^^ ^^^^^^^ cure such persons to be SDonso fn/^ f ''/* ^" hazards, to pro- whet:>er thly are rich or p?or and?f tl^^ T ""'''- ^^^a^'^^ not no expense to them. You wil tlfpn L ^ ?° P°^''' «^^ ^^a* it be most plausible objections wSh can hTJ^^ ^^ *^" ^'"^^^ ^"^ ^^ «ie custom. "^ ^^^'^^ ^^" ^6 Made against this primitive should^fc^U'^S'^ilndcr^^^^^^ th'e IZT t^ ^"^ ^"^^^ ^--^ -''^n and godmothers undertake what irim;n5^^ '"PP."'" godfathers tainly mistake. And youi'm stake 1^/w ^' *' Pf ^'^^'"^' 3'ou cer- take what they do nof r^o not you thinkV^''^ '^'''^ '^''^ ""^«r- undertake or promise that the c^u « st^^ ' 'P'"'"'*' themselves allhisworks, constantly believe GLl'fhnif"'''f' ^^^ ^^^^^^^ ««^l keep his commandments^' Wherl 'In f^.r^!;''' '"^^^ obediently take nor promise any such thini Whon /r*^ "^'^^ "''"^^^' "«^^«^^ hem all This I steadfastly beUeve I Jn'Ji^^^^, ' ] ^'^^^^^^^e holy will and commandments) 'tbo'v LZ - ^°^^ j!^'"^ keep God's engage for nothing Jl^'^^^^''^ ' ^'^^y promise nothing at all thev Wh\t^everL?hen;?omL ^;;^^^^^^^^^ prorfises aH thf^ the child. It is^ir part nof H ;"• "' '* K"""^ ^^ *^^^^ ^''^ ^y expressly. ' This iWt mn.f r '"'' '° *^^ ^^^^^h tells yoj mises in these wo ds, no Siev So ^ r>^'\rT'' ^' ^« ^^ P- to renounce the dev , o beii^-e fn cfl'"~~i\'' '^"^^^ ^^^^ P^^^^ised said, 'But why are tLsP oli- .°'^ """'^ ^^ ^^^^e him. If it be what they really7ot"'TXVTri\"^^^^^^ '^'V' «-'n an.,we., 1 did not insert them, and li X7 i no mention nnnyunder- ike or onco t no serious brm it. rs and god- t cannot be t be admin- are highly niay be of if and com- ertake this ^e; giddy, > seriously •t the fault thing, by godfathers be serious mdertake. ^ill on any onsors for It is these their own ^ise insti- ir wicked y concern s, to pro- 'gard not hat it be ie of the primitive ous man )dfathers you cer- y under- emselves evil and ediently t' under- enounce ■P God's 11, they ill this, but by ills you he pro- 'omised i it be ' mean a, and should not be sorry had they not been inserted at all. I bcliovo the compilers of our liturgy inserted them because they were used in all the ancient liturgies ; and their deep reverence for the primitive church made them excuse some impropriety of expression. 7 •« What then ia your part who are sponsors for the cliild .' Ihis likewise is expressly told you. 'It is your part to sec that this infant be taught, as soon as he shall be able to earn, what a solemn vow, promise; and profession, he hath here made by you. \ on shall Gallon him to hear sermons, and shall provi.le that he may learn the creed, the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments, and all other thiuKS which a christian ought to know and behevc to his soul s health, and that this child may be virtuously brought up to lead a eodlv and christian life.' , x i i * 8 " Can anything be plainer than what you do not, and what you do undertake? You do not undertake that he shall renounce the devil and ser^'e God ; this the baptised himself undertakes. ^ ou do undertake to see that he bo taught what things a christian ought to know and believe. And what is there in this which is impossible, which any serious person may not perform ? , t w« ,r^,«. 9 " If then, you that are parents will be so wise and kind to your children as to waive every other consideration, and to choose for their sponsors those persons alone who truly fear and serve God ; if some of you who love God and love one another, agree to perform this office of love for each others children, and if all you who under- take it perform it faithfully, with all the wisdom and power God hath given you, what a foundation of hohncss and happiness may be laid even to your late posterity ; then it may justly be hoped hat not only you and your house, but also the children which shall be born, shall serve the Lord. -.r i i n „ k(\(\ *' Athlone, August G, 1752." Vol. 10, p. oOG. Still the first objection which your Founder has answered above is reiterated without the slightest reflection. -There are no allu- sions to sponsors in the New Testament, and v?hat is not enjoined in it should not be required of us." This objection should never proceed from the lips of a Methodist, for if his own peculiar services Sre brought to the test of scripture, upon what grounds do they rest ? What allusions are there to Class-meeting m the book of God ? None whatever. " Oh yes, there are, does not David say in the 66th P^lm, ' Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he ha li clone for my soul;' and Malachi tells us, ' Then they tha feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that fear the Lord, and that thought upon his name? and does not St. James direct, ' Confess your faults one to another, and p?ay one for another that ye may be healed.' And will you say that these passages do not strongly inculcate class-meeting or som^ething similar to it ?" They have as much reference to xt as they have to the doctrine which the Papists improperly found upon the last of them-namely, auricular confession. The following account of the origin of class-meeting, from the pen of Mr. Wesley, ^^1 ^^^.y^ tv.* h« h"'' r,nf tiio iPnst, thouffht of scriptural ground for origmat- B 2 18 Uth 'ino 'manv IT. ^^°f'«'^<«r« of circumstftnco. -February and it was nKrcc 1-7 Thn .^ '"^ '^'^*' contracted by buildlSg, able should Xtlu e a'^pe'nn^T^e'r'T ^Tlnr.r"?^,""* .""- Sudo"''ortb7rest'tdXir;ir/^ ^^•'^" ^^-^^ ^^^^-' Imn that .zc.?J/ ^.'^L.t 1 i? I^° «t«^a^-J3 weekly. TA., r»./c m all our socicTic^^^olTz f^^^^^^^ '^"'^ "'^ ^^^^ A^^ ^^« ^-'^'t nmlt^^Mcl^yot^celeS '"™ ^ ^^^''I'*"^^ "^ «"rPort of the Jude speak^ o^p^^oL S'w^^^^^^ ' ^\^'\ ' Oh, St! when they feast Avith vm,f^!S^ T. '", ^'°"^ ^^^«*» ^^ charity, . tlocs;butUatsimiM^^^^ ^^*^'0"* ^^«r.' He pnmidvefeasL oTchaS y9 To 'Lt^''''^ ^""''^ ^«^'« f^-^^* «""^e. have fed at a supper of phi osonhva^^^^^^ '^ "^^° t^^^t poreal feast." P^"osophy and disciphne rather than a cor- wa^pr^^vTh^^^SS^^^^^^^ in poorer circumstnnp!^V„.xf!i.*.^® church for those who were feast is merely a pS^^ ^^^f^^ <^nd refreshed. Sr by which the^poorTre not^in fl,.?^ ^'"'r*^^ °^ ^^^^^ «"d water, slightest similJriJy between ?hemVn'n1 T IT'^'. ^^ *^^'« «^«« the the feasts referred to by St S *^''' '' ^"*' ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ot ingsf Tour'^trte^^^^^^^^^^ you for your band-meet^ local preachers, your watch nLi^« ^ l^y-prayer-leaders, your nant-Seetings, ' Jnd f^ the af«"-^^^^ camp-meetings, youi cove- preachers ? None whatever f^lT ^^.*^^ Priesthood by your in the niachinery of Me hocS'sm Sh ^l"*^? ^^"^ ^*^«' "^^tterj creatures of cir/umstSs^t^ itttnec^stt".^:^^^^^^^^^^ T'*'^^ c^,t.^ <.v uv so. ii men "February oncoming a »y building, ty tlmt was lolc society t twelve in e that con- kly. Thus ouiil, front ed the samo port of the • Oh, St. 3f charity, 4'fir.' ire st and the the follow- to them, 'f luxury, ape), that ense upon h. the poor, do not sit 3 eat only )dest per- J^ber still I the pre- ^ to wash ing some his own the rules east, and bout and pastime, aen that m a cor- lieathen, 'ho were d. Your i water, then the are not d-meet- s, your ir cove- by your natter? ere the u men 19 all thing. sho,;ia be ^r<-«;;^J-^,^:{;S:rS^^ of Scripture alone, where would t ho tamnc oi i» joctrinca She would have crumbled m^^^^^ the c'hv^h woVld ccUii.uo to exist. Which she has received through the chuici wo ^^^^^^^ But another objects. J' I cannot attend ^ b clj,^^_ ^^^^^^ false doctrine, inaBmuch as it ^^« ^;";^^^^^^^^^^^^^ V.nptisn,." She Borvicos she consic ors c Inldrcn are egcn^i a^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^ docs, and so has the Catholic ^^^^^^J^l^l' if^f'^'crc consistent with to say. so shoul.l yonv own P^^^'^^/'r;^ t'l'.