

MKTHloXK- ACID. 



VETHOK 



msieots, UM production of which is tlie first vUiblc result of the ex 

 rilmlim, mm M projected upon the tail of the parent meteor ; either 

 bscaua*, M is evidently the bet in many instances, they were really 

 enreloped in the flame* composing it. or on account of the blending 

 upon UM retina of UM observer of part and actual appearances. The 

 Aerr sword dipped in blood U the meteor iu its normal form, at the 

 mMdle of iu vi-iblc cours*. the distant part of the toil shining v 

 light, being cooled down to the temperature of simple ignition, M 

 already indicated. In a similar manner, the bull's heads, flying eagles, 

 and other monstrous appearances, may be consistently explained, care 

 being taken, when the authorities permit, to identify them with the 

 actual meteor otherwise recorded. The blazing and interlaced serpent* 

 moving in the air may be explained by reference to the actual pbeno 

 mena of the persistent tracks or trails already described, as witnessed 

 in various cones by Pictet and others, as well as by the published 

 represent* '.ions of the meteor of January 7th. 1856. One instance may 

 be cited, iu which a large and beautiful luminous serpentine train 

 continued fur some minutes after the disappearance of a meteor which 

 threw down a stone at Angers, in 1822. The ensanguined tresses 

 attached to blazing stars are evidently the trails under another phase, 

 and in their later condition, emitting red light only, but retaining their 

 linear or band-like form. The Lampada rulanta and Dracona r-laala 

 of former ages may be similarly understood, by reference to other 

 characters and phenomena of meteors ; one of the contemporary figures 

 of the fire ball seen in London on November 13th, 1803 (described 

 under o-.her phases by Dr. Firminger, in the ' Philosophical Magazine ' 

 for the following year), exemplifies the particular configuration of the- 

 meteors to which the latter appellation was given : it is contained in 

 Nicholson's ' Philosophical Journal' for 1804. 



METHIONIC ACID (C,IJ.S.O, . 2HO ), Dimlphomcthot, 

 ThU acid is obtained by heating cyanide of methyl with concentrated 

 sulphuric acid : 



C,H,Cy + S(SO, HO) = C.II.S.O,., 3110 + SCO, + NH.O SO, 



Cy .nidc of 

 meihy!. 



Blcthionic acid. 



Sulphate of 

 ammonia. 



It is only of theoretical importance. 



MKTMOD1SM, a very memorable word in the English vocabulary, 

 as the thing signified is also very memorable in the history of the 

 Christian church, and especially of that part of it which consists of in- 

 habitants of the British Isles. 



The people of England have been described by foreign writers as 

 being beyond all other nations rcliyiiaiainii , or very strongly devoted 

 to religious thoughts and exercises. The success of Christianity on its 

 introduction into this island is one proof of it ; but still more is the 

 great encouragement given to the religious orders, and the multitude 

 of churches which were erected in the very earliest periods. A few 

 centuries later, we have the proof which is afforded by the great 

 encouragement which the different orders of friars received, who were 

 a speciea of Methodist preachers of the middle ages. 



Each century seems to have had its schism arising in this national 

 characteristic. In the 15th there wen- the hJl ,nh, wh-- 

 put down by the Chunk ; in the ]<;th, the i.;of t <tlltr,, who, having the 

 court with them, brought about the lU-formation ; in the 17th, the 

 P*rita*t. who were for a short time triumphant, l.ut who were tinallv 

 reduced to the several d .us of dissenter* 



rtAgtenoM, the Imttepemdeiit, the Iluptitt, and the Qnateri. lii the 

 18th century, when not only the Church but the several dis..-ntin/ 

 .dies were thought by many to have lost much of the spirit tad 

 there arose the Httkwlutt, who, being allowed to 

 ruceed unmolested, have pp . 1 over . 



turn the Church, no small change in it, in modifying it< mini.strations, 

 Jing back attention t- the supposed doctrines of its founders, and 

 in rousing iu ministers to more strenuous exertions. 



s interesting to observe the various forms iu which Metb<li>m 



Mited, and we see it more strikingly in the various sects 



XT*."* M the MeU odlrt *. >d which are in fact so many 



Arrent cUese* of per.,,,,. (,., collrctm-ly are called Methodist* 



" 1 . thr W|,.y an M,,) hr Methodic of Lady 



tm's Connexion; 3. the M,th..l,.t, of the New Connexion ; 

 -ave MethoduU; 6, the Bible Christians; 6, Protestant 

 , Aeocution Methodist*, now united with a portion of 

 ,---, . <">.|rr the designation of the United 



8, the Ingbamites; 9, the Wesleyan Reform 

 ewnprijiiig UK** Hefonnurs who declined to fonii part ol 

 MeUtodirt Free Church There U alec, a Urge body of persons, 

 ***** ?,"" * U tS themselves Calrinirtic Mrthodists, who are not 

 toetodri in whet to called Lly Huntingdon's Connexion. ' 

 ,. ' ' - th- time at which Methodism began. 



tUrnot mumdcd m this article to give a biographical notice of the 



. rw.* 1 * 11 ' r *'" '* f imd '" il " more "PP^Priate 



*T, 111 Hio<. DlT.J I ndcr the word \Viiiriii 



* '" .'' 1 "'< 1 I ' 'X-' Whiter,,.!,!, an,,,'h,. r 



xfonl. who J..IH| the Wedeys in 1732, and who had a 

 nth them in laying the foundation of Methodism. It may 

 t to say that the Wealeys and Whitefield instead 

 I oc/ursc of clergymen, in settling down on livings, 



after studying in the univerrity, undertook the wider duty of rousing 

 their countrymen generally to a higher tone of devotional feeling, and to a 

 regard to the doctrines of the Church, to which there was then, owing 

 in a great measure to the writings of the Latitudinarian divines, 

 and other writers, a growing indifference. Many were of opinion 

 that the all in-all in Christianity was the doing justly, loving mercy, 

 and walking humbly, looking for that blessed hope and glorious 

 appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when every 

 should receive according to his works. Wesley went forth procl.iiming 

 that be came to call men back to vld Churrh of England y,rinci/./<i. 

