and necessary step he believed to has appointed may partake of his be faith, agreeable to the order blessings. He supposed that suffiof the apostle, Repentance to-cient grace is given to all in that ward God, and faith toward our way and manner which is best aLord Jesus Christ,' Acts xx, 20, dapted to influence the mind. He 21. In explaining sanctification, did not believe salvation was by he accurately distinguished it from works. So far was he from putjustification, or the pardon of sin. ting works in the place of the Justification admits us into a state blood of Christ, that he only gave of grace and favour with God, them their just value: he consiand lays the foundation of sancti- dered them as the fruits of a fication, or Christian holiness, in living operative faith, and as the all its extent. There has been a measure of our future reward; great clamour raised against him for every man will be rewarded because he called his view of not for his works, but according sanctification by the word per- to the measure of them. He gave fection; but he often explained the whole glory of salvation to what he meant by this term. He God, from first to last. He bemeant by the word perfection, such lieved that man would never turn a degree of the love of God, and to God, if God did not begin the the love of man; such a degree work: he often said that the first of the love of justice, truth, holi- approaches of grace to the mind ness, and purity, as will remove are irresistible; that is, that a man from the heart every contrary dis- cannot avoid being convinced that position towards God or man; he is a sinner; that God, by vaand that this should be our state rious means, awakens his conof mind in every situation and science; and, whether the man in every circumstance of life.- will or no, these convictions apHe maintained that God is a God proach him." In order that we of love not to a part of his crea- may form still clearer ideas retures only, but to all; that He specting Mr. Wesley's opinions, who is the Father of all, who made we shall here quote a few quesall, who stands in the same rela- tions and answers as laid down in tion to all his creatures, loves the Minutes of Conference. Q. them all; that he loved the world," In what sense is Adam's sin imand gave his Son a ransom for all puted to all mankind?" A. “In without distinction of persons. It Adam all die, i. e. 1. Our bodies appeared to him, that to represent then became mortal.-2. Our souls God as partial, as confining his died, i. e. were disunited from God. love to a few, was unworthy our And hence,-3. we are all born notions of the Deity. He main- with a sinful, devilish nature; by tained that Christ died for all reason whereof,-4. we are chilmen; that he is to be offered to dren of wrath, liable to death eterall; that all are to be invited to nal," Rom. v, 18. Eph. ii, 3. Q. come to him; and that whoso-" In what sense is the righteousness ever comes in the way which God of Christ imputed to all mankind. or to believers?" A. "We do in the faith, yea, the greater part not find it expressly affirmed in of those we have known, were not scripture that God imputes the sanctified throughout, not made righteousness of Christ to any, perfect in love, till a little before although we do find that faith is death.-2. That the term sanctiimputed for righteousness. That fied is continually applied by St. text, As by one man's disobe-Paul to all that were justified, dience all men were made sinners, that were true believers.-3. That so by the obedience of one all by this term alone he rarely (if were made righteous,' we con- ever) means saved from all sin.— ceive, means by the merits of 4. That consequently it is not proChrist all men are cleared from per to use it in this sense, without the guilt of Adam's actual sin."adding the word wholly, enQ. "Can faith be lost but through tirely,' or the like.-5. That the disobedience?" A. "It cannot. inspired writers almost continually A believer first inwardly disobeys; speak of or to those who were inclines to sin with his heart; then justified, but very rarely either of his intercourse with God is cut off, or to those who were sanctified.— i. e. his faith is lost; and after 6. That consequently it behoves this he may fall into outward sin,us to speak in public almost conbeing now weak, and like another tinually of the state of justification; man.' Q. "What is implied in but more rarely in full and explibeing a perfect Christian ?" A. cit terms concerning entire sancti"The loving the Lord our God fication." Q. "What, then, is the with all our heart, and with all point wherein we divide?" A. our mind, and soul, and strength.""It is this: Whether we should Q. "Does this imply that all inward sin is taken away?" A. "Without doubt; or how could we be said to be saved from all our uncleannesses?" Ezek. xxxvi, 29. Q. "How much is allowed by our brethren who differ from us with regard to entire sanctification ?" A. "They grant, 1. That every one must be entirely sanctified in the article of death.-2. That till then a believer daily grows in grace, comes nearer and Thus I have endeavoured to nearer to perfection.-3. That we give a view of the tenets of the ought to be continually pressing Wesleyan Methodists; and this after this, and to exhort all others I have chosen to do in their own to do so." Q." What do we al-words, in order to prevent misrelow them?" A. "We grant, 1.presentation. expect to be saved from all sin before the article of death?" Q. Is there any clear scripture promise of this, that God will save us from all sin ?" A. "There is, Psal. cxxx, 8: 'He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.' This is more largely expressed in Ezek. xxxvi, 25, 29. 2d Cor. vii, 1. Deut. xxx, 6. 1st John iii, 8. Eph. v, 25, 27. John xvii, 20, 23. 1st John iv, 17." That many of those who have died As to the doctrines of the Cal vinistic Methodists, they need not || 1. To see each person in his be inserted here, as the reader will class once a week, at least, in orfind the substance of them under der to inquire how their souls the article CALVINISTS. prosper; to advise, reprove, com III. Methodists, government and fort, or exhort, as occasion may discipline of. A considerable num-require; to receive what they are ber both of the Calvinists and Ar-willing to give to the poor, or tominian Methodists approve of the ward the Gospel.