The following thought is obviously derived from SHAKSPEARE. "What would you have? your gentleness shall force, As you like it. Entertaining a serious respect for the literary attainments and genius of Mr. Sotheby, we regret the neceffity of giving fo unfa vourable an opinion of his dramatic labours. DIVINITY. ART. XX. Obfervations in Behalf of the Methodists, on a Pamph let lately published by the Rev. R. Polwbele, Vicar of Manaccan, Cornwall, entitled "Anecdotes of Methodifm." By Samuel Drew, St. Auftle, Cornwall. 8vo. ftitched. PP. 70. Price 1s. Hurft, London. THIS 1800. 'HIS Mr. Samuel Drew, we understand, is the fhoemaker of St. Auftle, whose answer to Paine reflects fo much credit on his talents. We are forry, that the pamphlet before us moft imperiously urges us to apply to Mr. Drew, a maxim drawn from an accurate obfervation of the human heart-that genius, in vulgar life, is too commonly the parent of prefumption. For after hav ing perused this daring defence of the fanaticifm and wild irregularities of the Methodists, replete as it is with the moft fcurrilous abuse of Mr. Polwhele, we hesitate not to clafs Mr. Drew (more on account of his audacity than his genius) with the Paines, and the Wolftonecrafts, and the Yearfeleys of the age. They, it is true, were enemies to Chriftianity, whilft Mr. Drew ftood forth its friend and champion: but, if this man be as found as he is fanguine, the moment will foon, perhaps, arrive, when he will affent to our po fition, that diffidence and modefty are less injurious to the caufe of truth, than overweening conceit and vain glory. In defending his fraternity against Mr. Polwhele, Mr. D. ought, affuredly, to have kept in view the profeffional character of the perfon whom he was addreffing; and to have checked himself, when disposed to be abufive. But Mr. D. will fay, "Mr. P's. attack upon us was wanton and unprovoked; and, therefore, Mr. P. deferved no quarter." Admitting that it was wanton and unprovoked (though the reverse be to us very evident) does not the Gospel, of which D. pretends to be an enlightened interpreter, admonith us not to render evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blefling "" What fhall we fay to thefe expreffions, and others, fcattered over Drew's Pamphlet? "An artifice peculiarly his own"-" the un accountable ignorance of the man' deep-rooted malignity""indecency and equivocation"—" lying wonders or wondrous lies" apoftacy". a magiftrate or a broomstick". infanity" envy, hatred, malice, and uncharitablenefs"-" abominable falfhoods"- "this hydra of a lie"- a daring piece of impudence and hypocrify" effrontery of conduct"-" confummate ignorance." 66 F4 Thus Thus eloquent is the Cornish cobler. But he is not a man of words only he is an adept in logic, e. g. Mr. P. has faid, that Methodifm plunges its votaries into every vice; and yet that there are amongst them great numbers whofe unaffected piety would stand the test of the feverest scrutiny. Thus making too oppofite effects to flow from the fame principle, which includes this fterling contradiction-that Methodism produces unaffected piety, and does not produce it, at the fame time." But Mr. P. does not fay, that Methodifm PRODUCES unaffected piety. He has intimated only, that, among the Methodists (the greater part of whom we believe with Mr. P. to be enthufiafts or hypocrites) there are many good people. To general obfervations (as to general rules) there are exceptions. Befides, we deny the pofition, that the fame cause always produces the fame effect. "In your fecond letter to Dr. H. you say, you muft know, that the acts of juftice and the love of mercy, of which I spoke, were not affumed to myself." Now how any man, after reading, " let us all be aware, whatever our tenets may be, &c. can conceive that the words us and our did not include, and [were] was not affumed to yourself, I confefs, I do not know." Us and our certainly did INCLUDE himself: but whoever looks to Dr. H's letter, must conceive Mr. P. to have meant this, and this only; 'that the acts of juftice, &c. were not affumed, exclufively and arrogantly, to himfelf; for of this arrogance D. H. had accused him. "But the acts of juftice and mercy were not (it feems) affumed to yourself, but recommended to Chriftians in general, as the confolations of a dying hour. Now, admitting this general recommendation of your principles, and that they apply to Chriftians in general, but are not affumed to yourself, it then follows, from your own principles, that you are not a Chriftian; because these confolations are recommended to Chriftians in general, but are not affumed to yourself." Admirable logician! "But if we admit Mr. P. to be a Christian, though contrary to his own principles, his confolations, &c. must arife from his acts of juftice, or from fomething else. If from the former, he affumes it to himself: but this contradicts page 21, fecond letter, as quoted above. If the latter, this will contradict page 90, first letter, where he fays, nothing can afford us