nected, withstood them both in public and private. This they would not endure; so, in January and February, 1763, they separated from him. Soon after, Mr. Maxfield, one of Mr. Wesley's preachers, and several of the people left Mr. Wesley: but, still Mr. Maxfield, and his adherents, went under the general name of Methodists. 15. At present, those who remain with Mr. Wesley, are mostly Church of England men. They love her Articles, her Homilies, her Liturgy, her Discipline, and unwillingly vary from it in any instance. Meantime, all who preach among them declare, "We are all, by nature, children of wrath :" but, "by grace we are saved, through faith;" saved both from the guilt and from the power of sin. They endeavour to live according to what they preach, to be plain, Bible-Christians. And they meet together at conve nient times, to encourage one another therein. They tenderly love many that are Calvinists, though they do not love their opinions: yea, they love the Antinomians themselves; but it is with a love of compassion only, for they hate their doctrines with a perfect hatred; they abhor them as they do hell-fire; being convinced nothing can so effectually destroy all faith, all holiness, and all good works. 16. With regard to these, Mr. Relly and his adherents, it would not be strange, if they should grow into reputation. For they will never shock the world, either by the harshness of their doctrine, or the singularity of their behaviour. But let those who determine both to preach and to live the gospel, expect that men will "say all manner of evil of them. The servant is not above his Master, nor the disciple above his Lord. If then they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?" It is their duty indeed," as much as lieth in them, to live peaceably with all men." But when they labour after peace, the world will "make themselves ready for battle." It is their constant endeavour, to "please all men, for their good, to edification." But yet they know, it cannot be done. They remember the word of the Apostle, "If I yet please men, I am not the servant of Christ.' They go on therefore, "through honour and dishonour, through evil report and good report:" desiring only, that their Master may say in that day, "Servants of God, well done." ADVICE TO THE PEOPLE CALLED METHODISTS. IT may be needful to specify whom I mean by this ambiguous term; since it would be lost labour to speak to Methodists, so called, without first describing those to whom I speak. By Methodists I mean, a people who profess to pursue (in whatsoever measure they have attained) holiness of heart and life, inward and outward conformity in all things to the revealed will of God; who place religion in an uniform resemblance of the great object of it; in a steady imitation of him they worship, in all his imitable perfections; more particularly, in justice, mercy, and truth, or universal love filling the heart, and governing the life. You, to whom I now speak, believe this love of humankind cannot spring but from the love of God. You think there can be no instance of one, whose tender affection embraces every child of man, (though not endeared to him, either by ties of blood, or by any natural or civil relation) unless that affection flow from a grateful, filial love, to the common Father of all: to God, considered not only as his father, but as the father of the spirits of all flesh; yea, as the general parent and friend of all the families, both of heaven and earth. This filial love you suppose to flow only from faith, which you describe as a supernatural evidence (or conviction) of things not seen: so that to him who has this principle, The things unknown to feeble sense, The clouds disperse, the shadows fly; And God is seen by mortal eye. You suppose this faith to imply an evidence that God is merciful to me a sinner; that he is reconciled to me by the death of his Son, and now accepts me, for his sake. You, accordingly describe the faith of a real Christian, as, "A sure trust and confidence (oyer and above his assent to the sacred writings) which he hath in God, that his sins are forgiven; and that he is, through the merits of Christ, reconciled to the favour of God." You believe farther, that both this faith and love are wrought in us by the Spirit of God; nay, that there cannot be in any man, one good temper or desire, or so much as one good thought, unless it be produced by the Almighty power of God, by the inspiration or influence of the Holy Ghost. If you walk by this rule, continually endeavouring to know, and love, and resemble, and obey the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the God of love, of pardoning mercy: if, from this principle of loving, obedient faith, you carefully abstain from all evil, and labour, as you have opportunity, to do good to all men, friends, or enemies if, lastly, you unite together, to encourage and help each other, in thus working out your salvation, and for that end watch over one another in love, you are they whom I mean by Methodists. The first general advice which one, who loves your souls, would earnestly recommend to every one of you, is, consider with deep and frequent attention, the peculiar circumstances wherein you stand.. One of these is, that you are a new people. Your name is new, at least, as used in a religious sense, not heard of, till a few years ago, either in our own, or any other nation. Your principles are new, in this respect, that, there is no other set of people among us, and, possibly not in the christian world, who hold them all, in the same degree and connexion; who so strenuously and continually insist on the absolute necessity of universal holiness both in heart and life; of a peaceful, joyous love of God; of a supernatural evidence of things not seen; of an inward witness that we are the children of God, and of the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, in order to any good thought, or word, or work. And perhaps there is no other set of people, at least not visibly united together, who lay so much, and yet no more stress than you do, on rectitude of opinions, on outward modes of worship, and the use of those ordinances, which you acknowledge to be of God. So much stress you lay even on right opinions, as to profess, that you earnestly desire to have a right judgment in all things, and are glad to use. every means which you know or believe may be conducive thereto; and yet not so much as to condemn any man npon, earth, merely for thinking otherwise than you do: much less to imagine, that God condemns him for this, if he be upright and sincere of heart. On those outward modes of worship, wherein you have been bred up, you lay so much stress, as highly to approve them; but not so much as to lessen your love to those who conscientiously dissent from you herein. You likewise lay so much stress on the use of those ordinances, which you believe to be of God, as to confess, there is no salvation for you, if you wilfully neglect them. And yet you do not judge them that are other. wise minded; you determine nothing concerning those, who, |