-2. To meet the discipline of the church of Eng- minister and the stewards of the land, while many, it is said, are society once a week, in order to dissenters in principle. Mr. Wes- inform the minister of any that are ley and Mr. Whitfield were both sick, or of any that walk disorderbrought up in, and paid peculiarly, and will not be reproved; to respect to that church. They did pay to the stewards what they not, however, as is well known, have received of their several confine themselves to her laws in classes in the week preceding; all respects as it related to disci- and to shew their account of pline. what each person has contri Mr. Wesley having formed nu-buted. merous societies in different parts, "There is only one condition he, with his brother Charles, drew previously required of those who up certain rules, by which they desire admission into these sociewere, and it seems still are, go-ties, namely, A desire to flee from verned. They state the nature the wrath to come; to be saved and design of a Methodist society from their sins: but wherever this in the following words: is really fixed in the soul, it will be shewn by its fruits. It is, therefore, expected of all who continue therein that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation. "Such a society is no other "than a company of men having "the form and seeking the power "of godliness: united, in order to "pray together, to receive the "word of exhortation, and to "watch over one another in love, "that they may help each other to "work out their salvation." "First, By doing no harm; by avoiding evil in every kind; especially that which is most generally practised, such as the taking the name of God in vain; the profaning the day of the Lord, either by doing ordinary work thereon, or by buying or sel "That it may the more easily be discerned whether they are indeed working out their own salvation, each society is divided into smaller companies, calledling; drunkenness; buying or selclasses, according to their respective places of abode. There are about twelve persons (sometimes fifteen, twenty, or even more) in each class; one of whom is styled the leader. It is his business, ling spirituous liquors, or drinking them, unless in cases of extreme necessity; fighting, quarrelling, brawling; brother going to law with brother; returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; the using many words in buying or selling; the buying or selling uncustomed goods; the giving or taking things on usury, i. e. unlawful interest. "Uncharitable or unprofitable conversation; particularly speaking evil of magistrates, or of mi nisters. "Doing to others as we would not they should do unto us. "Doing what we know is not for the glory of God: as the putting on gold or costly apparel; the taking such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the Lord Je sus. "The singing those songs, or reading those books, which do not tend to the knowledge or love of God; softness, and needless selfindulgence; laying up treasure upon earth; borrowing without a probability of paying; or taking up goods without a probability of paying for them. not to do good, unless our hearts be free to it.' "By doing good, especially to them that are of the household of faith, or groaning so to be; employing them preferably to others; buying one of another; helping each other in business; and so much the more, because the world will love its own, and them only; by all possible diligence and frugality, that the Gospel be not blamed; by running with patience the race set before them,denying themselves, and taking up their cross daily; submitting to bear the reproach of Christ; to be as the filth and offscouring of the world, and looking that men should say all manner of evil of them falsely for the Lord's sake. "It is expected of all who desire to continue in these societies that they should continue to evidence their desire of salvation, "Thirdly, By attending on all "It is expected of all who con- the ordinances of God: such are, tinue in these societies that they-The public worship of God; should continue to evidence their the ministry of the word, either desire of salvation, read or expounded; the supper of the Lord; family and private prayer; searching the scriptures; "Secondly, By doing good; by being in every kind merciful after their power, as they have oppor-and fasting and abstinence." tunity; doing good of every pos"These are the general rules of sible sort, and as far as possible to our societies, all which we are all men; to their bodies, of the taught of God to observe, even in ability which God giveth; by his written word; the only rule, giving food to the hungry, by and the sufficient rule, both of clothing the naked, by visiting or our faith and practice; and all helping them that are sick, or in these we know his Spirit writes on prison to their souls, by instruct-every truly awakened heart. If ing, reproving, or exhorting all we there be any among us who obhave any intercourse with; tram-serve them not, who habitually pling under foot that enthusiastic break any of them, let it be made doctrine of devils, that We are known unto them who watch over that soul, as they that must give John Wesley. round some principal society in those parts, and which were so situated, that the greatest distance from one to the other was not much more than twenty miles, and united them into what was called a circuit. At the yearly conference he appointed two, Charles Wesley." three, or four preachers to one of In Mr. Wesley's connexion, these circuits, according to its exthey have circuits and confer-tent, which at first was often very ences, which we find were thus considerable, sometimes taking in formed: When the preachers a part of three or four counties. at first went out to exhort and Here, and here only, were they preach, it was by Mr. Wesley's to labour for one year, that is, permission and direction; some until the next conference. One from one part of the kingdom, of the preachers on every circuit and some from another; and was called the assistant, because though frequently strangers to he assisted Mr. Wesley in supereach other, and to those to whom intending the societies and other they were sent, yet on his credit preachers; he took charge of the and sanction alone they were re-societies within the limits assigned ceived and provided for as friends him; he enforced the rules every by the societies wherever they where, and directed the labours of But having little or no the preachers associated with him. communication or intercourse Having received a list of the sowith one another, nor any subor-cieties forming his circuit, he took dination among themselves, they must have been under the necessity of recurring to Mr. Wesley for directions how and where they were to labour. To remedy this inconvenience, he conceived the design of calling them together to an an-directed. They now followed one nual conference: by this means he brought them into closer union with each other, and made them sensible of the utility of acting in concert and harmony. He soon found it necessary, also, to bring their itinerancy under certain regulations, and reduce it to some fixed order, both to prevent confusion, and for his own ease: he therefore took fifteen or twenty societies, more or less, which lay his own station in it, gave to the other preachers a plan of it, and pointed out the day when each should be at the place fixed for him, to begin a progressive motion round it, in such order as the plan another through all the societies belonging to that circuit, at stated distances of time, all being governed by the same rules, and undergoing the same labour. By this plan, every preacher's daily work was appointed beforehand; each knew, every day, where the others were, and each society when to expect the preacher, and how long he would stay with them. |