comfort but the confcioufnefs, &c." We have here" the cobler turned cafuift" with a vengeance! "You have not fo much as hinted, within many pages, that ever there had been a Saviour in the world; and yet you tell us now, you have no where represented our good works as affording us any ground for confidence but through the merits of our Saviour, Jefus Chrift!" Mr. Drew might as well fay, that St. Paul or St. Peter, when teaching the moral duties, were no Chriftians, because the Apoftles fubjoined. not to every precept, "through the merits of Jefus Chrift." "The general fentiment of your letter, it feems, is but an echo to difcourfes from all the pulpits around you." "What the clergy of Cornwall will fay to this, I know not; but fincerely hope, and firmly believe, that the position is not true. For if all the pulpits around around you utter notes, of which your letter is but an echo, then all the pulpits around you must be fo many vehicles of inconfiftencies, abfurdities, contradictions, and abufe." The extreme folly of this argument is fufficiently obvious. Mr. P. tells us, that the GENERAL SENTIMENT of his letter is an echo to difcourfes from the preachers around him.'* But, with this general fentiment, Mr. P. has mixed "inconfiftencies, &c. &c. &c." Ergo, the preachers around him' must have mixed " inconfiftencies," &c. with the general fentiment of their difcourfes. Juft as foolish as the following: "Our Diocefan, it appears, appreciates, in juft terms, the exertions of his clergy, in whatever fhape they come forward." If this affertion be true, it follows, that this group of contradictions,` &c. which you have fent into the world, must be approved of by him, and a fine compliment you will then have paid to his Lordfhip's character!" But if Again, "You fay, the Methodists are all ripe for rebellion. If this charge be falfe, your affertion needs no comment. it be fuppofed true, you must have a fufficiency of evidence on which you found your charge, or you must not. If not, you fail again; but if you have, you are able to reveal that evidence; and, by fo doing, you will bring to condign punishment a large body of people all ripe for rebellion, and be delivered from the yoke of Methodism, which is too heavy to be borne.' By not having done fo, you prove yourself an abettor of their Confpiracies, and confequently (if you can prove the truth of your affertions) a traitor to your King and Country." Now let us enquire-let us (we incan the authors and publishers of the Anti-Jacobin Review) in this great and populous city, who have much more extenfive opportu nities of obferving the political and religious complexion of the, times than Mr. Polwhele can poffibly poffefs, in his obfcure retire-. ment at Manaccan: let us mutually enquire of each other, whether we be not all and individually acquainted with characters, fuch as we fufpect of a Jacobinical bias; fuch as, we are fure, from their converfation and conduct, are disposed to favour a democratic government; of whofe avertion to a monarchy we, from a variety of circumftances, entertain not a doubt, and whom, confequently, we confider as ripe for rebellion; yet against whom we can produce no legal evidence, (or not evidence clofe enough for conviction) though we have every inclination to bring them to condign punishment. Cautious, circumfpect, and cunning, perfons of this defcription communicate their fentiments in hints and fly inuendos. They have too great a regard for themfelves to speak openly against * Mr. D. refufes credit to this affertion. But, taking it even in the most extenfive fenfe, we know it to be true. We have ourfelves heard a great number of difcourfes preached in this metropolis and its neighbourhood against the Calvinistic Methodifts, and Methodism in general; and we have read a greater number of difcourfes and eflays on the fame fubjects, very lately written in various parts of the island. their their King. When they speak unrefervedly, it is in favour of the enemies of their country. They feize, for inftance, on the name of Bonaparte with avidity, attempting to blazon his atchievements in all the glowing colours of panegyric. Thus they expatiate, with fupreme complacency, on his heroic virtues: they then pafs, with every indication of pleafure, to encomia on the confular government. And they conclude all, with a few oblique reflections by which we may eafily judge, that every public character or every government, in proportion as it recedes from that standard of greatnefs or of political happiness which they are labouring to erect, is fo far imperfect. Nor is a hint wanting, that the British adminiftration, and even the British conftitution itself, form too glaring a contraft with those characteristic perfections; who perceives not the treasonable or feditious tendency of fuch converfations? Yet who can bring the converfers to condign punishment. Speaking of the common people in general, Mr. P. very properly and juftly obferves, "It is not learning, but fingularity; not truth, but