shall show in our next paper, a Bible, or even a complete copy of the Gospels, was a treasure rarely found in the hands of even the richest laymen. Cap-Preaching in the Church. "A GOOD deal has been said lately about the use of laymen, lay assistants, lay readers, lay almoners, and now, at last, lay preachers. We believe that all the clergy have been sounded on the point, and no objection offered to a large use of well-selected and duly authorized laymen. Of course this really comes to a new order of ministers, free to exercise secular callings, incapable of what is called 'the cure of souls,' not tied to residence, and generally enjoying more liberty than it is expedient to allow to those who undertake the care of souls. No one can doubt that in many parishes, particularly town parishes, there are many laymen well qualified in all respects to assist the clergyman in his work. From the primitive times, and even late down in the Apostolic ages, it would be impossible to produce any argument against this proposal. Nor do we know from what quarter the objection would come in these days. Here is the work to be done; here are the persons to do it. Almost everywhere are to be found gentlemen, and others of at least an educated class, who are good Christians, who are scholars, possibly better scholars than their own clergy, who can read well and speak well, and whose lives are a sufficient testimony to their disinterested zeal. Nobody with the Apostolic Epistles in his hands can say that these persons may not teach, preach, and pray in public, even if they are still laymen in the ordinary sense of the word. Take a parish of 20,000 souls, with the incumbent always engaged in committee business or paper work, and the curate found nowhere because he is wanted everywhere,―are we to wait till in the course of time Providence shall send 3007. a-year a-piece for half a dozen licensed curates, when there are already half a dozen laymen well qualified to take their part in the spiritual duties of the parish? Of course, they would have to be recognized; it would be necessary, and they would wish it themselves. But there would be no difficulty about that. If the suggestion, in which, we believe, most, if not all the bishops have concurred more or less, seems to infringe on a sacred monopoly, we can only say that without some such plan the work will never be done-no, not even with the unasked-for aid of all the ministers of a dozen rival denominations." These are the words, in an able leader of the Times of October 13, on lay-preaching in the Church. We were not a little glad to read them. If the Times, having taken up the subject, will press it home to a practical conclusion, it will do more than can be done in any other way to revive the Church of England, promote its efficiency, and meet an earnest and pressing need of the day. In the year 1857, now more than fourteen years ago, we dedicated a volume of sermons to the then Bishop of London, now the Archbishop of Canterbury. In the preface to that volume we entered at some length on the subject of lay-preaching in the Church of England. The volume is out of print; instead, therefore, of referring to that preface, we reprint it, and shall be glad in this or in any other way to promote laypreaching in the Church: Why did not those dullest of all editors (otherwise men of considerable ability), the Rev. Dr. Redford, of Worcester, and the Rev. John Angell James, of Birmingham, give us the Rev. William Jay's opinions, &c., of the early Methodist lay-preachers? We cannot believe there was nothing about them found among his numerous papers. In conversation, the old man was quite at home upon the subject, and would warm up to enthusiasm while talking of them. He told the writer, a few years before his death, they were engaging much of his attention, and that he intended to give them a niche in his autobiography. In his youth, he was their contemporary, and knew many of them; indeed, he lived and laboured in the neighbourhood where some of their chief victories were won. He would particularly notice their originality and power-though "ignorant and unlearned men "—both in scholastic theology and general literature. In his autobiography, speaking of the religious character of the early Methodists, Mr. Jay says: "The Sabbath was their delight, and they numbered the days till its arrival. And as to the poor of them— 'Though pinched with poverty at home, With sharp afflictions daily fed; It made amends, if they could come To God's own house for heavenly bread.' Nor were these services only pleasing to them in the performance; they were remembered and talked over for days and weeks after. For the sermons they heard, if not highly polished, left effects which were as goads, and as nails fastened in a sure place, by the hand of the Master of assemblies. They also seemed to have more veneration for the Scriptures; and to peruse them with more directness, simplicity, and docility—for the Bible, as yet, had not been turned into a work of science, rather than of faith; and of everlasting criticism, rather than of devotion; nor were thousands of tutors and multitudes of volumes found necessary to explain a simple book, designed for the 'poor' and the 'common people,' by the only wise God