BISHOP NEVILL'S LECTURE ON JOHN WESLEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9117, 16 May 1891, Page 4

BISHOP NEVILL'S LECTURE ON JOHN WESLEY.

TO THE EDITOB, Sib, —There are one or two statements which ippear in your report of a lecture delivered by Bishop Nevill before St. Paul's Young Men's Association last evening on " The Life and Work of John Wesley," that demand some notice. Judging from the summary of the lecture, there was very little said concerning John Wesley's york, but a great deal said concerning his life from a particular standpoint—viz, his oburobmanship. It is admitted, I think, on all sides that prior to his conversion Mr Wesley was as strict a High Churchman as the most thoroughgoing of that school to be found to-day could desire. He held most firmly to the theory of apostolical succession, and also to that other doctrine, baptismal regeneration. But when be had experienced the great spiritual change which changed the whole complexion of his life, he utterly abandoned the sacerdotalism that he had hitherto clung to. Writing in the year 1756, he declares, " That the Episcopal form of church government is prescribed in Scriptnre I do not believe. This opinion, which I once zealously espoused, I have been hearti'y ashamed of ever since I read Bishop Stilling' fleet's " Irenicnm." I think he has unanswerably proved that neither Christ nor His apostles presoribes any particular form of churoh government, and that the plea of Divine right for diocesan Episcopacy was never heard of in the primitive church." Mr Wesley's views regarding the doctrine of baptismal regeneration also underwent a change quite as radical at this period. Therefore, when Bishop Nevill reminds the members of the Methodist Chnrch that they ought to be followers of the doctrines which Wesley taught, we quite agree with him, and at the same time desire to say that that is just what all good Methodists are. But we do not see that in following John Wesley's teaching' it involves the return of some thirty millions of Methodists to the fold of the English Episcopal Church. It is true that John Wesley loved the Anglican communion, and that he did not personally sever himself from it; but it is also true that he made legal provision before his 'decease for the independent government of the church which, under God, he had founded. He foresaw the situation, and took steps to ensure the future position and progress of the work which he had originated. By his action in enrolling his Deed of Declaration in the High Court of Chancery he virtually formed a distinct religious body, and there is no doubt had he lived but a few years longer, circumstances would have led him to assume practically the position which followed so soon after his decease. , For the bishop to say that to be a follower of Wesley involves being an- Episcopalian too, is certainly not what the history of facts warrants. In another paragraph the lectnter is reported to have said," If some argued that scbißm was justifiable on account of the sacerdotalism of the church, such a charge came with ill grace from those who held the doctrines that were set forth in Charles Wesley's hymn book. If they agreed with Wesley their mouth was closed on this subject." Sir, I for one would like the bishop to point out the hymn or hymns in the Wesleyan hymn book tbat embody sentiments favourable to sacerdotal claims. I think that I am fairly familiar with its contents, but I confess that I cannot recall a single line in the book which gives the slightest colour to priestly pretensions. There are other points on which the lecturer's sentiments might be fairly challenged, but I have already allowed this letter to run beyond reasonable limits. —I am,&c, South Dunedin, May 15. G. W. J. Spencb.