and exclude them from some of the privileges which they enjoyed. This being known by Mr. Wesley, he wrote a letter to the hundred Ministers composing the legal Conference, entreating them to assume no superiority over their brethren, and to be mindful that all things should proceed in the same manner after his death, as when he was with them, as far as circumstances would allow. These "last words" to the Conference, as Mr. Wesley described them, on being read, produced a very deep and salutary impression upon the Preachers assembled together; and instantly they passed and recorded the following Resolution :

The Conference have unanimously resolved, that all the Preachers who are in full connexion with them, shall enjoy every privilege that the members of the Conference enjoy, agreeably to the above-written letter of our venerable deceased Father in the Gospel.

In further obedience to Mr. Wesley's last and most solemn entreaty, the Conference inquired,-"What regulations are necessary for the preservation of our whole economy as Mr. Wesley left it?” and the answer given and printed was,-"Let the three kingdoms be divided into Districts: England into nineteen Districts; Scotland into two; and Ireland into six.” It was then resolved, that in “any critical case” the Superintendent Minister of the Circuit in which it occurred should summon to a meeting all the Preachers of the District in full connexion, who should choose from their number a Chairman, consider the case, and determine concerning it, until the meeting of the next Conference. Afterwards, some minor alterations were made respecting the selection and appointment of a Chairman; and the increasing business of the Connexion required that in each District Annual Meetings of its Ministers should be held; but, substantially, and for the purposes of inquiring into critical cases, and for the settlement of them until the next Conference, the regulation concerning the DistrictMeeting is the same now as it was in the year 1791. Thus, the main reason for the appointment of District-Committees is to be found in the resolution of the Conference to preserve the whole economy of Methodism as Mr. Wesley left it.

Now, Mr. Wesley, when alive, had, as the father and founder of the Methodist Societies, the general oversight and government of them. Not only was he the President of all the Conferences that he attended, but, in the intervals between the Conferences, he had the power to visit any Society that might, by its circumstances, require his interference, and do what he judged best for the welfare of that Society, in the removal and appointment of Preachers, Leaders, Stewards, and members. But when he was removed by death from this "care of all the churches,” no other man in the Connexion could take his place, and be allowed to act thus on his own judgment; and, therefore, decisions on critical cases were referred to the collective pastorate of the District in which they occurred; who, together in council, had to do what Mr. Wesley

had been accustomed to do on his own authority. Some such arrangement, you will perceive, was necessary to preserve the whole economy of Methodism as Mr. Wesley left it; for, without it, disturbances might have arisen in Societies, and been carried on until the Conference, there being no power of interference until then; and, by that time, through the unfaithfulness of Ministers or people, or of both, the Societies might have been destroyed. If you read Mr. Wesley's Journals, you will find that he had not unfrequently to exercise this power of interference, during the intervals between the Conferences,— for the removal of Preachers, Stewards, and Leaders; and, sometimes, even to the dissolution of whole Societies, and the recommencement of them on better principles.

Thus, from the consideration of the original object of the DistrictMeeting, and of its constitution, it will be plain to you, that the statements repeatedly put forth against the right of interference with any party in an individual Circuit or Society, except the Ministers, are false and erroneous. You will have heard much said, of late, against the right of interference, by the Special District-Meetings, with the Spitalfields and Hinde-street Circuits; but you will see that those Meetings, originally appointed to act in such critical cases, have acted unitedly, as Mr. Wesley would have done individually; and have, in the best exercise of their united judgment, done what they could to preserve the whole economy of Methodism. To say that the power of the District-Meeting relates only to Ministers, is saying that which is directly opposed to the original purpose of its institution, unless it can be shown that the whole economy of Methodism does not include the government of individual Societies, or that no critical case may possibly arise in connexion with layofficers and members, as well as with Ministers. Undoubtedly, the District-Meeting has the power of interference with the conduct of Ministers, as well as with that of the people, if judged injurious, or it would not be able to preserve the whole economy of Methodism as Mr. Wesley left it; and on this general ground of the right to interfere in any critical case, the Vice-Chancellor, and the Lord Chancellor, gave judgment in the Court of Chancery, in favour of the acts of the District-Meeting in the case of Dr. Warren. The legal right of interference by a District-Meeting in all critical cases, from whatever source they may arise, has been formally decided by the highest law authorities of the kingdom, as you will find, if you read the Judgments delivered by Sir Lancelot Shadwell, the ViceChancellor, and, subsequently, by Lord Lyndhurst, then Lord High Chancellor of England, which are recorded at length in the "Compendium of the Laws and Regulations of Wesleyan Methodism, by the Rev. Edmund Grindrod,” pp. 371-409. From those high legal decisions, and from the Minutes of Conference, you will find that, in the years 1795 and 1797, some additional regulations were made concerning District-Meetings; but nothing was done to restrict their

power in considering and deciding upon any critical case. It is expressly stated, in the Minutes for the year 1797, that the Chairman and the brethren of his District have the power to "inquire into the affairs" of any Circuit within its limit, "with respect to Methodism," and to "redress any grievance," until the Conference. In fact, you will find, on examination, that the Special District-Meeting, as it is now called, in distinction from the regular Annual District-Meetings, is most fully in accordance with the constitution and object of the first-appointed District- Meetings. It was appointed, in the place of Mr. Wesley, for interference in any critical cases, and for the settlement of them until the next Conference; and that appointment, with its object, has not been interfered with by any of the regulations that

have since been made.

