however, of which we made mention in the former part as standing aloof and looking with alarm and disgust at their violence, a considerable movement began to take place

several of them, (though reluctant to quit their former associates, and fearing their vengeance and derision,) began to feel the proofs so strongly, that they made effort to withdraw from the hall lest they should countenance with their presence, outrages which their hearts and consciences condemned.

'Thy words,' said the Judge reverently, 'most noble and favoured Matron, are the words of truth. There is no gainsaying the plain fact of thy interrupted possession and inheritance. . . Common sense at once decides that any other supposition must be absurd. To deny and defy thee is as foolish as it is wicked. Thou hast now possession; thy possession has never been interrupted; thy title, till some better title can be shown, is undeniable.'

And now,' continued he, addressing the angry and envious claimants, 'I call upon you to show your title. If this crown belong not unto this holy Matron, who now possesses and ever has possessed it, say to whom it should belong.'

'To us! To us!' they all impatiently shouted with one voice, tossing their arms in the air, as though they longed to rush upon the Matron, and not only tear from her the crown, but also tear her in pieces.

'Softly, sirs,' cried the Judge.

Common sense doesn't use words without a meaning. To us, you say. What means to us? The crown can be worn only on one head. You, like the legion, are many. You have more heads than the hydra; and heads which multiply faster. You cannot all wear it. Before I can decide on the claim I must know who is the claimant. To us, is no satisfactory answer to my question. I ask to whom is the crown to belong, who brings a better title than that of this venerable Matron? There must be one claimant, and as you all join in this opposition, be so good as to join and settle among yourselves, who is to be that claimant. Who is to be the head of such a disjointed body and tail? Besides, who claims the right,-when, and how,—and where,—he acquired that right!

Has the Shaker, the Quaker, the Jumper, the Ranter, the Independent, the Socinian, the Irvingite, the Muggle

tonian, or which of all your innumerable and ever springing divisions and sects, the title to be crowned as the Church,the Church to which the Lord Jesus, Who is the fountain of all rule and power, gave His commission, and of which He was made the Head. Which of you, like this Matron, can trace your existence eighteen hundred years? Nay, which of you is two hundred, or even one hundred years old? Let the claimant who can show a better title than hers stand forth, and openly state the ground of his claim.'

The whole multitude looked aghast at this call. They turned upon each other fierce, distrustful, and disdainful.

'Come then,' said the Judge, 'which of you claims to have the authority, the commission, the order, the doctrine, the discipline, of the "Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church "?"

Still they were silent. At length in sullen desperation one of brazen front stood forth, and said: 'I claim it.'

'You!' screamed a thousand voices of the leagued sects. 'You ? What are you to be preferred before us, and to be made the Church? What impudence! What are your pretensions above mine, or mine, or mine! You? With your unscriptural notions and practices! Down with him! Down with the presumptuous upstart!' exclaimed the enraged multitude.

Common sense smiled, and said coolly: 'Is there any other claimant ? '

After a pause up sprang a wild fanatic, rolling his eyes strangely, waving his arms, jumping and shouting, laughing and weeping, and ranting incoherently, I am the Church

-there is no Church but me. I have seen visions. heard revelations. I despise you all, I warn ye

I have

He was cut short in his raving, seized by his disgusted allies and dragged down with derision and indignation.

None dared follow him, for each beheld in the jealous looks of his confederates, plain indications that every voice would be raised in scornful condemnation of his claim. The Judge sat in silence for a few moments. At length he broke silence, and said in a grave but somewhat sarcastic tone:

Sirs, you seem to know each other perfectly well. However you may differ upon other points you are quite unanimous in this one conclusion,-that there is not one amongst you who has the slightest pretensions to claim the crown of the Church. Each of you differs from his

neighbour, there is no one form of doctrine or discipline in which you agree. There is therefore no claimant. It is the undoubted right of its present possessor. It was given to her by Him Who alone had power to give it. She has worn it more than eighteen centuries. She is not like those who dispute her right, a thing of yesterday. . . . Her title is witnessed with the best attestation and testimony.

