just and good,—how is the fortune of impious conquerors to be accounted for? Why do they erect dynasties, and found families which last for centuries? The reflecting mind whom you have instructed in this manner, and for present effect only, naturally comes upon you hereafter with difficulties of this sort; he finds he has been deceived; and you will soon discover that, in breeding up a fanatic, you have unwittingly laid the foundation of an atheist. The honest and the orthodox method is to prepare young people for the world, as it actually exists; to tell them that they will often find vice perfectly successful, virtue exposed to a long train of afflictions; that they must bear this patiently, and look to another world for its rectification.

ness, melancholy, groans and sighs, are the offerings which these unhappy men make to a Deity who has covered the earth with gay colours, and scented it with rich perfumes; and shown us, by the plan and order of his works, that he has given to man something better than a bare existence, and scattered over his creation a thousand superfluous joys which are totally unnecessary to the mere support of life.

4. The Methodists lay very little stress upon practical righteousness. They do not say to their people, Do not be deceitful; do not be idle; get rid of your bad passions; or at least (if they do say these things) they say them very seldom. Not that they preach faith without works; for if they told the people that they might rob and 2. The second doctrine which it is murder with impunity, the civil magisnecessary to notice among the Metho- trate must be compelled to interfere dists is, the doctrine of inward impulse with such doctrine:- but they say a and emotions, which, it is quite plain, great deal about faith, and very little must lead, if universally insisted upon, about works. What are commonly and preached among the common peo-called the mysterious parts of our reliple, to every species of folly and enor-gion are brought into the fore-ground, mity. When a human being believes much more than the doctrines which that his internal feelings are the moni- lead to practice;-and this among the tions of God, and that these monitions lowest of the community. must govern his conduct; and when a great stress is purposely laid upon these inward feelings in all the discourses from the pulpit; it is, of course, impossible to say to what a pitch of extravagance mankind may not be carried, under the influence of such dangerous doctrines.

The Methodists have hitherto been accused of dissenting from the Church of England. This, as far as relates to mere subscription to articles, is not true; but they differ in their choice of the articles upon which they dilate and expand, and to which they appear to give a preference, from the stress which 3. The Methodists hate pleasure and they place upon them. There is nothing amusements; no theatre, no cards, no heretical in saying that God sometimes dancing, no punchinello, no dancing intervenes with his special providence; dogs, no blind fiddlers; — all the amuse- but these people differ from the Estabments of the rich and of the poor must lished Church, in the degree in which disappear, wherever these gloomy peo- they insist upon this doctrine. In the ple get a footing. It is not the abuse of hands of a man of sense and education, pleasure which they attack, but the it is a safe doctrine; in the management interspersion of pleasure, however much of the Methodists, we have seen how it is guarded by good sense and mode- ridiculous and degrading it becomes. ration; it is not only wicked to hear In the same manner, a clergyman of the the licentious plays of Congreve, hut Church of England would not do his wicked to hear Henry the Fifth, or the duty if he did not insist upon the School for Scandal ;-it is not only dis- necessity of faith as well as of good sipated to run about to all the parties in works; but as he believes that it is London and Edinburgh,—but dancing much more easy to give credit to docis not fit for a being who is preparing trines than to live well, he labours himself for Eternity. Ennui, wretched- most in those points where human

nature is the most liable to prove defec- | Methodists is calculated to gain power tive. Because he does so, he is accused among the poor and ignorant. To of giving up the articles of his faith, by men who have their partialities also in doctrine; but partialities, not founded upon the same sound discretion, and knowledge of human nature.

say, that the Deity governs this world by general rules, and that we must wait for another and a final scene of existence, before vice meets with its merited punishment, and virtue with its merited reward; to preach this updaily would not add a single votary to the Tabernacle, nor sell a number of the Methodistical Magazine :-but, to publish an account of a man who was cured of scrofula by a single sermon-of Providence destroying the innkeeper at Garstang for appointing a cock-fight near the Tabernacle ;this promptness of judgment and immediate execution is so much like human justice, and so much better

