says "some men are singularly fitted for great actions. Superior to discouragement, they press through difficulties, which to others appear to be insurmountable, and no more regard opposition, than does the stately bark the opposing billows of the ocean; nor reproach, than the noisy spray, or the foaming waves, which occasionally break upon her bows, as she rides contemptuously through them." But really in admiring the magniloquence of this man, I find I am in danger of losing sight of the sentiment of the Israelitish monarch, and the proofs to which I would call your attention, as applicable to the present faction, are the following: which I have copied, verbatim, from the Minutes of Conference, published thirty-eight years ago:

"Various unkind reflections having been thrown out in certain publications, concerning such of the senior preachers as are said to direct and manage our connexion, as if they were tyrants and oppressors: We, whose names are underwritten, think it our duty to repel such reflections, by declaring, that instead of considering our senior brethren in the light of tyrants and oppressors,' we feel ourselves under great obligations to them, for their extraordinary labour and fatigue in the service of the Conference. We are satisfied that their piety, abilities, faithfulness, diligence, usefulness, and long continuance in the work of the ministry, entitle them to the respect and esteem of the whole connexion."

This declaration was signed by upwards of ninety preachers. The fathers to whom it refers are all gone to glory; together with the greater part of those who signed it: a few are yet living, who are now the senior members of the Conference. It will, therefore, be observed how the above quotation applies expressly to the false representations made by the existing faction, as to the dominant party in the Conference at the present time.

The following quotation also from the Minutes of the same year, which I give, is also deeply interesting; and let any person who knows the heads of the faction in Liverpool, only think of the men, together with their conduct, and they will see a more accurate description of the agitators could not have been given, if the writer had been now living, and those gentlemen had sat before him.

"Some have arisen who, under the pretence of liberty (but in reality making it a cloak for licentiousness,) and from the desire of being the heads of a party, endeavour to overturn our itinerancy and discipline, and to destroy them, root and branch. We may truly, in the proper, spiritual sense, apply those words of the Apostle to them : They went out from us, but they were not of us for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.' However, they have been too successful in drawing disciples after them; and though they have been sowing the seeds of discord for two years past, their plan has been but just brought to maturity, and they are now exerting themselves to the utmost of their powers, to scatter and destroy the flock. But we have a full confidence, that the great Governor of the Church is on our side; and if so, who can be against us ?" "

Such is the language of those venerable men who, thirty-eight years ago, had to bear the very same reproach as the preachers of the present time. They were represented as proud and haughty; as oppressors and tyrants; as mercenary and covetous. They had not only to bear the scoffs and reproaches of the world, but their characters were traduced by members of their own society, under the pretence of being friends of liberty and of the people.

How exact, therefore, is the parallel: well might Solomon say, "there is nothing new under the sun"! As their fathers were treated, so are their sons in the gospel. It is well known that the members of the present faction have not only delivered their slander in the Music Hall and from the press, but have actually employed agents to go from house to house to poison the minds of certain individuals; and they have also sent these servitors to small, country societies, to ascertain how far they might succeed in corrupting the hearts and minds of the pious Methodists there. Now, whenever a person under the mask of zeal for God, and the reformation of the church, is found willing to be employed in dividing a Christian society and scattering the flock, he will assuredly have plenty of work; and thus become a humble imitator of the renowned Barlow, of Manchester, who gained a blessed and glorious victory, in breaking up a peaceable meeting, held for the purpose of sending the gospel to the heathen world. This unhallowed exploit was industriously placarded by himself, or friends, on the walls of the houses in Manchester !

As the determination of the faction is to revolutionize Methodism, if it can be accomplished, the question is, are they likely to prevail? Solomon says, "there is nothing new under the sun;" we may, therefore, legitimately enquire, respecting the fate of a similar faction which prevailed thirty-eight years ago-" Did the Conference then yield to threats? No. Were delegates admitted as part and parcel of the Conference? No. Were the supplies cut off, so as to force the men of God to betray their trust to popular clamour? No. Did the faction draw off many people? Yes; about five thousand of the members of the society. Were not the preachers terrified into submission? No. Did the Lord forsake the preachers and the Conference? No. How long was it before the number of members became equal to that of the society before the division? Not quite one year! Has Methodism prospered since that period? Yes; and never more than it has during the last four or five years. But the faction now say the preachers are tyrants; so said the former. They say they are fallen; so said the former. They say the people are, generally, with the faction; so said the former. They threaten the Conference; so did the former!. But will not the Conference be terrified? The former was not. Will they not be forced into submission? The former was not. Will not the loss of members be great? Probably not, when the dissentients numbered before, one-twentieth of the body; and if it be, in one year, the Lord can again fill up the ranks?