^ve the truth of this thciv profession. It is not my f «'f" Jj. 'J'-,;",! tell you that this doctrine ; I merely address ^^^^^^.^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The vcr>' doctrine is one of the ^fantla i uoc m , ^ y^^^^^_ following is the ;^J"^^^;{,V/rt dS f of M thS c^h " Pro- dism are referred to in the trust ^^^«\''\«^^; "-'"^ joctr no than is vided always, that the P«r«^«« f ^^^^iJ^^j^^Hfes tament, and four contained in Mr. Wesley s "f^^^^f.^t^^^^e standards and you TT^^dlirtX" Wesl r--Vhfthl^^^^^ on this subject as shall find that m . ^''^-\^y , . , • ^^ ^y the church, tan plain, if not plainer, than t^;«^^;\^ ^^^^^Ji'i;;:>^^^ / . The question is . anything be more explicit than tl^ ^/Jl^ot evade), but what are not, what was you made m bap ism ^^^^^^^^^^J^^^^.j^ ^ To vour ySu now ? Is the spirit of adoption "^w i your «^ \^^^ ^^.^,^ ',,„, iwn heart let tl;e appeal be mado^^ y^loTihXmv^^ of the Holy of water and of the Spirit, but ^'^l^^'^Vas ' circimcised with the Lt ;u .;. bo^i ^ ^: Sitism .n^mestUat ,ou ... then made children of God and heirs of heaven. ^^,^^^ And if yejiave been baptized your only lope ^s this^ ^^^^^^ ^^ n^ere made children of ^ God byhf^^"^' i'^bccomeThe Sons of God, the devil, may yet again ^e^f. ^^7^.;^^'^. the spirit of adop- that they may receive or/aimt'hat '^f^ ;^«,',y''/''5'; 421. ^^ There may tion, crying in their hearts Abba ^^'j^fVerc is u^ot the inward grace, sometimes be the outward sign ^heie there ^^ no V .^^ ^^^ ^Wch Tdo not now speak u'iih regard to .nfant^ ^^^f^^^y ^^e at the same supposes that all who are baptized n then ^^^^^lu office for the time born again; and it is ^"^wed that the Jh^^^^^ .^ .^ ^^ baptism of infants P^^f «'^^ ^^P*'^ J ^^\^'^f ^e ca^^^^ comprehend objection of any weight against ^h^S' J^f *J/^^^J^^^ ^^^ ^e com- how this work can be wrought in infants; for neitlicr can prehend how it is ^^^'0^^^'1\%^1'^\'^JX^J^^^^^^ ' Not by Mr. Wesley's translation of Titus 111, c. o, is ^^ wuow / works of righteousness ^l^jh we have done ^^^^^ ^TrlSf wing of own mercy he saved us by the [^^^^//^ff l^The effects" (of our the Holy Ghost." On which ^^J^^'l :Jt?fied, pardoned, and redemption) "are, 1. J'^^^^fi^^VfJ^'.^.T^J'^^^^^^^^ accepted, through the alone "^ej*;t^/{,^^f.'^^ee Wsfree unmerited us, but according to his own mercy, ^y/^^^S^*^®/ „;; \. regeneration goodness. 2. Sanctification expressed by ^Aeja.er^^^^^^ ?.r _. ,-. i„.,i,-..« fU ihina iigniAed. as ivell as the outicara signj, »■ 90 renewal of the Holy Ghost, which purifies the soul ns water cleanses the body and renews it in the whole image of God." ^'^^^ns^s f.yjf Pi^rts of his writings correspond with the preceding extracts iLouli iToR ^^^ ""'''"''' '^° ^'''''''''' ''""' ''''y McthodiHtViiachcJ " What are the benefits wo receive by baptism, is the next noi.it *n be con,s.dered_and the first of these ilthe ni^ . "f'^t S 0} or'ffinalsrn by the application of the merits of Chifst's death ^ " ^ And the virtue of this free gift, the merits of Christ's life and death are applied to us m baptism. * -^ Agreeably to tls oui^hux"h -declares ,n the Rubric at the end of the office-' It is certain bv God s word, thatchi dren who are baptised, dying before hey cominit ment o?'"n th'. ^ -^ 7^^. """^ is agreeable'to ?he unaniSS- ment of all the ancient Fathers. By baptism we enter into covenant Tor evt'~* •".*'* ^Ifvt^^"« ^^^'"^"' ^}'''^ ^« hTtrio^mmaX lor ever. * * * By baptism we are admitted into the Church and consequently made members of Christ, its head. * * * 1 ByhapUsmu'cxcho were by nature the children of wrath are made th, children of God; and this regeneration, which oiir Church in omanv places ascribes to baptism, is more thin barely bei. g acMtecUnto tV}^:f\'^'lf^ ^'TT^y ^'^""^^ted therewith \Sng 4 Ifted into the body of Christ's church, we are made the children of God bv adoption and grace.' This is grounded upon the plan words of our Lord-« Except a man be born again of w'ater and of the Sniiit he the water of baptism we are regenerated or born ajain, whence it s aha called by the Apostle the washing of regeneration. "^ oJr church here- fore ascribes no greater virtue to baptism than Christ himself has done. Nor does she ascribe it to the outward washing bu to the inward grace, which added thereto makes it a sacramen^t: HeJeii a principle of grace is infused which will not be wholly taken awav unless we grieve the Holy Spirit of God by long-continuccl wicS ness. In consequence of our being made chiUlren of God we are lieirs of the kingdom of heaven. ♦ If childrpn U^ X a ^ observes) then heirs heirs of God and STei SVuS cSrtt^^ liZl 7^ 'TV '''^t !?.' ""^ "'^ '"'''''' 'f ' « ^^^ff^om which cannot be moved.' Baptism doth now save us if wo live answerably thereto If we repent believe and obey the gospel, supposing this as it admits us into the churcli here, so into glory hereafter "^L^/;! on Baptism, vol. 10, p. 190, 192. ^ "eicaiter. —freatisc Your Hymn Books contain equally clear proofs that ■ -r I'ounder held the doctnne of Baptismal Regeneration, although tl ' vine 18 now so strongly opposed by you. fe" "t^ nne "Eternal Spirit, descend from on high • Baptizer of our spirits thou ' The Sacramental seal apply ; And witness with the waiernow, fhat the souls baptized therein t"^ay 1^0 w ihy truth and mercj feel ; -*% ' we end wash away their sin. 1. I Come Holy Ghost their pardon waZ.—Hymn 470, t. 5 & 6. f ► T resj oft belt sbo syn the qu( as tio; acU wi I of wl sh al Gi ; oxtrActs preacher t poiut to le guilt of X. '^ ^ 1(1 death, ir church ertain by y commit )usjudg- covenant imandecl Church, made the 80 many tted into • grafted 'God by s of our pirit he K mcanSj I is also I there- self has t to the erein a 1 away vicked- wc are Vpostle 'hrist.' cannot liereto, s, as it ^reatisc iunder "•'rine 1 4 r > !21 1 Father, Son, ami Holy Ghost, . ' In solemn power come down ; Present with thy heavenly host, Thine ordinance to crown. See a sinful worm of earth'- JJleas to him the cleansing flood ; Plunge him by a second birth Into the depths of God. o, let the promised inward grace "' Accompany the sign. On his new-born soul impress The character divine, — Father, all thy name reveal- Jesus, all thy name impart-- Holy Ghost, renew and dwell For e^i'r in his heart.-Hymn 477. Pa,! nf eternal truth and love, VouchsaH.e promised aid we cla.m ; Thine own great ordinance approve- Th^ child baptized into thy name, Partaker of thy nat'iremake— And give him all thine mage back Father, if such thy sovereign will- Tf Toqus did the rite enjoin — A„n« they hallowing SpirifB so^ \nd let the grace attend the sign 'The seed of endless life impart ; ^^^^y^^i 740. Take for thine own this infants heart. ^ J ^^^^^^^ These extracts show ^^^^.^lyj.^^^JiHolncidrpa'feV^ respecting this 'lo^^*"?;' ^^^ fn eo^.u^^ ''^'^' '^^'"^ ^}'-y^t'l of the Church, were it "O^^^'^^^^.'g^^'Jy that after actual sm there quotations from tho wovks "f '« ° "'"'"jaer the nowor othaptism ^ "To speak in few wovds, we »'= '°.l™" „a a ,nore pure conrersa- „, aeouLct with God fov ''^'":^fJ^^^^„ZZJ'^zonA.V.m. tion, there Icing no >cccnd re.jmeralan. W«=»_y__ 5&6. 22 exclptly^his'^rwn^imViety S^f^-^^.^^^ch he has once received -for then he will heiu^lo^T^ZZT^^ «^^^«^^'^ » -^--'--^"^ ^^^ zz''c:::::tiz^^i before hif dorth^to^Mr! ?VimamTvf '^' I'^^'J*'" '^^^^^ f«»r years bears stronglj upon several of tl.i ^f^'l^^' o^ Newcastle-on-Tjne I shall transciibeit, thaTyllallSn'*' '^'^ '^."der consideration; m those points, differs from hrsTiewst!