himself." in Sermons, which produced these effects, must have had some power them; right or wrong, it is acknowledged by all, they produced a marked and general influence upon the religious life of the nation. We could have wished, in a life of Mr. Jay, accompanied "with reminiscences of some distinguished contemporaries and selections from his correspondence," a much more extended notice of the remarkable men who preached those sermons; for a part of Mr. Jay's life was spent amongst them, and he was a man of discriminating observation. We cannot help thinking there are some things yet to be found in his papers upon this subject which the public would be glad to receive. A manuscript containing heads of sermons has lately come into our hands, composed, written, and used by one of the early Methodist preachers, who was destitute of education, even of its elementary principles, but ". was a popular preacher," and "the common people heard him gladly." It appears to have been well used-probably he carried it about with him in his pocket, when he went to preach, to refresh his memory. It is a curiosity in its way. The spelling, apparently from necessity, is on the principle which not long since, from choice, made its appearance in the Fonetic Nuz. We vouch for its authenticity, and here present our readers with a faithful copy, printed verbatim et literatim. If the orthography and arrangement of these "Heads" were done into modern style, they would not look much worse than many of the pretentious volumes of skeletons-very many and very dry-which are sent into the world with the kind intention of helping ministers of the present day in the composition of their sermons. We shall not attempt to show in what way this publication may be useful, except by saying there is one subject on which it has a direct bearing— the employment of lay-agency in the diffusion of the Gospel-a question which, at the present time, is exciting great attention in ecclesiastical bodies, and especially in the Church of England. We wish, therefore, to ask, if sermons of this order, by laymen, helped to do the great work which Methodism accomplished in our land from fifty to one hundred years ago, might not something better, and more adapted to our present national circumstances, be produced almost immediately by the hosts of pious and well-informed laymen in the Church of England and other religious bodies, to help in the great work of evangelization which demands attention amidst the masses perfectly indifferent to the Gospel in the metropolis and large cities and towns of the kingdom? Certain we are, such men would have more influence with the masses than "The things that mount the rostrum with a skip, And, with a well-bred whisper, close the scene." It is probable there will be some hesitation on the part of the bishops and other clergy in the employment of lay agency at the first; but, if they be wise enough to adopt it, they will find the new element perfectly under their control, and that it will prove one of the most powerful auxiliaries of modern times to make the Church a popular institution. The Church of England, by neglecting to employ her laymen as preachers, is allowing Dissent to run away with her strength; and, what is more, is allowing the multitude to grow up, live, and die, without the Gospel and Christian worship. The working man is neglected by the Church, and is a prey to political demagogues and infidel brawlers, who, by threepenny "Sunday Lectures," fatten upon his destruction. The Church cannot neglect this subject longer, except at her peril. If the Church ever really be in danger," it will not be from the assaults of her opponents, but from her own marvellous mistakes and criminal indiffer ence. What would Wesleyan Methodism have been without its lay-preachers ? From the day of their enlistment, it was no longer the Methodist preachers' -but their own-concern. The Welsh Calvinistic Methodists could not have conquered the principality but by laymen and the Gospel. The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion has turned all its preachers, formerly itinerant, into "stated ministers," and has thereby thrown layagency nearly aside, and, by suicidal mismanagement, has well-nigh, as a religious body, become extinct. The Congregationalists-both independent and Baptist-are half-starving hundreds of their poorer ministers in country chapels. To effect this, they sink large sums of money annually through their Home Missionary Societies, and neglect lay-agency. If, instead of this, these societies were to select their best preachers, place them in the larger chapels in populous districts, and give them a band of efficient lay-preachers to circulate around the principal station, what a wonderful change would be produced by their instrumentality! Lay-preachers are employed by the Congregationalists in some places with remarkable success: it would be still greater if "the laymen " were under the control of the minister, and he were to go heartily into the work, and if the selfish churches and congregations would allow their minister to preach occasionally, but regularly, in the smaller chapels, and would accept the laymen as his substitutes. Do not let us hear any more of their zeal for "the glory of God" and the "good