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GENERAL CONTENTS.

VOL. III.

1768.

PAGE

Whitefield — Berridge — Countess of Buchan — Conversation — Original Letter by Fletcher — Yearly Collection — Wesley's first Visit to Chatham — Methodist Jottings — Methodism in Congleton, etc. — Wesley's Credulity — Christian Perfection — Skirmishes before the Battle— Wesley's Will— Rev. Thomas Adam— Fletcher of Made- ley — Singing — Illness of Wesley's Wife — Preaching and Trading — How to revive Religion — Witness of the Spirit — Spitalfields Chapel — Laurence Coughlan — Methodism at Taunton, Frome, and Oxford — Chapel Debts — Remarks on Books — Expulsion of Oxford Students —College at Trevecca— Wesley's Publications — John Wilkes . 1 — 38

1769.

Political Excitement — Whitefield — Female Preaching — Wesley in Ireland — Hugh Saunderson — Conference of 1769 — Methodism in America — Scheme to perpetuate Methodism — Anniversary of Tre- vecca College — "Shepherd of Salisbury Plain" — Calvinian Con- troversy— Wesley's Publications 39 — 57

1770.

Remarks on Books — Christian Perfection — Whitefield's College in Georgia — Riding on Horseback — Lady Glenorchy — Methodism in Sweden — Methodism at Yeadon and Loughborough — Conference of 1770 — Doctrinal Minutes — Calvinian Controversy — Death of Whitefield — Original Letters — Wesley's Publications — Toplady 58—83

1771.

Rev. Richard De Courcy — Sounds of coming Battle — Wesley and the Gospel Magazine — Letter to Lady Huntingdon — Shirley's Circular —Original Letter by Fletcher — Calvinian Controversy — Methodist Discipline — Female Preaching — Wesley's Publications . . 84 — 113

1772.

Slavery — Methodism at Poplar — Correspondence with Mr. Sparrow — Methodism at Leek and Nantwich — David Hume — Ministerial

iv General Contents.

PAGE

Responsibility — Medical Examination— Revivals in Everton and Weardale — Conference of 1 772 — Cornelius Winter — Ceaseless Labours — National Distress and its Remedies — The Christian Community— Calvinian Controversy — Wesley's Publications 1 14—146

1773. American Rebellion — Wesley's proposed Successor — Methodism in America and Antigua — Itinerancy— Chapel Debts — Wesley and his Carriage — Wesley's Book Property — Conference of 1773— Feast and Fast Days — Communion of Saints — Calvinian Controversy — Wesley's Publications 147 — 162

1774. Wesley's Health — Rev. David Simpson — Methodism at Bury — Wesley in Scotland — A Marvellous Escape — Ghosts and Witches — " The Fool of Quality" — Wesley and an Artist — Methodism in America and Newfoundland — Conference of 1774 — Norwich Methodism — An Adventure — Calvinian Controversy — Wesley's Publications — Slavery 163 — 184

1775. National Exfcilement — American War of Independence — Death of Teeter Bohler — Wesley dangerously 111 in Ireland — Congratulations — Giving Advice — Conference of 1775 — Calvinian Controversy — William Pine — Wesley's Publications 185 — 21 1

1776.

Fletcher travelling with Wesley— Dr. Coke — Enforcing Discipline

Methodism in London — City Road Chapel — Plan of London Circuit in 1792 — London Circuit Book — Methodism at Chesterfield — Conference of 1776 — Cantankerous Methodists— Methodism in

the Isle of Man — Quarrelling Schoolboys — Wesley's Wife

Wesley's Publications — Wesley's Loyalty . 212—231;

1777.

American Rebellion— Dr. Dodd— City Road Chapel— Rev. Edward Smyth— Catastrophe at Colne— "A Snug Circuit "— " Are the Methodists a fallen People?"— John Hilton— Fletcher at the Conference of 1777— Methodism in America— Francis Asbury— Arminian Magazine — Bishop Lowth — " Strangers' Friend So- ciety "—Rowland Hill attacks Wesley— Gospel Magazzne~Cal- vinian Controversy— Wesley's Publications 236—260

1778.

Thomas Maxfield — Infamous Publications — Death of Toplady .

National Alarm — Separation from the Church — Conference of

General Contents.

PAGE

1778 — Stationing Preachers — Mission to Africa proposed — Duncan McAllum — John Baxter embarks for Antigua — Opening of City Road Chapel — Rev. James Creighton — Discipline — Dissenters — Silas Told — Proposals for Arminian Magazine— -Errata . 261 — 2S5

1779.

National Alarm — Prayer and Fasting — Death of Voltaire — William Shent in trouble — Methodism at Oldham and Padiham — The Angel at Halifax — Methodism at Inverness — James Bosweli — Methodism at Hinckley and Coventry — Thomas Maxfield — Jea- lousies— Charles Wesley and the London Preachers — Conference of 1779 — Alexander McNab and Rev. Edward Smyth at Bath — Wesley's right to Rule — Charles Wesley and McNab — Calvinian Controversy — "Naval and Military Bible Society" — Wesley's Publications — Popery 286 — 317

1780.

The Protestant Association — Wesley's Letters on Popery — Rev. Arthur O'Leary — Wesley visits Lord George Gordon— Methodism at Delph — Wesley asks a Favour — Methodism at Pateley, Ripon, Newark, etc. — Conference of 1780 — Separation from the Church, — Methodism in America — Letter to Bishop Lowth — Heresy of Dr. Watts — Rev. Brian Bury Collins — Original Letters — Oldham Street Chapel, Manchester — Sir Harry Trelawney — Jacob Behmen — " The Fool of Quality " — Wesley's Publications 318 — 341

1781.

Wesley's Nephews, Charles and Samuel — Wesley writing Sermons — Samuel Bardsley and Sheffield Chapel — Methodism at Manchester and Bolton — Molly Charlton — Methodism at Preston — Fair weather Preachers — Rev. William Dodwell — Sleep — Letters to Wesley's Niece — Wesley's Nephews — Conference of 1 781— William Hey — Death of Wesley's Wife — Letter to a Statesman — Wesley's Publications 345 — 368

1782.

Methodist Tract Society — Lovefeast at Macclesfield — Sir Walter Scott — Conference of 1782 — Birstal Chapel Case — Rev. Thomas Davenport — Rev. Mr. Thompson — John Trembath — Adam Clarke — "The Dairyman's Daughter" — Wesley's Publications — Jacob Behmen 369 — 389

1783. Preachers forbidden to be Classleaders — Wesley ill — Trip to Hol- land— Kingswood School — William Black and Nova Scotia — A Rejected Candidate — Methodism at Stafford — Wesley and the Poor— Weslev's Publications 390—407

vi General Contents.

' ^ PA.GB

A Seven Months' Journey— Morning Preaching— Itinerancy— Child- ren at Stockton— Methodism at Burnley— Sunday Schools— Con- ference of 1784— Deed of Declaration— Ordination of Preachers for America — Two Clergymen become Dissenters— Ordination of Preachers for Scotland, etc.— Letters on Wesley's Ordinations- Wesley a Dissenter — Methodism at Shrewsbury — Dancing — Letter to Hon. William Pitt— Wesley's Publications — First Race of Methodist Preachers 408—457

1785.

William Moore — Wesley in Ireland — Spread of Methodism — Death of Perronet and Fletcher — Conference of 1785 — The oldest Methodist now living — Thomas Wride and his Colleagues at Norwich — Separation from the_Church — Wesley's Publications — Dress 458—470

1786.

Wesley on the Wing — Scotch Methodists a distinct Church — Methodism at Barnsley — Wesley at Sheffield and Wentworth House— Methodism at Ilkestone — Conference of 1786 — Separation from the Church — First Methodist Missionary Report — Proposed Missions to India — Wesley's "Studying Hours" — Dr. Leifchild — Wesley's Publications 471 — 489

1787.

Separation from the Church — Begging for the Poor — Revival at

Burslem — Wesley in Ireland— A Methodist Shoemaker Howard

the Philanthropist— Conference of 1787— Separation from the Church — Sir Robert Peel — Sunday Schools— Singing A Coach- load of Methodist Preachers — Visit to the Channel Islands- Jonathan Crowther— Antislavery Society— Joseph Entwisle and Richard Reece— Simeon catechizing Wesley— Licensing Chapels and Preachers— Separation from the Church— Wesley's Popularity —Wesley's Publications— Dress— Diversions— Riches . . /90— 520

1788.

Wesley on his Style— Sunday Schools— Prayer Meetings— Death of Charles Wesley— Consecration of Burial Grounds— Incidents Bristol— Chapel at Dumfries— Methodist Membership— A Norther1 Fanatic— An Early Breakfast— Demoniacs— A Young Poetess— Sepaxatiojxfrom the Church— End of the World— Conference of 1 788 —Methodist Prayer Book— Preachers stripped of their Gown and

Bands — Dewsbury Chapel Case — John Atlay and William Eels

Itinerancy — Wesley without a Sermon — Wesley's Publications 521 rf.

General Contents. vii

1789.

PAGE

Romney's Portrait of Wesley — Anecdotes of Wesley — Commotion at Dublin — Separation_fro_m the Church — Rebellions — Thomas Hanby — An Irish Dinner Party — Walter Churchey — A Session of Methodist " Elders" — Conference of 1789 — A Conference Sermon — Gwennap Pit — " The lovely Family at Balham " — Mount Plea- sant Chapel, Liverpool — Methodism at Bideford — V/esley's Publications— Wesley warning rich Methodists ...... 565 — 595

1790.

French Revolution — A Five Months' Journey — Rev. Joseph Easter- brook — A Three Months' Preaching Plan — Methodism at Stour- port — Sunday Schools — Death of a Mocker — A Backslider Healed — Adam Clarke — A Yorkshire Cavalcade — Separation from thg_ Church;— Wesley's Benefactions — Wesley's Last Will — Conference of 1790— Progress of Methodism— Ruffled Shirts— A Dublin Revival — Christian Perfection — Wesley's last Out-door Sermon — A Shoemaker and a Sheep Stealer — Henry Crabb Robinson — Crabbe, the Poet — A Large Circuit — Wesley's Publications— Reparation fjwn„jth_e„_ Church— Rich Methodists Warned— Wesley's last Words to the Methodists 597 — 642

1 79 r.

Letters— Female Preaching — Wesley's last Letters— Wesley's last Week of Public Labour — Wesley's last Letter — Wesley's last Song on Earth — Wesley's Death— The Funeral — Proposed Monu- ment in Westminster Abbey — Wesley's Personal Appearance, Scholarship, Knowledge, Writings, Preaching, Companionship, Piety, and Industry 643 — 660

THE LIFE AND TIMES

OF

THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, M.A.

1768.

DURING the year 1768, Charles Wesley, with his ^ brother's full concurrence, removed his family from Age 65 Bristol to London, which henceforth was his place of resi- dence.1 Whitefield spent the first half of the year in the metropolis. In July, he set out for Scotland ; but, about a month after, returned to London to inter his wife, who died on August 9. His health was somewhat feeble ; but he con- tinued to itinerate and preach to the utmost of his power. His orphan house in America, and Lady Huntingdon's college at Trevecca, demanded his attention, and had it. He and Wesley were still warm hearted friends ; and yet there seems to have been a shade of coldness come over them. Hence the following, written when the year was closing.

"Tabernacle, December 28, 1768.

" Reverend and very dear Sir, — Pray have you or I committed the unpardonable sin, because we differ in particular cases, and act accord- ing to our consciences ? I imagine the common salvation is not promoted by keeping at such a distance. Enemies rejoice. Halfway friends espe- cially are pleased.

" You will be glad to hear, that the time for completing the orphan house affair seems to be come. Do you know of a good, judicious, spiritual tutor? Will you, without delay, make the first present of your works to the library ? 1 hope wc shall have a nursery for true Christian ministers. I know you will say Amen. Yesterday I was fifty-four years old. God be merciful to me a sinner ! Though you are older, I trust you will not gut the start of me, by going to heaven, before, reverend and very dear sir, less than the least of all, „ George whitefield." =

1 C. Wesley's Life, vol. ii., p. 242. 2 Methodist Magazine, 1783, p. 684.

VOL. III.

Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 Another letter, of the same kind, was addressed to Wesley, Age 65 on New Year's day, by Jiis old friend at Everton.

"Everton, January I, 1768.

" Dear Sir, — I see no reason why we should keep at a distance, whilst we continue servants of the same Master, and especially when Lot's herds- men are so ready to lay their staves on our shoulders. Though my hand has been mute, my heart is kindly affected towards you. I trust we agree in essentials ; and, therefore, should leave each other at rest with his circumstantials. I am weary of all disputes, and desire to know nothing but Jesus ; to love Him, trust Him, and serve Him ; to choose and find Him my only portion. I would have Him my meat, my drink, my clothing, my sun, my shield, my Lord, my God, my all. Amen.

" When I saw you in town, I gave you an invitation to Everton ; and I now repeat it, offering you very kindly the use of my house and church. The Lord accompany you in all your journeys ! Kind love to your brother. Adieu !

"John Berridge."1

At the close of the year 1767, the Earl of Buchan died triumphing in the faith of Christ. He had been in the habit of hearing Whitefield, the Wesleys, and others, at Bath, and hac^felt their ministry a blessing. His last words were, " Happy, happy, happy ! " The inscription upon his coffin run thus: "His life was honourable, his death blessed; he sought earnestly peace with God, — he found it with unspeak- able joy, alone in the merits of Christ Jesus, witnessed by the Holy Spirit to his soul.-"* His countess dowager was a woman of deep piety, of elegant taste, and of great genius. She was the mother of a numerous family, and appointed Venn, Berridge, and Wesley her domestic chaplains. This was done through the intervention of Lady Huntingdon,3 to whom Wesley addressed the following letter.

" London, January 4, 1768.

"MY dear LADY -I am obliged to your ladyship, and to Lady Buchan, for such a mark of your regard as I did not at all expect. I purpose to return her ladyship thanks by this post.

"That remark is very striking, as well as just;— If it is the Holy Spirit that bears witness, then all speaking against that Witness is one species of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. And when this is done by those who profess to honour Him, it must in a peculiar manner o-rieve that

1 Meihodist Magazine, 1857, p. 616. - " Life and Times of Countess of Huntingdon," vol. itJ n I7

3 Ibid. vol. ii., p. 427.

Wesley, Chaplain to Cottntess of Buchan. 3

blessed Spirit. Yet, I have* been surprised to observe how many, who 1768 affirm salvation by faith, have lately run into this ; running full into — - Mr. Sandeman's notion, that faith is merely an assent to the Bible ; and ** •* not only undervaluing, but even ridiculing, the whole experience of the children of God. I rejoice, that your ladyship is still preserved from that spreading contagion, and also enabled plainly and openly to avow the plain, old, simple, unfashionable gospel.

" Wishing your ladyship many happy years, I' remain, my dear lady, your very affectionate servant,

"John Wesley.'"1

A few months after this, Wesley went to Scotland, where the Countess of Buchan resided, and there wrote, and probably preached, his remarkable sermon, "The Good Steward," in which, with great emphasis, he lays down the doctrine, that we hold in trust our souls, our bodies, our goods, and all our other talents ;. and, for the use of them, must render an account at the judgment seat of Christ. This was dealing faithfully with his noble patroness, as well as with others; for the sermon was immediately published in i2mo, 24 pages, with the title, " The Good Steward. A Sermon, by John Wesley, Chaplain to the Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of Buchan."

Wesley was not the man to be elated by being noticed by the rich, the noble, and the great. He was thankful for their help ; but far from being proud of their approbation. Many of his most trusted friends were poor and mean in reference to this world's goods ; but, at the same time, were possessed of riches incomparably superior to all the gold existing. The following letter, addressed to Fletcher of Madeley, though a month or two out of its chronological order, refers to these and to other matters.

"Birmingham, March 20, 1768.

"DEAR Sir, — Mr. Eastbrook told me yesterday, that you are sick of the conversation even of them who profess religion, — that you find it quite unprofitable, if not hurtful, to converse with them, three or four hours together, and are sometimes almost determined to shut yourself up, as the less evil of the two.

" I do not wonder at it at all, especially considering with whom you have chiefly conversed for some time past, namely, the hearers of Mr. Madan, or Mr. Bourian, perhaps I might add, of Mr. Whitefield. The conversing with these I have rarely found to be profitable to my soul.

1 Methodist Magazine, 1S57, p. 693.

B 2

Life and Times of Wesley.

Tj68 Rather it has damped my desires; it has cooled my resolutions, and I ~ ~ have commonly left them with a dry, dissipated spirit.

"And how can you expect it to* be otherwise ? For do we not naturally catch their spirit with whom we converse ? And what spirit can we ex- pect them to be of, considering the preaching they sit under? Some happy exceptions I allow ; but, in general, do men gather grapes of thorns ? Do they gather constant, universal self denial, the patience of hope, the labour of love, inward and outward self devotion, from the doctrine of absolute decrees, of irresistible grace, of infallible perseverance? Do they gather these fruits from antinomian doctrine ? Or from any that borders upon it ? Do they gather them from that amorous -way of praying to Christ ? or that luscious way of preaching His righteousness ? I never found it so. On the contrary, I have found, that even the precious doctrine of salvation by faith has need to be guarded with the utmost care, or those who hear it will slight both inward and outward holiness.

" I will go a step farther : I seldom find it profitable for me to converse with any who are not athirst for perfection, and who are not big with earnest expectation of receiving it every moment. Now you find nonr of these among those we are speaking of ; but many, on the contrary, who are in various ways, directly and indirectly, opposing the whole work of God, — that work, I mean, which God is carrying on, throughout this king- dom, by unlearned and plain men ; in consequence of which His influence must, in some* measure, be withdrawn from them. Again : you have, for some time, conversed a good deal with the genteel Methodists. Now it matters not a straw what doctrine they hear, — whether they frequent the Lock or West Street. They are, almost all, salt which has lost it^ savour, if ever they had any. They are thoroughly conformed to the maxims, the spirit, the fashions, and customs of the world. Certainly then, ' Nunquam ad eos homines ibis quin minor homo redibis.'

" But were these or those of ever so excellent a spirit, you conversed with them too long. One had need to be an angel, not a man, to con- verse three or four hours at once, to any purpose. In the latter part of such conversation, we shall doubtless lose all the profit we had rained before.

" But have you not a remedy for all this in your hands ? In order to truly profitable conversation, may you not select persons clear both of Calvinism and antinomianism ? not fond of that luscious way of talking but standing in awe of Him they love ; who are vigorously working out their salvation, and are athirst for full redemption, and every moment expecting it, if not already enjoying it ? It is true, these will generally be poor and mean, seldom possessed of either riches or learning, unless there be now and then a rara avis in terris : a Miss March, or Betty Tohnso If you converse with these, humbly and simply, an hour at a time with prayer before and prayer after, you will not complain of the unprofitable- ness of conversation, or find any need of turning hermit.

"As to the conference, at Worcester, on lay preaching, do not

Letters. 5

observe almost all the lay preachers — (1) Are connected with me? 1768

and — (2) Are maintainers of universal redemption ? Hinc UIcb I aery nice!

These gentlemen do not love me, and do love particular redemption. ASe °5 If these laymen were connected with them, or if they were Calvinists, all would be well. Therefore, I should apprehend you will have two things to do : — 1. Urge the argument, the strength of which I believe is in the Second Appeal, and, above all, in the Letter to a Clergyman. 2. Apply to the conscience, 'You do not love Mr. Wesley enough: you love your opinions too much ; otherwise this debate would never have arisen : for it is undeniable, these quacks cure whom we cannot cure, they save sinners all over the nation. God is with them, and works by them, and has done so for near these thirty years. Therefore, the opposing them is neither better nor worse than fighting against God.' " I am your ever affectionate brother,

"John Wesley."1

One more letter may be introduced, before we turn to Wesley's journal. At the beginning of 1768, a third son was born to Charles Wesley, and it was naturally the wish of such a father, that one of his three sons might become a minister of Christ, — a wish, however, that was not realised. Wesley alludes to this, and to the yearly collections and other things, in the following to his brother, showing that Charles either seldom attended conference, or, if he did attend, took little interest in its financial matters.

"London, January 15, 1768.

"Dear Brother, — Six or seven hundred pounds is brought to a conference : of which five hundred at least pays the debt.2 Then extra- ordinary demands are answered. How much remains for law ? I am now near ^300 out of pocket, which I borrowed to pay Mr. Pardon. When I receive some more from Newcastle, I will send it to Bristol; probably very soon.

" It is highly probable, one of the three will stand before the Lord. But, so far as I can learn, such a thing has scarce been for these thousand

1 Manuscript letter.

2 The meaning of this is, that, at least, ^500 of what the Methodists have always technically designated " The Yearly Collection," was, at this period, employed in paying chapel debts. Except that for Kingswood school, this was the only connexional collection that Wesley had ; and he strongly insisted that every Methodist should render it support. In an unpublished letter, addressed to Matthew Lowes, and dated March 11, 1762, Wesley writes : " In the enclosed papers, (which you may read in every society, just before you meet the classes,) you will see the design of the general yearly collection, to which every Methodist in England is to contribute something. If there is any who cannot give a halfpenny a year, another will give it for him."

Life and Times of Wesley.

r768 years, as a son, father, grandfather, atavus, tritavus, preaching the — gospel, nay, and the genuine gospel, in a line. You know, Mr. White, 'ge 5 sometime chairman of the Assembly of Divines, was my grandmother's father.

