deprivation of the sacraments. The clergy of the English establishment had left the country, and neither the Presbyterians, the Independents, nor the Baptists, would administer the ordinances of baptism, or the Lord's supper, to them, unless they would renounce their connection with Mr. Wesley, and join their respective churches. These necessities were met, on the part of some of the preachers, who took upon themselves to administer the sacraments. This caused a division among them: the party separating chose from among themselves three senior brethren, who ordained others by the imposition of hands. The breach, however, was afterward healed, the separatists returned to the society, and by the vote of a subsequent conference the ordination was declared invalid. This step left the people in the same situation as they were before. When peace was established with the mother country, the intercourse was opened between the societies in both countries. Mr. Wesley, being informed of the extreme uneasiness of the people's minds for want of the sacraments, and that thousands of their children were unbaptized, resolved upon drawing up a plan of church government, and of establishing an ordination for his American societies. At the conference of 1784, it was determined to send Dr. Coke and two other preachers to America. The two preachers were ordained presbyters by Mr. Wesley, with the assistance of Dr. Coke, and the Rev. Mr. Creighton; and Dr. Coke himself was ordained a superintendent or bishop, and received letters of ordination for America under the hand and seal of Mr. Wesley. The step thus taken for the purpose of giving an efficient ministry to the trans-atlantic Methodist churches has given occasion to much discussion. By some even of Mr. Wesley's best friends it was viewed as an unwarrantable stretch of authority, calculated to entail innumerable evils on the Methodist body and by others it was regarded as the long 66 looked-for renunciation of the authority of the church. It seems that Mr. Wesley submitted to this purely as an act of expediency, and did not adopt it as a matter of choice. He had been convinced, by the perusal of Lord King's book on the primitive church, that bishops and presbyters are the same order, and consequently have the same right to ordain: and viewing his people in America as sheep without any shepherd," destitute of the ordinances of God, and religion, he resolved to exercise the authority with which he believed himself to be scripturally invested. "For many years," he observes, “I have been importuned, from time to time, to exercise this right. by ordaining part of our travelling preachers. But I have still refused, not only for peace' sake, but because I was determined, as little as possible, to violate the established order of the national church to which I belonged." In reply to his brother Charles, he says, "I firmly believe that I am a scriptural εioкowos, as much as any man in England, or in Europe; for the UNINTERRUPTED SUCCESSION I know to be a fable which no man ever did or can prove. But this does, in no wise, interfere with my remaining in the Church of England; from which I have no more desire to separate than I had fifty years ago." He In the year 1787, Mr. Wesley visited the French islands. Methodism had been already introduced into them, and was rapidly spreading its influence. preached at Alderney, Guernsey, and Jersey, to serious and deeply attentive congregations, and departed highly gratified with the result of his visit. In the following year Charles died, in the 79th year of his age. He had said, just before his dissolution, that his brother would not survive him above a year. Mr. Wesley paid little attention to this; but he seemed to think that, considering his years, and the symptoms of decay which he had marked in himself, such an event was highly probable. Deter mined, however, to "die in the harness," he continued to travel and preach as usual. While on a journey through Ireland he was attacked with a disorder from which he was never afterward fully relieved. His strength now diminished so much, that he found it difficult to preach more than twice a day; and for many weeks he abstained from his five o'clock morning sermons, because a slow and settled fever parched his mouth. Finding himself something better, he resumed the practice, and hoped to hold on a little longer: but at the beginning of the year 1790, he writes, "I am now an old man, decayed from head to foot. My eyes are dim; my right hand shakes much; my mouth is hot and dry every morning; I have a lingering fever almost every day; my motion is weak and slow. However, blessed be God! I do not slack my labours: I can preach and write still." He rose at his usual hour, four o'clock, and went through the many duties of the day, not, indeed, with the same apparent vigour, but without complaint, and with a degree of resolution that was astonishing. He would still, as he afterward remarks, "do a little for God before he dropped into the dust." In this manner he went on till the month of February, 1791, when he took cold after preaching at Lambeth. For some days he struggled against an increasing fever, and continued to preach, but daily became weaker and more lethargic; and on the second of March he died in peace, being in the eighty-eighth year of his age, and the sixty-fifth of his ministry. He was buried in a vault in the City-Road Chapel, whither he was followed by the tears and affectionate regrets of hundreds, who regarded him as their father in the gospel. The limits assigned to this hasty sketch of the life. of Wesley forbids any thing like a review of his character we therefore conclude it with an observation of Mr. Nicholls, in his Literary Anecdotes, as highly honour able to both of the parties" This extraordinary man, though he was endowed with eminent talents, was more distinguished by their use than even by their possession. Though his taste was classic, and his manners elegant, he sacrificed that society in which he was peculiarly calculated to shine; gave up those preferments which his abilities might have obtained; and devoted a long life in practising and enforcing common duties. Instead of being ' an ornament to literature,' he was a blessing to his fellow-creatures; instead of being 'the genius of the age,' he was the servant of God." The following is the inscription on the tomb-stone : THE VENERABLE JOHN WESLEY, A. M. (By the singular providence of God,) The pure apostolical DOCTRINE and PRACTICES of Which he continued to do by his writings and labours, Not only beheld their INFLUENCE extending, In the hearts and lives of MANY THOUSANDS, But also, far above all human power or expectation, lived to see PROVISION made, by the singular Grace of God, For their CONTINUANCE and ESTABLISHMENT, Reader, if thou art constrained to bless the INSTRU- After having languished a few days, He, at length, IN THE EIGHTY-EIGHTH YEAR OF HIS AGE. On the marble tablet in the chapel is the following: Sacred to the Memory Of the REV. JOHN WESLEY, A. M. Some time Fellow of LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD. A Man, in Learning and sincere Piety, scarcely inferior to any: In zeal, Ministerial labours, & extensive usefulness, Regardless of fatigue, personal danger, & disgrace, He was the Founder of the METHODIST SOCIETIES; Through GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, With unexampled success. He was born July 17th, 1703, And died March 2nd, 1791, In sure and certain hope of eternal life, Through the atonement and mediation of a crucified Saviour. He was sixty-five years in the Ministry, |