^' "^'"^ ^i^elj your practice; ^ercival for having her child baptized fhZf J r ^ '^''"''^'nd sister thanks By all means go to C?urch„^nT' ""'"^ ^'' returning public Methodists so to do. The?, that T. - '"'^ *'^''" "''"' '''''^ '^''"'^^ «^^ ;';f . lam a friend to itfand ever 7^ '^ '^' ""^"^^^ ^''^ ^'^-"''^"^ w- loveto S. ^erci^:S? ^fe ES»i/^ London, Febroary]? iTfir Jt»i-"i Wesiej." ^^^^^y^^^&'i^;'^ZlZ\ Str'r °^'»«««"= raised by mem. must say that I J^ gr atty ZS„°^r''°-"''"»S''«™"»n^^ to an adulf whose fSr is \ tTT'''' '^^ sacrament of Baptism t^i me Anabaptists Ao t 4.1 "» "'^'^i "Ubioed some of tJm ««+• been tl,o resXof inadvorten'eTnV'?'' «"' ^^P''^^''"" » sKayf cxSl ,■''"* "■' P^°P'' ^h CoZff^r- I «»""<" "o4 txnemely Ignorant, and thnt fv,! . leaders cannot but hr» .- „rner oe vcrj ignorant 2e received, es so wicked ' not be taken gustine, A. four years le-on-Tjne, isideration, uriDractice, 1 speaking, ^e7id sister nng public ? exhort all ' enemies to rayers we 'er, which ^- I am, her, :siEr." by mem- icnt, and e of you the &ub- stranger ow refer ^e name baptism merous 3'ippose of her and on ^iy, an lat the lotions it have - time ; ersons y that Qg the 7, and bjects avoid lit be I doc- their 3rant c> 23 their Baptist members, ^r el « ^ery ^ ^^ ^form. ^bich tbey have taken "P«"^^;\^\%^^^ ^orks will shew that per- The following passage ^^<^^Vnt Se^ sons who l^old these views -^^^'^^X^l,,^^^ subject, of baptism .' The grand taught any nfiints were teneral prac- en through d" (that is, infants and were dis- \ would be of Wesley, man; and there were id pious as er some of )w in their tress upon J of devel- introduced his name ? name, and , with the 1 a holy liff, chorn before i-'irparcuts; tho parents > ami then). • '—Home's Oil era again say, ^^ij /o'T^'^i, i^ Uself is sufficient to rendei our ecclesiastical authority, and t^^» ^^ ^ ecclesiastical acts Z administration of , the ^^f^^^^^eV^^^^^^ y^-^\ perfectly valid." It is ^^^'^f^.^pCl rulers for a confirmation of its professed members look to tempora . , ^^^ church could t eh clerical acts. According to this prmc p ,^ ^^^ ^^ not be said to have had ^^c^^-^^^^^^^^^^^^ only not acknowledged stantine, for the P^'ff^^Sorted her even to the death. According her authority, but had P'^^^ff^^^^t been extinct in the days of Crom- toit our own church would have Dee j ^ ^^ yo^r own society wd ; ^l^en laws were P^^^^^t^f ( X^'re alo/e sd has full tolera- in England and her ^^fP^^^^^^f pSugal, in Spain, or m Hayt iL) would be a church ; but m ^^^^^^^ ^, .^ Ued) she would whire youv preachers have be^n^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^^^^ rCZ^s have no existence. iHc S^^,^,.,- t„.^ the registrations of baptisms egal evidence the books ^ontam^^ t^^^ = ^^^^^^ ^^g.,t, ^ut pe^rformed by you ; '^^^TU^ZLlZy to baptize ; that authority their permission does not conter ^utnoi ^ and until you can prove sSved from Christ, -";if^^J,\^^S>m ^^^^ to administer the sacra- ^^nJ:r^^^^^-^ ^' ^^^^ authority by the S^n government is of no -ail .vha^v- ^^ ^^^ independence- Others again, possibly ^'T^^^\'f^^^^ dving air that blows across f^^'f t^^^;^^' l^^ as all churches are Sdly to declare, " We are now a church^^^^^^^ .x.nvches c^ual%e have no occasion to tvou^^^^^ ,,.^1 teil or to arrange our services to accommo ^^^^ ^^osc a simple me what process is f«^\7f;^ "^^tiS for this purpose to make a society into a church ? Is it ^^^^^^^^^'^^^.g ^ot, the mother of you voyage across the At antic? f^'^' i^,^^^f Jthe -United Society," or iKstiU satisfied with the ap^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ .^ upon the -Wesleyan Method st So« ay, o recrossing ot the the face of her rules and \^' '^^^XltrmemUrs, to reduce them s*me ocean be sufficient to ^^^^^^^^ ^ ^ ^.^iety ? Your claimto again to the conditions ^^ ^''^'''^^^^^^ this title is quite new to ^^ J \ceitainly ne ^^^^^^^ ^^ land, and cannot ^^^^^f '^^and how it can ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ j, is, tiiat the Saviour alone could found ^^ ,^^ .^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^.^ is one and that those who cut themselves u themselves into churches, but sects. ^ ^^^^^^^^ i^t tuq But granting, for argument sake that yo j^ ^^^^s? This ask yol f urthel^ what is meanU^^^ tl^ Sipffnary arrangement, or equality can only refer t^/-^^^^'^;'^,, venture to assert, that m point to political privileges; and ^\<^^^^*J yp^' T!^^ ^^ or the Swedenborgian, of doctrine, the Socinian, or t^ie UmversaU t^^^^ ^^^ or the Romanist, is ^pou terns ot equj y^^^ ^^^^ p,i^it,ve, in suppose the disciplme of the sect oi xu^i c '1 26 advocatLoftteseSmsl Or a/r'Tr-'?"' "^""6 ™"^'''^'^'' are all equal, what necrsJiW j^,?? °'°J. '"'»'='P''"f ^ «™ngements into oppo'site section" ataolL? tllum ZLt"^/ »P'"«"g i^elf tend to derive their orin-in r,™. w , ' "' "">^° '"'><' »" pre- and devo,n-iJg one ano ho" ^ve^ i!f> "^ "' "■'" "■»"«■" '"'ing inhabited colony » oHfan^ln.M J """■ T? """Pmlively tliinly- snch of you 7s' came from T^n' f * P°''"=»"y '■I™'. I'ow could Catholic claims! anSToin°nse,dt^l''''''»-f? '''"* "''^ '"^^"'^ »« imperial houses of piXmcnt against ':,'l''Sr",w;' P°""°"'" ""' Popery? You do not tlion ..,;, -n ^ i^rtlicr concessions to w|h;mayhepr'o;eS;\SL"dcV."rsa";'eSr """ ^"" '"»- to assistants fthat is npr^nnQ -uri,^ „,.„ '^"^/^^'c. In his advice of circuits) he makes us^of thrfnill- """Y '^"'^^ superintendents our people^ to keep corto the cwZi^.T'^^' = " ^''''''' ^'^ all against niceneL in heading, a pi^tilw e^lt' Tf ™ *''f " against despising the prayers of tli^^S T ' ^^■^"''^ *^^"^ ^^^o society the church^- aaaiZcaiLn J .'''^' ''•^''"'*^ ^"^-^^ owr 'meeting-houses ' IZtem Sn^ ^^^^^^^^^^ «"^- l--«es Vol 8, p. 320. is this inst^Su c^ZtZ^T.\ '' t""''.'''' " m this matter ? Is it not the case tW Z / ^'?'' ^^^'^^eyans advice, but act against it' SWd T Int ^ T* «'% forget this are ignorant of it^ for I mighrask vou I ."n"^ ' '" '*''^"* ^^'^^ ^^^ the -Larger Minutes » wTich cnnfni-n Vv ^^^o^S'^t you here sees Methodist, as laid'do^n'by s' Fo'nntr ^^^^^1"' '^^'""^'^ ^^ formerly published in a senarofo ..nm,.! w v . ^^® minutes wore only to be seen in the parcsof a voC^ ^^' ^^^ '"'' "°^ ^ Relieve sessed even by some ofyour pre^c wr'Tn''''^ "^^''^ '' ^«* P««- not now hear of Methodist minEsA^^^ *^ '^ ^° ^^ churches! an expression Th 1 mI w?^''* P^'''°"' ' Methodist dreamtof,andsdrfuiXrof TiiE^L^^^^^ 'n"^' ^°* *° ^'"^^^ tliink if Wesley were to return foi n f/'"^^;^^ ^"ukch ! so that I not be able to^distinguU he creature n'n'*' '""'^ '^""^^ ^^^^^^^ entirely changed from what it wn ^ iTfi. i ! """"l formation, it is so of which he has left Tny acco Jf conference he attended ontLs oXam; S tKrutC estimation your society is not ¥ I i so, why is irough the reat num- ae of your considered ingements ting itself 10 all pre- ent biting sly thinly- low could 'ailed the ion to the Jssions to t'on those v^ould say ■tirch, and lis advice itendents Ixhort all arn them licm also ^linff our ir houses lapels.' " ^csleyans '•get this that you lere sees trines of tcs were I believe not pos- it, do we Methodist to have that I le would , it is so ittended y is not ertion I he year •; would 11 whom ;y years, ;ion with 37 . • 1 tn pall sinners tb repentance, it doih by no God ImtU commissioned ^^^.''l'^'^^^^^^ to baptize or to Teans follow from hence, tha ^'^^'^[^^^"ir.^^ed of this for ten or Zmimitcr the Lord's f^P^';j;each Ye did not then, like Korah, ?wenty yoavsaftex'yc began o pr ach.^^^ ^^^^ , , . DatUau and Abiram, scelc ^^^^ V , ^ ^^^^^ ^g called of God, ^an taketh tMs l^onour unto bimseU^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^, Ts was Aaron.' ^ ^^^^.e^ aospel ; do the work of evangebss; content with preaching .* ^^.