Then, what have the Methodists to fear? Nothing-if they firmly maintain their doctrines, constitution, and discipline. The republican faction may for a short time delude others, as well as themselves—and they may think that they are "singularly fitted for great actions," and to be glorious reformers: but the wisdom of Wesley, Mather, Pawson, Benson, Bradburn, Thompson, Tay

lor, Clarke, and Watson will not be much improved by that of Rowland, Farrer, Barnes, Morgan, and Stubbs!

That the faction will utterly fail, I have no doubt. When Mr. Wesley saw, and rejoiced in the continued progress and prosperity of Methodism, he remarked-that some other sects commenced by reforming those from whom they separated, but that the Methodists began with reforming themselves.-I have known Methodism for some years, but never did I witness so much slander and lying against the preachers. They might suddenly have become the vilest men upon earth; they might not only be destitute of piety, but be common liars, cheats, pocketing the money of the public, &c. Were it necessary, I would give you some awful instances of the above slanders, with the very expressions which were used by persons who are thus unhappily employed. When they have been detected in direct falsehoods, or vilifying the characters of their preachers, they have felt a little abashed or confounded; but have tried to evade the direct force, and have remarked-"Oh! I did not mean it so, and it was only among a few friends, BUT DO NOT TELL IT AGAIN FOR THE WORLD!!"

Such a foundation cannot stand, and it will be far better, both for the peace and prosperity of the societies in Manchester and Liverpool, to have a cleansing from such characters; and the Lord will then graciously return and visit his inheritance.

A LOVER OF METHODISM.

THE LATE MEETING AT THE TABERNACLE, HULL. "Sir-1 transmit you, in addition to the report contained in your last paper, the following particulars connected with the public meeting held at the tabernacle, in Sykes-street, on Wednesday the 11th instant. With some of them you could not at that time be acquainted, yet the knowledge of each is essentially necessary to a right understanding of the whole affair.

"As the Wesleyan Methodists were especially invited to this meeting by public advertisement, and had been previously led by the chairman to expect that discussion would be allowed, two of their ministers and a number of the respectable members of the society went, fully prepared to give a triumphant refutation to the hacknied misrepresentations and falsehoods of Dr. Warren, and his adherents.

"On arriving at the doors, however, they discovered that the ministers would not be allowed to enter without showing a society ticket, though every Methodist ought to know that the ministers have no ticket; yet, by their own members were our ministers repulsed, and, in both instances, by police authority too. To the honour of the police officers, however, it ought to be mentioned, that they voluntarily withdrew their authority before the resisting members did. I forhear to particularize the disgraceful treatment which one of them received from a member, after the police officer had allowed him to pass. Such strictness with the preachers would have led one to expect, that none but Wesleyans would be found within the chapel; so far, however, from this being the fact, a large number of individuals who have no connection with our society, had been admitted privately, long before the front doors were opened. Soon the show of tickets became a mere farce, and there is reason to believe, that no persons were denied entrance to that meeting but the two Wesleyan ministers, or their recognised friends! It is, sir, my decided conviction, that a majority of at least five to one of the individuals then present were not Wesleyan Methodists.

"On their admission, one of the preachers, followed by some friends, immediately proceeded towards the platform, and requested permission to take their seats upon it; but this was also positively refused-and then, too, for the first time, they were told that no discussion would be allowed. No other course was now left them but to seat themselves where they could, and be content with expressing their dissent from every incorrect state

ment by "No, no ;" or some other equally significant expression. The first instance of this kind occurred when, in the chairman's opening speech, he attempted to justify their proceedings, by asserting that they had been denied the legal or Methodistic mode of expressing their sentiments. With what reason, sir, this assertion was denied, I leave you and the public to decide, when you have read the following reply of our superintendent, Mr. Clegg, to Messrs. Cookman and Gleadow-the substance of which, and that of the resolutions also, he stated in the December quarterly meeting.

