(N. B. A preacher who marries while on trial, is thereby set aside.) "We may then receive him as a probationer by giving him the minutes of the Conference inscribed thus:

“To A. B.

"You think it your duty to call sinners to repentance. Make full proof hereof, and we shall rejoice to receive you as a fellowlaborer.

"Let him then read, and carefully weigh what is contained therein, that if he has any doubt, it may be removed.

"Observe! Taking on trial is entirely different from admitting a preacher. One on trial may be either admitted or rejected, without doing him any wrong. Otherwise it would be no trial at all. Let every assistant explain this to them that are on trial.

"When he has been on trial four years, if recommended by the assistant, he may be received into full connexion, by giving him the minutes inscribed thus: As long as you freely consent to, and earnestly endeavor to walk by these rules, we shall rejoice to acknowledge you as a fellow-laborer.' Meantime let none exhort in any of our societies, without a note of permission from the assistant: let every exhorter take care to have this renewed yearly: and let every assistant insist upon it.

Q. 42. "What is the method wherein we usually proceed in our Conferences?

A. "We inquire,

"1. What preachers are admitted?

"Who remain on trial?

"Who are admitted on trial?

"Who desist from travelling?

"2. Are there any objections to any of the preachers? Who are named one by one.

"3. How are the preachers stationed this year?

"4. What numbers are in the society?

"5. What is the Kingswood collection?

"6. What boys are received this year?

"7. What girls are assisted?

"8. What is contributed for the contingent expenses:

"9. How was this expended?

"10. What is contributed toward the fund, for superannuated and supernumerary preachers?

11. What demands are there upon it?

"12. How many preachers wives are to be provided for? By what societies?

"13. Where, and when, may our next Conference begin?

Q. 43. "How can we provide for superannuated and supernumerary preachers?

A. "Those who can preach four or five times a week, are supernumerary preachers. As for those who cannot,

"1. Let every travelling preacher contribute half a guinea yearly at the Conference.

"2. Let every one when first admitted as a travelling preacher pay a guinea.

3. Let this be lodged in the hands of the stewards.

"4. Out of this let provision be first made for the worn-out preachers, and then for the widows and children of those that are dead.

"5. Let an exact account of all receipts and disbursements be produced at the Conference.

"6. Let every assistant bring to the Conference, the contribution of every preacher in his circuit.

Q. 44. "Are not many of the preachers' wives still straitened for the necessaries of life?

A. "Some certainly have been. To prevent this for the time

to come,

"1. Let every circuit provide each with a lodging, coals, and candles, or allow her fifteen pounds a year.

"2. Let the assistant take this money at the quarterly meeting, before any thing else be paid out of it. Fail not to do this.

Q. 45. "What can be done, in order to revive the work of God where it is decayed?

A. "1. Let every preacher read carefully over the life of David Brainard. Let us be followers of him, as he was of Christ, in absolute self-devotion, in total deadness to the world, and in fervent love to God and man. Let us but secure this point, and the world and the devil must fall under our feet.

"2. Let both assistants and preachers be conscientiously exact in the whole Methodist discipline.

"3. See that no circuit be at any time without preachers. Therefore let no preacher, who does not attend the Conference, leave the circuit, at that time, on any pretence whatever. This is the most improper time of the whole year. Let every assistant see to this, and require each of these to remain in the circuit, till the new preachers come.

"Let not all the preachers in any circuit come to the Confer

ence.

"Let those who do come, set out as late and return as soon as possible.

"4. Wherever you can, appoint prayer-meetings, and particularly on Friday.

5. Let a fast be observed in all our societies, the last Friday in August, November, February, and May.

"6. Be more active in dispersing the books, particularly the sermon on, The good Steward, on Indwelling Sin, the Repentance of Believers, and the Scripture-Way of Salvation. Every assistant may give away small tracts. And he may beg money of the

rich to buy books for the poor.

"7. Strongly and explicitly exhort all believers, to go on to perfection. That we may all speak the same thing, I ask once for all, Shall we defend this perfection, or give it up? You all agree to defend it, meaning thereby (as we did from the beginning) salvation from all sin, by the love of God and man filling our heart. The Papists say, This cannot be attained, till we have been re

fined by the fire of Purgatory.' The Calvinists say, 'Nay, it will be attained as soon as the soul and body part.' The Old Methodists say, 'It may be attained before we die: a moment after is too late.' Is it so, or not? You are all agreed, we may be saved from all sin before death. The substance is then settled. But, as to the circumstance, is the change gradual or instantaneous? It is both the one and the other. From the moment we are justified, there may be a gradual sanctification, a growing in grace, a daily advance in the knowledge and love of God. And if sin cease before death, there must, in the nature of the thing, be an instantaneous change. There must be a last moment wherein it does exist, and a first moment wherein it does not. 'But should we in preaching insist both on one, and the other?' Certainly we must insist on the gradual change; and that earnestly and continually. And are there not reasons why we should insist on the instantaneous also? If there be such a blessed change before death, should we not encourage all believers to expect it? And the rather, because constant experience shows, the more earnestly they expect this, the more swiftly and steadily does the gradual work of God go on in their soul: the more watchful they are against all sin; the more careful to grow in grace, the more zealous of good works, and the more punctual in their attendance on all the ordinances of God. (Whereas just the contrary effects are observed, whenever this expectation ceases.) They are saved by hope, by this hope of a total change, with a gradually increasing salvation. Destroy this hope and that salvation stands still, or rather decreases daily. Therefore whoever would advance the gradual change in believers, should strongly insist on the instantaneous.