'It is attested,-by the voice of the Spirit,—by the handwriting and practice of the "glorious company of the apostles," by the glad tidings of the goodly fellowship of prophets, by the lives and deaths of the noble army of martyrs, by her visible societies in every age, by her unbroken succession of bishops, priests, and deacons,nay even by the furious persecution of the heathen, and by the conflicting heresies which were permitted to spring up within her own pale, to distort her doctrines, but not to deny her existence and commission. The crown is, and ever has been, hers by universal consent, till, at this late day, you gainsayers have arisen. And though, at times, it may have been dimmed by human additions, yet she has faithfully cleansed it and brought to light the true metal. ... She weareth and hath ever worn the crown. Far from us be the calamity, that the sins of the people should provoke God to deprive this favoured land of her blessing and protection. This is the "Judgment of Common Sense."

At these words a loud murmur arose in the Court and a general rush was made towards the doors. Peter felt himself hustled and almost knocked down. His fright awoke him, and he found dissenting ministers had not been so intent upon filling the stomachs of the poor with cheap bread as to forget their own dinner hour. They hurried and in their haste almost pushed Peter off his chair.

JOHN WESLEY'S PROTEST

THE following republication of John Wesley's Protest against Wesleyans and other denominations clearly shows his attitude towards Nonconformists.

PREFACE

It is hoped that the publication of the following article in the form of a pamphlet may cause it to be retained for thoughtful consideration. Not merely to contrast the tenets and proceedings of those who are denominated Wesleyans with the deliberate judgment of Wesley, but also to turn the attention of all who profess and call themselves Christians' to the general application of his 'Reasons' under present circumstances. Against Christianity itself there is hostility and conspiracy in the agitation to exclude religious teaching from our schools. Foremost, and strongest, is the barrier of the Church to withstand the opponents of Christian education. Wesley's reasons have more force than ever :-union, not separation, among all Christians is needed for the common faith. Grievous and suicidal is the strife which can delude any denominations to be jealous of the successful efforts of others in Christian education; and to conspire for the establishment of a compulsory system, which may fetter those efforts by limiting, and even excluding, the teaching of religion.

J. E. N. MOLESWORTH.

REASONS AGAINST THE SEPARATION FROM THE CHURCH OF

ENGLAND

BY JOHN WESLEY, A.M.

Printed in the year 1758 by Charles Wesley, A.M.

Whether it be lawful or no (which itself may be disputed, being not so clear a point as some may imagine,) it is by no means expedient for us to separate from the Established Church.

1. Because it would be a contradiction to the solemn and

repeated declarations which we have made in all manner of ways,-in preaching, in print, and in private conversation.

2. Because (on this, as well as many other accounts,) it would give huge occasion of offence, to those who seek and desire occasion, to all the enemies of God and his Truth.

3. Because it will excite prejudice against us; many who fear, yea who love God, and thereby hinder their receiving so much, perhaps any further, benefit from our preaching.

4. Because it would hinder multitudes of those who neither love nor fear God from hearing us at all.

5. Because it would occasion many hundreds, if not some thousands of those who are now united with us to separate from us; yea and some of those who have a deep work of grace in their souls.

6. Because it would be throwing balls of wildfire among them that are now quiet in the land. We are now sweetly united together in love; we mostly think and speak the same thing. But this would occasion inconceivable strife and contention between those who left and those who remained in the Church, as well as between those who left us and th ́se who remained with us; nay and between those very persons who remained, as they were variously inclined one way or the other.

7. Because, whereas controversy is now asleep, and we in great measure live peaceably with all men, so that we are strangely at leisure to spend our whole time and strength in enforcing plain, practical, vital religion; (what would many of our forefathers have given to have enjoyed so blessed a calm ?). This would utterly banish peace from among us, and that without hope of its return. It would engage me, for one, in a thousand controversies, both in public and private, (for I should be in conscience obliged to give the reasons of my conduct and to defend those reasons against all opposers,) and so take me off from those more useful labours which might otherwise employ the short remainder of my life.

8. Because to form the plan of a new church would require infinite time and care (which might be far more profitably bestowed), with more wisdom and greater depth and extensiveness of thought than any of us are masters of.

9. Because some having barely entertained a distant thought of this, evil fruits have already followed, such as