The piety and devotion which Mr. Wesley and his companions manifested during the voyage was highly commendable, and indicated a becoming impression of the importance of their undertaking ; but, owing to some disagreeable circumstances, Mr. John Wesley returned to England without having made much pro gress in the proposed object, and was succeeded by his valued friend Mr. George \Vhitefield, who arrived at Savannah on the 7th May 1738, and was received by Mr. Delamotte, and many of Mr. Wesley's hearers. It may be proper to notice the success which attended Mr. \Vhitefield's labours in this quarter of the globe. He laboured with great zeal, and was honoured to be useful. He returned to England in the close of the same year to receive priest's orders. On his return to America in 1739, he landed at Philadelphia, and im mediately began his spiritual labours, which he con tinued as he passed through the colonies of Virginia, Maryland, and North and South Carolina, being attend ed by considerable audiences. Upon his arrival at Sa vannah, he found the colony almost deserted, which moved him to carry into effect his scheme of building an orphan-house, which he had the happiness to see completed through his exertions, and the liberal dona tions of his friends. Upon his third visit to the wes tern continent, he took a voyage to the Bermudas islands, where his ministry was successfully attended, and some contributions made for his orphan-house at Savannah. Upon his sixth voyage to Georgia, he received the thanks of the governor and principal people, for the advantage which the colony had derived from his benevolent ex ertions, a circumstance which tends greatly to vindicate the character of this singular man, from the very unjust reproach of avarice which was frequently thrown upon him. In 1769, he made his 7th and last voyage to Ame rica ; but, although his labours were so extensive, he formed no separate congregations. In the intervals of his visits to America, he frequently made tours to Scot land and Ireland, where he attracted numerous assem blies, and always made a powerful impression by his eloquence ; but having differed in doctrinal sentiment from Mr. Wesley, and never having formed the idea of a separate association of itinerants and of members, he can scarcely be considered as the head of any party. Mr. Wesley is the father of the Methodists, of whose rise, progress, doctrine, and discipline, we shall now give a very brief account.
Upon Mr. Wesley's return to England, he was invit ed to preach in several churches, but the concourse of people who followed him was so great, that the churches in general were shut against him. His converts now began to form themselves into a little society, as he and his companions had formerly done at Oxford. They then agreed that they would meet together once a week, " to confess their faults one to another, and pray one for another ; that the persons so meeting should be divided into several bands, or little companies, none of them of fewer than jive, or more than ten persons ; that every one in order should speak as freely, plainly, and concisely as he could, the real state of his heart, with his several temptations and deliverances since their last meeting;—that all the bands should have a conference at eight every \Vendesday evening, begun and ended with singing and prayer ;—that any who desired to be admitted into this society should be asked, What are your reasons for desiring this ? Will you be entirely open, using no kind of reserve ? Have you any objection to any of our orders ? That after two month's trial, they should be admitted into the society ;—that every fourth Saturday should be observed as a day of general intercession ;—that on the Sunday se'ennight following, there should be a general love feast from seven till ten in the evening ;—that no member should be allowed to act in any thing contrary to any order of the society ; and that if any persons, after being thrice admonished, should not conform thereto, they should no longer be esteemed as members. Here we have the platform of the system of Methodism. It was still Mr. Wesley's desire and design to preach in the established church, and it is remarkable that he always considered himself a member of it. His plan seems to have been
to promote a reformation in the church, instead of separating from it. The rules he observed himself and recommended to his followers seem to have been design ed as supplementary to the accustomed ceremonial. He is, without seeming to have intended it, the founder of the most numerous and remarkable religious sect of which we have any account in ancient or modern times.
It must be however, that the doc trine Mr. Wesley taught is not strictly according to the thirty-nine articles.
The Methodists are professed Arminians. They deny the doctrines of election, and the certainty of the saints' perseverance.
In regard to original sin, and the extent of human inability, it is not so easy to say what are their precise opinions. They seem to hold, that the effect of the mediation of Christ in regard to all men is, that they may, by the use of the means put in their power, secure their salvation. They certainly go very far in asserting the attainableness of perfection in this life. They ground their doctrine on this subject upon such texts as these: " Be perfect." " Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world." It is proper farther to notice, that while they deny, as above mentioned, the doctrine of election as taught by the Calvinists, they hold that certain persons and churches have been elected, and that great events are fore-ordained. It is affirmed by respectable authority, that when Mr. Wesley preached in Scotland, he was more cautious in expressing his sentiments on this subject, knowing the Calvinistic creed of the Scot tish people. Whatever may be in this, it is certain that his modern followers have not always been so accommodating. Of late years many of their most eminent preachers have brought forward their opi Mons on these points with much zeal, and even in a controversial form. Certain it is, however, that the Methodists never have made much progress in North Britain, owing to the hold which the doctrine of the Westminster Confession has upon the minds of the Scotch people, and, it is but fair to add, owing to the residence of the clergy, and the decorous character of the people in general, which may be supposed to make them less accessible to the impressions of terror, one of the chief of the means by which the Methodists aim at operating upon the minds of men. It may also be added, that the minute inspection which the laws of Me thodism authorize, as to the very feelings and private exercises of each individual, does not accord with the taciturn, prudent, and independent genius of our people ; and perhaps the levy of one shilling quarterly, for the re newal of tickets to constitute lull membership, may ope rate in part as an obstruction. Of late, it became a mat ter of conference whether Scotland should be relinquish ed, as bearing heavy on the funds of the society, or whe ther greater exertions should be made. The latter al ternative was adopted ; and by employing some of their most eloquent preachers, by erecting better places of worship in more prominent situations, and their usual attention to the cultivation of vocal music, they may perhaps gain their object, unless similar means are em ployed by the Presbyterians, and more accommodation provided in our large towns for the increasing popula tion. When we look to England and Wales, and the New-World, we see the triumphs of the Methodists. Their numbers are very great, and every year increasing. By the account of the 76th annual conference, held at Bristol in July 1819, it appears that no fewer than 6905 have been added to their society during the past year ; that in Great Britain they have 318 stations, each em ploying at the least two preachers, and in chief towns three or four ; in France, they have four missionary sta tions ; in Gibraltar, one ; in Brussels, one ; in Ceylon and continental India, upwards of twenty missionaries ; in Africa six, and more requested ; in the West Indies, up wards of forty ; in the British prnvincess of North Ame rica, (where the Church of Scotland has clone so little,) the Methodists have forty-five preachers.