Fletcher Visits Home.

His Father's Family.

soldier, and that the family were of humble origin, and lived in humble style. But he now learned that Fletcher's father was a general officer; that the family was allied to the royal house of Sardinia, and that they lived in princely style. Fletcher remained with his friends but a short time. He, however, improved the opportunity, brief though it was, to preach to his countrymen. He was wel

comed to the pulpits of Nyon. He preached with remarkable effect and success. The people were deeply impressed by his eloquence, his varied acquirements, his zeal, his devout spirit, and his heavenly temper. They implored him to remain with them, but he felt impelled to return to his people at Madely. When the time for his departure came, multitudes, weeping, crowded around his carriage, followed him out of the town, looked after him till he was out of sight, and then, disconsolate, returned home, saying, "How unfortunate are we! Our country has produced, in our day, but one angel, and it is our lot to be deprived of him."

In the middle of the summer, 1770, Mr. Fletcher, after an absence of only about five months, arrived home among his people at

Return to Madely.

Madely. His return to Madely, improved in health, and revived in spirit, was welcomed by the hearty rejoicings of his people.

Mildness of Spirit.

Two Methodist Parties.

CHAPTER IV.

FLETCHER AND THE CALVINISTIC CON

THAT

TROVERSY.

HAT a man of the saintly spirit and heavenly temper of John Fletcher could ever, by any circumstances, be drawn or impelled into controversy, may seem strange. That he did, however, engage effectively in polemical writing, without losing his Christian charity, or irritating his heavenly temper, proves that doctrinal controversy may not be incompatible with the true Christian spirit.

In the seventh chapter of the sketch of John Wesley, we have given some account of the separation of the Methodists into two parties— the Arminian and the Calvinistic Methodists. The Arminians adhered to John Wesley. George Whitefield became a member, though not strictly a leader, of the Calvinists. Perhaps the honor of leading the Calvinistic Methodists belongs to Lady Huntington. She was a lady of noble family, of great wealth, and of most exemplary piety. By the death of her husband, her fortune fell at her own disposal,

Methodism and Calvinism.

Points of Difference.

She became a

and she used it freely for good. Methodist in early times. On the division of the societies, for doctrinal reasons, in 1740, she became strongly tinctured with Calvinism. There was still, however, much affection existing between her and her friends, and Wesley and his friends. Wesley desiring to promote, as far as possible, harmony among all the Methodists, had softened down the doctrinal asperities between him and the Calvinists, and for thirty years the two parties had moved along with a good degree of harmony. But about the year 1770, Wesley found many of his preachers "leaning too much toward Calvinism." At the conference held that year, an attempt was made by Wesley to correct the "leaning," and to straighten up the preachers. From the minutes of the conversation held at the conference it would appear that, in the opinion of Wesley, the Methodists had leaned too much toward Calvinism: 1. With regard to man's faithfulness. Christ had taught them in the Scriptures to speak of faithfulness, and they ought not to be ashamed of the expression. 2. With regard to working for life. Our Lord has expressly commanded us to labor for the meat that endureth to everlasting life, and every

Works.

Faith.

believer, till he comes to glory, works for life, as well as from it. 3. The Methodists had received it for a maxim, that "a man is to do nothing in order to justification." This maxim is false. Whoever desires to find favor with God, must cease to do evil and learn to do well. Whoever repents must do works meet for repentance. The minutes then proceeded to affirm that he who believes in Christ with a loving, obedient heart, is accepted of God; that even among those who never heard of Christ, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, according to the light he hath, is accepted; that salvation is not by merit of works, but by works as a condition; that as to merit itself, of which the Methodists had been so dreadful afraid, the true doctrine is, we are rewarded according to our works, yea, because of our works, and that talking of a justified or a sanctified state, tends to mislead men, inducing them to trust in what has been in one moment, whereas we are every hour, and every moment, pleasing or displeasing God, according to our works according to the whole of our inward temper and our outward behavior.

The reader will hardly find any thing in these minutes so very heterodox. It is true, as