the Wisdom and Goodness of God in the Creation. This was first published in two volumes; and a gentleman, then a student at Oxford, informed me, that taking a few copies with him, as presents to some of the principal persons in the University, they expressed a high degree of satisfaction in the work: and Mr. Wesley received letters from them to the same purpose. This work was afterwards enlarged, and published in five volumes, in 1784. In the fourth volume is a translation of Bonnet's " Contemplations de la Nature," a work highly elegant and instructive. Mr. Wesley could not have made a better choice, as it perfectly corresponds with the general design of his own publication. In the fifth volume, Mr. Wesley has given an extract of Mr. Deuten's "Enquiry into the Origin of the Discoveries attributed to the Moderns." This work was scarcely known in England, even to the learned, when Mr. Wesley published this extract from it: and is but little known at present. It is certainly ingenious, and contains a great deal of curious matter. But I am astonished that Mr. Wesley could think Mr. Deuten's reasonings and deductions from many passages of the ancients, are at all admissible. In what relates to my own profession, I must acknowledge, that I find some degree of resolution necessary to read some of them with patience. This extract might have been well spared, as it is not very interesting to common readers; and but ill accords with the design and title of his publication. Mr. Wesley's Survey of the Wisdom of God in the Creation, was not intended as a history of the present state of philosophy; nor as an introduction to the philosophical systems that have prevailed, or do now preval, though he gives a little sketch of them: but as a general visy of the most useful and remarkable things in natural history, and an illustration, for common use, of the wisdom and goodness of the Creator. "Considered in this light, it is well entitled to public approbation: and the moral reflections it contaias, are as much distinguished by their justness and elegance, as by their utility." Upon the whole, it is the most useful christian compendium of philosophy in the English language. He wrote a very great number of pamphlets on various subjects: among the rest was one entitled, "Thoughts on Slavery." He was one of the earliest writers on this subject, which has since undergone so complete an investigation; without, as yet, obtaining for the slaves that redress which justice and mercy demand. He has treated it, as might be expected from his general character, in a moral and religious view; but with great spirit and impartiality, and the pamphlet does him great credit. It has been supposed, that this tract had a powerful influence on some of the American States, in their late regulations concerning the trade to Africa. In controversy, Mr. Wesley did certainly excel. Few have equalled him, either in skill, freedom from logomachy, or in the moderation and christian temper which every where appeared on these occasions. It does not seem, that he was fond of controversy, at least for more than thirty years before his death. He calls it in one place, if I rightly recollect, "heavy work, yet sometimes necessary to be done." Among his controversial pieces, his "Predestination calmly considered," is of distinguished excellence. "It is a model of controversy, clear and cogent; concise and argumentative; and the most convincing, because the spirit in which it is written, is as amiable as the reasoning is unanswerable. Perhaps there is not in the English language, a treatise which contains in so small a compass, so full and masterly a refutation of the principle it opposes. It does great credit to his judgment, that he so eagerly espoused, and so ably defended the mild and moderate system of Arminius." Mr. Wesley entered the list of controversy against Dr. Lavington, bishop of Exeter, Dr. Warburton, bishop of Gloucester, Dr. Middleton, Dr. Free, Dr. Taylor, of Norwich; and several others: in all of which he acquitted himself with honor, and gained credit to his cause. But the most virulent, vulgar, and abusive of his opponents, were some of the defenders of Calvinism; at the head of whom stood Mr. Toplady: a man, not wholly destitute of abilities, but in his opposition to Mr. Wesley, greatly deficient in the christian temper, and the manners of a gentleinan. Not content with writing against him in the most scurrilous language, he assiduously collected anecdotes and stories to the prejudice of Mr. Wesley's character; and not only mentioned them in private, but committed them to paper, and circulated them among his friends. I am informed, there are letters now in the hands of his friends in London, which contain some of these sweet morsels of scandal, and that his friends intend to publish them. But if the public consider the bitterness with which Mr. Toplady collected these stories, and