importance that both the ministers and congregations of the Church of England, and of every denomination of Christians should know them, and remember them.

The terms conversion and unconversion, as Mr. Wilks observes, have fallen under a degree of reproach, as well as other terms which are connected with the unfashionable doctrines of Christianity. In the primitive church, the language of Christians, in speaking on religious subjects, was formed from the language of the New Tes tament. Among the ministers of the Church of England also, both at the Reformation, and for many years afterwards, a similar practice prevailed: at length, however, Scripture language was disused, and even studiously avoided, and the doctrines with which it was connected were neglected or disbelieved. It was discovered that ethics might be discussed without the use of terms peculiar to Christianity; and it was not difficult to substitute the words virtue, reformation, and moral consciousness, for sanctification, conversion, and conviction of sin.

It may naturally be asked, What are the peculiar doctrines in the preaching of a minister which form the test of his conversion? To this question we will give the answer in Mr. Wilks's words: "The most obvious (of those doctrines) is, that man has departed from original righteousness, and on account of sin is justly obnoxious to the Divine anger. This fact, and the consequence deduced from it, form the hypothesis on which the preaching of every converted minister, and, indeed, the whole scheme of Christianity, is founded; and which being denied, Christianity and preaching become inappropriate and useless. A minister who admits these truths fully and unequivocally, must, in consequence, admit the necessity of the atonement; and who, that admits its necessity, can be unconscious of its importance? Or who, that allows its importance, can fail to make it a prominent topic in his parochial addresses?

"In addition to these points, Justification, solely and exclusively through the merits of Christ, has been always considered, among men of piety, as a doctrine plainly revealed in Scripture, and of essential value in the system of human redemption. They have viewed it, not as an appendage or corollary, much less as an excressence, but as the sum, the substance, the life, the spirit, of the whole dispensation. On this only, their own hopes of pardon and acceptance have been founded, and on this only have they exhorted others to depend. Having learned from Revelation the nature of God and the extent of the Divine requisitions, and having at the same time discovered the utter incompetency of man, since the fall, to secure to himself a place in heaven by sinless obedience, they have acknowledged that nothing but a revelation of gratuitous mercy could relieve our wants, or be worth VOL. XLI. JANUARY, 1818. * B *

our acceptance. On these accounts, the doctrine in question has, in every pure church, been considered of supreme importance; and, whatever may be the prevailing sentiment of any particular age, the gospel and its effects being always the same, the piety of that minister is undoubtedly suspicious, whose preaching is heretical or defective on this fundamental subject of justification by the merits of Christ.

"Intimately connected with the last-mentioned topic is that of the Divinity of our Saviour, a doctrine which, beyond most others, has been ridiculed and impugned; but which is so explicitly taught in the Sacred Writings, and so necessarily implied in the whole economy of human salvation, that it would be difficult to imagine him a converted man who denies its truth, or him a faithful minister who forgets its importance. The disbelief of this doctrine, virtually implies a disbelief of Christanity (except so far as it is a system of ethics), and must, therefore, be the most fatal of mistakes.

"The Divinity of the Holy Spirit will hardly be denied, but by men who have read the Scriptures with the express design of perverting them; or his agency, but by those who have previously concluded that it is not necessary, and, therefore, is not promised. Every minister of the Church of England has so solemnly attested his belief on these two subjects (and, indeed, on all those before mentioned), that, even if unconverted, we might reasonably expect him to be orthodox. In that very service, for example, by which he is initiated into the ministry, he distinctly acknowledges the Sacred Spirit's influence; and that, not as a vague dogma, or a mere article of peace, but as a practical truth, and as the very bias that incited him to become a Christian pastor, This spiritual agency, a pious man will not be content to forget with the day of his ordination. He will of course assiduously guard it against the misconceptions of fanaticism, distinguish it from the more evident and miraculous effusions of the primitive ages, and teach his hearers to hope for it only in the appointed use of means and second causes; but he will not deny its existence, dispute its necessity, explain it away till it becomes useless, or fail to implore it both for himself and the people committed to his charge. The man who denies the influences of the Holy Spirit, can of course have no reason for supposing that they have been vouchsafed to himself; and since they are represented in Scripture as necessary to implant either the desire or the ability to return to God, he can in consequence have no just evidence of his conversion. He, on the contrary, who is really and visibly bringing forth the fruits of the Spirit, and shewing his faith by his works, will with humility acknowledge, that whatever is good in him flows from a higher source than his own heart, and, without the least semblance of enthusiasm, will consider it as an ema

nation from that Being from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed."" p. 36-42.

After having mentioned the principal doctrines which the converted minister preaches, Mr. Wilks proceeds to describe the practical effects which flow from them. A constant theme of the discourses of such a man will be the necessity of that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. All the essential doctrines of Christianity will appear in the preaching of a converted minister, to be of moral and practical importance; while, from the preaching of the unconverted minister, who is ignorant of the evangelical principle of obedience, the doctrinal and preceptive parts of Scripture will scarcely appear to have any connection.

The most conspicuous aim of a pious minister, says Mr. Wilks, and that to which his whole conduct may be reduced, is the salvation of his own soul, and the souls of those that hear him. It is impossible that he who has imbibed even the smallest portion of that Christian spirit which actuated the apostles, confessors, and martyrs, can remain an unconcerned spectator of the religious wants of those whose souls are entrusted to his care. His preaching will be cordial and affectionate; his private labours conscientious and unremitted; and in his whole conduct, he will appear to value his bodily strength, and his mental attainments only as they promote the cause of the Redeemer.

