Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

soul is renewed after the image of God, in righteousness, and in all true holiness. And, having the mind that was in Christ, he so walks as Christ also walked.

[ocr errors]

18. By these marks, by these fruits of a living faith, do we labour to distinguish ourselves from the unbelieving world, from all those whose minds or lives are not according to the gospel of Christ. But from real Christians, of whatsoever denomination they be, we earnestly desire not to be distinguished at all: not from any, who sincerely follow after what they know they have not yet attained. No: "Whosoever doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." And I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that we be in no wise divided among ourselves. "Is thy heart right, as my heart is with thine?" I ask no farther question. If it be, give me thy hand. For opinions, or terms, let us not destroy the work of God. Dost thou love and serve God? It is enough. I give thee the right-hand of fellowship. "If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies:" let us "strive together for the faith of the gospel; walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called; with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace:" Remembering, "there is one body, and one spirit, even as we are called with one hope of our calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all!"

A SHORT

HISTORY

OF

METHOD IS M.

1. IT is not easy to reckon up the various accounts which have been given of the people called Methodists: very many of them as far remote from truth, as that given by the good gentleman in Ireland, " Methodists! Aye, they are the people, who place all religion in wearing long beards!"

2. Abundance of the mistakes, which are current, concerning them, have undoubtedly sprung from this: men lump together under this general name, many who have no manner of connexion with each other: and then whatever any of these speaks or does, is, of course, imputed to all.

3. The following short account may prevent persons of a calm and candid disposition from doing this; although men of a warm or prejudiced spirit will do just as they did be fore. But let it be observed, this is not designed for a Defence of the Methodists, so called, or any part of them. It is a bare relation of a series of naked facts, which alone may remove abundance of misunderstandings.

[ocr errors]

VOL. VI.

Dd

In November, 1729, four young gentlemen of Oxford, Mr. John Wesley, Fellow of Lincoln-College; Mr. Charles Wesley, Student of Christ-Church; Mr. Morgan, Commoner of Christ-Church; and Mr. Kirkham, of MertonCollege, began to spend some evenings in a week together, in reading chiefly the Greek Testament. The next year, two or three of Mr. John Wesley's pupils desired the liberty of meeting with them; and afterwards one of Mr. Charles Wesley's pupils. It was in 1732 that Mr. Ingham, of Queen's-College; and Mr. Broughton, of Exeter, were added to their number. To these, in April, was joined, Mr. Clayton, of Brazen-Nose, with two or three of his pupils. About the same time Mr. James Hervey was permitted to meet with them; and, in 1735, Mr. Whitefield.

5. The exact regularity of their lives, as well as studies, occasioned a young gentleman, of Christ-Church, to say, "Here is a new set of Methodists sprung up;" alluding to some ancient physicians, who were so called. The name

was new and quaint: so it took immediately; and the Methodists were known all over the University.

[ocr errors]

6. They were all zealous members of the Church of England; not only tenacious of all her doctrines, so far as they knew them, but of all her discipline, to the minutest circumstance. They were likewise zealous observers of all the University Statutes, and that for conscience' sake. But they observed neither these nor any thing else, any further than they conceived it was bound upon them by that one book, the Bible; it being their one desire and design to be downright Bible Christians: taking the Bible, as interpreted by the primitive church and our own, for their whole and sole rule.

7. The one charge then advanced against them was, That they were "righteous overmuch;" that they were abundantly too scrupulous and too strict, carrying things to great extremes. In particular, that they laid too much stress upon the rubrics and canons of the Church; that they insisted too much on observing the statutes of the Univer

sity; and that they took the Scriptures in too strict and literal a sense; so that, if they were right, few indeed would be saved.

8. In October, 1735, Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, and Mr. Ingham, left England, with a design to go and preach to the Indians in Georgia. But the rest of the gentlemen continued to meet, till one and another was ordained and left the University. By which means, in about two years time, scarcely any of them were left.

9. In February, 1738, Mr. Whitefield went over to Georgia, with a design to assist Mr. John Wesley; but Mr. Wesley just then returned to England. Soon after he had a meeting with Messrs. Ingham, Stonehouse, Hall, Hutchings, Kinchin, and a few other clergymen, who all appeared to be of one heart, as well as of one judgment, resolved to be Bible-Christians at all events; and, wherever they were, to preach with all their might, plain, old, BibleChristianity.

[ocr errors]

10. They were hitherto perfectly regular in all things, and zealously attached to the Church of England. Meantime they began to be convinced, that, "by grace we are saved, through faith ;" that justification by faith is the doctrine of the Church, as well as of the Bible. As soon as they believed, they spake; salvation by faith being now their standing topic. Indeed, this implied three things: 1. That men are all, by nature, dead in sin, and, consequently, children of wrath: 2. That they are justified by faith alone: 3. That faith produces inward and outward holiness. And these points they insisted on, day and night. In a short time, they became popular preachers. The congregations were large wherever they preached. The former name was then revived. And all these gentlemen, with their followers, were entitled Methodists.

11. In March, 1741, Mr. Whitefield being returned to England, entirely separated from Mr. Wesley and his friends, “Because he (Mr. Wesley) did not hold the decrees.” Here was the first breach, which warm men persuaded Mr. White

field to make, merely for a difference of opinion. Those indeed who believed general redemption, had no desire at all to separate. But those who held particular redemption, would not hear of any accommodation, being determined to have no fellowship with men that were in such dangerous errors." So there were now two sorts of Methodists, so called; those for particular, and those for general redemption.

12. Not many years passed, before William Cudworth and James Relly separated from Mr. Whitefield. These were properly Antinomians, absolute, avowed enemies to the Law of God, which they never preached or professed to preach, but termed all Legalists who did. With them, preaching the Law was an abomination. They had nothing to do with the Law. They would preach Christ, as they called it, but without one word either of holiness or good works: yet these were still denominated Methodists, although differing from Mr. Whitefield, both in judgment and practice, abundantly more than Mr. Whitefield did from Mr. Wesley.

13. In the mean time, Mr. Venn and Mr. Romaine began to be spoken of: and not long after, Mr. Madan and Mr. Berridge, with a few other clergymen, who, although they had no connexion with each other, yet preaching salvation by faith, and endeavouring to live accordingly, and to be Bible-Christians, were soon included in the general name of Methodists. And so indeed were all others who preached salvation by faith, and appeared more serious than their neighbours. Some of these were quite regular in their manner of preaching: some were quite irregular, (though not by choice; but necessity was laid upon them; they must preach irregularly, or not all) and others were between both; regular in most, though not in all particulars.

14. In 1762, George Bell, and a few other persons, began to speak great words. In the latter end of the year, they foretold, that the world would be at an end on the 28th of February; Mr. Wesley, with whom they were then con

« ElőzőTovább »