Q. 46. "What can be done to increase the work of God in Scotland?

A. 1. Preach abroad as much as possible. 2. Try every town and village. 3. Visit every member in the society at home.

Q. 47. "Are our preaching-houses safe?

A. "Not at all: for some of them are not settled on trustees. Several of the trustees for others are dead.

Q. 48. "What then is to be done?

A. "1. Let those who have debts on any of the houses give a bond, to settle them as soon as they are indemnified.

"2. Let the surviving trustees choose others without delay, by indorsing their deed thus:

in

'We the remaining trustees of the Methodist preaching-house do according to the power vested in us by this deed, to be trustees of the said house, in the place

choose

of

C Witness our hands

"N. B. The deed must have three new stamps, and must be inrolled in Chancery within six months.

49.

J: May any new preaching-houses be built?

"Not unless, 1. They are proposed at the Conference: no nor 2. Unless two-thirds of the expense be subscribed. And if any collection be made for them, it must be made between the Conference and the beginning of February.

Q. 50. "How may we raise a general fund for carrying on the whole work of God?

A. "By a yearly subscription to be proposed by every assistant when he visits the classes at Christmas, and received at the visitation following.

Q. 51. "We said in 1744, We have leaned too much toward Calvinism.' Wherein?

A. 1. With regard to man's faithfulness. Our Lord himself taught us to use the expression, therefore we ought never to be ashamed of it. We ought steadily to assert upon His authority, that if a man is not faithful in the unrighteous mammon, God will not give him the true riches.

2. With regard to working for life, which our Lord expressly commands us to do. Labor (gya 9) literally, work for the meat that endureth to everlasting life. And in fact, every believer, till he comes to glory, works for, as well as from life.

3. We have received it as a maxim, That a man is to do nothing, in order to justification.' Nothing can be more false. Whoever desires to find favor with God should cease from evil and learn to do well. So God himself teaches by the prophet Isaiah. Whoever repents should do works meet for repentance. And if this is not in order to find favor, what does he do them for? "Once more review the whole affair:

"1. Who of us is now accepted of God?

"He that now believes in Christ, with a loving, obedient heart. "2. But who among those that never heard of Christ?

"He that according to the light he has, feareth God and worketh righteousness.

3. Is this the same with, he that is sincere?

"Nearly, if not quite.

"4. Is not this salvation by works?

"Not by the merit of works, but by works as a condition.

"5. What have we then been disputing about for these thirty years?

"I am afraid, about words: (namely, in some of the foregoing instances.)

6. "As to merit itself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid: we are rewarded according to our works, yea because of our works. How does this differ from, for the sake of our works? And how differs this from secundum merita operum? Which is no more than as our works deserve? Can you split this hair? I doubt, I

cannot.

"7. The grand objection to one of the preceding propositions, is drawn from matter of fact. God does in fact justify those, who by their own confession neither feared God, nor wrought righteousness. Is this an exception to the general rule?

"It is a doubt, whether God makes any exception at all. But how are we sure that the person in question never did fear God and work righteousness? His own thinking so is no proof. For we know, how all that are convinced of sin, undervalue themselves in every respect.

8. Does not talking, without the proper caution, of a justified

or sanetified state, tend to mislead men? Almost naturally leading them to trust in what was done in one moment? Whereas we are every moment pleasing or displeasing to God according to our works? According to the whole of our present inward tempers, and outward behavior."

CHAPTER IV.

STATING THE PRINCIPAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF MR. WESLEY'S LIFE AND LABORS, TILL AFTER THE CONFERENCE IN 1784; WITH

A CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF METHODISM TO THAT

PERIOD.

SOME of the preachers being now in America, and several societies having been formed, they earnestly solicited Mr. Wesley, once more to cross the Atlantic and give them a visit. In the beginning of this year, he wrote to Mr. Whitefield on this subject, as follows: " Mr. Keen informed me some time since, of your safe arrival in Carolina; of which indeed I could not doubt for a moment notwithstanding the idle report of your being cast away, which was so current in London. I trust our Lord has more work for you to do in Europe, as well as in America. And who knows, but before your return to England, I may pay another visit to the New World? I have been strongly solicited by several of our friends in New York and Philadelphia. They urge many reasons; some of which seem to be of considerable weight. And my age is no objection at all: for I bless God, my health is not barely good, but abundantly better, in several respects, than when I was five and twenty. But there are so many reasons on the other side, that as yet I can determine nothing; so I must wait till I have further light. Here I am; let the Lord do with me as seemeth him good. For the present, I must beg of you to supply my lack of service: by encouraging the preachers as you judge best, who are as yet comparatively young and inexperienced: by giving them such advices as you think proper: and above all, by exhorting them not only to love one another, but if it be possible, as much as lieth in them, live peaceably with all men."-It is evident from what is here said, that he had a strong inclination once more to visit America. This inclination operated on his mind for many years. And when the people were sometimes tardy in complying with his directions and desires, he would often mention it, as a means of keeping them in order. Being one day asked in company, if he did intend to go to America? He answered, "If I go to America, I must do a thing which I hate as bad as I hate the devil." What is that, sir, said one present? "I inust keep a secret," he replied: meaning, that if his inclination rose to a fixed purpose, he must conceal it from the societies here; otherwise, such an opposition would be raised, as might, in the event, effectually prevent him from undertaking the voyage.