"Hull, December 9th, 1834.

"Dear Brethren-Having attentively read the resolutions which you communicated to me on Friday, and which you wish to pass our quarterly meeting to-day, and having consulted with my colleagues and with several intelligent friends, I now write respectfully to express my hope and desire that you will not attempt to introduce them:

"Ist-Because I am not convinced that I can, constitutionally, put them to the meeting.

"2ndly-Were I entirely satisfied that I could, consistently, propose them to the meeting; I have many doubts that any good would result from a discussion of them at the present time, though I firmly believe they would be rejected.

"3rdly-Because there is no necessity to introduce them now, in order to present them either to the district meeting or the Conference.

"4thly-Because, should I be persuaded before March or June, that I can, consistently, put them to a quarterly meeting, I shall readily gratify you.

"5thly-Because, should I not be able to meet your wishes, you are aware you have the right of appeal to the district meeting and the Conference, to which assemblies you can express your opinions and desires, which, I have no doubt will be treated with proper attention.

"With these views and sentiments upon the subject of your application, and with the hope they will be satisfactory——I remain, dear brethren, yours affectionately,

"To Messrs. Cookman and Gleadon."

WILLIAM CLEGG.

A statement, then, so wide of the truth, as that uttered by the chairman, did not fail to call forth a prompt, "No, no," from every unprejudiced and correctly informed Wesleyan present; but no sooner had the denial been expressed than they were taught by the most indecent uproar, and shouts of "Down with them," "Turn them out," &c., &c., that even this small liberty was not to be allowed, but that, however false the assumption, or vile the calumny cast upon their ministers, they were expected silently to acquiesce; or, if they dared indignantly to say "No!" they were to be ordered into the custody of the police officers in attendance. Your readers and the Methodist society will hence judge how mild and tolerant would be the government of such reformers if they were to bear rule. Their violent and coarse scurrility is proof enough, to every candid mind, that if they have felt the lash of discipline, it has not been for a trifle. Much was said by the speakers on the violation of law by the preachers, and yet those very laws to which the men appealed (the laws of 1795 and 1797), gave power to superintendents to expel members or official men for disturbing the peace of the society, when their crime had been proved at the official meetings. Mr. Rowland himself has owned" that he had broken the law, and that he gloried in it"-his crime was proved at the proper leaders' meeting; but, because a majority of the members present (who were his accomplices) thought that disturbing the peace of the society was a mere trifle, they, before the evidence of his guilt was adduced, declared the charge to be frivolous and vexatious, and, ere the meeting broke up, voted their superintendent out of the chair.

"Take the case, too, of Dr. Warren. How was it that he never objected to the mode of his trial till after it had taken place? Why did he appear at all before his brethren if he considered the meeting illegally constituted; and when he withdrew, after the trial had proceeded some time, how was it that he even then made no objection to the constitution of the meeting? Nay, how could he tell them, when they informed him that they would have no alternative left but suspension, if he refused to take his trial, "that he was fully aware that they must proceed in the usual way—that he believed they would do their duty in the fear of God; and that he would abide by their decision ?" These, sir, and many other similar questions, we could put on Dr. Warren's case, that neither he nor his friends dare to meet in the eye of Christian integrity or Methodistic law. He did not even attempt to answer Mr. M'Owan's question, "by what law or usage in Methodism," &c.; and what, sir, can you or the public think of his conduct as a minister of the Gospel in introducing that letter of Mr. Wesley's (which, after all, contains nothing against an "Institution" for the education of our junior preachers), as "an original letter came to light within the last four days," when this very same letter has been before the public for several years-in the 13th volume of the last edition of Wesley's works, p. 58; and this done too by the man, the only man, in the Conference who contended for calling the Institution a college, and who now professes to hold it in high contempt―because, forsooth, he thinks it so resembles a school! What, sir, must the Christian public think of this same Reverend Doctor, when they read that,

at the Tabernacle meeting, he, to his everlasting shame, confessed that, on a recent occasion, he so far forgot his Christian principles as to vote for the suspension from his ministerial functions of a brother minister from a sinful expediency! If he could thus deliberately act on so solemn an occasion, surely we have a right to conclude that, in order to accomplish his own ambitious purposes, any other measures he may think proper to adopt, however revolting and anti-christian, will be set down by him to the account of the same astounding principle.

