incisive in his style of address, cool and unimpassioned in his utterances. As a Fellow of his college he left nothing to be desired, but it was another thing to confront unwashed colliers. But from the moment he faced those eager crowds his soul awoke, ecclesiastical prejudices melted, the man overpowered the priest, and the master of the movement was felt to have come upon the field. One gift he had, and no one shared it with him-he was a born administrator of spiritual forces. Whitefield's power ceased when his glowing periods were ended; Wesley's followers boast that twenty millions of people call him their venerable founder.' The marks of its birth have grown dim, but the Methodism of to-day testifies to the genius of this most practical of English Churchmen. He systematised everything he touched; and that not through a vulgar ambition to found a spiritual despotism, but through the constraint of a nature which impelled him, as it does the bee, to store treasure only in symmetrical forms.

Methodism is built upon the class meeting as its germ cell. This is a meeting which is held weekly, generally under the direction of a layman, for religious conversation. It numbers from twelve to fifteen individuals, not necessarily of the same sex. Its adoption marks the true inventor in religious dynamics. Wesley gives several accounts of the origin of this meeting. In 1739,' said the founder of the United 'Societies, eight or ten persons came to me in London, who ' appeared to be deeply convinced of sin. They desired that 'I would spend some time with them and advise them. . . . I appointed a day when they might all come together.' This was the beginning of the Methodist societies. But it was soon seen that many professed Methodists were unbecoming in their conduct. No way of correcting the abuses presented itself. At length,' says Wesley, while we were thinking of ' quite another thing, we struck upon a method for which we have had to thank God ever since. I was talking with several of the society in Bristol concerning the means of 'paying the debts there, when one stood up and said, "Let every member of the society give a penny weekly till all are paid." Another answered, Another answered, "But many are poor, and 'cannot afford to do it." "Then," said he, "put eleven of 'the poorest with me, and if they can give anything, wellI will call upon them weekly." The men that undertook the collecting reported the evil-doers to Wesley. He saw in a moment that he had hit upon an effective plan of supervision. Instead of the leaders, as these collectors were called, going to the members, the latter were to come to them weekly.

Prayer and religious counsel preceded the contribution of the pennies. Religion and finance were wedded, and the system of Methodism became a living thing.

The next thing was to form rules for the societies which were composed of these classes. This exactly suited Wesley's mind. Beginning with the comprehensive maxim that the 'sole condition required in those who desired admission into the societies was a desire to flee from the wrath to come,' he proceeded to enclose the whole domain of life with a network of regulations. Nothing escaped the meshes. Their duties as citizens, their diversions, their dress, their trade, their religious observances-all are reduced to method. It is as though one would combine the fervour of an enthusiast with the rigour of an ascetic. The concluding words show the resolute character of early Methodism: These are the rules of our societies. All these we know that the Holy Spirit writes on every truly awakened heart.

6

If there be

any amongst us who observe them not we will admonish him of the error of his ways. If he repents not, ' he hath no more place among us.' The Methodist type of religion is emotional, and the class meeting was intended to be practical. In many respects it has accomplished its aim. It has brought some degree of religious instruction to all Wesleyans. It has furnished an easy and effectual means for dealing with immorality in its members. It has provided a furnace in which the raw material has been fused till it could take the Methodist stamp. In skilful hands it has combined the results obtained by well-conducted confirmation classes, communicants' classes, and Bible classes, adding a social and fervent spirit peculiar to itself. A large staff of zealous and able men have in it found occupation and an outlet for the energy of religious life; while the personal contact of men in the smaller circles it has formed has removed religion from the isolation of the pulpit, and brought it to the home and the heart. Its small weekly contributions have provided principally for the support of the ministry. It has so approved itself to the ruling minds of Methodism that they can thus speak of what Wesley called 'this little prudential regulation:' Watch over class meetings with holy jealousy; use every 'effort to maintain them strictly in all their efficiency.' The class meeting is a test of membership. The Holy Table cannot be approached, as a matter of course, by any except those who meet in class.' Every holder of office of any kind must be found using this prudential regulation. Multitudes put attendance upon it in place of the holiest rites of

Christianity. It sometimes fails of attaining its best type; and then the class meeting degenerates into a religious club, where the strain of religious exercises is tempered by social gossip. Fluent talkers gain an audience duly attentive, because each hopes in turn to take up his parable. Great boldness is developed in discussing the most delicate phases of religious life, and all that is undemonstrative is in danger of being despised. Educated Methodism grows weary of this peculiar institution, and therefore its membership is declining, even while the numbers attending Methodist chapels may be on the increase.

