to spare no pains, and, in my poor opinion, is well judged. Young children, for the most part, are the only catechumens that offer themselves for our instruction, and they soon forget all: which you prevent by taking them up afterwards. By this means, you have an opportunity, not only of renewing and confirming former instructions, but adding others more suitable to their age and experience, and, when the time requires, of feeding them with strong

meat.

"Dear sir, what reason have you and many others to bless God for meeting with a pious friend, at your first coming to Truro! and what encouragement there is, in this instance, for all whe know the truth to speak out! Extend your influence far and near. God may work by you in other places. Strengthen those everywhere who are ready to faint, because they are weak and few. Whatever you have to offer to the world, will, I dare say, be the thing which the world wants; therefore slack not your hand. hand. If you are earnest in doing Christ's work, you must be content with the wages he gives his faithful servants. What they are I need not tell When I ventured my little piece abroad, I expected nothing but to have many mouths opened against me; but as the event has been otherwise, I fear I have palliated matters. Read Bilney's Letter to Bishop Tonstal, in Fox's Book of Martyrs. If truth should not be opposed and persecuted, the gospel, which declares the universal degeneracy of mankind, would not be true. Mr. Piers is a bold man, and has the courage to speak what others only think. It is a pity his style

you.

is encumbered with parentheses. But he seems to me to be so full of matter, that he could not give vent to it fast enough. You may not have heard that the Dean of the Arches, and all the clergy, most shamefully went out of the church, with one consent, in the year 1742, while he was preaching an excellent visitation sermon, at Seven Oaks, in Kent. Mr. Hartley's Sermons are all sold off, but he tells me they will soon be reprinted. Mr. Basset, I know, will thank you from his heart, for stirring him up to more fruitfulness, as I do, desiring you, once for all, to think no otherwise of me than as a weak brother, and one who mourns, though not enough, under a sense of great unfruitfulness. "I am, dear Sir,

แ

About the year 1755, Mr. Adam was induced to consider the progress of methodism, and he seems to have come in contact with the Rev. John Wesley. The editor, in July last, visited Epworth, not many miles from Wintringham, and could not avoid looking with intense interest on the noble rectory house, and the venerable church. Mr. Adam and Mr. Wesley are now gone to the paradise of God. The following letters will show the two men: they are extracted from the works of Mr. John Wesley, vol. xvi.

FROM THE REV. T. ADAM TO MR. JOHN WESLEY.

"On leaving the Church of England."

"Rev. Sir,

"As

Wintringham, Oct. 10th, 1755.

you are pleased to desire my opinion of a matter which is, and which is judged by yourself to be, of very great importance, 'A formal separation of the Methodists from the Church of England;' I shall make no apology for giving it you in as explicit, though short, a manner as I can, so far as relates to yourself, and the difficulties you are under about it.

"As you are not satisfied in your conscience of the lawfulness of a separation in form, but, on the contrary, have advanced many reasons against it, which seem weighty to yourself, and at the same time. judge it to be inexpedient, methinks your way is plain before you; separation from an establishment,

without a clear and full conviction of the lawfulness, expediency, and absolute necessity of it, being utterly unlawful. And if any considerable number of Methodists should persist in carrying the design of a separation into execution, you and others, your present scruples subsisting, will be obliged in conscience to disavow, and declare openly against it. What confusion among yourselves, and what detriment to religion in general, would follow upon this! What occasion of triumph it will give to your opposers, and what a contradiction it is to your avowed design of restoring practical, vital religion, especially in the Church of England, may easily be discerned.

"Be pleased, sir, to keep your eye and heart steadily fixed upon this single point, and let no byerespects, no personal considerations, no retrospects, nor concern for Methodism in its present state, influence you in your determination, viz. What is the one conscionable, scriptural way of extricating yourself from your present embarrassments? which, all things considered, must be owned to be very great, and should be a warning to all, how they venture upon a revolt from the authority and standing rules of the church to which they belong. I fear, sir, that your saying you do not appoint, but only approve of the lay-preachers, from a persuasion of their call and fitness, savours of disingenuity. Where is the difference? Under whose sanction do they act? Would they generally think their call as sufficient for commencing preachers, or be received in that capacity by your people, without your approbation, tacit or express? And what is their preaching upon this call, but a manifest breach upon the order of the church, and an inlet to confusion? which, in all probability, will follow upon your death, and, if I mistake not, you are upon the point of knowing by your own experience.

Upon the whole, therefore, it is humbly submitted to your most serious consideration, whether the separation is not wide enough already, particularly in the instance of unordained persons preaching, and gathering societies to themselves wherever they can; and whether all the Methodists might not serve the interests of Christ better, as witnesses and examples of a living faith, and ex

pect a greater blessing from the God of order upon their talents, gifts, and graces, whatever they are, by returning to a closer union with the church, and repairing the breach they have made, than by making it still wider, and separating what they think the gospel-leaven from the lump?

"I pray God direct you to judge and act in this, and every thing else, for the good of his church, and your own future peace; and am,

"Rev. and dear Sir,

"Your unworthy Brother and Servant,

THOMAS ADAM."

MR. WESLEY'S ANSWER TO MR. ADAM,

"Rev. Sir,

"London, October 31st, 1755.

"One good effect, at least, has arisen already, from the moving of the present question. It has been the occasion of my having some little acquaintance with the Rev. Mr. Walker (of Truro) and you, which, I doubt not, would be enlarged, were it not for what you probably think to be christian (I think to be worldly) prudence.

"You have much obliged me by your clear and friendly answer, with the main of which I fully agree for I am still in my former sentiment, We will not go out; if we are thrust out, well;' and of the same judgment are, I believe, at least nineteen in twenty of our preachers, and an equal majority of the people. We are fully convinced, that to separate from an established church, is never lawful but when it is absolutely necessary, and we do not