In speaking of the recreations of a clergyman, as important tests of his character, Mr. Wilks observes, that the converted minister has neither time nor inclination to swell the processions of gaiety. His spirit not being secular, his amusements will not be such. There are atmospheres which he knows he cannot breathe without contamination. Besides, he has a definite object of pursuit, and is conscious that the souls of his people will be required at his hand. A man who is thus impressed, will not devote his mornings to the chase, or his evenings to the cardtable; he will not feel ambitious of being the steward of a raceground, or the litigious guardian of the game laws; he will neither appear the foppish and idle attendant of female vanity, nor the boisterous associate of Bacchanalian carousals. p. 81, 82.

Mr. Wilks then considers the difference between the converted and unconverted minister in various other respects, in which we adopt his sentiments, although we abridge his language.

Suppose an ignorant careless person to be convinced that he is a sinner before God, and that the threatenings denounced against the wicked are applicable to himself. If he apply to a minister who has himself been convinced of sin, and has found consolation in Christ, the penitent inquirer will be directed to look unto Him "who taketh away the sin of the world." "But the merely nominal minister is, in such cases, unavoidably embarrassed; not being practically acquainted with the subject himself, he knows

not how to act towards others, and, perhaps, even views the inquirer as a hypocrite or an enthusiast.'

"The friends of a pious minister, as far as selection depends upon himself, will be Christian. He will mix with the world only with a view to benefit it, but his solace and delight will be with the excellent of the earth." If it were difficult to distinguish an unconverted minister by other signs, he may be detected by his familiar and unnecessary intercourse with careless and irreligious persons.

"All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." "It is not possible for the gospel to be professed in its unsophisticated energy and spirit, without exciting the opposition of mankind." The sarcastic hint, the retorted sneer, and the petty insult, are frequently employed against the faithful minister of Christ, and he patiently sustains all such opposition, while the unconverted minister will not endure it. The one bears the reproach of the cross of Christ, with meekness and charity; the other violently repels it, and thinks nothing is of so great importance as the friendship and the praise of the world.

We shall conclude our extracts from this essay with a paragraph which shews that Mr. Wilks feels strongly the great necessity of distinguishing between the converted and unconverted ministers of the Church.

"The souls of men are concerned, and minor considerations must, therefore, disappear. If those who profess to instruct others in the way to heaven, be ignorant of it themselves, the consequences are too awful to be risked for the sake of gratifying the false delicacy of individuals. It is essential to the interest of the people at large, and also of individual ministers themselves, that the precious be separated from the vile.' If the blind lead the blind, both must fall. The advantages of serious examination into the characters of the clergy must, therefore, always be far more than commensurate with its inconveniences. The unfaithful may indeed be exposed to disgrace, but the pious will, at the same time, be rewarded with the honour due to their fidelity

and labours."

OF THE METHODIST DOCTRINES.

[We recommend the following article, which has lately been put into our hands, to the very careful perusal of all those of our readers, who wish still to adhere to the genuine doctrines of Christianity, of the Reformation, of our National Church, and of Methodism.]

To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine.

I have lately been taking a view of the origin of Methodism; and of the manner in which it has pleased God so graciously to

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carry on that great work, which has proved a source of good to hundreds of thousands of precious souls; and which still continues so graciously to prevail.

When it pleased God to raise up the Rev. John Wesley, to be the founder of Methodism; he resolved, through Divine help, to make the BIBLE his only guide, in all the important doctrines which he embraced; and which he faithfully delivered to the people. His own language was, "I design plain truth for plain people; therefore, of set purpose, I abstain from all nice and philosophical speculations; from all perplexed and intricate reasonings; and, as far as possible, from even the show of learning, unless in sometimes citing the original Scriptures."

The following sentiments are also truly worthy of that great man. "I am a creature of a day, passing through life as an arrow through the air; I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God, just hovering over the great gulf; till a few moments hence I am no more seen! I drop into an unchangeable eternity! I want to know one thing, the way to heaven, how to land safe on that happy shore. God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came down from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the book of God! I have it, here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri. Here then I am, far from the busy ways of men. I sit down alone, only God is here. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven. Is there a doubt concerning the meaning of what I read? Does any thing appear dark and intricate? I lift up my heart to the Father of lights. Lord is it not thy word, If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God.' Thou givest liberally, and upbraidest not.' Thou hast said, 'If any be willing to do thy will, he shall know.' I am willing to do, let me know thy will. I then search after, and consider parallel passages of Scripture; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. I meditate thereon with all the attention and earnestness of which my mind is capable. If any doubt still remain, I consult those who are experienced in the things of God; and then, the writings, whereby being dead, they yet speak, and what I thus learn, that I teach."

It was in the same spirit that the first Methodist preachers examined into the doctrines of the book of God. When the first Conference was held, at which was present, the Rev. John Wesley, the Rev. Charles Wesley, the Rev. John Hodges, rector of Wenvo, and several others, it is evident that they entered on the subject of Christian doctrine, in that spirit which was likely to draw down the Divine blessing on their consultations. They resolved that all things should be considered as in the immediate presence of God. That every point which was proposed