Of the latter he says: "Those stupid simonists imagine that grace may be bought and sold like an ox or an ass."

The most important work of Wickliffe, however, was his translation of the Bible. This work produced a tremendous effect. The clergy raged more vehemently, and one of the zealous canons of Leicester reasoned very eloquently against the doctor, and amongst other things said, "Christ committed the Gospel to the clergy and doctors of the Church that they might minister it to the laity and weaker persons, but this John Wickliffe laid it more open to the laity and to women who could read, than it used to be to the most learned of the clergy and those of them who had the best understanding. And so the gospel pearl is cast abroad and trodden under swine, and that which used to be precious to both clergy and laity is made as it were the common jests of both; and the jewel of the Church is turned into the sport of the laity." Previous to the translation of Wickliffe no complete English copy of the Bible existed. There was nothing but scraps of the Epistles and Gospels, and these were the sacred and exclusive property of the priests and monks. It was considered a crime in the common people to read the Word of God; and long subsequently to this, six men and women were actually burnt in Coventry, for teaching their children the creed, the Lord's prayer, and the ten commandments.* Wickliffe not only placed the Scriptures within the reach of the people, but he held that their authority was above the authority of bishops or popes. This, with the doctrine that the people had a right to peruse the Bible for themselves, was the heaviest blow he aimed at Popery. They were new ideas in those times; and nothing more displays the fearless spirit and indomitable purpose of the reformer. He was deeply anxious to produce a correct translation; and for this purpose he, with some of his friends, collected all the Latin Bibles they could meet with, "and collected and corrected in order that they might have one Latin Bible near the truth." Next they considered well all the common comments; after which they studied the old grammarians and divines, on the hard words and sentences, when Wickliffe zealously commenced the translation.†

The enemies of this great man were not of the sort to cease their slander during his life, and we have seen the spirit they showed towards him after he had long been in the grave. He was at last attacked with the palsy, of which he died, and his enemies declared that his disease was a just infliction of the divine vengeance for his deadly heresies.

* See Burnet's "History of the Reformation in England." (Book I.) Burnet states this on the authority of Fox, who says that there were many eye-witnesses of it alive at the time he wrote.

To gratify the curiosity of the reader, we give a few sentences of the doctor's translation, with the original orthography,-John x. 26-30: "Ye beleven, not for ye ben not of scheep. My scheep heren my vois, and I knowe hem and thei suen me. And I gyve to hem everlastynge life, and thei schulen not perische withouten end; and noon schal rauysche hem fro my myn hond. That thing that my Fadir gaf to me is more than alle things is: and no man may rauysche from my Fadris hond. I and the Fadir ben oon." This citation is taken from Milner's "History of the Church." We give another from Chamber's "Cyclopedia of English Literature." (Vol. I, p. 36.) "For he that is mighti hath don to me grete thingis, and his name is holy.

"And his mercy is fro kyndrede unto kyndredis to men that dreden him.

"He hath made myght in his arm, he scatteride proude men with the thought of his hearte.

"He sette doun myghty men fro scete and enhaunside meke men.”

After the lapse of five hundred years the character of Wickliffe is regarded with the highest veneration by all liberal-minded Christians; and he will live in the page of history as long as the corruptions of Popery are remembered, and will retain his well-earned and honourable appellation, The Morning Star of the Reformation."

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THE ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND PRESENT STATE OF OUR CAUSE IN HANLEY.

BENEATH the gallery of Bethesda chapel, in a very unobtrusive situation, is a neat but plain mural tablet of marble, bearing the following inscription:

Sacred to the memory of Job Ridgway, late of Cauldon Place, Shelton, an honoured instrument of introducing Methodism into this place, and one of the founders of this church. With the people of God he was cordially united in affection and principle; zealous for the truth; uniform in religious duties; eminent for piety and good works; esteemed in the world for integrity and usefulness; beloved by his family and friends for his social virtues and pious example. It pleased God to prosper him in life and to bless him with a heart to do good. The cause of God was still his cause; the people of God, his people. For them he lived, and from amongst them he was called to enter the joy of his Lord, May 24th, 1814."

If we had to choose for ourselves a position and sphere of usefulness, it would be that described in this simple and touching memorial. Not only was the subject of it known as a diligent, upright, benevolent, and pious man, but he had the rare distinction of introducing into his native place, and of largely contributing to the establishment and spread of a religious organization which has been blessed of God to the revival of religion in the land and the salvation of thousands of immortal souls.

