and his wonderful works. They reported, that, when the Grand Seignior sent to take him, he caused all the messengers that were sent to die; and when other Janizaries were sent, they all fell dead by a word from his mouth; and being requested to do it, he caused them to revive again. They added, that, though the prison where Sabatai lay was barred and fastened with strong iron locks, runner of the son of David, and seen in the habit of a Turk; se to usher him in; and Nehemiah great was their obstinacy and inaccused Sabatai of too great for-fidelity as if it were a thing imwardness in appearing as the son possible to convince these deluded of David, before the son of E-and infatuated wretches. phraim had led him the way. Sa- After all this, several of the batai could not brook this doc- Jews continued to use the forms, trine; for he might fear that the in their public worship, prescribed son of Ephraim, who was to lead by this Mahometan Messias, which the way, might pretend to be the obliged the principal Jews of Conson of David, and so leave him stantinople to send to the synain the lurch; and, therefore, he gogue of Smyrna to forbid this excluded him from any part or practice. During these things, the share in this matter; which was Jews, instead of minding their the occasion of the ruin of Saba-trade and traffic, filled their letters tai, and all his glorious designs. with news of Sabatai their Messias, Nehemiah being disappointed, goes to Adrianople, and informs the great ministers of state against Sabatai, as a lewd and dangerous person to the government, and that it was necessary to take him out of the way. The Grand Seignior, being informed of this, sends for Sabatai, who, much dejected, appears before him. The Grand Seignior requires a miracle, and chooses one himself; and it was this: that Sabatai should be strip-yet he was seen to walk through ped naked, and set as a mark for the streets with a numerous train; his archers to shoot at; and, if that the shackles which were upon the arrows did not pierce his flesh, his neck and feet did not fall off, he would own him to be the Mes-but were turned into gold, with sias. Sabatai had not faith enough to bear up under so great a trial. The grand Seignior let him know that he would forthwith impale him, and that the stake was prepared for him, unless he would turn Turk. Upon which he consented to turn Mahometan, to the great confusion of the Jews. And yet some of the Jews were so vain as to affirm that it was not Sabatai himself, but his shadow, that professed the religion, and was which Sabatai gratified his followers. Upon the fame of these things the Jews of Italy sent legates to Smyrna, to enquire into the truth of these matters. When the legates arrived at Smyrna, they heard of the news that Sabatia, was turned Turk, to their very great confusion; but, going to visit the brother of Sabatai, he endeavoured to persuade them that Sabatai was still the true Messias; that it was not Sabatai that went but his angel, or spirit; that his body was taken into heaven, and should be sent down again when God should think it a fit season. He added, that Nathan, his forerunner, who had wrought many miracles, would soon be at Smyrna; that he would reveal hidden things to them, and confirm them. But this Elias was not suffered to come into Smyrna, and though the legates saw him elsewhere, they received no satisfaction at about in the habit of a Turk, || middle of the seventeenth century in opposition to the Hugunots, or Protestants. These Methodists, from their different manner of treating the controversy with their opponents, may be divided into two classes. The one comprehends those doctors whose method of disputing with the Protestants was disingenuous and unreasonable; and who followed the example of those military chiefs who shut up their troops in intrenchments and strong holds, in order to cover them from the at24. The last false Christ that tacks of the enemy. Of this had made any considerable num- number were the Jesuit Veron, ber of converts was one Rabbi who required the Protestants to Mordechai, a Jew of Germany: prove the tenets of their church he appeared in the year 1682. It by plain passages of scripture, was not long before he was found without being allowed the liberty out to be an impostor, and was of illustrating those passages, reaobliged to fly from Italy to Po-soning upon them, or drawing any land to save his life. What be- conclusions from them; Nihucame of him afterwards does not seem to be recorded. all. sius, an apostate from the Protestant religion; the two WallenThis may be considered as true burgs, and others, who confined and exact an account of the false themselves to the business of anChrists that have arisen since the swering objections; and cardinal crucifixion of our blessed Saviour Richlieu, who confined the whole as can well be given. See Johan- controversy to the single article of nes a Lent's Hist. of False Messi- the divine institution and authoahs; Fortin's Rem. on Eccl. Hist. rity of the church.