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number of those who making the grounds of their dissent to rest upon the deductions of human reasoning are naturally compelled in some sort to acquire those stores of human learning, and to exercise those talents by which alone that ground can be maintained. But the other class of dissenters holding the doctrines not only of the Trinity, but of the exclusive efficacy of faith, and some of them the extremes of election and reprobation, for which they must look only to the text of scripture; professing besides in their prayers and in their preaching always to expect the extraordinary aid of the spirit, have at all times, on the latter account most especially, been but too liable to the inroads of enthusiasm: they have also, as another consequence of this last principle, been less careful to keep up those helps of human knowledge, which we of the establishment hold it not only advantageous but a part of our duty to be sedulous in cultivating. The effect of this has been that the preaching of the methodists being more full of noise and requiring less of understanding or reflection to comprehend it, has with the greater ease found access into the congregations of their dissenting brethren; that many of the individuals have been seduced from their soberer and better informed pastors; and that, in the conflict, those who were in a higher degree enthusiastic have gained the ascendency, and even

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obtained possession of those meeting houses in which formerly none but ministers in due form ordained by the presbytery were allowed to officiate.

Thus it has happened, that as I mentioned before, all the old sects of orthodox dissenters seem ready to be swallowed up and lost in this more novel and active body of separatists; and the idea prevalent among them that ignorance and want of literature are of no consequence in a preacher, and cannot impede the grace of God by which they declare that they are sensibly impelled, bids fair finally to debase not only their doctrine, but the character of their ministry".

7 It surely is a singular circumstance that no sort of qualification should be required of those who are licensed to preach the word; that even men who are so ignorant as not to be able to write their names, should be sent forth with full authority and without molestation to vent what doctrine they please. Nay, that temporal advantages (as exemption from certain offices and from serving in the militia) evidently operating as an encouragement for such presumption should have been annexed to the mere obtaining of such licences; and this even when the man is six days out of the seven following a handicraft trade or working as a common labourer. I must think that if the 19 G. 3. c. 44, was now to be passed, such extreme latitude would not be given. In the army of reserve act, and in later militia acts the exemption is extended only to those who follow no other occupation than those of teacher or schoolmaster. Perhaps a similar restriction upon granting a licence to preach might not be improper. I am well aware that what I have said above of the ignorance of the Methodist preachers in general, will expose me again to be taken to task by Dr. Coke and Mr. Joseph

Under such circumstances I do not feel myself called upon to mention any of the other classes of dissenters, or to enter with more particularity into the situation and merits of our opponents, as they are at present marshalled in array against our establishment. If you recollect the positions which I set out with offering for your consideration, you will, I hend, agree that to go into any further detail would be beside my purpose; and that what I have said will sufficiently affect every description of sectaries, so as to bring them within the scope of my argument.

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Benson, or whoever may be the editors of the Methodist Magazine for the year. But the fact is so notorious that I fear not to leave the matter without further comment on my part to the judgment of my readers. I am aware indeed that of late in the Methodist Magazine learning seems to have grown into some sort of favour; but this in my opinion only proves that the sect is flourishing, and that considering themselves as well established they would not now neglect the aid of human endowments. That probably too they find that power is not always to be preserved by the same sort of means which have served for its acquisition.

8 Amongst other changes to which such things are subject I find that the disciples of Wesley have lately arrogated to themselves exclusively the title of Methodists. The followers of Whitfield are distinguished I believe, by the title of the evangelical connexion or some such description. When or how this was arranged I know not: but it must surely be allowed to those who are not of the number of the initiated to call both the sects by that name which was first assumed by or affixed to them at their first rising into notice equally and in common. I speak this with a reference to those angry strictures made upon my visitation sermon by the Wesleyans

You will remember that the great points which I have laboured to inculcate, have been,

in the Methodist Magazine, before mentioned, where I am taken to task in rather a curious manner, for having considered the Methodists as holding the doctrine of absolute decrees. In what I said, I was, as I have observed before, alluding to the Whitfield connexion, which, as every body knows, thanks to the celebrity of Cowper the poet, is very prevalent in the country where I was preaching. I rather suspect indeed from a sort of admission to that effect in the Christian Observer for October 1807, p. 676, that the Wesleyan connexion is getting the better of its rival in the cause of fanaticism; which must be in a great measure attributed to the superior foresight of John Wesley, in establishing such a regular form of government over his flock; as well as his good sense in not adopting all the extravagances of his brother sectary. I cannot say however that their differences are so great as one might suppose. For example in the Evangelical Magazine (for January 1807, p. 20) we are told of the extraordinary conversion of an Atheist, and this is brought about by referring him to the gospel and telling him that he will find there that Christ "hath power unconditionally to forgive all manner of sins and blasphemies," which if the reader will find in his gospel his copy must have a different reading from any that I have met with. Indeed the "interpreter of a thousand," (as he is called) who said this, immediately contradicts himself; for he goes on, "Believe then on him and thou shalt not perish,” which if it be not a direct condition, namely that of believing, I know not what words mean. The sick man however the next morning repeats this as a sign of his conversion, "Yes, the son of man hath power to forgive all manner of sins unconditionally." On the other hand in the Methodist Magazine for 1804, p. 607, we have the account of a disciple of Thomas Paine: the nature of whose conversion is stated to be among other things, that "while he "condemned himself for his past criminal inattention to the means "of grace, he did not protest, as some persons have been known "to do when distressed with the fear of death, that if God would prolong his life, he would be assiduous in the use of them for "the future, as though he would thereby make a full, or at least a

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that schism is a sin; and that the sin consists in separating without cause from the church to

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partial atonement for his former folly: no, he evidently saw that nothing could remove the least of his sins but the gratuitous clemency of the Lord God," &c. I would here ask how a man's making resolutions that he would use the means of grace for the future, in any way derogates from the gratuitous clemency of God; for as to the introducing the word "atonement," this man must know that no sinner making such resolutions, nor clergyman directing him so to do, ever considers or calls such amendment of life an atonement for the past: and that if ever any such word has been used, which I do not believe, it can only have been in a popular and loose sense: just as in the sermon before mentioned I used the word "merited," upon which those gentlemen have so harped; or as the apostle used the word " unrighteous," when he said to the brethren, "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour "of love," which taking the word strictly would imply that God is absolutely bound in justice to reward the work and labour of those who serve him. But here closing this discussion which would carry us too far and divert us from the main point, I shall leave my readers to weigh the doctrine of the evangelical teacher insisting that the promises of Christ (for such must be the meaning of the word "power," as used by him) are "unconditional," against the practice of the Methodist who would discourage the making resolutions of amendment lest they should interfere with the grace of God: and to judge of himself what foundation there is in holy writ for either the one or the other; only reminding him that these are among the "fruits" of schism.

One word more, as to my "ignorance" in supposing that in Buckinghamshire the Methodists are Calvinistic. The Reviewer refers me (p. 22) to the minutes of their conferences, or to the Methodist Magazine for the September preceding, where, he says, I shall find the names of the Methodist preachers in Buckinghamshire. Now I have made the search, not indeed in the minutes for the year 1806, but in those for 1804 & 1807, and in them I find no Methodist preacher appointed in theWesleyan connexion for Buckinghamshire. Which is a striking instance of a corrector requiring to be