In the establishment of a religious community it is of the first importance that it provides for the faithful preaching of the Gospel, for the edification of the body of Christ, and for the spread of religion in the world around. But, in order to this result being secured, it is necessary to have fixed institutions, a definite arrangement and order of proceedings; so that every member of the body may have assigned and appropriate duties and responsibilities, and all contribute, according to their means and opportunities, to the accomplishment of the great purposes for which the church exists. This is the glory of Methodism, that it makes ample provision for simultaneous, continued, and harmonious effort through all the ramifications of its economy; thus distinguishing itself, not only from the solitary although splendid efforts of men like Whitefield, who, useful as they are in their day, leave few traces of their movements for the improvement of succeeding generations, but also from many other churches whose organization includes little more than an order of ministers and a recognition of communicants. For the harmonious and happy development of an ecclesiastical organization, more is necessary than the appointment of officers and the distribution of labour. The institution must be right; right, as regards the relations in which the classes of the community, particularly the two great classes of preachers and people, stand to each other; right, as consistent

with Scripture, so far as Scripture throws light on the constitution of a church; right, as accordant with the well ascertained principles of civil and religious liberty; and thus, so far as mere arrangements can avail, providing reasonable security against despotism on the one hand, and anarchy on the other.

In the early history of the Methodist body, this necessity was not sufficiently considered; and, indeed, could scarcely have been considered or contemplated at all under the peculiar circumstances of the societies, and their relation to Mr. Wesley. It is unnecessary here for the thousandth time to attempt an explanation of these circumstances, and, perhaps, it is impossible now to estimate the point of view from which they were contemplated by the actors in the scene. What is sufficiently obvious to us, both as to the fact and the explanation, is, that after the death of the illustrious founder, misunderstandings and disputes arose which, although they undoubtedly led to the adoption of sounder views, were productive of immediate results seriously affecting the prosperity of the church and the success of the great mission in which it was engaged. From this disorder, which was the inevitable result of the stern determination manifested by the governing body to perpetuate a system repugnant to the character and feelings of Englishmen, as well as inconsistent with scriptural principles of liberty, arose the Methodist New Connexion.

In circumstances like those to which we have referred, there are but three courses to be pursued by a minority justly dissatisfied with the existing laws of the body. The first is to sacrifice conscience and judgment, and, under cover of any decent pretext, indolently to retire from the conflict. The second is to commence a systematic agitation in the body, with a determination to pursue it till the desired change is effected or the system destroyed. The third is to retire from the community after a suitable appeal has been made, all proper remedies tried, and reasonable explanations given, with as much order as possible, and to act upon its own views in the organization of a church, or unite with that community which, in doctrine and polity, harmonizes most entirely with its convictions and wants.

The founders of the New Connexion were not at all the men to adopt the first of these plans of action, and from the second they were driven both by the honest convictions of their own minds and by the pressure of events. Invincible as was their attachment to truth and liberty, they never for a moment lost sight of the spiritual character and design of the church, nor of its bearing on the eternal destinies of men. Under any circumstances, therefore, they would have been unwilling to perpetuate discord, or make their opinions, however well founded and important, a stumbling block to the progress of the Gospel. But there was scarcely an alternative left to them. Irresponsible power, always jealous of its claims in proportion to their manifest unreasonableness, and bitter against all who are rash enough to question them, displayed its bitterness and jealousy in the summary expulsion of some of the leading remonstrants. Many who had acted with them and advocated the same views, no doubt sincerely, during the preliminary struggle, lacked faith in their principles or courage to maintain them, and shrank in the hour of trial from the posts they had voluntarily occupied. But there were still some thousands in Israel who would not bow the knee to Baal, and

B

these immediately rallied round their devoted leaders, determined to support them in the great experiment of founding a church which, with purity of doctrine and efficiency of evangelical operations, should combine a system of government founded upon Scripture and reason, free from the despotism and injustice of the body from which they had separated, and commensurate with the just expectations and wants of a free and enlightened people.

