which opposition was strength, and combat, victory-He fought with enthusiasm until his ramparts were levelled, and the flag in the hands of his foe; when, sad to relate, he turned his arms against himself and snapped the silver chord of life with his own hands. -Ye pious! drop the tear-The Methodist Theological Society is no more!!! Noisy, though not destructive, it rose boisterous as the western wind, till its sound was hushed forever on the waters of truth.-Like the grave-diggers in Hamlet, the wise argued its right to Christian burial, and in the midst of confusion it was jerked into its grave. Persecution was its last sermon, and the amen of its prayer was riot-The wicked stood in silence, spectators of the ludicro comico-non-religiosa scene; and then was brought to pass the saying that is written: "Let the dead bury their dead." O Bereans, be generous even to your enemies, and let the Hall of your assemblies be hung in black for poor Theological: yea invite his relatives to mourn with you, the sudden downfall of felo de se."

Reflecting on my own lot, which I have sometimes regarded as unfortunate, I received some consolation from the thought, that my case was by no means singular; and that reproach and slander have in no age been sure indications of guilt. The following lines, on Calumny, being appropriate, are therefore inserted:

Ah, what avails the shield of truth,
The charm of virtue, beauty, youth,
Against that fiend, unform'd, uncouth,

Whose wounds no lenient balm can close?
Assail'd by slander's venom'd tooth,
The sensate mind must droop, forsooth,
And wither like a canker'd rose.
Yes, they who ever felt the pang
Of Calumny's inveterate fang,
Must own that minstrel never sang
Of deeper, dreader, deadlier foes.

But what, alas, avails complaint?
Be man more holy than a saint,

He envy's fiend enrag'd must see..
Be lovely woman "chaste as snow
And pure as ice," she still must know
The keenest pang of human wo,

The rankling wound of Calumny
But hear a Saviour's accents mild,
"The persecuted and reviled
Are blessed"-saith the Lord.
Then still, in conscious virtue clad,
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad,
"For great is your reward."

As my connexion with the Methodists was now dissolved, nev again to be renewed, in the present mode of existence, it ear.

not be improper to subjoin the following brief review of a system, which for a season I admired, but which, at every calm period of my life, I disapproved. A system, that can only live so long as the mind is held in vassalage, by the influence of bodily passions. But lest it might be supposed, that I speak from prejudice, I shall principally use the words of Southey: and though my own observation could supply sufficient matter for a volume, yet the remarks shall be confined to three or four pages.

That Wesley was ambitious, none can deny. His power from the first was absolute and despotic. When asked in one of the Conferences, what power he exercised over all the Methodists of Great Britain and Ireland, he replied, in relation to classes: "A power to appoint when, where, and how they should meet: and this power remained the same whether the people meeting were 12, 1200, or 12,000"-In relation to stewards: "I myself, not the people, chose the stewards, and appointed each the distinct work wherein he was to help me as long as I chose."-In relation to preachers: "A power to appoint when, where, and how, they shall help me and to tell any, if I saw cause, I do not desire your help any longer."--In relation to the Conferences; "They did not desire the meeting, but I did; neither did I at any time divest myself of any part of that power which the Providence of God had cast upon me. More pe lantic and despotic language than this, under the garb of mock humility, cannot be produced from any history, either ecclesiastical or profane!

That Wesley was inconsistent and hypocritical is equally manifest from a variety of circumstances. Whilst he had no hopes of obtaining a title to Episcopacy, he maintained that Presbyter and Bishop were synonymous: but when Erasmus, the professed Bishop of Arcadia, appeared in London, Wesley was very desirous of being Episcopized on that occasion; though he failed to attain the object of his ambition, in respect to titles of honor. Notwithstanding, he was too crafty for Coke; for from reading Lord King's account of the Primitive Church, Wesley persuaded both himself and Coke, that being a Presbyter, he was also a Bishop, and had the right to ordain Coke a Bishop, which he felt moved to do at Bristol; without it occurring to Coke, that he being also a Presbyter, was as good a Bishop as Wesley, and had as good authority to ordain Wesley. But probably, Coke was as desirous of the humble title as Wesley, and was as little concerned as he, about the validity, provided he enjoyed the name and authority. t.