" Look upon our little ones at Kingswood as often as you can. A word from you will be a quickening to them. Oh how many talents are we en- trusted with. We have need to gird up the loins of our mind, and run faster the small remainder of our race. * One thing t ' — let us mind one thing only ; and nothing great or small, but as it ministers to it ! Peace be with you and yours ! Adieu! "JOHN Wesley."1

Wesley's first journey from London, in 1768, was on the 1 8th of February, to Chatham. Methodism of some sort had existed here for a considerable time. As early as 175 1, the Gentleman's Magazine relates, that a man and his wife at Chatham, both of them being Methodists, had hanged them- selves ; and that, in order to prove the man a lunatic, his friends produced, to the coroner's Jury, the New Testament, on a roll of paper, which the man had written with his blood.2

Wesley writes: "Thursday, February 18 — Having been importunately pressed thereto, I rode through a keen east wind to Chatham. About six in the evening, I preached at the barracks, in what they call the church. It is a large room, in which the chaplain reads prayers, and preaches now and then. It was soon as hot as an oven, through the multitude of people ; some hundreds of whom were soldiers ; and they were ' all ear/ as Mr. Boston says, scarcely allowing themselves to breathe. Even between five and six the next morning, the room was warm enough. I suppose upwards of two hundred soldiers were a part of the audience. Many of these are already warring a good warfare."

This was Wesley's first visit to Chatham ; but not his last. From the beginning, he had loved soldiers, and, to the end, it was always a pleasure to preach to them.

On March 6, he set out on his long northern journey, which occupied the next five months. A few jottings respect- ing it may be acceptable.

At Gloucester, a " noisy and mischievous mob " had been

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 126. 2 Gentleman's Magazine, 175 1, p. 179.

]\Icthodist yottings.

u taken in hand and tamed by an honest magistrate." Chelten- 1768 ham was " a quiet, comfortable place," despite the " rector and a~6s the anabaptist minister." At Worcester, the difficulty was, where to preach, no room being large enough to contain the people, and it being too cold for them to stand in the open air. At length, a friend offered the use of his barn, which "was larger than many churches." " Nothing," says Wesley, " is wanting here but a commodious house." Such a house was built four years afterwards,1 and lasted till 1812, when good old James M'Kee Byron and the Worcester Methodists were mad enough to build another costing upwards of .£8000, the great bulk of which was left to be paid by their successors.2

At Evesham, Wesley preached in the parish church ; and was announced, by the vicar, to do the same at Pebworth ; but " the squire of the parish" interposed an interdict, and therefore he preached in the open air.

At Birmingham, the tumults, of so many years' continuance, were " now wholly suppressed by a resolute magistrate." Here Wesley met " with a venerable monument of antiquity, George Bridgins, in the one hundred and seventh year of his age, still able to walk to preaching, and retaining his senses and understanding tolerably well."

On Sunday, March 20, Wesley preached at West Brom- wich, where a small society of about twenty persons had been kept together by Francis Asbury, a native of a neigh- bouring parish, but afterwards the Methodist bishop of the United States.

Five years before, at Wolverhampton, the mob had levelled the Methodist meeting-house to the ground, and four young fellows concerned in the outrage had been sent to prison ;3 but now, says Wesley " all was quiet : only those who could not isd into the house made a little noise for a time ; and some hundreds attended me to my lodging ; but it was with no other intent than to stare."

Wesley pronounces Newcastle under Lyne "one of the prettiest towns in England." Though it was extremely cold, the largeness of the congregation constrained him to preach in

1 Myles's History. 2 Methodist Magazine, 1825, p. 122; and 1829, p. 585. 3 Gentleman's Magazine, 1 763, p. 463.

3 Life and Times of Wesley,

1768 the open air ; " a more attentive or better behaved congrega-

A^~65 tion " he " scarce ever saw." Sixteen years later, Newcastle

had a society of one hundred and nine members, the leaders

of whom were John Glynn, William Bayley, Robert Keeling,

and Thomas Bamfield.1

At Burslem, on March 25, he opened the new chapel ; and, at Congleton, had " an elegant, yet earnestly attentive con- gregation," the behaviour of the society having won the ap- probation of all the people in the town, except " the curate, who still refused to give the sacrament to any who would not promise to hear the Methodist preachers no more."

For nine years past, the Methodists had been wont to meet in a room provided by Dr. Troutbeck, behind his own re- sidence ; and here they had been subjected to the same sort of outrages that most towns in the kingdom thought it their duty to commit upon the Methodists. Drums were beaten to disturb their services ; dogs were let loose in their congrega- tions ; and rotten eggs and filth were often hurled at them in plentiful profusion ; but, by their godly behaviour, they had outlived all this, and now had a galleried chapel, capable of containing about four hundred persons.

Wesley spent Sunday, March 27, at Macclesfield, where he

preached to " thousands upon thousands." A few years

before, George Pearson and Elizabeth Clulow had opened a

preaching house, which would hold forty people, and which, to

prevent ejectment, they secured to themselves for forty years.

"Ah, George!" said Mrs. Clulow, when they first went into

it, " we shall never be able to fill the place ; why, it will hold

forty folk ;" to which Mr. Pearson replied, "I'll warrant you;

hold up your heart." The result was as George predicted.

In a month the room was crammed, and a hole was cut

through the chamber floor, so that the preacher might, at the

same time, address those above as well as those below. Soon

after this, Mr. Ryles gave ground and materials for a chapel,

on condition that Mrs. Clulow would pay the workmen their

wages for building it. This was done in 1764, and now in

1768, Methodism in Macclesfield was fairly started.2

1 Burslem old circuit book. 2 Manuscript.

Methodism in Liverpool a?id Glasgow. 9

From Macclesfield, Wesley proceeded to Stockport, Man- T760 Chester, and New Mills. He writes : " Wednesday, March 30 ^^65 — I rode to a little town called New Mills, and preached in their large new chapel, which has a casement in every window, three inches square! That is the custom of the country!" This well ventilated chapel was built principally by Mr. and Mrs. Beard, the parents of the wife of the late T. Holy, Esq., of Sheffield.1

Coming to Liverpool, on April 6, Wesley says : " We had a huge congregation at Liverpool ; but some pretty, gay, fluttering things did not behave with so much good manners as the mob at Wigan. The congregations in general were quite well behaved, as well as large, both morning and even- ing ; and I found the society both more numerous and more lively than ever it was before."

One of these " huge congregations," after a sermon by Wesley, on Sunday, April 10, were munificent enough to make a collection amounting to ^"i 4s. gd. ; and the society, which was more numerous and lively than ever, aided by the general congregations, managed to contribute, in their classes and at public collections, from September 1, 1768, to January 16, 1769, the sum of £10 ijs. $d. for the support of the work of God among them.2 Such was Liverpool Methodism a hundred years ago !

On April 19, Wesley arrived in Glasgow, and says : " We have few societies in Scotland like this. The greater part of the members not only have found peace with God, but continue to walk in the light of His countenance. That wise and good man, Mr. Gillies, has been of great service to them, encouraging them to abide in the grace of God." Three years before this, Thomas Taylor had been sent to Glasgow, and, after travelling several hundreds of miles to his appoint- ment, had, as his first congregation, two bakers' boys and two old women, which congregation, however, kept increasing till it reached about two hundred. Taylor tells us, that for want of means he never kept so many fast days as he did in Glasgow ; and, though he ultimately obtained a preaching

1 Methodist Magazine, 1S12, p. 534; and 1843, p. Sy. 2 Liverpool old society book.

io Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 room, and formed a society, and engaged to pay a precentor

a"~65 fourpence for each service at which he led off the psalms, he

found it so difficult to raise the money that he dismissed the

psalms and the psalm singer all together. He left behind

him, however, a society of seventy members.

One of these was Robert Mackie, who, for thirty years, acted as a faithful classleader ; and another was a poor old woman, concerning whom John Pawson, in an unpublished letter, tells the following story. Meeting in the street the minister of the kirk she had been accustomed to attend, she was thus accosted : " Oh, Janet, where have ye been, woman ? I have no seen ye at the kirk for long." "I go," said Janet, "among the Methodists." " Among the Methodists ! " quoth the minister ; " why what gude get ye there, woman ? " " Glory to God ! " replied Janet, "I do get gude; for God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven me aw my sins ! " " Ah, Janet," said the minister, " be not highminded, but fear ; the devil is a cunning adver- sary." " I dunna care a button for the deevil," answered Janet, " I 've gotten him under my feet. I ken the deevil can do muckle deal, but there is ane thing he canna do." " What is that, Janet ? " " He canna shed abroad the love of God in my heart ; and I am sure I 've got it there \ " " Weel, weel ! " replied the good tempered man, " if ye have got there, Janet, hold it fast, and never let it go ! "

Wesley's information was sometimes incorrect. From what he had heard, he expected to find a numerous and lively society at Perth ; but, instead of that, he " found not above two believers, and scarce five awakened persons in it."

At Aberdeen, the society was knit together in peace and love, and the congregations large and deeply attentive ; but, among them, were " many rude, stupid creatures, who knew as little of reason as of religion," and one of whom threw a potato at Wesley.

Having spent a month in Scotland, Wesley reached Berwick on the 1 8th of May, and proceeded to Newcastle, in the neighbourhood of which he employed the next ten days.

At Sunderland, he had an interview with Elizabeth Hobson, a young woman of twenty-four years of age ; and took down, from her own lips, what he properly designates " one of the strangest accounts that he ever read." The substance of it is

Wesley's Credulity. 1 1

to illustrate her assertion, that, from her childhood, when any 1768 of her neighbours died, she used to see them, either just at / Age~6s the time of their decease, or a little previous. He says : > " The well known character of Elizabeth Hobson excludes all suspicion of fraud, and the nature of the circumstances them- selves excludes the possibility of delusion. The reader may believe the narrative if he pleases ; or may disbelieve it, with- out any offence to me. Meantime, let him not be offended if I believe it, till I see better reason to the contrary." After this follow Elizabeth Hobson's bewildering statements.

Wesley has been censured and ridiculed for this credulity. Southey says, " he invalidated his own authority by listen- ing to the most absurd tales and recording them as au- thenticated facts." Did Wesley deserve this ? The reader must not forget the undeniable, though mysterious, super- natural noises in the Epworth rectory. He must also bear in mind, that one of the most striking features in Wesley's religious character was his deep rooted, intense, powerful, and impelling conviction of the dread realities of an unseen world. This great conviction took possession of the man ; he loved it, cherished it, tried to instil it into all his helpers and all his people ; and, without it, he would never have undertaken the Herculean labour, and endured the almost unparalleled op- probrium, that he did. Besides, his own justification of him- self is more easily sneered at than answered. He writes : —

" With my latest breath, will I bear my testimony against giving up to infidels one great proof of the invisible world ; I mean, that of witchcraft and apparitions, confirmed by the testimony of all ages. The English, in general, and, indeed, most of the men of learning in Europe, have given up all accounts of witches and apparitions, as mere old wives' fables. I am sorry for it ; and I willingly take this opportunity of entering my solemn protest against this violent compliment, which so many that believe the Bible pay to those who do not believe it. I owe them no such service. I take knowledge, these are at the bottom of the outcry which has been raised, and with such insolence spread throughout the nation, in direct opposition not only to the Bible, but to the suffrage of the wisest and best of men in all ages and nations. They well know (whether Christians know it, or not) that the giving up witchcraft is, in effect, giving up the Bible ; and they know, on the other hand, that if but one account of the intercourse of men with separate spirits be admitted, their whole castle in the air — deism, atheism, materialism — falls to the ground. I know no reason, therefore, why we should suffer even this weapon to be wrested

12 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 out of our hands. Indeed, there are numerous arguments besides this,

which abundantly confute their vain imaginations. But we need not be

Age 65 hooted out of one ; neither* reason nor religion requires this. One of the capital objections to all these accounts is, * Did you ever see an appari- tion yourself?' No, nor did I ever see a murder ; yet I believe there is such a thing. The testimony of unexceptionable witnesses fully convinces me both of the one and the other." 1

At the same time, it is only fair to add that, though Wesley- was a firm believer in witches and apparitions, he was not the fanatic which some had been before him ; hence, in 1769, he writes: "I read Mr. Glanvill's 'Sadducismus Triumphatus;' but some of his relations I cannot receive, and much less his way of accounting for them. All his talk of ' aerial and astral spirits,' I take to be stark nonsense. Indeed, supposing the facts true, I wonder a man of sense should attempt to account for them at all. For who can explain the things of the invisible world, but the inhabitants of it ? "

Before proceeding further in Wesley's history, extracts from two or three of his letters, belonging to this period, may be inserted here.

Separation from the Church, and the doctrine of Christian

perfection, were points still far from being settled. Hence

the following to his brother.

"Edinburgh, May 14, 1768.

" Dear Brother, — I am at my wits' end with regard to two things —

the Church, and Christian perfection. Unless both you and I stand in the

gap in good earnest, the Methodists will drop them both. Talking will

not avail. We must do, or be borne away. Will you set shoulder to

shoulder ? If so, think deeply upon the matter, and tell me what can be

done. 'Age, vir esto / nervos intendas tuos.' Peace be with you and

yours ! Adieu !

3 "John Wesley."2

A month later, Wesley recurs to the same subject, and congratulates his brother on the results of his removing to London.

"June 14, 1768. Dear Brother,- I rejoice to hear, from various persons, so good an account of the work of God in London. You did not come thither with- out the Lord, and you find your labour is not in vain. I doubt not but you will see more and more fruit, while you converse chiefly with them

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xiv., p. 276. 2 Ibid. vol. xii., p. I26

Wesley and Erskine. 1 3

that are athirst for God. I find a wonderful difference in myself when I 1768 am among these, and when I am among fashionable Methodists. On ;' . ',. this account, the north of England suits me best, where so many are^ 3

groaning after full redemption.

" But what shall we do ? I think it is high time, that you and I, at least, should come to a point. Shall we go on in asserting perfection against all the world ? Or shall we quietly let it drop ? We really must do one or the other ; and, I apprehend, the sooner the better. What shall we jointly and explicitly maintain, and recommend to all our preach- ers, concerning the nature, the time (now or by-and-by), and the manner of it ? instantaneous or not ? I am weary of intestine war ; of preachers quoting one of us against the other. At length, let us fix something for good and all, either the same as formerly, or different from it. — Eppoxro.

" John Wesley." 1

Dr. Erskine's attack on Wesley has been already mentioned (see Vol. II., p. 530). During Wesley's visit to Scotland, he sought an interview with his opponent, and refers to their points of difference in the following interesting letter to the Rev. Mr. Plendelieth, of Edinburgh.

" May 23, 1768.

"Reverend and dear Sir, — Some years ago, it was reported that I recommended the use of a crucifix, to a man under sentence of death. I traced this up to its author, Dr. Stennett, an anabaptist teacher. He was charged with it. He answered, ' Why I saw a crucifix in his cell (a picture of Christ on the cross), and I knew Mr. Wesley used to visit him, so I supposed he had brought it.' This is the whole of the matter. Dr. Stennett himself I never saw ; nor did I ever see such a picture in the cell ; and I believe the whole tale is pure invention.

" I had, for some time, given up the thought of an interview with Mr. Erskine, when I fell into the company of Dr. Oswald. He said, ' Sir, you do not know Mr. Erskine. I know him perfectly well. Send and desire an hour's conversation with him, and I am sure he will understand you better.' I am glad I did send. I have done my part, and am now entirely satisfied. I am likewise glad, that Mr. Erskine has spoken his

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 126. All this confusion arose chiefly out of the half insane ravings of Bell and his friends in 1762. In a long, unpub- lished letter, dated September 29, 1 764, Wesley writes : " I never stag- gered at all at the reveries of George Bell. I saw instantly, at the begin- ning and from the beginning, what was right and what was wrong ; but I saw withal, ' I have many things to speak, but you cannot bear them now.' Hence, many imagined I was imposed upon ; and applauded themselves in their greater perspicacity ; as they do at this day. ' But if you knew it,' says his friend to Gregory Lopez, ' why did you not tell me ?' I answer with him, 1 1 do not speak all I know, but what I judge needful.' Still, I am persuaded, there is no state under heaven from which it is not possible to fall"

14 Life and Times of Wesley.

I768 mind. I will answer with all simplicity, in full confidence of satisfying

— you, and all impartial men. Age 65 «Re obj-ectSj (^ That i# attack predestination as subversive of all

religion, and yet suffer my followers, in Scotland, to remain in that opinion.

" Much of this is true. I did attack predestination eight-and-twenty years ago ; and I do not believe now any predestination which implies irrespective reprobation. But I do not believe, it is necessarily subver- sive of all religion. I think hot disputes are much more so. Therefore, I never willingly dispute with any one about it ; and I advise all my friends, not in Scotland only, but all over England and Ireland, to avoid all contention on the head, and let every man remain in his own opinion. Can any man of candour blame me for this ? Is there anything unfair or disingenuous about it ?

" He objects, (2) That I ' assert the attainment of sinless perfection by all that are born of God.' I am sorry, that Mr. Erskine should affirm this again. I need give no other answer than I gave before, in the seventh page of the little tract I sent him two years ago, I do not maintain this. I do not believe it. I believe Christian perfection is not attained by any of the children of God, till they are what the apostle John terms fathers; and this I expressly declare in that sermon which Mr. Erskine so largely quotes.

" He objects, (3) That I ' deny the imputation of Christ's active obedience.' Since I believed justification by faith, which I have done upwards of thirty years, I have constantly maintained, that we are par- doned and accepted wholly for the sake of what Christ hath both done and suffered for us. Two or three years ago, Mr. Madan's sister showed him what she had wrote down of a sermon which I had preached on this sub- ject. He entreated me to write down the whole and print it, saying, it would satisfy all my opponents. I was not so sanguine as to expect this : I understood mankind too well. However, I complied with his request; a few were satisfied ; the rest continued just as they were before.

"As long as Mr. Erskine continues in the mind expressed in his Theological Essays, there is no danger, that he and I should agree, any more than light and darkness. I love and reverence him ; but not his doctrine. I dread every approach to antinomianism. I have seen the fruit of it, over the three kingdoms. I never said, that Mr, Erskine and I were agreed. I will make our disagreement as public as ever he pleases : only I must withal specify the particulars. If he will fight with me, it must be on this ground ; and then let him do what he will, and what he can.

" Retaining a due sense of your friendly offices, and praying for a bless- ing on all your labours, I remain, reverend and dear sir, your affectionate brother and servant,

"John Wesley."1

1 Methodist Magazine, 1783, p. *8i.

Wesley s Will. 15

These were mutterings before the storm, — skirmishes before 1768 the battle, — a prelude to the great Calvinian controversy of Age 65 1770 and onwards.

We abruptly turn to another matter. Wesley was a man who believed in the importance of making preparations for dying, in more respects than one. He writes on the last day of the year 1786 : " From these words, ' Set thy house in order,' I strongly exhorted all who had not done it already, to settle their temporal affairs without delay. It is a strange madness which still possesses many, that are in other respects men of understanding, who put this off from day to day, till death comes in an hour when they looked not for it."

Wesley acted upon his own advice. He was without money ; but he had books, etc. : and to prevent quarrels after he was dead, he made more wills than one respecting their disposal. One executed in 1768 was, of course, different from his last, executed in 1789; and, as something more than a curiosity, we subjoin a verbatim copy, made from the original in Wesley's own handwriting.

" In the name of God. Amen ! I, John Wesley, Clerk, revoking all other, appoint this to be my last Will and Testament.

" I bequeath to my brother Charles Wesley, (but in case of his demise to the School in Kingswood,) my Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, and German books (except those, in any language, in the study at Kings- wood School, which I bequeath to the said School ; and those in my studies at Bristol, Newcastle upon Tyne, and Dublin, which I desire may remain there for the use of the Travelling Preachers) ; and all my gowns, cassocks, and bands. To James Morgan, I bequeath my watch; to my faithful Housekeeper, Ann Smith, Mrs. Lefevre's ring ; to Mr. Peter Jaco, my bureau at London ; to him, to the Rev. William Ley, and to each Travelling Preacher, who has them not already, a set of my Sermons, Appeals, Journals, the Notes on the New Testament, and the book on Original Sin ; to the Rev. Mr. James Roquet, all my manuscripts ; to my dear friend, Mary Bosanquet, the set of my Works ; to my dear daughter, Jane Smith, the ' Christian Library,' now in my study at London.

" I bequeath all my Books, which are for sale, with the sole right of re- printing them, (after paying my brother's Rent Charge upon them,) to Mr. Melchias Teulon, Hatter, Mr. John Horton, Silkdycr, and Mr. John Collinson, Hatter, in Trust, the one moiety for the keeping the Children of Travelling Preachers at the School (to be chosen by the Assistants at the Yearly Conference), the other moiety for the continual relief of the Poor of the United Society in London. Only I bequeath to Christiana

1 6 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 Simpson, at Aberdeen, the Books which shall remain with her, at the

, time of my decease. ge 5 " Lastly, I bequeath the residue of my Books and Goods to my wife, Mary Wesley. And I appoint the said Melchias Teulon, John Horton, and John Collinson, Executors of this my last Will and Testament. " Witness my hand and seal,1 this 27th day of April, 1768,

"John Wesley. " Witnesses :

"William Smith. "Thomas Simpson."

A man's will is a document in which he generally makes mention of his best beloved friends. On this ground, a few notes appended to Wesley's will of 1768 may be useful.

1. Wesley's principal bequest, in 1768, was to Kingswood school, and to the poor of the society in London. In 1789, this bequest was made to " the general fund of the Methodist conference, in carrying on the work of God by itinerant preachers."

