his all-seeing eye, revered his majesty, confided in his mercy, praised him for his benefits, submitted to his dispensations, obeyed his commands, and lived to his glory but those that reviled them, on the other hand, either denied his very being, and were, in every sense, without God (ao, atheists) in the world, which was the case with the heathen; or, if Jews, their faith in him was dead, and did not produce any good fruit. They profaned his sabbaths, slighted his ordinances, disobeyed his laws, and trampled under foot his authority. Nay, as the apostle testifies, "The name of God was blasphemed" through their ungodly, unrighteous, and wicked conduct," among the Gentiles." On this account, neither Jews nor Gentiles could bear these Christians, because their lives were a continual reproof of their ungodliness, unrighteousness, and intemperance. Add to this, that the Christians went still further. They not only, like Noah of old, "condemned the world," by their conduct; but like him, they were also all, more or less, preachers of righteousness," in their generation. They bore testimony against the evil deeds of all among whom they lived, or with whom they conversed, and therefore ceased not to disturb the peace and quiet of every family, village, town, city, or country, in which they resided or sojourned. And in doing this, they feared the face of no man, "neither counted they their lives dear unto themselves." They braved all reproach, persecution, and affliction, which they might meet with in the execution of this office: They proclaimed war against all the world, and were only anxious about the word of their testimony, that they might be faithful to him that had called them, and to the souls of their fellow

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creatures.

7. This brings me to the chief cause of this enmity and opposition, and that is, the carnal mind, which is in every man by nature, and is enmity against God, and his work; against his nature, his attributes, his word, his ways. In consequence of this," they that are born only after the flesh," will most assuredly" persecute those that are born after the Spirit." And they that "lie in wickedness," or as the Greek, ɛv rw πovnpw, means the wicked one, and are under his influence, will, in this, as in every thing else, do his will and perform his work. "If the world hate you, (said Jesus,*) ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: But, because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the

*John xv. 18.

world hateth you." All this is still but too applicable to the carnal part of mankind, and to the opposition they still make to the genuine followers of Jesus, even to all that, like him, are not of the world. Observe this well, my brethren, and see that none of you be influenced by their spirit, or imitate their example in this particular. For if, as was also pro osed,

8. We inquire, whether those persons who spoke against, and persecuted this sect of the Nazarenes, at the head of which was Jesus of Nazareth, and a "ringleader" in which was St. Paul, acted wisely, and were justified in so doing, we shall be compelled to acknowledge, that they did not act wisely, and cannot be justified in such a conduct. For they either spoke against these Christians ignorantly, as probably many of the heathen did, not being acquainted with their principles and conduct; or, which was certainly the case with many of the Jews, whether Pharisees or Sadducees, they reproached them notwithstanding, and in spite of their better knowledge. Now, in either case, they were highly to blame, and, indeed, without excuse. If they persecuted the Christians ignorantly, they were inexcusable, because they might easily have obtained true and full information concerning them, if they would have endeavoured to obtain it, which it was certainly their duty to do. The Christians were become a numerous body of people. Many of them were persons of learning and influence, and were in offices of civil trust in the countries where they resided. They openly professed to believe in, and ground their faith upon very extraordinary facts, on wonderful miracles wrought by a very extraordinary person, who, they affirmed, had risen from the dead, and had ascended into heaven, in the sight of many of them. They boldly and continually bore testimony to these things, and taught publicly in places of concourse. They published books in different languages, and these books were open to the inspection of mankind. They themselves confirmed, or professed to confirm their testimony, by divers extraordinary operations, giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, health to the sick, and even life to the dead. They suddenly spoke, or professed to speak languages which they had never learned, and predicted events which, they testified, afterward came exactly to pass. None of these things were done in a corner. They were open to the examination of mankind; and surely they were of such importance as to merit, and even demand, examination. They, therefore, that spoke against them ignorantly, were without excuse, Every circumstance shows, that it was the indispensable duty of

mankind, in every country which the Christians visited, or in which they were found, to inquire diligently into the principles and conduct of this extraordinary and rapidly increasing sect.

9. But there is reason to believe, that many, if not the greater part of those among the Jews, at least who spake against this people, did it in contradiction to their better knowledge. The doctrine, life, and miracles of Jesus had been so public; such prodigies had attended his death; there had been such accumulated evidence of his resurrection; and his disciples were persons of such unblemished lives, and were endowed with such extraordinary powers, that many of the Jews, especially those who had been spectators of these things, could not be ignorant of the doctrine or practice of the Christians, nor that they had the countenance of heaven. They, therefore, in speaking against, and persecuting them, must have been influenced by a high degree of malice against God and his people, and therefore, must have been more guilty, than if, like St. Paul in his unconverted state, they had done these things "ignorantly in unbelief." Their sin, it seems, must have, at least, bordered upon that charged by Christ himself upon the Pharisees. I mean the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. For that sin, according to the evangelists, consisted in their ascribing, contrary, it seems, to their better knowledge, the miracles wrought by the Holy Ghost, to the devil; and, on that ground, rejecting Jesus, as one possessed of, and assisted by, the devil. Now, as miracles were commonly wrought in the apostolic age, and that in the face of multitudes, and as the operations and fruits of the Holy Spirit were very apparent in the doctrine and lives of the first Christians in general, they who, contrary to the conviction of their own minds, maligned and reproached them, certainly did, more or less, malign and reproach that Spirit, which, at that time, "wrought so mightily in those that believed."

