They say to the minister, Such a church would be a suitable charge for you.

The Methodist manner of distributing and locating the ministry is similar to what it would be for a merchant to stand between the producer and consumer, on the principle of taking all that is produced at a fixed price on exchange, and distributing his products to all that consume according to his judgment. The bishop takes from the stations and circuits all the ministers, and exchanges them according to his discretion. His office is one of exchange, not of money, or of common material products, but of ministers; of general exchange, at stated times, for the supposed benefit of the whole church.

And this is submitted to in preference to the plan of settled ministers, the ministers distributing themselves according as they may be in demand, and as they and the churches severally may judge best.

Extempore preaching, which has ever been another peculiarity of Methodism, is undoubtedly the best style of preaching for the wear of the ministry and for popular effect, and ought to be encouraged in all orders.

CHAPTER V.

GENERAL VIEWS AND ESTIMATES OF METHODISM.

THE objections to the Methodist polity are the same that lie against the Papal and other episcopal polities. It is a spiritual despotism. It divides the church into two classes, the clergy and laity, and subjects the laity to the government of the clergy. It divides the clergy into different orders, and subjects the lower orders to the government of the higher, and all subordinate orders to the government of the highest.

This is copying essentially the despotism of the Papacy, and neglecting the freedom and independency of Christ and the apostles. It concentrates the power of the many in the few. It is well calculated for efficiency, as the experiment of its origin and progress thus far clearly shows. But it is not adapted to the highest and noblest possible development of the human virtues, nor for the most effectual promotion of the great interests of liberty, justice and mercy, among men. It is a vast and powerful system of enginery for a specific purpose, and capable of serving the cause of God to a certain degree, but not to the greatest extent possible. It has not the capabilities of the greatest possible usefulness which belong to the plan of freedom.

It has in it, like the Papacy and like other episcopal establishments, elements of excessive conservatism, that have already hindered its progress in the great race of humanity, and must do so more and more in the mighty exigences that are yet to arise.

The working of Methodism has thus far been, to a great extent, highly favorable to the interests of religion. It has become a powerful coadjutor with the other great churches of Christendom in the extension of Christianity. It numbers throughout the world a membership of near two millions, and is eminently aggressive in its character. Other forms of episcopacy have worked well in good hands. The Papacy is capable of working well in good hands.

But none of their systems recognize the spiritual rights and diguities and the capabilities of the laity. They regard the laity as children that must be taken care of, not as mature men, that are capable of taking care of themselves, and must take care of themselves, in order to attain the noblest and most perfect development of Christian character. Yet such is the fact. However it may be with the heathen and infidels, Christians, those who are enlightened by the word and Spirit of God, are as capable of self-government in the church as in the state. They can perform its functions better than others, be depended upon with more certainty, and their errors and mistakes are more easily corrected.

CHAPTER VI.

THE THEOLOGY OF METHODISM, AND ITS PRACTICAL EFFECT.

THE theology of Methodism is Arminian. At the time of its origin, and since that time, the Arminian theology has been extensively prevalent in the church of England, notwithstanding the Calvinistic character of its thirty-nine articles of faith. It has also been generally adopted by Episcopalians in America, and uniformly by Episcopal Methodists in all parts of the world. The Methodists early distinguished themselves not only as the subjects of Arminianism, but as its champions and zealous propagators. Express provision was made by Mr. Wesley to perpetuate this peculiarity of religious faith in his order, together with episcopacy and the itineracy.

The Methodist clergy and membership have been distinguished from the beginning by great zeal and earnestness in religion. They derived this character from the founder of their order, and they have taken means to preserve it, and hand it down to future ages. Their preaching is a constant appeal to the deepest and most powerful susceptibilities of the human heart, and is eminently practical and hortatory.

In some respects, the system of Methodism is a return to reformed Popery. It copies the ascetic severity of the Papal system, its independence and absolutism, putting everything in the hands of the clergy; and its attempt to be unchangeable. Other Protestant orders have thought proper to retain the power of changing both their articles of faith and systems of polity, if they see fit; but Methodism stereotypes both, and makes essential changes in them impossible without the destruction of the order.

The practical working of Methodism has been excellent. It has preached the Gospel extensively, and multiplied converts to righteousness to the number of millions. It has become one of

the great spiritual powers of Protestant Christendom, and is exerting a mighty and controlling influence on human society in favor of piety and virtue. Its operation has been particularly beneficial in the United States, where its ministers have pursued the stream of emigration to the new settlements, and contributed powerfully to impress religious truth on society in its forming stages, and to direct its formation according to the principles of the Gospel.

It embraces all the great essential truths of Christianity, and argues and enforces them with great earnestness, often with great logical force of argument and persuasive eloquence; and generally, by God's blessing, with great effect. No other religious order has done so much, or had such very distinguished prosperity, in the same time. In the course of a century, its communion has grown to the extent of millions..

Many judge this great success of Methodism to be a conclusive argument in its favor, as the most correct and best of all the religious orders. It is an argument in its favor. It shows that the system is wisely adapted to effect the great purposes of religion, and that it is honestly and faithfully used. It shows, also, that God accepts its offerings and labors, and deigns to be a co-worker with its ministers and members. But it is not the seal and evidence of its entire conformity to the will of God, or its expediency as a system of agencies to bless and benefit men. It does not prove that it is the best system possible in all respects, or even that it is the best, on the whole, which is now under experiment.

Presbyterianism has had great success, and done great good too. Congregationalism has had great success, and done great good. Churches must be judged by their fruits. But their fruits do not all appear in a single generation, or a single century; and

they require to be observed and scrutinized with great care, to be fully and correctly apprehended.

Methodism has by no means a monopoly of piety and virtue, nor of usefulness and success. The Congregational order especially puts in its claim to the honor of having performed some of the greatest services for the human race that have ever been rendered, both in its practice and promotion of scriptural piety and virtue; in its promotion of personal independence and dignity of character on the part of its membership; in its effectual opposition to despotism, both in church and state; in its promotion of civil and religious liberty; in its having produced and contributed effectually to sustain the independent republican government of the United States; and in its general and powerful influence to encourage a universal resort to republicanism throughout the world.

The state and church are bound together by natural affinities, and the principles that predominate in one are naturally by that circumstance commended to the other. Liberty in the church is the parent of liberty in the state, and church despotisms favor the prevalence of state despotisms. With all its excellences, Methodism has the disadvantage that it is a system of spiritual despotism, and as such must be the ally and supporter of other despotisms.

Individuals may have the blessed inconsistency to prefer despotism in the church, and democracy in the state. They may not see that both ought to be governed on the same principles, and that the system which is, on the whole, best for one, is best for the other. It is conceivable that the whole body of Methodists in a republican country may be republicans in respect to civil government, and hierarchists, ministerialists, or Episcopalians, in respect to the church. But their support and administration of church despotism will, by a natural affinity, on numberless occasions, and more especially in great emergencies which try men's souls, and put their practical principles to the test, operate to