ÉTIOTOλAI OVOTATIKα, commendatory letters, mentioned by the apostle), wherever they came, were acknowledged by their brethren, and received with all cheerfulness. These were likewise of use in other respects. By these it was easily distinguished, when the society were to meet apart, who were members of it, and who not. These also supplied us with a quiet and inoffensive method of removing any disorderly member. He has no new ticket at the quarterly visitation (for so often the tickets are changed); and hereby it is immediately known that he is no longer of the community.

V. The thing which I was greatly afraid of all this time, and which I resolved to use every possible method of preventing, was a narrowness of spirit, a party zeal, a being straitened in our own bowels; that miserable bigotry which makes many so unready to believe that there is any work of God but among themselves. I thought it might be a help against this frequently to read, to all who were willing to hear, the accounts I received from time to time of the work which God is carrying on in the earth, both in our own and other countries, not among us alone, but among those of various opinions and denominations. For this I allotted one evening in every month, and I find no cause to repent my labor. It is generally a time of strong consolation to those who love God, and all mankind for his sake; as well as of breaking down the partition walls which either the craft of the devil or the folly of men has built up; and of encouraging every child of God to say (O when shall it once be!), "Whosoever doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."

VI. 1. By the blessing of God upon their endeavors to help one another, many found the pearl of great price. Being justified by faith, they had "peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." These felt a more tender affection than before, to those who were partakers of like precious faith; and hence arose such a confidence in each other, that they poured out their souls into each other's bosom. Indeed, they had great need so to do; for the war was not over, as they had supposed; but they had still to wrestle both with flesh and blood, and with principalities and powers; so that temptations were on every side; and often temptations of such a kind as they knew not how to speak in a class, in which persons of every sort, young and old, men and women, met together.

2. These, therefore, wanted some means of closer union; they

wanted to pour out their hearts without reserve, particularly with regard to the sin which did still easily beset them, and the temptations which were most apt to prevail over them. And they were the more desirous of this when they observed it was the express advice of an inspired writer: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed."

3. In compliance with their desire I divided them into smaller companies; putting the married or single men, and married or single women together. The chief rules of these bands (that is, little companies; so that old English word signifies) run thus: "In order to confess our faults one to another,' and pray one for another that we may be healed, we intend, (1) To meet once a week at the least. (2) To come punctually at the hour appointed. (3) To begin with singing or prayer. (4) To speak each of us in order, freely and plainly, the true state of our souls, with the faults we have committed in thought, word, or deed, and the temptations we have felt since our last meeting. (5) To desire some person among us (thence called a leader) to speak his own state first, and then to ask the rest, in order, as many and as searching questions as may be concerning their state, sins, and temptations."

4. That their design in meeting might be the more effectually answered I desired all the men bands to meet me together every Wednesday evening and the women on Sunday, that they might receive such particular instructions and exhortations as from time to time might appear to be most needful for them; that such prayers might be offered up to God as their necessities should require; and praise returned to the Giver of every good gift for whatever mercies they had received.

5. In order to increase in them a grateful sense of all his mercies, I desired that one evening in a quarter all the men in band, on a second all the women would meet, and on a third both men and women together, that we might together "eat bread," as the ancient Christians did, “with gladness and singleness of heart." At these love-feasts (so we termed them, retaining the name as well as the thing which was in use from the beginning) our food is only a little plain cake and water. But we seldom return from them without being fed, not only with the "meat which perisheth,” but with "that which endureth to everlasting life.”

6. Great and many are the advantages which have ever since flowed from this closer union of the believers with each other. They prayed for one another that they might be healed of the faults

The chains were broken, the had no more dominion over

they had confessed; and it was so. bands were burst in sunder, and sin them. Many were delivered from the temptations out of which till then they found no way to escape. They were built up in our most holy faith. They rejoiced in the Lord more abundantly. They were strengthened in love, and more effectually provoked to abound in every good work.

7. But it was soon objected to the bands (as to the classes before), "These were not at first. There is no Scripture for them. These are man's works, man's building, man's invention." I reply, as before, these are also prudential helps, grounded on reason and experience, in order to apply the general rules given in Scripture according to particular circumstances.

8. An objection much more boldly and frequently urged is that "all these bands are mere popery." I hope I need not pass a harder censure on those (most of them at least) who affirm this than that they talk of they know not what; they betray in themselves the most gross and shameful ignorance. Do not they yet know that the only popish confession is the confession made by a single person to a priest? and this itself is in nowise condemned by our Church; nay, she recommends it in some cases. Whereas, that we practice is the confession of several persons conjointly, not to a priest, but to each other. Consequently it has no analogy at all to popish confession. But the truth is, this is a stale objection which many people make against any thing they do not like. It is all popery out of hand.

