"How strongly contrasted with such language are the dogmas alluded to in page 163, and the authorities adduced in their support! That the nature of those dogmas, and the extent to which they are maintained, may be the better understood, I must here detain the reader with a few passages from the writings of Mr. Wesley. As possessing the advantages of education, talents, and knowledge of mankind, in a degree which places him much above the level of those who have succeeded him in the Methodist ministry, he may well be supposed not to have propounded the opinions of the sect in a shape more extravagant that that in which they are embraced by his followers. And first, on the subject of miraculous manifestations and impulses in the forgiveness of sins and assurance of salvation, he tells us :‹ God does now, as aforetime, give remissions of sin, and the gift of the Holy Ghost to us; and that always suddenly as far as I have known, and often in dreams, and in the visions of God.' (Hampson's Life of Wesley, II. 81.) Again:- I am one of many witnesses of this matter of fact, that God does now make good this his promise daily, very frequently during a representation (how made I know not, but not to the outward eye) of Christ, either hanging on the cross, or standing on the right hand of God.' (Hamps. II. 55.) Again:-'I saw the fountain opened in his side-we have often seen Jesus Christ crucified, and evidently set forth before us." (Bp. Lavington, vol I. part I. p. 51.) And Coke, in his Life of Wesley, says, that being in the utmost agony of mind, there was clearly represented to him Jesus Christ pleading for him with God the Father, and gaining a free pardon for him.'-Secondly, as to the tenet of perfection, Mr. Wesley affords us the following ample explanation:-They (the purified in heart) are freed from self-will: as desiring nothing, no not for a moment, but the holy and perfect will of God: neither supplies in want, nor ease in pain, nor life, nor death, but continually cry in their inmost soul, Father, thy will be done. They are freed from evil thoughts, [see Note 3,] so that they cannot enter into them, no not for an instant. Aforetime (i.e. when only justified) when an evil thought came in, they looked up and it vanished away but now it does not come in; there being no room for this in a soul which is full of God. They are freed from wanderings in prayer: they have an unction from the Holy One, which abideth in them, and teacheth them every hour, what they shall do, and what they shall speak.'-(Pref. to 2nd vol. of Wesley's Hymns, Hamps. III. 52. and Coke's Life of Wesley, pp. 278, 344.)

"These extracts from the writings of the father of Methodism, fairly open up to us the two great fundamental doctrines of the sect: viz.:

"1. That the assurances of forgiveness and of salvation, arise from a sudden infusion of divine feeling, conveyed by some sensible and miraculous manifestation of the Spirit: and

"2. That the true believer attains in this life such perfection, as to be altogether free from sin, and even from the possibility of sin. Holding such doctrines, it is not at all wonderful that the Wesleyan Methodist is indifferent about any other. Mr. Wesley fairly says upon the subject of doctrines, 'I will not quarrel with you about any opinions: believe them true or false !'— (Third Appeal, p. 185.) In another place, he confesses, the points we chiefly insisted upon, were, that orthodoxy or right opinions is, at the best, a very slender part of religion, [see Note 4, if it can be allowed to be any part of it at all!!!'-This, it must be admitted, is an excellent expedient for adding to the numbers of the sect. A perfect indifference about doctrines, and a strong persuasion that the divine favour is secured, whilst the fancy of each individual is counted to him for faith,-are such recommendations of

any form of religion, as can scarcely be resisted. But what can be more mischievous than all this? What more destructive of true religion? The sound principles of Christian doctrine disparaged, as of no value to the believer and the serious feelings of Christian piety caricatured, and thereby brought into general disrepute : while the sober and regulated teaching of the national clergy is treated with contumely and contempt; and separation from the National Church deemed a decisive criterion of godly sincerity! In the contemplation of such a state of things, it seems as if one were surveying the completion of the following prospective description given to us by Sir Walter Raleigh, When,' says he, all order, discipline, and Church government, shall be left to newness of opinion, and men's fancies; soon after, as many kinds of religion will spring up, as there are Parish Churches within England; every contentious and ignorant person clothing his fancy with the spirit of God, and his imagination with the gift of Revelation; inasmuch as when the Trnth, which is but one, shall appear to the simple multitude, no less variable than contrary to itself, the faith of men will soon after die away by degrees, and all religion be held in scorn and contempt.' -Hist. of the World. B. II. ch. V. sect. I.

