of the members of other churches who join the Methodist Episcopal Church, they lose their religious suffrage and representation. Is it expedient, is it wise, to place over the doors of a church, as a motto, NO SUFFRAGE NO REPRESENTATION HERE! Some it is true, may "stipulate" to come in under these conditions, and thus gain the right of nonresistance and passive obedience; but numbers of others surely will not.

No. II.

A story has gotten into circulation, that the Rev. Enoch George, bishop (one of the bishops) of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in a late visit to the banks of the Potomac, having come from the northern province of Methodism ;for, like mother church, we have two episcopal provinces. The story is, that brother George ;-I mean not, to write and publish what I please, but what I hear;-the bishop was pleased to say, that, so long as he can find twelve itinerant preachers to join him, he will resist lay delegation; or words to that effect. Could he do so without making a division in the church? And this is one of the men to whom the reformers are going to petition. It may stand thus on the journal of the General Conference :-Bishop George in the chair-a petition was presented and read, praying for lay representation, &c. &c. No matter, it seems, by what arguments the petition may be urged-no matter how many laymen may be in favor of it-no matter how many bishops and itinerant preachers vote for it ;-if Mr. George can find twelve itinerant preachers, we may expect to see "the non-jurors" acted over again. This, to be sure, might be all right, in a bishop and twelve itinerant preachers. But the rule would not work both ways, for if local preachers and laymen should do likewise, no one would complain more loudly than brother George.

When the old mysteries were celebrated, the prophets used to cry out, "procul, O procul!" &c. that is, hence, far hence, O ye profane! meaning the uninitiated. Are there

any mysteries and secrets in the General Conference, with which laymen may not be entrusted? From the extreme aversion of some old side men, to lay representation, one is almost tempted to suspect, that they view it as a sort of sacrilege.

Now if the time had not gone by, for one to wonder at any thing in man, I should wonder at this expression in

my old friend. I want no stronger proof of the impor tance of lay delegation, than this case of the dear old man himself. There is real danger on this vast continent, of men travelling themselves wild, quite wild. You see here, gentle reader, a specimen of itinerant ideas; and did you ever see any thing more extravagant, more ridiculous? This said brother George, is by nature, one of the most cautious and modest of men. Indeed we used to complain that he was timid to excess; and now what a transformation! He makes no secret of a mighty purpose, of fighting against lay representation, with twelve men. It would be an entertaining spectacle, to see the free, sovereign, and independent citizens and church men of our country, renouncing all their claims to religious suffrage and representation, and flying to bishop George and his twelve apostles, to place themselves as mutes, under their government. Ah the good man's notions have become too itinerant, too des potic. The presence of local men in the General Conference, with their local ideas, would no doubt have prevented this. I know, indeed, some local preachers and some lay members, who have made no secret of their purpose, to leave the church, if lay representation should ever obtain. But this is not strange. Some men are born with an inherent propensity to pander to power. The elements of liberty, minister no genial excitement to them. But Enoch George is no flatterer; on men in power he never fawns. The time was, when our spirits felt kindred, and we interchanged the sweet sentiments of liberty. O! how it grieves me, to hear of his bitter enmity to the good cause. How could I have believed, that my friend would have refused to others, that, which is so dear to himself;-that palladium of every man's freedom-the sacred right of suffrage. When he suffered from the authority of men in power, and complained of its insolence, I sympathised with him. One effect of this contest, it seems, is certain; it will serve to develope the principles of men; the inherent love of power; and the love to flatter it, will be found where we least expected. It will be demonstrated how much itinerant power has done for the cause of liberty among our countrymen.

If report has misrepresented Mr. George's words or sentiments, I should rejoice to find it so. The pages of the Mutual Rights are open for his vindication. But if he be still as much as ever opposed to the principles of lay representation, whether he avows it or not, he will find in me, at

all times, a firm, inflexible, though not ungenerous, opponent. The principles of this controversy, as one of our coworkers expresses it, run deep into christianity.

Brother George has fallen into the common error of estimating these matters by numbers, and in numbers he feels secure. My reliance, from the beginning has been upon principle. When I first began to write, I had but one colleague. Why will not brother George, why will not all our opponents, reflect upon the march of principle? Opposition, to the cause of representation, will melt away in the General Conference itself. The men who believe, do not make haste. The light of truth is progressive. It is passion that is always in a hurry. The advancement of the cause of reform, has all the marks of the advancement of truth; it is like those clouds which raise themselves aloft against the under current of air.

No. III.

