the public attention, and perhaps because the author is not one of the Society, is Clarkson's "Portraiture of Quakerism," in three volumes 8vo. It contains much information respecting them. Some are inclined to think that the Society is here described rather as they ought to be, than as they are; but the reader is recommended to the perusal of the work itself, when he will have it in his power to form his own judgment respecting its justness and fidelity. Mr. Clarkson calls the sentiments of the Friends respecting Government, Oaths, War, and the Maintenance of a Gospel Ministry, the Four great Tenets of the Society. See also "Devotional and Doctrinal Extracts from Epistles of the Yearly Meetings in London of the People called Quakers, from the year 1678 to 1810, dedicated to the Friends, and especially to the Rising Generation among them."

Mr. Gurney, of Norwich, has published an elegant and copious statement of "The Principles of the Friends," and also "A View of the Evidences of Christianity."

METHODISTS,

BOTH CALVINISTIC AND ARMINIAN,

Including the Followers of JOHN WESLEY, of GEORGE WHITEFIELD, and the Countess of HUNTINGDON.

The Methodists in this country form a large part of the community. In the year 1729, they sprang up at Oxford, under Mr. Morgan, who soon after died, and under Mr. John Wesley. In the month of November of that year, the latter being then fellow of Lincoln College, began to spend some evenings in reading the Greek New Testament, along with Charles Wesley, student, Mr. Morgan, commoner, of Christ Church, and Mr. Kirkman, of Merton College. Next year two or three of the pupils of Mr. John Wesley, and one pupil of Mr. Charles Wesley, obtained leave to attend these meetings. Two years after they were joined by Mr. Ingham, of Queen's

College, Mr. Broughton, of Exeter, and Mr. James Hervey, and in 1735 they were joined by the celebrated Mr. Whitefield, then in his 18th year. They soon obtained the name of Methodists, from the exact regularity of their lives, which gave occasion to a young gentleman of Christ Church to say, "Here is a new sect of Methodists sprung up!" alluding to a sect of ancient physicians, who practiced medicine by method, or regular rules, in opposition to quackery or empiricism. Thus was the term Methodists originally applied to this body of Christians, on account of the methodical strictness of their lives; but it is now by some indiscriminately appropriated to every individual who manifests a more than ordinary concern for the salvation of mankind.

These heads differing soon afterwards in religious sentiments, their followers distributed themselves into two parties, the one under the late Rev. Geo. Whitefield, the other under Messrs. John and Chas. Wesley. Educated at Oxford, these leaders still continued to profess an attachment to the articles and liturgy of the established church, though they more commonly adopted the mode of worship which prevails among the Dissenters. Upon their being excluded from the pulpits in many churches, they took to preaching in the fields; and from the novelty of the thing, in conjunction with the fervour of their exertions, they were attended by some thousands of people! In their public labours, Mr. Whitefield having a most sonorous voice, was remarkable for an engaging and powerful eloquence: whilst Mr. John Wesley, being less under the influence of his passions, possessed, both in writing and preaching, a perspicuous and commanding simplicity.

Even their enemies confess that the Methodists have contributed to reform the lower classes of the community. The Colliers at Kingswood, near Bristol, and the tinners in Cornwall, were greatly benefitted by their exertions. In consequence of their attention to the religion of Jesus, by the instrumentality of these preachers, many of them rose to a degree of respectability, and became valuable members of society. The followers of Mr. Wesley are

Arminians, though some of his preachers incline to Baxterianism. The followers of Mr. Whitefield are Calvinists, and were patronized by the late Countess Dowager of Huntingdon, to whom Mr. Whitefield was chaplain, and who was a lady of great benevolence and piety. The late Lady Erskine, a relation of the celebrated Erskine, took her situation, and was said to be equally attentive to the concerns of this part of the religious community. With respect to the splitting of the Methodists into Calvinists and Arminians, it happened so far back as the year 1741, the former being for Particular, and the latter for Universal redemption.

The late Lord Erskine reading the above paragraph, sent me the following communication, which I insert with pleasure: "The person you allude to was Lady Ann Agnes Erskine; and I consider it to be the highest illustration of my name and family that she was my sister, because I am confident that since the beginning of the Christian era, there never was a human being (I can except no saint or martyr) more evangelical, more rationally devout, or more fervently zealous, or distinguished by a more exalted and, as men too vainly describe it in their favour, a more masculine understanding!"