2. James Roquet was made the trustee of Wesley's manu- scripts in 1768; but, having died during the interim, Dr. Coke, Dr. Whitehead, and Henry Moore were appointed in 1789 to take his place.

3. In 1768, he bequeathed all his gowns, cassocks, and bands to his brother ; in 1789, to the clergymen preaching in City Road chapel, London.

4. In 1768, James Morgan was to have his watch ; but, in 1789, James Morgan was dead, and Joseph Bradford got it.

5. In 1768, Mrs. Martha Hall had no bequest, for her bad husband was then living ; in 1789, he was dead, and hence her legacy of ,£40.

6. In 1768, there was a legacy for his wife; in 1789, his wife was in her grave.

7. Wesley makes mention of his "dear daughter, Jane Smith." This lady was really his wife's daughter, who was now married to Mr. William Smith, of Newcastle upon Tyne, one of the witnesses.

8. James Roquet, to whom Wesley bequeathed his manu- scripts, was the son of a French Protestant refugee, was

1 Wesley's seal is a dove, having in its mouth an olive branch and surrounded with the words "Nuncia Paris." '

Wesley s Will. 1 7

educated in the Merchant Taylors' school in London, -was 1768 converted under Whitefield's ministry, graduated at St. John's A~eV college, Oxford, became master in Wesley's school at Kings- wood, obtained episcopal ordination, and was now curate of St. Werburgh, Bristol.

9. The Rev. William Ley, to whom Wesley bequeathed a set of his publications, was, from the year 1760 to 1763, an itinerant preacher. He was then episcopally ordained, and was now the curate of Lakenheath, but likely to be dismissed by the vicar, to whom his Methodistic preaching and pro- cedure were offensive.1

10. Of one of the executors of Wesley's will, John Collin- son, we can give no particulars.

11. The second, Mr. Teulon, was born at Bromley, in 1734; and was sent to school at Nottingham. At fourteen, he was put apprentice to his uncle, Mr. Wagner, of Pall Mall, hatter to King George II. He was converted under the ministry of Romaine, joined the Methodists, and, in 1761, married Miss Mecham, the daughter of one of the earliest Methodists in London. For four years, he was Wesley's London steward, and was leader of a class. He was a man of some literary taste, and had read most of the best English authors. He died in 1806, respected and beloved by all who knew him.2

12. The third executor, John Horton, was a member of the common council of London, sensible, well read, serious with- out gloom, cheerful without levity, and polite without cere- mony. The unhappy differences after Wesley's death induced him to leave the Methodists, and he went to reside at Bristol.3 He retained his warm attachment, however, to "the old ship" as he was accustomed to designate Wesley's system ; again attended the Methodist preaching, and, only a few months before his death, when his son was preparing for the university, declared to Henry Moore, that he would " rather see his son a Methodist preacher, than archbishop of Canterbury." He died in peace about the year 1S02.4

We left Wesley at Newcastle. On the 31st of May, he set

1 Methodist Magazine, 1805, p. 277. 2 Ibid. iSoS, p. 297.

s Theological Magazine, 1S02. p. 39. 4 Methodist Magazine, 1803, p. 215. vni TT7 C

1 8 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 out for Weardale, Teesdale, and Swaledale, where he spent A~65 the next four days. At Richmond, he preached in the market place, the Yorkshire militia forming a considerable part of his congregation, — "a rude rabble rout, without sense, decency, or good manners." At Barnardcastle, the Durham militig, was a perfect contrast, officers and soldiers all behaving well. Wesley's visit to the " dales " circuit was a pleasant one. He writes : " I have not found so deep and lively a work in any other part of the kingdom as runs through the whole circuit, particularly in the vales that wind between these horrid mountains."

Returning to Newcastle, Wesley visited South Shields, and preached to more than could hear him. Here the poor Methodists were often beaten, rolled in the mud and in the snow, and sometimes narrowly escaped with life : but, con- tinuing faithful, God honoured them ; a cockpit was turned into a Methodist chapel,1 and Methodism was firmly anchored.

On the 13th of June, Wesley left Newcastle for the south, and spent the next six weeks in visiting his societies in York- shire and*Lincolnshire.

The Rev. Thomas Adam, rector of Wintringham, one of the evangelical clergymen of the period, has been already mentioned. Like some others, this unquestionably pious man had become a determined opponent of the Methodists, and hence the following letter, addressed to him by Wesley.

" SWINFLEET, July 19, I768.

"Reverend and dear Sir,— One of Wintringham informed me yesterday, that you said no sensible and well meaning man could hear, and much less join, the Methodists ; because they all acted under a lie, professing themselves members of the Church of England, while they licensed themselves as Dissenters. You are a little misinformed. The greater part of the Methodist preachers are not licensed at all ; and several of them that are, are not licensed as Dissenters.

" We are, in truth, so far from being enemies to the Church, rather bigots to it. I dare not, like Mr. Venn, leave the parish church where I am, to go to an Independent meeting. I dare not advise others to go thither, rather than to church. I advise all, over whom I have any in- fluence, steadily to keep to the Church. Meantime, I advise them to see that the kingdom of God is within them ; that their hearts be full of love to God and man ; and to look upon all, of whatever opinion who are

1 Methodist Magazine, 18 13, p. 441.

Clergymen. 19

like minded, as their 'brother, and sister, and mother.' O sir ! what art 1768

of men or devils is this, which makes you so studiously stand aloof from

those who are thus minded ? I cannot but say to you, as I did to Mr. *» ■* Walker, ' The Methodists do not want you ; but you want them.' You want the life, the spirit, the power, which they have ; not of themselves, but by the free grace of God ; else how could it be, that so good a man, and so good a preacher, should have so little fruit of his labour, his un- wearied labour, for so many years ? Have your parishioners the life of religion in their souls ? Have they so much as the form of it ? Are the people of Wintringham, in general, any better than those of Winterton, or Horton ? Alas ! sir, what is it that hinders your reaping the fruit of so much pains and so many prayers ?

"Is it not possible this may be the very thing, your setting yourself against those whom God owns, by the continual conviction and conversion of sinners? I fear, as long as you in anywise oppose these, your rod will not blossom, neither will you see the desire of your soul, in the prosperity of the souls committed to your charge.

" I am, dear sir, your affectionate brother,

"John Wesley."*

In his journey southwards, Wesley visited, for the second time, his friend Fletcher, at Madeley, — a man, in many respects, the opposite of Mr. Adam of Wintringham, and especially in his feelings towards the Methodists. So far from shunning them, or being ashamed of them, he, as far as possible, identified himself with them ; and, at the very last conference before he died, entreated Wesley to make Madeley a circuit town, and to put John Fletcher down as a super- numerary preacher there. He made his kitchen a Methodist chapel, in which Wesley's itinerants and his own curate regu- larly preached ; while his study was the place in which were penned the ablest defences of Wesley's doctrines that were ever committed to the public press,

From Madeley, Wesley went to Shrewsbury, where, as early as 1744, there was a poor woman, who had been con- verted in London under the preaching of the Methodists, and who now obtained a living, by mending her neighbours' stockings. While thus employed, at their respective houses, she would relate to them her religious experience, read to them a sermon, and then engage in prayer. By this means, she had already formed a society of sixteen or eighteen persons ; and the Rev. Job Orton, the well known author, a native

1 Wesley's Works, vol. iii., p. 320.

C 2

20 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 of Shrewsbury, and at this time its presbyterian minister,

A~6s declared that this poor stocking-mending Methodist was not

only of " an excellent and serious spirit/' but had had more

success in converting sinners than he had had by all his

preaching.1

Leaving Shrewsbury, Wesley rode right through Wales to Pembroke, where he "read prayers, preached, and administered the sacrament to a serious congregation at St Daniels;" and so tried to remove some misunderstandings among the Method- ists, that he " left the people full of good desires, and in toler- able good humour with each other." Here Methodism had been begun seven years before, when Thc*nas Taylor tra- versed mountains, forded rivers, and plunged through bogs, with an empty purse and an empty stomach, seeking to save sinners with a zeal and a spirit of self denial worthy of the noblest missionary that ever lived.2

At Neath, where the minister of the parish was just dead, the churchwardens announced, that Wesley would preach in the parish church. He did so, but says : " I was greatly disgusted &t the manner of singing. 1. Twelve or fourteen persons kept it to themselves, and quite shut out the congre- gation. 2. These repeated the same words, contrary to all sense and reason, six, or eight, or ten times over. 3. According to the shocking custom of modern music, different persons sung different words at one and the same moment ; an in- tolerable insult on common sense, and utterly incompatible with any devotion."

After more than five months of laborious travelling, Wesley came to Bristol on Saturday the 13th of August, between eleven and twelve o'clock at night. His conference had to open two days afterwards; but the first news he heard was, that his wife was dangerously ill in London. He had about forty- eight hours before he must meet his preachers, twenty-four of which were sabbatical. The distance to London and back again was two hundred and twenty-eight miles ; the roads not the best ; and the mode of travelling a perfect contrast to what exists at present. Wesley was an aged man, of more than sixty-five ; for nearly six months he had been travell

ing

1 Methodist Magazine^ 181 5, p. 459. 2 Taylor's "Redeeming Grace."

Preaching and Trading 21

o 0

and preaching incessantly, and might now fairly wish for a l7^ few hours' rest But no sooner did he hear of his wife's A^e6s affliction, than, notwithstanding her unloving heart and life, he started off to London, which, by travelling most of the sabbath day, he reached at one o'clock on Monday morning ; when, finding that the fever was abated and the danger gone, he set out again within an hour, and, by hard driving, arrived in Bristol on Monday afternoon. Next morning he opened his annual conference, and closed it the following Friday, ex- claiming, " Oh ! what can we do for more labourers ? We can only cry to the Lord of the harvest"

One of the chief points discussed at the present conference was, whether the itinerant preachers should be allowed to engage in trade. This was a question at once delicate and difficult In the first place, many of them had wives and children, the provision for whose maintenance was of the most slender kind Secondly, the men were not ordained, and had no clerical status whatever. So far there seemed to be no difficulty. But, in the third place, though not ordained, the preachers were regarded by Wesley as occupying, to all practical intents and purposes, the same position as the regular ministers of the Church of England ; and, hence, he considered it as unseemly and as improper for his itine- rants to be engaged in trade as it would be for the clergy of the Established Church. " God," says he, " has called us to supply their lack of service to the sheep that are without shepherds, and to spend and be spent therein. Every travel- ling preacher solemnly professes to have nothing else to do ; and receives his little allowance for this very end, that he may not need to do anything else, — that he may not be entangled in the things of this life, but may give himself wholly to these things."

The result was, the few preachers who had resorted to some kind of trade, for the purpose of eking out the insufficient maintenance for their families were advised to give up their business as soon as possible, and especially hawking drops (which their wives might sell at home), for it had "a bad appearance, and did not suit the dignity of their calling."

The increase of members during the year was 43a Wesley was not satisfied with this. Hence the question :

9.0, Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 "In many places the work of God seems to stand still. What can be

— done to revive and enlarge it ? " Age °5 « Answer— i. Much good has been done by the books which have been published ; and more would be, if they were spread more effectually.

" 2. Let there be more field preaching ; without this, the work of God will hardly increase iri any place.

" 3. Let the preaching at five in the morning be constantly kept up, wherever you can have twenty hearers. This is the glory of the Methodists ! Whenever this is dropped, they will dwindle away into nothing. Rising early is equally good for soul and body. It helps the nerves better than a thousand medicines ; and, in particular, preserves the sight, and prevents lowness of spirits, more than can be well imagined.

"4. As soon as there are four men or women believers in any place, put them into a band. In every place where there are bands, meet them con- stantly, and encourage them to speak without reserve.

" 5. Be conscientiously exact in the whole Methodist discipline. One part of our discipline has been generally neglected, namely, the changing of the stewards. This has been attended with many ill consequences ; many stewards have been ready to ride over the preacher's head. Let every assistant, at the next quarterly meeting, change one steward at least, in every society, if there be therein any other man that can keep an account.

" 6. Beware of formality in singing, or it will creep in upon us unawares. Is it not creeping in already, by those complex tunes which it is scarce possible to sing with devotion ? Such is, ' Praise the Lord, ye blessed 5nes !' Such the long quavering Hallelujah, annexed to the Morning Song tvfne, which I defy any man living to sing devoutly. The repeating the same word so often, especially while another repeats different words, shocks all common sense, brings in dead formality, and has no more of religion in it than a Lancashire hornpipe. Do not suffer the people to sing too slow. This naturally tends to formality, and is brought in by those who have very strong of very weak voices. Why should not the assistant see, that they be taught to sing in every large society ?

" 7. Let a quarterly fast be observed in all our societies.

" 8. Which of us ' fasts every Friday in the year ' ? Which of us fasts at all? Does not this show the present temper of our minds soft and un- nerved? How then can we advance the work of God, though we may preach loud and long enough ? Here is the root of the evil. Hence, the work of God droops ; few are convinced, few justified, few of our brethren sanctified ! Hence, more and more doubt if we are to be sanctified at all till death. That we may all speak the same thing, I ask once for all, ' Shall we defend this perfection or give it up ' ? You all agree to defend it, meaning thereby, as we did from the beginning, salvation from all sin, by the love of God and our neighbour filling our heart. You are all agreed, we may be saved from all sin before death. The substance then is settled. But as to the circumstance, is the change instantaneous or gradual? It is both one and the other. But should we in preaching

Age 65

How to Revive Religion. 23

insist upon both one and the other ? Certainly. But how far from entire 1768 sanctification are we still ! The religion of the Methodists, in general, is not internal : at least, not deep, universal, uniform ; but superficial, partial, uneven. And what pains do we take to make it otherwise ? Do we visit from house to house, according to the plan laid down in the minutes ? Only spend half the time in this visiting, which you spend in talking uselessly, and you will have time enough. Do this, particularly in confirming and building up believers. Then, and not till then, the work of the Lord will prosper in your hands. Unless, also, we can take care of the rising generation, the present revival of religion will be res uniits cetatis, it will last only the age of a man. Spend an hour a week with the children, in every large town, whether you like it or not. Talk with them every time you see any at home. Pray in earnest for them. Dili- gently instruct and vehemently exhort all parents at their own houses. Read carefully the life of Mr. Brainerd. Let us be followers of him, as he was of Christ ; in absolute self devotion, in total deadness to the world, and in fervent love to God and man. We want nothing but this. Then the world and the devil must fall under our feet. Lastly, let us keep to the Church. They that leave the Church leave the Methodists. The clergy cannot separate us from our brethren ; the Dissenting ministers can and do. Therefore, carefully avoid whatever has a tendency to separate men from the Church. In particular, preaching at any hour which hinders them from going to it. Let every assistant look to this. Let all the servants in our preaching houses go to church on Sunday morning at least. Let every preacher likewise go always on Sunday morning, and, when he can, in the afternoon. God will bless those who go on week days too, as often as they have opportunity."

Wesley's means, then, to promote a revival of the work of God, were a diffusion of Methodist literature, field and morn- ing preaching, the enforcement of Methodist discipline, good singing, quarterly fasts, the preaching of the doctrine of Christian perfection, house to house visitation, attention to the young, continued union with the Established Church, and, above all and more than all, more inward and outward religion among the preachers.

Before leaving the conference of 1768, we insert a letter, which, so far as we are aware, has not before been published, except in the " Methodist Pocket Book " for 1799. It was ad- dressed to James Morgan, one of Wesley's itinerant preachers, well read, and popular, but who had sunk into a state of nervousness, and had settled down in the city of Dublin.

"St. Just, near the Land's End, September 3, 1768. "Dear Jemmy, — I have been thinking much of you; and why should 1 not tell you all I think, and all I fear, concerning you ?

24 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 " I think all that you said at the conference upon the subject of the late

A^e~6c debates was "ght- And it amounted to no more than this : ' the general & rule is, they who are in the favour of God know they are so. But there

may be some exceptions. Some may fear and love God, and yet not be clearly conscious of His favour ; at least, they may not dare to affirm that their sins are forgiven.' If you put the case thus, I think no man in his senses will be tempted to contradict you ; for none can doubt, but who- ever loves God is in the favour of God. But is not this a little misstating the case ? I do not conceive the question turned here ; but you said, or was imagined to say, * all penitents are m God's favour' ; or, * all who mourn after God are in the favour of God.' And this was what many dis- liked ; because they thought it was unscriptural and unsafe, as well as con- trary to what tve had always taught. That this is contrary to what we had always taught, is certain ; as all our hymns, as well as other writings, testify: so that (whether it be true or not), it is, without any question, a new doctrine among the Methodists. We have always taught, that a penitent mourned, or was pained, on this very account, because he felt he was 'not in the favour of God, but had the wrath of God abiding on him. Hence we supposed the language of his heart to be, ' Lost and undone for aid I cry'; and we believed he was really 'lost and undone,' till God did

' Peace, righteousness, and joy impart, And speak Himself into his heart.'

"And I stiTl apprehend this to be the scriptural doctrine, confirmed, not by a few detached texts, but by the whole tenor of Scripture, and, more particularly, of the Epistle to the Romans. But if so, the contrary to it must be unsafe, for that general reason, because it is unscriptural; to which one may add the particular reason, that it naturally tends to lull mourners to sleep ; to make them say, ' Peace, peace' to their souls, when there is no peace.

" But it may be asked, ' Will not this discourage mourners ?' Yes, it will discourage them from stopping where they are ; it will discourage them from resting, before they have the witness in themselves, before Christ is revealed in them. But it will encourage them to seek in the gospel way ; to ask till they receive pardon and peace. And we are to encourage them, not by telling them they are in the favour of God, though they do not know it ; (such a word as this we would never utter in a congregation, at the peril of our souls ;) but by assuring them, ' Every one that seeketh findeth, every one that asketh receiveth.'

" I am afraid you have not been sufficiently wary in this ; but have given occasion to them that sought occasion. But this is not alL I doubt you did not ' see God's hand in Shimei's tongue.' ' Unto you it was given to suffer ' a little of what you extremely wanted, — obloquy and evil report. But you did not acknowledge either the gift or the Giver. You saw only T. Olivers, not God. O Jemmy, you do not know yourself. You cannot bear to be continually steeped in the esteem and praise of men. There- fore, I tremble at your stay at Dublin; it is the most dangerous place for

Spitaljields Chapel. 25

A:

you under heaven ! All I can say is, God can preserve you in the fiery 1 768 furnace, and I hope He will.

" I am, dear Jemmy, yours affectionately,

"John Wesley."

A letter has been already inserted in which Wesley con- gratulates his brother on the reports he had received respect- ing the success of his ministry in London. This was some- what premature, for, in reality, instead of there being an increase in the London circuit, there was a decrease of seventy members ; and there was a serious intention to abandon the chapel in Spitalfields. Hence the following letter " to the stewards of the Foundery."

" Pembroke, August 6, 1768. ;' My dear Brethren, — The thing you mention is of no small con- cern, and ought not to be determined hastily. Indeed, it would be easy to answer, if we considered only how to save money ; but we are to consider also how to save souls. Now, I doubt whether we should act wisely in this respect were we to give up the chapel in Spitalfields. We have no other preaching place in or near that populous quarter of the town ; and a quarter which, upon one account, I prefer before almost any other; namely, that the people in general are more simple, and less confused by any other preachers. I think, therefore, it would not be well to give up this, if we could gain a thousand pounds thereby. I should look upon it as selling the souls of men for money ; which God will give us in due time without this. That many who live near the Foundery would be glad of it I allow, because it would save them trouble. But neither can I put the saving of trouble in competition with the saving of souls. " I am, my dear brethren, your affectionate brother,

"John Wesley."1

Poor Spitalfields ! Noble Wesley ! Let the fashionable Methodists of the present generation ponder such sentiments as these, and hesitate before they abandon their old chapels, because surrounded by none but the abject and the poor, and because keeping them open involves expense and trouble.

It is a remarkable fact, that almost in the very year in which Methodism was founded in America, it was instituted in Newfoundland. For nine years, Laurence Coughlan was one of Wesley's itinerants. In 1764, he was ordained by Erasmus, the Greek bishop, and was put away from the Methodist connexion. In 1766,2 he was reordained by the

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 359. 3 AletJwdist Magazine, 1785, p. 491.

26 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 Bishop of London, and was sent to Newfoundland by the Ag7"65 Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. It is true, he went as a clergyman of the Church of England, but he took his Methodism with him, and established classes, in which the present Methodism of Newfoundland had its origin. In a letter to Wesley, he writes :

" I am, and do confess myself, a Methodist. The name I love, and hope I ever shall. The plan which you first taught me, as to doctrine and dis- cipline, I have followed. We have the sacrament once a month, and have about two hundred communicants. This is more than all the other missionaries in the land have: nor do I know of any who attend our sacrament, who have not the fear of God ; and some are happy in His love. There are some also whose mouths the Lord hath opened to give a word of exhortation ; and I hope He will raise up many more."

It would be a pleasant task to trace the steps of Mr. Coughlan in Newfoundland ; but suffice it to remark that he returned to England, and shortly after, while conversing with Wesley in his study, was seized with paralysis, and suddenly removed to his rest in heaven.1

Cougblan was one of those in London, who professed to receive the blessing of Christian perfection ; but, like many others, imbibed fantastic notions respecting it. Soon after the conference of 1768, Wesley wrote to him as follows.

" Dear Laurence, — By a various train of providences you have been led to the very place where God intended you should be ; and you have reason to praise Him, that He has not suffered your labour there to be in vain. In a short time, how little will it signify, whether we had lived in the Summer Islands, or beneath

* The rage of Arctos and eternal frost !'

