cially as New-England will act on the Middle, the Southern, and still more, on the Northwestern States, chiefly through them.

In conclusion, let me add, that the General Assembly of the New School, in its session in May, 1840, proposed to the presbyteries under its care certain important changes in its constitution, which have since been adopted. One is, that the General Assembly shall be held triennially instead of annually. Another is, that all appeals from the decisions of a Church Session shall not, in the case of lay-members, be carried beyond the Presbytery, or in the these modifications they have made the business of their General Assembly much more simple and easy, and given more time to that body to deliberate on measures for the promotion of the best interests of the Church.

The number of licentiates and candi-case of ministers, beyond the Synod. By dates is not given, but probably bears the same proportion to that of the churches and pastors as those of the Old School do

to theirs.

Thus it appears that the two together, and in almost all respects they may be considered as one body, have

3,584 Churches,

2,672 Ordained Ministers,

probably 900 Licentiates and Candidates, and 279,782 Communicants.

Regarding them as one whole, it were difficult to find in any part of Christendom a branch of the kingdom of Christ better educated, or more distinguished for general learning, zeal, enterprise, liberality, and soundness in all essential doctrine. Their ministers present a body of 2672 men, almost without exception liberally educated, who, after all their debates, and final separation into two, are more thoroughly sound Calvinists in point of doctrine than any equally numerous ministry to be found in any other country.

CHAPTER VI.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

THIS large and influential body holds the doctrinal opinions of the Wesleyan Methodists of England, and its ecclesiastical economy is, in all important points, identical with theirs. It took its rise in 1766, when a Mr. Philip Embury, who had been a local preacher in some of Mr. Wesley's societies in the north of Ireland, and had come over to America with a few other pious persons of the same connexion, began to hold meetings for exhortation and prayer in his own house at New-York. A considerable society was gradually formed in that city, which at that time, it would appear, could reckon on but a small number, comparatively, of living and zealous Christians among its inhabitants. In a few months it was found necessary to fit up a large hired room as a place of worship, and the congregation was farther augmented by the preaching of a Captain Webb of the British army, who, having been converted under the preaching of Mr. Wesley in England, and being now stationed at Albany, paid frequent visits to the little flock at New-York.

The question is often asked, Whether they will ever unite again? That is by no means improbable; but whether they do or not seems to me of little consequence. In their separate state they will accomplish more than if united. There will soon be the most perfect intercourse between their churches and pastors. The energies of both find free and ample scope, which was never the case before with either, but particularly with the Old School, who never felt at ease, or assured of the future. The New School will probably ally themselves more closely than ever with the ConIt was not long, however, before similar gregationalists, and maintaining a some- meetings began to be held in several plawhat less rigid economy than the Old ces on Long Island, in Philadelphia, and School, in regard to the organization of at other points. In 1768 a large place of churches in regions abounding with New- worship was erected in New-York, being England Congregational emigrants, they the first Methodist church ever built in cannot but increase rapidly, the more espe- the United States. Next year, Mr. Wes* In the above statistical view the foreign mis

sionaries belonging to this body are included. If we would give the exact number of Synods, Presbyteries, &c., of this Church in the United States, we must subtract these. There would then remain 18 Synods, 102 Presbyteries, 2088 churches, and 1409

ministers.

That is, students of theology who have not yet been licensed to preach.

ley being requested to send over two of his preachers, Messrs. Richard Boardman and Joseph Pillmore came to New-York, and about the same time, Mr. Robert Strawbridge, another local preacher from Ireland, came over and settled in Frederick county, Maryland, where he held meetings at his own house, and at those of other

pious persons in the neighbourhood. This extension of the Methodists into the South was farther promoted by a visit from Mr. Pillmore into Virginia and North Caro

lina.

Pressing representations of the need of help having been made to Mr. Wesley, Mr. Francis Asbury and Mr. Richard Wright were sent over from England in 1771, and under the labours, particularly of the former, the work went on increasing, year after year, until the commencement of the Revolution. That event greatly retarded the progress of Methodism in some places, not only by the ever untowardly influence of present war on such undertakings, but also by the suspicions attached by the revolutionists to Mr. Asbury, and several of his fellow-preachers, as being native Englishmen, who had been too short a period in the country to have its interests truly at heart.

baptizing and administering the Lord's Supper.