-2. The Mevol. iii, p. 330; Kidder's Demon-thodists of the second class were stration of the Messias: Harris's of opinion, that the most expeSermons on the Messiah; The Ele- dient manner of reducing the Proventh Volume of the Modern Part testants to silence was not to atof the Universal History; Simp-tack them by piece-meal, but to son's Key to the Prophecies, sec. 9; Maclaurin on the Prophecies relating to the Messiah. METHODIST, aname applied to different sects, both Papists and Protestants.-1. The Popish Methodists were those polemical doctors who arose in France about the overwhelm them at once by the who instead of spending their their number in Oxford amounted time and strength in sieges and to about fourteen. They obtained skirmishes, endeavour to put their name from the exact reguan end to the war by a general larity of their lives, which gave, and decisive action. Some of occasion to a young gentleman of these polemics rested the defence Christ Church to say, "Here is a of popery upon prescription; a new sect of Methodists sprung others upon the wicked lives of up;" alluding to a sect of ancient Protestant princes who had left physicians who were called Methe church of Rome; others, the thodists because they reduced the crime of religious schism; the va- whole healing art to a few common riety of opinions among Protest-principles, and brought it into some ants with regard to doctrine and method and order. discipline, and the uniformity of the tenets and worship of the church of Rome; and thus, by arging their respective arguments, they thought they should stop the mouths of their adversaries at once. At the time that this society was formed, it is said that the whole kingdom of England was tending fast to infidelity. "It is come," says bishop Butler, "I know not how, to be taken for granted by many persons, that METHODISTS PROTEST- Christianity is not so much as a ANT, origin of. This denomina-subject of enquiry; but that it is tion was founded, in the year 1729, now at length discovered to be by one Mr. Morgan and Mr. John fictitious; and accordingly they Wesley. In the month of Novem-treat it as if, in the present age, ber that year, the latter being then this were an agreement among fellow of Lincoln College, began all people of discernment, and to spend some evenings in read-nothing remained but to set it up ing the Greek Testament, with as a principal subject of mirth Charles Wesley, student, Mr. Mor- and ridicule, as it were, by way gan, commoner of Christ Church, of reprisals for its having so long and Mr. Kirkham, of Merton Col-interrupted the pleasures of the lege. Not long afterwards two or world." There is every reason three of the pupils of Mr. John to believe that the Methodists Wesley, and one pupil of Mr. were the instruments of stemCharles Wesley, obtained leave to ming this torrent. The sick and attend these meetings. They then the poor also tasted the fruits of began to visit the sick in different their labours and benevolence : parts of the town, and the prison- Mr. Wesley abridged himself of ers also, who were confined in the all his superfluities, and proposed castle. Two years after they were a fund for the relief of the indijoined by Mr. Ingham, of Queen's gent; and so prosperous was the College, Mr. Broughton, and Mr. scheme, that they quickly increasHervey; and, in 1735, by the ce-ed their fund to eighty pounds lebrated Mr. Whitfield, then in per annum. This, which one his eighteenth year. At this time should have thought would have been attended with praise instead Wesley preached in a place called of censure, quickly drew upon the Foundery, where Mr. Whitthem a kind of persecution: some field preached but once, and no of the seniors of the university more. Mr. Whitfield then preachbegan to interfere, and it was re-ed to very large congregations ported "that the college censors out of doors; and soon after, in were going to blow up the godly connexion with Mr. Cennick, and club." They found themselves, one or two more, began a new however, patronized and encour- house, in Kingswood, Gloucesteraged by some men eminent for shire, and established a school that their learning and virtue; so that favoured Calvinistical preachers. the society still continued, though The Methodists, therefore, were they had suffered a severe loss, in now divided; one part following 1730, by the death of Mr. Mor- Mr. Wesley, and the other Mr. gan, who, it is said, was the Whitfield. founder of it. In October 1735, John and Charles Wesley, Mr. Ingham, and Mr. Delamotte, son of a merchant in London, embarked for Georgia, in order to preach the gospel to the