6

"Note 1.-The contemptuous language which the over-weening Methodist is too apt to employ, with respect to all who are not within his sanctified pale, but more especially with respect to the Clergy of the establishment, affords but too strong a justification of this charge [of their thinking themselves more holy than other men are] as it applies to him. The clergy are uniformly with religionists of this description, dumb dogs,' watchmen who sleep upon their posts,' priests of Baal,' wolves in sheep's clothing,' &c. &c. Indeed, Mr. Whitfield informs us in his works, (vol. 4. p. 67.) that Mr. Wesley thought meanly of Abraham, and, he believes, of David also:' whilst, of Mr. Wesley himself, we are told, that 'whevever he went he was received as an Apostle;' and that 'in the honour due to Moses he also had a share, being placed at the head of a great people by him who called them,' &c. (Hampson's Life of Wesley, vol. III. page 35,; Coke's Life of Wesley, p. 520.)-Mr. Wesley has taken care to let mankind know that Methodism is the only religion worthy of God,' (Hamps. vol. 3. p. 30.) and the miracles which repeatedly attested his divine mission for the propagation of this religion, he has most copiously recorded throughout his Journals. Whoever wishes to form a just idea of the pernicious extravagancies of this enthusiastic teacher, and of his followers, will find ample satisfaction in Bishop Lavington's Enthusiasm of Methodists and Papists compared, and in the latter publication of Nott's Religious Enthusiasm considered."

"Note 2.The treatment which the Liturgy and the Articles have experienced from Mr. Wesley, is, I apprehend, very little understood by the generality of those who are disposed to look with complacency upon the sect of which he has been the founder. Professing to adopt the Liturgy of the Church of England, he has framed one for his followers, differing from it in many and essential particulars. He confesses, indeed, that he has made some slight alterations; which he enumerates in such a way, as would naturally induce the supposition that the difference is altogether unimpor-tant whilst, in truth, he has not only newly modified the Common Prayer, and nearly abolished the whole of the baptismal office; but, besides mutilating above sixty of the Psalms, has discarded thirty-four others, and newly-rendered many of the remainder. Of the Psalms which he has discarded, six, at least, are admitted to be eminently prophetic of our Saviour,

of his incarnation, his sufferings, and his ascension! whilst the reason assigned for the expurgation, is their being improper for the mouth of a Christian congregation!! But this is not all, the Rubric and the appointed lessons are in most places altered; and the Catechism, and the two Creeds, (the Nicene and Athanasian) totally discarded. Of these last-mentioned alterations, it is also particularly to be observed, that Mr. Wesley gave to his followers no notice whatever; whilst the former were represented by him as as of a nature altogether unimportant: so that the ignorant among his adherents were led to imagine, that they were not materially departing from the forms of the establishment, when, in truth, they were altogether drawn away from the offices of the Church. To complete the whole, Mr. Wesley provided his Communion also with a new set of Articles, reducing the number from thirty-nine to twenty-five; and making such changes in those which he retained, as he found most convenient. It may be satisfactory to the reader to know exactly, what are the Articles and Psalms that have been rejected by Mr. Wesley. The Articles rejected, are, the third, eighth, the greater part of the ninth, thirteenth, fifteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, twientieth, twenty-first, twenty-third, twenty-sixth, much of the twenty-seventh, twenth-ninth, thirty-third, and three others of the less important ones at the end. Those marked in italics are more particularly to be noticed. The Psalms rejected, are the 14th, 21st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, 58th, 60th, 64th, 72nd, 74th, 78th, 83rd, 87th, 88th, 94th, 101st, 105th, 106th, 108th. 110th, 120th, 122nd, 129th, 132nd, 134th, 136th, 137th, 140th, 149th. The general character of the rejected Articles and Psalms will pretty clearly establish what has been alleged as to the nature of the opinions which Mr. Wesley and his followers maintain, or at least of the doctrines which they reject. But not to enter further into particulars, it may be sufficient in this place to notice two instances of omitted Articles, from which the spirit that governed the whole may easily be divined. The eighteenth Article, which pronounces that Eternal salvation is to be obtained only by the name of Christ;'-and the fifteenth, which asserts, that Christ alone was without sin,' are two of those which the founder of Methodism has declared to be unfit objects of a Christian's belief. Thus it appears that the Socinian is not the only sectary that would degrade the dignity of Christ. Such are the people from whom certain weak members of the establishment apprehend no mischief.' On the points which have been here noticed, see particularly Nott's Relig. Enth. p. 150-167.

