were closed," into the highways and hedges," to "compel them to come," not into a sect of his own, but into the church of which he was a member. The revival of religion in the Church was the object constantly before him, and for this purpose he co-operated with as many clergymen as he met with, of a zeal similar to his own. With them he considered himself a co-worker in a common cause, that of the Church; and for a common object, to enlighten and reform the nation. Some of these clergymen continued to labour in friendly union with him for a considerable time, and a separation from the Church was neither by him nor by them intended or suspected, as the result. On the contrary, this co-operation of the truly evangelical clergy of the day was established on the principle of affection for the Church, and zeal for the promotion of the best interests of the country; and it continued till those differences which the subject of predestination plentifully supplied, broke out into open controversy. (2) In these early measures of Mr. Wesley,

(2) This difference of opinion might be called an unhappy one, as it separated good men from each other, whose efforts, had they continued united, might have produced a more powerful effect upon the state of religion in the Church of England. The controversy which arose, fierce, and furious, and scurrilous as it was, on the part of many of the opponents of Mr. Wesley and Mr. Fletcher, was not, however, without an important collateral effect. The calm and Christian spirit in which these eminent men, after they were dragged into the controversy, joined with the great ability with which every point of it was discussed in their writings, could not but produce a strong impression. The doctrines of justification by faith, assurance of pardon, regeneration, and Divine influence, which had been considered by many as necessarily connected with the Calvinistic scheme, were now seen in harmony with the doctrines of God's universal love, the unrestricted extent of Christ's death, and the freeness of Divine grace. Men were no longer compelled into

there was nothing which had in itself any tendency to a separation from the Church; and at this period at least, that event could not be foreseen.

a choice between two extremes, Calvinism or Pelagianism, into which last error most of our English divines had fallen, in opposing the doctrine of the decrees. The ground on which many of the Reformers, and not a few of the Arminian divines had stood was thus regained; and the great and vital truths of the gospel were offered to men, unaccompanied with the gloomy and bewildering metaphysics of theologians, who had even, with respect to Calvin's theory, "out Heroded Herod" himself. Of the arguments on each side, Mr. Southey, who has gone at some length into the controversy, is much too little acquainted with the subject to be a competent judge. The Christian and gentlemanly manner in which the controversy was conducted by Messrs. Wesley and Fletcher, he has recorded with fairness. To the acrid temper, and gross productions of Toplady and others, and of the writers in the Gospel Magazine, (so called) he has but dealt a just measure of animadversion. It is, however, a satisfaction to observe, that this bitterness of contention has long since abated. The spirit and language of the wretched work I have just mentioned, would not be tolerated in this day, even by those generally who are decided in their belief of the Calvinistic theory. It is also but justice to say of many of the Calvinists of that period, that their Magazine became so intemperate that they refused it support; and that among the proximate causes of its being given up was, if I have been rightly informed, the mingled buffoonery and acerbity with which Mr. Wesley was assailed in it, and particularly the insertion of the wretched doggrel verses, entitled "The Serpent and the Fox," which Mr. Southey has given in the appendix to his second volume, "Hob in the Well," "Pope John," &c. Calvinism itself has since that period been held under various and chastened modifications. Baxter laid the foundation of what he conceived to be a middle scheme, which has been largely resorted to; the excellent Dr. Williams, of Rotherham, provided a new vest of metaphysics for the old doctrine, which though it rather muffles up the features more closely, than displays the form to any new advantage, has recommended it to the admiration of many; others have been content to believe both systems true, though irreconcilable by human intelligence; whilst the greater number of evangelical ministers have taken the wise course of attaching less importance than their predecessors to mere peculiarities, and have

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The second period to which reference may be made in order to judge how far, or at what time Mr. Wesley" foresaw" that he was promoting separation, is, when he admitted the co-operation of lay preachers. The case is here stronger in favour of Mr. Southey's position; but it does not appear that even Mr. Wesley anticipated separation as the necessary consequence. In the early stages of his career, he was content to leave the good done by his ministry to the care of the clergyman of the parish in which the persons who received it resided. Mr. Southey has given the reason why he formed societies, and appointed persons to instruct them "in the ways of God." "If his converts were left to themselves, they speedily relapsed into their former habits." This was true in many cases. Mr, Southey thinks the whole effect produced upon them enthusiastic, and that, "on this account, artificial means of keeping up the excitement" were necessary. An enlightened Christian would say, that careful instruction, and religious fellowship, are the means appointed by him who knows us best to cherish impressions which, however genuine,

chosen to dwell almost exclusively upon the leading and indisputable doctrines of their faith. The Antinomian doctrine, from various causes, and among these may be reckoned the labours and writings of Messrs. Wesley and Fletcher, has evidently received a strong, and, I hope, an effectual check in this country; and in this all good men will rejoice. The recent appearance of this error in the Church of England, has proved but a temporary evil. The religious public are now too well furnished with better principles for Antinomianism to make an extensive impression upon them, and it makes no converts from the world. Its only province is to corrupt and waste within the Church of Christ.

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for want of such care might die away; and that mutual prayer, conversation, and reading the Word of God, are enjoined upon Christians in the Holy Scriptures, as necessary means of spiritual improvement, in addition to the ordinances of public worship. The clergy in general made no such provision for the religiously disposed people of their parishes; and hence, asks Mr. Wesley, "what was to be done in a case of so extreme necessity: No clergyman would assist at all. The expedient that remained was to find some one among themselves, who was upright in heart, and of sound judgment in the things of God, and to desire him to meet the rest as often as he could, in order to confirm them as he was able in the ways of God, either by reading to them, or by prayer, or by exhortation." Now surely any mind rightly influenced, would consider assemblies of people for such purposes, in so many parishes in the kingdom where nothing of the kind before existed, and where these very persons, but a little time before, were spending their leisure in idleness or in vice, as a most gratifying occurrence, both for the benefit of the individuals themselves, and the effect of their example upon others. It would, indeed, have been more satisfactory if a pious elergyman had put himself at the head of these meetings, afforded the people his counsel, and restrained any irregularities or errors which might arise; and had clergymen so qualified and disposed been found, the Church would have reaped the full benefit of Mr. Wesley's labours, and no separation, in any form, would have ensued. Unhappily they did not exist; and Mr. Wesley submitted to the

irregularity, to avoid the greater evil of suffering those who had been brought under religious influence to fall away for want of care and instruction. That superintendance which the clergy were not disposed to give, he supplied as much as possible by his occasional visits; and it was more regularly afforded after the employment of lay preachers, by their regular visits, under his direction. In these measures there was no intention of a separation from the Church this Mr. Southey allows; nor was it, even at that time, foreseen as a consequence. A necessary consequence it certainly was not. Mr. Southey thinks that the apparatus of Methodism, when more fully organized than at the period now referred to, might have been attached to the Church with advantage; and that its ecclesiastical constitution is defective in not having some institution answering to the preaching orders of the Church of Rome. Into this question I shall not enter; but Mr. Wesley certainly had a similar view; nor was he without hope that those simple institutions for promoting piety, which he had commenced, might have been recognized. He hoped that the spirit of religion, produced already to so great an extent, might still further influence the members of the Church and its clergy, and dispose them to view his Societies with more cordiality. He took care, therefore, and all his principles and feelings favoured the caution, that no obstacles should be placed in the way of the closest connexion of his Societies with the Establishment. None of their services were held in the hours of her public service; the Methodists formed in many parishes the great body