^f^^n^^^ of God our Saviour ; proclaim to all ^h^^^^'^f J^^'f '^ven is at hand-repent ye and declare to all ' The kingdom of ]^^^ll\ ^ude in your own place; SeLvethe gospel.' ^^^S^^^'yCs ago, those of you who keep your own station. \ e weie ^"^ J.^ . messengers of God ; not Se then Methodist preachers^ .^^^^^^^^^^^ ^„, , pro- loin- in your own wiU, hut thmst om, ^,/ gtop there." foke% jealousy the ordinary ^"^^;7S\ii^k that his preachers were Vol 7 p. 279. Wesley then did »ot tnuiK ^ ^^ ^^^^^ Tierm^ of equality with T^Zl^a^V^^^:^ attempt to super- » the ordinary "^essengeis, ami iook i ^,^^,.^^1 to his fathers sede them, such as ^J^^^rc^^^the cm^^^^^^^^ of Korah, who not satisfied as a sacrilegious imitation of the com ^^^^ priesthood also, with the ordinary duty of t^« LfJ^J^'/^'^^^^^eh, and consequently its But if your society is equal to the cuu^^^^^ ' ^.^^^^,^ ^g there preachers^o ministers of the es^^b^^^^^^^^^^ ^.^^^^.^^ ,p,, your whv Your deed of declaration, ^^^^^'^ f, ,• , gijall have an exist- ^re'achers, and shall ^^^l^Zlll^'^n^^^^^ ^^'^^f "" "^n ence, should make a tj^^tinction between .^ ^ clergyman Trdained ministers of the Church of En^^nd ^^ ^,,,ent settlement m ioins your conference, he could cl.vn^i a I conference. any of your circuits in ^'^^ «^,,^^^^^^y^ay nominate or appoin 'Eleventh. The conference shall n^^^^^ ^ a any person to ^^^ '''ll''^'^ZZv'^^r.a premises so given or God's holy word in any ot t^^ ^3; ^'q^ the trusts afore- conveyed, or which may be given oi ^^j;^^^,^^,, ^r admitted into said, who is not either ^^'^^'l^i:' ^^n^^^^^^ nor appoint any "Churlh of ^"^^-^'^ ''-yr ;lP;w' rd as proofs of your equality with Others amongst you ^ -i^Sf*^^!^^ i';;f 'Jj the Lord's Supper admi- the church, that " you ^'^^^^^'^^^^^^Z preachers." I know that nistered among y^^^^^^.f J^^.^^,^^ i.tex fhe christian i^xcj-aments they have assumed a J^g^^t to aclmmu ^^^^.^, ^ ^^^^^^ ^^ but does the assumption ^^ '^'^''^^^^^ authority, and that the will say, that mere -«^;;"; P^,«^^^ administration of the feacianiuit^ Dy y ^^^^ ^^ th at least this concession ^''^^Xl^^l Vho pretends to administer regard to a dissenter in our townsUip, w y ^.^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^ Ihe Sacrament of the Suppei- of tlie ^jd ^^^.^^,,,^,,3 to administer the inability of y^^^^^f ^ P^^^tim'sH ion of these ordinances by ^j^n^^^t^Sle^ -'S^C^^^ -y same basis-mere 28 i^ assumption, and is consequently invalid ; that though they assume to be clergymen, they are all mere laymen, and have no more autho- rity from Christ to discharge these duties than the simplest indivi- dual in your societies. I know that you will consider this a strong assertion, but it is an assertion based upon Mr. Wesley's writings, and in proof of it 1 need only refer to his sermon on the ministerial office, an extract from Avhich you will find on the pre'ccding page. The following extract from the same sermon, strongly proves this point: "In 1744, all the Methodist preachers had their first con- ference, but none of them dreamed that the being called to preach gave them any right to administer sacraments. And when that question was proposed, 'In what light are we to consider ourselves? it was answered, ' As extraordinary messengers, raised up to provoke the ordinary ones to jealousy.' Jn order hereto, one of the first rules was given to each preacher, — ' You arc to do that imrt of the work which wc appoint.' But what work was this ? Did we ever appoint you to administer sacraments, to exercise the priestly office? Such a design never entered into our mind — it was farthest from our thoughts ; and if any preacher had taken such a step we should have looked upon it as a palpable breach of this rule, and consequently as a recantation of our connexions. For, supposing, what I utterly deny, that the receiving you as a preacher at the same time gave you authority to administer the sacraments, yet it gave you no other authority than to do it or any thing else where I appoint. But where did I appoint you to do this ? No where at all. Therefore by this very rule, you are excluded from doing it. And in doing it, you renounce the first principle of Methodism, which was wholly and solely to preach the gospel. It was several years after our society ■was formed before any attempt of this kind was made. The first was, I apprehend, at Norwich. One of our preachers there yielded to the importunity of a feiv of the people, and baptized their children ; but as soon as it tvas knotvn, he tvas informed it must not be, unless he designed to leave otir connexion. He promised^ to do it no more, and I suppose he kept his promise." — Vol. 7, p. 277. Since then Wesley disclaimed, but two years before his death, any authority on the part of his preachers to administer those ordinances which have been invariably considered the peculiar office of the priesthood, and yet these ordinances are now administered by them. From whence have they received this authority ? The various bodies of Methodists have assumed it at different times ; the English con- ference in 1792, and the Irish in 1816 ; but in both cases the reason assigned is the pressure from without, arising from petitions from their people to take this office on themselves, as they did not wish to receive the supper of the Lord from clergymen who they were pleased to consider were improper persons to administer it. But could any pressure from without invest individuals with sacerdotal authority ? We have just seen, that in Mr. Wesley's opinion it could not. This authority is not derived from man, but is received by succession from those who were commissioned at the fii-st to go into all the world, and to preach the gospel to every creature— since no man can invest another with official authority which he himself does not possess either in his own person or by virtue of a commission «9 from a superiov, who has the power to elevate to office, and to invest with a\ithoiity, so, neither can any men or number of men authorize others to take upon them the sacred otiice of the ministry if they be not themselves in the ministry, and in that degree of it which, deriving the authority from Christ himself, has always been the vehicle of continuing to His church the blessing of an ordained priesthood. To bring this subject closer to yourselves, as Irishmen, for I believe that the greatest part, if notthe whole of the Methodists of my mission are from that country : Some of you can remember 35 years ago, and can call to mind the great excitement that prevailed in the Methodist societies in that country, in consequence of the rupture that then took place, and the rent which was then made in them, and which still continues. Will you then tell me by what process could the conference, whicli in 1815, bv an almost unani- mous vote, declared that its preachoni were but 'l:\ymcn, within one year, by a stultifying of their former vote, metamorphose themselves into clergymen, without any ordination or extra call to the sacred office ; this was a mere assumption on their part, of the office to which but a year before they acknowledged they had no right,— and would not a similar asnimption by your local preachers, or your class-lenders, or even l)y ordintiry members of your society, be of equal force, and carry with it as much authority ?