Wesley Corpus

crease oftrue religion ', but if the strict obser vance of the rule impedes the end, the end must be attained, thoughthe prudential means, which are in some circumstances obstructive, be neglected. Deviations in non-essentials, if the end be promoted thereby, cannot promote a schism in any church. The clergy however were loud in their clamours, and at last pro ceeded to refuse them their pulpits. This it was which laid the foundation of itinerant preaching, which did not take place before ; and their steady determination to do good to their fellow-creatures overcame all the ob stacles which the fear of man or loss of favour placed in their way. They were neither to be intimidated by danger, affected by interest, or deterred by disgrace : and surely it required no common degree of resolution to expose themselves to the rude ignorance of the lowest of the people, the contempt ofmen of respect ability and influence, and the censure of their particular friends ; yet all these evils were in curred by this mode of reforming the outcasts of mankind. It is not possible to imagine that, in their situation in life, men oflearning and abilities, distinguished academic honours, could have been actuated by any motive but the purest benevolence. Travelling from place to place, and preach ing in the open air, to diffuse knowledge and awaken a sense of religion in the common people, was extraordinary and new, and it was certainly irregular, and excited the as tonishment and the censure of the public. Few could form a conjecture of the utility which resulted from, or the hardships attached to, such an undertaking. Let it be remembered that at that period there were no Sunday Schools, no Tract Societies, no propagation of Bibles, and consequently there could be no royal patronage (as now) for charities which had not been formed. It was a period, also, when the pious zeal and activity of the clergy was not such as at the present day. A general supiness and worldly spirit pervaded that order; and though doubtless there were some