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flying tours through England on his mission of mercy, in his thirteen passages across the Atlantic, in his visit to the Bermuda Isles, and in his incessant labors on our continent. The account of the close of his career at Newburyport, whence he ascended to his Father's house above, deserves to stand with Macaulay's history of the death of the patriot Christian, Hampden. It is every way as graphic, eloquent, and inspiring. We feel strongly tempted to insert some extracts from it here; but we can hardly find room for anything that would do it justice. We must refer the reader to the volume itself. We have spoken of Dr. Stevens's liberality, and we may add that this is a fair reflection of the spirit of the system. Liberality is a trait that characterized the Methodistic movement from the beginning, and is legitimate to it always. The first platform of the society was the broadest possible that could consist with evangelic soundness. "There is only one condition previously required of one who desires admission into these societies, a desire to flee the wrath to come and to be saved from his sins." But this was to be proved sincere by a corresponding life. Thus all, of whatever private opinions, or doctrinal or ecclesiastical predilections, might be members of the society. The association was as little bound by technicalities as it is possible to conceive. Hence, from the beginning it included men of, in some respects, quite opposite sentiments. In short, Methodism is a term that did not at first designate any particular set of dogmas, but was applied to all who were in earnest in seeking the salvation of their souls, and in doing good to their fellow-creatures. In accordance with this the early Methodists were of every shade of evangelical opinions-Churchmen, Moravians, Arminians, and Calvinists. The first conferences held by the Wesleys included not only the Wesleys, but Perronet, Manning, Bateman, Grimshaw, Piers, Venn, and others, all clergymen of the Establishment, but also Howell Harris, Whitefield, and others of that class. This was, in fact, not a revival of opinions, strictly and properly considered, but of true religion, and hence the unity in action of those who sympathized in spirit. It must be confessed that the term Methodism subsequently became somewhat more restricted in its application, and more marked by its own special forms and modes of action. Yet even to this day it has, we verily believe, more freedom, more liberality, and less of what is technical and cramping, than any other denomination. It is her spirit to extend the largest charity to those who differ from her. She lays the least stress upon things non-essential. Strict and remarkably uniform in her doctrinal teachings, and therefore remarkably careful of the orthodoxy of her ministers, still she can admit into her bosom, in full

membership, men of every phase of evangelical opinion, without requiring them to square their views by any dogmatic tests. Earnest only in raising up a holy people, she does not demand as a condition of labor the enlargement of her own ecclesiastical domain. As Methodism was originally an institution intended to revive a dormant Church, so she can still pursue the spirit of this calling; and modern Methodism sent her missionaries to a nominal Christian and Protestant country purposely to infuse new life into a dead organism, but with special charge not to attempt to form a Church. Such was the mission of the Rev. George Scott to the kingdom of Sweden-a mission which, according to Dr. Baird, was chiefly instrumental in the revival now taking place in the Swedish Church. In our own country who can tell how much Methodism has fed the other Churches of our land, and supplied other pulpits with able ministers? She can afford to do it, and yet carry on her work. We believe that this liberality is worth more than all it costs, because it is a part of the true spirit of Christianity. It is not self, but Christ's cause that she seeks to build up. Methodism has ever rejoiced in seeing good done, whoever were the instruments. When she came to this continent she greeted with delight every cordial and earnest Christian laborer. Thus she entered into immediate and fervent sympathy with the excellent Barratt of Delaware, Jarratt of Virginia, the devoted Otterbein in Baltimore, and Boehm in Pennsylvania. Thus, also, the apostolic Asbury felt a deep interest in a zealous and useful Presbyterian clergyman in New Jersey, and on a visit to the town where he resided sent a special request for him to call on him. "On my departure," we have heard him say, "the bishop put his hands on my head and pronounced upon me a solemn benediction, which impressed me more than anything that I remember in all my life." This is akin to that same spirit in which Lord Dartmouth, a follower of Wesley and Whitefield, endowed and gave name to Dartmouth College, and in which Whitefield and his coadjutors originated Princeton College, to both which the Methodists of England contributed, (p. 479.) In fact the spirit of Methodism is nothing but the true spirit of Christianity, which inquires, "Is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart? If it be give me thy hand." Such is the disposition that John Wesley teaches and enforces upon his followers in his sermon on the "Catholic Spirit."

We have alluded to the subject of lay preaching. It deserves further notice. We have said before that this was no plan or design of Wesley. He adopted it, or rather at first submitted to it, strong Churchman as he was, with sufficient reluctance. But so few

were the really evangelical teachers, and so satisfactory the proof that certain laymen were fully qualified to give such religious instruction as the people needed, and so clear the evidence that certain persons of this sort were appointed by God to the work of the ministry, that Mr. Wesley's scruples were overcome, and he yielded to the decided opinion of his sagacious mother. She said, alluding to Thomas Maxfield, "He is as surely called of God to preach as you are." Wesley heard him, saw the effect, and was convinced. Thomas Maxfield was the first of that noble army of disinterested men who have expended time, labor, and money in preaching Christ without any reward but what they found in the labor itself, and in the evidence they had of God's approbation in their work. Many sketches are given us of these early assistants of Wesley in the volume before us, written with all the interest of romance. The accounts are as racy and vivid as they are true. Here we have a lifelike picture of that large-hearted, noble spirited man, John Nelson, who wrought with his trowel and hammer to sustain life, and preached the Gospel free of charge. His natural talent, energy of character, heroic spirit, cool self-possession, aptness of speech, and ready utterance, gave him such power over the mobs that assailed him that he usually came off quite victorious, and often utterly confounded and subdued his opponents. Thus in Nottingham a sergeant in the army headed a mob to attack him, but at length came to him in tears, confessed his error, begged pardon, avowing his belief that he was "a servant of the living God." 'He then kissed me," says Nelson, "and went away weeping." (Page 206.) Nevertheless he was sometimes shamefully abused. He was assaulted, apprehended, and thrust into a filthy dungeon, drafted into the army, and marched about the country for three months, exhorting and preaching, however, wherever he went. At length he was released by the kind interposition of the Countess of Huntingdon.

