their own conscience, and damage to the general work of God."

On the same day, that he wrote the above letter, he also wrote to Mr. Norton, who in a letter written about a week before, had charged him with 1. "Selfinconsistency, in tolerating loy-preaching, and not tolerating lay-administering: and 2. With shewing a spirit of persecution, in denying his brethren the liberty of acting, as well as thinking, according to their own conscience."

With regard to the first, Mr. Wesley allowed the charge, but denied the consequence. He declared, that he acted on the same principle, in tolerating the one and in prohibiting the other. "My principle, (said he) is this, I submit to every ordinance of man wherever I do not conceive there is an absolute necessity for acting contrary to it. Consistently with this, I do tolerate lay-preaching, because I conceive there is an absolute necessity for it, inasmuch as were it not, thousands of souls would perish; yet I do not tolerate lay-administering, because, I do not conceive there is any such necessity for it."

With regard to the second, Mr. Wesley observes, "I again allow the fact; but deny the consequence. I mean, I allow the fact thus far: some of our Preachers who are not ordained, think it quite right to administer the Lord's supper, and believe it would do much good. I think it quite wrong, and believe it would do much hurt. Hereupon I say, I have no right over your conscience, nor you over mine: therefore both you and I must follow our own conscience. You believe, it is a duty to administer: do so; and herein follow your own conscience. I verily believe it is a sin; which, consequently, I dare not tolerate: and herein I follow mine. Yet this is no persecution, were

I to separate from our society, those who practise what I believe is contrary to the word and destructive of the work of God."

In December, Mr. Wesley wrote to a friend as follows: "I do not see that Diocesan episcopacy is necessary, but I do, that it is highly expedient. But whether it were or no, the spirit shewn in those verses, is wrong from end to end.

"Neither J. E. nor any other separatist, can ever be expected to own prejudice, pride, or interest, to be his motive. Nevertheless I do and must blame every one of them, for the act of separating. Afterwards, I leave them to God.

"The Apostles had not the Lordships, or the Revenues, but they had the office of Diocesan bishops. But let that point sleep we have things to think of, which are, magis ad nos. Keep from prosely ting others; and keep your opinion till doomsday; stupid, self-inconsistent, unprimitive, and unscriptural as

it is.

"I have spoken my judgment concerning lay-administering, at large, both to C-P- and N. Norton. I went as far as I could with a safe conscience. I must follow my conscience, and they their own.-They who dissuade people from attending the church and sacrament, do certainly, "Draw them from the church.”

Mr. Wesley's travels and labours of love, in preaching the gospel of peace through most parts of the three kingdoms, were continued with the same unremitting diligence, while the duties of his situation in some other respects, increased every year upon him. New societies were frequently formed in various places; which naturally called for an increase of Preachers. thesc, however, were more easily procured, than a stranger would immagine. The class and band meet

ings were a fruitful nursery, where the most zealous and pious young men soon grew up to the requisite standard, to be transplanted into a higher situation, among the local or itinerant Preachers. But as the body increased, it became a more difficult task to regulate its economy, so as to preserve an equilibrium through all its parts, on which the health and vigour of the whole depended. The body became like a large machine, whose movements were exceedingly complex: and it depended on Mr. Wesley, not only to give the necessary impulse to put the whole in motion, but also every where to govern and direct its motions to the purposes intended. This required great and continued attention, and a very extensive correspondence both with Preachers and people through the whole connexion. All this, however, he performed, by allotting to every hour of the day, wherever he was, its due proportion of labour.-From the present year, there is to be found little more than a recurrence of circumstances similar to those already related, till we come to the year 1760; when religious experience began to assume an appearance among the Methodists, in some respects quite new. The doctrine of justification, from 1738, had always been well understood among them; and from the time Mr. Wesley preached his sermon on the "Circumcision of the heart," in 1733, before he understood the nature of justification, he had always held the doctrine of Christian perfection; which he explained by, loving God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves: that a person in this state felt nothing, in all situations, but the pure love of God, and perfect submission to his will; and nothing but benevolence, or good will to men. He never called this a state of sinless perfection, because he be

lieved

lieved there might still be errors in conduct arising from ignorance, which yet were consistent with pure love to God, and good-will to men. He did not suppose, that any man could stand one moment accepted of God, but by faith in Christ Jesus, through whom alone, his person and his actions in the highest state of perfection attainable in this life, can be accepted of God.

In the beginning of this year, there being a great revival of religion among the societies in Yorkshire, several professed, that at once, during prayer, their hearts were cleansed from all sin; that they were cleansed from all unrighteousness, or perfected in love : all which, were with them synonymous phrases. "Here, says Mr. Wesley, began that glorious work of sanctification, which had been nearly at a stand for twenty years, But from time to time it spread, first through various parts of Yorkshire, afterwards in London; then through most parts of England: next through Dublin, Limerick, and all the South and West of Ireland. And wherever the work of sanctification increased, the whole work of God increased in all its branches. Many were convinced of sin; many justified; and many backsliders healed."

In the spring and summer of this year, Mr. Wesley spent several months in Ireland. He staid about twenty days in Dublin, and then visited most parts of the kingdom. Dr. Burnard, then Bishop of Derry, was a warin friend to religion, and being convinced of Mr. Wesley's sincerity in his indefatigable labours to promote it, had a very sincere regard for him. The Bishop being disappointed in not seeing him when in Dublin; sent him the following letter.

"Reverend Sir,

REVEREND SIR,

"It would have given me a very sincere pleasure to have seen you during your stay in Dublin; and I am concerned to find, that your having entertained any doubt of it, deprived me of that satisfaction. Indeed I did not expect your stay

would have been so short.

"Whether your expression, of our meeting no more on this side of eternity, refers to your design of quitting your visits to Ireland, or to any increase of bodily weakness, I do not read it without tender regret: however, that must be submitted to the disposal of Providence.-I pray God to bless you, and supply every want, and sanctify every suffering.

I am, Reverend Sir,

Your loving brother and servant,

W. DERRY."

In March 1761, Mr. Wesley set out for the North. In these journies he generally took a very large circuit, passing through the principal societies in most of the counties. He now visited several parts of Scotland, as far as Aberdeen; was favourably received, and, in England especially, saw the work in which he was engaged every where encreasing. In the beginning of July, he came to York, on his return, and was desired to call on a poor prisoner in the castle. "I had formerly, says Mr. Wesley, occasion to take notice of an hideous monster, called a Chancery-Bill; I now saw the fellow to it, called a Declaration. The plain fact was this. Some time since, a man who lived near Yarm, assisted others in running some brandy. His share was worth near four pounds. After he had wholly left off that bad work, and was following his own business, that of a weaver, he was arrested and sent to York gaol. And not long after comes down a Declaration, "That Jac. Wh- had landed a vessel laden with brandy and geneva, at the port of London,

VOL. II.

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