what these and some other good Christians of our day will do in heaven, when they "rest from their labours." When these two parties made common cause did either of them imagine that their claims as Wesleyan delegates would be acknowledged ? Not they indeed. Their fraternizatiou was for no such purpose. Each party felt its own weakness, and as midnight depredators unite to keep each other's courage up, so did these despoilers of the church. Their object being intimidation, they felt that the greater their numbers, however got together, the more impressive would be this argumentum ad hominem. And it would occur to the prime movers of the agitation that if they failed to intimidate the Conference by "brute force," they should become a more efficient band to carry on the guerrilla war through the kingdom after Conference, by enlisting these Leeds mercenaries, under leaders so skilful and well tried as Messrs, Sigston and Johnson. We have no doubt but the grand muster to take place at Sheffield, is to form an encampment of hostile forces. The agitators know well that their principles and plans-if they have any thing matured are perfectly inadmissible; that, constituted as they will be of "a mixed multitude," without credentials and a valid title to the office they have assumed :-we say, there surely must be common sense enough left among these persons to perceive that no negotiation can be conducted with them. What, then, it is asked, is it intended to cast all these good men out-will the Conference do nothing for us? In plain English, this question must mean, if it mean any thing-will not Conference consider our union with the body a sufficient equivalent for the admission of our principles and the change of the constitution? At once we say-NO! The door of Methodism is now open to all those, who, in possessing its privileges, choo to conform to its rules. There is no barrier against those who have been deluded into the Association returning to their old friends. They may enjoy Methodism just on the same conditions as all the rest of the societies, and on which they themselves always enjoyed it. But if the Association men say—we wish to belong to your body, for it will be much more congenial with our feelings to remain with you than to form a new society: but it must be conditional; and the conditions shall be, that all things shall be controlled by the popular voice, local meetings shall be independent, and delegates shall be sent to Conference; these are our terms, and we imagine we give you a sufficient compensation for these sacrifices in condescending to give you the weight of our name and influence, together with our pious labours. Stop a little, good friends of the Association-no doubt the Conference will say we have no personal malice to gratify against you; you are fellow men and fellow Christians; we should most gladly see you peacefully united with us, but then, the price to be paid we consider a little too high. You demand Methodism as the fee simple for yourselves.

This is the true question proposed by the Association to the connexion, and this is the question to be decided at Conference: Shall Methodism remain in its present state, or shall it be given up to secure and preserve the persons composing the Association? Shall Methodism rest on the Poll Deed, the integrity of Conference, doctrines and discipline legally secured, the well-balanced and reciprocal rights of preachers and people, the simple and grand design of extending religion through the world, or shall it be moved from this rock and be placed on the right of "popular control in all things," which is no other than the surrender of all the providential safeguards given to the connexion, and the abandonment of the work of God to the popular will. In one word the question is: Shall the Methodist connexion continue to obey the great Head of the Church as He teaches us His will in the Scriptures of truth, or the hydra-headed idol now set up in its place-democracy? We know what the reply will be!

THE METHODIST NEW CONNEXION AND ITS APOLOGY FOR ITS COMPARATIVELY LITTLE SUCCESS.

It has been one of our duties, of late, to exhibit the polity of the New Connexion to our readers. This avowal of obligation ought not to awaken any surprise, even among the members of that body, for we have acted only on the principle of selfdefence. If some of the "Heads of Houses," had not assumed the right of intermeddling with the affairs of our community-if they had not branded our excellent form of government with a variety of unjust and insulting names to render it odious in the eyes of Britons and Christians—if they had not, above all things, intruded their system of ecclesiastical rule, as altogether lovely," on the attention of Wesleyan Methodists for their acceptance, we should never have noticed the New Connexion; and all those statements of facts which have been very lately designated "attacks, greatly calculated to produce false and injurious impressions on the public mind," would not have been written. We can declare, with all sincerity, that in this department of our illuminating labour, we have not had any intention to make " false impressions" on the spirits of men. We have carefully examined the polity and history of the New Connexion; and our objections to its government have been chiefly supported by quotations from the authorised publications of the body.