" How soon will this dream of life be at an end ! And when we are once landed in eternity, it will be all one, whether we spent our time on earth in a palace, or had not where to lay our head.

"You never learned, either from my conversation, or preaching, or writings, that ' holiness consisted in a glow of joy.' I constantly told you quite the contrary : I told you it was the love of God and our neighbour ; the image of God stamped on the heart ; the life of God in the soul of man ; the mind that was in Christ, enabling us to walk as Christ also walked. If Mr. Maxfield, or you, took it to be anything else, it was your own fault, not mine ; and, whenever you waked out of that dream you ought not to have laid the blame of it upon me. Perhaps you thought

1 Atmore's " Memorial" ; and Methodist Magazine, 185 1, p. 869.

Alctliodism at Tai niton. 27

you had received what you had not. But pray do not measure all men 1768 by yourself; do not imagine you are the universal standard. If you — deceived yourself, you should not infer that all others do. Many think ^e •* they are justified, and are not ; but we cannot infer, that none are justified. So neither, if many think they are ' perfected in love/ and are not, will it follow that none are so. Blessed be God, though we set a hundred enthusiasts aside, we are still 'encompassed with a cloud of witnesses,' who have testified, and do testify, in life and in death, that perfection which I have taught these forty years ! This perfection cannot be a delusion, unless the Bible be a delusion too ; I mean, loving God with all our hearts, and our neighbour as ourselves. I pin down all its opposers to this definition of it. No evasion ! No shifting the question ! Where is the delusion of this ? Either you received this love, or you did not. If you did, dare you call it a delusion ? If you received anything else, it does not at all affect the question. O Laurence, if sister Coughlan and you ever did enjoy this, humble yourselves before God for casting it away ; if you did not, God grant you may !

" Yours, etc,

"John Wesley."1

Wesley had been incessantly travelling for nearly the last six months ; but no sooner were the sessions of the Bristol conference ended, thart he started ofif to Cornwall, where he spent the interval between August 26 and September 18. On his way, he preached to a serious congregation at Taunton, and asks, " Shall we have fruit here also ? " Wesley might well ask this. For many a long year, he had been accus- tomed to preach at Taunton, and had been received either with stupid indifference or active contempt. As early as 1744, he attempted to preach in the yard of the Three Cups inn ; but had no sooner named his text, than the mayor came, in all his full blown dignity, and ordered the proclamation to be read, and silenced the preacher/2 Almost a quarter of a century had elapsed since then ; and now there was a small society, of which one of the members was Thomas Dingle, who for sixty-three years was a chief supporter of the Taunton society, and one of its brightest ornaments.

Wesley's labours in Cornwall were Herculean. Though now in the sixty-sixth year of his age, for eight days together he preached, " mostly in the open air, three or four times a day," and says, " I hardly felt any weariness, first or last."

Wesley's Works, vol. iii., p. 324. - Gentleman's Magazine, 1744, p. 51.

23 Life and Times of Wesley.

r768 He was also not without adventures. At Polperro, his bed- AgTej room was filled with pilchards and conger eels, which made him glad to accept the offer of another. At Plymouth, on his return, a " silly man talked without ceasing " during the sermon, till Wesley desired the people " to open to the right and left, and let him look his garrulous disturber fairly in the face," upon which the noisy prater " pulled off his hat, and quietly went away." Between Charlton and Lympsham, the rivers were so swollen, that Wesley's horse had to swim, and Wesley himself had to be taken to his lodgings on an "honest man's shoulders.1*

Reaching Bristol on September 24, Wesley spent the next few days in visiting the neighbouring towns and villages. At Frame, he found the liveliest society that there was in the Wiltshire circuit : a fact which greatly surprised him, because the town was made up of a strange medley ** of men of all opinions, — anabaptists, quakers, presbyterians, Arians, anti- nomians, Moravians, and what not'* He adds: ** if any hold to the truth, in the midst of all these, surely the power must be of GotL"

The Frome Methodists, however, were not untrained re- cruits, but veteran soldiers, who had stood the brunt of many a furious and fiery fight Twenty-two years before this, Methodism had been started in their town, by a poor Bristol pedlar, who dealt in rags and small ware, singing to the people Wesley's hymns. Since then, a vagabond barber — a tool in the hands of the parish priest — had dragged two Methodist women to prison. Mrs. Seagram had been fined ^"20 for permitting her house to be used as a preaching place ; and, not being able to pay the fine, had had all her stock in trade and her household goods sold by public auction, while she and her two fatherless children were turned penniless out of doors. In one instance, the mob rushed into the preaching room, seized the benches, and made a bonfire of them. Method- ism in Frome had outlived all this ; and, despite the sectarian- ism of the town, it was destined still to live and prosper.

On October 24, Wesley set out for London, and employed the first week in November in a preaching tour throuo-h the three counties of Hertford, Bedford, and Northampton. At Hertford, a chapel had been built by Mr. Andrews, who after-

Methodism at Oxford. 29

wards, in 1777, gave to Wesley's new chapel in City Road 17^ the pulpit which has been used in Methodism's cathedral Age 65 from that time to this.1

The second week in November was spent in a similar visitation of the societies in Oxfordshire, He writes : " I was desired to preach at Oxford. The room was throughly filled, and not with curious, but deeply serious hearers. Many of these desired, that our travelling preachers would take them in their turn ; with which I willingly complied." Oxford had been Methodism's cradle, but the infant had long been absent. Henceforth, Methodism was one of Oxford's institutions ; though, for long, long years, it was a thing of feebleness and of small dimensions. The " Oxfordshire " circuit extended over the greater part of Berkshire, Wiltshire, and Bucking- hamshire; and, even as late as 1787, there were throughout the circuit only four Methodist chapels, namely, at Oxford, Wycombe, Wallingford, and Witney. At Aylesbury, the Methodists preached in the baptists' chapel ; at Newbury, in an ironfounder's shop ; and at all the other places, in private houses. The small chapel in Oxford was in New-Inn-Hall Lane ;2 and the Oxford home of the two unmarried preachers, Joseph Entwisle and Richard Reece, was a garret in the house of a journeyman shoemaker, for which the society paid six- pence a week as rent ; and which had to serve them as dining room, sitting room, bedroom, and study,8 all in one.

The third week in November was occupied in meeting the London classes ; and the fourth in a tour in Kent. The rest of the year was chiefly spent in town.

Wesley was fervent, but not fanatical ; he loved earnestness

in religious worship, but not disorder. Hence the following

letter to Mr. Merryweather, of Yarm.

"Lkvvisham, December 10, 176S. '"My dear Brother, — The matter is short : all things in Divine wor- ship must ' be done decently and in order.' Two must never pray at thu same time, nor one interrupt another. Either Alice Brammah must take advice, or the society must be warned to keep away from her. These are the very things which were the beginning of poor George BelPs fall.

" i am, your affectionate brother, John Wesley." 4

J Methodist Magazine^ 1825, p. 454. 2 Wesleyan Times, June 19, 7849. 5 Entwisle's Memoir, p.

J Methodist Magazine. 1826, p. 404.

30 Life and Times of Wesley.

T768 We have already seen that, by an enormous effort, in the

Age~65 month of August, Wesley hurried from Bristol to London to visit his afflicted wife. On his return he wrote her as follows.

" My Love, — I can make allowance for faintness, and weakness, and pain. I remember when it was my own case, at this very place, and when you spared no pains in nursing and waiting upon me, till it pleased God to make you the chief instrument in restoring my strength. I am glad you have the advice of a skilful physician ; but you must not be surprised or discouraged if you do not recover your strength so soon as one might wish, especially at this time of the year. What is chiefly to be desired is, that God may sanctify all His dispensations to you, and that all may be the means of your being more entirely devoted to Him, whose favour is better than strength, or health, or life itself.

" I am, dear Molly, your ever affectionate husband,

"John Wesley."

No sooner was Wesley's wife convalescent, than, instead of waiting to welcome him to his home in London, she, in one of her insane piques, took her departure to Newcastle, The following letter to his brother refers to this, and also to his preparing an edition of Young's "Night Thoughts/' and to other matters.

"London, December 17, 1768.

" Dear Brother, — I thank you for your reproof. There is reason in what you say. If there was not evil, there was the appearance of evil.

" Matters have not been well carried on at Liverpool ; but ' what can- not be cured must be endured.'

" Why, you simpleton, you are cutting me out a month's work. Nay, but I have no leisure nor inclination to write a book. I intend only : (1) to leave out what I most dislike ; (2) to mark what I most approve of ; (3) to prefix a short preface, And I shall run the hazard of printing it at Bristol There you yourself can read the proof sheets.

" You do well with regard to my sister Emly. What farther is wanting I will supply. I hear nothing from our friend at Newcastle. I am now a mere fellow of a college again, Adieu !

"John Wesley."1

Wesley was still troubled on account of the chapel debts. Nearly £6000 had been contributed ; but there was still a debt of £7728 upon the chapels in the United Kingdom undefrayed.2 This gave rise to the following letter.

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 127. 2 Minutes of Conference.

Chapel Debts. 31

" London, December, 1768. 1 768

"My dear Brother, — Last year, Mr. H was much persuaded » 6

that, by means of the yearly subscription, our whole debt of above £1 1,000 would be paid within two years. Many of our brethren were more san- guine still. They were persuaded that, by generously exerting themselves, and giving a large sum at once, it would be paid in one year. I did not expect this ; but I would not contradict, because I would not discourage them. The event was as I foresaw. By the noble effort which many of our brethren made, most of the pressing debts are already discharged, amounting in the whole to near £7000. But a debt of about £7000 remains upon us still. What can be done with regard to this ? I will tell you what occurs to my mind. Many of our brethren chose to subscribe yearly ten, five, three, two guineas, or less. I doubt not but these will cheerfully pay the residue of their subscription, and perhaps some of them will add a little thereto, as they see the great occasion there is for it. A few delayed subscribing, because they wanted to see the event; supposing the design to be impracticable, and that 'nothing good would come out of it.' As it now appears that great good has come out of it, that many burdens are already removed, I cannot but earnestly exhort all these now to set their shoulders to the work Now, at least, let them exert themselves, for my sake, for the gospel's sake, and for the sake of their still afflicted breth- ren, who groan under a load which they cannot well bear, and yet cannot remove without our assistance. Several generously contributed at once, in hope of paying the whole debt. Of them nothing more can be required, but their prayers that others may be as openhearted as them- selves. Nevertheless, if of their own free goodwill they see good to add a little to their former benefactions — this, as well as the former, is lent unto the Lord, and what they lay out shall be paid them again. Ought I not to add, that there were some of our brethren who did not answer my ex- pectation ? I knew they were able to assist largely ; and I flattered myself they were not less willing than able, as they owed me their own souls also, and this was the first favour of the kind which I had requested of them. Let me be excused from saying any more of what is past. Let them now drop all excuses and objections, and show they love me and their brethren, and the work of God, not in word only, but in deed and in truth. Let me have joy over you, my brethren, in particular. You have a measure of this world's goods, and you see your brother hath need. I have need of your help, inasmuch as the burdens of my brethren are my own. Do not pass by on the other side ; but come and help as God has enabled you. Do all you can to lighten the labour, and strengthen the hands, of your

affectionate brother,

" John Wesley." l

Wesley was a great reader, as well as a great writer; and, during the year 1768, his journal is enriched with an unusual

1 A manuscript circular, signed by Wesley himself.

o

2 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 number of his critical remarks. A few may be given as A^Tes specimens of others.

"January 11.— This week I spent my scraps of time in reading Mr. Wodrow's ' History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland.* It would transcend belief, but that the vouchers are too authentic to admit of any exception. O what a blessed governor was that goodnatured man, so called, King Charles the Second ! Bloody Queen Mary was a lamb, a mere dove, in comparison of him !"

" April 29. — I read over an extremely sensible book, but one that sur- prised me much : ' An Inquiry into the Proofs of the Charges commonly advanced against Mary Queen of Scotland.* By means of original papers, the author has made it clear : (1) That she was altogether innocent of the murder of Lord Darnley, and no way privy to it. (2) That she married Lord Both well (then near seventy years old, herself but four-and- twenty), from the pressing instance of the nobility in a body, who, at the same time, assured her he was innocent of the king's murder. (3) That Murray, Morton, and Lethington, themselves contrived that murder, in order to charge it upon her ; as well as forged those vile letters and sonnets which they palmed upon the world for hers. ' But how then can we account for the quite contrary story, which has been almost universally received ?' Most easily. It was penned and published in French, English, and Latin, (by Queen Elizabeth's order,) by George Buchanan, who was secretary to Lord Murray and in Queen Elizabeth's pay; so he was sure to throw dirt enough. Nor was she at liberty to answer for herself. ' But what then was Queen Elizabeth ?' As just and merciful as Nero, and as good a Christian as Mahomet."

" May 20. — I went on reading that fine book, Bishop Butler's 'Analogy.' But I doubt it is too hard for most of those for whom it is chiefly intended. Freethinkers, so called, are seldom close thinkers. They will not be at the pains of reading such a book as this. One that would profit them must dilute his sense, or they will neither swallow nor digest it."

" November 19.— I read Dr. Nowell's answer to Mr. Hill, concerning the expulsion of the students at Oxford. He has said all that could be said for that stretch of power ; and he says quite enough, to clear the Church of England from the charge of predestination ; a doctrine which he proves to be utterly inconsistent with the Common Prayer, the Communion Service, the Office of Baptism, the articles, the homilies, and the other writings of those that compiled them."

The last extract refers to a matter too nearly allied to Methodism to be passed without further notice.

" On the 1 2th of March, 1768, six students belonging to Edmund hall Oxford, were expelled the university, for holding Methodistical tenets and taking upon them to pray, read or expound the Scriptures, and sing hymns in private houses. The principal of the hall, Dr. Dixon, defended

Exptdsion of Oxford Students. 33

their doctrines from the thirty-nine articles of the Established Church, 1768 and spoke in the highest terms of their piety and the exemplariness of ^ZT^,- their lives ; but sentence was pronounced against them. Dr. Novvell, one of the heads of houses present, observed, that as these six gentlemen were expelled for having too much religion, it would be very proper to inquire into the conduct of some who had too little."1

TLe expelled students were Benjamin Kay, Thomas Jones, Thomas Grove, Erasmus Middleton, Joseph Shipman, and James Mathews. The junta of expellers were Drs. Durell, Randolph, Fothergill, Nowell, and Atterbury.2 The charges brought against the young culprits were : 1. That they had held or frequented illicit conventicles, where some of them, though not in orders, had preached and prayed extempore, particularly in the house of a staymaker, a woman who herself officiated and taught. 2. That some of them had been bred up to the lowest trades and occupations, for one had been a weaver and kept a taphouse, a second had been a barber, a third a draper ; and further all were wholly illiterate, and in- capable of performing the statutable exercises of the univer- sity ; and were maintained at the charge of persons suspected of enthusiasm. 3. That they were attached to the sect called Methodists, and held their doctrines, namely, " that faith without works is sufficient for salvation ; that there is no necessity for good works ; that the immediate impulse of the Spirit is to be waited for ; that once a child of God always a child of God ; and the like." 4. That one of them, before his entrance into the university, had preached, and, in defiance of his father's authority, had connected himself with the Method- ists. 5. That some of them had behaved very irreverently and disrespectfully to their tutor, and had industriously sought to cavil with and to vex him.3

It is right to add, that none of these young men had been connected with Wesley. Mr. Jones, the barber, had, for some time resided, with the Rev. J<»lm Newton, and, under his in- struction, had made considerable progress in the Greek and Hebrew languages. Mr. Kay was of a respectable family, and an excellent scholar, and had an exhibition paid by the Iron-

1 London Magazine. 1768, p. 125.

2 Philip's Life of Whitefield, p. 492.

3 Loudon Magazine, 1768, p. 214.

VOL. III. D

34 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 mongers' Company. Mr. Mathews had been instructed by Age~65 Fletcher of Madeley. Mr. Middleton had been under the tutelage of the Rev. Thomas Haweis. Of Mr. Grove and Mr. Shipman we know nothing, except that the latter, after his expulsion, was admitted to the college of the Countess of Huntingdon, at Trevecca.

This act of Oxford tyranny, as might be expected, created great commotion ; and numbers of tracts and pamphlets, pro and con, were published. Among others, Whitefield rushed into the battle, in a " Letter to the Rev. Dr. Durell," 8vo, 50 pages, and defended the expelled with great vigour and effect ; as also did Dr. Home, afterwards bishop of Norwich. Mac- gowan published his " Shaver," in which he shaved the collegi- ate rulers with no gentle hand, and, in the process, must have made them smart. Sir Richard Hill, a young man of thirty-six, who for some time past had been using his utmost endeavours to improve Oxford morality, issued his "Pietas Oxoniensis," 8vo, 85 pages, in which he belaboured the junta with unsparing severity. Several replies were written in justification of the Oxford btill ; and, after an immense expenditure of time, and not a little display of angry temper, this execrable act of the Oxford authorities was allowed to repose in silence. It is a fact, however, far too serious to be forgotten, that while Oxford university, in past days, has tolerated in its students the most notorious wickedness, and while, at the present day, it tolerates German scepticism and Romish heresy, it once, in one of its paroxysms of pious zeal, ignominiously expelled six young men, whose only crimes were, that some of them had been ignobly bred, and all had sung, and prayed, and read the Scriptures in private houses.

The Countess of Huntingdon was accused of maintaining some or all of these young students at the Oxford university ; and perhaps there was a modicum of truth in this. Be that as it may, she soon made her young preachers independent of Oxford help. Trevecca House, in the parish of Talgarth, in Wales, was an ancient structure, supposed to have been erected about the year 11 76. This building the countess opened as a college, five months after the expulsions just mentioned, — on the 24th of August, 1768, the anniversary of her ladyship's birthday. Whitefield preached at the opening ;

College at Trevecca. 35

Fletcher was made the president; and, for a few months, 1768 Mr. Easterbrook the head master; when Joseph Benson was Age~6s appointed his successor. Of course, Fletcher was not expected to relinquish his charge at Madeley ; but he was to attend the college at Trevecca as often as he conveniently could ; to give advice, with regard to the appointment of masters, and the admission or exclusion of students ; to oversee their studies and conduct ; to assist their piety ; and to judge of their qualifications for the ministry.1 As is well known, both Fletcher and Benson scon retired, because of the doctrinal differences that sprang up ; but Trevecca was still used as a seminary for the training of Calvinistic ministers, till 1792, when the institution was removed to Cheshunt, in Hertford- shire. Wesley from the beginning was in doubt of it, though, perhaps, without reason. In a letter to his brother, dated "May 19, 1768," he writes: "I am glad Mr. Fletcher has been with you. But if the tutor fails, what will become of our college at Trevecca ? Did you ever see anything more queer than their plan of institution ? Pray who penned it, man or woman ? I am afraid the visitor too will fail." 2 Was there a tinge of jealousy in this ? We know not Troubles, it is true, soon sprung up ; but the countess made Trevecca her principal place of residence ; and within its walls were trained a noble band of earnest, laborious, and useful minis- ters. The old building is now the residence of a Celtic farmer.3 O temporal O mores!

Excepting the hubbub arising out of the Oxford expul- sions, there was not much, in 1768, that was antagonistic to the Methodist movement. A small, paltry pamphlet was published, with the title, " Enthusiasm Reprehended. Three Letters to Mr. John Wesley. With Strictures on his Character, the Reception he met with at Perth, and his Conduct on that occasion." A 121110 volume, of 212 pages, was also issued, entitled "Sermons to Asses"; and was dedicated to Whitcfield, Wesley, Romaine, and Madan. Besides these, an cighteenpenny poem was published, entitled "The Hypocrite : a comedy ; " in which the writer

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 281. ■ Ibid. vol. xii., p. 126.

3 " Life and Times of Howel Harris," p. 246.

D 2

o

6 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 tries to turn Cibber's satire on disloyalty into a castigation Age 65 of enthusiasm.

Wesley's publications also were fewer than usual, and hardly any of them original. The following belong to this period.

1. " A Letter to the Rev. Dr. Rutherforth." This has been already noticed in a previous chapter.

2. " A Caution to False Prophets : a Sermon on Matthew vii. 15-20. Particularly recommended to the people called Methodists." i2mo, 12 pages. In this sermon, Wesley discusses a point which he confesses had puzzled him for many years, namely, whether it is right to hear a minister who is either immoral, or who preaches false doctrine. He still hesitates to pronounce an opinion, and recommends those who were in doubt to "wait upon God in prayer, and then act according to the best light they had."

3. "Instructions for Members of Religious Societies. Trans- lated from the French." Under the date of February 26, 1768, Wesley writes : " I translated from the French one of the rribst useful tracts I ever saw, for those who desire to be 'fervent in spirit.' How little does God regard men's opinions! What a multitude of wrong opinions are embraced by all the members of the Church of Rome ! Yet how highly favoured have many of them been ! "

4. "An Extract from the Rev. Mr. Law's Later Works." Two vols., i2mo, 251 and 204 pages. About a quarter of a century before this, Wesley had published an extract from Law's " Christian Perfection " ; an extract from his " Serious Call"; and an extract from his "Serious Answer to Dr. Trapp." He now published similar extracts from Law's answer to " Christianity as old as Creation," his " Spirit of Prayer," his " Spirit of Love," his " Letters," and his " Ad- dress to the Clergy."