how easy it is for a man of his temper to collect as many as he wants, manufactured according to his own taste, against any man living (when the authors are secure against any legal prosecution,) they certainly will not think that any charges coming from so suspicious a quarter and in so questionable a shape, against a man who lived and died as Mr. Wesley did, deserve the least degree of credit. I understand, indeed, that some charges in these letters, are as improbable on the face of them, as they are false in fact: and if Mr. Toplady's friends have any regard for his memory, they will totally suppress them; as it surely is sufficient for a man to propagate slander with zeal and diligence while he lives, without his friends, by a mistaken zeal, making him do so after he is dead. After Mr. Toplady's death, a woman came to Mr. Wesley, and related several things. as from her own personal knowledge, injurious to his character; she said some unpleasant things concerning the manner of his death, which, as appears since on good authority, were false. Mr. Wesley, very imprudently, related in private conversation some things she had told him, supposing them to be true. What he had said, was soon reported to Mr. Toplady's friends, who publicly called on Mr. Wesley for the proof of his assertions. Mr. Wesley made no reply: and the Calvinists imme *Few persons among the Calvinists, seem to have any just notion of the opinion of Arminius, on the subjeet of Free Grace; and therefore continually misrepresent it. Mr. Wesley was a true Arminian; and I have shown in the Discourse delivered at his Funeral that he held the doctrine of Free Grace, as 'illy as any Calvinist, though in a more rational and scriptural sense. diately charged him with inventing the story, as well as propagat- Mr. Wesley as an author, has been blamed for his numerous extracts from the writings of others. The fact is true: but the blame supposed, does not, I apprehend, attach to it. He supposed that the works from which he made extracts were the property of the public; and that the extracts he made might be useful to the Methodists, who probably would never see the originals. And further, he did not make his extracts in any clandestine way, or for the sake of lucre. All the profits of his books only passed through his hands to the felief of the poor. The Rev. Mr. Jones, in his memoirs of the late pious and excellent Dr. Horne, has charged Mr. Wesley with selling a work of his: I suppose he means his tract on the Trinity. But this is a mistake. Mr. Wesley recommended that tract, because he approved of it; but he never reprinted, or sold it in any form. Mr. Charles Wesley composed some hymns on the Trinity, in which he made use of some texts of Scripture quoted by Mr. Jones in the work above mentioned: but surely this was not reprinting his pamphlet, in any sense whatever. I was sorry to see in so respectable a writer as Mr. Jones, a sourness and disposition to find fault, every now and then break out, in spite of all his endeavors to appear candid and liberal. Mr. Wesley's works were printed together in 1774, in thirtytwo volumes, but very incorrectly. He was a laborious and useful writer; and his name will descend to posterity, with no small share of respectability and applause. I shall conclude this section in the words of a writer of his life; "If usefulness be excellence; if public good is the chief object of attention in public characters; and if the greatest benefactors to mankind are most estimable, Mr. John Wesley will long be remembered as one of the best of men, as he was for more than fifty years, the most diligent and indefatigable.” *Not including his Philosophy, or Notes on the Old and New Testament. SECTION III. STATING MR. WESLEY'S NOTIONS OF THE RELATIVE SITUATION OF No man could understand the nature and design of the Methodist societies so well as Mr. Wesley; as he was the chief instrument in raising them, and governed them for more than forty years by rules which he himself made for that purpose. He has declared again and again, in the most express terms, that the design was not to form a new party in the nation; not to form the societies into independent churches, or to draw away those who became Methodists, from their former religious connexions. The only intention was, to rouse all parties, the members of the church in particular, to an holy jealousy and a spiritual emulation; and to assist them as far as possible, in promoting christian experience, and practical religion through the land. The design was disinterested and noble; and every part of the Methodist economy exactly corresponded with the professed design, which showed the sincerity of Mr. Wesley's declarations. The preachers were itinerant, which rendered them incapable, had they been otherwise qualified, of performing the duties of settled pastors to the societies: the times of preaching, and