As soon as Coke felt his new honors to come blushing thick upon him, he began to partake of the same spirit that dwelt in Wesley: hence, he arrogated the same authority over Scotland, as had been foolishly assumed over America. Thus, these meek, hum* See Southey's Life of Wesley, vol. 2. p. 146. vol. 2. p. 316-319.

+ See Life of Wesley,

ble souls, who were always preaching humility to their hearers, were well aware, that the more humble their submissive followers the more easy to hold them in vassalage: and never did the most absolute despot of Rome, hold the credulous and implicit believers of his spiritual supremacy, in more abject slavery, than the self-consecrated fathers of Methodism, the delirious admirers of their celestial delegation!

The progress of Methodism was much assisted by the hypocritical pretentions of its propagators, who always professed to be true sons of the Church. whilst they were actually sapping its foundation! "We are all Churchmen, we will always remain so; only let us be more holy!" This was their continual cry: a very plausible pretence and alluring bait, which hooked many thousands unawares; for the converts have generally been from the unthinking class; whereas, among the Scotch, who are a deliberate people, very few proselytes were ever obtained.

Methodism is the advocate of ignorance; and disseminates disaffection to literary pursuits. Before Wesley commenced his career, he wrote a letter from Oxford to his mother, in which he says, "shall I quite break off my pursuit of all learning, but what immediately tends to practice? I once desired to make a fair show in languages and philosophy; but it is past: there is a more excellent way." And on his voyage to America, he wrote to his brother Charles to "banish from his school all such poison as the classics." On relating these things, Southey very justly remarks: "Fanaticism always comes to this in its progress; first it depreciates learning, then it would destroy it. There have been Christians, as they believed themselves, who would have burned the Alexandrian Library, upon the same logic as the Caliph Omar.*

The disciples of Wesley have received with due meekness, the precepts of their master in this respect, as the following instance out of an hundred may show. In 1813, when Methodism had attained its apex of popularity, and when, in consequence of Lord Sidney's bill. it became necessary for preachers to have licences, out of thirty-six persons who obtained licences at one time, six spelled "Ministers of the Gospel" in six different ways: seven signed their mark: and one, on being asked if he could read, replied, "Mother reads, and I 'spounds and 'splains. "+

In 1821, I was present in Mount Pleasant Chapel, Liverpool, when a Mr. Francis, one of their most respectable preachers, who had excited the disgust of the Methodist populace, because he usually addressed their understanding, and made but few appeals to their passions, closed his farewell sermon to a large congrega. tion in the following manner: "I have labored among you for two years. They have been productive of painful feelings, but I have disburdened my soul. During my services among you, I have often called upon you to exercise your understandings in the service of *Life of Wesley, vol. 1, p. p. 78, 92. † Life of Wesley, vol. 2, p. 388.

.

God, but I now leave you to sing to the praise and glory of ignorance, while you live!

"The tendency to produce mock humility and spiritual pride, is one of the evil effects of Methodism. It is chargeable also with leading to bigotry, illiberal manners, confined knowledge, and uncharitable superstition. In its insolent language, all unawakened persons, that is to say, all except themselves, or such graduated professors in other evangelical sects as they are pleased to admit ad eundem, are contemptuously styled unbelievers. In proportion as Methodism obtained ground among the educated classes, its direct effects were evil. It narrowed their views and feelings; burdened them with forms; discouraged accomplishments that gave a grace to life; substituted a sectarian instead of a Catholic spirit; carrying disunion and discord into private life, breaking up families and friendships. The sooner you have weaned your affections from those who, not being awakened, were, of course, in the way to perdition-the sooner the sheep withdrew from the goats, the better. Upon this head, the monks were not more remorseless than the Methodists. They take all other Christians to be heathens. These are those great pretenders to the spirit, into whose party does the vilest person living no sooner adscribe himself, than he is, ipso facto, dubbed a saint, hallowed and dear to God.These are the confidents who can design the minute, the place and the means of their conversion:- -a schism full of spiritual disdain and high imposture, if any such there be on earth.""*

