ith in the permanency of the good
which the apostolic Walker was doing at Truro. Much as he esteemed Venn
of Huddersfield, he could not be content to leave the parish in his
hands. He expressed himself very strongly to Adam of Winteringham on the
futility of his work in his parish. He utterly rejected Walker's advice
that he should induce some of his itinerant preachers to be ordained and
to settle in country parishes. He thought that this would not only
narrow their sphere of usefulness, but also cripple their energies even
in that contracted sphere. Mistaken as we may believe him to have been
in these opinions, we cannot doubt his thorough sincerity. In the slight
collision into which he was necessarily brought with the Evangelical
clergy by acting upon these views he was actuated by no vulgar desire to
make himself a name by encroaching upon other men's labours, but solely
by the conviction that he must do the work of God in the best way he
could, no matter whom he might offend or alienate by so doing. Order and
regularity were good things in their way, but better do the work of God
irregularly than let it be half-done or undone in the regular way.[725]
He predicted that even the earnest parochial clergy of his day would
prove a mere rope of sand--a prophecy which subsequent events will
scarcely endorse.

Not that John Wesley ever desired to upset the parochial system. From
first to last he consistently maintained his position that his work was
not to supplant but to supplement the ordinary work of the Church. This
supplementary agency formed so important a factor in the Evangelical
revival, and its arrangement was so characteristic of John Wesley, that
a few words on the subject seem necessary. It would fill too much space
to describe in detail the constitution of the first Methodist societies.
It is now purposed to consider them simply in their relation to their
founder. The most superficial sketch of the life and character of John
Wesley would be imperfect if it did not touch upon this subject; for,
after all, it is as the founder, and organiser, and ruler of these
societies that John Wesley is best known. There were connected with the
Evangelical revival other writers as able, other preachers as effective,
other workers as indefatigable, as he was; but there were none who
displayed anything like the administrative talent that he did. From
first to last Wesley held over this large and ever-increasing agency an
abs