pulpits, and driven from the Church contrary to their inclination? As a proof of Mr. Wesley's strong attachment to the Established Church for a series of years, I only need to refer to the different statements on the subject, in his life by Coke and Moore to his Appeals-and to the Minutes of Conference, where there are rules prohibiting preaching in our chapels, except in particular cases, during church hours. But if Mr. Wesley was attached to the Church, and was "allowed the pulpits on any occasion," how did it come to pass that he and his fellow-labourers were at length expelled? You shall hear, Sir. It was because "The spirit of modesty and regard to order and decency had forsaken them"-because they "became vain and conceited"-because "they proceeded to open censures and contempt of their brethren," and because the Clergy" were obliged to deny them the use of their pulpits, unless they would be content to have their people perplexed with intricate and dangerous doctrines."* And pray what were these "intricate and dangerous doctrines?" Why, Paul's justification by faith, and John's new birth. Was any thing done to convince these men of their error? Yes; "Several things were written to reclaim them. What did all these produce? Saucy and petulant answers; fresh bitterness; more arrogant boasting; more uncharitable revilings." The abusive language which the writer charges upon the first Preachers, among whom, it is presumed, Mr. Wesley stands foremost, may be repelled two ways; the one tending to soften, the other to overturn it. That which tends to soften the charge, is, the provocation with which they met. They were * 6 "Address," p. 35. + ibid. p. 36.

driven from the Church. For what reason? They manifested more zeal than ordinary in the conversion of sinners: and their zeal was a reproof to the coldness of others. That which tends to overturn the charge, is, the holy lives of the persons against whom it is preferred. Sauciness, &c. are traits so incompatible with their piety and general character, that it requires a greater stretch of faith than I am possessed of, to attach to it the fullest credence. Far be it from me to suppose the writer capable of uttering a falsehood; he might have heard these things at the fourth or fifth hand.

Abusive language, Sir, is not the only outrage, it appears, the original Preachers were guilty of. They even proceeded so far as to "Seize a pulpit or two without leave; and at last, in defiance of the law, exercised their ministry in the fields and commons, and other unlicensed places."* Perhaps in the next edition of the "Address," the author will take the trouble of quoting chapter and verse, where these depredations on the pulpits were committed. Till then, a vindication will be unnecessary. As it respects field preaching, though unlawful according to the above statement, it may be defended on the ground of divine authority, absolute necessity, and beneficial effects. 1. Divine authority. "Go," says our Lord, "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creatureGo out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Surely a commission of this nature implies something more than locality-something more than a settled ministry. The author, it is true, at* "Address," p. 36.

C

tempts to justify a settled ministry.* This is a point I shall not stand long to contend about. A good living is worth contending for. To endeavour, therefore, to settle the point of an established ministry, is very laudable, as it tends to settle both body and mind in an easy position: but if the divine lan gives an itinerant commission, let human laws prohibit as they may, it is our duty to obey God rather than man. Because Darius, at the instigation of his courtiers, signs a decree prohibiting divine worship, must Daniel desist from approaching his God? 2. Absolute necessity. In the case of Mr. Wesley, and the original Preachers, the necessity of field preaching will appear at once. For they were banished from the parish-churches, and it was some time before places of worship could be erected. Sinners were also perishing on every hand for lack of knowledge; and this naturally led the way to what is so nearly allied to field preaching, viz. itinerancy. Thousands who had no taste for a place of worship, were, through curiosity, induced to hear the word preached in the open air: and surely, in a case like this, where the salvation of souls is so deeply involved, the Preachers of the Gospel may be allowed to accommodate their public ministrations to the natural backwardness of man to divine things, without incurring the censures of the well-disposed. Indeed, it seems almost a paradox, to talk about the Gospel being preached to all the world, if its publishers are to remain stationary-to be fixed in one place. 3. Beneficial effects. Persons have not only been outwardly reformed, but inwardly changed; and the success that has thus attended field preaching, sufficiently attests the approval of JEHOVAH.

* «Address," p. 39.

Another misdemeanor of which the Preachers have been guilty, is, they have "Set aside and altered the Liturgy at their pleasure, and made use of extempore effusions of their own, in the public worship of God."* Awful indeed! and doubly awful, should they have the following curse entailed upon them: "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book, God shall take away his part out of the book of life."+ But surely we may indulge, at least, a ray of hope, that there is mercy for those men who only "alter" the works of men. Had the Liturgy been the production of his Infallible Holiness, the Pope of Rome, it might have been deemed improper for erring mortals to make any alterations. But as The Book of Common Prayer is the work of fallible man, it may be fairly concluded, that its authors might be as liable to err in making, as the Methodist Preachers were in altering it. Far be it from me to condemn the book, as totally useless. Many of the forms are excellent as forms. An answer, however, to the following question, will, perhaps, have a tendency to satisfy some scrupulous consciences: Did the custom of reading prayers originate with Christ and the Apostles? Or, like that of reading sermons, was it an invention of the more recent ages of the Christian Church? Should it be demonstrated, that Christ made no use of a book when he prayed in the garden, or on any other occasion; that the Apostles made no use of a set

* " Address,” p. 36.

† Rev. xxii. 18, 19.

A witty Preacher, well known in Loudon, when representing the perilous situation of Peter on the water, who, just ready

form; and that there is no precept in the whole book of God to bind us to it, we may surely be permitted to make use of extempore effusions of our own. And, till the abettors of The Book of Common Prayer, can vindicate the usage by the example of Christ and the Apostles, and by an express command in the word of God, let them not condemn the Methodists for imitating the conduct of Him, who said, "LEARN OF ME."

Not content with altering the Liturgy, the Preachers, it appears, have taken "The liberty to condemn those excellent writings, The Whole Duty of Man, and Archbishop Tillotson's Works."* As an individual, I have some acquaintance with these works, and am convinced that there is much to approve of in them. But I only speak for myself. Others are not obliged to approve of them because they meet with my approbation, or to receive them as pure Gospel, because they are esteemed by the author of the "Address." In the works of Archbishop Tillotson, I feel peculiarly interested, and had them recommended to me some years ago by a judicious friend: and had they not been generally approved of by the Methodist Preachers, a recommendation of them would never have found its way into the Methodist Magazine.†

What appears still more objectionable, Sir, is, that Methodism is productive of idleness and inatto sink, cried, "Lord, save me," is reported to have said, "If Peter, on this occasion, had forgotten his Prayer Book, and had been under the necessity of running back for it, he would have sunk as round as a ribbond."

«Address," p. 37. + See Meth. Mag. for 1808, p. 472-3.