It is written at page 52 of this work, "the most recent trial of this union of the secular and pastoral character in the government of the church has been made by the New Connexion ;" and this affirmation is said to "contain two egregious blunders." The proofs of this strong charge are amusingly clever! First: "The New Connexion has never made such a trial." Second: "The system of the New Connexion is not the most recent trial, for the Ranters have made it since the former body"!! Surely this evidence is "complicated and self-contradictory," for the second proposition destroys the first! This is indeed blowing hot and cold. What an 66 egregious blunder!”The trifling error which there may be in our statement, we corrected in No. 9 of the Illuminator, by naming it "one of the most recent trials" to combine men who are "entangled with the affairs of this life" with Christian ministers to govern the church of the Redeemer.

We have charged the polity of the New Connexion with inefficacy-with being a system not adapted to propagate Christianity on a scale which is at all commensurate to the wants and miseries of a dying world-and it appears to be very unpalatable. This dissatisfaction does not, of course, in the least surprise us. We have too much ground to fear that this community is far warmer with a proselyting, than a Christianizing zeal. We see it courting the self-titled "Grand Central Association," and wishing to form an alliance with that democratic fraternity. Hence, it is "most fervently hoped that the Association will, under the direction of Providence, be prevented from forming a new denomination ;"-why this is done already, for its preachers, its congregations, and its societies are no more Wesleyan Methodists than the disciples of Alexander Kilham; and "what a man seeth, why doeth he yet hope for ?" "And should they have to determine with what sect of Methodists they shall be identified, it is desired that the New Connexion may stand on fair ground, and possess a claim to approval, at least equal to what may be advanced by other parties." We are inclined to think that this courtship will not succeed. Messrs. Sigston and Co. seem to be outmanoeuvring the proselyting oligarchists of the New Connexion by having joined the "Grandees;" and we do not as yet perceive how their plans are to be disconcerted, except the New Methodists will imitate those denominated Protestant, by uniting themselves to the Association, and, as the learned Dr. would say, "take pot luck with them." Our opinion is, that the Association will not go over to the New Connexion, for the "grandees" love a successful cause, and they know that body, though it has existed and laboured since 1797, has made little progress. They also flatter themselves with the prospect of constructing a "popular interference" machine, which will be much less liable to be "clogged in its wheels" than that which was manufactured in the year 1797. A multitude of mechanics-all of first-rate talent in their own estimation are busy at work to complete the new machine, and it is shortly to be exhibited in Sheffield as an unrivalled specimen of art with powers sufficient to move the world!

An attempt has been made in the meantime to remove an impression from the Association that the machine made by Messrs. Kilham and Co. has not worked well. It has been found rather a puzzling fact, that during the first thirty-eight years of the Wesleyan Methodists-with a system of government said to be an outrage upon reason, scripture, and protestantism-their increase was more than treble that of the New Connexion for the same length of time. The way of accounting for this striking difference by the latter body claims some attention.

"It is not the fault of the system; and even if it were caused by the chilling influence of lay delegation, it would not fnrnish a single argument against the plan." Indeed! Though a doctor might perform very few cures among many patients, it would uot argue anything wrong in his system of treatment! However corrupt the fruit which grows on a tree may be proved, it will not show the tree to be unsound! Excellent logic!

“Moreover, the New Connexion had to originate in those districts where the ground was already occupied." This declaration is correct only in a limited sense. The means of communicating religious information were to be found in the crowded town and scattered villages of our land; yet the territory has been unoccupied to such an extent as to leave abundance of room for the New Connexion to labour, and "turn many to righteousness." After all the provision which has been made by the Established Church, and by the voluntary principle for the instruction and salvation of a vast and constantly increasing population, there is still a great deficiency to be supplied. More holy temples and zealous ministers are wanted; and the doctrines of the cross have yet "all the charms and freshness of novelty," for hundreds of thousands who need to be sought in the wilderness, that they may be reclaimed to the fold of the good Shepherd.