On the arrival of these delegates, a conference of the preachers was immediately convened at Baltimore. It was opened on the 25th of December, 1784, and was attended by sixty out of the eighty preachers then in the country. One of its first acts was the unanimous election of Dr. Coke and Mr. Asbury as superintendents, thereby confirming Mr. Wesley's appointment. Dr. Coke and the other two presbyters then ordained Mr. Asbury, first a deacon, next a presbyter, and, finally, a superintendent. Thereupon the two superintendents, or bishops, as they soon began to be called, and as their successors are styled to this day, ordained twelve of the preachers then present to the office of presbyters or elders.

Thus was the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States organized sixty years ago. From that epoch they formed a new and independent religious denomination, which was soon vastly to outnumber that from which they had sprung. At that "their day of small things," their ministers and lay preachers, including Dr. Coke and his co-delegates from England, amounted to eightysix, and the members, in all, to 14,986. But small as was this beginning, great and glorious has been their increase since.

At length, with peace came independence, and thus, greatly to the encouragement of Mr. Asbury and his fellow-labourers, a wide and effectual door for the preaching of the Gospel was opened to them. Hitherto this attempt to revive true godliness had been confined entirely to laymen of the Episcopal Church, and with it their efforts are more connected than with any other, inasmuch as none of them had at first any intention of separating from its communion. But worthy ministers of that church being hard to be found in some places, while none were to be had at all in others, both before the Revolution broke out and during its progress, Mr. Wesley was urged to send over ordained ministers, who might administer the ordinances to his followers. To this he was greatly opposed at first, but when the Revolution was over, considering that, from the change of circumstances, he might now lawfully do what he had refused doing while the colonies were under the government of England, he sent over, as superintendent of the Methodist churches in America, the Rev. Dr. Coke, a presbyter of regular standing in the Established Church of England. He was accompanied by Mr. Richard Whatcoat and Mr. Thomas Vasey, whom Mr. Wesley, assisted by Dr. Coke and the Rev. Mr. Creighton, had ordained presbyters or priests, just before the sailing of the three from Bristol in September, 1784. These breth-goods; of a Christian man's oath. ren were the bearers of a letter from Mr. Wesley to the Methodist preachers and societies in America, stating his reasons for considering himself now at liberty to accede to their requests, and informing them that he had appointed Dr. Coke and Mr. Asbury to be joint superintendents of all the societies in that country founded upon his rules, and Messrs. Whatcoat and Vasey to act as elders among them, by

The proceedings of that conference were highly important. Twenty-five articles were adopted as the Confession of Faith for the infant church. We will give first the titles of the whole, and then a few of them at large. The titles are as follows: Of faith in the Holy Trinity; of the Word, or Son of God, who was made very man; of the resurrection of Christ; of the Holy Ghost; of the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for salvation; of the Old Testament; of original sin; of free-will; of the justification of man; of good works; of works of supererogation; of sin after justification; of the Church; of purgatory; of speaking in the congregation in such a tongue as the people understand; of the sacraments; of Baptism; of the Lord's Supper; of both kinds ;* of the one oblation of Christ, finished upon the cross; of the marriage of ministers; of the rites and ceremonies of the churches; of the rulers of the United States of America; of Christian men's

On almost all these subjects the articles express doctrines held by every enlightened Protestant. In fact, they are a selection from the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, with some verbal changes, and the omission of some words and parts of sentences. The seventeenth article of the Church of Eng* Or elements-bread and wine-both to be ad

ministered to the people.

land (on predestination and election) is, of | instantaneous? It is both the one and the course, omitted, the doctrine therein taught other. But should we, in preaching, innot being held by the Methodist Episcopal sist both on one and the other?' Certainly Church in America. Nor do we find that we should insist on the gradual change; of the certain perseverance of saints, for and that earnestly and continually. And neither do they hold this. But on all the are there not reasons why we should insist great doctrines essential to salvation, no- on the instantaneous change? If there be thing can be more clear, or more consist- such a blessed change before death, should ent with the Word of God, than the sense we not encourage all believers to expect of these articles. For instance, on origi- it? And the rather, because constant exnal sin-what more Scriptural than the perience shows, the more earnestly they seventh article, which says, "Original sin expect this, the more swiftly and steadily standeth not in following of Adam (as the does the gradual work of God go on in Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the cor- their souls; the more careful are they to ruption of the nature of every man; that grow in grace; the more zealous of good is, naturally engendered of the offspring of works; and the more punctual in their atAdam, whereby man is very far gone from tendance on all the ordinances of God original righteousness, and of his own na- (whereas just the contrary effects are obture inclined to evil, and that continually." served whenever this expectation ceases). On the subject of free-will, it is said, They are saved by hope-by this hope "That the condition of man after the fall of a total change, with a gradually-increasof Adam is such, that he cannot turn and ing salvation. Destroy this hope, and that prepare himself by his own natural strength salvation stands still, or, rather, decreases and works to faith, and calling upon God; daily. Therefore, whoever will advance whereupon we have no power to do good the gradual change in believers, should works, pleasant and acceptable to God, strongly insist on the instantaneous." without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will."

