will bear comparison with other Christian communities, and will not be found alone as to inward disaffection and disturbances. Suppose that in the present day all parties in the Church of England were to make public their differences of opinion on Christian doctrine, worship, and government, would there not be a Babel of discordant sounds heard which would fully overpower the noise made now in Methodism? How long have fierce and party conflicts been raging between "high and low Churchmen," or between Tractarian semi-Papists and Evangelical Protestant Clergymen? And have Dissenters no internal broils which disturb and trouble them? Have they had no "FlySheet" Junius Secundus anonymously writing to wound the hearts, if not to destroy the lives, of some of the most active and eminent of their Ministers ? Suppose the discontent which exists in Independent churches, and which is, by their separate form of government, confined to individual associations, were now to burst forth, would there not be found sufficient to cover them all with as great a cloud as is at present seen overshadowing our own religious community? It is to be feared there would. And so with the New Connexion, and other associations of Reforming Methodists: the same evils, and to an equal extent, proportionately, if not greater, are at this time found within them. All this is humiliating, and is deeply to be mourned over; but it shows that the present dissensions and disturbances in Wesleyan Methodism are no proof that it is essentially wrong, either in its system of doctrine or discipline, unless it can also be proved that all other religious communities are also essentially wrong.

These considerations, if justly weighed by you, the young men of Methodism, will prevent surprise or alarm at the disturbances you may witness in the Societies to which you belong; and will convince you how futile are the questions proposed by some well-meaning, but misinformed, friends of Methodism, who, while they avow that they see no just ground of complaint against any part of it, yet, from a commendable desire for peace, ask if something cannot be conceded, or done, to secure it permanently against such humiliating assaults and divisions. Such persons evidently forget that religious systems of church government are framed for peace-loving and orderly Christians, and not for selfish and discontented individuals. They forget the Scripture declarations concerning the falling away of many; and they are not sufficiently impressed with the truth, that, to the permanent well-working of a religious system, it is absolutely necessary that it should have the power in itself to separate from it disorderly and immoral men.

But you will say, "All who have lately shown themselves discontented with Methodism, and who have separated from it, are not fallen and immoral." This is readily admitted. This is readily admitted. been misled into their present course, by the falsehoods of leading disturbers of our Societies.

Many have, unhappily, misrepresentations and They did not possess

an intelligent acquaintance with the facts relating to the laws, government, and administration of the Connexion, or they would not so easily have been led astray from it; and lest any of you should be similarly ensnared, I propose, in a series of letters, and in an easy and familiar manner, to investigate with you the Wesleyan system of doctrine and discipline. Methodism has nothing to fear, but, on the contrary, much to hope, from a thorough investigation of its teaching and government; and as the outcry has been raised that the foundations of your religious home are unsound, and that its construction is dangerously defective, let us together examine the whole building. Having done so, I think you will come to the satisfactory conclusion that we may dwell securely within it.

In preparing for this, let me urge the necessity of your becoming intimately acquainted with the historical records of Methodism,— especially with Mr. Wesley's Journals. Begin to read them, I entreat you, without delay. You will find them to be among the most interesting of books; and will wonder that pages so full of incident of the most remarkable character are not more generally read, even by mere readers for excitement. It is necessary that you should read these Journals of its Founder, that you may thoroughly comprehend the causes of the rise and progress of Methodism. You will therein find proofs, in its advancement from small beginnings, of its being a system more devised by Divine Providence than by Mr. Wesley. In these days, shrewd and suspicious speakers and writers on Methodism are ever ready to account for the fact of its beneficial results, by pointing to the far-seeing intellect of Mr. Wesley. Yielding to none in reverence for that great and holy man, I must be permitted to question the correctness of some of these eulogies, and to affirm, with Mr. Wesley himself, that Methodism is "the work of God." It was not framed and drawn out as a system by a cloistered ascetic, like the system of Jesuitism devised by Ignatius Loyola. It has progressed with various instruments, and with the human mind; and, like all the works of Providence, it has displayed great and important results from small and apparently insignificant beginnings.

Do not conclude, however, that I am seeking to impress upon your minds the idea that Methodism, or any other religious system, is absolutely perfect. That would be unpardonable arrogance; and, since there is no fully-developed model of church government in the holy Scriptures, surely every Christian should view with charity all other modern systems of evangelism, while preferring his own. In the wisdom of Providence, the principles of Christianity have been left to work their own course, like water which shapes its own channel through the bed of a country. But, as, in the natural world, a river becomes distinguished above many streams by the plenteousness of the spring from which it is derived, and the number of tributaries that augment and swell its tide; so in the general church of Christ, some

of its particular sections have been marked by vigorous and devoted enterprise, and by an entire and consecrated zeal, which has issued in more glorious success. You are Methodists; and, while regarding all other evangelical bodies with charity and fraternal love, you may safely and consistently exult in the grateful thought that you belong to a body of professing Christians which, by the extent of its triumphant instrumentality in widening the Redeemer's kingdom, proves itself to be pre-eminently the object of the care and favour of Jehovah. I am your sincere and devoted friend,

A WESLEYAN MINISTER.

WHAT HAS THE AGITATION DONE?

We know that the pages of the "Vindicator" are read, not only by those who are stanch supporters of the present Constitution of Methodism, but by many, also, who are opposed to it, and who have of late sought, by various means, to bring about extensive and radical changes. Now, as we are confident that such changes will never be conceded to the violent and unholy clamours which have so loudly demanded them, and as we see, moreover, the lamentable effects which are everywhere connected with this movement, we think that it may perhaps be of service to inquire here, 1. What the agitation has done? 2. What it has not done? and, 3. What it ought to do? And these three inquiries we propose to answer in three successive papers, beginning, in the present paper, with the first.

