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men who have their partialities also in doctrine; but partialities, not founded upon the same sound discretion, and knowledge of human nature.

5. The Methodists are always desirous of making men more religious, than it is possible, from the constitution of human nature, to make them. If they could succeed as much as they wish to succeed, there would be at once an end of delving and spinning, and of every exertion of human industry, Men must eat, and drink, and work; and if you wish to fix upon them high and elevated notions, as the ordinary furniture of their minds, you do these two things;-you drive men of warm temperaments mad, and you introduce, in the rest of the world, a low and shocking familiarity with words and images, which every real friend to religion would wish to keep sacred. The friends of the dear Redeemer who are in the habit of visiting the Isle of Thanet(as in the extract we have quoted ;)-Is it possible that this mixture of the most awful, with the most familiar images, so common among Methodists now, and with the enthusiasts in the time of Cromwell, must not, in the end, divest religion of all the deep and solemn impressions which it is calculated to produce? In a man of common imagination (as we have before observed) the terror, and the feeling which it first excited, must necessarily be soon separated: but, where the fervour of impression is long preserved, piety ends in bedlam. Accordingly, there is not a mad-house in England, where a considerable part of the patients have not been driven to insanity by the extravagance of these people. We cannot enter such places without seeing a number of honest artizans, covered with blankets, and calling themselves angels and apostles, who, if they had remained contented with the instruction of men of learning and education, would still have been sound masters of their own trade, sober christians, and useful members of society.

6. It is impossible not to observe how directly all the doctrine of the Methodists is calculated to gain power among the poor and ignorant. To say, that the Deity governs this world by general rules, and that we must wait for another, and a final scene of existence, before vice meets with its merited punishment, and virtue with its merited reward; to preach this up daily, would not add a single votary to the Tabernacle, nor sell a Number of the Methodistical Magazine;-but, to publish an account of a man who was cured of scrofula by a single sermon-of Providence destroying the innkeeper at Garstang for appointing a cockfight near the Tabernacle ;-this promptness of judgment and immediate execution, is so much like human justice, and so much better adapted to vulgar capacities, that the system is at once ad

mitted,

mitted, as soon as any one can be found, who is impudent, or ignorant enough, to teach it; and, being once admitted, it produces too strong an effect upon the passions, to be easily relinquished. The case is the same with the doctrine of inward impulse, or, as they term it, experience ;-if you preach up to ploughmen and artizans, that every singular feeling which comes across them is a visitation of the Divine Spirit-can there be any difficulty, under the influence of this nonsense, in converting these simple creatures into active and mysterious fools, and making them your slaves for life? It is not possible to raise up any dangerous enthusiasm, by telling men to be just, and good, and charitable; but, keep this part of christianity out of sight-and talk long, and enthusiastically, before ignorant people, of the mysteries of our religion, and you will not fail to attract a crowd of followers :-verily the Tabernacle loveth not that which is simple, intelligible, and leadeth to good sound practice.

Having endeavoured to point out the spirit which pervades these people, we shall say a few words upon the causes, the effects, and the cure of this calamity.-The fanaticism so preva lent in the present day, is one of those evils from which society is never wholly exempt; but which bursts out, at different periods, with peculiar violence, and sometimes overwhelms every thing in its course. The last eruption took place about a century and a half ago, and destroyed both Church and Throne with its tremendous force. Though irresistible, it was short; enthusiasm spent its force-the usual reaction took place; and England was deluged with ribaldry and indecency, because it had been worried with fanatical restrictions. By degrees however it was found out, that orthodoxy and loyalty might be secured by other methods than licentious conduct and immodest conversation. The public morals improved; and there appeared as much good sense and moderation upon the subject of religion, as ever can be expected from mankind in large masses. Still, however, the mischief which the Puritans had done was not forgotten; a general suspicion prevailed of the dangers of religious enthusiasm ; and the fanatical preacher wanted his accustomed power among a people recently recovered from a religious war, and guarded by songs, proverbs, popular stories, and the general tide of humour and opinion, against all excesses of that nature. About the middle of the last century, however, the character of the genuine fanatic was a good deal forgotten, and the memory of the civil wars worn way; the field was clear for extravagance in piety; and causes which must always produce an immense influence upon the mind of man, were left to their own unimpeded operations. Religion is so noble and powerful a consi

deration

deration-it is so buoyant and so insubmergible-that it may be made, by fanatics to carry with it any degree of error and of perilous absurdity. In this instance Messrs Whitfield & Wesley happened to begin. They were men of considerable talents; they observed the common decorums of life; they did not run naked into the streets, or pretend to the prophetical character ;— and therefore, they were not committed to Newgate. They preached with great energy to weak people; who first staredthen listened-then believed-then felt the inward feeling of grace, and became as foolish as their teachers could possibly wish them to be: in short folly ran its ancient course, and human nature evinced itself to be, what it always has been, under similar circumstances. The great and permanent cause, therefore, of the increase of Methodism, is the cause which has given birth to fanaticism in all ages,-the facility of mingling human errors with the fundamental truths of religion. The formerly imperfect residence of the clergy may perhaps, in some trifling degree, have aided this source of Methodism. But unless a man of education, and a gentleman, could stoop to such disingenuous arts as the Methodist preachers,-unless he hears heavenly music all of a sudden, and enjoys sweet experiences,-it is quite impossible that he can contend against such artists as these. More active, than they are at present, the clergy might perhaps be; but the calmness and moderation of an Establishment can never possibly be a match for sectarian activity:-If the common people are enmud with the fine acting of Mrs Siddons, they go to Saddlers Wells. The subject is too serious for ludicrous compa risons; but the Tabernacle really is to the Church, what Saddlers Wells is to the Drama.-There, popularity is gained by vaulting and tumbling,-by low arts, which the regular clergy are not too idle to have recourse to, but too dignified: their institutions are chaste and severe,-they endeavour to do that which, upen the whole, and for a great number of years, will be found to be the most admirable and the most useful: it is no part of their plan, to descend to small artifices, for the sake of present popularity and effect. The religion of the common people under the government of the Church, may remain as it is for ever-enthusiasm must be progressive, or it will expire.