* *The following extractii from -'The Centenary of Methodism— Dublin, 1839," ■will «how the manner in Hhioh the Irish pn achcrs nceived authority to administer the sacramoiits. " When the British Conference adopted the principle of sarra- mental administration amongst themselves, the Irish Methodists alone, of a'l the Societies that had been formed in both hemispheres, adhered to the Simple plau originally established by Mr. Wesley, and those that were in connexion with him. In the year 1792, as appears from the Minutes of the Irish Conference, the subject was discussed in that assembly whether the plan pursued by their P^nglish brethren should be adopted in this country or not. and it was \manimovMy rejected by the preachers assembled on that occasion." " Had the Methodists of this country however, been undecided upon this .subject, the minds of the wavering o\x"\it to have been complettly set at re,«t by a letter addressed in 1814, by Mr. William Stewart, to the Methodist Preachers in Ireland, in which he not only dis- cusses the propriety of the measure itself, but also charges some of his junior brethren amongst the preachers with being the sole cause of that agitation which had been created throughout the Societies. At the meeting of the Conference, immediately before the publication of Mr. Stewart's letter, a vote had been passed in favor of the change, but at the earnest entreaty of some of the loading members of the connexion the operation of this vote was suspended for twelve months, until the 'enseof the body atlargu should be fully ascertained upon the subject. During the following year, as the zeal of both partioe was in a considerable d(^gree of excitement, the measure was fully canvassed, and its inexpediency was so clearly pointed out, as well as the overwhelming torrent of public opinion so decidedly expressed against it, that in Julv, 1S15, the preachers were obliged to abandon their favourite project, and to publish a letter to the Societies that had petitioned for the sacraments, stating the impracticability of complying with their request. Aa o-uardians of Methodism in Ireland,' say they, 'everything that can be done, con- sistent with the best interests of the body, we feel most cordially disposon and tho S owini^preachcrs to administer the ordinances in (Ireat »r>aui,x must take tho liberty positively to contradict you. He did repent oj it, and witk tears expies.cd iXsorrL, both inimllic amlprivate. In the last edit on of tbe large Minutes, printed about a yelir and a-half before his death, he intimates near y the same V. . "'^ . y ,._•',-, *!,.,„. »ij,,f v.,.™ ii.iv.i iaf.tnnhide here (I. e, content ?riy8Tanro;^rsroraU;afte;warasTn London, until his *i«ath ^^^^SUlfacS before his death he said to a respectable person, near London, ihey (thepicaclujs) are now too powerful for me.' I had an opportunity of know'ni, bis .irticular sentiments from August 1780, to his death, when I ^ondiii-U^ the prtss u^^^^^^^ him ' This testimony from a gentleman who bein.e; a presbyter of the ^h™ o: England, had been induced to^ssist Mr. Wesley in his ovroveil nnni miglit receive tlic ofiice of tiio niiuitstry." — First Kpistle to tlie (Jorinthitinn, chap. 14, Those passages clearly sliow, that np to tlie apostolic age there were three oailersof ministers, and tliat of these three, l)ishops alone were considered successors of the ai)0Mtles, and liad the power of conferring orders. These, and nniny others of a simihir eharacter, were so Hatisfactory to tho mituls of some of the early foreign lleformers, as to compel tlieni to acknowledge that they did not desire tlie overtlirow of tlie episeopal order. •♦ It is not intended by us to take away jurisdiction from tlie l>ishops; bnt this (»ne thing wo reciuirc of them, that they would sutler tlie gosi)ul to l)e jturely taught, anil that they wouM release a few certain ordiiianees which cannot bo observed without sin." — Avi/shurg Confession, dvawti up by Mclanctlnm, and sanctioned by Luther." Tlie lleformer Zau- chius gives the following strong testimony in favour of the received distinctions of tho ranks of ministers: — "What is more certain from histories, from councils, and from the writings of all the fathers, than that those orders of ministers of whom we have spoken had been appointed and received in the church with the common consent of the whole christian AVorld ? and what am I that I should disap- prove of Avhat the whole church has marked with its approbation?" I think tho following characters, by Mr. AVeslcy, of three of those fathers whose language has been quoted, may cause their testimony to be received by you, as Methodists, with a greater degree of favour than if they came before you without such support. " What says St. Ci/prian, who lived in the midst of that century, a 2cilness above all exception, and one that sealed tho truth with his blood ?"— Vol. 1, p. 105. In his preface to the Epistles of the Apostolic Fathers St.Clemcnt, St. lonatiiis, and St. I'olycarp, lie says,— " The authors of tho fol- lowing collections were contemporaries of the holy Apostles, one of them bred under our Lord himself, and the others well instructed by those great men whom he commissioned to go forth and teach all nations. We cannot therefore doubt but what they delivered to us is the pure doctrine of the gospel,— what Christ and his Apostles taught, — what these holy men had themselves received from their own mouths."— Vol. 14, p. 238. But, you may ask, what evidence is brought on the opposite side of the question, since the advocates of mere prcsbyterian ordination refer also in support of their claims to the voice of antiquity ? The principal witness adduced by them is St. Jerome, who, we have seen, lived A.D, 374, and in one of his epistles asserts, that " pres- byters and bishops were originally one order ; but that divisions being occasioned by the equality of presbyters, it was decreed all the world over that one of the presbyters in every church should be set over the rest, and peculiarly called bishop ; and that the chief care of the church should be committed to him;" but he does not attempt to bring forward any proof of this assertion, and it cer- 36 tainly would be. an astonishing circumstance if such an universal decree should have been passed by the church, and yet not one con- temporary writer mentions either the time or the place where it was first passed. _ Another supporter of presbyterian orders is Acrius, who, being disappointed of a bishopric, exerted himself to prove that presbyters and bishops were the same order ; but his views obtained but very little attention at the time, and are branded by Epiplmnius, a con- temporary, as "a notion full of folly and madness, beyond what human nature is capable of." A third supporter of these orders is Colluthus, who not only held these views, but put them in practice, by ordaining a person named Ischyras to the office of the ministry ; but his conduct is reproved, and his ordination declared invalid, by a synod of bishops of his native country, who thus record their views concerning it: "This is the famous Ischyras who was neither ordained by the church, nor reckoned among the presbyters ordained by Melitius, whom Alex- ander, the bishop of Alexandria, received. How then came Ischyras to be a pres'rjy ter, and by whom was he ordained ? Was it by Colluthus ? for that only remains to be said. But Colluthus died a presbyter, so that all the impositions of his hands were invalid and null, and all those who were ordained in his schism are well known to have been reduced to the laity." I have looked carefully into some of the works written by sup- porters of this system of ordination for their reasons for upholding it, but must say that I could find very few. Your own Watson endeavours to maintain it, but it is by argument alone. Calvin deals largely in assertions, but acknowledges the very great anti- quity of bishops, and the necessity of a superior in the deliberations of religious assemblies. " The office of teaching was committed to the elders. They, according to their