£08 
members 71,668. So far back as the 
year 1769, Wesley had issued directions 
how the connection should proceed, 
whenever that event should take place; 
« perhaps,” he said, “ you might take 
*¢ some such steps as these: On notice 
“of my death, let all the preachers in 
« England and Ireland repair to London 
“ within six weeks; let them seek God 
“by solemn fasting and prayer; let 
“them draw up articles of agreement, 
' “to be signed by those who chuse to 
“‘ act in concert; let those be dismissed, 
who do not chuse it, in the most 
friendly manner possible; let the re- 
mainder chuse by votes, a committee 
of three, five, or seven, each of whom 
is to be moderator in his turn; let the 
*¢ committee do what I do now.” 
It had been expected, that the death 
of Wesley would shake and dislocate the 
connection, but every thing went on as 
before. The conclave elected no new 
pope. Instead of having a perpetual 
president, the conference were now an- 
nually to.elect one, and this was all the 
difference. The political fact is curi- 
ous. ‘The power of Wesley was actually 
monarchical or papal while he lived, 
and yet his death occasioned no more 
change or difficulty to the society, than 
would have been produced at Berne by 
the loss of the national bears. He had 
been regarded as the head of their body 
politic, but in fact was only the hat, 
crown, or tiara. 
Under this republican hierarchy, the 
»society has increased even more rapidly 
than at any former period. Some im- 
provements and alterations have been 
“ee 
made in the organization and discipline; 
the circuits have been formed into dis- 
tricts; each district containing fromeight 
to three circuits, upon the average five. 
«© The districts have authority, 1. To try 
and suspend preachers who are found im- 
moral, erroneous in doctrine, or deficient in 
‘ abilities. 2. To decide concerning the build- 
ing of chapels. 3. 'To examine the demands 
from the circuits respecting the support of 
the preachers, and of their families. 4. To 
elect a representative to attend and form a 
‘committee four days before the meeting of 
the conference, in order to prepare a draft of 
the stations for the ensuing year. Three 
- things the district assemblies cannot do :— 
18 They cannot make any rule. 2. They 
ecannot expel a preacher. 3. They cannot 
station the preachers. An appeal to the con- 
ference is allowed in all cases.” 
They have separated somewhat more 
‘widely fromthe church. Wesley, hav- 
‘THEOLOGY AND ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS. 
‘sult the members of the established 
ing been regularly ordained, used in his 
annual visits to administer the Lord’s 
supper. The societies petitioned that 
they might still enjoy this privilege; on 
the other hand, many who, like Wesley, 
were for keeping up appearances with 
the church which they undermined, in- 
sisted that the privilege should not be © 
granted. The conference being divided — 
in opinion, decided it by lot for ‘that 
year, and the lot was against the’ admi- 
nistration ; it has since been permitted 
upon certain conditions, and is now ad- 
ministered in above two hundred of the 
societies. Gowns, cassocks, and bands, 
which Wesley wore, havebeen prohibited 
upon the plea of avoiding’ offence; the 
title of reverend forbidden to be used by 
them toward each other; and the dis- 
tinction betweenyordained and wunor- 
dained preachers dropt. These have beer 
the chief alterations since the founder's 
death. 
1800 was as follows: 940 chapels in the 
united kingdoms; 417 preachers, and 
109,961 members ; so that in ten years, 
the addition to their force consists of 
38,393. It must be remembered, that 
these are only the Arminian methodists, 
only one of the combined armies against 
the churchof England. Let the church 
look to it! This is the History of the 
Rise and Progress of Methodism. Let 
the church pe to it, or the sequel will 
be the History of her Decline and Fall. 
The organization of this connection, 
as they denominate themselves, has been 
skilfully constructed: it is a system of 
compleat subordination ; the members 
to the helpers ; the helpers to the super- 
intendants ; the supermtendants to the 
conference. The whole commonwealth 
is divided imto districts; districts ito 
circuits; circuits iuto societies; and so- 
cieties into classes and bands. So watch- 
ful an eye is kept upon the subjects of 
this hierarchy, that no one can remove 
from one society to another, without a 
certificate from his superintendant, of 
which notice must be given to every so- 
ciety. Any member who shall yoke 
himself or herself to an unbeliéver, is 
expelled; for as the Mohammedans ex- 
press their scorn and hatred of the Chris- 
tians by this contemptuous appellation, 
in like manner do these schismatics in- 
church of their country. The preachers 
and superintendants act as booksellers 
for the conference, being charged to re- 
commend frequentiy and earnestly the 
The state of the connection in — 
