g any
nearer together. Indeed, as might naturally have been expected, they
only fell more widely asunder, and after a while the difference of
opinion grew to something like a personal estrangement. Wesley had
already broken away from spiritual communion with some of his old
friends, the Moravians. Probably he felt all the stronger for his own
work now that he stood as a leader all but alone. He walked his own
wild road; Whitefield took a path for himself. Wesley soon found that
he was gaining more followers than he had lost. He had to adopt the
practice of employing lay preachers; it was a matter of necessity to
his task. He could not induce many clergymen to work under his
guidance and after his fashion. The movement was spreading all over
the country. Wesley became the centre and light of his wing of the
campaign. The machinery of his organization was simple and strong. A
conference was called together every year, which was composed of
preachers selected by Wesley. These formed his cabinet or central
board, and lent their authority to his decisions.

This was the germ of the great Wesleyan organization, which has since
become so powerful, and has spread itself so widely over Great Britain
and the American States. The preachers were sent by Wesley from one
part of the country to another, just as he thought best; and it never
occurred to any missionary to refuse, remonstrate, or even delay. The
system was admirable; the discipline was perfect. Wesley was as
completely in command of his body of missionaries as the general of the
order of Jesuits is of those over whom he is called to exercise
control. The humblest of the Wesleyan preachers caught something,
caught indeed very much, of the energy, the courage, the devotion, the
self-sacrifice, of their great leader. No doubt there were many errors
and offences here and there. Good taste, sobriety of judgment,
prudence, common-sense, were now and then offended. Most of the
preachers were {141} ignorant men, who had nothing but an untaught
enthusiasm and a rude, uncouth eloquence to carry them on. They had to
preach to multitudes very often more ignorant and uncouth than
themselves. It would be absolutely impossible under such conditions
that there should not sometimes be offence, and, as Hamlet says, "much
offence too." But there was no greater departure from the lines of
propriety and good taste than any one who took a reasonable view of the
whole wo