III. 1. But, (which will bring me, 3dly, to an application of what I have advanced,) it will be inquired here, "What is all this to us? What concern have we in these things? We do not speak against, nor are we opposed to Christians, nor do we disapprove of their principles or practice." In answer to this, I observe, I sincerely hope, my brethren, that you do not; but on the contrary, that you cordially approve of Christianity itself, and desire it may be exemplified in yourselves, and in every inhabitant of your village. If so, you and we, who this day open this chapel, and who together worship the one living and true God therein, through the mediation

of his Son, and by the aid of his Spirit, shall be quite agreed, and shall act in perfect harmony. For we open it for the one sole end of promoting the progress of this Christianity; of spreading the knowledge of, and faith in, such doctrines, as, it has this day been shown, the first Christians held and propagated! and of inculcating such a practice as that for which they were so conspicuous. 2. It is allowed, my brethren, that, in places like this, where the people called Methodists are but little known, and where few that are connected with us reside, a very different idea may be entertained of us, in consequence of the idle reports, which, however void of foundation, and destitute of truth, are but too generally and industriously propagated concerning us. You may, perhaps, have heard, and some of you may have believed, that we are Heretics, or Schismatics; that we hold very erroneous opinions, which we industriously propagate, and that we have nothing in view but to draw people away from the established church, or from other communities of Christians, and to raise a sect or party for ourselves : that we have sinister and unworthy ends in view, such as gaining money, and enriching ourselves at the expense of those whom we can draw over to our party. Perhaps you have even heard it insinuated, that we are enemies to our king and country, and are employed in secretly undermining that excellent constitution of government under which we live. In answer to all this, I shall now content myself with observing, that none can possibly form any such judgment of us, who have, although but occasionally, heard us preach, or have read, with any attention, although but a part of the various writings which are continually circulated among us, and which certainly manifest what kind of principles we wish to propagate. These writings, it is well known, are chiefly those of the late Rev. John and Charles Wesley and John Fletcher, than whom his majesty never had, nor perhaps will have, more loyal subjects, nor the real church of England truer friends. Nor do I think we can be viewed in that light, by any that have seen and considered the minutes of our yearly conferences, which conferences have been held, and the minutes of them published annually since the year 1744, that is, during a period of almost sixty years; or who have attended, were it only to the rules of our societies, the observance of which, especially in all their great and leading points, is the term of communion with us.

3. You will easily see, my brethren, that it would not be possible, at this time, to enter upon the proof of what I advance respecting our doctrine and practice. After having already detained you,

perhaps, much too long, it would be, indeed, quite unseasonable to enter upon so large a field. Suffice it to say, that, in delineating the doctrine and practice of the first Christians, in the former part of this discourse, I did no more than describe the doctrine which we firmly believe, and the practice which we wish daily to copy in our conversation and behaviour, with the exception of one single point, in which we are not convinced that we are called to imitate them, and that is, respecting the having all things in common. As to all other points, such as their harmlessness, their usefulness, their piety, their holiness, it is our continual study and endeavour to follow them as far as we conceive they followed Christ. But, if you will be at the pains of reading our writings, particularly the Sermons and Journals of the late Rev. John Wesley, or his "Appeals to Men of Reason and Religion," or some of his smaller tracts, such as "The Principles of a Methodist," "The Character of a Methodist," "The Nature and Design of Christianity," or a book I have lately compiled and published, termed, "An Apology for the people called Methodists," in which you will see clearly stated, "the Origin and Progress, Doctrine, Discipline, and Designs" of this people, (for I will not call them a sect,) so generally spoken against, you will gain sufficient information to enable you to form a true judgment concerning us.

4. Or, if this should be too much trouble, if you will be pleased to attend here, or at any of our other chapels in town or country, a few times, you will easily learn the nature and tendency of the doctrine which we preach. And if you will observe, with an unprejudiced mind, the evident change wrought in the spirit and conduct of those that receive our doctrine, and become members of our society, you will receive still further satisfaction: for I hope that the same effects will be produced here, as have been produced elsewhere, by the divine blessing, upon our preaching and labours. I trust that, in many instances, the drunkards will become sober; the lewd, chaste; the false and perfidious, true and just in all their dealings; the covetous and hard-hearted, liberal, compassionate, and kind: the idle and slothful, the lukewarm and negligent, diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; that the profaners of the day and name of the Lord, and the neglecters of divine worship, will be rendered devout and pious, "fearing an oath," and remembering the sabbath-day to keep it holy," and "not forsaking the assembling of themselves together, as the manner of too many is." If you will then be pleased to pursue such a method as this,

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