office, did choose one in every city, to whom they gave the title of bishop, lest through equality discord should arise. Yet he had no lordship over his fellows; but the bishop had that function in the company of elders which the consul had in the senate, that by his .authority he might govern the whole action, and that he might execute that which was decreed by the common council ; and that was brought in by mere consent, according to the necessity of the time. In every city they had a college of elders, which were pastors and doctors ; also there was given to every city a certain country, which did take elders there, and should as it were be accounted into the body of that church. If the country were larger under the bishopric, then they appointed country bishops, who, through the same province, did represent the bishop." — Calvin's Institutes, book iv. chap. 4, sec. 2: "Of the state of the old church, and the manner of governing which was in use before Popery." ^ This is nothing but a repetition of the statement of Jerome men- tioned on the last page, and would require corroborative evidence to induce an impartial investigator of the subject to receive it in oppo- sition to the testimony of the "cloud of witnesses" who giyje evidence on the opposite side of the question. But even this assertion of Calvin's gives a power to bishops which the elders of presbyterian 37 aenominations have never laid claim to ; he states that " the bishop had that function in the company of elders which the consu had m the senate." Consuls were magistrates at Rome, with regal autho- rity for the space of one year. Their power was unbounded, and they knew no superior but the laws. They presided oyer the senate, and could convene and dismiss it at pleasure; they laid before them what they pleased, and executed their decrees. "But if the bishops were so far in dignity above the ministers as the consuls of Rome for their year above other senators, it is as much as we require ; and undoubtedly, if, as the consuls of Rome, so the bishops in the church of Christ had such authority as both to direct other minis- ters and to see that every of them should observe that which their common consent had agreed on,-how this could be done by the bishop not bearing rule over them, for mine own part I must acknowledge that my poor conceit is not able to apprehend. - Hooker's Ecc. Polity, book vii. chap. G. Others endeavour to support their opinions, by stating the ac- knowledged fact that the terms bishop and presbyter are used m the New Testament of the same persons, and that they are shewn belong to the one order. We grant this ; but yet say that allow- ine it there arc still three orders of mimsters mentioned in the sacred scriptures,-apostle, bishop or presbyter, and deacon; and that witha^change of the name of the first order, these three have contilued in the church from the apostolic age to the present. I have aAready proved the latter part of the assertion; I sl^aH now shiw t at Se name apostle was applied to others beside he Twelve and that after some time it was changed by those who held the office ?or the less honourable appellation bishop. Matthias, who was not one of the twelve appointed by Christ, l^ f'^f ^"^ ^ff^'\^llll, 06 . Paul and Barnabas are throughout the Acts of the Apost es ;nd in St. Paul's Epistles invariably styled .by this name, Acts xiv ^T. Rom i 1 • 1 Cor. i. 1, &c. Andronicus and Junia ave said to ie'of^reamlligthraposties, Rom. ^v. L. fl^-^XlTT^I^ who united with St. Paul in writing the First Lpistle to the ihes- saWans! are in chap. ii. 6, all equally called "the apostles of ^^A^ain the word which we translate ajoostU is sometimes trans- lated SrXT thus 2 Cor. viii. 23, "or our brethren he enquired of the; are the messengers of the churches and the ^^l^y^^^^l^l, nnon which the note of your commentator. Dr. A. Clarke, is, "^ShoiUd any enquire who are these brethren, Luke and Ap olios I answer they^are\.o^ 39 r >^ will prove too much for those who depend upon it — for, in the first place, it would give to the elder a power which would overthrow the whole system of Presbyterian ordinations. Paul alone ordained elders, and so did Timothy, and so did Titus — if then the elder and apostle are equal, what need is there that the presbytery or the conference should unitedly confer orders, but cannot each duly ac- credited elder or presbyter by virtue of his own individual authority, imitate the example of these apostles, and admit to the holy ofl&ce such candidates as they may think fit for it. Again, the Episcopal Methodists, who argue for the equality of elders and bishops, pre- serve a distinction between them, and have also another order called deacons, totally distinct from these; and different Presbyterian sects have officers bearing the same name, but distinct from their elders ; and will any of these bodies venture to say that these deacons are equal to their presbyters or elders in order and autho- rity ? Certamly not — and yet we find the Apostle Paul calling him- self a deacon. "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos but minis- ters {Mkovoi deacons) by whom ye believed,"—! Cor. iii. 5. "Who also hath made us able ministers {hiaK6vovs deacons) of the New Testament."— 2 Cor. iii. 0. "In all things approving ourselves as the ministers {hidKovoi deacons) of God."— 2 Cor. vi. 4. And again, he addresses one who is acknowledged to have been in the superior order, as if he was merely a deacon—" do the work of an evangelist make full proof of thy ministry {hiaKoviav diaconate) — 2 Tim. iv. 6. If then the assumption of the name of an inferior office by the apostle, through a principle of humanity, be a proof that presbyters and apostles are the same order, by a parity of reasoning we can easily prove that deacons and apostles are the same, which the most ardent advocates of Presbyterian ordination do not acknowledge. On the whole, we find the voice of antiquity and the Word of God (with a slight change of name, which has been already accounted for) agreeing with our church in her statement that "there have been always in the church these three orders, bishops, priests, and deacons." I shall therefore draw this part of my subject to a close with the following extract from the Notes on the New Testament, by your Commentator, Dr. Adam Clarke:— "Episcopacy in the church of God is of divine appointment, and should be maintained aiid respected— under God there should be supreme governors in the church as well as in the state. The state has its monarch, the church has its bishop— one should govern according to the laws of the land, the other according to the Word of God." But you tell me that " the maintiming these principles is a virtual "unchurching of all other churches, and as such, a species of reli- gious persecution." I deny that opposition to the erroneous prin- ciples of any denomination is persecution, for " do I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth ?" It is a duty enjoined upon every christian by the word of God, to keep separate from those whose life does not accord with the principles of the gospel of Christ. Is it persecution to shun the drunkard, or the covetous, or the railer— you would not say that it is ; and although this is not practiced by professing christians, yet it is commanded 40 (1 Cor V 9, 11) ; and what are the evils produced by druukeuness ir covetousness or obscene language, compared with those which have been engendered by schism. As you may not be able at the moment to call to mind those passages of scripture which direct us STeep aloof from those who cause schism-I shall there^re men- tbn a few? "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause dMstons and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have lelraed! and avoid them."