"Note 3. That he who could use such language as this, [that is-That people are freed from evil thoughts so that they cannot enter into them, no not for an instant, &c.] would feel it necessary to reject the fifteenth Article of the Church, as the reader is already apprised, Mr. Wesley did, will not appear surprising on a perusal of that Article. Christ in the truth of our nature, was made like unto us in all things, sin only excepted, from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh and in his spirit. He came to be a lamb without spot, who, by sacrifice of himself once made, should take away the sins of the world and sin, as St. John saith, was not in him. : But all we the rest, although baptised and born again in Christ, yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.' Such is the doctrine of the Established Church; and such is the direct contrary of the doctrine which Mr. Wesley and his followers hold upon the subject of this article: for which reason, they have, with perfect consistency, rejected it from the code of Christian belief. And, for the same reason, the cry of the party is every where loudly raised, against every work that intimates the corruption of man's nature, in the language of the Article.

"As to the rejection of the Eighteenth Article, Mr. Wesley's language has not been so explicit as to enable us to pronounce upon the precise ground of that rejection, with perfect certainty. But when we consider, that in that Article there is contained, a condemnation of the assertion, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth ; and that it is at the same time affirmed, that Holy Scripture doth set out unto us, only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved: ' and when, at the same time, we recollect, that the name of Jesus Christ,' implies certain belief in doctrines respecting the nature of the Saviour and the religion which he has taught; whilst Mr. Wesley considers doctrines, or right opinions, to be of little value, and holds the religious feelings which distinguish the true Methodist, to be the only sure pledge and passport of salvation when we compare these things together, we seem to run no great risk in concluding, that this Article was condemned by the founder of Methodism, as clearly marking, that religious opinions were by no means a matter of indifference; that, on the contrary, just notions concerning Christ were requisite for salvation; and that for the want of these, no association, with any particular sect or religious description whatever, could make compensation.'

:

'Note 4.-On this favourite position of Mr. Wesley, [' that right opinions are, at best, a very slender part of religion, if they can be allowed to be any part of it at all!!!'] Bishop Warburton justly remarks, that here is a complete separation between reason and religion. For when reason is no longer employed to distinguish right from wrong opinions, religion has no further connection with it. But reason once separated from religion, must not piety degenerate either into nonsense or madness? And for the fruits of grace, what can remain but the froth and dregs of enthusiasm and superstition? In the first ages of Christianity, the glory of the Gospel consisted in its being a reasonable service. By this it was distinguished from the several modes of Gentile religion, the essence of which consisted in fanatic raptures and superstitious ceremonies; without any articles of belief, or formula of faith right opinion being, on the principles of the pagan priesthood, at best, but a very slender part of religion, if any part of it at all. But Christianity arose on different principles. St. Paul considers right opinion as one full third part of religion; where speaking of the three great fundamental principles on which the Christian Church is erected, he makes truth to be one of them. The fruit of the spirit is in all GOODNESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and TRUTH.-So different was St. Paul's idea, from that entertained by Mr. Wesley, who comprises all in the new birth, and makes believing to consist entirely in feeling. On the whole, therefore, we may fairly conclude (with Warburton), that that wisdom which divests Christianity of truth and reason, and resolves its essence rather into mental and spiritual sensations, than tries it by moral demonstration, can never be the wisdom which is from above, whose first characteristic attribute is purity. The same writer truly adds, that if Mr. Wesley's position be well founded, the first Reformers of religion from the errors of Popery have much to answer for, who for the sake of right opinion, at best, a slender part of religion, if any part of it at all, occasioned so much turmoil, and so many revolutions in civil as well as in religious systems.'-See Warburton's Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion, Vol. I. p. 263-267."

