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ances to the progress of knowledge.* What kept his mind in a state of perplexity, was, a confused notion of justification; which he either confounded with sanctification, or thought a man must be sanctified before he can be justified. This notion hindered him from perceiving, that to justify in the language of Paul, is to pardon a repenting believing sinner, as an act of grace; not for the sake of any previous holiness in him, but through Jesus Christ alone. As soon as he was convinced of this, he was no longer embarrased

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The two following instances are remarkable proofs of this. Galen, was well acquainted with the difference between arteries and veins; he knew the effects of ligatures in the operations of bleeding, and had all the principal data familiar to his mind, from which Harvey concluded, that the blood circulates through the body. Yet Galen, though accustomed to the process of reasoning, drew no such conclusion from them; the notion that the blood moved to and fro, in the vessels, like the flux and reflux of the sea, so possessed and blinded his mind, that he could not perceive a consequence which naturally and obviously followed from the things which he knew. This veil remained on the minds of Philosophers and Physicians for about fourteen hundred years, so that Harvey deserves as much praise for breaking through the shackles of ancient error, and impartially following the light of truth, as for the discovery itself.

When Dr, Priestley's experiments on air, were first published in France, they roused the French Chymists from a kind of lethargy (de l'engourdissement, as one of them expresses it) yet Macquer, one of the first Chymists, not only in France, but perhaps in Europe, speaking of the discovery of the Nitrous gas, or air, has frankly acknowledged, that he hardly thought it possible an experienced Chymist would ever have made it. That his principles would have hindered him from attempting the experiment, which was necessary to make the discovery in question. So true it is, that though in general, knowledge acquired leads the mind to a further progress, yet if we place too much confidence in received opinions, and in the consequences we draw from them, they may sometimes hinder us from discovering the most obvious truths. See Macquer's Dictionaire de Chymie. Tom, ii. page 323. Edit. 1778.

and perplexed; he saw immediately the plan which the Gospel proposes of reconciling sinners to God, of making them holy in heart and life, and of giving them a sure hope, full of immortality.-But let us attend him through the period appropriated to this chapter, and we shall see the efforts of a great mind to do the will of God; and every step we take, will convince us of the uprightness of his intention.

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It appears from the account given of Mr. Charles Wesley, that for more than two years before this time he had studied very hard, and through his brother's advice and influence was become deeply serious; that during the last summer he had received the Sacrament weekly, and had prevailed on two or three young men to do the same and that these gentlemen had occa sionally met together for the purpose of assisting and encouraging each other in their duty, and of regulating their employments by certain rules. The regular method of arranging their studies and other employments procured them the distinguishing epithet of Methodists, which according to Mr. Charles, was given them before his brother came to Orford in Noyember. This is probably the most accurate account; for when Mr. Wesley speaks of this appellation, he mentions it only in very general terms, without attempting to state, at what period of the Society it was first given. "The exact regularity of their lives as well as studies, (says he) occasioned a young gentleman of Christ-Church to say, Here is a new set of Methodists sprung up;' alluding to some ancient Physicians who were so called.* The name was new

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Themison was the founder of this Sect, about thirty or forty years before the Christian Era; and it flourished, according to Alpinus, about

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and quaint; so it took immediately, and the Methodists were known all over the University."

It does not appear, however, that these gentlemen met together at any fixed or stated times, or that they had made any regulations for this purpose before Mr. John Wesley joined them. When he came amongst them, they gladly committed the direction of the whole to him; and from this time the Society began to assume a more regular form; it is from this period therefore, that he commences his history of it, m the following words:

"In November 1729, four young gentlemen of Oxford, Mr. John Wesley, Fellow of Lincoln-College; Mr. Charles Wesley, Student of Christ-Church; Mr. Morgan, Commoner of Christ-Church; and Mr. Kirkman, of Merton-College; began to spend some evenings in a week together, in reading chiefly the Greek Testament. The next year two or three of Mr.

John

three hundred years. Le Clerc, informs us, that the Physicians of this Sect were called Methodists, because they took it into their head, to find out a more easy method of teaching and practising the art of physic. However this may be, it is certain that some of the g eatest Physicians of the time in which the Sect flourished, were Methodists. That Themison, was a man of the most extensive practice, is evidently implied in the words of Juvenal, if he speaks of the same person, which is generally supposed. He is describing the infirmities of an old man and observes,

Circumsilit agmine facto

Morborum omne genus, quorum si nomina quæras
Promptius expediam

Quot Themison agros autumno occiderit uno.

"A whole troop of all kinds of diseases rush upon him on all sides $ if you ask their names, I could as soon reckon up how many patients Themison killed in one autumn.”—Had his practice, however, been very unsuccessful, it is not probable it would have been so extensive as ♡ become almost proverbial.

John Wesley's pupils desired the liberty of meeting with them: and afterwards one of Mr. Charles Wesley's pupils. It was in 1732, that Mr. Ingham, of Queen'sCollege, and Mr. Broughton of Exter, were added to their number. To these in April, was joined Mr. Clayton, of Brazen-Nose, with two or three of his pupils. About the same time Mr. James Harvey was permitted to meet with them, and afterwards Mr. Whitefield."*

These four young gentlemen continued their meetings for some time, without any other views than their own benefit. But in the summer of 1730, Mr. Morgan called at the gaol to see a man who was condemned for killing his wife, and told them, that, from the conversation he had with one of the debtors, he verily believed it would do much good if any one would be at the pains of now and then speaking with them. Having mentioned this several times, Mr. Wesley and his brother Charles, went with him on the 24th of August to the Castle, and were so well satisfied with their visit, that they determined to go thither once or twice a week. They had not done this long, before Mr. Morgan, who seems to have led the way in acts of charity and benevolence to others, desired Mr. Wesley to go with him to see a poor woman in the town who was sick. When they began to reflect on the benefit this might be of to the poor, they thought it would be well worth while to spend two or three hours in the week in this species of charity, especially if the Minister of the parish in which such person was, did not object to it. But as this practice was quite new, and had an ap pearance of irregularity, on which account it might give offence, Mr. Wesley did not choose to proceed

Wesley's Works, vol. xv. page 375.

any

any further without advice. He wrote to his father, who was remarkably attached to regularity and churchorder, stating what they had hitherto done, and what their design was; begging to have his opinion whether they had already gone too far? Whether they should: stand still where they were, or go forward?

His father's answer is dated September 21st, in which he says, "As to your own designs and employments, what can I say less of them than valde probo; and that I have the highest reason to bless God, that he has given me two sons together at Oxford, to whom he has given grace and courage to turn the war against the world and the Devil, which is the best way to conquer them. They have but one enemy more to combat with, the flesh; which if they take care to subdue by fasting and prayer, there will be no more for them to do, but to proceed steadily in the same course, and expect the crown which fadeth not away. You have reason to bless God, as I do, that you have so fast a friend as Mr. Morgan, who I see in the most difficult service, is ready to break the ice for you.

"I am afraid lest the main objection you make against your going on in the business of the prisoners, may secretly proceed from flesh and blood. For who can harm you if you are followers of that which is so good? And which will be one of the marks by which the Shepherd of Israel will know his sheep at the last day. Though, if it were possible for you to suffer a little in the cause, you would have a confessor's reward. You own that none but such as are out of their senses would be prejudiced against you for acting in this manner.-Go on then in God's name, in the path to which your Saviour has directed you, and that track wherein your father has gone before you? For when I was an undergraduate, I visited those in the Castle

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