So in respect to justification by faith, good works, works of supererogation, the sacraments, and other subjects, the same doctrines are held as by the Reformers of blessed memory.

Besides these twenty-five articles, the General Conference have adopted a system of polity* in thirty-five sections, which treat of the entire economy of their church, the manner of life becoming its ministers and private members, the proper style of preaching, &c. In giving directions as to the manner of treating the doctrine of perfection, the twenty-second section runs as follows: "Let us strongly and explicitly exhort all believers to go on to perfection. That we may all speak the same thing, we ask, once for all, Shall we defend this perfection, or give it up? We all agree to defend it, meaning thereby (as we did from the beginning), salvation from all sin by the love of God and man filling the heart. The Papists say, 'This cannot be attained till we have been refined by the fire of purgatory.' Some professors say, 'Nay, it will be attained as soon as the soul and body part. Others say, 'It may be attained before we die; a moment after is too late.' Is it not so? We are all agreed we may be saved from all sin, properly so called, before death, i. e., sinful tempers; but we cannot always speak, or think, or act aright, as dwelling in houses of clay. The substance, then, is settled; but as to the circumstances, is the change gradual or

For a more thorough acquaintance with the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church, I may refer to Mr. Wesley's four volumes of Sermons, and his Notes on the New Testament, where all the peculiar views of that body are fully exhibited, and which may be regarded as its real Confession of Faith. Its Discipline comprehends the "Articles of Religion," the "General Rules" relating to practice, the "System of Government," and the "Formularies," all of which, except the Articles of Religion, may, under certain circumstances and restrictions, be modified and enlarged from time to time by various enactments of the General Conference. We shall attempt_a_summary of it from the very clear and succinct statements of the Rev. Dr. Bangs, in his "History of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States,"* a work to which, in preparing this chapter, we have been greatly indebted on other points. We begin with the "societies" and "classes," which are the primary bodies of believers in this extensive, well-adjusted, and most efficient ecclesiastical system.

1. In the first place, there is what is called the society, which includes all the members of the church residing in any particular place, or connected with it.

2. Every society comprises one or more classes, each consisting of from twelve to

Rev. Nathan Bangs, D.D., brings the history of the * Vol. i., p. 245–250. This work, in 4 vols., by the Methodist Church down to the close of the General Conference held in 1840. It is an invaluable work, written in a truly calm and Christian spirit, and displays a sincere desire to present every subject which it treats in an impartial manner. It contains a com* These rules, originally drawn up by Mr. Wes-plete history of the Methodist Church in America ley, were considerably modified in America. from the first.

twenty or more individuals, who meet once | ties as a preacher, he is authorized tosolemnize marriages, to administer Baptism, and to assist the elder or presbyter in the administration of the Lord's Supper.

3. The minister, under whose pastoral care the classes in a society are placed, appoints a leader to each, whose duty is to see every member of his class once a week, to inquire how their souls prosper, and to receive what they are willing to give for the support of the church and the poor. 4. Stewards are appointed in each society by the Quarterly Conference, on the nomination of the ruling preacher. These have charge of all the moneys collected for the support of the ministry, the poor, and for sacramental occasions, and dis-ers, as the Discipline directs. He is apburse it as the Discipline directs.

5. There are trustees, who have charge of the church property, and hold it in trust for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. These are elected by the congregation in those states where the laws so provide; in other places they are appointed as the Dis-out the circuits, for it often happens that cipline directs.

body performs, therefore, a most important the family of each married preacher on part in the whole system. their circuit or station, and also to grant an allowance for their fuel and table expenses, which is estimated by a committee appointed by the Quarterly Meeting Conference. In these respects there is no difference between the preachers, deacons, elders, presiding elders, and bishops—all receive the same salaries; all have their travelling expenses. The widows of all the ministers receive 100 dollars each.