5. "An Extract of the Life of the late Rev. David Brainerd." i2mo, 274 pages. Just at the time when Methodism was ex- tending its mission to America and Newfoundland, Wesley issued his life of one of the most devoted missionaries that ever lived : a young man who died before he arrived at the age of thirty ; but whose piety, for depth and fervour has seldom been excelled ; and whose four years' mission among

yohn JJ^Y/ccs. 37

the Delaware and other Indians, from 1743 to 1747, would 1768 warm the heart and improve the character of all candidates A~65 for missionary work.

Besides the above, another publication belongs to the year 1768, — "Free Thoughts on the Present State of Public Affairs," i2mo, 47 pages. This, strictly speaking, was Wesley's first political pamphlet. At the general election of 1768, John Wilkes, at the time an outlaw, was returned to parliament by the county of Middlesex ; and, shortly after, was arrested and committed to the King's Bench prison. For nearly a fortnight, crowds collected outside the prison walls, and sol- diers were sent to protect the place. A riot followed ; the soldiers fired ; six of the rioters were killed, and fourteen badly wounded ; and the exploit got the name of the " Mas- sacre of St. George's Fields." For months, Wilkes's business occupied the attention of court and cabinet; when the wretched demagogue was sentenced to pay a fine of ^"iooo, to be imprisoned for two-and-twenty months, and afterwards to find security for good behaviour for seven years. While in prison, he was at the zenith of his fame ; subscriptions were opened for the payment of his debts ; and his likenesses were so multiplied, that portraits of him squinted from the sign- boards of half the public houses in the kingdom.

It was in the midst of such a state of things, that Wesley wrote the pamphlet already mentioned. He admits that, though "cobblers, tinkers, porters, and hackney coachmen" think them- selves wise enough "to instruct both the king and his council," he himself is " not so deeply learned. Politics were beyond his province; but he would use the privilege of an Englishman to speak his naked thoughts." " I have," he writes, " no bias, one way or the other. I have no interest depending, I want no man's favour, having no hopes, no fears, from any man." He then proceeds to defend the character of the king ; and maintains that, as an outlaw, Wilkes was incapacitated to take a seat in the House of Commons, " Encumbered with no religion, and disappointed in his application for place and power, Wilkes had set up for patriot, vehemently inveighed against evil counsellors and grievances, and was paid in French louis d'07' for his agitative services." Wesley then expresses the opinion that, "supposing things to take their

3 8 Life and Times of Wesley.

1768 natural course, they must go from bad to worse ; the land Age~65 W*N become a field of blood ; and many thousands of poor Englishmen will sheathe their swords in each other's bowels, for the diversion of their good neighbours. Then, either a commonwealth will ensue, or else a second Cromwell. One must be; but it cannot be determined which, — King .Wilkes, or King Mob."

1769.

TERRIBLE was the political excitement at the commence- 1769 ment of 1769. It was now, that the first of the cele- Age~66 brated letters of " Junius" appeared in the columns of the Public Advertiser. These withering invectives became, to a great extent, the political textbook of the nation. For years past, Ireland also had been turbulent, split into factions, and overrun by hordes of Levellers and Whiteboys, Oakboys and Hearts of Steel, all bound together by secret oaths, and a detestation of paying tithes. The kingdom was full of wicked wits and scoffers ; and jokes, repartees, bonmots, and sarcasms, none of them distinguished for their loyalty, began to spice a large number of the newspapers, periodicals, and pamphlets of the period. Never was Methodism more greatly needed than now.

Whitefield's work in England was nearly ended. He and Wesley were still united in bonds of ardent friendship. The latter writes: "January 9, 1769 — I spent a comfortable and profitable hour with Mr. Whitefield, in calling to mind the former times, and the manner wherein God prepared us for a work which it had not then entered into our hearts to conceive." On the day following, Wesley preached in the house of the Countess of Huntingdon, in Portland Row, and Whitefield administered the sacrament.1 And seven weeks later, Wesley wrote again : " February 27 — I had one more agreeable con- versation with my old friend and fellow labourer, George Whitefield. His soul appeared to be vigorous still, but his body was sinking apace ; and, unless God interposes with His mighty hand, he must soon finish his labours." For six months more, Whitefield rambled over England, preaching three or four times every week, and exclaiming, as though his youthful zest was unabated, " Field preaching, field preaching for ever."3 At the beginning of September,

1 " Life and Times of Countess of Huntingdon," vol. ii., p. 126. 2 Whitefield's Works, vol. iii., p. 387.

4o Life and Times of Wesley.

1769 he embarked for Georgia, and addressed to Wesley the Age 66 following farewell letter.

" The Downs, on board the Friendship, Captain Ball,

Septeinber 12, 1769. " Reverend and very dear Sir, — What hath God wrought for us, in us, by us ! I sailed out of these Downs almost thirty-three years ago ! Oh the height, the depth, the length, the breadth of Thy love, O God ! Surely it passeth knowledge. Help, help, O heavenly Father, to adore what we cannot fully comprehend ! I am glad to hear, that you had such a pentecost season at the college ; one would hope, that these are earnests of good things to some, and that our Lord will not yet remove His candle- stick from among us. Duty is ours. Future things belong to Him, who always did, and always will order all things well.

' Leave to His sovereign sway, To choose and to command ; So shall we wondering own His way, How wise, how strong His hand.' " Mutual Christian love will not permit you, and those in connection with you, to forget a willing pilgrim, going now across the Atlantic for the thirteenth time. At present, I am kept from staggering ; being fully persuaded, that the voyage will be for the Redeemer's glory, and the wel- fare of precious and immortal souls. Oh to be kept from flagging in the latter stages of our road ! Ipse, Deo volente, sequar, etsi non passibus (fquis. Cordial love and respect await your brother, and all that are so kind as to inquire after, and be concerned for,

" Reverend and very dear sir,

" Less than the least of all,

" George Whitefield." 1

Thus the old friends parted, not to meet again, till they met in heaven. Twelve months afterwards, the great orator was dead.

Wesley spent the month of January in meeting the London classes, and in a visit to Sheerness and Chatham. In February, he made a tour to Norfolk ; and, on the 6th of March, set out for Ireland, and arrived in Dublin on the 22nd. Here we pause, to insert two of his letters to two of his female correspondents. The first was addressed to Lady Maxwell, and refers to a subject of some interest, though one on which opinions will differ.

" London, March 3, 1769. "My DEAR Lady, — I have heard my mother say, ' I have frequently

1 Methodist Magazine, 1783, p. 273.

'to*

Letter to a Female Preacher, 41

been as fully assured, that my father's spirit was with me, as if I had seen 1708 him with my eyes.' But she did not explain herself any further. I have a ^66 myself many times found, on a sudden, so lively an apprehension of a deceased friend, that I have sometimes turned about to look ; at the same time, I have felt an uncommon affection for them. But I never had anything of this kind with regard to any but those that died in faith. In dreams, I have had exceeding lively conversations with them; and I doubt not but they were then very near.

" I am, my dear lady, your ever affectionate servant,

"John Wesley."1

The next was addressed to Sarah Crosby, the female preacher.

"Chester, March 18, 1769.

" My dear Sister,— The westerly winds detain me here. When I am in Ireland, you have only to direct to Dublin, and the letter will find me.

" I advise you, as I did Grace Walton formerly — 1. Pray in private or public as much as you can. 2. Even in public, you may properly enough intermix short exhortations with prayer; but keep as far from what is called preaching as you can ; therefore, never take a text ; never speak in a continued discourse, without some break, above four or five minutes. Tell the people, 'We shall have another prayermeeting at such a time and place.' If Hannah Harrison had followed these few directions, she might have been as useful now as ever.

'' As soon as you have time, write more particularly and circum- stantially ; and let sister Bosanquet do the same. There is now no hindrance in the way; nothing to hinder you speaking as freely as you please to, dear Sally, your affectionate brother,

"John Wesley."2

Trouble awaited Wesley in Dublin. James Morgan and Thomas Olivers had quarrelled,3 and the society had suffered loss. Besides this, says Wesley, " I was summoned, by a poor creature who fed my horse three or four times while I was on board. For this service he demanded ten shillings. I gave him half-a-crown. When I informed the court of this, he was sharply reproved. Let all beware of these land sharks on our sea coasts !"

On the 3rd of April, Wesley left Dublin for the provinces. At Armagh, for the first time in his life, he preached in a stable. At Kinnard, he met an old acquaintance, Archdeacon

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 321. 2 Ibid vol. xii., p. 33 t.

8 Taylor's "Redeeming Grace," p. 49; and Wesley's Works, vol. iii. P- 35o.

42 Life and Times of Wesley.

J7^9 C e, and, at his request, opened a new church, which had

Age 66 just been built. At Londonderry, he had, what he calls, "a brilliant congregation," but says : " Such a sight gives me no great pleasure ; as I have very little hope of doing them good : only ' with God all things are possible.' In no other place in Ireland has more pains been taken by the most able of our preachers. And to how little purpose ! Bands they have none : four-and-forty persons in society ! The greater part of these heartless and cold. The audience in general dead as stones." At Manorhamilton, "all behaved well," says he, " but one young gentlewoman, who laughed almost incessantly. She knew there was nothing to laugh at ; but she thought she laughed prettily." At Cork, the society had been gradually decreasing for seven years, until now the number of mem- bers was reduced from 400 to 190. At Portarlington, the society once had a hundred and thirty members ; now it had only twenty-four.

Fourteen weeks were spent in traversing all parts of Ireland. In some places, there was declension and great discourage- ment ; in many, Wesley's ministry was accompanied with amazing power ; in none, did he meet with brutal persecution. Occasionally a giddy girl would laugh, or an empty headed man would sneer ; but the days of sticks and stones were over. Wesley returned to Dublin on the 15th of July ; met his Irish preachers in conference ; and then, on July 24, embarked for England ; having to open his English conference at Leeds on August 1. Before reviewing its proceedings, some further extracts must be given from his correspondence.

The first letter is remarkable. We have scarcely met with another like it. The fastidious may object to some of its expressions; but it must be remembered that, though Wesley always employed plainness of speech, he rarely employed coarseness. Besides, desperate cases require desperate reme- dies. In this instance, ordinary language, in all likelihood, would have been useless. The Irish Methodists were far from faultless; and Hugh Saunderson, to whom the letter was addressed, and who had just commenced his itinerancy in the Armagh circuit, was far from being a model of perfection. More than once had Wesley to remonstrate with him for his irregularities ; and, in 1777, had to expel him. On one occa-

Hugh Saunderson. 43

sion, in 1774, Wesley himself was actually arrested on account T7^9 of Saunderson's peccant conduct. The charge was, that the Age 66 man had robbed his wife " of £100 in money, and upwards of £30 in goods ; and had, beside that, terrified her into mad- ness ; so that, through want of her help, and the loss of business," the prosecutor, George Sutherland, " was damaged £500." It was farther alleged, that Saunderson was one of Wesley's preachers, and that the two, to evade Mrs. Saunder- son's pursuit, were preparing to fly the country. On such a pretext Wesley was actually arrested, and taken to the Edin- burgh Tolbooth, where he had to wait till his friends gave bail for his appearance. This was done ; the case was tried ; and Mr. Sutherland, the prosecutor, was fined ,£1000. Of Saun- derson's guilt we know nothing ; but, three years afterwards, Wesley expelled him from his connexion ; and the man first set up at Edinburgh, and then divided the society at Exeter, where he " pitched his standard and declared open war." 1 Such was the culprit to whom Wesley sent the letter following.

" April 24, 1 769.

" Dear Brother, — I shall now tell you the things which have been more or less upon my mind, ever since I have been in the north of Ireland. If you forget them, you will be a sufferer, and so will the people; if you observe them, it will be for the good of both.

" 1. To begin with little things. If you regard your health, touch no supper, but a little milk or water gruel. This will entirely, by the blessing of God, secure you from nervous disorders ; especially, if you rise early every morning, whether you preach or no.

" 2. Be steadily serious. There is no country upon earth where this is more necessary than Ireland ; as you generally are encompassed with those who, with a little encouragement, would laugh or trifle from morning to night.

"3. In every town, visit all you can from house to house. I say all you can ; for there will be some whom you cannot visit ; and if you examine, instruct, reprove, exhort, as need requires, you will have no time hanging on your hands. It is by this means, that the societies are increased wher- ever T. R. goes ; he is preaching from morning to night, warning every one, that he may present every one perfect in Christ Jesus.

" 4. But on this, and every other occasion, avoid all familiarity with women. This is a deadly poison, both to them and you. You cannot be too wary in this respect. Therefore begin from this hour.

"5. The chief matter of your conversation, as well as your preaching,

\

1 Wesley's Works, vol. iv., pp. 16, 173, 222.

44 Life and Times of Wesley.

A<re 66

1769 should doubtless be the weightier matters of the law. Yet, there are several comparatively little things, which you should earnestly inculcate from time to time ; for ' he* that despiseth small things shall fall bv little and little.' Such are —

"(1) Be active, be diligent; avoid all laziness, sloth, indolence. Fly from every degree, every appearance of it ; else you v/ill never be more than half a Christian.

"(2) Be cleanly. In this let the Methodists take pattern by the Quakers. Avoid all nastiness, dirt, slovenliness, both in your person, clothes, house, all about you. Do not stink above ground. This is a bad fruit of laziness. Use all diligence to be clean.

" (3) Whatever clothes you wear let them be whole : no rents, no tatters, no rags. These are a scandal to either man or woman ; being another fruit of vile laziness. Mend your clothes, or I shall never expect you to mend your lives. Let none ever see a ragged Methodist.

" (4) Clean yourselves of lice. These are a proof both of uncleanness and laziness. Take pains in this. Do not cut off your hair, but clean it, and keep it clean.

" (5) Cure yourselves and your family of the itch. A spoonful of brim- stone will cure you. To let this run from year to year, proves both sloth and uncleanness. Away with it at once. Let not the north be any longer a proverb of reproach to all the nation.

" (6) Use no tobacco unless prescribed by a physician. It is an uncleanly* and unwholesome self indulgence ; and the more customary it is, the more resolutely should you break off from every degree of that vile custom.

" (7) Use no snuff unless prescribed by a physician. I suppose no other nation in Europe is in such vile bondage to this silly, nasty, dirty custom, as the Irish are ; but let the Christians be in this bondage no longer. Assert your liberty, and that all at once ; nothing will be done by degrees. But just now you may break loose, through Christ strengthening you.

" (8) Touch no dram. It is liquid fire. It is a sure, though slow poison. It saps the very springs of life. In Ireland, above all countries in the world, I would sacredly abstain from this, because the evil is so general. To this, and snuff, and smoky cabins, I impute the blindness which is so exceeding common throughout the nation.

" I might have inserted under the second article, what I particularly desire, wherever you have preaching, namely, that there may be a little house. Let this be got without delay. Wherever it is not, let none expect to see me.

" I am, your affectionate brother,

" John Wesley." 1

No apology is needed for the publication of this letter ; for Wesley himself published it in his Arminian Magazine. Its

x Methodist Magazine, 1784, p. 165.

Conference 0/1769. 45

picture of the IrLh and of the Irish Methodists is far from 1769 being fragrant and pleasant ; but it was doubtless true, and Age~66 shows that Wesley was a great reformer in more respects than one. All the Irish Methodists, however, must not be included in the company above alluded to. The excep- tions were not few, but many, and some of them distinguished. One of these was Mrs. Elizabeth Bennis, the first Methodist in Limerick, in 1749, a lady of respectability and intelli- gence, long the correspondent of Wesley, and who continued one of his devoted followers till her death in 1802.1 The fol- lowing letter was addressed to her during Wesley's present visit to the sister island, and refers to an unfounded opinion which Wesley had now renounced.

" Cork, May 30, 1769.

'• Dear Sister, — Some years since, I was inclined to think that none, who had once enjoyed and then lost the pure love of God, must ever look to enjoy it again till they were just stepping into eternity. But experience has taught us better things. We have, at present, numerous instances of those who have cast away that unspeakable blessing, and now enjoy it in a larger measure than ever. And should not this be your case ? Because you are unworthy ? So were they. Because you have been an unfaithful steward ? So had they been also ; yet, God healed them freely ; and so He will you, only do not reason against Him. Forget yourself. Worthy is the Lamb : you shall not die, but live, live all the life of heaven on earth. You need nothing, in order to this, but faith ; and who gives this? He that standeth at the door.

" Let there nevermore be any reserve between you and your truly affec- tionate brother, „ . ... „ ., ' " John Wesley." 2

Wesley arrived in Leeds on Saturday, July 29, and on Sunday, the 30th, preached, for the Rev. Henry Crook, in Hunslet church, morning and afternoon. Mr. Crook was an old friend of the two Wesleys. As early as 1756, Charles Wesley preached in his church at Hunslet, and speaks of hundreds of communicants, most of whom had been awakened under Mr. Crook's faithful ministry.3

The conference, at Leeds, opened on the 1st of August, and "a more loving one," says Wesley, "we never had." The Iiitclligoicer newspaper, of August 8, tells the public,

1 Irish Evangelist, Way, 1862.

2 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 362.

8 C. Wesley's Journal, vol. ii., p. 117.

46 Life and Times of Wesley.

1769 that, "for a week past, Wesley had held a kind of visitation, AgT66 but wnat tney cal1 a conference, with several hundreds of his preachers, from most parts of Great Britain and Ireland, where he settled their several routes for the succeeding year." It further states, that " a large sum of money" was collected for the purpose of "sending missionaries to America."1 . This was the " tall talk" of a newspaper. " Wesley's itine- rant preachers" throughout the entire kingdom were only one hundred and eleven in number; and the "large sum" collected for sending missionaries to America was £jo, of which .£50 was to be appropriated to the payment of the debt on the chapel in New York.

Above two days of the time of the conference were spent in the arrangement of temporal matters, — a thing which annoyed Wesley, who therefore directed that, in future, as much of such business as possible should be done by the secretaries before the conference met.

The two topics of most interest were Methodist missions, and the perpetuation of the Methodist system after Wesley's death. %

It is a fact worth remembering, that already, for years past, Methodism had been planted in the West Indian islands, by means of Nathaniel Gilbert and his co-workers. Laurence Coughlan had recently taken it to Newfoundland ; and a few soldiers had established it at Gibraltar, where there were thirty- two members, fifteen of whom were rejoicing in the conscious- ness of personal pardon.2 They had preaching every night and every morning, their preachers being " Brother Morton," Henry Ince, of the 2nd Regiment, and Henry Hall, of the Royal Scots ; six classmeetings were held every week, and the work was prospering.3 Lord Cornwallis, the command- ing officer, issued a garrison order on June 9, 1769, as follows : — " Whereas divers soldiers and inhabitants assemble themselves every evening to prayer, it is the governor's posi- tive order, that no person whatever presume to molest them, nor go into their meeting to behave indecently there."4

1 Smith's History of Methodism, vol. i., p. 380. • Methodist Magazine, 1784, p. 112.

3 Smith's History of Methodism, vol. i., p. 387.

4 Rule's "Memoir of a Mission to Gibraltar," p. 5.

Methodism hi America. 47

Wesley was acquainted with this ; but not a word is found I7°9 in the conference minutes concerning it. The truth is, while Age 66 Methodism was now really planted in the West Indies, New- foundland, Gibraltar, and America, none needed help except America, and, hence, none else are mentioned.

Wesley, his brother, Ingham, and Whitefield had all been in America ; and Whitefield was about to go again. The work was begun in Georgia by the Wesleys. At the same time, occurred the revival in New England, under Mr. Edwards and others. Whitefield came, and not only preached in both, but likewise all the way between, a distance of many hundred miles. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were converted by his ministry ; but, for want of organisation and discipline, the greater part of them had backslidden.1 Such was the state of things in 1769.

Four years before this, a small number of Methodist emi- grants from Ireland had landed in New York, one of them being Philip Embury. In 1766, another Methodist family followed, of the name of Heck. Mrs. Barbara Heck was dis- tressed to find that her predecessors had greatly declined in godliness. At her request, Philip Embury began to preach ; just at that juncture, Captain Webb, the barrackmaster at Albany, joined him ; a chapel was built ; a society formed ; and help was asked from England.2 Hence the thirteenth question at the conference of 1769 : "We have a pressing call from our brethren at New York, who have built a preaching house, to come over and help them. Who is willing to go ? " Answer : " Richard Boardman and Joseph Pilmoor." Q. " What can we do further in token of our brotherly love ? A. " Let us now make a collection among ourselves. This

1 Wesley's Works, vol. vii., p. 392.

2 About the same time, Thomas Dell, at Charlestown, wrote as follows : " Mr. Wesley says, the first message of the preachers is to the lost sheep of England. And are there none in America ? They have strayed from England into the wild woods here, and they are running wild after this world. They are drinking their wine in bowls, and are jumping and dancing, and serving the devil, in the groves and under the green trees. And are not these lost sheep? And will none of the preachers come here? Where is .Mr. Brownfield ? Where is John Pawson ? Where is Nicholas Manners ? Are they living, and will they not come?"— ('' The Centenary of Methodism," published by the Primitive Methodists in Ireland, in 1S39, p. 189.)

48 Life and Times of Wesley.

1769 was immediately done ; and, out of it, £50 were allotted to- A^~66 wards the payment of £heir debt, and about £20 given to our brethren for their passage."