In our two first numbers, we have shewn that Methodists are not accustomed to yield a favorite principle, to scruples of conscience about church matters. We have seen Mr. Wesley, his superintendants, the American itinerant preachers, bishop George, and old side men, ready to put the unity of church in jeopardy, when matters approach to a crisis. Examples are contagious. The example in this case, goes to make circumstances yield to opinions, or become subservient to them. If even Mr. himself, (we shall have his name bye and bye) will leave the church, should a lay delegation be granted, can he object, if the advocates for the principle should do any thing short of this, in the event of their disappointment? Many of our brethren, as is commonly the case, are cautious and timid. Their opponents will teach them courage; and courage will procure them friends. The declaration of a bishop, which we alluded to in our preceding number, will be heard and read with much interest, by many who have heretofore let the subject pass, without going into the merits of it. Laymen will be led to examine the grounds of this distinction, between itinerant preachers and themselves. How great will be their surprise, to find that the exclusive suffrage and representation of itinerant preachers, are both of their own creation. Hitherto the main point in discussion has been ordination; and it is well known, that several of the churches in this

country, do not, to this day, acknowledge the validity of ordination, even amongst itinerant preachers; and consider them all, from the bishop to the deacon, as nothing more than lay preachers. And yet, heedless of all this, these men are flaunting their clerical powers and prerogatives in the faces of laymen; there is an indiscretion in this conduct, which cannot be vindicated. Is nothing due to the members of the church, from men to whom they have adhered under all their discouragements? The clergymen who have no fellowship with them, would take any of our laymen into their churches and restore to them the right of suffrage.

But this matter will be passed by, and the members of the church will meet their itinerant preachers on other ground. They will prove to them, they will demonstrate to them, that Mr. Wesley, though he gave them ordination, never gave them suffrage, never gave them representation. They will demand of them, by what authority, human or divine, they exclude laymen from the General Conference? And in the sequel, this question will be found to assume an importance, greater than any connected with the history of Methodism. Our leading men are blinded; they are infatuated, not to say intoxicated with their own imaginary consequence. They will know, when it may be too late, their best friends. At no distant day, many a bitter regret will be felt that this discussion was provoked; and the only refuge and safety of the church, will be found in lay representation. But there are a few more floating straws for the drowning men to catch at. And besides, all eyes are now turned towards Dr.'s book. From that learned and profound divine, considering the lights he has to aid him, much indeed is to be expected and much to be feared. One thing, gentle reader, is certain; his erudite labors will give the subject greater publicity. The attention of the Methodist public and the American public, will be more and more turned towards lay representation, and it will, finally, be regarded as inferior only in interest, to our political franchise itself. A people circumstanced as we have been, are not only below public notice, but almost below public contempt. What would America have been in the estimation of nations, had she quietly taken on the yoke of taxation. It was by reviving the great question of representation that she not only raised herself to distinction, among the nations, but afforded them new lights to guide

them in the path of liberty. The book to which we have alluded, we have reason to believe, has been considerably circulated in manuscript; we have heard from second and third hands, much eulogy on it. The distinguished author, it is said, thinks that our success would have been greater, if we had had less of flesh and blood to contend against and more of intellect. Now I can assure him of one thing as it regards myself, individually; if I know any thing of my own heart, I have not too much pride nor prejudice, to be convinced by him, and that is saying much, as he knows full well, that he has not been sparing in means to rouse and aggravate both. But so sure as his book shall prove to be in any measure, as I expect it will be, let him look out for something more than "visionary theories."

If his book cannot be answered, I will be among the first to proclaim him victor;—if it can be, he must prepare to pay up all old arrears due to the cause of reform. The cause is great, and the stake is great. This brother at arms has the advantage "of sun and wind." The ground has been familiar to him from the beginning. He has been in our citadel, and is acquainted with our camp. If he means to spring a mine, his leisure and security in preparing it has been ample. The choice of his weapons and of the time, the place, and manner of attack, are all his own. Every eye, therefore, it may be presumed, will be turned to the issue of the mighty contest of ink and paper.

No. IV.

The press is

Our complaint of Dr.- is on an old score. free let him, if he pleases, publish what he writes. If he can confute reformers, his friends will do well to avail themselves of the fruit of his pen. And though itinerant preachers might shut him out of the General Conference, (were he to petition,) I commend them for letting him write for them, if he can write better than they can. We may not anticipate his book; but as his name is among the "undersigned," is there not reason to suspect that the item about the missionary character, &c. holds some conspicious place in it. We have the names of twenty-four brethren for it, that lay representation must necessarily destroy this cha

racter.

The idea of missionary character is not new. A good name is better than precious ointment: or to use a more