In further proof of this position, with respect to the authority to interfere in any critical case, and to redress any grievance occasioned by either Preachers or people who may act disorderly, you will find in the same Minutes, for the year of 1797, it is formally declared, that "the Chairman of each District, in conjunction with his brethren of the Committee, shall be responsible to the Conference for the execution of the laws, as far as his District is concerned;" but how could he and his brethren be held responsible for what they had not power to enforce ? Let me then request you to bear this in remembrance, as a fundamental principle with respect to the DistrictMeeting, and more particularly with respect to the Special DistrictMeeting, as it is now called,-that its appointed function is to act in any critical case, to the best of its judgment, as Mr. Wesley would have acted had he been continued to take the general oversight of the Connexion; so that it may preserve, as far as circumstances will allow, the whole economy of Methodism as he left it at his death.

I have before stated in this letter, that additional regulations have been made by the Conference since 1791 and 1797 respecting DistrictMeetings. As the Connexion extended, and as its business increased, it was found necessary that, whether a critical case arose or not, the Ministers of each District should meet together annually, and inquire into each other's character and conduct, and into the state and progress of each Circuit. This is called the General District-Meeting, and is held in the month of May. Afterwards it was found necessary for the Superintendents and Circuit-Stewards of each District to meet together, soon after each Conference, for the consideration of pecuniary matters. This is called the Financial District-Meeting, and is held in the month of September. All the Circuit-Stewards within the District are members of this Meeting, and are expected to take a prominent part in the decision of all the financial questions, and in the distribution of all the Connexional funds. In Mr. Wesley's time, and for some years after, the Connexional funds were wholly intrusted to the Preachers for distribution, and all they did respect

ing them was to report, generally, to the Societies: but now, in all cases of distribution, whether at the Conference Committees, at the May District-Meeting, or at the September District-Meeting, layofficers are associated with the Ministers for that object; and, generally, they take the most prominent part in the distribution. This is felt to be a great relief to the Ministers, who, except for the serviceable knowledge they possess of the necessities of Circuits, institutions, and individuals, would be glad to be wholly freed from pecuniary transactions. In all the temporal business of Methodism, you will find that its laity are largely associated with its ministry ; and, as it shall advance towards perfection, no doubt its Ministers will be increasingly relieved from both the raising of funds and the distribution of them. It is the appointed office of the Deacons, or Stewards, to "serve tables ;" and it is the appointed office of the Ministers to preach the Gospel of Christ, and to take the spiritual oversight of His church.

The Minor District-Meeting is a Meeting composed of four Ministers, and the Chairman of the District. It was instituted to avoid the inconvenience and expense of summoning all the Ministers together in more private and less important cases than those which require a Special District-Meeting. This Meeting may be called for the trial of a Minister accused of immorality; for the settlement of disputes between two or more Ministers in the District; and for the consideration of appeals from members against the sentence of expulsion, and from Superintendent Ministers against supposed factious verdicts of Leaders'-Meetings. The rule is, that each of the two parties concerned choose two Ministers of the District, and the Chairman of the District presides, and officially pronounces the judgment of the Meeting. If either party refuses to choose two Ministers, the Chairman has authority to appoint two in their place. At first an expelled member only had the privilege of appeal to the Minor DistrictMeeting; but, afterwards, it was considered a just claim that the Superintendent Minister should also have that privilege, when the verdict of the Leaders'-Meeting appeared to have been factiously given in opposition to the evidence adduced.

There is also a Mixed Committee of all the Ministers of the District, and of all the Trustees, Stewards, and Leaders of the Circuit in which a Minister accused of certain offences resides, who have power to decide upon his case, with respect to his station in that Circuit, and to remove him from it. This Meeting was appointed to supply to the laity of Methodism a satisfactory guarantee for the protection from infringement of the Plan of Pacification, by any Minister who might be found unwilling to act upon it. From the Minor District-Meeting there may be an appeal to the General District-Meeting; but from the others, the appeal can only be to the Conference; a court which, as the highest administrative court of Methodism, is, of course, open to the appeals of all parties who may consider themselves aggrieved.

These few lines on the character and objects of Wesleyan-Methodist District Committee-Meetings will, if duly considered, be sufficient to convince you of their necessity and utility; and with them, for the present, I subscribe myself,

Your true friend,

A WESLEYAN MINISTER.

WHAT OUGHT THE AGITATION TO DO?

(No. III.)*

WE have already inquired, "What the agitation has done?" and "What it has not done?" and have shown, that it has been the occasion of a vast amount of evil, which it can never rectify, while it has not yielded one solitary advantage. We think, however, that it may be turned to good account. And just as when a city has been partly destroyed by fire, the opportunity is often seized, after clearing away the rubbish, of improving its appearance and adding to its strength; so we think the present a suitable opportunity of pointing out some evils which have crept in among us, and which have, in part at least, led to our present disturbances. If such evils can be removed, and are removed henceforth, the agitation, though still greatly to be deplored, will not have been without its uses. We shall, therefore, proceed to specify what, in our judgment, are some of the things which it 66 ought to do" for us.

1. It should lead each of us to cultivate, and to recommend to others, a better acquaintance with our Connexional principles. A vast amount of ignorance prevails in our own community in reference to the very Methodism we profess; and much less care has been taken to remove it than might have been taken. This neglect has, perhaps, been one main cause of our trial.

Now, Methodism has nothing to fear by coming to the light, but everything to gain. And we fearlessly affirm, that the more the principles on which it is based are examined and understood, the more will it be approved by every intelligent Christian. Our Lord prays that His disciples "may be one, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me." (John xvii. 21.) And, perhaps, there is no branch of the church of Christ, which more fully illustrates the blessedness and value of this " oneness," than our own. We may point to our increase, which we know to be of God, in proof. Let us, then, all remember, that in our "union" lies our "strength;" that we are all one great family; that it is the interest of every member of this family to promote the general interests of the entire family; and that wherever local or individual interests would clash with Connexional ones, the latter, as in the case of every well-regulated community,

*For Nos. I. and II., see February and April,