my of so sweeping a libel. The candour of the inspired writers, however, was employed for far other and holier purposes than catering to the depraved tastes of corrupt readers. The possibility of abuse nevertheless did not withhold their pens, Neither a man's private memoirs of himself, therefore, in which he has traced his failings with a faithful hand for the inspection of an intimate friend, nor his confidential confessions of error, as in the institution denounced by Lord John Russel, are justly chargeable with the evils which their possible perversion and abuse might foster. His lordship's futile remarks on watch-nights and love-feasts are those of a person wholly unacquainted with the subject. For a further defence of our religious doctrines and discipline, and a demonstration of their moral tendency and effects, we refer his lordship and the public to Mr. Wesley's incomparable writings at large. It is enough, that our system secures the allegiance of the heart to scriptural principles, and watches over the development of their practical results with a sleepless anxiety. No Christian church can do more; few do so much. Nor is it any answer to say, that 'the bad passions which you dam up in one place will burst out in another. Methodism as an experiment, has been long enough in operation to furnish his lordship with verifications of his assertion, if any are to be obtained. But these, to be conclusive of its empiricism, should be both indisputable, and numerous enough to outweigh the evidence of those examples to which we confidently appeal in proof of its moral efficacy. We have already adverted to the proof deducible from the personal history of her disciples, who are her epistles known and read of all men.' We have briefly descanted also on some of the collateral benefits of Methodism, which accompanied Mr. Wesley's earlier career. And they are still felt and seen after the lapse of nearly a century, which has served only to mature the fruits of that moral harvest of which society at that time presented but the hopeful verdure. The moral wastes then reclaimed from a state of savage barbarity,* still, in proportion to the prevalence of Methodism, 'blossom as the rose.' Now as we wish to avoid vague and declamatory statements, we shall adhere to matters of undoubted history, and infallible observation. And any single fact, which is decisive of the moral efficacy of our principles, will suffice to confirm our assertion. We appeal therefore at once to the loyalty of our members in the manufacturing districts, when Radicalism was at its height, only eleven years ago. And it is a fact of the utmost value, be * Mr. Wesley frequently put on record in his Journals facts illustrative of those moral renovations of a whole neighbourhood, which were effected by his preaching. Thus, in describing its effects in the west of Cornwall, he writes as follows: --And that scandal of humanity, so constantly practised on all the coasts of Cornwall, the plundering vessels that struck upon the rocks, and often murdering those that escaped out of the wreck, is now well nigh at an end.'--Wesley's Ecol. Hist., vol. iv, p. 185. [ By 'loyalty' in this passage, we understand Mr. Sandwith to mean that firm cause nothing could more surely tend to dissipate a counterfeit religion than the political excitement of that period. That Methodism should have struck its roots deep in the manufacturing districts, may be considered on many accounts a great national benefit. We have shown its influence in counteracting a spirit of disaffection. Politicians have also laid great stress on it as speculatively a valuable accompaniment in the introduction of cotton manufactures into Ireland. For no system is more inimical to the Roman Catholic superstition.* Methodism operates beneficially in the manufacturing districts in another way. It is the inevitable tendency of the manufacturing and commercial system to cherish a covetous and worldly spirit. This spirit, so incidental to the industrious and frugal habits which accompany the progress of religion in the middle classes, Methodism has had to contend with from the beginning. It gave Mr. Wesley more anxiety almost, than his ordinary care of all the churches.' Nevertheless the system possesses within itself a strong counteracting power to moderate the spirit in question. Besides being based on the voluntary supplies of its members, it cultivates and calls forth a spirit of liberality, which has its widest sphere of exercise in the promotion of the objects of an elevated philanthropy. These objects are numerous, and, in the shape of various distinct funds, relate to the spread of the Gospel both at home and abroad, the support of worn-out preachers, the education of the preachers' children, and the assistance of the poor: and the standard of liberality is steadily advancing among us. We possess one institution, the Benevolent or Poor and Strangers' Friend Society, which demands a few words in illustration of its value, because the Christian Remembrancer has