Indians. After their arrival they were at first favourably received, but in a short time lost the affection of the people; and, on account of some differences with the store-keeper, Mr. Wesley was obliged to return to England. Mr. Wesley, how-dition of salvation, the nature of ever, was soon succeeded by Mr. Whitfield, whose repeated labours in that part of the world are well known. The doctrines of the Wesleyan Methodists, according to their own account, are the same as the church of England, as set forth in her liturgy, articles, and homilies. This, however, has been disputed. Mr. Wesley, in his appeal to men of reason and religion, thus declares his sentiments: "All I teach," he observes, respects either the nature and condition of justification, the nature and con justifying and saving faith, or the Author of faith and salvation. That justification whereof our articles and homilies speak signifies II. Methodists, tenets of. After present forgiveness, and conseMr. Whitfield returned from Ame-quently acceptance with God: I rica in 1741, he declared his full believe the condition of this is assent to the doctrines of Calvin.faith; I mean not only that withMr. Wesley, on the contrary, pro- out faith we cannot be justified, but fessed the Arminian doctrine, and also that, as soon as any one has had printed in favour of perfec-true faith, in that moment he is tion and universal redemption, justified. Good works follow this and very strongly against election; faith, but cannot go before it; a doctrine which Mr. Whitfield much less can sanctification, which believed to be scriptural. The implies a continued course of good difference, therefore, of senti-works, springing from holiness of ments between these two great heart. But it is allowed that men caused a separation. Mr. sanctification goes before our jus tification at the last day, Heb. xii, the former part of the ninth, the 14. Repentance, snd fruits meet tenth, the eleventh, the twelfth, for repentance, go before faith. and thirteenth articles of the Repentance absolutely must go be-church of England. One of Mr. fore faith; fruits meet for it, if Wesley's preachers bears this testhere be opportunity. By repent-timony of him and his sentiments: ance I mean conviction of sin, "The Gospel, considered as a producing real desires and sincere general plan of salvation, he viewresolutions of amendment; by sal-ed as a display of the Divine pervation I mean not barely deli- fections, in a way agreeable to the verance from hell, but a present nature of God; in which all the deliverance from sin. Faith, in Divine attributes harmonize, and general, is a divine supernatural shine forth with peculiar lustre. evidence, or conviction of things-The Gospel, considered as a not seen, not discoverable by our means to attain an end, appeared bodily senses: justifying faith im- to him to discover as great fitness plies not only a divine evidence in the means to the end as can or conviction that God was in possibly be discovered in the strucChrist reconciling the world unto ture of natural bodies, or in the himself, but a sure trust and con- various operations of nature, from fidence that Christ died for my a view of which we draw our arsins, that he loved me, and gave guments for the existence of God. himself for me. And the moment-Man he viewed as blind, ignoa penitent sinner believes this, rant, wandering out of the way, God pardons and absolves him; with his mind estranged from God. and as soon as his pardon or jus--He considered the Gospel as tification is witnessed to him by a dispensation of mercy to men, the Holy Ghost, he is saved. From holding forth pardon, a free parthat time (unless he make ship-don of sin to all who repent and wreck of the faith) salvation gra- believe in Christ Jesus. dually increases in his soul. Gospel, he believed, inculcates "The author of faith and salva-universal holiness, both in heart tion is God alone. There is no and in the conduct of life.more of power than of merit in He shewed a mind well instructed man; but as all merit is in the in the oracles of God, and well Son of God, in what he has done acquainted with human nature. and suffered for us, so all power is He contended, that the first step in the spirit of God. And, there- to be a Christian is to repent; and fore, every man, in order to be- that, till a man is convinced of lieve unto salvation, must receive the evil of sin, and is determined the Holy Ghost." So far Mr. to depart from it; till he is conWesley. Respecting original sin, vinced that there is a beauty in free will, the justification of men, holiness, and something truly degood works, and works done be- sirable in being reconciled to God, fore justification, he refers us to he is not prepared to receive what is said on these subjects in Christ. The second important VOL. II. Q The |