one thousand and nineteen, who are perfectly united together in the same mind and the same judgment on all the leading subjects of Christian theology.* The important body of local preachers, we presume, cannot be fewer than four thousand.

When the system of Sunday-school instruction was first introduced, it met with Mr. Wesley's cordial approval; and in this service the connection has continued to take an active part. Exclusive of Wales, where the system is extensively pursued, but from which no returns have been recently received, there are in Great Britain three thousand three hundred and thirty-nine Wesleyan Sunday schools, including three hundred and forty-one thousand four hundred and forty-two children, and employing fiftynine thousand two hundred and seventy-seven teachers, whose services are all gratuitous. In the support of these institutions the sum of about £17,800 is annually expended. Many of them are furnished with libraries, from which the senior scholars, and the families to which they belong, are supplied with books of a pious and useful character. Many excellent day schools have also been formed in connection with Methodist chapels, and their number is increasing every year.

In most of the larger towns, as well as in several villages, there are also Wesleyan tract societies, carried on upon the loan system. Visiters are appointed to different districts, whose office it is to call at every house in order, offering to the families the loan of a religious tract for a given period, and receiving those that were left at the time of the last visit. By this means divine light is diffused among careless and ungodly people; neglected children are often introduced to Sunday schools; and whole families are sometimes induced to sanctify the sabbath, and attend the house of God.

*See note A, at the end of this chapter.

The Naval and Military Bible Society was originally formed by a small number of Wesleyan Methodists, in the year 1779. George Cussons, of Wardour-street, London, took an active part in devising the plan, and in directing its first operations. It afterward obtained high patronage; and has been of incalculable benefit to the brave men who form the army and navy of England.

The Monthly Magazine, which Mr. Wesley instituted about sixty years ago, is still carried on, and widely circulated. It is conducted upon its original theological principles, though it is less polemical in its character than it was in his hands, the circumstances of the times being changed. It is still employed in repelling unjust attacks upon the body, for which, unhappily, the calls are too frequent. To this periodical, the oldest of the kind now in England, there have been added, since Mr. Wesley's death, four others,-the Missionary Notices, the Youth's Instructer, the Cottager's Friend, and the Child's Magazine, all of which are very extensively read. To the invaluable works of Mr. Wesley and Mr. Fletcher there have also been added those of Mr. Benson, Dr. Adam Clarke, Mr. Watson, Mr. Sutcliffe, Mr. Edmondson, Mr. Treffry, and those of his late gifted and lamented son; with a vast number of biographical and other publications, adapted to private and family reading. The literature of the connection, now somewhat voluminous, and in several of its departments extremely rich and valuable, finds its way into many villages and hamlets where other books are little known. The Bible, with one or more of the Wesleyan commentaries, and other books from the Wesleyan press, constitute many a well-read cottage library.

Upward of fifty years ago the Benevolent or Stranger's Friend Society was instituted by some individuals belonging to the Wesleyan body. It appears to have commenced

about the same time both in London and Manchester; and its principles and plan were speedily adopted in most of the large towns of the kingdom. Its design is to afford relief to strangers in the season of want and sickness; and the administration of pecuniary relief is always accompanied by spiritual instruction and prayer. The visiters, male and female, are generally persons of deep piety, well instructed in the things of God, and of admirable zeal and patience. Not a few of them, it is believed, have died by contagious fevers, caught in their enterprise of charity. Many a profligate wanderer from God and righteousness have these messengers of mercy led to the compassionate Saviour of men; and many a raluable life have they been a means of preserving, by the inely supply of food and medicine. Parents, dying of want, have been snatched from the yawning grave and spared to protect and bless their children. In London this society is liberally supported by other denominations of Christians; and he must possess a heart of stone who can read in its annual reports the record of its operations, without tears of sympathy with the sufferers, and of gratitude for the help afforded to them.

In some instances the generous anxiety of the society and congregations to provide accommodation for themselves, and for the people by whom they were surrounded, has led them to erect chapels of larger dimensions and of a more costly kind than their means would justify; and hence debts were accumulated to an amount which excited just and general alarm. To relieve the cases of distress which were thus created, funds have within the last few years been formed for the purpose of calling forth and assisting local exertion; and the last Report of the General Chapel Fund contains the following intelligence:"The committee are greatly rejoiced to be able to state that the actual debt upon chapels, now extinguished by

the operation of the present Loan Fund, is £93,398; which, added to £51,000, liquidated by the former loan system, makes a grand total of £147,398. For the removal of so great impediments as most of these debts were found to be to the prosperity of the work of God, by the general and steady efforts of the friends of Wesleyan Methodism, the committee cannot but express their gratitude to the great Head of the church, who has so graciously disposed the hearts of his people to devise liberal things." These funds have been greatly indebted to the sound discretion and unwearied zeal of Thomas Marriot, James Heald, John Fernley, Robert Wood, Francis A. West, and Jonathan Crowther, the esteemed treasurers and secretaries; and to the valuable co-operation of Thomas Crook, William Naylor, and John Mason.

To render the Wesleyan ministry increasingly efficient, and better adapted to the character and circumstances of the present times, the Theological Institution was formed in the year 1834. None are admitted as students there but such candidates for the ministry as are approved, in the first instance, by the circuits to which they belong, and the district committees before whom they are severally examined; as well as by the conference, to whom the case of each person is reported. The undertaking has been already crowned with a success far surpassing what could have been reasonably anticipated in so short a time. The theological and literary training which the students have received has been of the greatest advantage; and the benefits are strikingly apparent, both at home and on several of the mission stations. The managing committee are particularly happy in having obtained the services of the Rev. Dr. Hannah, tutor in the several provinces of theological instruction, and those of the Rev. Samuel Jones, A. M., of Trinity College, Dublin, for the classical and mathematical departments. Recent occurrences in

the institution forcibly remind one of what took place in a similar establishment at Trevecka, of which that holy. man, John Fletcher, of Madeley, was the head. When he visited "the sons of the prophets" who were under his care, it is said, by his friend and biographer, Joseph Benson, who witnessed what he describes, that, "being convinced that to be filled with the Holy Ghost was a better qualification for the ministry of the gospel than any classical learning, (although that, too, is useful in its place,) after speaking awhile in the school-room, he used frequently to say, 'As many of you as are athirst for this fulness of the Spirit, follow me into my room.' On this many of us have instantly followed him, and there continued two or three hours, wrestling, like Jacob, for the blessing, praying, one after another, till we could bear to kneel no longer. This was not done once or twice, but many times. And I have sometimes seen him on these occasions, once in particular, so filled with the love of God that he could contain no more.' 99* Guarded, as the institution is, and teaching, as it does, the pure principles of Wesleyan theology, it cannot fail to be an extensive and permament blessing to the connection.

The freedom of the connection from heretical opinions is a just occasion of gratitude. The honest boast of Mr. Wesley on this subject is as applicable to the present times as it was ninety years ago, when it was first made. Speaking of "the purity of the religion which had then spread itself so deeply and widely," he says, "I speak particularly with regard to the doctrines held by those among whom it is so extended. Those of the Church of England, at least, must acknowledge this. For where is there a body of people in the realm, who, number for number, so closely adhere to what our Church delivers as

*Life of Mr. Fletcher, p. 139, Am. edit.