isregarded by a large portion of both preachers and people, and is
made, as far as my observation goes, an instrument of gratifying
individual hostility, rather than a means of promoting the religious and
moral ends of Christian discipline.

It is, however, the bearing of this question upon the relationship and
destinies of the youth of the Wesleyan body that has most deeply
impressed and affected my own mind, as may be inferred from the
correspondence on the subject. It requires less scriptural zeal, and an
inferior order of qualifications, and it is much more exciting and easy,
to minister or attend at special meetings, and in the ordinary public
services of the Church, than to pursue "in season and out of season" the
less conspicuous and more detailed labour of teaching and training up
children and youth in the knowledge and experience of the doctrines of
Christ, and thus secure them to the Church, and to the Saviour, and
secure to them the "godliness which has the promise of the life that now
is, and of that which is to come."[141]

And what is the result of the general adoption (with a few fine
exceptions), of the former in preference to the latter--instead of the
union of both? It is the humiliating and most painful fact that the
great majority of Methodist youth are lost to the Church, if not lost to
Christ and to heaven--that in a large proportion of instances, Methodism
is not perpetuated to the second generation of the same family--that in
the great majority of instances it is only so perpetuated very
partially, and in very few instances to all the children of Methodist
parents; while there is each year the conversion of only a few hundreds,
or thousands, mostly from without. The return of prodigals, and the
accession of strangers and aliens to the body, are indeed causes of
thankfulness and rejoicing; but prevention is better than cure--piety
from childhood is better than reformation in manhood. The judgment of
the Apostle upon him "who neglects to provide for his own house," even
in temporal matters, is well known; and must there not be a radical
defect and wrong in any religious organization which loses the great
majority of its own youth, and depends largely on infusions from without
for the recruit of its numbers? Such an organization may do much good,
and widely extend in many places for the time being, especially in a new
and unsettled state of society; but the vital element of permanent
strength and l