- 
MYLES’S HISTORY OF THE METHODISTS. 
That when any member was proposed, every 
one present should speak clearly and freely 
whatever objection he had to him. 7. That 
those against whom no reasonable objection 
appeared, should be, in order for their trial, 
formed into one or more distinct bands, and 
some person agreed on to assist them. 8. 
‘That after two months trial, if no objection 
then appeared, they should be admitted into 
the society. Q. That every fourth Saturday 
should be observed as a day of general inter- 
cession. 10. That on the Sunday seven- 
night following, should be a general love- 
feast, from seven till ten in the evening. 
i1. That no particular 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, did not con- 
form thereto, they should not be any longer 
esteemed as members.” 
Members were classed in bands ac- 
cording to their different degrees of at- 
tainment in divine life, men and women; 
the single and the married separately. 
This institution was adopted from the 
Moravians. The rules of the band so- 
cieties were drawn up in 1738, with this 
title, “ Orders of a Religious Society 
met together in Obedience to that Com- 
mand of God, by St. James, c. 5. 16. 
Confess your faults one to another, and 
pray one for another that ye may be 
healed. ‘The following are the rules: 
** Questions to be proposed to those who 
desire to be admitted into the bands: 
“1. Do youenjoy the knowledge of salva- 
tion by the remission of sins? and have you 
the peace of God in your conscience ?— 
2. Have you the love of God shed abroad in 
your heart? 3. Have you the Spirit of God 
hearths witness with your spirit, that you 
are a child of God? 4. Has no sin, inward 
or outward, dominion over you? 5. Doyou 
desire to be told of all your faults, and that 
lainly? 6. Do you desire that each of us 
should tell you whatever we think, or fear, 
or hear concerning you? 7. Do you desire, 
that in doing this, we should come as close 
as possible; that we should search your heart 
te the bottom? 8. Do you desire, that each 
of us should tell you from time to time, 
whatsoever is in his mind concerning you? 
9. Is it your desire and design, to be on this 
and all other occasions, entirely open, so as 
to speak every thing that is in your heart, 
without exception, without disguise, and 
without reserve? 
_ €* Our design is, 
** 1. To meet once a week at the least. 
2. To come punctually at the hour appoint- 
ed, without some extraordinary reason.— 
3. To begin exactly at the hour, with sing- 
ing or prayer. 4 "To sp:ak each of us in 
order, freely and plainly, the true state of our 
souls, with the faults we have committed in 
203 
thought, word, or deed, and the temptations 
we have been exercised with since our last 
meeting. 5. To end each meeting with 
prayer, suited to the state of each present. 
6. To desire some person among us to speak 
his own experience first; and then to ask 
the rest in order, as many, and as searching 
questions as may be, concerning their state, 
sins, and temptations. Sueh as—1. Have 
you been guilty of any known sin since our 
lest meeting? 2. What temptations have 
you met with? 3. How were you delivered? 
4. What have you thought, said, or done, of 
which you doubt whether it be a sin or 
not?” 
This year he first received assistance 
from a lay preacher: the ensuing is an 
important epoch in methodism, On 
the second of April, Wesley being de- 
nied the use of the churches in Bristol, 
preached for the first time in the open 
air: the same means were resorted to in 
London in consequence of the same ex- 
clusion, and this may be considered as 
the beginning of his itinerancy. The 
first methodist meeting house was built 
this year at Bristol. Wesley had settled 
it on eleven feoffees, but Whitfield ob- 
served to him, that as these men had the 
power of appointing the preachers, they 
could even turn him out, if what he said 
or did should not be pleasing to them. 
He inimediately called them all toge- 
ther, cancelled the writings, and took 
the whole management respecting the 
building into his own hands; “ believ- 
ing,” as he said, “that the earth was 
the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof, and 
in his name he set out nothing doubting.” 
We see, says the author, that from the 
beginning he thought the only possible 
way for the work of God to continue as. 
it had begun, was by his having the ap- 
pointment of the preachers in all the 
chapels under his care. 
In this same year 1739, the methodist 
school at Kingswood was begun, and a 
meeting-house opened in London, and 
now the mother society was formed. 
The rise is thus related by Mr. Wesley: 
«« In the latter end of the year 1739, eight 
or ten persons came to me in London, tie 
appeared to be deeply convinced of sin, and 
earnestly groaning for redemption. They 
desired, as did two’or three more the next 
day, that I would spend some time with 
them in prayer, and advise them how to flee 
from the wrath to come, which they saw 
continually hanging over their heads. © That 
they might have more time for this great 
work, L appointed a day when they might all 
come together, which from thenceforward 
they did every week, viz. on Thursday in the 