-llom. xvi. 17. -Now we command you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Chrst that ye with- Sa; yourselles from every brother that walketh disorderly a^d not after the tradition which ye have received of us. -2 Thes. iii 6 "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed, for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. -2 John "^^The'original dissenters from the church were very few in number; the objections to her were not so numerous as to cause the almost infinite variety of sects which at this tune disgrace the face of Christianity ; but when the puritanical leaven was once set to work it burst forth into such a number of heterogeneous bodies, that it would be impossible to count them up, and are tve to blame it the rough materials of dissent have fallen to pieces ; and must we be charged with ai-rogant assumption if we deny to these the name of churches, and consider that they are all but additional rents of the original piece that was torn from the church when schism was first ^° The^church, after the Reformation, was for many years in perfex?t union itt England ; no Popish recusant ventured to oppose the truths that were promulgated by our Reformers,— no pm-itanical malcon- tents expressed dissatisfaction at the continuance of some ceremo- nies that were in use before the Reformation ; but all worshipped together at the same altars,-all professed attachment to the same liturgy, and belief in the same creeds. But Popery could not brook that this happy state should continue. She knew that "to divide is to destroy ;" and acting upon this maxim, Popish priests assumed the garb of puritanical ministers of the church, and taught that she was only half reformed, and was still the twin-sister of the man of sin Some of these priests were tried, convicted, and punished ; but not until their ends were gained,— dissatisfaction was expressed at the state of the church,— the seed was sown, and in a short time produced the fruit of an open rupture with her ; and Popery, and Puritanism, under the presbyterian form of church government, in the same year, 1570, made their appearance m England. And could it be supposed that persons thus cutting themselves off from the fellowship of the church, and forming themselves in a body under a form of church government which had been unknown amongst professing christians for a period of fifteen centuries, should be acknowledged to be of equal authority with the church from which without cause they had withdrawn ? , . . ^^ , a I might mention the origin of other sects ; but it is needless to do 80, the principle involved in all of them is the same, -they have, 41 without cause, by their own act, or by the act of their ancestors, cut Semselves off from fellowship with Christ's body the Church, and the consequences lie at their own doors I say nothing respecting their future and eternal state : these things as secret belong to God , and though I must, on the strength of scriptural ^^t^^^^^^J' ^«^,\f;^^ that seditions and heresies (that is, according to Dr. Clarke divi- sions into separate factions, parties whether in Church or State,- parties in the Church separating from communion with each other and setting up altar against altar,) are e^^^lly with adultery and witchcraft: and murder, works of the flesh, and that they ^vhich do such things shall not inherit the kingdom o^ Clo^ ; yet I woiJd consider that those who have been born m a state of ^^h ^m and who have its principles inculcated upon them from their infancy, are not (at least as long as they are in a state of^ ^g^ojance) m such a dangerous state as those who were the first originators of it, but that they deprive themselves of true Christian privileges for the sake of thoL which are at least doubtful, ana are satisfied with hu.ks when they might obtain the children's food. , , ^, , -n i„a„ The Church universal has never allowed that those who withdraw themselves from her communion and form themselves into sepaiate bSS are equal in authority with herself; such a concession woild be alike contrary to reason and to scripture. She has invariably maintained that there is but '« biUone body "^^f^^L^^ff^'' • f.fn ^^1 it is her duty to «' endeavour to keep the unity of the Sput m the bond of peace." She has always believed that it was the desire of the Saviour that his people who believed on him hroughoxit the world should be all one, as he was in the Father and the Father in him-she has constantly taught that the f^^'-^'ll^^.^f'^'^^^^^ nunellation such as the Corinthian, " I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, rdtfcwMsdestructiveofChrh^ principles of Christian love ; and in conformity ^^th these scriptuia views she declares in the Nicene Creed, first published about 1500 veaTs ago, I believe One Catholic and Apostolic Church. How_ could Ihe therefore consistently say ^hen any ^^^hdraw from this on Anostolic Church, that she allows their true ecclesiastical charactei . Herviews on the subject of this unity are expressed by a learnea ?iSate Tf our own Church, in a work which is thus descnbe^^^^^^^^^ Mr Wesley — " In order to be well acquamted with the doctrmes of cSian ty you need but one book beside the New Testament, Bishop P-rsoVon the Creed ; this I advise y- thread -^^^^^^ thoroughly"; it is a library in one volume."— Letter to Mi. ^rlascott TmXI Magazine for 1834. After enlarging ^pon the unity o ori"-inal of faith, of the sacraments, of hope and of charity, Bishop Pearson proceed ,-- Lastly, all the Churches of God are united into l^CthrnnUy of dmipUne and government, by virtue whereof the same Christ ruleth in them all. For they all have the same pastoral Ses appointed, authorized, sanctified and set apart by the appoint- Sof God by the direction of the Spirit, to direct and ead the people of God in the same way of eternal salvation. As therefore there is no Church where there is no order, no ministry so where he same order and ministry are there is the same Church, and this 4S is the imity of goveruinent and discipline." — Pearson on the Croed, Art. 9. Tlie views of the ancient Church may bo learned from the following quotations from the Primitive Fathers : — St. Cyprian, A. D. 250, «< Without a Bishop there is no Church." St. Ignatius, A.D, 101 — '* Let all regard the Deacons as the commandment of Jesus Christ, and the Bishop as the Son of the Father, the Presbyters as the Council of God and Assembly of Apostles ; without these a Church is not named." — Epistle to the Galatians. Our Church therefore in accordance with scripture and those plainly expressed declara- tions of some of the earliest teachers of Christianity, properly considers that those who withdraw themselves from this unity of discipline and government unchurch themselves, and that she is altogether free from censure with regard to them. I have now only one objection to the Church to consider, or rather an excuse for your non-attendance at its services — namely, that Mr. Wesley was thrust out of the church, and his followers compelled thereby to erect themselves into an independent body. This objec- tion is thus set forth by the Editor of the Methodist Magazine for 1837, in reviewing Lord Mahon's History of England: — " On this passage were mark, and this is a point which we shall never give up, that Mr. Wesley did not leave the church ; he was shut out of it." — p. 920. From a review of Mr. Wesley^s writmgs I as positively affirm he was not shut out of it, and must therefore look for more convincing proofs than the Editor's bare assertion. Mr. Wesley's