216 
Happy are they who can obtain the 
preacher for their guest, that they may 
enjoy his gift in private, and thathe may 
bless the feast which they provide for 
him; to this may be added, without il- 
liberality or scandal, the opportunities 
afforded him of marrying to advantage. 
When it is considered, that the men who 
are thus honoured, thus flattered, thus 
caressed and courted, would have been 
tradesmen of the lowest order, bakers, 
barbers and taylors, perhaps servants or 
labourers, if they had remained in that 
rank for which, by birth, education, 
knowledge and intellect, they are fitted, 
it will be seen, that the wordly induce- 
ments to become a methodist preacher 
are neither few nor trifling ; and the ul- 
timate object held in view by this eccle- 
siastical society must never be forgotten. 
—They profess an entire conformity in 
Soest with the church, and subscribe 
to her discipline. Whensoever, there- 
fore, they shall have become the majo- 
rity, whensoever they shall have suc- 
ceeded in emptying the churches and 
cathedrals, they are ready to fill them; 
to take possession of the seats, stalls, and 
thrones; to translate society into pa- 
rish; helper into priest; superintendant 
into bishop; circuit into diocese; confe- 
rence into convocation; from which re- 
volution God preserve the church of 
England! from which triamph of viet 
rance, craft and fanaticism, from which 
renewai of intolerance and persecution, 
God preserve the people of England! 
Nor are the means which they pursue 
less mischievous than the end at which 
they aim. ‘Truc it is, that they preach 
against vice and discourage it; the pro- 
fession of morality is common to al! 
sects and all religions, nor can religion 
be professed withoutit. The methodists 
may, perhaps, be as sober as the ma- 
hometans; so far they have produced 
some contingent good among the ruder 
ranks of society; for it is the wise order 
of things that some good should be 
educed from every thing; but with what 
evil is this accompanied? Let us examine 
their practice, its dissocializing chavac- 
ter, its inevitable tendency to darken the 
understanding, and defile the imagina- 
tion. Be serious, says the edict of the 
conference ; avoid all lightness -as you 
would avoid hell-fire; and trifling as you 
would cursing and swearing; fix the 
end of each conversation before you 
begin; watch and pray during the time ; 
rarely spend above an hour at a time in 
‘THEOLOGY AND ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS. 
conversing with any one; if you sta 
above an ) Be at any place, take out ¢ 
book and read; the children at Kings. 
wood school must never play, and- 
master must be always present W 
them. In this precious seminary, 
most mongrel medley of studies is pu 
sued, that ever could be pldnned by igs 
norant fanaticism, and stupid bigotry. 
Methodism and mysticism are mingled 
with the classics, materials as heteroges) 
neous as the ingredients of Ezekiel’s 
cake; with Cxsar and Sullust, they 2 
to study Bengel and Bunyan; Law’s 
Christian Pertection; the Life of Mr. 
De Renty ; and the Life of Mr. Haliz” 
burton. Homer, and Virgil, and Shakes | 
speare, and Spenser, are to be read, and © 
their effects worked off by plentiful doses _ 
of Thomas a Kempis, and John Wesley, 
“ Whoever carefully goes through this © 
course, say they, will be a better scholar | 
than nine inten of the graduatesat Oxford’ 
or Cambridge.” OnSundaythey eat cold 
meat; a diet which, it will be remem 
bered, certain methodist legislators one 
attempted to enforce upon the people of 
England by law; on Wednesdays andy 
Fridays they are allowed no animal food, | 
and on Fridays they fast, if they chuse it, 
till three in the afternoon, a practicey 
which hath been found greatly condu-¥ 
cive to health! Oh! if superstition i 
again to triumph and to reign, let us) 
rather be harlot-tempted than hag 
ridden ; let her not come in dirty linen’ 
and dingy black, with sallow face and 
greasy locks, but in purple and in scarlet, | 
decked in gold and precions stones and 
pearls! if we are to be made drank wi 
the cup of her abominations, instead o 
being drenched with the dregs of small} 
beer from an ale-house mug, let us quaff | 
wine from the golden goblet ; if another’ 
twilight and night of human reason is] 
to come upon us, let us build up our} 
monasteries again, let us re-establish the 
benedictines and revive the jesuits, that 
there may be at least lights shining in® 
the darkness. 
Wear no needless ornaments, says the 
conference, such as rings, earrings, neck- 
laces, laces or ruffles. “Phe preachers) 
are not to give band tickets to any who | 
dressin the fashion, not even to married 
women, who may plead that they dress 
thus to please their husbands; some- 
times the father of a family is their) 
dupe, woe then to’the children! the son” 
shall be turned out of doors as unreges 
nerate; and while the fattened cali is 
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