5. The Methodists are always desirous of making men more religious than it is possible, from the constitution of human nature, to make them. If they could succeed as much as they wish to succeed, there would be at once an end of delving and spinning, and of every exertion of human industry. Men must eat, and drink, and work; and if you wish to fix upon them high and elevated notions, as the ordinary furniture of their minds, you do these two things; -you drive men of warm tempera-adapted to vulgar capacities, that the ments mad, and you introduce, in the rest of the world, a low and shocking familiarity with words and images, which every real friend to religion would wish to keep sacred. The friends of the dear Redeemer who are in the habit of riting the Isle of Thanet-(as in the extract we have quoted)-Is it possible that this mixture of the most awful, with the most familiar images, so common among Methodists now, and with the enthusiasts in the time of Cromwell, must ret, in the end, divest religion of all the deep and solemn impressions which it is calculated to produce? In a man of common imagination (as we have before observed), the terror, and the feeling which it first excited, must necessarily be soon separated: but, where the fervour of impression is long preserved, piety ends in Bedlam. Accordingly, there is not a madhouse in Ergland, where a considerable part of the patients have not been driven to insanity by the extravagance of these people. We cannot enter such places without seeing a number of honest artisans, covered with blankets, and calling themselves angels and apostles, who, if they had remained contented with the Instruction of men of learning and education, would still have been sound masters of their own trade, sober Christians, and useful members of society.

6. It is impossible not to observe how directly all the doctrine of the

system is at once admitted, as soon as any one can be found who is impudent or ignorant enough to teach it; and, being once admitted, it produces too strong an effect upon the passions to be easily relinquished. The case is the same with the doctrine of inward impulse, or, as they term it, experience. If you preach up to ploughmen and artisans, that every singular feeling which comes across them is a visitation of the Divine Spirit-can there be any difficulty, under the influence of this nonsense, in converting these simple creatures into active and mysterious fools, and making them your slaves for life? It is not possible to raise up any dangerous enthusiasm, by telling men to be just, and good, and charitable; but keep this part of Christianity out of sight - and talk long and enthusiastically, before ignorant people, of the mysteries of our religion, and you will not fail to attract a crowd of followers:-verily the Tabernacle loveth not that which is simple, intelligible, and leadeth to good sound practice.

Having endeavoured to point out the spirit which pervades these people, we shall say a few words upon the causes, the effects, and the cure of this calamity. -The fanaticism so prevalent in the present day, is one of those evils from which society is never wholly exempt: but which bursts out at different periods,

The

with peculiar violence, and sometimes | teachers could possibly wish them to overwhelms everything in its course. be:-in short, folly ran its ancient The last eruption took place about a course, and human nature evinced century and a half ago, and destroyed itself to be what it always has been both Church and Throne with its tre- under similar circumstances. mendous force. Though irresistible, great and permanent cause, therefore, it was short enthusiasm spent its of the increase of Methodism, is the force the usual reaction took place; cause which has given birth to fanatiand England was deluged with ribaldry cism in all ages. the facility of and indecency, because it had been mingling human errors with the fundaworried with fanatical restrictions. By mental truths of religion. The formerly degrees, however, it was found out, imperfect residence of the clergy may, that orthodoxy and loyalty might be perhaps, in some trifling degree, have secured by other methods than licentious aided this source of Methodism. But conduct and immodest conversation. unless a man of education, and a The public morals improved; and there gentleman, could stoop to such disinappeared as much good sense and genuous arts as the Methodist preachmoderation upon the subject of religioners, unless he hears heavenly music as ever can be expected from mankind all of a sudden, and enjoys sweet exin large masses. Still, however, the periences, it is quite impossible that mischief which the Puritans had done he can contend against such artists as was not forgotten; a general suspicion these. More active than they are at prevailed of the dangers of religious present the clergy might perhaps be; enthusiasm; and the fanatical preacher but the calmness and moderation of an wanted his accustomed power among a Establishment can never possibly be a people recently recovered from a re-match for sectarian activity.-If the ligious war, and guarded by songs, common people are ennui'd with the proverbs, popular stories, and the fine acting of Mrs. Siddons, they go to general tide of humour and opinion. Sadler's Wells. The subject is too against all excesses of that nature. serious for ludicrous comparisons:About the middle of the last century, but the Tabernacle really is to the however, the character of the genuine Church, what Sadler's Wells is to the fanatic was a good deal forgotten; and Drama. There, popularity is gained the memory of the civil wars worn by vaulting and tumbling,-by low away; the field was clear for extrava-arts, which the regular clergy are not gance in piety; and causes, which too idle to have recourse to, but too must always produce an immense in dignified: -their institutions are chaste fluence upon the mind of man, were and severe, they endeavour to do that left to their own unimpeded operations. which, upon the whole, and for a great Religion is so noble and powerful a number of years, will be found to be consideration-it is so buoyant and the most admirable and the most useso insubmergible-that it may be made, ful: it is no part of their plan to descend by fanatics, to carry with it any degree to small artifices, for the sake of preof error and of perilous absurdity. In sent popularity and effect. The religion this instance Messrs. Whitfield and of the common people under the goWesley happened to begin. They were vernment of the Church may remain men of considerable talents; they ob- as it is for ever;-enthusiasm must be served the common decorums of life, progressive, or it will expire. they did not run naked into the streets, It is probable that the dreadful or pretend to the prophetical character; scenes which have lately been acted in -and therefore they were not com- the world, and the dangers to which mitted to Newgate. They preached we are exposed, have increased the with great energy to weak people; who numbers of the Methodists. To what first stared -then listened then be- degree will Methodism extend in this lieved then felt the inward feeling of country?-This question is not easy grace, and became as foolish as their to answer. That it has rapidly in

