came ; the next week thirty or forty. When they were increased to about a hundred, I took down their names and places of abode, intending, as often as it was con- venient, to call upon them at their homes. Thus, with- out any previous plan, began the Methodist Society in England — a company of people associated together to help each other to work out their own salvation."
Such is the account t)f the origin of Methodism from the pen of its founder, who, in a small tract wliieh he is- sued shortly before their organization, thus describes the character of a Methodist :
"A Methodist is one who has the love of God shed abroad in his heiirl by the Holy Ghost given unto him; one who hives the Lord liis Gcid with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. He rejoices evermore, prays without ceasing, and in everything gives thanks. His heart is full of love to all mankind, and is i)nritied from envy, malice, wrath, and every unkind affection. His own desire, and the one design of his life, is not to do his own will, but the will of Him that sent him. He keeps all God's commandments, from the least to the greatest. He follows not the customs of the world ; for vice does not lose its nature through its becoming fash- ionable. He fares not sumptuously every day. He can- not lay np treasure upon the earth ; nor can he adorn himself with gold or costly apparel. He cannot join in any diversion that has the least tendency to vice. He cannot speak evil of his neighbor any more than he can tell a lie. He cannot utter unkind or evil words. No corrupt communication ever conies out of his month. He does good unto all men ; unto neighbors, strangers, friends, and enemies. These are the principles and practices of our sect. These are the marks of a true Methodist. By these alone do Methodists desire to be distinguished from other men."
2. Progi-ess of the Wesley ans during Mr. Wesley's Lifetime. — For the first century of its existence the his- tory of Methodism was a series of providences. In a condensed record, which this is required to be, these providential openings can be very little more than in- dicated.
From the time the Wesley brothers returned from America they were both closely connected with the Moravians, whose meeting-house was, and is still, in Fetter Lane. It is probably true that most of the ac- cessions made to their society during the years 1738 and 1739 were the fruits of the labors of the two Weslej's and Whitefield. Even after i\Ir. Wesley began his own so- ciety, in December, 1739, he himself continued to meet with the Moravians ; and he took with him many of those who adhered to him as the results of his ministry.
As early as June, 1738, John Wesley visited the Mo- ravian settlement at Ilerrnhut, Germany, where he re- mained three months, conversing freely with the Breth- ren on their doctrines and discipline. In December of the same year Mr. Wesley drew up for the society in Fetter Lane the rules of the Band Societies— companies of not less than five nor more than ten — who met to- gether once a week for religions conversation and prayer. A series of nine questions were prepared and used on each occasion as helps and instructions; and the design of those meetings was embodied in a series often propo- sitions and inquiries. These were the basis of the Unit- ed Societies which began to meet under Mr. W'esley in December, 1739.
In April, 1739, .John Wesley was excluded from the churches in Bristol, and a few months later he was also excluded from the London churches. Mr. Whitefield and Charles Wesley were also included in the prohibi- tion. Mr. Whitefield commenced open-air preaching near Bristol, with such happy results that John W'esley soon saw a wide door of usefulness opened to him in that plan; and he readily adopted it, with such marks of divine approbation as had not been before witnessed. This led to the commencement of the system of the itin- eranc}^, and necessitated the employment of lay helpers ; hence lay preachers had to be engaged to watch over the new converts, gathered out of the world by the la- bors of those apostolic men.
The earliest of these Lay helpers were Joseph Hum- phreys, Thomas Maxfield, and John Ccnnick. The first- named is thus introduced to ns by Mr. Wesley himself;
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"Joseph Humphrpys, the first lay preacher that assist- ed me ill England in I'oX. lie was perfected in love, and so continned for at least twelve months. After- wards he turned Calvinist, joined JNIr. AVhitefield, and published an invective against me and my brother Charles. In a while he renounced Mr, Whitefield, turned Presbyterian minister, then received Episcopal ordination, and, finally, scoffed at inward religion" — a catalogue ofdelinqueneies long enough to cause his name to be excluded from the true friends of Methodism.
Thomas JlaxticKl was converted under iMr. Wesley's preaching, at IJristol, in iVIay, 1730. He had an excel- lent gift for preaching, and was very useful in keeping together and instructing the j'oung converts in London during Jlr. AVesley's absence. Some Churchmen raised a cry against Maxtield's preaching at the Eoundry, and they sent their complaints to IMr. Wesley in the coun- try, who hastened to London to silence him; but, on meeting his aged mother, who had heard Maxtield. she desired her son to hear him and judge for himself if he was not qualified to preach as certainly as Mr. Wesley was. That wise admonition of Mrs. Wesley led to the regular appointment of Thomas Maxfield early in 1740 to preach as a lay helper at the Foundry. He contin- ued in office at the Eoundry some twenty-three years, and after Mr. Wesley's marriage joined ]Mrs. Wesley in her prejudices; and in 17r>3 he separated from Mr. Wes- ley, taking with him one hundred and seventy members. He gathered an independent congregation in London, to whom he ministered for many years ; but was recon- ciled to Mr. Wesley before his death, and Mr. Wesley preached in his chapel in 1783.