is not for me to dispute; but it is piety accompanied with vigorous action. On one page, Mr W. censures the Methodists for decending, in their prayers, "to their own individual concerns ;" and on the other, he encourages prayer for "individual wants."* By way of softening this inconsistency, it must be observed, that it is to their manner he principally objects. "Not satisfied with offering their devout and earnest petitions," says he, "at the throne of grace, and cheerfully submitting themselves to the disposal of Infinite Wisdom, they falsely expect that the attainment of their end will be best promoted by importunity and repetition, and resolve, (to adopt their own phraseology,) to wrestle with God in prayer till they experience, or imagine they experience, a favourable result." This, Sir, is a confirmation of what has been stated respecting Mr. W.'s indifference to an immediate answer to prayer; and seems to savour a good deal of a phrase in the mouths of modern pharisees ;-" Do your part, and God will make up the rest;" that is, you will make it up between you, and as it is a partnership concern, you will share in the glory. Not satisfied with barely "doing his duty," to use a common expression, the heart of a Methodist goes out after his prayers; he is always on the wing of expectation till they are answered; he does not mutter them over, and then leave them, without any concern as to their ultimate success; it is not a matter of indifference with him, whether they are answered or not. Mr. W. may "imagine" that no answer can be "experienced," and he is welcome to all the consolation his doctrine will afford: but while he continues to warm himself with sparks of his own kindling, the Methodist will listen to the voice of the prophet, "Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer."+-But they "resolve to wrestle with God in prayer!" And did not Jacob wrestle in prayer? and wrestled too till he prevailed?§—“ They falsely expect that the attainment of their end will be best * Page 74, 75. + Ibid. Isai, lviii. 9. § Gen. xxxii. 24-28. promoted by importunity!" Astonishing! And did not ourSaviour himself think so? Has he not given us examples of the good effects of it? The importunate widow is immediately to the point ;* so also is the case of the man who went to borrow loaves of his friend. It was because of importunity," that both prevailed; an importunity actually recommended by our Lord, whenever we approach the Father of the spirits of all flesh. If we were to judge of Mr. W's attention to his Bible, by the number of passages which adorn his work, or by the accordance of his doctrines with Scripture, we should be led to conclude that he is not too frequent in its perusal. It is not a little remarkable, however, that it never came to his turn, according to the order of the Lessons, to read these two accounts in public, the one on the 28th of February, and the other on the 7th of March; or, if his curate has read them, that he should be such "" a forgetful hearer."-" They falsely expect" too, "that the attainment of their end will be best promoted by repetition!" I feel a delicacy, Sir, in noticing this subject, lest I should be thought to speak irreverently of a book which, I am sorry to observe, I once lightly esteemed, but which, after more mature thought, I must say, I now venerate-I mean the BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER used by the CHURCH OF ENGLAND: the subject is therefore adverted to, not with a view to shew the impropriety of the repeated petitions in the Litany, when employed by suitable characters -persons who feel them, but to shew how far Mr. W. has forgotten himself when he charges the Methonists with using repetitions. Does he not "expect," I do not say falsely, but truly, "that the attainment of" the "end will be best promoted by repetition," in the use of the Litany? I shall satisfy myself with the bare reference at present. Singularly inconsistent, Mr. W. after disclaiming any visible interference of Providence in behalf of the righteous, encourages a change of prayer, adapting our prayers to "the + P. 65, 68, 69. * Luke xviii. 1-7. + Luke xi. 5-13. occurence of events affecting our welfare."* Prayer, in such case, must be unnecessary, if no visible distinction be made. Any how, in point of effect, one prayer will be as as good as another. I am sorry, Sir, I have again to apologize for enlarging so much. It was not what I at first intended. In my next I shall rather endeavour, than promise, to be brief. Hull. Your's, in much love, JAMES EVERETT. LETTER IV. "Men who cannot deceive others, are very often successful in deceiving themselves; they weave their sophistry till their own reason is entangled, and repeat their positions till they are credited by themselves; by often contending, they become sincere in the cause; and by long wishing for demonstrative arguments, they at last bring themselves to fancy that they have found them." RAMBLER. "Corrupted manners I shall ne'r defend; OVID, translated by ELPHINSTONE. REV SIR, It will generally be found, that a sect, in proportion as its leading characters are wise and virtuous, rises in respectability. That Methodism, therefore, should be held in such sovereign contempt by Mr. W. is not at all surprising, when we connect with the subject his views of the talents, the learning, and the piety of the preachers. They are characterized as self-elected-unauthorized- illiterate-without knowledge-mere empirics-coarse-vociferous-declamatory -perverters and corrupters of the sciences-foolish-arrogant -bewildered-artful-intrusively active, and as duping and deluding the people.