METHODISTS, the name originally given, about the year 1729, by a student of Christ Church to the brothers Wesley and several other young men of a serious turn of mind, then members of different colleges of Oxford, who used to assemble together on particu, lar nights of the week chiefly for reliolous conversation. The term was selected, it ia believed, in allusion to the exact anemethodical manner in which they performed the various engagements which a sense of Christian duty induced them to undertake, such as meetino- together for the purpose of studying Scripture, visiting the poor, and prisoners in Oxfo'"rd jail, at regular intervals. Subsequently it came to be applied to the followers of Wesley and his coadjutors, when these had acquired the magnitude of a new sect; and though their founder himself wished that " the very name," to use his own words, "might never be mentioned more, but be buried in eternal oblivion," yet it has finally come to be accepted by most if not all of the various denonainations who trace their oricin mediately or immediately to the °Teat religious movement commenced by John We;ley. For an account of the origin and earlier development of Methodism see articles on the brothers WESLEY and WurrEFtELD. We confine ourselves here to a brief notice of its org,anization, doctrine, and present condition.
1. Organization.—This appears to have been partly improvised by Wesley to suit the exigences of his position. It was WA. 'a,theoretical premeditat4 but a practical and extempore system. In the Rules of the &defy of the People called Methodists, drawn up by himself, he says: " In the latter end of the year 1739, eight or ten persons came to me in London, who appeared to be deeply convinced of sin, and earnestly groaning for redemp tion. They desired (as did two or three more the next day) that I would spend some time with thetn in prayer, and advise them how to flee from the wrath to come, which they saw continually hanging over their heads. That we might have more time for this great work, I appointed a day. when they might all come together, which from thenceforward they did every week, viz., on Thursday, in the evening." This he calls " the first Methodist society." Its numbers rapidly increased, and similar " societies" were soon formed in different parts of England, where the evangelistic labors of the Wesleys had awakened in many minds " a desire to flee from the wrath to come, and be saved from their sins" —the only condition, we may remark, required of anv for admission into these societies. In order to ascertain more minutely how the work of-salvation was prog-ressing in indi vidual cases, Wesley subdivided the societies into " classes," according to their respective places of abode, each class containing about a dozen persons, under the superintendence of a " leader," whose duties are partly religious and partly financial. 1. He has to see each person in his class once a week, " to inquire how their souls prosper," and to encourage, comfort, or censure, 89 the case may require. 2. To collect the voluntary contributions of his class, and pay it over to the stewards" of the society, and to give the ministers all necessary information regarding the spiritual or bodily condition of those under his leadership. For preaching purposes, on the other hand, the societies were aggregated—a certain number of them constituting what is called a circuit. This
now generally includes a town and a rural circle of 10 or 15 miles. To each circuit two, three, or four ministers are appointed, one of whom is styled the " superintendent ;" and here they labor for at least one year, and not more than three. Every quarter the classes are visited by the ministers, who make it a point to converse personally with every mem ber; at the termination of which proceeding a " circuit-meeting" is held, composed of min isters, stewards, leaders of classes, lay-preachers, etc. The stewards (who are taken from the societies) deliver their collections to a eircuit-steward, and the financial business of the body is here publicly settled. At this quarterly meeting candidates for the office of the ministry are proposed by the president, and the nomination is approved or rejected by the members. Still larger associations are the " districts," composed of from 10 to 20 circuits, the ministers of which meet once a year, under the presidency of one of their number, for the following purposes: 1. To examine candidates for the ministry, and to try " cases" of immorality, heresy, insubordination, or inefficiency on the part of the clergy. 2. To decide preliminary questions concerning the building of chapels. 3. To investigate and determine the claims of the poorer circuits to assistance from the general funds of the body. 4. To elect a representative to the committee of conference, whose duty is to nominate ministers for the different stations for the ensuing year—their appointments, however, bein.g subject to the revision of conference. In all the financial and other purely secular business of the districts, laymen (such as circuit-stewards and others) deliberate and vote equally with the clergy. The supreme Methodist assembly is the "conference." The first was held in 1744, when John Wesley met his brother Charles, two or three other clergymen, and a few of the " preachers"—men whom his zeal and fervor had induced to abandon their secular employments and devote themselves tu declaring the message of the Gospel. The purpose for which he called them together was, he says, " for the sake of conversing on the affairs of the 'societies' and the result of our consultations we set down to be the rule of our future practice." In the course of his life Wesley presided at 47 of these annual assemblies. The conference now consists of 100 ministers, mostly seniors, who hold their office according to arrange ments prescribed in a, deed of declaration, executed by John Wesley himself, and enrolled in chancery. But the representatives previously mentioned, and all the ministers allowed by the district committees to attend—who may or may not be members of the legal con ference—sit and vote usually as one body, the 100 confirming. their decisions. In this assembly, which is exclusively clerical, every minister's character is subjected to renewed and strict scrutiny, and if any charge be proved against him, he is dealt with accord ingly; candidates for the ministry are examined both publicly and privately, and set apart to their sacred office; the entire proceedings of the infenor courts (if we may so call them) are finally reviewed; and the condition, requirements, and prospects of the body are duly considered.