It is doubtful, however, whether this was, as is generally supposed, the first collection which the Methodists made on behalf of their American mission. Six months before this, Wesley had permitted Robert Costerdine, who was then the assistant in the Sheffield circuit, to " read publicly, on any Sunday he liked, the letter which had been received from New York, and to " receive what the hearers were willing to give." l It is more than possible, that this was done ; but, be that as it may, Boardman and Pilmoor set sail, and, after a nine weeks' passage, entered upon their work : Pilmoor at Philadelphia, and Boardman at New York. At Philadelphia, they found Captain Webb and a society of about a hundred members, to whom, and to thousands more, Pilmoor com- menced preaching from the grand stand erected on the race- course. At New York, Boardman says, the chapel would contain about 1700 hearers ; and that about a third part of the congregations got in, and the other two thirds were glad to hear without.2

Space forbids further details, except to add that, two years afterwards, the number of Methodists in America was reported in the minutes of conference as 316 ; and that even a thing so innocent as sending preachers to America was too important for the wicked to pass without a sneer. Hence, in a squib, the public were informed, that the following promo- tions in the Church were about to be declared : " Rev. G. Whiteneld, Archbishop of Boston ; Rev. W- Romaine, Bishop of New York ; Rev. J. Wesley, Bishop of Pennsylvania ; Rev. M. Madan, Bishop of the Carolinas; Rev. W Shirley, Bishop of Virginia; and Rev. C. Wesley, Bishop of Nova Scotia." It was added, that as his majesty would soon have the livings of these gentlemen at his disposal, he intended to provide for Dr. Dodd, and other court celebrities,3 anxious to fill im- portant places.

1 Methodist Magazine, 1845, P- 578.

2 Ibid. 1783, p. 276; and 1784, p. 163.

3 Lloyd's Evening Post, May 26, 1 769.

Scheme to perpetuate Methodism. 49

The other important matter brought before the conference 1769 of 1769 was the perpetuation of Methodism after Wesley's Age 66 death ; and, on Friday, August 4, Wesley read the following paper.

"My dear Brethren, — 1. It has long been my desire, that all those ministers of our Church, who believe and preach salvation by faith, might cordially agree between themselves, and not hinder but help one another. After occasionally pressing this, in private conversation, wherever I had opportunity, I wrote down my thoughts upon the head, and sent them to each in a letter. Out of fifty or sixty, to whom I wrote, only three vouch- safed me an answer. So I give this up. I can do no more. They are a rope of sand, and such they will continue.

"2. But it is otherwise with the travelling preachers in our con- nexion. You are at present one body. You act in concert with each other, and by united counsels. And now is the time to consider what can be done, in order to continue this union. Indeed, as long as I live, there will be no great difficulty. I am, under God, a centre of union to all our travelling, as well as local preachers. They all know me and my com- munication. They all love me for my works' sake ; and, therefore, were it only out of regard to me, they will continue connected with each other. But by what means may this connection be preserved, when God removes me from you ?

''3. I take it for granted, it cannot be preserved, by any means, between those who have not a single eye. Those who aim at anything but the glory of God, and the salvation of men ; who desire or seek any earthly thing, whether honour, profit, or ease, will not, cannot continue in the connexion ; it will not answer their design. Some of them, perhaps a fourth of the whole number, will procure preferment in the Church. Others will turn Independents, and get separate congregations, like John Edwards and Charles Skelton. Lay your accounts with this, and be not surprised if some, you do not suspect, be of this number.

"4. But what method can be taken, to preserve a firm union between those who choose to remain together? Perhaps you might take some such steps as these. On notice of my death, let all the preachers, in England and Ireland, repair to London within six weeks. Let them seek God by solemn fasting and prayer. Let them draw up articles of agree- ment, to be signed by those who choose to act in concert. Let those be dismissed, who do not choose it, in the most friendly manner possible. Let them choose by votes a committee of three, five, or seven, each of whom is to be moderator in his turn. Let the committee do what I do now; propose preachers to be tried, admitted, or excluded; fix the place of each preacher for the ensuing year, and the time of next conference.

" 5. Can anything be done now, in order to lay a foundation for this future union ? Would it not be well, for any that are willing, to sign some articles of agreement before God calls me hence ? Suppose something like these : —

VOL. III. E

50 Life and Times of Wesley.

Age 66

1769 "' We, whose names are underwritten, being thoroughly convinced of

the necessity of a close union between those whom God is pleased to use as instruments in this glorious work, in order to preserve this union be- tween ourselves, are resolved, God being our helper: (1) To devote our- selves entirely to God; denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, steadily aiming at one thing, to save our own souls, and them that hear us. (2) To preach the old Methodist doctrines, and no other, contained in the minutes of the conferences. (3) To observe and enforce the whole Methodist discipline, laid down in the said minutes.'"

Such was Wesley's propounded scheme. The preachers wisely requested Wesley to extract the most material part of the minutes, and to send a copy to each itinerant, to be seriously considered, — a request with which Wesley complied during the following year, by the publication of a pamphlet of sixty pages, entitled, " Minutes of several Conversations be- tween the Rev. Messrs. John and Charles Wesley and others."

This concluded the business of the conference ; and " at the conclusion," says Wesley, " all the preachers were melted down, while they were singing those lines for me, — ■

' Thou, who so long hast saved me here,

A little longer save ; Till freed from sin, and freed from fear,

I sink into a grave : Till glad I lay my body down,

Thy servant's steps attend ; And O ! my life of mercies crown

With a triumphant end.' " x

This was a beautiful finish to one of the most important conferences Wesley ever held. The next day, he again started on his itinerancy of mercy, and hastened to join in the anni- versary services of the Countess of Huntingdon's college at Trevecca. These services really extended from August 18 to August 24, though Wesley himself was there only on the two concluding days. The gathering was a glorious one. Fletcher, the president, was there, with his seraphic soul lighting up an almost unearthly face ; Daniel Rowlands also, the rector of Llangeitto and chaplain to the Duke of Leinster ; Howel Harris, one of the bravest veterans in the group ; the Rev. Walter Shirley, from Ireland, and others ; making eight clergymen altogether ; to whom must be added the Countess of Hunt-

1 Methodist Magazine, 1799, p. 253.

Anniversary of Trcvccca College. 51

ingdon, the Countess of Buchan, Lady Anne Erskine, and 1769 several of their relatives and friends. There were a number Age 66 of Welsh exhorters ; and, of course, the students ; and like- wise an immense concourse of communicants and spectators. For seven days, there was preaching twice a day ; the sacra- ment was repeatedly administered ; a lovefeast was held ; baskets of bread and meat were distributed in the courtyard among the country people ; and the whole season was what Whitefield called a pentecost.1 Wesley preached twice, gave an exhortation, and administered the Lord's supper to the countess's family, and so ended his service in connection with what he designates " the anniversary of her ladyship's school!* This was his first and last visit.

At this time, Joseph Benson, now in the twenty-first year of his age, was classical master of Wesley's school at Kingswood, and had, with Wesley's sanction, entered himself at St. Edmund's hall, Oxford, where he regularly kept his terms. But now an effort was made to obtain his services as head master at Trevecca. Wesley, for more reasons than one, was loth to lose him. Hence the letters following.

'to*

" Cork, May 27, 1769.

" Dear Joseph, — You have now — what you never had before — a clear providential call to Oxford. If you keep a single eye, and have courage and steadiness, you may be an instrument of much good. But you will tread on slippery ground ; and the serious persons you mention may do you more hurt than many others. When I was at Oxford, I never was afraid of any but the almost Christians. If you give way to them and their prudence a hair's breadth, you will be removed from the hope of the gospel. If you are not moved, if you tread in the same steps which my brother and I did, you may be the means, under God, of raising another set of real Bible Christians. How long the world will suffer them is in God's hand.

" With regard to Kingswood school, I have one string more ; if that breaks, I shall let it drop. I have borne the burden one-and-twenty years ; I have done what I could ; now, let some one else do more. " I am, dear Joseph, your affectionate brother,

"John Wesley."2

Again.

" London, December 26, 1 769.

" Dfar JOSEPH, — Every man of sense, who reads the rules of the

1 «

Litaarud Ximes.of Countess of Huntingdon," vol. ii., p. 99.

52 Life and Times of Wesley.

1769 school, may easily conclude that a school so conducted by men of piety

A~66 an(* understanding will exceed any other school or academy in Great

' b Britain or Ireland. In this sentiment, you can never be altered. And if

it was not so conducted since you were there, why was it not ? You had

power enough. You have all the power which I have. You may do what

you please.

" ' Dime et cedificaj muta quadrata rotundisj ' and I will second you to the uttermost.

" Trevecca is much more to — — than Kingswood is to me* / mixes with everything. It is my college, my masters, my students. I do not speak so of this school. It is not mine, but the Lord's. I look for no more honour than money from it.

"I am glad you defer your journey; and am, dear Joseph, your affec- tionate brother,

"John Wesley."1

Wesley was evidently sore about Benson leaving him ; but, a few weeks afterwards, the exchange was made ; and then, after nine months of faithful service at Trevecca, the young head master was unceremoniously dismissed, because of his defending the doctrines of his friend Wesley.

From Trevecca, Wesley made his way to Bristol, which he reached dn August 26 ; and, from there, set off to Cornwall, where he employed a week in visiting as many of his societies as he could in so short a period. On getting back to Bristol, he inquired into the state of Kingswood school, and writes : " The grievance now is the number of children. Instead of thirty, as I desired, we have near fifty ; whereby our masters are burdened. And it is scarce possible to keep them in so exact order as we might do a smaller number. However, this still comes nearer a Christian school than any I know in the kingdom."

The next month was spent in the neighbourhood of Bristol, and was not without adventures. At Bradford, he was sur- rounded by a noisy rabble ; " and one," says he, " called a gentleman, had filled his pocket with rotten eggs ; but a young man smashed them all at once ; and, in an instant, he was perfume all over, though it was not so sweet as balsam."

At Salisbury, the scene of so many of his sister Patty's sorrows, Wesley writes : " I was as in a new world. The congregation was alive, and much more the society. How

1 Weslev's Works, vol. xiL, p. 384.

" Shepherd of Salisbury Plain." 53

pleasing would it be, to be always with such ! But this is not 1769 our calling." Wesley had seen dark days here ; but now the Age 66 sun was shining. After the desolation caused by Westley Hall's disgraceful conduct, the few remaining Methodists took possession of a shop in Greencroft Street, and then, in 1759.. built themselves a chapel.1 Barbara Hunt was one of their chief members, — a brave young woman, now thirty-three years old, but who lived long enough to be a Methodist threescore years and three, and died exclaiming, " O how glad should I be to clap my glad wings and tower away ! " 2 Another was David Saunders, the hero of Mrs. Hannah More's " Shepherd of Salisbury Plain." " His coat," says the fair authoress, perhaps mixing a little fiction with fact, — "his coat had been, in a long course of years, so often patched with different sorts of cloth, that it was now become hard to say which had been the original colour ; his stockings were covered with darns of different coloured worsted, but had not a hole in them ; his shirt, though nearly as coarse as the sails of a ship, was as white as the drifted snow; his open honest countenance bore strong marks of health and cheerfulness." His good wife was cleanly, thrifty, and a hard worker ; and a happier man than the " shepherd of Salisbury plain " did not exist. David Saunders was a shepherd in more respects than one. While he tended his sheep, he also, as a faithful classleader, watched over the souls committed to his care. He died in peace, in 1796, at the age of eighty.3

Wesley got back to London on October 14, but two days afterwards set out for Oxfordshire, and spent the week in preaching at Henley, Wallingford, Oxford, Witney, Broad- marston, and Wycombe. The last week in October he em- ployed at Towcester, Northampton, Weedon, Bedford, and other intervening towns, preaching, during his five days' tour, not fewer than seventeen times in widely distant places.

At the beginning of November he went to Norfolk ; at the end, he visited his old friend Perronet, at Shoreham, and preached twice in his parish church. Even here, in the vicar's kitchen, there was Methodist preaching every Friday night, and also a Methodist society, embracing Mr. Kingswood, Mr.

1 Methodist Ma ^aaiuc, 1836, p. 52. 2 Ibid. 1815, p. 46.

3 " Methodism in Frome," by Tuck, p. 42.

54 Life and Times of Wesley.

1769 Sharp, old Mrs. Lightfoot and her servant maid, poor dame A^~66 Cacket, and bold, masculine minded Miss D. Perronet at the head of them.1

Except short tours to Kent and Sussex, the remainder of the year was employed in London, where he received letters from Boardman and Pilmoor in America, and which he read to the London society. He was importuned to visit America himself ; and, though such a visit was utterly impracticable, yet he was far from hasty in declining it. Hence the follow- ing, addressed to his friend, the Rev. Walter Sellon.

" London, December 30, 1769. " My dear Brother,— It is not yet determined whether I should go to America or not. I have been importuned some time ; but nil satfirmi Video. I must have a clear call before I am at liberty to leave Europe.

" You should heat your milk, but never let it boil ; boiling robs it of the most nutritious particles. Do not make too much haste in dealing with Elisha Coles ; I am afraid the treatise will be too short. And pray add a word to that lively coxcomb, Mr. Toplady, not only with regard to Zanchius, but his slander on the Church of England. You would do well to give a reading to both his tracts. He does certainly believe himself to be the greatest genius in England. Pray take care, or natis sit pro suis virtutibus.

u I am, your affectionate brother,

"John Wesley."2

Mr. Toplady's two tracts* referred to in this epistle, were his (1) " Church of England Vindicated from the Charge of Arminianism, in a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Nowell; occasioned by some passages in that gentleman's answer to the Author of ' Pietas Oxoniensis,'" 8vo, 136 pages: and (2) "The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination Stated and Asserted. Translated, in great measure, from the Latin of Jerom Zanchius, with some Account of his Life prefixed," 8vo, J34 pages. Both these pamphlets were published in 1769.

All this, and a great deal more, really arose out of the expulsion of the Oxford students in 1768. Sir Richard Hill, in defending them, had warmly defended the Calvinistic doctrine of predestination. Dr. Nowell, in his Answer, had clearly shown, that this was not the doctrine of the Church of

1 Miss Perronet's manuscript letters ; and Methodist Magazine, 181 1 P- 234.

2 Wesley's Works, vol. xiii., p. 42 ; and manuscript letter.

Calvinism. 55

'&v

England; and now impetuous Augustus Toplady hastened 1769 to the rescue, and administered two allopathic doses of A~ 66 Calvinisms most drastic tincture, to cure the Church of Arminian disease and fever. Toplady's style is trenchant ; his doctrines are as near an approach to the doctrine of fate, as held by Plato, Seneca, and other heathen writers, as it is possible to conceive. A more impious piece, in the garb of piety, was never published than his Zanchius ; while his " Church of England Vindicated " is rank with the most dogmatic and violent abuse of Dr. Nowell and the Arminian clergy. It would be easy, but not pleasant, to give extracts ; and we can hardly recommend the reader to peruse the pam- phlets for himself. Augustus Toplady, a stripling twenty-nine years of age, is a pope infallible ; and all who hold opinions different to his are reprobate knaves, or fools.

Wesley was sick of controversial writing ; and, besides, he had no time for it. Walter Sellon had leisure at his com- mand, and had already this year published his able treatise, entitled, " The Doctrine of General Redemption considered," i2mo, 178 pages. He was also now engaged in refuting a book hardly less horrible than the Zanchius of Augustus Toplady, namely, " A Practical Discourse of God's Sove- reignty," i2mo, 347 pages, by Elisha Coles, a clerk to the East India Company, who died in 1688. Sellon's book was soon issued, with the title, " A Defence of God's Sovereignty, against the impious and horrible Aspersions cast upon it by Elisha Coles, in his practical treatise on that subject." In his preface, he tells his readers, he " did intend to have ex- posed the errors and blasphemy" of Toplady's Zanchius, but when he "found it would enlarge his work too much, and especially when he understood that Toplady had vilely slandered the Church of England," he chose " to make it the subject of another book, which the reader might expect unless it should be done by some abler hand."1

1 Sellon's book was not published till 1770, and seems to have been revised by Wesley, who also approved of his dealing with Toplady in a separate pamphlet. Hence the following, addressed to Sellon.

" Lewisham, February 21, 1770. " MY DEAR Brother, — Do not make too much haste. Give every- thing the last touch. It will be enough, if the papers meet me at Man-

56 Life and Times of Wesley.

1769 Controversial war was now begun in earnest, and a severer A^~66 battle was never fought Sir Richard Hill, Augustus Top- lady, and Walter Sellon were fairly in the lists, and others soon after followed.

In the midst of all this, Wesley was savagely attacked in two letters, published in the Gospel Magazine for 1769, entitled, " Observations on Mr. J. Wesley's view of ' The Scripture Doctrines of Predestination, Election, and Repro- bation.'" He is accused of "inexcusable vanity"; of "im- pertinent quibbling"; of "Jesuitical sophistry"; of holding "a scheme unscriptural and dangerous, absurd and impious"; and of "finespun reasoning worse than nothing." The author complacently tells his readers, in conclusion, that, though he had felt himself "very resentful," yet being "called to imitate the lovely pattern of the lowly Jesus, he had answered Wesley not with asperity, but with the meek- ness of wisdom,"

Attacks upon Wesley were made from other quarters. It was a busy year with young Toplady ; for, besides the books already noticed, he published a sixpenny pamphlet, with the title, " Many made Righteous by the Obedience of One. Two Sermons on Romans v. 19, preached at Bideford, in 1743, by the late Rev, James Hervey, with a Preface by Augustus Toplady." Some one else issued another, entitled, " The Jesuit Detected," in which the zealous advocate of Mr, Hervey arrays Wesley in the garb of the Babylonian woman, and then abuses him for looking so like her. Booth Brath- waite, unknown to fame, published another sixpennyworth, called " Methodism a Popish Idol ; or, the Danger and Harmony of Enthusiasm and Separation." Poor Booth, a bigot to church establishments, raves against sectaries with abundant zeal, little knowledge, and less charity. And to all these must be added, " The Pretences of Enthusiasts, considered and confuted : A Sermon preached before the university of Oxford, at St. Mary's, on Sunday, June 26,

Chester, before the end of March. I believe it will be the best way to bestow a distinct pamphlet on that exquisite coxcomb. Surely wisdom will die with him ! I believe we can easily get his other tract, which it would be well to sift to the very foundation, in order to stop the mouth of that vain boaster. I am, etc., John Wesley."— (Manuscript letter.)

Publications in 1769. 57

1768. By William Hawkins, M.A., Prebendary of Wells, 1769 late Poetry Professor, and Fellow of Pembroke College, Ao-e~66 in Oxford. Published by desire." 8vo, 27 pages. Wesley's own publications in 1769 were not many.

1. "An Extract of the Rev. Mr. John Wesley's Journal, from October 20, 1762, to May 25, 1765." i2mo, 124 pages.

2. " An Extract from the Journal of Elizabeth Harper." i2mo, 47 pages.

3. "An Extract of Letters on Religious Subjects, by Mrs. Lefevre." i2mo, 106 pages.

4. "The Witness of the Spirit. A Sermon on Romans viii. 16." Dublin: i2mo, 16 pages. This important sermon was written at Newry, in 1767. WTesley declares that his sentiments on the witness of the Spirit were the same as they had been from the beginning. " The testimony of the Spirit," says he, " is an inward impression on the soul of believers, whereby the Spirit of God directly testifies to their spirit, that they are the children of God." Having established his doctrine, and answered the objections to it, he concludes with two pungent inferences : " 1. Let none ever presume to rest in any supposed testimony of the Spirit, which is separate from the fruit of it, 2, Let none rest in any supposed fruit of the Spirit without the witness."

5. " Advices with respect to Health. Extracted from a ' late Author." i2mo, 218 pages. The late author was Dr. Tissot ; the book itself shows Wesley's intense anxiety to be of use to the bodies as well as souls of his fellow creatures. He strongly commends Tissot's descriptions of diseases, the fewness and cheapness of his medicines, and his regimen ; but protests against his fondness for bleeding, and for glysters ; against his ointment for the itch, and his vehement recom- mendation of Peruvian bark.

1770

1770.

WESLEY began the year 1770 with a covenant service in London, at which eighteen hundred Methodists ge were present, — a sight worth seeing.

In his leisure moments, he employed himself in reading ; and, as usual, makes racy remarks on men and books. Having finished Dr. Burnet's "Theory of the Earth," he writes : " He is doubtless one of the firstrate writers, both as to sense and style ; his language is remarkably clear, un- affected, nervous, and elegant ; and none can deny, that his theory is ingenious, and consistent with itself." He read Rousseau upon education, and says : " But how was I dis- appointed ! Sure a more consummate coxcomb never saw the sun ! How amazingly full of himself ! Whatever he speaks, he pronounces as an oracle. But many of his oracles are as palpably false as that ' young children never love old people.' But I object to his temper more than to his judg- ment : he is a mere misanthrope, a cynic all over. So in- deed is his brother infidel, Voltaire ; and well-nigh as great a coxcomb. But he hides both his doggedness and vanity a little better ; whereas, here it stares us in the face continually. As to his book, it is whimsical to the last degree ; grounded neither upon reason nor experience. The advices, which are good, are trite and common, only disguised under new ex- pressions ; and those which are new, which are really his own, are lighter than vanity itself. Such discoveries I always ex- pect from those who are too wise to believe their Bibles."

Baron Emanuel Swedenborg, after rendering great service to science, and thereby winning the esteem of Charles XII., and receiving the honour of being enrolled among the members of the academies of Upsal, Stockholm, and Petersburgh, came to London in 1743, attended the Moravian chapel in Fetter Lane, went mad,1 and began to write and publish the visionary books, containing the creed of the Sweden-

1 Methodist Magazine, 1781, p. 46.

Christian Perfection. 59

borgians. Wesley writes : " I sat down to read and seriously 1770 consider some of the writings of Baron Swedenborg. I began Age~67 with huge prejudice in his favour, knowing him to be a pious man, one of a strong understanding, of much learning, and one who thoroughly believed himself. But I could not hold out long. Any one of his visions puts his real character out of doubt. He is one of the most ingenious, lively, entertain- ing madmen, that ever set pen to paper. But his waking dreams are so wild, so far remote both from Scripture and common sense, that one might as easily swallow the stories of ' Tom Thumb/ or * Jack the Giant Killer.' " The baron died two years after this, and was buried in the Swedish church in Wellclose Square, London.

