essential, fundamental, irreconcileable difference between us; so that if they speak the truth as it is in Jesus, I am found a false witness before God; but if I teach the way of God in truth, they are blind leaders of the blind." But where learnt he this exaggerated and monstrous notion of the in nate depravity of man? and who taught him that man, who was created in the image of his Maker, was depraved into an image of the devil at birth? assuredly not He who said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. True old Christianity, he tells us, was now every where spoken against, under the new name of Methodism. In reality, the good which Methodism might produce was doubtful, for there had been no time as yet to prove the stability of its converts; and it was, moreover, from its very nature, private, while the excesses and extravagances of the sect were public and notorious. Samuel Wesley, when he said that miracles would not be wanting to support them, foresaw as clearly what would be the natural progress of these things, as he did their certain tendency and inevitable end. Wesley was fully satisfied that the paroxysms which he caused in his hearers by his preaching, were relieved by his prayers; it was easy after this to persuade himself that he, and such of his disciples as had faith like him, could heal diseases and cast out devils. Accordingly he relates the case of a inad woman, as a fresh proof that whatsoever ye shall ask, believing, ye shall receive. This person had been so decidedly frantic, that it was necessary to fasten her down in her bed; " but upon prayer made for her, she was instantly relieved and restored to a sound mind." The manner in which some persons were tormented perplexed Wesley for a while, and gave him some concern:-he suspected craziness, where imposture might have better explained the symptoms; but having recourse to bibliomancy to know what would be the issue of these things, he was satisfied by lighting upon a text, which certainly was never more unworthily applied-Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men. Thus deluding himself, when he was sent for to one of these women, (for the persons who acted the part of demoniacs, or who mistook hysterical feelings for possession, were generally females,) he prayed God to bruise Satan under his feet, and the patient immediately cried out vehemently, He is gone-he is gone! More violent instances occurred in Bristol and Kingswood; and disgusting though they are, they are of too much importance in the history of Wesley and of Methodism, to be passed over in silence, or slightly to be noticed. Returning from Kingswood one evening, he was exceedingly pressed to go back to a young woman. "The fact," he says, "I nakedly relate, and leave every man to his own judgement of it. I went. She was nineteen or twenty years old, but could not write or read. I found her on the bed, two or three persons holding her. It was a terrible sight. Anguish, horror, and despair above all description appeared in her pale face. The thousand distortions of her whole body shewed how the dogs of hell were gnawing at her heart. The shrieks intermixed were scarce to be endured; but her stony eyes could not weep. She screamed out, as words could find their way, I am damned, damned; lost for ever! Six days ago you might have helped me; but it is past-I am the Devil's now-I have given myself to him-his I am-him I must serve —with him I must go to hell-I will be his-I will serve him-I will go with him to hell-I cannot be saved-I will not be saved-I must, I will, I will be damned!' She then began praying to the Devil: we began, Arm of the Lord, awake, awake!? She immediately sunk down as asleep; but as soon as we left off, broke out again with inexpressible vehemence. Stony hearts, break! I am a warning to you. Break, break, poor stony hearts! Will you not break? What can be done more for stony hearts? I am damned that you may be saved! Now break, now break, poor stony hearts! You need not be damned, though I must.' She then fixed her eyes on the corner of the cieling, and said, 'There he is! aye, there he is! Come, good Devil, come! Take me away! You said you would dash would dash my brains out: come, do it quickly! I am yours-I will be yours! take me away! We interrupted her by calling again upon God: on which she sunk down as before, and another young woman began to roar as loud as she had done. My brother now came in, it being about nine o'clock. We continued in prayer till past eleven, when God, in a moment, spoke peace into the soul; first, of the first-tormented, and then of the other; and they both joined in singing praise to him who had stilled the enemy and the avenger.' - In these words Wesley describes this hideous scene of frenzy and fanaticism, eager to proclaim it as a manifestation of his power, instead of seeking to prevent the repetition of such ravings. The fits and convulsions which had lately been so frequent, were now suspended, and this new description of outward signs took its course, a more suspicious description, as well as more scandalous and more shocking. On the second day after the case in Kingswood, Wesley was called to a woman whom he found lying on the ground, sometimes gnashing her teeth, sometimes roaring and struggling with such force, especially when the name of Jesus was named, that three or four persons could scarcely hold her. She had been in this condition during the whole night. After they had prayed over her, the violence of her symptoms was abated: he left her, but was again summoned in the course of the evening. I was unwilling," he says, "indeed afraid to go, thinking it would not avail, unless some who were strong in faith were to wrestle with God for her. I opened my Testament on those words, I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth. I stood reproved, and went immediately. She began screaming before I came into the room; then broke out into a horrid laughter, mixed with blasphemy, grievous to hear. One who, from many circumstances, ap prehended a preternatural agent to be concerned in this, asking, How didst thou dare to enter into a Christian?' was answered, She is not a Christian; she is mine.' Dost thou not tremble at the name of Jesus?' he asked. No words followed; but she shrunk back, and trembled exceedingly. Art thou not increasing thy own damnation ?' It was faintly answered, Aye, aye!' which was followed by fresh cursing and blaspheming. My brother coming in, she cried out, Preacher! Fieldpreacher! I do not love field-preaching.' was repeated two hours together, with spitting, and all the expressions of strong aversion. We left her at twelve, but called again about noon the next day and now it was that God shewed he heareth prayer. All her pangs ceased in a moment. She was filled with peace, and knew that the son of wickedness was departed from her." This If Wesley himself were the questioner in this dialogue with the supposed devil, the woman acted her part readily: if she were interrogated by any other person, the scene bears strong marks of having been prepared; for that some of his followers were now beginning to get up exhibitions of this kind, is made probable by the next cases which he has recorded. Being called in to another female demoniac at Kingswood, he set out on horseback. It rained heavily, and the woman, when he was three miles off, cried out, "Yonder comes Wesley, galloping as fast as he can ;" a circumstance which it certainly required no aid from the devil to foresee. The ordinary symptoms ap |