salvation, the operations of Grace, and the influence of the Holy Spirit; and this was delivered in that " 'popular rambling mode," and was "seasoned with that twang and tautology" which made it pass with the vulgar for " high rhetorick and moving preaching." They went on using every means to encrease their numbers, by making Churchmen Puritans, and augmenting their strength and influence, until (as the learned Divine I have just quoted observes) "these Coblers, Draymen, and Mechanics from preaching came to govern— and the consequences that followed were the murder of the Sovereign, preceded by the insult of a mock trial, the subversion of the ecclesiastical government, and with it the Monarchy itself. The scenes of domestic tumult, misery and bloodshed, which accompanied those events, and in which the Puritans were principal actors, are too painful for humanity to dwell upon. Every enormity which they practised, every act of outrage and cruelty, which in the frantic rage of religious madness they committed, was done in the name of the Lord, and held to be an acceptable service in his sight, in a word, "Sacrilege was gospellized into acts of Piety or high strains of Evangelical perfection;" and even the Usurper and Regicide Cromwell himself was commended by his sanctified supporters as one who, "notwithstanding his infirmities, had great communion with God."

Is not this the description I have thus rapidly stretched of the old Puritans, a just one? And do not our modern Puritans, the Methodists, tread very closely in their steps? Are they not distinguished by the same pharasaical spirit? Have they not the same studious affectation of the outward forms of godliness? Is not their conduct marked by the same self-sufficiency and spiritual pride, under the profession of great christian humility*? Are they not influenced

* I cannot here deny myself the pleasure of transcribing a passage from Lord Lyttleton's most instructive "Considerations upon the Conversion and Apostleship of St. Paul," as bearing a very apt and natural application to the present subject. After pointing out four qualities, of which religious Enthusisam is generally composed, viz. great heat of temper, melancholy, ignorance, and credulity, the noble Author adds, " Vanity or self conceit is another circumstance that for the most part prevails in the "character of an Enthusiast. It leads men of warm temper, and a re "ligious turn of mind to think themselves worthy of the special regard, "and extraordinary favours of God; and the breath of that inspiration 66 to which they pretend is often no more than the wind of this vanity, "which puffs them up to such extravagant imaginations. This strongly appears (continues his Lordship) in the writings and lives of some en

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by the same wildness of enthusiasm? Do they not also pretend to peculiar gifts, to divine impulses, to sudden and miraculous conversions? Have they not withdrawn from communion with our Church from the same motive as the Puritans; because the Gospel is not preached in our Churches, and our regular clergy are not under the immediate influence of Divine Grace? Do they not strive with equal diligence to draw away the members of our excellent establishment over to themselves, by reviling and bringing into contempt the ministry, by every means which art can devise and hostility can suggest? Are not their teachers like the teachers of the Puritans of former days," Coblers, Draymen, and Mechanics," many of them scarcely able to read, and some of them learning to do so after they have entered upon the office of expounding the Holy Scriptures? Do not they often hold forth in the fields and highways, as special messengers sent from God to proclaim "the joyful tidings of salvation," to poor miserable sinners? And are not their discourses, or rather their harangues similar to those of their brethren of old, popular incoherent rambling stuff, seasoned with twang and tautology," and run after by the low and ignorant, with the same, if not greater avidity? Do they not preach up the doctrines of faith to the prejudice of works, which they treat as a matter of trivial importance, and not worthy of the particular notice of the preacher? Is not with them as with the old Puritans--faith every thing, and virtue nothing, or next to nothing, and "the greater the sinner the greater the saint?" Are they not too the despisers of temporal authorities, and do they not speak evil of dignities? After this comparison, it surely must

thusiastical heretics, in the mystics both ancient and modern, in many Founders of Orders, and Saints both male and female among the Papists, in several Protestant Sectaries af the last age, and even in some of the Methodists now." It is worthy of notice that this latter observation of Lord Lyttleton respecting the Methodists was made upwards of half a century ago, since which time they have far outdone their formeroutdoings, as to extravagance of pretensions.

* The writer several years ago, was present at a meeting at Mitcham in Surry, when a Methodist Preacher of long established celebrity among the Sect, introduced a Right Rev. Prelate into his discourse, for the sole purpose of exposing him to ridicule, as not capable of understanding one of the plainest and most obvious passages of Scripture. Nothing is more common than to hear the venerable and learned heads of our Church attacked and spoken of sneeringly and disrespectfully from the pulpits of the Methodists, nor are instances by any means singular of Methodist Conventicles having become notorious seminaries of disloyalty.

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be unnecessary to observe any thing farther on the striking similarity between the old Puritans and the Methodists. There is, however, one essential particular, which distin guishes the Methodists from the Puritans, and that is, they are far more profoundly versed in the art of aug menting their strength and influence, as a collective body; they have the advantage of modern experience. The London Corresponding Societies of political memo ry, had not a better digested and more perfect system of correspondence and communication, nor more matured plans for advancing the interests of their body than the Methodists.