Thus writes the great Archbishop Magee of John Wesley, and thus does he expose his love for the Church!!

342

CORRESPONDENCE.

KING LUCIUS.

REV. SIR,-Your correspondent, who signs himself "A Subscriber," states that he has somewhere read that in the genuine writings of Bede, there is no mention of King Lucius." I was rather startled when I read this assertion, and upon referring to his Ecclesiastical History (the genuineness of which has never, that I am aware of, been doubted), I find that Lucius is mentioned by name, as having sent to Eleutherius, the reigning Pontiff, desiring that by his command he might be made a Christian, and that he soon obtained his pious wish. (Eccl. Hist. lib. i. c. 4. Operum tom. iii. p. 4. Ed. 1688.) The same fact, with a small difference as to date, is related in the Saxon Chronicle, and besides the testimony of several other early British historians, the existence of such a King, and that he was a Christian, is confirmed by two ancient coins, which are mentioned by Usher, with the impress of a cross and the letters LVC. Lucius's conversion was urged at the Council of Constance (A.D. 1414) on behalf of the English, as an argument for precedency against the ambassadors of Castile. The existence of such a King, therefore, is, I suppose, as well established as an historical fact of that early period can be in a country so subject to disturbances, that Gildas says that the works of the historians who preceded him, if any there were, had been either burnt by enemies or carried away, so that he was obliged to have recourse to foreign writers for information concerning British affairs.

You will, probably, deem the matter of little importance to justify the attention I have paid to it, but if you consider it worthy of any notice, you are at liberty to make what use you please of these remarks. If you have determined upon any particular portions of the works of the fathers, which you would like to have translated for the magazine, in accordance with the determination expressed in your last number, my humble abilities are at your service in such a laudable object.Yours, respectfully, A. L., LL.B.

[We thankfully accept the offer of our correspondent to send us translations of portions of the works of our earliest writers, such as Gildas, Bede, &c., or of Usher's Brit. Eccles. Antiquitates. A. L. is aware, we presume, that Bede has been corrupted by the papists, and that it is rather difficult to procure a genuine edition. The assertion that Lucius sent to Eleutherius desiring that at his command he might be made a Christian sounds very much like a popish interpolation. We shall be glad of the name of our correspondent. ED.]

DIFFUSION OF INFIDELITY.

SIR,-The word of God informs us that perilous times shall come; and it may be supposed that such times as those in which we live peculiarly merit that appellation. Far be it from us, as Churchmen and Christians, to speak evil of dignities; still we cannot shut our eyes to the fact, that not only systems of faith which are entirely repugnant to the Scriptures, are aided by those to whom authority is delegated, but infidelity is fostered by the first Minister of State, and England's youthful Queen is exposed to the contamination. Mr. Robert Owen, who is the avowed defender of what is termed "Socialism," has been introduced to the Queen by Lord Melbourne, of whom better things ought certainly to be expected. Alluding to this foul system a contemporary states "It has been styled by its inventors Socialism; though never was any system exhibited so frightfully subversive of social order and social happiness. It is horrible to relate that, under this system, Atheism of the most appalling description has erected its front, and taken its stand in a country which has been favoured above all others with Gospel light and privileges. Infidelity is now no longer confined to rare and isolated instances, but it is at work methodically, and with an organised machinery, and propagating its abominable tenets by means of the press, and public lectures, and in conjunction with scientific institutions. It were a shame to exhibit in print the pestilential principles contained in their publications, or to speak of the