The distinguishing principles of Methodism are, salvation by faith in Jesus Christ; perceptible and, in some cases, instantaneous conversion, and an assurance of reconciliation to God, with which, they say, the new birth, or being born again, is inseperably attended. On these doctrines they lay the utmost stress; and much curious information respecting these topics will be found in the late Dr. Haweis's "History of the Church of Christ.” This work, however, is deficient in references to authorities, the soul and substance of history, Several persons have written the Life of Mr. Wesley; there is one by Mr. Hampson, another by Dr. Whitehead, and a third by Dr. Coke and Mr. More. Whitefield's Life was drawn up by the late Dr. Gillies, of Glasgow. Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield both published accounts of their itinerant labours in this kingdom and in America. These sketches are entitled "Journals," and though containing many

strange things, serve to illustrate the progress of Methodism. Mr. Hampson, in his " Memoirs of Mr. Wesley,” a well-written work, says, "If they possess not much knowledge, which, however, we do not know to be the case, it is at least certain they are not deficient in zeal; and, without any passionate desire to imitate their example, we may, at least, commend their endeavours for the general good. Every good man will contemplate with pleasure the operation of the spirit of reformation, whether foreign or domestic, and will rejoice in every attempt to propogate Christianity in the barbarous parts of the world, an attempt which, if in any tolerable degree successful, will do infinitely more for their civilization and happiness, than all the united energies of the philosophical infidels, those boasted benefactors of mankind."

The Eighty-eighth Annual Conference of the Methodist Preachers was held at Liverpool, July 26, 1826. It was there reported, that the number of members in Great Britain is 231,045, being and increase of 1378 during the past year; in Ireland, 22,514, being an increase of 437; in foreign stations, 32,960, being an increase of 626. Total, 286,519; increase during the past year, 2,441 members. The grand total of Wesleyan Methodists through the world is 630,081, of whom 2418 are preachers in the Connexion. In their Address to the American Methodist Bishops, the Conference acknowledge that the times have injured them, adding, "We cannot this year report a very large increase of numbers, but we trust that we are still favoured with a considerable degree of religious prosperity."

NEW METHODISTS.

The New Methodist Connexion, among the followers of Mr. Wesley, separated from the original Methodists in 1797. The grounds of this separation they declare to be church-government, and not doctrines, as affirmed by some of their opponents. They object to the old Methodists for having formed a hierarchy, or priestly corporation, and

say that, in so doing, they have robbed the people of those privileges which, as members of a Christian church, they are entitled to by reason and scripture. The New Methodists have established every part of their church-government on popular princicples, and profess to have united, as much as possible, the ministers and the people in every department of it. This is quite contrary to the original government of the Methodists, which, in the most important cases, is confined only to the ministers. This, indeed, appears most plainly, when the Conference, or Yearly Meeting, is considered; for in this meeting no person who is not a travelling preacher, has ever been suffered to enter as a member of it; and, indeed, this is the point to which the preachers have always steadfastly adhered with the utmost firmness and resolution, and on which the division at present entirely rests. They are also upbraided by the New Methodists, for having abused the power they have assumed; a great many of these abuses the New Methodists have formally protested against which are enumerated in various publications, and particularly in the Preface to the Life of one of their deceased friends, Mr. Alexander Kilham. Hence these New Methodists have been sometimes denominated Kilhamites.

Though these are the points on which the division seems principally to have rested, yet there are several other things that have contributed to it. It is frequently easy to foresee and to calculate the future changes in society that the lapse of time will produce; and in no instance is this observation better warranted than in this division, which most persons have long expected. The old attachment of the Methodists to the Established Church, which originated in Mr. Wesley, and was cherished by him and many of the preachers by all possible means, and also the dislike to these sentiments in many others of the preachers, and of the societies, were never-failing subjects of contention. As all parties are dististinguished in their contests by some badge or discriminating circumstance, so here the receiving, or not receiving, the Lord's Supper in the established Church, was long