the Methodists attracted the attention of the public, the old rostrum at Oxford has been pulled down.

Another singular circumstance, of early date in Methodism, is Lay-Preaching: that is, the preaching of men who were not professedly educated for the pulpit, nor ever received any ordination to the office, whether Episcopal, Presbyterian, or of any other description. This circumstance has furnished an objection, which has often been urged against the Methodists with considerable force. The fact has happened partly unavoidably and partly voluntarily. It was unavoidable at his commencement. Ordained ministers would not assist Mr. Wesley; the work, which increased so rapidly upon his hands, required a number of fellow-labourers, and men rising up in his societies, able and willing to help him and the societies, he was, after some hesitation, of opinion, that such men ought to be employed. However, he thought the case extraordinary, holding fast still his notions of the great distinction between the Clergy and the Laity. And he used every endeavour to impress such an idea upon the minds of the Lay-Preachers whom he employed. And it was this above all other things, which prevented some form of ordination from being introduced and generally practised in Mr. Wesley's Connexion. And it is not impossible that one motive for keeping up this marked distinction was, a desire to maintain a more dutiful subordination among the preachers to Mr. Wesley's paramount authority. This he never lost sight of: and he seems to have sineerely believed that this was necessary for the prosperity of the work in which he was so succesfully engaged. And when we consider, that as to ecclesiastical government, he was an episcopalian, and as to civil government, a firm friend to monarchy, it is not so easy to charge him with inconsistency, or despotism, as it otherwise would have been.

It is proper, however, that I should here remark, that though the methodist preachers do not receive any thing that goes by the name of ordination, that nevertheless they have all the essentials of it. The circumstance in which they are deficient, the ceremony of laying of hands, is certainly of very inferior moment, to the examination of their morals, piety, abilities, and usefulness, both when they are admitted on trial, and received into full connexion. But considering the ideas which multitudes attach to it, and that apostolic usage sanctions the practice, and that it might now be introduced without any difficulty, it is to be hoped, that the day is not far off when the imposition of hands will be added to the other process which is now gone through, when the preachers, after passing through their probationary term with approbation, are admitted into full connexion.

It cannot be improper to observe, that various motives were attributed to the conduct of Mr. Wesley, and most of these not very charitable or candid ones, when he began to preach so frequently, and in so many places; and especially when he began to form Methodist Societies. Many entertained the opinion, that he did, at a very early period, lay a plan for his future proceedings, influence, and authority. He being aware of this, took the opportunity so early as 1738, to inform the readers of his Journal, that he was in haste to return to Oxford, to bury himself in his beloved obscurity; but being detained in London, week after week, by the Trustees for Georgia, from whence he was just returned, he was importuned to preach in many of the Churches; that partly on account of the vast multitudes, and partly his unfashionable doctrine, he was at length shut out of all the Churches; and that not daring to be silent, after a short struggle between honour and conscience, he made a

virtue of necessity, and preached in the middle of Moorfields; that several came to him for his advice, till they increased to about a hundred, whose names he took down, that he might visit them from house to house." And he solemnly assured the public, that without any previous plan or design, the Society was in this way originally formed.

It is clear that Mr. Wesley was an instrument in the hand of that supreme and eternal Being, who is the God of grace as well as the God of Providence; who doeth every thing after the counsel of his own will; and who, when he has a work to do, can never be at a loss to find a proper instrument. And one of the greatest oversights that ever serious people have been guilty of respecting Methodism, has been, the viewing it too much as the work of man, and too little as the work of God: or at least while they considered it supremely as the work of God, that it very chiefly and essentially depended upon the instrumentality of certain men. Hence it was, that there was a general expectation, that whenever Mr. Wesley should die, Methodism would either come to nothing, or be at least greatly diminished. Nay, he himself can hardly be exempted from something of this error. It was an opinion, which he had long cherished, that when he should die, that about one third of the preachers would settle in separate independent congregations; that about another third would get episcopal ordination, and become ministers of the Church of England; while the other third, would continue united as Methodists, and proceed as heretofore forming and governing religious Societies. The event proved, however, how little even judicious and sagacious men can penetrate into futurity, and that respecting things with which they are most intimate. But more of this in its proper place.

As Mr John Wesley was from its very infancy,

the leading man in Methodism, and as the people and preachers viewed him in that light, it can be no wonder, if he considered himself as placed at the head of the body by God himself. This, it is clear, from various passages in his writings, was his persuasion. His power and influence seemed to be by Divine Authority; the generality of both Preachers and people acquiesced in the idea; his talents and conduct were suitable; and for a long period, he was to the Methodists, the minister of God for good. They knew him who laboured among them, and was over them, and they esteemed him highly in love for his work's sake, 1 Thes. v. 12, 13. Every additional society was an accession to his influence. An increase of the societies required an increase in the number of the preachers; and additional preachers generally promoted an increase of people, so that both the preachers and people perpetually increased and multiplied, and that very remarkably.

A thing so novel in some of its most prominent features, as Methodism then was, and which so rapidly gained ground, might very naturally be expected to produce much opposition and numerous objections. The Methodists accordingly, were soon a sect that was every where spoken against. The objections were so many, and some of them apparently so plausible, that Mr. Wesley thought it his duty to defend himself and his proceedings by writing and publishing answers to these objections. This he did especially in his "Appeals to Men of Reason and Religion." Mr. Wesley soon found himself involved in a great difficulty. While the societies under his care were increasing and multiplying, no Clergymen came forward to his assistance. Some of them seemed to say, "We wish thee good luck in the name of the Lord," but did not offer to become his fellow

labourers. And in not a few places, the clergy were his greatest opposers. These circumstances opened the way, and rendered absolutely necessary the employment of lay-preachers. But let us hear Mr. Wesley tell his own tale upon this subject. "It pleased God," says he, "by two or three ministers of the Church of England, to call many sinners to repentance; who, in several parts, were undeniably turned from a course of sin to a course of holiness.'

"The ministers of the places where this was done, ought to have received those ministers with open arms; and to have taken them who had just begun to serve God, into their particular care; watching over them in tender love, lest they should fall back into the snare of the devil.

"Instead of this, the greater part spoke of those ministers, as if the devil, not God, had sent them. Some repelled them from the Lord's table: others stirred up the people against them, representing them even in their public discourses, as fellows not ́fit to live: papists, heretics, traitors; conspirators against their king and country."

"And how did they watch over the sinners lately reformed? Even as a leopard watcheth over his prey. They drove some of them from the Lord's table; to which, till now, they had no desire to approach. They preached all manner of evil concerning them, openly cursing them in the name of the Lord. They turned many out of their work: persuaded others to do so too, and harassed them in all manner of ways."

"The event was, that some were wearied out, and so turned back to the vomit again. And then these good pastors gloried over them, and endeavoured to shake others by their example.

"When the ministers, by whom God had helped them before, came again to those places, great part