The writer first gives a sort of statistical view of Wesleyan Methodism. He then asks, What has this body, so large, possessing such means, and so zealously active, accomplished ?—" What is the ascertained amount of this mighty instrument during the last twelve months?" I give the reply in his own words :-" The answer is, the introduction of six hundred and ninety members. And from documents before us, it seems in the highest degree probable that, but for the extraordinary labours of Mr. Caughey, there would have been an absolute decrease."

At present, I reserve the consideration of the portions I have put in italics, and confine myself to the fact stated; noticing, what the statement implies, and is evidently intended to suggest, that "the INTRODUCTION of six hundred and ninety members" is the total result of the twelve months' labours "of this mighty instrument."

Let me premise, however, that what I say as in reply to man, is by no means all that I would say as in solemn reference to the great Head of the church, to whom we are all accountable. Job defended himself against his mistaken brethren; but, in his eagerness to justify himself, he went beyond the proper limits of such a defence; and spoke as if, being innocent before men, he also had whereof to glory before God. I would carefully guard against this. What church, on a review of the last year, can say now that it has done all that it could have done, or that it has been as successful as it might have been? Let the "Christian Witness,” in selfabasement before God, and with fraternal love towards Christians of all denominations, without making it a subject of official condemnation, as if he were some Elihu raised up to administer rebuke, call on us all, himself and his own people among the rest, to humble ourselves before God, and to begin this year with renewed efforts, employed with holy wisdom and genuine zeal, to seek for a greater amount of good; and I, for one, would go along with the first in echoing his sentiments. And even as it is, not being able, however willing, to doubt the animus of his remarks, I would still say, Let us all do this. As before God, we may well be silent, except for the prayer that he himself would revive his own work in us and around us, more abundantly blessing us, and making us more extensively a blessing. If an enemy tells us to do this, we will do it, not because he tells us, but because it is right.

I would remark, in the first place, that the effects of the instrumentality employed by church zeal and activity are not solely to be measured, either among the Wesleyans or others, by the actual increase of numbers in some given year. It is possible that this increase, for a given brief period, may be comparatively small; and yet there may be no reason to say, that “the results have been so insignificant." To me this subject appears to be so important in itself, and the right understanding of it so necessary for those who are earnestly endeavouring to promote "the work of God," that I shall devote to it the remainder of this letter; requesting permission to furnish a second for next month, in which I may remark on the passages given in italics in the above quotation, the meaning of which is illustrated, clearly and fully, in other portions of the article.

1. The fact is as important as it is undeniably evident, that one result of the great revival which commenced a century ago, has been to collect into congregations, and place under a very decided ministerial influence, even though they may not have become directly connected with religious society, vast numbers of such persons as were then wandering as sheep without a shepherd; and that it is from these, and from the families of those who

have become church-members, that, for the most part, the churches themselves, in the stricter sense of the term, have to be recruited. Look at the immense increase of Sabbath-evening congregations, of late years, in the Church of England, and among Dissenters and Wesleyans. It is true, there is a fearful mass as yet comparatively untouched. I say comparatively; for, viewing society in its more irreligious aspects, as composed of the sceptical, the indifferent to religion, those who are living as "without God in the world,” not a few, for fashion's sake, or reasons not substantially better,-except as they may indicate the higher standing and louder voice of religion itself,—do not, as formerly was the case with all such, habitually absent themselves from public worship. But, whatever the cause, the fact is plain, that now these masses are not accessible to the extent to which the wanderers were accessible in the days of Whitefield and Wesley. The subject deserves full and undivided investigation, in order that, if possible, suitable means might be devised for assailing this gigantic evil. The churches of the land are endeavouring to reach this mass, and penetrate it, and pervade it with light. Sabbath-schools, tractdistribution, labours like those of the London City Mission, benevolent societies for visiting and relieving the sick, besides a very large amount of individual effort,-all are employed in reference to this object. And there is out-door preaching; but, somehow, it does not gather congregations as formerly. All parties, almost, have tried it, and still ought to go on trying it; but effects so extensively visible as occurred under Whitefield and the Wesleys, are not produced. I think that the cause might be ascertained; but the investigation for it should be mixed up with no other object, and be conducted on a sufficiently large scale, with the most rigid, God-fearing, impartial industry; and then the result be stated with an equally Godfearing and impartial fidelity. At present I can only refer to the fact, that it is chiefly from among the outward hearers (as they are often almost technically termed) that the churches themselves are to be supplied and recruited. I refer by no means exclusively to Wesleyanism. I believe that the Ministers of all denominations, attaching practical importance to "the work of God," would acknowledge this to be the case.

