66 THE Old Church Lorch THE HOLY CHURCH THROUGHOUT ALL THE WORLD DOTH ACKNOWLEDGE THEE." THE CHURCH'S BROKEN METHODISM. LIFE OF JOHN WESLEY. age [PRICE 3d. enjoyed better health, or felt more vigorous ORD, let me not live to be useless." Such was the prayer of John Wesley when he looked upon one whom he had long known as an active and intelligent Magistrate at length falling into the sere and yellow leaf of old age "a picture," as he said, "of human nature in disgrace, feeble in body and in mind, slow of speech and of understanding." And his prayer was granted-for perhaps of all the eminent men of whom we read-eminent in zeal, thirsting for the glory of GoD, and even as S. Paul, in labours abundant, none endured to so great an age as John Wesley. Though in early youth he had been attacked by symptoms of consumption, though he had practised at Oxford, and in his earlier career in holy orders, very great abstinence and fasting, though he had travelled from point to point throughout the whole of Great Britain many times over-though So again, take his account of himself he had the care and anxiety naturally even at the age of 83-ten years after: incident to the founding of so many Reli-"By the good Providence of GOD," he gious Societies, and the appointing and regulating of so many preachers, men of every mould of character and order in life-though for many years, and on many occasions, he had been roughly handled by the mobs of some of the worst cities both in England and Ireland, even to danger of life-still there he stood, weathering all: firm in health and constitution, never slacking one iota of his usual preaching and other labors from morning to night, until we find him at the age of seventy-two, declaring that he never says, "I have finished the eighty-second year of my age. Is anything too hard for GOD? It is now eleven years since I have felt anything like weariness. Many times I speak till my voice fails, and I can speak no longer. Frequently I walk till my strength fails, and I can walk no further. Yet even then I feel no sensation of weariness, but am perfectly easy from head to foot. I dare not impute this to natural causes-it is the will of God." But during this long period of active and vigorous old age, what was being done M in his Society? Was all smooth and prosperous ? Did no difficulties beset him in the government of the vast machine which he had called into existence? And, above all, was he, in all the arrangements which he had made, entirely free from reproach? These are points which we shall now have to consider, for it was in these latter years of his life that, if any where, those evils began to manifest themselves, which, as every one said, and every one acknowledged but himself, were doomed to bring, sooner or later, schism and disorder into the Church. There is no doubt whatever but that all through his life, even to the very last, Wesley's heart and desire was that his disciples should continue in the Churchthat they should never separate from her worship or communion-but that they should confine their meetings to Preaching, Praying, and Exhortation one with another, and that not in opposition, but in addition and in subservience to the Church. This desire and even command, as far as he was the leader of his people, breaks out in every instance where there is an opportunity. In the first place, wherever he could, and wherever he was permitted, he associated with the Clergy, preached for them, read prayers, and either administered or assisted them in the administration of the blessed Sacraments. For example, as late as the year 1782-he was then approaching the 80th year of his age-he passes from Taunton to Exeter, and then on Sunday, the 18th of August, he thus records: "I was much pleased with the decent behaviour of the whole congregation at the Cathedral, as also with the solemn music at the Communion, one of the finest compositions I ever heard." And here by the way we may notice, that to celebrate the Holy Office of the LORD's Supper with music cannot, or ought not to be, so objectionable as it is feared it is in the eyes of many. But he goes on-"The Bishop inviting me to dinner I could not but observe-1. The lovely situation of the Palace, covered with trees, and as rural and retired as if it was quite in the country. 2. The plainness of the furniture, not costly or showy, but just fit for a Christian Bishop. 3. The dinner sufficient but not redundant; plain and good, but not delicate. 4. The propriety of the company-five clergymen and four of the aldermen, and 5. The genuine unaffected courtesy of the Bishop, who, I hope, will be a blessing to his whole diocese." * What a gentle tone bears through this; no seeking to disparage the Church, or to avoid her. None of that unhappy sneering and cavilling at Bishops which now so frequently fills the mouths of Wesley's successors. Yes, indeed, if such a spirit were in them as in him, we should not be what we are. But further than their general tone. It was frequently discussed at the Conference of the Preachers whether it was their duty to leave the Church, and on no one occasion did Wesley ever fail, nor those with him, to decide that it was their duty to remain in the Church. As for instance Tuesday, 7th July, 1778. "Our little Conference began, at which twenty Preachers were present. On Wednesday, we heard one of our friends at large, upon the duty of leaving the Church, but after a full discussion of the point, we all remained firm in our judgment-that it is our duty not to leave the Church wherein GOD has blessed us, and does bless us still." On another occasion, a spirit of Dissent broke out at Deptford, and the Methodists of that place, contrary to the Rules of the Society, desired to hold their Sunday meetings in Church hours. Wesley said, that "this would be a formal separation from the Church. To fix their Service at the same hour as the Church would be to oblige them to separate either from the Church or from us, and this I judge not only inexpedient, but totally unlawful for me to do." But this had no effect, so he went down to Deptford himself, and thus describes what he found. "Most of the leading men were mad for a separation from the Church; I endeavoured to reason with them, but in vain, they had neither sense nor even good manners left. At length I told them-"If you are resolved, you may have your Service in Church hours, but remember, from that time, you will see my face no more. This struck deep, and from that time I heard no more of separation from the Church."‡ |