uncharitably said, 'Speaking from experience, we deny, that as a body "they (the Methodists) have extensively mitigated the distresses of the poor." It is well known that in all cities and in numerous towns, our societies have an eleemosynary institution of this kind attached to them, which is in constant operation, especially in winter. It is true, their funds are not wholly derived from the Methodists; nor, on the other hand, are the charitable contributions of the Methodists restricted to sectarian objects. In London the Benevolent Society is nearly half a century old; it gives adherence to constitutional law and order, in opposition to anarchy and riot, by which Methodism has always been distinguished. This is a principle of the last importance to the stability of a republican government, equally with that of the limited monarchy of England. It is at the utmost distance, however, from a spirit of passive obedience to any tyrannical subversion of the constitution, on the part of the government itself:-a spirit of abject servility which true patriots in England no more include within the term loyalty, as used by them, than we do in America, The present government of England itself is, in fact, based on a diametrically opposite principle.--AMERICAN EDITORS.] *Earl Mount Cashel, in his place in the house of lords, truly asserted, that 'the Wesleyan Methodists were a most useful body of persons; and there could be no better soldiers to fight against the Pope and his party. This had been long experienced in Ireland.'-Hansard's Parliamentary Debates, part xvii, sess. 1829, p. 1311. employment to about three hundred visiters; it visits annually upwards of seven thousand cases of distress, chiefly families; and distributes between two and three thousand pounds. It is a cheering fact, that these admirable institutions are rapidly multiplying among us, and engrossing a more general interest and support. It appears that they originated in the noble and Christian feeling of commiserating the misfortunes of strangers. Hence, says Mr. Wesley, in his Journals, In the morning I met the Strangers' Society, instituted wholly for the relief, not of our society, but for poor, sick, friendless strangers. I do not know that I ever read of such an institution, till within a few years ago. So this also is one of the fruits of Methodism !' The institution at present includes the poor in general as well as strangers. Now Dr. Southey, after remarking that the spirit which built and endowed monasteries is gone,' puts the important question, Are you one of those persons who think it has been superseded for the better by that which erects steam engines and cotton mills?' He admits, indeed, that the manufacturing system is a necessary stage in the progress of society; and the long and tremendous conflict which we sustained with the late tyrant of France, he considers as an illustration of the value of the wealth which it created. But we agree with him, that mammon has obtained a supremacy in commercial countries, which, as Latimer also pointed out, discredits the cause of Protestantism. But we are persuaded, that the multitudinous institutions of the age, supported solely by voluntary contributions, are gradually exalting the standard of our liberality, as a nation; and we rejoice that Methodism also possesses within herself an increasingly counteracting influence to the opposite and still too prevalent vice. -With some abatement of the respect which he [Dr. Southey] has shown for a good which we consider more equivocal from the gross admixture of superstition with piety, we admit there is some truth in his representation of the matter. And there is yet more in his reflections on the supineness and indifference to religion which, to the discredit of the Reformation, succeeded to the abolition of Popish ceremonies. Now, if we have not wholly misapprehended the genius of Methodism, we think it is a system which so busies itself with the spiritual interests of man, imposes so many active religious duties on its followers, and mingles its spirit so diffusively with the innocent recreations and business of life, that what Dr. Southey affirms to have been peculiar to the times before the Reformation, is applicable to the times we live in, wherever the influence of Methodism prevails; namely, that the momentous truth, that the improvement of his moral and spiritual condition ought to be the first concern of every intellectual creature, is impressed upon the peo *The munificence of the late Timothy Bentley, Esq., who recently bequeathed the interest of £1000 for ever, to the Methodist Female Benevolent Society of Huddersfield, ought to be exhibited as a stimulus to the liberality of our societies, † Journals, vol. iv, p. 469. ple by example as well as by precept.'