Dr. Wordsworth, Bishop of Lincoln, presided yesterday week at a
meeting in Lincoln, to hear a lecture on the life and times of John Wesley. At the conclusion of the lecture, he greatly eulo- gised Wesley, especially for saying that none of his followers who had not received Ordersin the Church of England should administer the Sacraments. That view the Bishop of Lincoln eagerly adopted; and calmly proposed to the Wesleyans to rejoin the Church on these terms,—that all the Wesleyan ministers should be regarded- as mere laymen, unless ordained by the Bishops of an Apostolic Church. If they would recognise the purely lay character of their preachers, he, even he, the Lord Bishop of Lincoln, would not ob- ject to join their congregations. "That was the olive-branch he held out, but he would not let them administer the Sacraments." That is indeed an olive-branch just big enough for a wren. If they give up everything, and the Church gives up nothing, the Lord Bishop of Lincoln will not any longer account them schismatic, and will condone their past sins in pretending to administer sacraments that were no sacraments. Could he ask more of any sect than to give up all that distinguishes it from the Church, whether that be much or little ? We should doubt whether even the exciting prospect of worshipping under the Lord Bishop of Lincoln will take the Wesleyaus back to the Church on such uninviting terms.
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