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An Essay on the Causes of the Decline of Nonconformity . ( Concluded from p . 347 . ) ripOWARDS the middle of the last JL century , an occurrence took place that will furnish another clue to the decline of Nonconformity . Within the bosom of the Church of England
there arose a new party of religionists , headed by Messrs * Whitefield and Wesley * wko , bringing to the support of their cause a larger portion of zeal than had been seen for a long * time in England , soon gained numerous converts , and created a schism in the
Church , but without any intention of departing from her communion . As their followers increased , they took possession of some of the vacant meeting-houses , and built new tabernacles or places for religious worship . The enthusiastic pretences of these people , and their disregard to ecclesiastical
discipline , caused them to l > e regarded with an eye of jealousy and disappro ^ Nation b y the ireal Dissenters . But , as they addressed themselves in plainer language to the common people , whose passions are more easily influenced than the judgment , it is not surprising that they gained an easy access tos popular favour , and soon supplanted them in the esteem of the multitude .
The congregations that wei ? e : fonned by the ^ arly apostles of Methodism , gave a new feature to tike religious character of the age . Indifferent aU together to the various sobeoies of church government , all their energies were directed to the maintenance of
those doctrines in the belief © f which they placed the essence of Christianity * By givingia mystical turn to the phraseology of Scripture , and converting religion into a fanciful intercourse with the Deity , they deluded each
other into a belief that they were the peculiar favourites of heaven , and , as such , the subjects of a miraculous inspiration . r l he extravagancies they committee ] , under lias hupressioii *
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fbrm a curious department in the history of the human mind ; and serve to illustrate the danger of depar&ag from the suggestions of good sense in matters of religion . By disciplining the affections to a hatred of the world
and an iadifference to every pnrsuit that did not contribute directly to the promotion of spiritual objects , they acquired the distinction of ascetics . Moved , alone by selfish considerations , they were utterly regardless of human improvement . With political subjects
they never meddled , because Christiana have nothing to do with the affairs of this world . From questions in philosophy or in motfals they would start with horror , as injurious to the health and safety of the soul . Ecclesiastical
topics were too mean for their notice ; and they regarded learning , as an impediment to spiritual improvement . Adverse to the pleasures of social intercourse , and to a temperate enjoyment of the bouniies of Providence , a
morbid sensibility passed with them for tenderness of conscience . In fine , whatever may be . thought of their pretensions to the next world , the tendency of their faith was decidedly to
unfit them for the present . To rea son with persons encircled within the folds of this ignorance would have been utterly futile ; for * as they felt no interest in the discussion of questions that concerned material beings ,
so they could never be brought to understand them . , The qualifications necessary for the expounders of this sort of religion were so very few , and so easily attained , that their ministers seldom made
any pretensions to literature , and were generally taken from the order of mechanics . In their new , to educate men for teachers of religion , was virtually to deny the operations of-the-Spirit , and learning was ho better than a mark of the beast . , As the
phraseology adopted by them in their sermons was apparently sanctioned by the literal interpretation of the Scriptures , their appeal to them was frequent ; and professing to discard the study ° * other books , their knowledge of ™ Bible eotitled them to the . app dUtion
of good textzoariesi To « hi » a " " * nient they added a fiuei&cyof speeen acquired by fre < jueftt emrcize , a " an earne £ t * i 6 s& of manner that »
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36 & - An Essay on the Causes of the Decline of Nohconf ormity *
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rjzed to despise . But the Solemn appeal of a Lavater compels me , at least , to openly declare my made of thinking «—that no one may interpret a silence , too long preserved , into confession or cotitempt . MENDELSOHN .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1823, page 388, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1786/page/20/
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