myfticifm; not reafon, but paffion, that affects the uncultivated mind." Hear, gentle Reader, the Cornifh cobler's cafuiftical com→ ments upon this fentence. "Now it is evident that the fingularity, myfticifm, and paffion, of which you speak, cannot be of that nature which partakes either of truth, learning, or reafon, because you have made between them a diftinct feparation; confequently, must be founded upon ignorance, falfhood, and folly. As many are to be found in your parish whofe minds are uncultivated, and you have taken upon you the holy office folely to promote the glory of God and the . edification of his people, your preaching must be adapted to that defign, and therefore muft be made up of ignorance, falfhood, and folly; because you design to edify a people, many of whom are not affected by either learning, truth, or reafon!" In this cafe, what are we to think " of your character, as a Gospel Minifter, propagating ignorance, falfhood, and folly? But if we fuppofe your preaching to be founded in learning, truth, or reason, and the uncultivated mind is unaffected thereby, it follows, that your methods of preaching cannot be calculated to do them any good, or you must retra& what you have fo peremptorily afferted above." Who can endure fuch palpable abfurdities? Mr. Drew's argument in favour of field-preaching is curious. "On what principles can you defpife field-preaching? Is God more attached to an houfe built of wood and flone, than he is to the place whence that wood and stone were taken? Certainly not. And if Jefus could teach from a fhip, and the apoftle kneel on the fea-fhore, an imitation of their conduct is perfectly juftifiable: and thus far we are not enthufiafts. You affect to defpife Wefley for melting in pity over the unenlightened poet; but, in what manner does Mr. P. treat thofe lines of the fame author, when he ridicules field-preaching. "In the fame temple, the refounding wood, All vocal beings hymned their equal God. Pride then was not, nor arts that pride to aid, "If, by the liberty of its owner, we prefer a field to worship God God in, the barn, the ftable, the tub, or Upping-stock, and if, in either of those places, we fing, we pray, we preach, it is only acting in conformity to thofe rights which Mr. P. may grin at and defpife; but which no claffical tafte, no poetical refinements, though barbed with wit or pointed with lampoon, can ever wrench from our hands." "We term thofe Methodists (fays Mr. P.) who are oftentatiously religious." On which this man obferves, Mr. P. might, with as much propriety, describe the weather to be coldly hot or drily wet, and that his intellects, when he wrote this definition, were fenfibly infenfible." Mr. D. might as well carp at the text in St. James'; "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." A text, for more reasons than one, not undeserving our cobler's confideration. From this fingular performance we fhall make one more extract refpecting Bifhop Lavington: "Your words are: To the laft, he always spoke of the Methodifts as a fraternity composed of enthufiafts and hypocrites. On this the obvious remark is, that he must have died in love with enthusiasts and hypocrites, or he could not have died in charity with all men. If the former, what credit is due to his enthufiafm? If the latter, what are we to think of his enmity in his departing moments? If your obfervations, taken altogether, be true, what a fine compliment have you paid to his Lordship's memory! If falfe, what credit will be due to your affertion?" Sophiftries like these are beneath criticism. With regard to the anecdotes themselves, we have no doubt of their being true, though Mr. Drew affert the contrary, or profess himself unable, with all his industry, to trace a few of them to their fource. "Out of about thirty-four anecdotes (fays he) eight are falfe." According to his own mode of arguing, then, if eight only be falfe, the other twenty-fix muft be true. But we have protefted against such sort of reafoning, as fallacious and abfurd. Not, however, to infift on this point; the eight anecdotes which are afferted to be false are not proved to be fo, from the circumstance of the cobler's evidence running counter to Mr. Polwhele's. The cobler has, indeed, given the names of his vouchers in general: but who are they? Interested perfons, Methodifts. Befides the facts themfelves, independent of the credibility of the witneffes, are natural and probable. And even those, againft which Mr. Drew contends with the greatest degree of violence, correfpond fo exactly with Bishop Lavington's Reports, and with fome which have fallen within our own obfervation, that we entertain not the flightest doubt of their authenticity. On the whole, we difmifs this letter with the mingled feelings of contempt and indignation; a letter of which we are at a lofs to determine the predominating character; equally marked, as it seems to be, (in the apprehention of our whole reviewing corps) by ignorance, malignity, and infolence. ART. |