WHAT HAS THE AGITATION DONE?

1. It has occasioned great strife and disunion in some of the churches of Christ. If this was the principal object which the agitators had in view when they commenced their course, then it must be confessed, that they have succeeded to a considerable extent in their design. Societies, that were before living in peace and harmony, and that appeared as "the garden of the Lord," have been troubled and torn in pieces by disgraceful factions; originated, and kept up, by men scarcely known in Methodism beyond the Circuits in which they lived, except in those instances where their names had been known in former disturbances. Most of these men have now left us; yet not without inflicting a damage, which they themselves will never be able to repair, and the effects of which will probably be seen and felt in some places for many years to come. It might have been supposed that, after the sad experience of 1827 and 1835, none would have dared again to disturb the peace of our Societies. But there are some in all communities who delight in mischief, and who never can be restrained from it by any law, either of God or man. Methodism has had such in its ranks; and the consequence of their pre

sence has been one of the most unhallowed strifes that the world

ever saw.

2. It has brought religion into contempt. "By this," said Christ, “shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John xiii. 35.) A tremendous responsibility, therefore, rests upon those who violate this principle of love: for it is not only a direct ignoring of their testimony for Christ, and a repudiation of His precepts, but a confirmation of the world also in its unbelief. Infidels and profane men all rejoice in it, and make it the occasion of fresh advances in sin and impiety. It may not be difficult in some cases, where men choose to make the inquiry, to discover that the firm maintenance of a righteous principle has necessitated divisions in the church of Christ,—a -as in the case, for instance, of the Scotch Free Church; yet the effects, even then, are always injurious upon the great mass of the unthinking and the ungodly. But when there is no righteous principle involved in the contest between members of the same church; when it is simply the result-as we affirm it to be in the case of the (so called) Wesleyan Reformers—of a desire for the mastery, or of personal pique; then the damage that is done to the cause of Christ is terribly disastrous. What sort of regard must men of the world—who are appealed to, and invited to become judges of the church of Christ-have for religion, after all this exhibition of illfeeling for the last eighteen months? And who among them, that was aware of this, could be persuaded to renounce the world and unite himself with the people of God?

3. It has prevented the salvation of many souls. Some, who used to be zealous for Christ, have now ceased from their labours, or have directed their labours to other and very different objects. Instead of talking about the Saviour, they now talk about liberty; instead of preaching the Gospel, they now speechify about the laws of Methodism; and, though formerly diligent in their endeavours to swell the numbers of our church, they are even more diligent now in seeking to prevent those from entering it who desire to do so. "What! join the Methodist Society?" say they: "if you do, you will be lost; for the curse of God rests upon it." And, in many cases, this produces its intended effect. But, however successful such wickedness may be for a time, we tremble for the men who practise it; and who, in doing it, not only lie against Christ, but against their former selves. We are well aware of the reply to this, "That the circumstances of the Connexion justify it." But who made those circumstances? Methodism is the same now in every respect as it was before the Conference of 1849, and as it has been for many years past,-indeed, ever since the year 1835, when the last regulations affecting in any way the Constitution of Methodism were enacted: so that, either the agitation of 1835 ought never to have taken place, or else, having taken place, and those who promoted it having withdrawn from the body, such as remained, and were nominally, at least, a consenting party to these

regulations, had no right to renew the agitation respecting them. But there is neither principle nor justice with religious revolutionists; nor, we are bound to add, care for souls.

4. It has alienated many of our own people from Methodism, and driven them from our Societies. It is, of course, impossible to say at the present time what the Minutes of 1851 may present respecting the number of members in our various Societies. But it will not be at all surprising if there should be some decrease; for it is undeniable that, in some Circuits, there has been a considerable falling off already. And though we doubt not that God will overrule this for good, and bring back to us many in a better state of mind than when they left, as He has done on former occasions,-yet it is a painful thing to see that, after the most strenuous exertions on the part of some of these very people themselves to promote the prosperity of Methodism, they should now withdraw from the Society, and seek to do it all the injury they can. Not a few of them, it is true, have formed themselves into distinct societies; but many more, we fear, are wandering hither and thither, without attaching themselves to any body of Christians, or holding any fellowship with the people of God. Of the York secessionists, only about one half could be found making any profession of union with the church. The rest, in resigning their membership among the Methodists, seem to have renounced union with the church of Christ altogether: and this, we fear, has its parallel in other towns that could be named. We cannot tell with what sort of feelings the ringleaders in these separations now look upon the disastrous results of their proceedings; but we do not envy them the reputation which they have earned of turning aside so many Methodists. We know, indeed, that they and their friends have made it fashionable to charge the Conference with this, and to call the Preachers the authors of the agitation. But the Preachers have taken no part in the agitation. They have neither scoured the country to hold public meetings and parade their grievances, nor have they sought in any way to provoke the hostility of their people. They have kept in their old path,—as, by God's help, they always will,-— and finding in their own ranks some evil-disposed men, who were known to hinder the work of God, they dealt with them as offenders; thus giving to the people at large the best proof of their integrity and honour; and showing them that, if there were any among themselves guilty of sin, it should no more be tolerated in them-Preachers though they were-than it should be tolerated in the humblest and poorest member of Society. This very act, for which the Conference ought to have been commended by the entire Connexion, has been made a pretext for all the subsequent disturbances which have taken place. But it is a miserable deception, and cannot last much longer. Not a few of those who left us have already seen their error, and sought re-admission into our ranks; and it will be the case with many more ere long.