of souls," if they any longer refuse to do this. To pay a guinea a-year for a well-cushioned seat, drop a pittance into the "quarterly collections," and pay a few miserable subscriptions to the "missionary" and other societies-to go to chapel once or twice on the Sunday-enjoy a literary repast or a Gospel feast, and then stand up and sing, "Were the whole realm of nature mine," &c., and refuse, positively refuse, either to go or to permit others of their brethren to go and preach to the multitude, just because they will not submit to the self-denialif, indeed, it be so--of exchanging the services of their own minister for those of a layman—were it not so immensely injurious, would be extremely ludicrous. It is either a piece of religious simpletonism, or a bare-faced imposition. These people's heads must be very thick, or their hearts are. We are rather inclined to take it as an affair of the head, and that they have need to pray, as we are told one of their members did once, at one of their weekly prayer-meetings, "O Lord, solomonize our minds." "Jethro," a book written a few years ago, by the Rev. Dr. Campbell, of London, on lay-agency, has something in it, unless we are greatly mistaken, which the Congregationalists would do well to practise at once. While that book is extant, Congregationalists will not go wrong for the want of good advice. But to return to the main question. Will the Church of England or ganize, under the sanction of the Bishops, an agency of lay-preachers? or will the bishops permit rectors, vicars, and curates, at their discretion, to call out laymen to preach? The Rev. O. T. Dobbin, a clergyman of the Irish Church, in a little book, entitled "Wesley the Worthy," maintains that John Wesley made the "grand discovery" of lay-preaching, which, he goes on to say, 66 a thing unknown." This is simply not true. That remark period," was 66 up to that able woman, "the Countess of Huntingdon," was the person who made the 66 discovery." After it was made, the person who at first raised the strongest objection was this same John Wesley himself. The first example of lay preaching appears to have been set by a Mr. Bowers. Once after Mr. Whitfield had preached a sermon in Islington Churchyard, Mr. Bowers got up to address the people. "Charles Wesley entreated him to desist, but his entreaties were disregarded. Mr. Bowers preached again in the streets of Oxford, and after a severe reproof from Charles Wesley, confessed that he had done wrong, and promised he would do so no more. 66 Lady Huntingdon at this time (1739) was a constant attendant at Fetter-lane, and a member of the first Methodist society formed in that place. Having frequently heard Mr. Maxfield pray, she at length urged him to expound the Scriptures. He was remarkably useful, and excited the astonishment of those who heard him. Her ladyship having heard him several times with pleasure and profit, wrote to Mr. Wesley, in terms of high commendation: ‘I never mentioned to you that I have seen Maxfield; he is one of the greatest instances of God's peculiar favour that I know; he is reared from the stones to sit among the princes of his people. He is my astonishment. The first time I made him expound, expecting little from him, I sat over against him, and thought what a power of God must be with him. His power is quite extraordinary.' "From expounding to preaching is an easy step. It is certain Mr. Wesley had not the most distant idea of his attempting to preach, nor does it appear Mr. Maxfield had any such intention himself. Being fervent in spirit and mighty in the Scriptures, he greatly profited the people. Multitudes crowded to hear him, and by the increasing of their number and urgent entreaties of Lady Huntingdon, he was insensibly led to go further than he at first designed, and at last began to preach. The Lord so blessed his word that many were not only deeply awakened and brought to repentance, but were also made happy in a consciousness of pardon. The Scripture marks of true conversion, inward peace, and power to walk in all holiness, evinced a work of God. Mr. Maxfield having thus, as some thought, usurped the sacred office without a regular call, gave great offence to many; and however successful his preaching, it was represented to Mr. Wesley as an irregularity which it required his presence to put a stop to, and he was requested to hasten to London without delay, in order to arrest the evil in its progress. His mother lived at that time in his house adjoining the foundry. Perceiving marks of displeasure in the countenance of her son on his arrival, she inquired the cause. He warmly replied, 'Thomas Maxfield has turned preacher, I find.' Mrs. Wesley looked at him seriously, and said, 'John, you know what my sentiments have been ; you cannot suspect me of favouring readily anything of this kind; but take care what you do with respect to that young man, for he is as surely called of God to preach as you are. Examine what have been the fruits of his preaching, and hear him also yourself.' He heard Mr. Maxfield preach, and expressed at once his satisfaction and his sanction by saying, 'It is the Lord; let Him do what seemeth to Him good.' He saw that it impossible to prevent his followers from preaching, and with admirable was |