of other meetings, were so ordered, as not to interfere with the times of public worship in the church, or among the Dissenters. The whole economy was formed, with wonderful consistency in all its parts, to be a blessing indiscrim inately to all parties. While this economy remained inviolate, it was of wonderful use. It was highly pleasing to see rigid Church men, and equally rigid Dissenters of all denominations, assembled together in a Methodist preaching-house; hearing the truths of the gospel preached, and each feeling the beneficial influence of them on their own hearts. This tended gradually to lessen their prejudices against each other; and however they might still differ, as to modes of worship, it brought them nearer in christian charity and brotherly love. And every candid man must acknowledge, that since the Methodists have generally prevailed, the violence of party spirit, in matters of religion, has, in equal proportion, been diminished. I sincerely pray God, that the Methodists may continue in their original situation, and never become the means of re-kindling the flame of party zeal. This relative situation of the societies, the members of which still held their former religious connexions, Mr. Wesley calls their peculiar glory. "It is a new thing," says he, "upon the earth. Revolve all the histories of the church from the earliest ages, and you will find, whenever there was a great work of God in any particular city or nation, the subjects of that work, soon said to their neighbors, Stand by yourselves, for we are holier than you.' As soon as ever they separated themselves, either they retired into deserts, or at least formed parties, into which none were admitted but such as subscribed both to their judgment and practice. But with the Methodists, it is quite otherwise. They are not a sect or party. They do not separate from the religious community to which they at first belonged. And I believe one reason why God is pleased to continue my life so long, is to confirm them in their present purpose; not to separate from the Church." See the Arminian Magazine for 1790. Mr. Wesley has very explicitly described both the character and office of a Methodist preacher, in a sermon which he sometimes preached at the Conference, before the preachers then assembled. His text was Hebrews v. 4. "No man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." In this discourse he has clearly shown, that the office of a priest, was totally distinct and separate from the office of a preacher or expounder of God's word and will, sometimes called a prophet. That from Adam to Noah, and from Noah to Moses, the first-born in every family was the priest, by virtue of his primogeniture: but any other of the family might be a prophet, or expounder of God's will to the people. In the time of Moses, the priesthood was restricted to the tribe of Levi; while the preachers or expounders of God's law might be, and afterwards were of different tribes. In the New Testament, these expounders of the law, are called rouzol, or scribes: but few, if any of them, were priests. The Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest of our profession, sent out Apostles and Evangelists, to proclaim the glad-tidings of peace to all the world. Afterwards, pastors were appointed to preside over, and to build up in the faith, the churches that were formed. "But," says Mr. Wesley, "I do not find, that ever the office of an evangelist was the same with that of a pastor, frequently called a bishop. I cannot prove from any part of the New Testament, or from any author of the three first centuries, that the office of an evangelist, gave any man a right to act as a pastor or bishop. I believe these offices were considered as quite distinct from each other, till the time of Constantine." Mr. Wesley then goes on to observe, that among the Presbyterians; in the Church of England, and even among the Roman Catholics, the office of an evangelist or teacher, does not imply that of a pastor, to whom peculiarly belongs the administration of the sacraments. All Presbyterian churches, that of Scotland in particular, license men to preach throughout the whole kingdom, before they are ordained. And it is never understood that this appointment to preach, gives them any right to administer the sacraments. "Likewise," says he, "in our own church, persons may be authorized to preach, yea, may be Doctors in Divinity, as Dr. Atwood, at Oxford, was when I resided there, who are not ordained at all; and consequently have no right to administer the Lord's supper. Yea, even in the Church of Rome itself, if a lay-brother believes he is called to go a mission, as it is termed, he is sent out, though neither priest nor deacon, to execute that office, and not the other." And Mr. Wesley declares that he and his brother considered the lay-preachers in the light of evangelists, or preachers only, when |