2. Now, many of these hearers, in the course of the year, experience powerful religious impressions, sometimes even issuing in conversion, who yet, for reasons which satisfy themselves, (I do not say they would satisfy me in many instances I am persuaded they would not; I have often wished that they would be far less easily satisfied; but it is not for me to judge them; they stand or fall to their own Master,) do not enrol their names as regular church members. No numerical account, therefore, is taken of them. Still, there they are, under a large measure of ministerial influence, and some amount of pastoral care. From them, a large quantity of assistance for charitable and Missionary purposes is received. They are, though not to the extent we wish, getting good, and doing good. And is their preservation, and in some respects even their progress, to be altogether overlooked? Among Methodists and Dissenters, a large number of such persons may be found. We wish that they were more enlightened, or more decided; but I dare not say that they are to be excluded from an inquiry as to the amount even of visible good.

3. The principle of this remark applies far more directly, and with greater force, to church members themselves. Who these are, in Wesleyan Methodism, according to its long-established, and still carefully observed rules, I shall hereafter point out. At present, I will only assume that they

are what they should be. And, assuming this, I may now remark, that a hundred years ago, congregations had to be collected, and ministerial attention chiefly to be directed to them. The principal object of ministerial labour was the conversion of those who were Christianly persuaded to become "hearers of the word." Churches had to be formed; and pastoral duties, the education of children, all that is implied in "the care of the churches," could have, comparatively, but subordinate attention. For a long time Missionary efforts, as to Heathens abroad, were not: Heathens at home absorbed all the labour that could be employed. In such a state of things, numerical increase would naturally be the great index of church prosperity. It was a period of awakening after a long and melancholy slumber. Society itself was characterized by a careless, or a bold, and in either case an ignorant, ungodliness. In some cases the ignorance was stupid; in other cases refined, in a measure, and fashionable; but still it was ignorance,— ignorance of the great truths of the Gospel, not only considered as such, but also as contained in the standard documents of the Church established by law. The truths of the Prayer-Book, as explained by the Articles and Homilies, fell like novelties on the ears of those who, with all their ignorance, boasted of being members of the Reformed Anglican Church. The case is so greatly altered as to require that a very large amount of ministerial labour should be preserving and edifying, as well as converting. In Dissenting and Wesleyan congregations, a large proportion of the hearers is now constituted by church members and their families. This is the Lord's doing, and most thankful will be the faithful Minister that such is the fact. Now, those churches are in a very low state indeed,—I hope there are not many such,-whose members are chiefly profited by the first elements of genuine evangelical preaching, awakening addresses to sinners. If ever they were truly converted, they must now be in a state of melancholy and alarming declension. I hope the majority are far different. By no means neglecting the unconverted in his congregation, the Minister is bound to devote large attention to the converted. The first have to be called to awake from sleep, and to arise from the dead; the second have to be fed with the sincere milk of the word, that they may grow thereby, and be led onwards to perfection. It is one of the most important and laborious parts of ministerial duty to warn every man, and to teach every man in all wisdom, that they may all be presented perfect in Christ Jesus. For the sake of brevity, I use only two words,-preservation and edification; but what a number of subsidiary means and objects do these suggest; and, when such means are successful, and such objects are secured, what a vast amount of good, of the very highest order, is thus implied! I speak especially to those who believe, as do the Wesleyan Methodists, the possibility, not only of falling from grace, but of falling finally and irrecoverably. But this good comes into no numerical register, except the standing numerical register of the church. But in that register does it appear, as a numerical fact, I speak now solely in reference to ourselves,-that several hundred thousands of believers, in this state of warfare with the world, the flesh, and the devil, are, by God's blessing on the instrumentality employed, preserved from falling, enabled to hold fast their profession, and to grow in grace, during life, and to die humbly, yet joyfully, witnessing a good confession, and leaving behind them a delightfully-animating testimony that they have only passed away from the church militant, to take their place in the church eternally triumphant. Is all this visible success, and all the labour by which, humanly speaking, it has been secured, to go for

nothing, in the inquiry as to the results of exertion? I should be ashamed of myself, if I were taking the account of some Dissenting congregation, having, I may suppose as an instance, a hundred church members, whose efforts, on the scale of their employment, bear as great a proportion to that one congregation, as do all the efforts of Methodism, to the whole Methodist body, and found that this church had increased its register to a hundred and five, I could then turn away scornfully, and say, that this was the insignificant result of all these mighty efforts! proportionally as mighty as those of Methodism itself.