The New Connexion might have found unoccupied ground in Wales, where, in one circuit, they had sixteen societies, according to the minutes of 1809; but these,

instead of multiplying have been all lost to the body! Vacant ground likewise might have been broken and cultivated by them in Scotland. They had, for several years, a society of more than 100 members in Glasgow; but these, like those in Wales, have been lost to the connexion, and Scotland has been abandoned!! England also presented to them its dreary wastes for moral cultivation. They commendably formed, in this belief, a home missionary society, held public meetings, and made collections to spread saving truth among perishing Englishmen; but this excellent project fell to the ground and their principle mode of extending their community at present is by sanctioning dissensions and divisions among the people of God! As a strong proof of the inefficacy of the new system, we may be allowed to say, that Blackburn, Wigan, York, Taunton, Bristol, Liecester, Worcester, &c., once stood upon the minutes as circuits; but they were all unfruitful, and at length deserted! In all these populous

cities and towns the body "began to build, and was not able to finish."

In Ireland, too, "there is much land to be possessed." The New connexion have long had a cause there, which, as in most instances on this side the channel, originated in unpleasant circumstances. The members stand on the Minutes of 1799-before any preacher had been appointed-320 in number. At the Conference of 1825, Ireland was made a Missionary station; and it was occupied in 1834 by eleven travelling preachers, all dignified with the name of Missionaries; they had ten chapels, and the members in society amounted to 901; which is an increase of only 127 upon the num ber of 1810. On the Minutes of Conference taken twenty-five years since, the Irish members are 774! This Missionary cause of the New connexion is rather in the garden than in the desert of Ireland. We believe the north of that country requires their help still, we are equally confident, their preachers have yet to visit in the south of that unfortunate island the masses of people who "need them most." Well might this

:

mission be called by a celebrated Calvinistic minister, "the old thing with a new

We have entered into a melancholy detail of New connexion operations and disappointments, not because it contributes to our pleasure, but to demonstrate, by an induction of facts, that the system which recognizes "the right of popular interference in all the affairs of the church" is not calculated to diffuse an earnest Christianity, to any gratifying extent, among mankind. We are aware of " the flattering unction" which some readers of this article will lay to their hearts; they will say, "the New connexion have wanted suitable agents, commodious chapels, and adequate means to support them; they have also met with much persecution, difficulty, and discouragement, especially from the professed followers of Christ." Let us grant all these things, and what then? It is said, "they satisfactorily account for the slow progress which the sect has made." We must dissent from this conclusion, for the Wesleyan connexion had to struggle in its infant state with similar obstacles; and yet it went on "from conquering to conquer," and its fame is gone into all the world!

When we are told that the New connexion have wanted agents, chapels, and funds to enable the vessel which has sometimes been "water-logged to make way;" our reply is, that its form of polity has been void of the energy to create them. And when we are informed that its progress has been impeded by difficulties and discouragements from the world and the church; our answer is, that the New connexion government has been without power to grapple with them, to subdue them, to triumph over them. On what other principle can we account for its abandonment of Scotland, Wales, such a number of English circuits, and of the Home Missionary society? Its uncontrolled democracy is its weakness; and this is the grand cause of those manifold failures which are deeply humbling to republican pride and vanity.

The dark picture which we have drawn from authentic sources of the workings of the New connexion system, is truly admonitory to Wesleyan Methodists. It loudly calls upon them to stand faithful to the discipline as at present established in the body, and which is the most compact and efficacious in Christendom. It possesses so much vigour, zeal, and enterprize that its friends are never put to the blush for its want of success. No: it is proverbially active and spreading; and it ought, it must, it shall be retained, with a mild, yet unflinching firmness; otherwise the glory will depart from the body. Yes: revolutionize the system-violate the provisions of the Poll Deed, by opening the doors to a number of radical orators-constitute females* as well as males

*The way of delegating delegates in the New connexion is not uniform. Universal suffrage in some circuits is carried farther than the lowest radicals have ever purposed to push it in the state. Even women, old and young, vote for delegates in their classes by a sort of ballot! Paul was so far from allowing females to vote, that he did not allow them "speak in the church." There is this, however, to be said in his defence-he was not a rampant democrat. Some of the itinerant speech-makers say, "the ladies are every where in their favour." Query: have they promised these smiling matrons and virgins that they shall be enfranchised?

