At no time had the Church of England any con-
trol over the Methodist societies, the Methodist
chapels and schools, or the Methodist Conference.
The Established Church had not, through convoca-
tion, bishop or archbishop, or in any other way,



WksIvBy's Early Plans. 21

exercised control over the Methodist movement. It
never had belonged to the Establishment, though a
number of its ministers had been regularly ordained
clergymen of the State Church. Many of the mem-
bers of the societies were connected with the parish
Church, but other individuals in the societies never
had any relation with the Church of England.
As an organization, Wesleyan Methodism never
was connected with or under the control of the State
Church. As it always had been distinct, it could not
be severed from it. What it required was not sepa-
ration, but a provision for its legal perpetuation.
There are many kinds of evidence to prove that
Mr. Wesley never designed that it should be absorbed,
or that it should be permitted to evaporate. As long
as he lived and preserved his mental vigor, he could
hold both preachers and people together; but he saw
that serious difficulties might arise when death re-
moved him from their midst.
The matter appeared to cost him much anxiety.
The rules for the societies had become well understood,
and the general economy of Methodism was well
settled. In the Conferences Mr. Wesley had given
the preachers a training which would be helpful
when the time for self-government arrived, and yet
there were many contingencies for which provision
should be made.