We have been led into these general observations without design, but perhaps not inappropriately, by the consciousness that the founders of the church in this locality took an active and leading part in the establishment of the Connexion at large. The most important names connected with the origin of Hanley society are those of the brothers Job and George Ridgway, Job Meigh, and William Smith. There were many other active, consistent, and useful men, such as Joseph Mort, Jesse Barker, and others; but these were looked up to as the originators and chief supporters of the rising cause, and qualified, both by position and character, talents and influence, to contribute essentially to the success of the young enterprize. To the character of Mr. Job Ridgway we have already referred, and he found a worthy coadjutor in his brother George, who, by his cheerful piety, his generous spirit, the liberality of his sentiments, and his abundant labours in the cause of truth and godliness, was highly esteemed and loved in the Connexion. The estimation in which the brothers were held, may be inferred from the fact that the elder was elected nine, and the younger five times to represent the circuit in Conference. Both, as we are informed by an old and respected friend who was well acquainted with them, were very acceptable local preachers, and there is good reason to believe were instrumental in the conversion of many precious souls.

Closely united with the brothers in affection, in sentiment, and in the common cause of religion and liberty, was Mr. Job Meigh, of whom it is inscribed, on the tablet erected to his memory in Bethesda chapel, "His house was the first sanctuary opened to the Methodists in Han ley, and he was one of the honoured few by whose instrumentality this church was founded."

Mr. Wm. Smith was a man of superior abilities and considerable mental acquirements; and having been called to follow the Saviour in early life, devoted himself with considerable success to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ as a local preacher on the Methodist plan. Clear in his views, and ardent in his attachment to religious liberty, he took a decided part in the discussions which resulted in the formation of the New Connexion; as a member of one of the deputations of trustees, attended the memorable Conference of 1797, when the final struggle for liberty was made; and, every hope of concession, accommodation, or indeed of anything but unconditional submission to absolute and irresponsible authority, having been entirely destroyed, immediately united with a few devoted preachers and laymen who had so long maintained the unequal conflict of right against might, and with them adopted a constitution founded upon the principles of justice, honour, and scriptural truth.

This event took place in Ebenezer chapel, Leeds, on the 9th of August, 1797.Glory be to God!

Before the Conference just mentioned, the remonstrants had been

deprived of their plans, class papers, and other Connexional documents, and forcibly ejected from the chapel, under the direction of the preacher, for signing the petition which Mr. Smith was commissioned to carry to Leeds. The way was, therefore, perfectly clear to act upon their own views, and open another place of worship. On his return to Hanley. Mr. Smith opened his own house for the new society, and here the services were held till a larger and more suitable place could be procured. At length a coach house, in Albion street, Shelton, was obtained and comfortably fitted up for the purpose. It was neither very large nor very elegant, but it is said to have been quite equal, in both respects, to the chapel occupied by the whole society before the division; and, what is of more consequence, Numbers," said Mr. Job Ridgway, "in this humble place were brought to the knowledge of the truth, many of whom are now inhabitants of glory."

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Encouraged by the prosperous condition of the society, and the manifest tokens of Divine approval with which they were favoured, they soon turned their attention to the erection of a chapel. In the year following the division, the coach house was taken down and a chapel erected on the site. The first brick was laid on the 5th of June, 1798, and the chapel was opened early in the following year, by Messrs. Kilham, Thom, and Grundell.

A short time before the opening an incident occurred of a very touching character, and which made a powerful impression upon the minds of all concerned. Mr. Smith did not live to see the house, for which he had laboured and prayed so earnestly, occupied by a congregation of worshippers. His health had been declining during the whole of the previous year, but his heart was in the earthly sanctuary as his hopes were fixed upon the heavenly one. At his request he was carried to the chapel and into the pulpit, where he offered a fervent prayer to God for a blessing on his family and friends, on the congregation and ministers, and for the conversion of thousands of souls in that place. A fitting consecration of the house. God grant that these solemn prayers may still be answered as they have hitherto been!

From the time of the opening, the congregation was regularly large, and, on occasions of special interest, the chapel, which accommodated five or six hundred persons, was found to be much too small. In the year 1812 it was found necessary to enlarge the premises; which was done by removing the back wall, and extending the building in a semicircular form, so as to admit of a handsome gallery, by which means the number of sittings was increased to one thousand. The chapel was re-opened on the 8th of November, the Rev. J. Grundell again officiating. In the mean time the society had lost several of its early and attached friends and supporters. Mr. Smith had departed shortly after his friend Mr. Kilham, in the full assurance of faith, on the 20th February, 1798, at the early age of thirty-six years. On the 16th December, 1811, the Rev. W. Thom, who, as book-steward, had spent the last year of his life in Hanley, entered into rest. He was one of the little band of preachers who came out of the old Connexion at the division. "The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance." And in the New Connexion the names of Alexander Kilham, John Grundell, William Thom, and James Mort will long be household words. Mr. Thom, like his friend just mentioned, expressed, almost with his