In the month of February, Wesley, for the last time, took part in a religious service, and administered the sacrament, in the mansion of the Countess of Huntingdon, in Portland Row. Thomas Maxfield was present, and though a few years before he had been one of the strongest sticklers in favour of the wild doctrines propounded by George Bell and other sancti- fied ones in London, he now, in Wesley's own presence, spoke strongly against his doctrine of Christian perfection.1 This might be gratifying to her ladyship and her Calvinistic friends ; but it would have been in better taste for Maxfield, at least, to have maintained, on such a subject, a respectful silence. No doubt, foolish ideas had been circulated ; but Wesley can hardly be held accountable for these. His own doctrines on the subject were based upon Scripture, and these he was ready to defend, and resolved to propagate. It is true, that his anticipations respecting the great work, which was professedly wrought in London and elsewhere, had not been realised. Even Miss Bosanquet had lost the blessing of Christian perfection ; 2 and Wesley, in a letter dated March 15, 1770, confesses that, of those who professed to obtain it, hardly one in thirty retained it. "Many hundreds in Lon- don," says he, " were made partakers of it, within sixteen or eighteen months ; but I doubt whether twenty of them are now as holy and as happy as they were."3 This was a humili-

1 "Life and Times of Countess of Huntingdon," vol. i., p. 387. 2 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 375. 8 Ibid. p. 350.

6o Life and Times of Wesley.

1770 ating fact, and gave to Wesley's opponents a great advan-

A~~67 tage ; but, in itself, it was no disproof of Wesley's doctrine ;

and can scarcely be considered a satisfactory excuse for

Thomas Maxfield, of all men living, attacking his friend in

the house of his Calvinistic foes.

Wesley's friend Whitefield was in America, preaching with as much zest as ever ; and, just at this juncture, Wesley ad- dressed what proved to be his last letter to his old and always faithful coadjutor ; but the letter contains not a single syllable respecting the slight which had been cast upon him by a man whom gratitude ought to have taught better manners.

" Lewisham, February 21, 1770.

"My dear Brother, — Mr. Keen informed me some time since of your safe arrival in Carolina ; of which, indeed, I could not doubt for a moment, notwithstanding the idle report of your being cast away, which was so current in London. I trust our Lord has more work for you to do in Europe, as well as in America. And who knows but before your return, to England, I may pay another visit to the new world ? I have been strongly solicited by several of our friends in New York and Philadelphia. They urg» many reasons, some of which appear to be of considerable weight ; and my age is no objection at all ; for I bless God my health is not barely as good, but abundantly better in several respects, than when I was five-and-twenty. But there are so many reasons on the other side, that, as yet, I can determine nothing ; so I must wait for further light. Here I am: let the Lord do with me as seemeth Him good. For the present,! must beg of you to supply my lack of service, by encouraging our preachers, as you judge best (who are as yet comparatively young and inex- perienced); by giving them such advices as you think proper ; and, above all, by exhorting them, not only to love one another, but, if it be possible, as much as lies in them, to live peaceably with all men.

" Some time ago, since you went hence, I heard a circumstance, which gave me a good deal of concern ; namely, that the college or academy in Georgia had swallowed up the orphan house. Shall I give my judgment without being asked? Methinks, friendship requires I should. Are there not then two points which come in view ? a point of mercy, and a point of justice ? With respect to the former, may it not be inquired, Can any- thing on earth be a greater charity than to bring up orphans ? What is a college or an academy compared to this ? unless you could have such a college as perhaps is not upon earth. I know the value of learning, and am more in danger of prizing it too much than too little ; but, still, I cannot place the giving it to five hundred students on a level with saving the bodies, if not the souls too, of five hundred orphans. But let us pass from the point of mercy to that of justice. You had land given, and col- lected money, for an orphan house. Are you at liberty to apply this to

Age 67

Whitefield' s College in Georgia. 61

any other purpose? at least, while there are any orphans in Georgia left ? 1 770 I just touch upon this, though it is an important point, and leave it to your own consideration, whether part of it, at least, might not properly be applied to carry on the original design ? In speaking thus freely, on so tender a subject, I have given you a fresh proof of the sincerity with which I am your ever affectionate friend and brother,

"John Wesley."1

The college business above mentioned was simply this. Six years before, Whitefield had informed the council of Georgia, that he had already expended ;£i 2,000 upon his Orphan House ; that he was now anxious to attach to it a college, to which the respectable inhabitants of Georgia, Vir- ginia, and the West Indies might send their sons to be educated ; that, in order to accomplish his purpose, he was prepared to lay out a considerable sum of money " in pur- chasing a large number of negroes " for the cultivation of the lands, and for the " future support of a president, professors, and tutors ;" and that he now asked the council to grant him, in trust, for the purposes aforesaid, two thousand acres of land, on the north fork of Turtle River. The council yielded his request at once, and with the greatest pleasure. White- field then memorialised the king to grant a charter for the founding of the college, stating that, if this were done, he was "ready to give up his present trust, and make a free gift of all lands, negroes, goods, and chattels, which he now possessed in Georgia, for the support of the proposed institution, to be called by the name of Bethesda college, in Georgia." A long official correspondence followed. The government were not unwilling to grant a charter, but they insisted that the presi- dent of the college should be a minister of the Church of England, and that there should be a daily use of the Church liturgy. These were conditions which Whitefield respectfully declined ; and hence the charter asked for was refused. The result was, Whitefield added to his Georgian orphan house a public academy, by the erection of two additional wings, one hundred and fifty feet each in length ; and, a month before Wesley wrote his letter, opened the new building, by preaching before his excellency the governor, and before the

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 14S.

62 Life and Times of Wesley.

i77° Georgian council and assembly, from, "The hands of Zerub- Age 67 babel have laid the foundations of this house, His hands shall also finish it ; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you ; for who hath despised the day of small things?" Thus Whitefield left behind him, in America, a complex orphanage and college, for the support of which he had obtained grants of land to the extent of 3800 acres, and had bought seventy-five male and female negroes for the purpose of cultivating his extensive farm, and making it productive.1

We have already seen that Wesley was not only urged, but was more than willing, to visit his newly instituted societies in America. Pilmoor was working hard at New York, and Boardman at Philadelphia ; a number of negroes had been converted ; the work was growing ; and the young evangelists — Boardman of seven, and Pilmoor of five years' standing — wished for advice and help.2 Wesley had nearly arrived at the age of threescore years and ten ; but, if his way had opened, he would have bounded off across the Atlantic with as little anxiety as he was accustomed to trot to the hospi- table Perronet home at Shoreham. The obstacles however were insurmountable. There was no one, during his absence, to take his place as superintendent general of the societies in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland ; and to this must be added the strong objections of the people to let him go. " If I go to America," said he, " I must do a thing which I hate as bad as I hate the devil." " What is that ? " asked his friend. " I must keep a secret" he answered ; meaning, that he must conceal his purpose, otherwise his societies would in- terfere, and effectually prevent his going.3

On the 5th of March, Wesley set out on his journey to the north, which occupied the next five months. Coming to Newbury, he writes: "I had been much importuned to preach here. But where ? The Dissenters would not permit me to preach in their meetinghouse. Some were then desirous to hire the old playhouse ; but the good mayor would not suffer it to be so profaned ! So I made use of a

1 Whitefield's Works, vol. iii. 2 Methodist Magazine, 17S4, p -?.

3 Whitehead's Life of Wesley, vol. ii., p 345. F'

Riding on Horseback. 63

workshop, — a large, commodious place. But it would, by no 1770 means, contain the congregation. All that could hear behaved a~67 well."

From Newbury, Wesley proceeded to Bristol, Gloucester, Birmingham, and Wednesbury. He then made his way, through Staffordshire and Cheshire, to Manchester, where he arrived at the end of March, and made the following charac- teristic entry in his journal : " In this journey, as well as in many others, I observed a mistake that almost universally prevails. Near thirty years ago, I was thinking, ' How is it that no horse ever stumbles while I am reading ?' (History, poetry, and philosophy, I commonly read on horseback, having other employment at other times.) No account can possibly be given but this : because, then I throw the reins on his neck. I then set myself to observe ; and I aver, that, in riding above a hundred thousand miles, I scarce ever remem- ber any horse (except two that would fall head over heels any way), to fall, or make a considerable stumble, while I rode with a slack rein. To fancy, therefore, that a tight rein prevents stumbling is a capital blunder. I have repeated the trial more frequently than most men in the kingdom can do. A slack rein will prevent stumbling if anything will. But in some horses nothing can."

From Manchester, Wesley proceeded to Liverpool, White- haven, and Carlisle, preaching there, and at intermediate places. He writes : " At Carlisle, it was the day of small things ; the society consisting but of fifteen members." Methodism had been founded in this border city by Robert Bell, an exciseman ; and its place of worship was a shed for sheltering carts. At almost every meeting the mob attended; stones and brickbats were often thrown, and the Methodists hissed at and otherwise abused.1

Leaving Carlisle, Wesley made his way to Edinburgh, which he reached on April 20, and says : " I endeavoured to confirm those whom many had strove to turn out of the way. What pity is it, that the children of God should so zealously do the devil's work! How is it, that they are still ignorant of Satan's devices? Lord, what is man ?" "The congrega-

1 Thomas Dixon's manuscript journal.

64 Life a?id Times of Wesley.

1770 tions were nearly as usual; but the society which, when I

A^e 67 was here before, consisted of above one hundred and sixty

members, was now shrunk to about fifty. Such is the fruit

of a single preacher's staying a whole year in one place,

together with the labours of good Mr. Townshend !"

It was at this time that Wesley had his first interview with Lady Glenorchy.1 She writes : "The Rev. Dr. Webster2 and Mr. Wesley met at my house, and agreed on all doctrines on which they spoke, except those of God's decrees, predestina- tion, and the saints' perseverance. I must, according to the light I now have, agree with Dr. Webster. Nevertheless, I hope Mr. Wesley is a child of God. He has been an instru- ment of saving souls ; as such, I honour him, and will countenance his preachers. I have heard him preach thrice ; and should have been better pleased had he preached more of Christ, and less of himself." 3

Lady Glenorchy had recently opened St. Mary's chapel, in which service was performed by presbyterians, episcopalians, and Methodists ; but her ladyship now wished to have a schoolmaster and a minister of her own ; and, notwithstanding her disparaging remarks on Wesley, she employed him to obtain them for her. A few weeks later she wrote to him as follows.

" Edinburgh, May 29, 1770. " Reverend Sir, — When I consider how much you have to do, and how very precious your time is, I feel unwilling to give you the trouble of reading a letter from me ; yet I know not how to delay returning you my best thanks for the pains you have taken to procure me a Christian innkeeper and schoolmaster. And, though you have not as yet been successful, I hope you may find some before you reach London, who are willing to leave their native country and friends for the sake of promoting the interest of Christ's kingdom. If Mr. Eggleston's objections relate only to temporal things, perhaps it may be in my power to remove them. I am exceedingly obliged to you, dear and honoured sir, for your good advice ; it is agreeable to that small glimmering of light the Lord has been pleased to give me for five years past. Let me entreat you to

1 " Life of Lady Glenorchy," p. 155.

2 One of the ministers of the Tolbooth church,— a man of great abilities and of polished manners, but an avowed Calvinist of the highest order. — (Lady Glenorchy's Life, p. 132. )

3 '; Life of Lady Glenorchy," p. 156.

IVcslcy and Lady GlcnorcJiy, 65

remember me at the throne of grace. I am, reverend sir, with esteem 1770 and respect, your obliged servant, — -

"WlLLIELMA GLENORCHY."1 Age 67

Within a week after this, Wesley obtained her ladyship a schoolmaster ; and, at the beginning of the year following, sent her a minister, the Rev. Richard De Courcy, who had been a Methodist in Ireland,2 had been educated at Trinity college, Dublin, had obtained deacon's orders, and had officiated as curate to Walter Shirley.3 Lady Glenorchy writes : " Mr. De Courcy is quite the person Mr. Wesley represented him, — of a sweet disposition, and wishes only to preach Christ to poor sinners wherever he finds an open door."4 This was in February, 1771, and yet, within six months afterwards, on June 28, her ladyship writes again : " Before I left Edinburgh, I dismissed Mr. Wesley's preachers from my chapel ; first, because they deny the doctrines of imputed righteousness, election, and the saints' perseverance ; secondly, because I found none of our gospel ministers would preach in the chapel, if they continued to have the use of the pulpit ; thirdly, because I found my own soul had been hurt by hearing them, and I judged that others might be hurt by them also." 5

Thus, after Wesley had served her ladyship to the utmost of his power, he and his preachers were ignominiously ex- pelled from the sacred precincts of St. Mary's, and her chapel was left in the sole possession of Mr. De Courcy and his Cal- vinistic friends. It is right to add that, notwithstanding her Calvinism, Lady Glenorchy maintained, to the end of life, a warm friendship with her Methodist friend, Lady Maxwell, whom, at her death, she appointed her sole executrix, and the principal manager of her chapels, both in England and across the border.6

To return to Wesley. From Edinburgh, he went to Perth, Dunkeld, and Inverness, at which last mentioned place Benjamin and William Choppel had been three months

1 Methodist Magazine, 1784, p. 279.

2 " Life of Lady Glenorchy," pp. 163, 226.

3 " Life and Times of Lady Huntingdon," vol. i., p. 157.

4 Lady Glenorchy's Life, p. 223. 8 Ibid. p. 239.

6 Methodist Magazine^ 1816, p. j^o.

F

66 Life and Times of Wesley.

1770 waiting for a vessel to return to London, and had employed A^~67 the time in meeting the people every night to sing and pray together." Benjamin Chappel, who thus begun Methodism in Inverness, was a wheelwright, and, in after years, had the honour of being the first Methodist in Prince Edward's Island.1

At Aberdeen, as at Inverness and Nairn, Wesley preached in the kirk. At Arbroath, the society, though of but nine months' standing, was the largest in Scotland, with the exception of that at Aberdeen. At Dunbar he preached in the new chapel, "the cheerfulest in the kingdom"; and, on May 21, reached Newcastle on Tyne; but here we pause to insert a letter of considerable interest.

Within the last two years, Wesley had met at Bristol with a clergyman, who was one of the king of Sweden's chaplains, but who had recently spent several years in Pennsylvania. This gentleman, Dr. Wrangel, had strongly requested that Wesley would send preachers to America, nearly twelve months before Boardman and Pilmoor were appointed; and, further? to show his friendly feeling towards Methodism he had preached in the Bristol chapel to a crowd of Methodists, and " gave," says Wesley, " general satisfaction by the sim- plicity and life which accompanied his sound doctrine." Dr. Wrangel had now returned to Sweden, and wrote the following to Wesley.

"Stockholm, May 5, 1770.

" Dear and much beloved Brother in Christ Jesus,— I hope my heart will ever be impressed with the warmest gratitude for the comfort I enjoyed in your society. Though absent in body, I have often been amongst you. When I left England, I arrived first at Gothenburg, and lodged at the right reverend bishop, Dr. Lamberg's, who was fellow chaplain with me at court. I found him to be a great friend of yours. He had heard you preach while on his travels in England. I sent him your books, and he was well pleased with what he read, and desired me to remember him to you.

" I have now been upwards of a year in Stockholm, and have officiated as chaplain to the king, and at the same time preached in most of the churches here, and I must say, with uncommon success. Whenever I have preached the churches have been crowded. The king, on his death- bed, made me a privy councillor. When I spoke to him of the way of

1 Methodist Magazine, 185 1, p. 837.

Methodism in Sweden. 6j

salvation, he received the word with gladness, and departed in the Lord, T77° to the great edification and comfort of the whole family. His queen also, Aee~67 who is of English descent, is eminent in piety. This, I hope, will be at- tended with good consequences in favour of religion.

"Last parliament session several clergymen, and amongst them four bishops, agreed to my proposals concerning a society for propagating practical religion. We intend, as soon as the plan is rightly fixed, to enter into correspondence with several parts of the world ; and we expect the honour of your correspondence also.

" Providence is about to settle me in a station of great importance. I am about to be named the almoner of his majesty. This office is of im- portance to religion in general. Finally, my dear brother, let me be in- cluded in all your prayers, and let me hear from you. I am, with the greatest sincerity of affection, dear and reverend brother, your most

humble and affectionate brother and servant,

" C. M. Wrangel." *

Further correspondence followed, from which we learn that Dr. Wrangel himself, like Wesley, had been an open air preacher ; but was now, not only the king of Sweden's almoner, but "president of the consistory at court, and chaplain to all the royal orders." He writes to Wesley in 177 1 : " Pray, dear sir, desire your society to intercede for me. I send you enclosed the letter of admission to our society. The rules, not yet being printed in English, we send in German. I sincerely thank you for the kind present of your sermons and books. I presented a copy of your sermon to the society, which was very acceptable. The society will have the life of Mr. Whitefield inserted in their Pastoral Collections, or account of the work of God abroad. I beg of you, sir, to remember me kindly to all your friends, not for- getting dear Kingswood. I have been greatly blessed in my labour amongst the great, and shall soon give a particular account of it." 2

Thus, as England had its Wesleys, America its Whitefield, and Wales its Howel Harris, Sweden also had its great re- former,— Dr. Wrangel, once a field preacher, but now a founder of a quasi missionary society, and, as a faithful minister of Christ, bearing his testimony before kings and princes. Through Dr. Wrangel's friendship with Wesley, Methodism had already, fifty-six years before its appointment

Methodist Magazine, 1784, P- 7AO. ' Ibid. 1784, p. 614.

F 1

68 Life mid Times of Wesley.

m0 of the Rev. Joseph Rayner Stephens to Stockholm, indirectly

Age 67 extended its influences to the Swedish capital, and had begun

that wondrous work, which, fostered by the Rev. Dr. Scott,

has issued in some of the most remarkable results recorded in

mission history.

Wesley left Newcastle for London on the nth of June, and, on his journey, preached for the most part thrice a day. At Whitby, one of his itinerants, of six years' standing, " had set up for himself; his reasons for leaving the Method- ists being — (1) that they went to church; (2) that they held perfection." It is a remarkable fact, that sixty-five of the Whitby Methodists professed to be entirely sanctified. From Whitby, Wesley proceeded along the east coast to Robinhood's Bay, Scarborough, Bridlington, and Hull.

From Hull, he made his way to Beverley, York, Tadcaster, Pateley, Otley, Yeadon, Heptonstall, Colne, Haworth, and Keighley. The Keighley, or Haworth, circuit, at this period, extended from Otley to Whitehaven, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles.1 Yeadon has just been mentioned. Here James Rhodes began to hold Methodist prayer-meetings as early as 1747; and here his brother Joseph preached the first Methodist sermon in Yeadon, in the house of Judith Jackson. Here Thomas Mitchell, one of Wesley's bravest itinerants, was trained ; and here William Darney, while preaching, was attacked by a mob, led on by Reynolds, curate of Guiseley, had eggs thrown at his face, was dragged out of doors, and then stamped upon. Here Jonathan Maskew, by the same godless gang, had his clothes torn off his back, and, in a state of nakedness, was trailed over the rough stone pavement, till he was a mass of bruises. The bush burned, but it was not consumed. In 1766, the first chapel was erected ; and now, in 1770, it had to be enlarged.

At the beginning of July, Wesley spent about a week at Leeds, and in the surrounding towns and villages. He visited the orphanage of Miss Bosanquet, who had removed to Cross Hall, Morley. Her friend Sarah Crosby, in a letter dated July 13, 1770, remarks: "Mr. Wesley left Leeds yesterday. I never heard him preach better, if so well. In every sermon

1 Methodist Magazine, 1814, p. 166.

Thomas Cook, of Loughborough. 69

he set forth * Christian perfection' in the most beautiful light. I77° Mr. Rankin, who travels with him, is a blessed man, and A.^e 67 seems to fear no one's face. I believe there has not been such a time at Leeds for many years." 1

From Leeds, Wesley proceeded to Doncaster, Epworth, Horncastle, Louth, and other places; and then, turning round, came back to Doncaster, and, from there, went to Rotherham, Sheffield, Derby, and Nottingham, preaching, not only there, but in many of the intervening villages and towns. He writes : " I preached at Bingham, and really admired the exquisite stupidity of the people. They gaped and stared, while I was speaking of death and judgment, as if they had never heard of such things before. And they were not helped by two surly, ill mannered clergymen, who seemed to be just as wise as themselves."

In Loughborough market place, he preached to a congre- gation of some thousands, all of them still as night. This was his first sermon here ; but, four years previous to this, some of his preachers had visited the town, and, among others, converted by their ministry, was Thomas Cook, who in hu- mility, penitence, and self denial, was, even among the first Methodists, almost without an equal. For three months to- gether, he would live on barley bread and water, often fasting, from even nourishment like that, for whole days together, and praying the whole night through. He invariably wore clothing of the coarsest material, and when urged to use an overcoat answered : " When you can assure me, that there is not a poor man destitute of one coat, I may then perhaps wear tiuo." For ten years, he prayed for all with whom he happened to converse ; and as he lived, so he died, — humble, holy, loving, and devout, — saying in answer to a question, and with his characterise self abasement, '• Oh no ! no funeral sermon for we/"*

On Thursday, August 2, after a five months' absence, Wesley got back to London ; and, on August 7, met his con- ference ; in reference to which, the following unpublished letter, addressed to Mr. Merryweather, at Yarm, is nut without interest.