VII. 1. And yet while most of these who were thus intimately joined together went on daily from faith to faith, some fell from the faith, either all at once, by falling into known and willful sin, or gradually, and almost insensibly, by giving way in what they called little things, by sins of omission, by yielding to heart sins, or by not watching unto prayer. The exhortations and prayers used among the believers did no longer profit these. They wanted advice and instruction suited to their case, which as soon as I observed I separated them from the rest, and desired them to meet me apart on Saturday evenings.

2. At this hour all the hymns, exhortations, and prayers are adapted to their circumstances, being wholly suited to those who did see God, but have now lost sight of the light of his countenance, and who mourn after him and refuse to be comforted till they know he has healed their backsliding.

3. By applying both the threats and promises of God to these

real, not nominal, penitents, and by crying to God in their behalf, we endeavored to bring them back to the great "Shepherd and Bishop of their souls," not by any of the fopperies of the Roman Church, although in some measure countenanced by antiquity. In prescribing hair shirts and bodily austerities we durst not follow even the ancient Church, although we had unawares, both in dividing o moто, the believers, from the rest of the society, and in separating the penitents from them and appointing a peculiar service for them.

VIII. 1. Many of these soon recovered the ground they had lost. Yea, they rose higher than before, being more watchful than ever, and more meek and lowly, as well as stronger in the faith that worketh by love. They now outran the greater part of their brethren, continually walking in the light of God, and having fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

2. I saw it might be useful to give some advices to all those who continued in the light of God's countenance, which the rest of their brethren did not want, and probably could not receive. So I desired a small number of such as appeared to be in this state to spend an hour with me every Monday morning. My design was not only to direct them how to press after perfection, to exercise every grace, and improve every talent they had received, and to incite them to love one another more, and to watch more carefully over each other; but also to have a select company to whom I might unbosom myself on all occasions without reserve, and whom I could propose to all their brethren as a pattern of love, of holiness, and of good works.

3. They had no need of being incumbered with many rules, having the best rule of all in their hearts. No peculiar directions were therefore given to them, excepting only these three:

First. Let nothing spoken in this society be spoken again. (Hereby we had the more full confidence in each other.)

Secondly. Every member agrees to submit to his minister in all indifferent things.

Thirdly. Every member will bring once a week all he can spare toward a common stock.

4. Every one here has an equal liberty of speaking, there being none greater or less than another. I could say freely to these when they were met together, "Ye may all prophesy one by one" (taking that word in its lowest sense) "that all may learn and all may be comforted." And I often found the advantage of such a free conversation, and that "in the multitude of coun

selors there is safety." Any who is inclined so to do is likewise encouraged to pour out his soul to God. And here especially we have found that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

IX. 1. This is the plainest and clearest account I can give of the people commonly called Methodists. It remains only to give you a short account of those who serve their brethren in love. These are leaders of classes and bands (spoken of before), assistants, stewards, visitors of the sick, and school-masters.

2. In the third part of the "Appeal" I have mentioned how we were led to accept of lay assistants. Their office is, in the absence of the minister:

(1) To expound every morning and evening. (2) To meet the united society, the bands, the select society, and the penitents once a week. (3) To visit the classes once a quarter. (4) To hear and decide all differences. (5) To put the disorderly back on trial, and to receive on trial for the bands or society. (6) To see that the stewards, the leaders, and the school-masters faithfully discharge their several offices. (7) To meet the leaders of the bands and classes weekly, and the stewards, and to overlook their accounts.

X. 1. But long before this I felt the weight of a far different care, namely, care of temporal things. The quarterly subscriptions amounted, at a mean computation, to above three hundred pounds a year. This was to be laid out, partly in repairs, partly in other necessary expenses, and partly in paying debts. The weekly contributions fell little short of eight pounds a week, which was to be distributed as every one had need. And I was expected to take thought for all these things; but it was a burden I was not able to bear, so I chose out first one, then four, and after a time seven, as prudent men as I knew, and desired them to take charge of these things upon themselves, that I might have no incumbrance of this kind.

2. The business of these stewards is:

To manage the temporal things of the society. To receive the subscriptions and contributions. To spend what is needful from time to time. To send relief to the poor. To keep an exact account of all receipts and expenses. To inform the minister if any of the rules of the society are not punctually observed. To tell the preachers, in love, if they think any thing amiss either in their doctrine or life.

3. The rules of the stewards are: