r great founder's teaching.

In 1744 Wesley called around him his most trusted friends,--six
clergymen of the Church of England and four lay preachers, and
held what we should now call a _Retreat_; this meeting, however,
is regarded by the Wesleyans as the first regular "Conference" of
the Methodist Societies. It was in 1784 that Wesley drew up a
"Deed of Declaration," which was formally enrolled in Chancery,
establishing Methodism in the eye of the Law. This was an
_unintentional_ step on the part of Wesley towards an ultimate
separation from the Church. Now it was too that he made his second
great mistake of consecrating an English Clergyman as bishop, and
two laymen as presbyters of the American Societies. This was the
origin of the Episcopal Methodists of America. John Wesley died in
1791, almost his last printed utterance being, "I declare that I
live and die a member of the Church of England; and none who regard
my opinion or advice will ever separate from it." (_John Wesley_,
_Arminian Magazine_, _April_, 1790.)

Four years after his death, in 1795, the separation took place, and
the Conference allowed the preachers to administer the Lord's
Supper. No sooner was the severance complete than the punishment
followed. In 1795 the _Methodist New Connexion_ split away from
them, under a man named Kilham. In 1810 the _Primitive Methodists_
caused another schism. In 1815 the _Bible Christians_ seceded, and
so on. What would John Wesley have thought of all this? Only nine
months before his death, he had solemnly charged his preachers:
"In God's name, stop there! Be Church of England men still!"
(Wesley, Sermons, iii. 268). And his dying breath was spent in
a prayer for the Church!

The Minutes of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference for the year
1883-4 give the following statistics:--

Members.
1. In Great Britain 407,085
2. In Ireland & Irish Missions 24,384
3. In Foreign Missions 70,747
4. South African Conference 20,739
5. French Conference 1,856
Total 524,811

On Trial.
1. In Great Britain 34,399
2. In Ireland & Irish Missions 668
3. In Foreign Missions 5,299
4. South African Conference 9,093
5. French Conference 168
Total 49