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A totally different character, yet scarcely less interesting, was the devout but ascetic Walsh. An aboriginal Irishman, a rigid Romanist, he found no peace until he came to learn the way of salvation by faith. He then became, in his better illumination, as devoted to God as in his ignorance he had been to the formularies of a fallen Church. He did not abate his rigor of life because he was "not under the law but under grace." He learned English when he was eight years old; was early instructed in Latin; after his conversion spent much time in reading the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures on his knees. He rose at four o'clock in the morning, and continued his labors until late at night, preaching constantly twice or thrice a day, besides visiting his people from house to house. His labors were too much FOURTH SERIES, VOL XI-7

for him. He died in the prime of life, literally worn out. So great a mistake do good men sometimes make in trying to save moments of time that should be given to nature's needful recreations. They throw away years of life when best adapted to matured and extensive usefulness. However, this fault is so seldom committed that it hardly requires any very urgent premonition, and the error may be pardoned in view of its rarity, as well as the purity of motive and earnestness of character that occasion it. Walsh's depression of mind in his last sickness, we doubt not, was occasioned by his own error in this respect. Yet happily the cloud broke away; the sunlight beamed upon his soul, and he died exclaiming, "He is come! he is come! My beloved is mine, and I am his! his forever!"

There are many others among Wesley's lay helpers who deserve notice, but our space does not admit it.

It is remarkable how the spirit of Methodism found access to all portions of British society. While we confess, without shame or regret, that it was most influential in the lower and middle classes, it was also felt in its power by some, and not a few, of the nobly born. But Dr. Stevens has called attention to another class of beneficiaries that have not been so frequently, nor elewhere so fully noticed in this connection; we mean the soldiery. In the days of the Puritans a man might wield a sword and pray; and subsequently Colonel Gardiner was a bright specimen of a Christian soldier; but in the days of early Methodism a praying soldier was a rarity. The rank and file of the British army were about as godless a set as could be found in the kingdom. Its commencement in the army was singular. "Methodism," says our author, "had broken out in the British army in Flanders, and was achieving in camps and battle-fields the moral miracles which it had effected among the miners of Cornwall, Kingswood, and Newcastle," and he might have added, the spinners and weavers of Spitalfields and Moorfields, scarcely less depraved than the others. John Evans, a soldier, had heard Wesley on Kennington Common, and carried in his heart the seeds of truth. They germinated, and in Flanders brought forth fruit. There were six or seven privates in the army, who held religious worship with their comrades, and several hundred were converted and formed into societies. These men were not less brave in the day of battle than conscientious in their Christian walk. The descriptions of Evans, Haime, Bond, and Staniforth are particularly piquant and spicy. Wesley seemed to take strong interest in the soldiery. "On one of his visits to Ireland he said the first call of Methodism is to the soldiers."

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History of Methodism, page 333, quoted from Wesley's Journal.

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had good reason, for he had found them excellent friends in Cork, where they flocked to his preaching and defended him from the mob. They gathered round him at Dublin, where he found contiguity to the barracks the best safeguard against the rabble. Many of them became soldiers of Christ, and carried the spirit of piety with them into the tented field. Thus had Wesley successful helpers where a religious influence has always been too rare. The character of Lieutenant, generally called Captain Webb, is well known. Captain Scott, a descendant of an ancient and opulent family in Salop, was another instance. He entered the army as cornet, was promoted to a captaincy in the dragoons, fought in the battle of Minden, was afterward converted, and openly preached to his men, wearing his regimentals. Such a case also was that subsequently of Lieutenant Vicars, a Wesleyan, who, while stationed with his regiment in Nova Scotia, preached to his soldiers on the Sabbath, and was devoted to every good work, The Christian character of his son, Captain Headley Vicars, who fell at the head of his company during a sortie at Sebastopol, is well known. The son, unlike his father in this respect, never united himself to the Wesleyan Society, yet he was a man of like faith and of elevated piety. Thus has the spirit of Christianity extended in the British army, where of late years have appeared such men as Vicars, Hammond, the Lawrences, Havelock, Napier, Colonel Colin Campbell, and others. Similar cases have occurred in the army of the United States. So has religion, vital, evangelical religion, permeated all classes of society. We do not assert that this is directly owing to Methodism; but we do say that the Wesleys and Whitefield were, under God, the instruments of this great religious awakening which began during the last century, and which is now, through the different Churches, widening its dominion both in Europe and America, in all classes of society.

But we are in danger of extending our remarks beyond due space, and we must therefore, however reluctantly, draw to a close. We commend this volume most cordially to the reader, both for instruction and entertainment. He will find in it the completeness of an exhaustive history, without the dullness and baldness of a mere itinerary. Dates and statistics are given; even the details of conferences entered into, yet so interspersed with interesting narrative, and vivacious sketches of character and incident, as to throw a perpetual sunlight over the whole. The peculiarities of Methodism are stated, but without any labored and dry defense. The simple statement of the origin and occasion of them is sufficient in a book of history, where a series of essays would be out of place. Our author, too, from his wide range of inquiry, has gathered

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