It is probable that the dreadful scenes which have lately been acted in the world, and the dangers to which we are exposed, have increased the numbers of the Methodists.

To what degree will Methodism extend in this country? This question it is not easy to answer. That it has rapidly increased within these few years, we have no manner of doubt; and we confess we cannot see what is likely to impede its pro

gress

gress. The party which it has formed in the Legislature, and the artful neutrality with which they give respectability to their small numbers, the talents of some of this party, and the unimpeached excellence of their characters, all make it probable that fanaticism will increase, rather than diminish. The Methodists have made an alarming inroad into the Church, and they are attacking the Army and Navy. The principality of Wales, and the East India Company, they have already acquired. All mines and subterraneous places belong to them; they creep into hospitals and small schools, and so work their way upwards. It is the custom of the religious neutrals to beg all the little livings, particularly in the north of England, from the minister for the time being; and from these fixed points they make incursions upon the happiness and common sense of the vicinage. We most sincerely deprecate such an event; but it will excite in us no manner of surprise, if a period arrives when the churches of the sober and orthodox part of the English clergy, are completely deserted by the middling and lower classes of the community. We do not prophecy any such event; but we contend, that it is not impossible,-hardly improbable. If such, in future, should be the situation of this country, it is impossible to say what political animosities may not be ingrafted upon this marked and dangerous division of mankind into the godly, and the ungodly. At all events, we are quite sure that happiness will be destroyed, reason degraded, sound religion banished from the world; and that when fanaticism becomes too foolish and too prurient to be endured, (as is at last sure to be the case), it will be succeeded by a long period of the grossest immorality, atheism, and debauchery.

We are not sure that this evil admits of any cure, or of any considerable palliation. We most sincerely hope that the Government of this country will never be guilty of such indiscretion as to tamper with the toleration act, or to attempt to put down these follies by the intervention of the law. If experience has taught us any thing, it is the absurdity of controuling men's notions of eternity by acts of Parliament. Something may per haps be done, in the way of ridicule, towards turning the popular opinion. It may be as well to extend the privileges of the dissenters to the members of the Church of England; for, as the law now stands, any man who dissents from the established church may open a place of worship where he pleases. No orthodox clergyman can do so, without the consent of the parson of the parish,-who always refuses, because he does not chuse to have his monopoly disturbed; and refuses, in parishes where there are not accommodations for one half of the persons who wish VOL. XI. NO. 22. A a

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to frequent the Church of England, and in instances where he knows that the chapels from which he excludes the established worship, will be immediately occupied by sectaries. It may be as well to encourage in the early education of the clergy, as Mr Ingram recommends, a better and more animated method of preaching; and it may be necessary, hereafter, if the evil gets to a great height, to relax the articles of the English church, and to admit a greater variety of Christians within the pale. The greatest and best of all remedies, is perhaps the education of the poor ;we are astonished, that the established church in England is not awake to this mean of arresting the progress of methodism. Of course, none of these things will be done; nor is it clear if they were done, that they would do much good. Whatever happens, we are for common sense and orthodoxy. Insolence, servile politics, and the spirit of persecution, we condemn and attack, whenever we observe them;-but to the learning, the moderation, and the rational piety of the Establishment, we most earnestly wish a decided victory over the nonsense, the melancholy, and the madness of the tabernacle. *

God send that our wishes be not in vain.

ART. VI. Exodus: an Epic Poem, in Thirteen Books. By Charles Hoyle of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Domestic Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Marlborough. J. Hatchard, Lon

don.

A CORRESPONDENT Wrote us lately an account of a tea-drinking

in the west of England, at which there assisted no fewer than six epic poets-a host of Parnassian strength, certainly equal to Six-and-thirty ordinary bards; and MrHoyle, we believe, was not of the party. How unreasonable then is it to complain, that poetry is on the decline amorg us! We ought, on the contrary, to rejoice, that so precious (however ungainful) an article of our staple manufactures is the only one which, in these disastrous times, our inveterate enemy is either unable, or unambitious, to diminish.

In addition to this, we have the pleasure to remark, that our measure and numbers seem, from the specimen before us, to be improving.

* There is one circumstance to which we have neglected to advert in the proper place, the dreadful pillage of the earnings of the poor which is made by the Methodists. A cafe is mentioned in one of the numbers of these two magazines for 1807, of a poor man with a family, earning ly twenty-eight fhillings a week, who has made two donations of ten eas each to the missionary fund!

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