own language upon the subject is sufficiently plain : — •' Nothing can prove I am no member till I am excommunicated or renounce her communion, and no longer join in her doctrine, and in the breaking of bread and in prayer ; nor can anything prove I nm no minister of the church till either I am deposed from my ministry or voluntarily renounce her and wholly cease to teach her doctrines, use her offices, or obey her Rubrics for conscience sake," — vol. 8, p. 444. Can the Editor then, or any other individual, shew that Mr. Wesley was legally shut out of the church by excommunication or deposition, or that he was prevented from officiating in any of the Churches of England by episcopal inhibition? "But he was prevented from preaching in many Churches of the Establishment by the ministers of those churches." This is not shutting him out from the Church, which is an act that no ordinary minister can perform, no nor yet a Bishop without a legal procedure. But though this language might possibly have been used in the earlier part of Mr. Wesley's career, it was evident from his own language that it could not have been applied to the latter part of his life. '« Tuesday, January 19, 1783, I preached at St. Thomas' Church in the afternoon, and St. Swithin's in the evening ; the tide is noio turned, so that I have more invitations to preach in Churches than lean accept of." — ^Vol. 4, p. 248. I say then, Mr. Wesley was not shut out from the Church ; but probably the following analysis of his journal may put the subject in a clearer light : — #-^ 4n i3. No. of Churches preached in. IlEFUSALS Br PRnion : 6 Municipal Authorities Military Officers. g S O '3 -*- o E-i From Jan. 1, 1739 to Dec. 31, 1749... «« " 1,1750 '' 31,1759... " " 1, 1760 " 31, 1769... « «' 1,1770 " 31,1779... «« " 1,1780 Oct. 24, 1790... 105 60 65 87; 196, i 12 1 3 5 2 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 o 16 5 4 5 5 Total 62lj 21 8 8 3 35 The number of churches preached in would most probably be greatly increased if he had been more particular in specifying the placcej whore his services had been held ; but by far the greater number of those services are said to have been performed in such or such a town, without mentioning whether they were performed in a Church or in the open air or in one of his own preaching houses. In conclusion I may observe, that I have endeavoured to make vho foregoing remarks in a spirit of Christian charity, and to avoid every expression which might be calculated to wound the feelings of any person amongst you, and I trust they will be received in the same spirit in which they have been written. In investigating such a subject as religion, we should always aim at the attainment of truth, and not permit either prejudice or educational bias to divert our attention from it. It may be that in the foregoing pages some expressions may at first sight appear harsh, but I must request that you will weigh them deliberately before you pass a severe sentence upon them. If I have said that you have formed erroneous opinions respecting the church and her liturgical services, I think I hare shewn that such is the case. If I have asserted that you differ from Wesley in discipline and in doctrine, I consider that my assertion has been fully proved. And if I have stated that Mr. Wesley'*: own practices in some points were opposed to the views of the Primitive Church, the passages from ths early Fathers which I have quoted will fully corroborate this statement. Let the truths which I have adduced be candidly weighed, and I think you must acknowledge that you are not walking in the path that Wesley marked out for you, but have gradually diverged from it into a direction which he alto- gether disapproved of. Be his folio wex'S then, or else give up his name. No longer vilify and traduce that church which with his dying breath he prayed might be attended with the blessing of God. As he enjoined upon you in the rules which are still distributed amongst you, attend upon her ordi- nances and require of those who assume authority over you that in compliance with the direction of your Founder they would make such changes in the hours of your own services as will enable you to attend reguiaiiy upon the sacred services la the house of God, and ycu will ^i 44 find them to be (as he frequently said that they were) true food for But^if you are detoimined still to follow a course which belies your profession, at least permit others to worship God in the way which thev think most in accordance with the precepts and practices of the Apostles, without aiming at them the shafts of your misdirected zeal. Seek more of the mind which was in Christ Jesus, that you may m lowliness of mind esteem others, if not better, at least equal with Yourselves, and overcome that spirit of self-righteous pride which causes many of you to think more highly of yourselves than you ought to think. , , , , u Some of you still claim to be Churchmen, and would be very much offended if you were said to have forsaken the faith and form ot religious worship of your fathers. Let me address to you a few words of expostulation. You suppose that you can receive spiritual advantage from every form of relipcious worship, provided that the teachers of these forms only pret. Christ. You fancy that you can walk with Methodism and the chu.^h, and be at the same time united with both ; but can two walk togeth ^^J.^.^f f '^ without committing sin. It occupies a prominent position in their Termons and the^r experiences either ^f^v the Church in h^^ meetine It is, however, altogether rejected by the ^^uy^^' ^° "f ' mhSicle: ''All we the reft, although baptized and b^^^^^^^ in Christ, yet offend in many things ; and if we say that ^ ^^v^^J Rin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not m us :' and in her -^..- mC" TheTare to be condemned which say they can no more sm as long as they live here." Compare with this lan^age the follow fng ve?se of a hymn found in the Methodist Hynin Book: "Not all the powers of hell can fright A soul that walks with Christ in light ; He walks and cannot fall; Clearly he sees and wins his way, Shining unto the perfect day. And more than conquers all."-Hymn 281, v, 2. Here then is a direct issue, and that on a n^^^^^^^f^^,"* ^^^^ Let us bring it to the test of scripture, and^«^\^t.l S"^^ incorrect. Lad the following pa-ages and weigh them -riousl,^; «« There is no man which sinneth not. -2 ^hron. vi^ ou. can say I have made my heart clear; ^ am pure from my sm^ Vvoy XX. 9. " There is not a just man upon earth that doeth gooa Tnd ;inn;th not."-Ecc. vii. 20 " In^«^any things we offend aU^. should I be looked upon as ^cj n ,m ^^^^^'''^I'^ZthU mark „>a„ go upon hot coals "d^h.s feet not^be^bm^_^^ -P^^^^^^^^^ ■„,,_, Or can you associate >vith thos 52 to make one proselyte, and not receive spiritual damage by drinking into their spirit and imbibing their principles. Be no longer inconsistent with your profession ; but "henceforth be no more children, tossfed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in weight to deceive ;" but " keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." Study the principles of your church ; compare them with the book of God ; and the more you do so, the more fully will you be convinced of their truth, and the more grateful to the God of all mercy for causing the lines to fall unto you in pleasant places, for giving you a goodly heritage, even an heritage in the Church of the Reformers, the Church of the Martyrs, the Church of the Apostles, and the Church of Christ. I am, my dear friends and brethren, Your faithful servant In Christ, JOHN FLETCHER. Mono, November, 1853.