* Methodism stands opposed also to the dissipation of manners, which is so largely imported from France, and which Popish machination zealously labours to convert to its own advantage, by lulling Protestantism into a state of apathy.The subject is not exhausted; but we can only at present allude to the great and manifold indirect benefits which have sprung up in the Church and the nation from the introduction of Methodism. The candor of the Poet Laureate has induced him to expatiate at large on this fruitful topic: and we refer his lordship again to those volumes which he appears to have read with a desire to extract only whatever tended, in his apprehension, to the discredit of the system. We shall close our defence with two or three brief interrogatories and replies. Who first set the example of bestowing religious care upon the Negro slaves to the planters of the West Indies? Mr. Gilbert, who was a Methodist. Who first organized the admirable institution of Sunday schools? Mr. Webb, of Stroud, a Methodist. Who projected, and by the blessing of God on their exertions, succeeded in giving birth to, the Naval and Military Bible Society? Mr. Cussons and Mr. John Davies, of London, who were both Methodists.§ But we have done. In these portentous and monster breeding times,' Methodism, we trust, we have shown, is not the 'Monstrum horrendum, informe, ingens, cui lumen ademptum' which Lord John Russel has represented it to be, but an important and influential part of the Church of Christ. And we presume to caution his lordship against similar rash and censurable attempts in future, in language which ought to make him tremble:- What a wretched abasement will overwhelm on that day some of the pompous historians, who were called by others, and deemed by themselves, the high authoritative censors of an age, and whose verdict was to fix on each name immortal honor or infamy, if they shall find many of the questions and the decisions of that tribunal proceed on principles which they would have been ashamed to apply, or never took the trouble to understand! How they will be confounded, if some of the men whom they had extolled are consigned to ignominy; and some that they had despised are applauded by the voice at which the world will tremble and be silent!'|| Bridlington. HUMPHRY SANDWITH. *Progress and Prospects of Society, vol. i, p. 155. † Watson's Observations on Southey's Life of Wesley, p. 51. Welsh on the Wesleyan Polity, p. 170. Wesleyan Methodist Magazine, New Series, vol. ii, p. 737. Foster's Essay on the Aversion of Men of Taste to Evangelical Religion, p. 430. ON THE OMNIPRESENCE of God; A SERMON, By the REV. PROFESSOR DURBIN, of Augusta College, Kentucky. 'But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built,' 2 Chron. vi, 18. A CONSIDERATION of the character and condition of the author of the text, will show clearly, that the highest degrees of rital piety are perfectly consistent with the most consummate wisdom, grandeur, and power. The words of the text are the words of Solomon, king of Israel, and the grand successor of the illustrious David, son of Jesse. A consideration of the chapter will convince us that his heart was fired with the liveliest devotion, of the most rational and exalted kind. It is the dedication service of the celebrated temple at Jerusalem; and was performed by the king himself, in the midst of the thousands of Israel; being a prayer which he pronounced, in the attitude of kneeling, on a slightly elevated stage in the midst of the temple. The character and condition of the author, in regard to worldly wisdom, grandeur, and power, are too well known to require special notice in detail. As it regards his wisdom, it has passed into a proverb in all nations. As wise as Solomon,' is an adage pronounced by every tongue, when it would express the highest attainments in wisdom. As it regards his grandeur, the account of it, as detailed in the Scriptures, almost exceeds, and indeed would exceed, belief, did we not know their rigid integrity in stating the truth. His power, of course, must be considered, in this age, relatively and although we cannot rank his kingdom with the great empires and kingdoms of modern days, we can, with propriety, pronounce it the first in his own age, and not so much inferior to modern powers as we might imagine. These observations establish the proposition, That the highest degrees of vital piety are perfectly consistent with the most consummate wisdom, grandeur, and power. An examination of the character of this extraordinary man in another view, will produce conviction on another important point, viz. That no selection, or combination, of any, or all the pleasures of the world, can permanently satisfy the rational spirit of man. Solomon, like most persons in similar circumstances, was well nigh ruined by being brought up in luxury and ease, and succeeding to an immense amount of wealth and power. During his prodigality, (he himself has left it on record,) he indulged in every species of pleasure and gratification that heart could wish, or a licentious, warmed, and excited imagination could devise. And yet he pronounced the whole 'vanity and vexation of spirit,' and in proof of his conviction he became deeply and uniformly pious. His is but the experience, |