electors of delegates-make all local meetings independent; and the polity of Methodism will be treated like Sampson when "the seven locks" were cut off his head, "his strength went from him ;" and we shall have to write in future years apologies for being unable to conquer the uncircumcised Philistines. We have, however, the full assurance of hope that we shall not thus fall before our enemies; our Sampson is still vigorous; and though the radicals intend to muster strong in the town where excellent razors are made, we have no fear of the Conference acting the treacherous part of the barbarous and barbarizing Nelilah by allowing them to "shave off the seven locks." EPSILON.

Correspondence.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ILLUMINATOR.

Sir—I should imagine it utterly impossible for any man whose mind is not fettered by prejudice, nor beclouded by the mists of faction, to view the "Grand Central Association," and its proceedings, without being amused at the heterogeneous character of the materials of which it is composed, and the strange incongruity of its general operations. And the natural conclusions at which the calm observer who is conversant with human nature will arrive, is, that such a strange conglomeration of subjects, so diversified in their character, cannot by any possibility long adhere together.

As the existence of monstrosity is usually produced by unnatural and unhallowed connexions, so this Manchester incubus has been produced by an attempt to associate the levelling principles of the "radical" school in the political world, with Christianity -or, rather, with Wesleyan Methodism; and the whole affair is quite in keeping with the source from which it originated. Whether we consider their restless instability of purpose their slanderous attacks upon individual character-or their ruthless exertions to agitate and destroy the peace of society, we must conclude that the members of this notorious Association are influenced by a crooked policy of the very lowest grade, and not by those divine and heaven-born principles so admirably epitomised in 1st Corinthians, chapter xiii.

Whilst we contemplate the circumstances of the persons who are associated with Dr. Warren, we are forcibly reminded of the character of those who resorted to David, at the cave of Adullam: "And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was DISCONTENTED, gathered themselves unto him, and he became a captain over them."—(1 Sam. xxii. 2.)

It is my design in this and a succeeding paper to glance at some of the prominent features in the character of the "Grand Central Association." And in order to be as accurate as possible, I shall frequently take the liberty of using the documents which have been furnished by its own members. In prosecuting my design, I shall, in glancing at the said Association, speaking ironically, consider

1. The unity of its parts.

That the origin of the discontent of those persons who compose this novel Association is widely dissimilar, must be well known to all who are conversant with their history. In order to learn who and what they are, we naturally refer to "the corrected Report of the Meeting of (the pseudo) Wesleyan Methodist Delegates," recently held in Manchester. By a delegate, I understand a person legally appointed to act in behalf of one or more other persons. To be LEGALLY appointed as "Wesleyan Methodist delegates," they must be chosen either by the quarterly meeting of the circuit or the leaders' meeting of the society. In the "Report" which lies before me, I find the persons assembled are afraid to call themselves "representatives of circuits; lest the circuits, as such, might object that they had sent no representatives to that meeting.” And yet they specify "Liverpool North" and "Liverpool South," which are the regular designations of two Wesleyan Methodist circuits in that town. Also in this “Řeport," I find a distinction made between those persons who are "official" and those who are not; hence Messrs. Hay, of Carrickfergus, Wood of Macclesfield, and Beard and Waller, of New Mills, are marked as not being official men. Now, though I sustain no office amongst the Wesleyan Methodists, yet being warmly attached to the body, and to Methodism as it is, I should like to know what difference there was in the appointment of these four gentlemen and of those from the other thirty-four places or circuits; also, I should be glad to ascertain by whom and in what manner the deputies from Bolton, Bury, Blackburn, Birmingham, Bradford, Dublin, Hull, and York were appointed. I apprehend, if the truth were known, we should find that they have made a distinction without a difference. From this document it appears, taking the order of time, that the first class of discontents which claims our attention is composed of fuor