4. I will now add, that it is most unfair, most misleading, to take what is a net increase, as if it were the whole increase. Nay, the language of the article amounts to positive untruth. "What is the ascertained effect of this mighty instrument during the last twelve months?" The answer is, “ The introduction"-yes, that is the word, the INTRODUCTION-" of six hundred and ninety members." Six hundred and ninety persons have been induced to become members of the Wesleyan society, have been introduced into it. Here is "an instrument of stupendous moral power, in constant operation;" and yet, "with a machinery so skilfully constructed, and so powerfully worked, the results have been so INSIGNIFICANT." ALL that has been done, according to this writer, is, "the introduction of six hundred and ninety members," the introduction, not the increase upon the whole ! Were nothing else to be found in the whole paper, exhibiting the mind of its author, the wording employed by him in the construction of the sentence would be amply sufficient evidence. The "introduction of six hundred and ninety members" is not all, even were the statement numerically correct. But it is not so. Had the intention been to give an honest statement of a statistical fact, the writer would have said that this was the net increase on the whole number; but in his hurry to present the case in its most "insignificant" aspect,-I employ his own word,—he has so stated it that, as it now stands, it is a downright untruth. Before new members could count for total increase, what a large number of vacancies from emigrations, removals, changes of opinion, backslidings, deaths, had to be filled up! Now, these fillings-up constitute, surely, an ascertainable, visible effect. Not only does the line extend further than before by these six hundred and ninety, but all the gaps made in the course of the twelvemonth have been supplied. This is the simple truth; but it finds no expression in the statement deliberately made by this Christian Witness. The introduction of six hundred and ninety members is the insignificant whole!

But, taking the entire sum of the additions to the Wesleyan society,— still protesting against the adoption of numerical increase as the exclusive test of prosperity, and the sole measure of the results of ministerial labour, -I venture to say, appealing to all those Dissenting and Wesleyan Ministers who know the circumstances of the age, the prevailing ungodliness, scepticism, and earthliness; the worldly opposition to evangelically-spiritual religion, never more bitter than at present, and the tendency in many quarters to a formal externalism, never more strong; the revival of High-Church intolerance and activity, and the extension of Popish influence, disguised and undisguised ;that even a slight advance, comparatively speaking, now, is equivalent to a much greater one formerly. The vessels of a true evangelism are sailing against a high wind, directly a-head; and (in nautical language) if on each tack they can even hold their own, it is a point gained. If they do more, they ought to be thankful. Let them aim at more, and

Such

strain every nerve to accomplish more; but if sometimes, though they do not lose ground, they yet appear to gain but little, let them not be discouraged above all, let them not begin to blame one another with sarcastical reproaches for the "insignificant results" of Christian labour. reproaches will never promote God's work amongst its friends, nor will they ever recommend it to the favour of its adversaries. They will grieve the hearts of the former, and confirm the prejudices, and strengthen the dislike, of the latter. Never were mutual support and encouragement more requisite than just now. The Evangelical Alliance is a politic and wise, as well as a holy and righteous, proceeding. Whoever seeks to make the spiritually Protestant Churches, in the present condition of religious affairs, opponents to each other, is the friend of neither, and the enemy of both.

As to Methodism, and this "increase of six hundred and ninety," I refuse to acknowledge it as the criterion and measure of prosperity. The arrangements of our Connexion require, for many reasons, that the “numbers in society" should be taken annually. But this should always be connected with the whole case. And why is not the "Missionary increase " to be considered? The Missionaries belong to the whole body of Ministers; they are supported from home supplies, raised by continual effort. Numberless prayers are offered at home for them and their converts. But, no: that one fact is taken which, to strangers, would seem to present the smallest indication of good, and that one fact is considered as though standing alone!

Leaving the "Christian Witness," I would say to those Wesleyans who may honour these remarks by an attentive perusal, Be not discouraged. Look at the whole subject, and there is much to call you to thank God, and take courage. Take one year with another. Look at the increase of chapels and congregations, as well as the average numerical increase of societies; and you will see that there is not the slightest reason for depression, but the contrary. At the same time, desire much more, and seek to accomplish much more. Grieve not the Spirit of God by repining and disaffection, but proceed, praying and expecting; and nothing has yet occurred to justify the smallest anticipation of disappointment.

With your permission, in my letter next month, I will take up the subjects I have reserved for separate consideration. I content myself with having shown, that, while there is much reason for exertion, there is none for despondency; and that, even if any slight degree of shade has fallen on Methodism, it is only a fraction of the shadow cast, by the singular, and in some respects portentous, circumstances of the day, upon the churches of evangelism. Those circumstances belong to the signs of the times, and require to be considered, by all evangelical Christians, in a spirit widely different from that of mutual unfriendliness and opposition.

A WESLEYAN.