g preachers; while the whole body was placed under the
absolute government of a Conference of ministers. But so long as he
lived, the direction of the new religious society remained with Wesley
alone. "If by arbitrary power," he replied with charming simplicity to
objectors, "you mean a power which I exercise simply without any
colleagues therein, this is certainly true, but I see no hurt in it."

[Sidenote: Results of the movement.]

The great body which he thus founded numbered a hundred thousand members
at his death, and now counts its members in England and America by
millions. But the Methodists themselves were the least result of the
Methodist revival. Its action upon the Church, as we shall see later,
broke the lethargy of the clergy who, under the influence of the
"Evangelical" movement, were called to a loftier conception of their
duties; while a powerful moral enthusiasm appeared in the nation at
large. A new philanthropy reformed our prisons, infused clemency and
wisdom into our penal laws, abolished the slave-trade, and gave the
first impulse to popular education.

[Sidenote: Revival of France.]

From the new England which was springing up about him, from that new
stir of national life and emotion of which the Wesleyan revival was but
a part, Walpole stood utterly aloof. National enthusiasm, national
passion, found no echo in his cool and passionless good sense. The
growing consciousness in the people at large of a new greatness, its
instinctive prevision of the coming of a time when England was to play a
foremost part in the history of the world, the upgrowth of a nobler and
loftier temper which should correspond to such a destiny, all were alike
unintelligible to him. In the talk of patriotism and public virtue he
saw mere rant and extravagance. "Men would grow wiser," he said, "and
come out of that." The revival of English religion he looked on with an
indifference lightly dashed with dread as a reawakening of fanaticism
which might throw new obstacles in the way of religious liberty. In the
face of the growing excitement therefore he clung as doggedly as ever to
his policy of quiet at home and peace abroad. But peace was now
threatened by a foe far more formidable than Spain. What had hitherto
enabled England to uphold the settlement of Europe as established at the
Peace of Utrecht was above all the alliance and backing of France. But
it was clear that such an alliance could hardly be a permanent one.