persons from Leeds and two from Manchester, who designate themselves "Protestant Methodists." Though we must confess that we are at a loss to understand with what propriety those who have adopted this cognomen for upwards of six years, and have established an entirely different system of government, can call themselves "Wesleyan Methodist delegates." These gentlemen, with a number of others who were accustomed to worship in the old chapel at Leeds, not satisfied with having a share in the management of the affairs of their own chapel, strangely resolved that those persons who worshipped in the new, or Brunswick chapei, should not gratify themselves by erecting an organ in their own place of worship. In proof that these anti-organ agitators did not belong to Brunswick chapel, it is only necessary to state the fact, that when the division took place, which was occasioned by these dissentients, of 32 leaders and 767 connected with the secession in the Leeds East circuit, only 4 leaders and 90 members belonged to the congregation assembling in Brunswick chapel; while 28 leaders and 676 members belonged to the congregation at the old chapel and at the Bank. The official age of these dissentient leaders is worthy of remark of these 32 leaders, only 8 had been in office seven years, and only one of these eight had been in office twenty years; and he on a former occasion had taken a leading part in dividing the excellent society at Leeds. In this painful affair, the trustees did not take a single step toward the erection of an organ, till they had received a petition from the pew-holders requesting such erection, signed by a proportion of 76 out of 84.

Although we cannot but lament that so many simple honest-hearted persons should have been led away by a set of unstable restless agitators, who evidently wished to tyrannize over preachers, trustees, and scat-holders; nevertheless the benefit which a society derives from throwing off such deleterious ingredients in a time of fermentation, will appear strikingly manifest if we compare the Leeds societies in 1827 (the year before the division), with their state in 1834; and the result of such a comparison will be highly consolatory and cheering to some circuits at the present painful juncture. The numbers in society in the Leeds circuits in A.D. 1827 were 5200; whilst in A.D. 1834, they were 6986: being a clear increase (after filling up the vacancies occasioned by the secession), of 1786 members. And further, on the Leeds circuits, the yearly collections of 1834 exceeded those of 1827 to the amount of £41; the July collection, £31 14s; the Kingswood, &c., £59 15s 84d; the chapel fund, £111 11s 2d! the auxiliary, or old preachers' fund, £23 4s; and the Missionary fund, £204 11s 4d. In addition, they have erected two of the largest chapels in the nation in the said town of Leeds, since the division took place. And yet, the popular doctrine of these dissentients in 1828 was-"STOP THE SUPPLIES. The language which they adopted was-" We must starve our preachers into compliance; they are vulnerable only in money matters." And resolutions were regularly passed to carry this into effect. There is one circumstance connected with this branch of this heterogeneous Association which must not be omitted; viz,-whilst these agitators divided the Leeds society through their opposition to an organ in Brunswick chapel, they occupied a chapel at Burnley, in which they had an organ and worshipped to the sound of its pipes! It was intimated that the organ was opposed principally because of an apprehension existing, that the "Church prayers" would follow it, and yet these consistent dissentients, in October 1829, made the following rule;-viz.-"That our brethren in London be allowed the use of Mr. Wesley's Abridgment of the Liturgy, in their chapel, &c." I might enlarge considerably on this branch of the Association, but I fear you will think I shall occupy too extended a portion of your pages. Allow me to state, that on the other parts I shall not be so prolix. The second class in this Manchester combination, is composed of three persons from Oldham, who will perhaps be known the best by the designation of "Stephenites," from their leader, Mr. Joseph Rayner Stephens, who retired from the itinerant work, because his brethren would not allow him to unite the character of the political lecturer and agitator with that of a Christian minister. This secession was founded on dissatisfaction with the existing union between the church and the state! July, 1835.

ALIQUIS.

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

THE INTENDED NEW CHAPEL.-The proceedings of "the quarterly meeting of the Liverpool North Circuit, held in the vestry of Brunswick Chapel, on Monday, June 23, 1834," are recorded in the Steward's book, in the hand-writing of that officer. They contain eight "resolutions on the subject of this projected building; the second of which appoints ten gentlemen by name, to be "a committee" for the management of the "fund to be forthwith formed by voluntary subscription for the purpose of building this chapel." The Lantern says, page 304, respecting the writer of an article in our work, and