What, too, sir, are we to think of the few persons in this town who, while our large society was in peace and prosperity, and not even the shadow of a grievance existing among us, have connected themselves with such men as Dr. Warren, Messrs. Rowland, Pooley, and Co.-have used every art to mislead our uninformed and unwary members --have formed a committee, the object of which is to circulate, as widely as possible, the publications of the faction-and who, in despite of the solemn and binding resolution come to by the special leaders' meeting of Monday evening, the 9th inst., have proceeded to hold a public meeting, professedly to give information about their principles; but who, nevertheless, from the lips of their chairman substantially tell us, that they have no avowed principles-but that these principles are to be settled they know not when! Sir, these are the men with whom the Wesleyan Conference and the Wesleyan societies have at present to do. I consider it a high honour to our ministers that, with so few exceptions, they declare their abhorrence of these factious proceedings, and their determination to abide by the laws of the connexion. In these sentiments I am sure the Wesleyan societies generally will support them, and the present troubles will only end in the shame and confusion of the wandering agitators.—I am, Mr. Editor, yours, "Hull, Feb. 19th, 1835.

A LOVER OF METHODISM AS IT IS."

NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS.

In answer to the queries of some of our intelligent and respectable readers, we gladly inform them that the "stoppage of the supplies" to the General Chapel Fund, in the public collections made in the Liverpool North and South Circuits, has not answered the expectations of those precious philanthropists, the members of the "Grand Central Association." It is true, the collectors had patiently to endure the insulting demeanour of these persons, in a variety of instances-e. g., receiving a most contemptuous look, or a sneering grin, &c., in return for their civility in presenting the box. From this charge, however, we are willing to exempt the chairman of the Liverpool illegal Association, who, we understand, gave a most magnificent nod of refusal-when an opportunity was afforded him of acknowledging his gratitude to God, and his servants, for the comforts he was then enjoying in the house of the Lord, and of assisting others who were in danger of being deprived of similar privileges. These affairs may be too contemptible for the notice of the grand (!) central champions of liberty and benevolence; but the humble, despised, and right-hearted Methodists, with their friends, have thought and acted much differently, and the result is, that the public collection in aid of the Chapel Fund, in both the Liverpool circuits, is a fair advance upon that of the preceding year. In one chapel only was there a deficiency; and we take this opportunity of tendering our thanks to the Rev. J. S. Stamp for obliging us with a sight of the following note he has received respecting that small defalcation. It is as follows:-" Sir, I was sorry to hear of the "deficiency in the collection of yesterday; but as sorrow of itself will pay no debt, I have thought of "another way to mend the matter. Will you be so kind as to add this trifle (ten shillings) to the amount, "from a friend of Methodism as it is." This communication speaks volumes; and sooner would we see these few lines framed and glazed, and exhibited, from generation to generation, in the drawing-rooms of the great, than the splendid engravings of military and naval achievements, which so often decorate the walls: because-it is the triumph of principle over a faction, the most base and unprincipled in its objects as it is withering and destructive in its influence.

We are obliged to "Epsilon" for his valuable communication, and shall be additionally so for a series of papers on the subject he mentions. One leading object of the Illuminator is, "to exhibit the true principles of the Wesleyan Constitution."

Communications have also been received from "Y. Z;" "Edward Jones;" "A Local Preacher "A lover of Methodism;" "A lover of Methodism as it is;" "O. R;" "Alpha;"'" Z.;” “Lex talionis;" and "Philalethes."-We also take this opportunity of presenting our cordial thanks to a number of valu able correspondents in various parts of the connexion, for the noble promptitude with which they responded to our call for suitable communications; and a multitude of documents for publication is now in our posession, which do equal credit to the head and heart of the respective authors; and which are powerfully demonstrative of the healthy Methodistical feeling throughout the body, and of an universal determination to resist, and ultimately to put down the present revolutionary faction. We respectfully solicit a continuance of their favours.

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