As to the disorder common among Methodists. especially in revivals, it can be easily accounted for on natural principles. When Wesley made his first tour into Wales, he says the most of the inhabitants were as utterly ignorant of the gospel as any Cherokee Indian. After preaching was over, any one who pleased gave out a verse of a hymn, and this they sang over and over again, with all their might and main, thirty or forty times, till some of them wrought themselves into a sort of drunkenness or madness. They were then violently agitated, and leaped up and down in all manner of postures, frequently for hours together. "I think," says Wesley, "there needs no great penetration to understand thisthey have little experience, either of the ways of God or the devices of Satan; so he serves himself by their simplicity, in order to wear them out, and to bring a discredit on the work of God.". This was the beginning of the Jumpers. "At seven in the morning," says Whitefield,† "have I seen, perhaps, ten thousand, in the midst of a sermon, crying Goguniant bendyitti, ready to leap for joy."

*Southey, vol. 2, 376-8. † A man who attended one of these meetings, but could not get within hearing of Whitefield's voice, telling how blessed he was under the sermon, was asked how he could be blessed, when he did not hear a single word. "Ah," said he, "I saw his blessed white wig." Southey, vol. 2, p. p. 164-5.

"A powerful doctrine," says Southey, "preached with passionate sincerity, with fervid zeal, and vehement eloquence, produced a powerful effect upon weak minds, ardent feelings, and disordered fancies. There are passions which are as infectious as the plague, and fear itself is not more so than fanaticism. When once these bodily affections were declared to be the work of grace, the process of regeneration, the throes of the new birth, a free licence was proclaimed for every kind of extravagance. And when the preacher encouraged his auditors to throw off all restraint, and abandon themselves before the congregation to these mixed sensations of mind and body, the consequences were what might be anticipated. Sometimes Wesley scarcely began to speak, before some of his believers, overwrought with expectation, fell into the crisis, for so it may be called in Methodism, as properly as in animal magnetism. Sometimes his voice could scarcely be heard amid the groans and cries of the suffering and raving enthusiasts; and it was not long before men, women, and children, began to act the demoniac as well as the convert. 99*

The following extract exhibits a fair picture of Methodism in a thunder-storm. "I was preaching on forgiveness," says a Mr. Cennick. "It was pitch dark; large flashes of lightning and loud claps of thunder, mixed with screams of frightened persons caused thereby, the place seemed to resemble the habitation of apostate spirits. One cried, "that fearful thunder is raised by the Devil!? Another, the Devil will have me! I am damned! a third, 'ten thousand Devils, millions of Devils are about me!' This continued three hours. O what a power reigned amongst us!!!"

As a general summary, Methodism has had its good effects, partly on the ruder orders of society; and partly, in exciting others of more solid and efficient energies to greater activity. But were all the good and ill it has done in the wor'd put in scales, it would not be easy to determine which would preponderate. Its tendency is manifestly to barbarism. It degrades the manners, stupifies the mind, and drowns the intellect in gloomy superstition! Its financial system out generals that of the Church of Rome in the days of Luther; and is the most oppressive that ever disgraced Christianity. Oft have I known its subjects beg from the parish to put in the Methodist box, and wives defraud their husbands for the same purpose. The sale of tickets is the sale of indulgences and passports, under a new name: and the whole system, calculated to enervate the order of society, the energies of intellect, the progress of science, and the happiness of mankind!

When at Edinburgh, I often heard the story of the tailor and his wife, in relation to Mr. W. which being a sample of many similar proceedings, I shall here relate. This woman, who was a great admirer of Methodism, had got converted, and doubted whether it were lawful for her to remain any longer with her hus. *Southey, vol. 1, p. 220. Southey, vol. 1, p. 404.