There is scarcely a parish, or even a town, however insignificant, which has not its society of Methodists, all of these Societies acting under a plan of affiliation admirably calculated to secure unity of design, and harmony of co-operation; one of the most distinguished objects of which plan is to increase their numbers, by making converts by every possible means, of those who are in communion with the Established Church; for with the various denominations of Christians, who come under . the description of Dissenters, they never meddle. For every Methodist that is made we have a Churchman turned into an adversary. The Methodists also understand much better than the old Puritans did the use of the press, which they avail themselves to the utmost. They have their committees of printing, which are unceasingly employed in sending forth publications, the best calculated to aid their cause.

Besides the magazines in their service, which have a most extensive circulation throughout the kingdom, and which their itinerant and stationary Preachers are bound to promote by every means in their power; spiritual instruction is administered almost weekly through the mediun of small tracts, adapted to all ages and capacities. These are not only diffused among the different connections throughout every town and village, and sold at the doors of their Conventicles, and at their private meetings; but are disposed of by the most artful methods among the lower orders of the people, and are even obtruded into workhouses, hospitals and sunday schools. Not content with the ordinary means of extending far and wide their doctrines by means of publications, in the year 1799, a society was established under the name of the London Religious Tract Society, not certainly for the declared pur

pose.

pose of advancing the work of Methodisın, but evidently for that object, as will be at once discovered by any one who looks over the names of those who conduct their concerns, and examines the publications which issue from their press, and are circulated under their authority. I have now lying before me, Mr. Editor," an account of the origin and progress" of this, "Work of the Lord," as it is called. The object of this society is stated to be, "to publish tracts at so low a rate, as to be within almost every person's means to purchase, and to distribute gratuitously where excitement fails, and poverty forbids to acquire them." To use their own words, "pure, essential, and saving gospel truths, are introduced into every tract"-and the instruction of the rising generation in the knowledge of evangelical religion, forms a leading feature of their plan. The exercises in Sunday Schools," say they," were happily perceived to have done much good, and to promise successful means of future illumination and improvement.

"It therefore became necessary to provide for the exercise of that growing ability which children were rapidly acquiring; to lead their minds to subjects calculated to please and to purify them, and thus endeavour to convert providential advantages into spiritual blessings."

The plan of this society, Mr. Editor, is truly Methodistical, and well suited for its intended purpose. There is a printing committee resident in London, and a corresponding committee of more than fifty members in various parts of the country, who, "from their various and extended situations, are respectfully enabled to give very great publicity and recommendation to every subject that is favourable to the welfare and success of the institution." Of the zeal and activity with which this society has prosecuted its design, a better proof cannot be adduced than the statement of this single fact (which ought to be made known to every one who wishes well to our established Church, and to the cause of sound religion among us) that in the short space of three years from the date of its establishment, upwards of ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND tracts had been circulated, either by sale or distribution.

The London Religious Tract Society is however no more than a mere subsidiary means of promulgating, by the press, methodistical sentiments. To describe with any tolerable accuracy the means of this nature which comes strictly within the executive plan (if I may so ex Vol VII. Churchm. Mag. Oct. 1804. O e press

press myself) of the Methodists would on account of their extensiveness and variety, far exceed those limits, on which I fear I have already trespassed. This is matter worthy of distinct consideration, which I shall probably give to it on a future occasion. At present, Sir, I shall only observe, that the welfare of our Church imperatively requires that something should be done, and vigorously done to check the progress which the methodistical doctrines are so rapidly making, and which, in proportion as they gain ground, must necessarily endanger the security of that venerable and apostolic institution, on the existence of which depends not only the continuance of sound and true Religion among us, but also the preservation of those inestimable liberties and political blessings which we have the happiness of enjoying under our excellent civil constitution.

I am, Mr. Editor, as great a friend as any man can be, to religious toleration, or in other words to the principle that every man be left, as far as human authority is concerned, to worship God in that mode which he deems most proper; to act on the contrary principle, would lead to that spirit of intolerance and persecution which is not more at variance with the precepts and genius of Christianity than it is with the principles and nature of our government; but it is at the same time perfectly evident, that when the Legislature granted a toleration to those who dissent from the doctrines and discipline of the established Church, it never was intended that those who might avail themselves of that toleration, should be allowed to degrade and vilify our Church, and endeavour by every method both open and concealed, to weaken her authority and draw away her members. This however is a work in which it is notorious to all, the Methodists are most busily, and I am sorry to add, most successfully engaged; and every one must, upon due consideration, admit this to be an abuse of that toleration which in common with other Christian sects, they are permitted in this country to enjoy. To remedy this crying abuse, of which our Church feels daily the severe effects, is doubtless an object of high and pressing necessity. It is indeed full time to set about it; the zeal, the activity, and the talents of our Ciergy have, it must be admitted, been exerted with great good effect to arrest the progress of schism, and to frustrate the views of the enemies of that Church, of which they are the warm defenders; and

I trust