without spiritual ministration. Alas! for the flocks who are led forth to the pasture fields of such shepherds!" It shall be as when the hungry dreameth, and behold! he eateth; but he waketh and his soul is empty: or as when the thirsty dreameth, and behold he drinketh; but he awaketh, and is faint!" Isaiah xxix. 8.

Whatever the Wesleyans may pretend, and perhaps believe, they are dependent upon the clergy of the Establishment in a great measure for spiritual food. Besides the solemn case we have instanced above, do not the clergy generally stamp that bright star upon the forehead which marks the Christian? Do they not, under the blessing of God, unite man and woman in the holy estate of wedlock, and call down from heaven God's grace, God's mercy, God's protection? Do they not, at the termination of their lives, close the earth over their mortal remains, and by the pathetic service used upon that melancholy occasion, partially restore the survivors to peace, and remind them of eternity? And let what new-fangled law rise up that may, the Wesleyan seceders will always be dependent upon our clergy for their ministration. As a sect they are left during the week without a minister. On whom could they call to do these kind and holy offices, which we have adverted to? The generality of Wesleyan ministers live at some distance from those who would otherwise secure their services. They are occupied by their several secular avocations, which preclude the possibility of their attending to their holy calling upon any other day except Sunday. The Wesleyans recognise this evil-to their cost they experience the effects: and though they themselves, for a whole week, are left without a shepherd whom they will acknowledge, still are they among the foremost to insist upon the regular residence of the parochial minister. Lustily will they cry out "shame!" even if the plea for nonresidence be good and justifiable. They must be influenced to this, either by the value they put upon the services of a resident pastor, or they make an accusation against the Establishment in a malicious spirit. We leave them to take the choice of the horns of the dilemma. But mark-if the clergyman be absent from his parish, it is seldom or never left without a resident minister. And thus the evil of the people having no shepherd is obviated. Now the Wesleyan seceders must not only acknowledge this to be a vital defect in their regulations, but must be fain to admit that the error incident to the machinery of their constitution is without a remedy. It is high time for them to

* It may occur in very small parishes, or where two parishes are together, that there is no resident minister; but even in this case there is ALWAYS a clergyman near at hand to supply the wants of the people.

abandon so deformed a system, and to cleave to a better. really think it incumbent upon them to halt, and consider calmly and rationally whether it be prudent to adhere longer to a society whose regulations discover such dangerous imperfections, without the power possibly to remove them, or even to see the extent of the evil. Let them turn over the matter dispassionately in their minds, after preparing themselves by prayer to Almighty God, and we verily think there can be no doubt of a happy issue out of all their lapses-happy for the country-happy for the church they have left unwittingly-and thrice happy for their own immortal souls.

We come now to the last comparison of the Church of England and Methodism :

* In these meetings, the members receive a ticket, on which is written, "Steadfastness," i. e. steadfastness in attending Class-meetings, &c. for of their private conduct nothing is known beyond what they choose to confess.

In this respect they somewhat resemble children of a Sunday

or twelve persons meet together under a leader to be publicly questioned respecting their state of mind,-publicly to confess the sins which they have committed,—and, if Wesley's rules be adhered to, publicly to acknowledge the "secret temptations" and inclinations to sin which have come into their minds since the last meeting. Thus Wesley ordained; "These four questions in particular, shall be asked at every meeting:

"1st. What known sin have you committed since our last meeting? "2dly. What temptations have you met with?

"3dly. How were you delivered? "4thly. What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not?"Southey's Life of Wesley, vol. ii. P. 212.

Must not such questions inevitably lead either to hypocrisy, or to such a breach of decorum as shall produce the worst consequences?

Surely this is worse tyranny than that of the Pope of Rome!

But what is most awful, it furnishes to a deceitful and desperately wicked heart an opportunity which it will not fail, in many cases, to embrace, of assuming a mock humility in the confession of sins which are not forsaken, or of making highly excited professions either of self-loathing or of perfect love, which are not borne out by a correspondent practice in the life. Thus the weak are offended, the serious disgusted, and a holy, heart-searching God is mocked in his own temple.

school, who are not unfrequently allured by tickets for regular attendance. The difference lies in this; the Sunday-school tickets confer a reward; the Methodist class-tickets are paid for in hard money, which goes to the support of the cause.

The practices of the church of England are scriptural, says Epaphras; and Epaphras deposes truly. It appears that Wesley himself was opposed to the preaching of laymen; this to the Methodists ought to be conclusive, if not satisfactory. But it would not seem to be so. They persist in this practice: upon what grounds they do not condescend to explain. But let us examine the case fairly. The church of England submits to the authority of the king, who is the supreme head, and under him to that of two archbishops and twenty-four bishops; and she insists on the divine origin of these and other offices. She allows no one to officiate, except those who are lawfully called; and she judges those to be lawfully called to the work, who have been publicly ordained by men authorized to that duty.

Now, the same argument which approves the authority of the clergy of the church of England, and shows it to be founded on the declared will of God, convicts the "call" of the Wesleyan Methodists of being illegal; and therefore those who officiate in virtue of it are acting out of "order." The ministers of religion are God's ambassadors: nothing, therefore, but a divine appointment can qualify any person to hold that sacred office. It is our business to consider by what mode of procedure a man becomes divinely appointed. We know that among the Jews none could approach the presence of God in a sacerdotal character, but such as were appointed by him. Aaron and his sons were consecrated by the express command of God, and had their distinct commissions from heaven. At the time of our Saviour, none dared to exercise the office of the christian ministry till they were divinely commissioned. The twelve apostles were first appointed by him, and subsequently the other seventy. After his resurrection he breathed upon them the Holy Ghost, and then gave them authority to perform all the functions of the Church, and to convey the same authority to others; promising that he would confirm what should be done in his name, and that he would be with them and their successors, even unto the end of the world. The work of the ministry became so great in process of time, that the apostles appointed deacons to assist them, and afterwards elders. We read of St. Paul appointing elders in all the churches which he founded; and he directed Timothy and Titus to do the same. Thus it would seem to be indispensable to a christian clerisy to derive their authority from Jesus their founder; and no one can be said to have this authority but such as have received ordination from the hands of a bishop, who has been himself duly consecrated; the power to ordain being the exclusive right of a bishop. Our Saviour said to his apostles, "As my Father sent me, so send I you; and lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Hence it is obvious, that the apostles' commission is of divine institu