MYLES’S HISTORY OF THE METHODISTS. 201 
that much good will be produced by 
their exertions. We regret that our h- 
mits will not permit us to enter into a 
‘minuter account of the mission. 
Before the war broke out, the society 
were exerting themselves to diffuse their 
principles in France and Italy. The 
scriptures were to be printed in French 
and Italian, with Watts’s and the assem- 
blies catechisms, in such numbers, that 
if the one-half should reach Italy, the 
Pope may make his next year’s bonfires 
entirely of heretical paper. 
We will not conclude this article with- 
out noticing a very remarkable circum-’ 
stance relative to the propagation of 
christianity. It has been asserted, in 
the public papers, that in certain of our 
West India isiands, the missionaries have 
been forbidden to attempt the conversion 
of the negroes. If such tenets as they 
inculcate can any where be useful, it 
must be in those accursed islands, where 
the sight of a plantation would soon re- 
eicile the most scrupulous humanity to 
the doctrine of fire and torments for the 
wicked. Disbelief produces very different 
effects in Europe andin America. ‘The 
esoteric atheism of a European metaphy- 
sician is only injurious to himself: but 
the disbelief or disregard of a God in the 
sugar islands, converts the planter into 
the image of the devil. The denuncia- 
tion of eternal punishment may not 
awaken him, but it will at least console 
his victims; it will teach them hope as 
well as patience, and infuse one drop of 
comfort into their cup of bitterness. If 
the circumstance which we have stated 
be true, it is incumbent upon our bishops 
to inquire into it. We have one set of 
laws for the sugar islands, and another 
for England; one set of feelings, one set 
of morals for each: it would then be 
seen if, in our liberality, we are to allow 
them a different religion also. It would 
then be seen, whether those worthy, and 
noble, and royal legislators who, in their 
humanity, voted away the bodies of the 
negroes, would also, in their piety, vote 
away their souls. 
LXIII. 4 Chronological History of the People called Methodists, of the Connexion of the 
late Rev. John Wesley ; from their Rise in the Year 1729, to their last Conference in 
1802. By Wriiiam My tris. 
«« MY reasons for publishing this history: 
are, 1. It appears to me to be absolutely ne- 
cessary, in order, that if a stranger should 
enquire what are the principles of the me- 
thodists, as to their doctrine, morality, poli- 
tics, ceconony? how are they governed? 
what is the nature of their religious govern- 
ment? how is the work supported? what 
are their designs? what methods’ do they 
take to accomplish their designs? what is 
their success? who are their preachers? what 
effect Mr. Wesley’s death had upon the body 
at large, and the preachers in particular? he 
inay have a satisfactory answer to all these 
enguiriés from their most authentic records. 
2. I wished to shew the methodists what- 
‘great things the Lord hath done for them; 
ow from very small beginnings they became 
a yery numerous, useful, holy people, owing 
to the Lord’s blessing on his gospel preached 
aigong them. 
« The methodists I divide into three ge- 
nerations: The first, those that joined the 
society from the year 1739 to the year 1765; 
most of these are gone to their eternal re- 
ward; the few that remain are worthy of 
~ double honour, and I would wish to stir up 
~ their pure minds by way of remembrance, 
_ by calling them to consider former times 
~ and persons, in order that their gratitude to, 
and confidence in the Lord may be thereby 
increased. The second generation are those 
- that joined the society from the year 1765 to 
» 179): from this body we at present, desjve 
12mo. pp. 348. 
most of our steady, active, useful members. 
To these I present this history, that they 
may know without much labour, the rules 
by which we allact. The third generation 
are those who have joined the society since 
Mr. Wesley's death, in the year 1791. A’ 
numerous and a promising race of christian 
men and women. I wished to shew these 
the origin and progress of methodism.— 
3. That they may all see at what time these 
regulations took place, and those rules were 
made, which, under God, have been instru- 
mental in preserving’ so numerous a body 
united together. 4. To shew, that though 
our doctrines have been the same from the 
first, and, as we think, purely scriptural, 
the same which the primitive christians held 
for the three first centuries, and also agreea- 
ble to the Liturgy, articles and homilies of the 
established church; yet with regard to our 
discipline and ceconomy, we have been in a 
regular state of improvement irom the first 
conference in 1744, to the last in August 
1802.” ; f 
This volume is no subject for criticism. 
‘Plain truth for plain people’ is the au- 
thor’s motto, and we will make it our 
text, We will use-the book as the future 
historian of England must use it, and 
extract therefrom a detail of the Rise 
and Progress of Methodism. 
John Wesley was born in 1703: he . 
graduated at Christ-church Oxfcrd, was 
