179^' MEMOIRS OF MR. JOHN WESLEY. 2,73 



pie in tin's country. They fprung up, about fifty years 

 aCTQ, at Oxford, and were foon divided iuto two par-* 

 ties, the one under the diretlion of Mr. George Whit- 

 field, and the other under that of two brothers, John 

 and Charles Wellcy. Thefe leaders, and, if we ex- 

 cept Mr. William Law, founders of the Method-fts, were 

 educated at Oxford ; received epifcnpal ordination, and 

 always profefled themfelves advocates for the articles 

 and liturgy of the eftabliflied church, though they more 

 commonly praftifed the diflenting mode of worfhip. 

 But conceiving a deiign of forming feparate comrnuiii- 

 ties, fuperior in fanftity and perfedion to all other 

 Chriftian churches, and impreffed, to a very confider- 

 able degree, by a zeal of an extravagant and enthua- 

 aftic kind, they became itinerant preachers, and, being 

 excluded from moll of our churches, exercififd their 

 miniftry in private houfes, fields, &:c. not only in Great 

 Britain and Ireland, but alfo in America ; thus colleft- 

 ing a very confiderable number of hearers and profe- 

 lytes, both among the members of the eiiabiiihed church 

 and the diffenters. The theological fyftem of Mr. 

 Whitfield and his followers is Calviniftic ; that of 

 Mr. Wefley and his difciples Arminian ; and the latter 

 maintains the poflibility of attaining finlcfs perfedion, 

 in the prefent flate. The fubordinaie teachers of both 

 thefe claffes of Methodills are generally men of no li- 

 beral education ; and they pretend to derive their mi- 

 iiifterial abilities from fpecial communications of the 

 fpirit. The Methodifts of both parties, like other en- 

 thufiafts, make true religion to confift principally in 

 certain afFeftions and inward feelings, which it is im- 

 poffible to explain, but which, when analyfed, feem to 

 be mechanical in their fpring and operation ; and they 

 generally maintain, that Chrillianb will be moit likely 

 to fucceed in the purfuit of truth, not by the diflates 

 of reafon, or the aids of learning, but by laying their 

 minds open to the direftion and influence of divine iU 

 Voi.. III. t M m 