Once in the Methodist net, and the neophyte is watched carefully. The leader of his class notes every idiosyncrasy; and when the regular minister comes once a quarter to inspect the class, and give each member a ticket of membership, he is duly informed of every promising name. At the same visit the leader is himself inspected, and is induced to keep accurate returns of all contributions to the funds, and the names and addresses of all members. In the days of Wesley members were expelled at a word, but many struggles between the people and the ministers since his days have resulted in a compromise. The ministers in theory and in practice maintain the sole right to receive and to expel members; but a regularly graduated series of courts now consider the facts of any charge, while the sentence is reserved for the ministry. This, at least, is the Wesleyan rule; the minor sects give equal rights to the laity with the ministry. In conformity with the strict view of Wesleyanism, a private member counts for no more in governing the societies than a private soldier in governing the army. The part of each is simple obedience. No question in Wesleyanism is put to the popular vote; no officer is ever chosen by unofficial voters. The richest layman can only give his vote when clothed with the robe of officialism. The minor Methodists are more democratic; but the 'old body maintains that shepherds gather sheep, and that they are either led or driven.

It is not surprising that Methodist writers on ecclesiastical matters who follow their founder's hints should endeavour to draw a parallel between the primitive diaconate and the class leaders of their system. Nor would the parallel be altogether deceptive. The Methodist class leader in his best type has been a devout man, not devoid of practical shrewdness. He has made a study of his Bible, especially the New Testament. He has endeavoured to instruct his members in the essentials of religion, and has had many devotional aids put within his

reach. He has sedulously watched over his class, sympathised with them in their troubles, advised them in their difficulties, visited them and consoled them in the hours of sickness and death. In country places he has gathered a few simple souls together, and preserved alive a flame of devotion in obscure hamlets. It is to him that we owe the piety Leigh Richmond has drawn in the Dairyman's Daughter,' and to him many a young man in a large city has been indebted for the first words of counsel when he was a stranger in a strange place. When the spiritually gifted Tholuck resided in London, busy with the thoughts that he has given to the world in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, he is said to have been greatly charmed by the piety of a Methodist class leader, and to have sought his counsels. We are far from suggesting that perfection has been ordinarily achieved; but it is fairest, in judging systems, to take cognisance of some of their best fruits as a whole. Class leaders have not forgotten to magnify their office. They have, however, never won the rank of co-pastor, and the leader is, therefore, never anything but an assessor when the minister sits in judgment upon offenders. But in Methodism finance is always allied with religion-a fact which has been embodied in the saying of that famous old lady, who, when called upon to state the items of her creed, summed it up in the four particulars of "repentance towards God, faith in the Lord "Jesus Christ, a penny a week, and a shilling a quarter.' The last items were her contributions to the support of the ministry. There are, however, many other financial questions connected with Methodism, besides the support of ministers, in all of which regular officers are appointed with definite duties and privileges.

All the societies in a certain area are grouped together in what is called a circuit,' to which one or more ministers are appointed for one year at a time, and none are to continue for more than three years, except ordained ministers of the Church of England.' Each circuit has a meeting once in three months of its regular preachers, lay preachers, and various officials. It has certain functions in matters of discipline, when specially constituted for that purpose, receives reports of the societies in its area and of all schools, approves or rejects candidates for the ministry, provides the funds for the support of the ministry, and invites, subject to control, the ministers that are to conduct its affairs. The chief minister, who is called superintendent,' is always in the chair, and he can immediately bring the proceedings to a close by vacating

it. This system of semi-local government under central control develops strong interest in the minds of resident laymen, and invests them with privileges that are far from lightly esteemed. It is this employment of laymen in matters of importance that gives Methodism its hold on the middle and lower middle class. What the Rochdale Pioneers applied to manufactures, the Methodists have exemplified in the creation of religious communities. It is mutual co-operation in another department of life.

Before reviewing the constitution of Methodism, we pause to consider some of its peculiar institutions. Prominent amongst them stands the Lovefeast. Wesley witnessed amongst the Moravians an attempt to revive the ancient Agape, and it was one of his most fixed ideas that his peculiar practices would be more seemly if he could contrive to present them under the authority of antiquity. He therefore appointed Lovefeasts, and from his time the Methodist rite has preserved a shadow of the antique custom. Grace is said before meat and thanks are returned, but the members find themselves at a Barmecide banquet. The meal consists of buns and water which is to be drunk out of huge cups passed from hand to hand. After this grotesque formality has been observed, the Lovefeast becomes a kind of gigantic class meeting under the direction of a minister. Many features lingered here of old Methodism after they had died out elsewhere. The Methodist women who wore the half-Quaker costume so dear to Wesley still haunted these assemblies; and a chance attendant in Cornwall or in certain in certain parts of the North of England might yet meet many men who would pass muster for models to the illustrations for Bunyan's most popular work. In such a meeting, the excitement of the more impressible portions of the audience, the racy wit of the speakers, the appreciation of their points shown by pious ejaculations, the narration of the conflicts with the tempter whose temptations are conveyed in the undiluted Doric, the relation of a dream to the evident discomfort of the presiding preacher, the old world-tunes surging up spontaneously from different parts of the crowd, the unexpectedness of some picturesque phrase, the shrewd utterance of some clever business man, the evident fervour of the elders, the half-amused wonder of the new converts, the humour, the pathos, the Puritanism, the mysticism, the healthy piety-form a whole not easily forgotten when once witnessed, and defying analysis whenever it may be recalled.

One custom that was originally Methodistic has now passed