+ Could the Rev. Gentleman have + P. 48, 134, 135, 133, 132, 142, 126, 128, 168, 193, 198. • Page 150. added to his list the sins and follies of drunkenness, swearing, lying, Sabbath-breaking, horse-racing, cock-fighting, foxhunting, gaming, and making merchandise of livings, he would unquestionably have done it: but, for these he has to look to another quarter. I shall omit at present, Sir, whatever involves a dereliction of moral principle and moral duty; because these are subjects into which the Methodist Conference will, upon Mr. W. preferring the charges, fully enter. What I more immediately wish to direct your attention to, out of this long head-roll, is, the qualifications the Preachers possess for the sacred office they sustain. Mr. W. considers the Clergy of the Established Church as the only regular spiritual physicians, to whose care the people ought to be entrusted.* In this honour he will participate; as you, Sir, must be content with a part of the odium which he throws upon those whom, in the humility of his spirit, he looks down upon as a set of mere theological quacks. From Dr. Johnson's testimony, as adduced in the first letter, it is a fact, that these regular spiritual physicians, whatever may be their natural or acquired endowments, have been unequal to the task of curing the moral disease of the people; and it is partly acknowledged by Mr. W. himself, that the Methodist Preachers, with all their quackery, have restored the "poorer classes” to a state of spiritual health,— have "produced a reform in the external conduct of many they address, and contributed to subdue their barbarism and excesses into comparative self-command and decency of deportment." This is generous; but there is something implied, which, to a medical man, must appear very ridiculous. All are infected with sin, and, for all, there is but one remedy: but Mr. W. seems to think, that the same medicine, which is to be administered for the same complaint, and to the same constitution-to one constitutionally bad, will produce in the poor, by means of Methodist Preachers, what it will not effect in the rich. The principal difference is in the * Page 134. pocket, both as it regards the physician and the patient; and really, Sir, if a quack, in an honest way, can effect a greater cure than Doctor Z. or Sir Humphrey X. I cannot perceive why his want of a title should be detrimental to his practice. Nature is frequently more lavish of her gifts than Art; and if an individual be gifted by Nature for any particular work, it would scarcely be prudent in Art to strut about, and find fault, because she did not come in for a due portion of the glory. I recollect, Sir, observing to you once,* that the cobler at his stall, who, amidst a thousand disadvantages, has acquired a knowledge of the Bible in the languages in which it was first written, is perhaps as exalted a character, and possesses as much real merit, as some who are bedaubed with Roman capitals from head to foot-as some who are decorated with all the initials of deplomatic and academical honour. From this, notwithstanding any thing Mr. W. has advanced, I have seen no reason to deviate. Never was Mr. W. under a greater mistake than when he supposed that the Methodists plead for ignorance, and pour contempt upon learning. The state of the case is this: They con-ider extensive literary accomplishments, not, with Mr. W., as "essential," or absolutely necessary,‡ but as highly useful. With this exception, the Methodist Preachers, as a body, have no objection to unite with him in his eulogium on learning, and to applaud many of his remarks on the subject, which compose the best part of his book: I say many, for he is led astray in some, by proceding on the principle-that learning is every thing; and his premises being such, it is no wonder that his conclusions should be erroneous. Learning and eloquence have maintained the outworks of Christianity; but simplicity and truth have preserved the citadel. It is to Dr. Paley, and others, that the Methodists leave the outworks, and to the outworks alone do the most of Mr. W.'s qualifications extend. The Methodists would even hesitate implicitly to *Meth. Mag. 1815, p. 662. + P. 135. + P. 137. |