ereased within these few years, we as to tamper with the Toleration Act, bave no manner of doubt; and we or to attempt to put down these follies confess we cannot see what is likely by the intervention of the law. If exto impede its progress. The party perience has taught us anything, it is which it has formed in the Legislature; the absurdity of controlling men's and the artful neutrality with which notions of eternity by acts of Parliathey give respectability to their small ment. Something may perhaps be done, number,—the talents of some of this in the way of ridicule, towards turning party, and the unimpeached excel- the popular opinion. It may be as lence of their characters, all make it well to extend the privileges of the probable that fanaticism will increase dissenters to the members of the rather than diminish. The Methodists Church of England; for, as the law have made an alarming inroad into now stands, any man who dissents from the Church, and they are attacking the the Established Church may open a army and navy. The principality of place of worship where he pleases. No Wales, and the East India Company orthodox clergyman can do so, without they have already acquired. All mines the consent of the parson of the parish, and subterraneous places belong to - who always refuses, because he does them; they creep into hospitals and not choose to have his monopoly dissmall schools, and so work their way turbed; and refuses, in parishes where pwards. It is the custom of the re- there are not accommodations for one Igious neutrals to beg all the little half of the persons who wish to frequent livings, particularly in the north of the Church of England, and in instances England, from the minister for the where he knows that the chapels from time being; and from these fixed which he excludes the established points they make incursions upon the worship will be immediately occupied happiness and common sense of the by sectaries. It may be as well to vicinage. We most sincerely depre- encourage in the early education of cate such an event; but it will excite the clergy, as Mr. Ingram recommends, in us no manner of surprise, if a period a better and more animated method of arrives when the churches of the sober preaching; and it may be necessary, and orthodox part of the English clergy hereafter, if the evil gets to a great are completely deserted by the middling height, to relax the articles of the and lower classes of the community. English Church, and to admit a greater We do not prophesy any such event; variety of Christians within the pale. but we contend that it is not impos- The greatest and best of all remedies, sible,-hardly improbable. If such, in is perhaps the education of the poor; future, should be the situation of this we are astonished, that the Estacountry, it is impossible to say what blished Church in England is not political animosities may not be in-awake to this mean of arresting the grafted upon this marked and dangerous progress of Methodism. Of course, division of mankind into the godly and none of these things will be done ; nor the ungodly. At all events, we are is it clear, if they were done, that they quite sure that happiness will be de- would do much good. Whatever hapstroyed, reason degraded, sound religion pens, we are for common sense and banished from the world; and that orthodoxy. Insolence, servile politics, when fanaticism becomes too foolish and the spirit of persecution, we conand too prurient to be endured (as is at demn and attack, whenever we observe last sure to be the case), it will be suc them; but to the learning, the moderaceeded by a long period of the grossest tion, and the rational piety of the Esimmorality, atheism, and debauchery.tablishment, we most earnestly wish a We are not sure that this evil admits of any cure, or of any considerable palliation. We most sincerely hope that the government of this country will never be guilty of such indiscretion

decided victory over the nonsense, the melancholy, and the madness of the Tabernacle.*

There is one circumstance to which we

have neglected to advert in the proper

"The Right Hon. the Governor in CounIcil, having observed that, in some late inLondon. stances, an extraordinary degree of agitation has prevailed among several corps of

Cunningham's Christianity in India. Lon- the native army of this coast, it has been

"His Lordship in Council desires that the native troops will not give belief to the idle rumours which are circulated by enemies of their happiness, who endeavour, place, the dreadful pillage of the earnings with the basest designs, to weaken the conof the poor which is made by the Metho-fidence of the troops in the British governdists. A case is mentioned in one of the numbers of these two magazines for 1807, of a poor man with a family, earning only twenty-eight shillings a week, who has made two donations of ten guineas each to the missionary fund!