WESLEYAN METHODISM IN ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 1651, 4 August 1881, Page 3

WESLEYAN METHODISM IN ENGLAND.

TO THE KDITOR. Sir,—ln the Juno number of the Episcopalian Church Gazette, published in this city, there appeared some misleading statements respecting the position of Wcsleyau Methodism in Kugland. I replied thereto, giving facts and figures. In the current number of the Gazette only one sentence from my letter is given, while the editor endeavours to bolster up the views expressed in Juue by quoting from an Episcopalian paper in London. In order that the readers ol the Gazette, and the people of Auckland generally, may have the ease fairly before them, I shall be obliged if you find a place for my letter in your columns.—l am, &c., August 3. Wμ. Morley.

TO THE EDITOR Or THE CIILT.CII UAZETTE, AUCKLAND. Sin,—A friend of mine has forwarded a copy of your paper for June, calling attention to a paper therein on " The Church in England," written by the Rev. W. Tebbs, M.A., and read by him at a recent meeting of your Church in Auckland. Jn that paper Mr. Tebbs compares tho position aud growth of the Established Church in England with that of other communions there. Amone other statements made is ono to the effect that " tliero are only two sects of dissenters-Quakers and Wcsleyans-both, it is said, on the wane." In venturing to publish this extraordinary utterance, I can only suppose that either Mr. Tebbs is entirely ignorant of what is being done by other churches in England, or that, as a newcomer, he imagines tho people of this colony are so ill-informed that whatever he says will pass as Gospel. Kindly permit me to give you a few facts showing how Wcsleyans in England are "on the wano" (?) Your roailers aro probably aware that \\ cslcyans only return as Church members those who attend class meeting. In 1574, in Great Britain the number of members so returned *as 331,C45; and in 18S0! 370,678, an iucrcaso in the six years of 25,033. The returns for tho present year wero not complete when tho last mail left London, hut so far as ascertained* show a further nutt addition of about WOO. The adherents, i.e., members of the congregations who do not attend class, have increased even more rapidly. For the pastoral care of the members provision has boen made, for while in ISGO, thero wore 1100 Wcs lryan ministers stationed in Great Britain, in ISSO there wcro IC4O, or an increase of nearly GO per cent. In London and its suburbs, tho church accommodation provided, has increased from 30,000 sittings in IS6I to 120,000 in 1881, an advance of over 300 per cent. In other cities and large towns a proportionate increase has taken place, while a sum of £'J50,000 has recently been provided to aid in tho erection of places of worship in the smaller towas and villages, where local intolerance has sometimes persecuted tho resident Wcsleyans, and prevented their obtaining church sites, except in unsuitable neighbourhoods, and at ruinous rates.

Tlie goncral church building report of the connection shows that in England alone for the year cndinß March, 1880, there had been erected 120 chancls, 13 ministers' houses, and 20 school-rooms. Xinety-six chapels had also been enlarged, and tho total cost of these now buildingo and extensions had bc-n £318,000 For severnl years past the average iutiin.il outlay for this purpose has been a quarter of a million of money. Of course, Wcslcyans in England have not the largo national endowments that the Established Church there enjoys, but the above figures thow tli.it there is population, and that it is fairly successful. At any rate, if it is " on the vano," I can only express mv wish that tho Episcopalian Church in New Zealand will prove equally oarnest and self-denying in its efforts at extension, as the <n auiug Wcsltyan Church in England during recent years. Mr. Tebtis further states that (he wall of partition between the Wcsleyans and the Kpisnnpallan Church is so thin that " it is no idle dream tn b» waiting for tho rending 'of it asunder, and the rccoptkn of tho returning daughter," and eulogises the efforts of Bishop Wordsworth in this direction. If Mr. Tebbs knew Wthinßatalloftboinncr life olU'esley.-inism.hc would have learned that the growth of liltualisui and Sacrameutarimiism of recent years in tlie Church of England, and the way in which so many of the clergy cling to the figment of apostolic succession, render tho prospect of such re-union exceedingly remote. Indeed, while the Church of England shows itself so unable to grapple with these evils, union may be pronounced impossible. Bishop Wordsworth may labour " energetically" for this by his speeches in Convocation, but by his Ugh prelatic pretensions and want of courtesy in his treatment of Wcslcyan and other Nonconfonning ministers, be has purhaps done more to destroy friendly feeling on the p.-.rt of \V«s. leyans than any member of the Episcopal Church. . I may add that Mr. Tebbs - own classification iu the first paragraph of his paper, in whi-:h he , quietly places what he terms Dissent and Nonconformity outside the pale of " tho Church Catholic," is not calculated to increase Christian charity between Wesleyans and Episcopalians, much less to promote tho union he professor to desire.—l am, etc., Wμ. aronr.KV Pitt-strcet Parsonage, July 21,1551.