Manuscript. 2 Methodist Magazine, 1S07, p. 242.

yo Life and Times of Wesley.

I77o "My dear Brother,— I have the credit of stationing the preachers ;

— but many of them go where they will go, for all me. For instance, I have Age 6? marked down James Oddie and John Nelson for Yarm circuit the ensuing year ; yet, I am not certain that either of them will come. They can give twenty reasons for going elsewhere. Mr. Murlin says, he must be in London. 'Tis certain he has a mind to be there ; therefore, so it must be ; for you know a man of fortune is master of his own motions.

" I am your affectionate brother,

" John Wesley."

The difficulties of* conference, in stationing preachers, are not novel.

There were now fifty Methodist circuits, one of which was America! There were a hundred and twenty itinerant preachers, and 29,406 members of society. Nearly £2,000 had been subscribed, during the year, towards defraying the chapel debts ; and yet, in consequence of new erections, the aggregate debt was about the same. His chapels were be- coming Wesley's greatest burdens.1 It was resolved, that, during the coming year, no new chapel should be built, nor any old one altered, unless the entire expenditure were raised ; and a proposal was made to vest all the chapels in a general trust, consisting of persons chosen from among the Method- ists throughout the kingdom. This would have been a dis- astrous mistake. Fortunately it was not adopted.

Kingswood school, as usual, was a trouble. It had been opened two-and-twenty years, and had had, during that period, eight classical masters, five of whom had obtained episcopal ordination, and now a sixth, Joseph Benson, had not only entered himself a graduate at Oxford, but had exchanged Kingswood for Trevecca. No wonder that Wesley, at the conference of 1770, asked, " How can we secure our masters ? " The answer was, " Ask each, before he is re- ceived, Do you design to stay here ? have you any thoughts

1 The following hitherto unpublished letter was addressed to Matthew Lowes, and refers both to circuit, and connexional chapel, debts.

"London, March 2, 1770.

" Dear Matthew, — The way you propose for clearing the circuit is, I think, the very best which can be devised. Only let your fellow labourers second yon heartily, and the thing will be done.

u Four or five circuits exerted themselves nobly. Had all the rest done the same our burden would have been quite removed. Well, we will fight till we die. " I am, etc., J. Wesley."

Doctrinal Minutes. 71

of being ordained ? have you any design to preach ? " It is 1770 a fact worth noting, that, during the remainder of Wesley's Age~67 lifetime, there was only one more classical master who became an ordained clergyman, and that was Mr. Benson's immediate successor, Isaac Twicross. 1

Wesley found, that some of his preachers were still en- gaged in trade ; and, hence, it was now agreed, that those who would not relinquish trading in cloth, harclware, pills, drops, and balsams, should be excluded from the brother- hood ; but that, if any of them, like Thomas Hanby, John Oliver, and James Oddie, had a share in ships, there would be no objection to that.2

The conference of 17 70, however, will always be memor- able chiefly, if not entirely, for its doctrinal minutes. From the first, Whitefield, Howel Harris, and their friends, had been Calvinists ; and so were many of the evangelical clergy, patronised by the Countess of Huntingdon, as Romaine, Newton, Venn, Berridge, Shirley, and others. At an early period of their history, the two Wesleys agreed, with the Methodist Calvinistic leaders, to avoid preaching on Calvinistic topics to the utmost extent possible. Charles Wesley afterwards endorsed the document with the words " Vain Agreement." So indeed it was : in fact it could hardly be otherwise. Wesley, more than once, tried to meet his friends at a sort of halfway house ; but the attempt was dangerous, it exposed Wesley to suspicion, and it issued in a failure. We have already seen that, in 1743, Wesley, for the purpose of terminating their disputes, made concessions to Whitefield, respecting unconditional election, irresistible grace, and final perseverance, which it was impossible to defend. Accordingly, at the conference held a few months afterwards, he honestly confessed, that he had " unawares

1 Myles's History.

'-' This had become a matter of grave importance. Matthew Lowes, one of Wesley's most useful itinerants, states, in his unpublished Auto- biography, that though the trading of the preachers, in cloth, groceries, hardware, etc., was of considerable benefit to themselves and their families, it was strongly objected to by the people: (1) because it inter- fered with the businesses of Methodists in the places which the preachers visited ; and (2) because it was deemed inconsistent for a minister of the word of (iod to be engaged in any kind of trade whatever. Lowes' trad- ing was chi-tly confined to the sale of a valuable balsam, of which he

j 2 Life and Times of Wesley.

1770 leaned too much towards Calvinism j"1 and proceeded to pro- Age~67 pound doctrines, whiclj, in substance, were the same as those he now embodied in the theses of 1770. Twenty-six years had elapsed since then ; but there was a striking resemblance between the two periods ; and, substantially, the same cause for outspokenness. To say nothing more concerning White- field's doctrines, it is important to bear in mind, that, in 1744, Moravianism, or rather Zinzendorfism, had turned the doctrine of justification by faith only into an antinomian channel ; and now, in 1770, the same thing was practically being done by not a few who, at all events, were called Methodists. Mr. Fletcher's description of the antinomianism of the period is a frightful picture; and though not so applicable to the fol- lowers of Wesley as to those of the Countess of Huntingdon's connexion, yet the former were not so free from the anti- nomian poison as they should have been. Hence the publica- tion of Wesley's theological theses ; substantially the same as he had enunciated in 1744; but not so guardedly expressed. As they led to the longest and bitterest controversy in Wesley's history, we subjoin them in their entirety.

"We said, in 1744, 'We have leaned too much toward Calvinism.' Wherein ?

" 1. With regard to marts faithfulness. Our Lord himself taught us to use the expression ; and we ought never to be ashamed of it. We ought steadily to assert, on His authority, that, if a man is not 'faithful in the unrighteous mammon/ God will not give him the true riches.

himself was the sole maker and vendor; and which, while of great use to the afflicted, and a source of income to the poor itinerant, did not in the least interfere with the business of others ; but even Lowes was obliged to give up the itinerancy, when, for the sake of the suffering, and, for the benefit of his numerous family, he refused to give up his balsam. In 1 771, he was compelled to retire from the itinerant work, partly for the reason just mentioned, and partly on the ground of health, and, for about a quarter of a century afterwards, acted as a local preacher at Newcastle on Tyne, and supported himself, his wife, and his children, chiefly by the sale of his useful medicine. Three months after his retirement, Wesley wrote to him the following, now for the first time published.

" Norwich, November 10, 1771.

"Dear Matthew,— You should do all you can; otherwise want of exercise will not lessen, but increase your disorder. Certainly there is no objection to your making balsam, while you are not considered as a travelling preacher. I am, with love to sister Lowes, your affectionate brother, " j. Wesley."

1 Minutes, 1744.

Doctrinal Minutes. J 3

" 2. With regard to working for life. This also our Lord has expressly 17 70 commanded us: 'Labour/ epyafccrOe, literally 'Work' 'for the meat that \~~s endureth to eve-'asting life.' And, in fact, every believer, till he comes to glory, works for as well as from life.

"3. We have received it as a maxim, that 'a man is to do nothing in order to justification.' Nothing can be more false. Whoever desires to find favour with God should ' cease from evil, and learn to do well.' Whoever repents should do ' works meet for repentance.' And if this is not in order to find favour, what does he do them for ?

"Review the whole affair: 1. Who of us is now accepted of God? He that now believes in Christ with a loving and obedient heart.

<: 2. But who among those that never heard of Christ ? He that feareth God and worketh righteousness, according to the light he has.

" 3. Is this the same with ' he that is sincere ' ? Nearly, if not quite.

"4. Is not this ' salvation by works'? Not by the merit of works, but by works as a condition.

"5. What have we been disputing about for these thirty years? I am afraid, about words.

"&. As to merit itself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid ; we are rewarded ' according to our works,' yea, ' because of our works.' How does this differ from, for the sake of our works? And how differs this from secundum merita operum f as our works deserve ? Can you split this hair ? I doubt I cannot.

" 7. The grand objection to one of the preceding propositions is drawn from matter of fact. God does in fact justify those, who, by their own confession, neither feared God nor wrought righteousness. Is this an exception to the general rule? It is a doubt, God makes any exception at all But how are we sure, that the person in question never did fear God and work righteousness ? His own saying so is not proof ; for we know, how all that are convinced of sin undervalue themselves in every respect.

" 8. Does not talking of a justified or a sanctified state tend to mislead men ? almost naturally leading them to trust in what was done in one moment ? Whereas we are every hour and every moment pleasing or displeasing to God, 'according to our works' ; — according to the whole of our inward tempers, and our outward behaviour."

What was the result of these loosely worded propositions ? The answer to this will extend over several years ; but suffice it to say at present that the publication gave huge offence to the whole host of Calvinistic Methodists; and Lady Hunting- don declared, that whoever did not wholly disavow the theses should quit her college. Mr. Benson, her classical master, so far from disavowing, defended them, and hence sprung up a correspondence between Wesley and himself, from which the following are extracts.

74 Life and Times of Wesley.

177o "Bristol, October 5, 1770.

— " Dear Joseph,— I am glad you had the courage to speak your mind

Age 67 on so critical an occasion*. At all hazards, do so still; only with all possible tenderness and respect. She is much devoted to God, and has a thousand valuable and amiable qualities. There is no great fear that I should be prejudiced against one whom I have intimately known for these thirty years. And I know what is in man ; therefore, I make large allowance for human weaknesses. But what you say is exactly the state of the case. They are 'jealous of their authority.' Truly, there is no cause : Longe mea discrepat Mi et vox et ratio. I fear and shun, not desire, authority of any kind. Only when God lays that burden upon me, I bear it, for His and the people's sake. ' Child,' said my father to me when I was young, ' you think to carry everything by dint of argument ; but you will find, by-and-by, how very little is ever done in the world by- clear reason.' Very little indeed ! Passion and prejudice govern the world ; only under the name of reason. It is our part, by religion and reason, to counteract them all we can. It is yours, in particular, to do all that in you lies to soften the prejudices of those that are round about you, and to calm the passions from which they spring. Blessed are the peace- makers ! Whatever I say, it will be all one. They will find fault, because I say it. There is implicit envy at my power (so called), and a jealousy rising therefrom. Hence prejudice in a thousand forms ; hence objections springing up like mushrooms. And while these causes remain, they will spring up* whatever I can do or say. However, keep thyself pure; and then there need be no strangeness between you and, dear Joseph, your

affectionate brother,

" John Wesley." 1

" London, November 30, 1 770. " Dear Joseph, — For several years, I have been convinced that I had not done my duty with regard to that valuable woman; that I had not told her what, I was thoroughly assured, no one else would dare to do, and what I knew she would bear from no other person, but possibly might bear from me. But, being unwilling to give her pain, I put it off from time to time. At length, I did not dare to delay any longer, lest death should call one of us hence. So I, at once, delivered my own soul, by telling her all that was in my heart. It was my business, my proper business, so to do ; as none else either could or would do it. Neither did I at all take too much upon me : I know the office of a Christian minister. If she is not profited, it is her own fault, not mine : I have done my duty, and I do not know there is one charge in that letter which was either unjust, unim- portant, or aggravated ; any more than that against the doggerel hymns, which are equally an insult upon poetry and common sense.

" I am, dear Joseph, your affectionate brother,

John Wesley."2

1 Wesley's Works, vol. xii., p. 385. 2 Ibid. p. 387.

Anti-Calvinian Publications. 75

The above refers to a letter which Wesley had addressed 1770 to Lady Huntingdon ; but which has never yet been pub- Age~67 lished. Evidently it was faithful, and also unpalatable. It seems to have strengthened prejudices against him, instead of removing them. His position also was not improved by anti-Calvinian publications over which he had no control. Mr. William Mason, who had been one of Wesley's class- leaders, but had left him, and was now a magistrate of the county of Surrey, and resided at Rotherhithe Wall,1 issued his " Axe laid to the Root of Antinomian Licentiousness ; ex- tracted from the works of Mr. Flavel." 1770: 8vo, 36 pages. Another writer, signing himself " Academicus," gave to the public a small octavo volume of 124 pages, entitled "The Church of England Vindicated from the Rigid Notions of Calvinism " ; in which Sir Richard Hill is severely, perhaps abusively, flagellated for his virulent attack on Dr. Adams of Shrewsbury, and the Rev. William Romaine is charged with preaching a sermon which " shocked every serious and rational Christian that heard it." All these incidents had to do with the lamentable anger and bitterness of the memorable Calvinian controversy which will soon demand attention.

The sessions of the conference of 1770 being ended, Wesley set out for Cornwall, where he spent the next three weeks. Returning to Bristol, he and his brother, at the beginning of October, agreed, at the request of the society, to administer to them the Lord's supper every other Sunday ; which arrangement, of course, rendered it necessary, that an ordained clergyman should reside at Bristol, or in its neighbourhood.

The rest of the year was occupied with his usual journeys to Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Kent. Poor Whiteficld was dead ; and Wesley, if the way was opened, was quite ready to take his place, by including America within the bounds of his vast Methodist circuit. Hence the following to Mrs. Marston, of Worcester.

"December 14, 1770. "Mv DEAR SISTER, — If I live till spring, and should have a clear, pressing call, I am as ready to embark for America, as for Ireland. All

1 " Life and Times of Countess of Huntingdon," vol. i., p. 364.

7 6 Life and Times of JVesley.

T770 places are alike to me: I am attached to none in particular. Wherever .~~, the work of our Lord is to be carried on, that is my place for to-day. And we live only for to-day : it is not our part to take thought for to-morrow.

" I am, dear Molly, your affectionate brother,

"John Wesley."1

On Saturday, September 29, while on his way to Boston, in New England, Whitefield, at the importunity of the people, preached at Exeter, in the open air, a sermon nearly two hours long. At six o'clock next morning he was dead. A friend, addressing him just before he commenced his last sermon, said, " Sir, you are more fit to go to bed than to preach." "True," replied the dying evangelist; and then turning aside, he clasped his hands, and, looking up, said: "Lord Jesus, I am weary in Thy work, but not of Thy work." Whitefield was buried, where he died, at Newburyport. Every mark of respect was shown to his remains. All the bells in the town tolled, and the ships in the harbour fired mourning guns, and hung their flags half-mast high. In Georgia, all the black cloth in the stores was bought up, and the church was hung with mourning ; the governor and council met at the state- house in habiliments of sorrow, and went in procession to hear a funeral sermon.

Whitefield intended to be interred in Tottenham Court chapel, and had told the congregation, that he should like the Wesley brothers to be interred beside him. " We will," said he, " all lie together. You refuse them entrance here while living : they can do you no harm when they are dead."2 Whitefield's wish was not realised ; but, at length, Wesley was admitted to Whitefield's pulpit.

The Rev. Mr. Joss announced in Tottenham Court chapel on November 11, that, on the sabbath following, Wesley would preach a sermon there on Whitefield's death, as it had long ago been agreed between the two, that whichever sur- vived the other should preach the deceased's funeral discourse.3 An immense multitude assembled. " It was," says Wesley, " an awful season ; all were as still as night." On the same

1 Methodist Magazine, 1826, p. 752.

2 J. Pawson's manuscripts.

3 Lloyd's Evening Post, Nov. 16, 1770.

Death of Whitefield. 77

day, he preached again in Whitefield's tabernacle in Moor- 17 7° fields. The hour appointed was half-past five ; but the place Age 67 was filled at three, and Wesley began at four. His text was the same at both places : " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his ! " Whitefield's characteristics were described as consisting of " unparalelled zeal, indefatigable activity, tender heartedness to the afflicted, and charitableness toward the poor, the most generous friend- ship, nice and unblemished modesty, frankness and openness of conversation, unflinching courage, and steadiness in what- ever he undertook for his Master's sake." Wesley then sketched the doctrines Whitefield preached, and concluded thus.

"These are the fundamental doctrines which he everywhere insisted on ; and may they not be summed up in two words, — the new birth, and justification by faith ? These let us insist upon with all boldness, at all times, and in all places. Keep close to these good, old, unfashionable doctrines, how many soever contradict and blaspheme. Go on, my bre- thren, in the name of the Lord, and in the power of His might. Let brother no more lift up sword against brother ; rather put ye on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercies, humbleness of mind, brotherly kindness, gentle- ness, longsuffering, forbearing one another in love. Let the time past suffice for strife, envy, contention ; for biting and devouring one another. 0 God, with Thee no word is impossible ! O that Thou wouldest cause the mantle of Thy prophet, whom Thou hast taken up, now to fall on us that remain ! Take away from us all anger and wrath, and bitterness ; all clamour and evil speaking ! Let Thy Spirit so rest upon us, that from this hour we may be kind to each other, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath for- given us ! "

Well did such sentiments harmonise with the spirit and the life of Wesley's old and faithful friend ; and mournful is the fact, that they were so soon utterly ignored by the party of which Whitefield had been the chief. No sooner was Wesley's sermon preached and published, than it was attacked, because he had omitted to mention the election and final perseveiance of the saints. His doctrines of" the new birth and justification by faith were a defective, precarious scheme, and abortive as to saving purposes ; because, according to his tenets, a man may be justified by faith, and be born again, and yet never enjoy eternal life, unless he does more for himself, to make

7 8 Life and Times of Wesley.

177° his salvation effectual, than has been done for him by the

Age67 blood and righteousness of Christ." l

Whitefield bequeathed his orphan house estate in Georgia, with all its " buildings, lands, and negroes," " to that elect lady, that mother in Israel, that mirror of true and undenled religion, the Right Honourable Selina, Countess Dowager of Hunting- don." His two chapels in London, with his books and furni- ture in the Tabernacle house, were left to his "worthy, trusty, tried friends, Messrs. Daniel West and Robert Keen." Within the last three years, he had become possessed, by legacies, of about ^"1700, including ^"700 accruing to him at his wife's decease ; and this amount he bequeathed to a whole host of friends, the largest share falling to the Cjuntess of Hunting- don ; while, in an addendum to his will, he says: " I also leave a mourning ring to my honoured and dear friends and disin- terested fellow labourers, the Rev. Messrs. John and Charles Wesley, in token of my indissoluble union with them, in heart and Christian affection, notwithstanding our differences in judgment about some particular points of doctrine. Grace be with all them, of whatever denomination, that love our Lord Jesus, our common Lord, in sincerity." 2

Thus died one of the greatest Christian orators that ever lived, — a man who, though often heavily afflicted, preached, in four-and-thirty years, upwards of eighteen thousand sermons,3 many of them in the open air, and often to enormous crowds, and in the teeth of brutal persecution.4

Space forbids enlargement; but, perhaps, two unpublished letters, belonging to this period, may be welcome. The first was addressed to Matthew Lowes, and the second to Miss Foard, who afterwards became Mrs. Thornton, of 86, Black- man Street, Southwark.

"London, October 13. 1770. "My dear Brother,— Health you shall have, if health be best, if not, sickness will be a greater blessing. I am glad you have Dr. Wilson

1 Gospel Magazine, 1771, p. 39.

2 Lloyd's Evening Post, 1771, pp. 127, 139.

3 Gospel Magazine, 1776, p. 443.

4 Poor Whitefield was pelted even after he was dead. In the Annu I Register, for 1770, it is wickedly stated, that his last visit to America was owing "to an attachment to a woman, by whom he had a child while his wife was living ;" and it is added, that " this child was the first infant ever entered into his orphan house in Georgia " !

Original Letters. 79

near. A more skilful man, I suppose, is not in England. If you should 1770 continue weak, (as I did from November to March,) good is the will of — the Lord. You are not a superannuated preacher : but you are a super- ^e numerary. I believe one of your boys is rejoicing in the love of God. " I am, with love to sister Lowes, dear Matthew, your affectionate

brother> "J. Wesley."

" December 29, 1770. " My dear Sister, — When we had an opportunity of spending a day or two together, you convinced me that you fear and love God, and desire to enjoy all His promises. And I found you less prejudiced, than I expected, against the doctrine of Christian perfection. I only want you to ex- perience this : to be ' all faith, all gentleness, all love.' Labour to be wise, and yet simple ! To steer between the extremes of neglecting to culti- vate your understanding, which is right; and leaning to it, which is fatally wrong. And be free and open with, my dear Nancy, your affec- donate brother, "J.Wesley."

Little more, in reference to 1770, remains to be related. To a great extent, mob violence was ended ; but Wesley was still the target at which literary malice shot its shafts. The aid of the Muses was again invoked, and some unknown poetaster issued an octavo pamphlet of 39 pages, entitled, " The Perfections of God, — a standing Rule to try all Doctrines and Experience. A Poem humbly offered to the consideration of Mr. John Wesley and his followers." This was evidently the production of one of his Calvinistic friends. Hence the fol- lowing—

" Shall Wesley sow his hurtful tares, And scatter round a thousand snares, Telling how God from wrath may turn, And love the soul He thought to burn, And how again His mind may move, To hate, where He has vowed to love, How all mankind He fain would save, Yet longs for what He cannot have, Industrious thus to sound abroad A disappointed, changing God?"

Again, in reference to the " Hymn on God's Everlasting Love," we have the following choice morceau.

" Blush Wesley, blush, be filled with shame, Doom thy vile poem to the flame ; What tongue thy horrid crime can tell ? Put saints to sing the song of hell !

So Life and Times of Wesley.

177° Haste hence to Rome, thy proper place ;

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