 This was his favourite phrase, as appears by many passages in his 

 journals, and this object (at first, at least) was what he himself con- 

 sidered the chief pur]>ose of his mission. What he meant was <. 

 sin, regent-ration, the atonement by the blood of Christ, the influence 



-pint, justification by faith, freedom of the will, accountability, 

 and eternal reward or suffering ; Whitefield added to these the . 

 decrees, the extreme doctrines of Calvinism. 



The object of neither of them was to be founders of sects out of the 

 Church, but to produce a change within the Church. It was soon 

 however manifest that their end could not bo attained by remaining, 

 even outwardly, conformable to the rules of the Church in regard to 

 its ministers. The doors of the paruth churches were soon closed 

 against them, and the meeting-houses of the dissenters were closed 

 likewise. They then preached wherever a congregation could be 

 gathered together, in rooms or in the open air, and preaching with the 

 zeal and energy of the Apostles, it was iu vain, with a population like 

 the English, to attempt to prevent them from making a deep impres- 

 sion. Such energy of preaching had not been witiirs.-ed since the time 

 of the old Puritans. The effect indeed may be described as marvellous. 

 The cry. " What shall I do to be saved f " was heard from many voice* 

 wherever they had an audience ; sometimes this cry was accompanied 

 by dreadful shriekings and faintings. The accounts given by friends 

 ainl enemies ore in lespect of this the same. Many well-meaning 

 persons regarded it only as a mischievous enthusiasm By the profane 

 the preachers were not unfi equently assaulted, and their i 

 in jeopardy. But many were soon found ready to assi.-t them in 

 work, either by forming into societies persons convinced by them, and 

 erecting chapels for their assembling together, or by tuking'npon them- 

 selves the office of teacher, and following in the track which their 

 masters had trod. There were at the same time a few persons who 

 v, -ere minister* in the Church, and who did not leave the parishes iu 

 which they were settled, who seconded the 1 men. 



Such were Fletcher, Sellon, Perronett, Dickinson, Venn, Giiuidliaw, 

 and others. * 



Whitefield died early, worn out by his extraordinary exertion. He 

 was the founder of the Calvinistic section of Methodists. Of this sect 

 of Methodists the original" chapels have become, not adopting any 

 connexional bond, Independents ; but from it arose two separate sects, 

 the Countess of Huntingdon's connexion, and the Welsh Calvini^tiu 

 Methodists. The first has on endowed college at Cheshunt for the 

 education of its ministers, with lu'J chapels (accou. 

 persons, at the census of 1S51). in many of which the ritual of the church 

 of England is used in amo.lilieil form" On s-m.Uy, M.uvh :!1. l*"il,tho 

 attendance was, in the morning 'J1.103; afternoon, 4380; and in the 

 evening 1H.1.W. Tin- W,-l.-li at the same da- 



with accommodation for -211.U51 persons; ami the attendance 

 was, morning, ri'.'aS; afternoon, .W,Un ; evening, 1'J.V.! II. In 1853 

 they ha.1 -Jd7 minisU-M, 234 liy preachers, and 53,577 communicants. 



The life of Wt*ley was prolonged to his eighty-sevmth year; ami 

 wh. n he <li ,1. whi.-h W.LS in March, 1791, he had been sixty-live years 

 in the ministry, and fifty-two years an itinerant preacher : lie lived also 

 to see in Great Britain and Ireland about three hundred itinerant 

 preachers and a thousand of what are called local preachers " raised 

 up from the inid-it of his own people," and eighty thousand persons in 

 the societies under his care. Such was the state of this one principal 

 branch of tbthodkn at the time of \\ , -i,y.- dee* MM, s,.n, c thought 

 that as it had gromi with htm, it would die with him : but they were 

 mistaken, He had provided (as far as human means go) for its 

 perpetuity by binding up hi< m.-mWrs in a chinch, with a frame and 



lion as strong as could be given to it by subordn 

 authority, rales, common int.-rc.-t. and the bond of common prcparty! 



-hly regardless of accumulating personal wealth, th.- oontribu- 

 turns of the members of his societies, which had long far exceeded the 

 expenses, enabled him to transfer to the body of preacher.-, in whom 

 .IK in an assembly of presbyters, he vested it, whatever interest lie h ui 

 in a multitude of chapel* in every ]art of England, and a large surplus 

 fund; and this property, H is understood, has gone on year by 

 constantly increasing, notwithstanding the vast exertions which have 

 been made in the erection of chapels, schools, and other buildings, the 

 support of an ad-lit ioii.il nuinlr-r of pi- 



D among tin ; iaiiity. It \ 



738 that the dist society was formed l,y Wesley himself on 



!iis return from Henihnt in CJermany, and in 17-'.' tin re ucio m 

 cha|n'ln in London, the principal one lieing in |-'ett<-?- Lane. In 17 HI 

 Nv 'Intcli ,them. In 174;itiie rules, which still continue 



ueie drawn up fur the London and other societies, especially 

 hose of Bristol md KbotwDod, the pirtof the kingdom in which, at 

 the beginning of his ministry, Wesley had chiefly labotin 



