*1 the ancestors of Mr. Wesley were Nonconformists. his father the Rev. Samuel Wesley, however, embraced early in life High Church principles. having written in defence of the Revolution of 1688, after he had refuse flattering offers made by the adherents of James II to support the measures of the court, he was presented with the Rectory of Epworth in Lincolnshire and to this living was added, in a few years afterwards, that of Wroote in the same county. Mrs. Susanna W, the mother of Mr. John Wesley, was the daughter of Dr. Samuel Annesley, and was, as might be expected from the eminent character of her father, educated with great car. like her husband she also early renounced Nonconformity and became a member of the Established Church. the serious habits impressed upon both by their education did not forsake them, they feared God and worked righteousness, but there was an obscurity on several great points of evangelical religion which hung over their minds till towards the close of life. this probably resulted from the early change in their religious connexions (ie. the Methodist connection, a group of local religious groups; from 'connect' - join, link or fasten together; join or bind...in this case as one Body in Christ) and from the study of a class of Divines of he Church of England whose writings exhibited either very imperfect or erroneous views of the doctrine of justification by faith and of the offices of the Holy Spirit.
Mrs W instructed her own children in their early years. she appears to have felt a peculiar interest in John from the circumstance of his providential (def - having to do with the foreseeing care and guidance of God) escape when the parsonage-house was destroyed by fire, regarding that event as imposing on her an obligation 'to be more particularly careful of the soul of a child whom God had so mercifully provided for'. the effect of this special care on the part of the mother, under the divine blessing, appeared in his becoming early serious. in 1714, when he was 11 years of age, he was placed at the Charter-House, 'where he was noticed for his diligence and progress in learning.
*2 at the age of 17, he was elected to Christ Church, Oxford, where he pursued his studies with distinguished success. at college he appears to have fallen into a state of religious carelessness, from which he was aroused when about to take Deacon's orders. (def - any of the degrees or grades of clerical office) the advice of his excellent mother in her correspondence with him, at this important period of his life, had a salutary effect on his mind. he was ordained Deacon in Sept. 1725; in the spring of 1726, he was elected fellow of Lincoln College and such was the high opinion which was entertained ( def - hold in mind, entertain, cherish) of his talents and literary acquirements, that on the 7th of Nov in the same year he was chosen Greek Lecturer and Moderator of the Classes, although he was then little more than 23 years of age. in following year obtained Priest's orders. in the month of Aug, 1727, he took the degree of Master of Arts and in the following year obtained Priest's orders. in the month of Aug, 1727, he had become his father's Curate; but the Rector of his college requiring his residence, he settled again at Oxford in Nov, 1729.
from this time the religious character of Mr. W became prominent. during his absence from Oxford, as his father's Curate, his younger brother Charles had become serious and persuading 2 or 3 students to accompany him, they attended the weekly sacrament and observed the method of study prescribed by the University: this obtained for Charles the name of 'Methodist'. to the little society thus formed by his brother. Mr. John Wesley joined himself on his return to Oxford and by the force of his character soon became the head of it. he has recorded the following account of its original members: 'in Nov, 1729, 4 young gentlemen of Oxford: Mr. John W, Fellow of Lincoln College; Mr. Charles Wesley, Student of Christ Church; Mr. Morgan, Commoner (def - a person ranking below a peer ie. nobility) of Christ Church; and Mr. Kirkham, of Merton College - began to spend some evenings in a week together, in reading chiefly the Greek Testament. the next year, 2 or 3 of Mr. John W's pupils. it was in 1732 that Mr. Ingham, of Queen's College and Mr. Broughton, of Exeter, were added to their number. to these in April was joined Mr. Clayton, of Brazen (def - face boldly or shamelessly)-Nose,
with 2 or 3 of his pupils. about the same time Mr. James Hervey was permitted to meet with them and in 1735 Mr. Whitefield. the life of Mr. W was now eminently strict and devout. 'He communicated every week; he WATCHED AGAINST ALL SIN and BEGAN TO AIM AT AND PRAY FOR INWARD HOLINESS. and he and his companions were anxious to promote also the welfare of others. they visited
*3 the prisoners in Oxford gaol, and spent 2 or 3 hours a week in visiting the poor and sick, generally, where the parish Ministers did not object to it. in this novel course they were exhorted to persevere by his father, whom Mr. W consulted on the subject and even his eldest brother Samuel, not withstanding his High Church principles, gave them similar advice. at this time, how ever it is evident, Mr. W was seeking justification before God by endeavouring after a perfect obedience to his law. Bishop Taylor and Mr. Law were his religious guides who, however beautiful and exact might be the picture of practical piety which they drew, exhibited very imperfect views of the method by which a sinner is to obtain reconciliation with his offended God.
in april
*4 acquaintance of several members of the Moravian Church who went out in the same ship, as settlers in the new province. on commencing the voyage Mr. W began the study of German, in order that he might be able to converse with them and in their DEEP HUMILITY, their CALMNESS IN DANGER, and THEIR DELIVERANCE FROM THE FEAR OF DEATH, he obtained such a view of the power of religion as his own experience had never yet afforded.
they reached Georgia in Feb, 1736. Mr. Charles W took charge of Frederica and Mr John of Savannah, where, the house not being ready, he resided with the Germans, with whose spirit and conduct he became still more favourably impressed. Mr. Charles W, after having suffered great persecution at Frederica, was sent in July, the same year, to England, with dispatches from the Governor, Mr. Oglethorpe, to the Trustees and Board of Trade. Mr. John W. in his visits to Frederica met with much opposition and abuse, but in Savannah he was rapidly gaining influence, when a circumstance occurred which led to his departure from Georgia. he had formed an attachment to an accomplished young lady, niece to the wife of Mr. Causton, chief Magistrate of Savannah, but in consequence of the remonstrances of Mr. Delamotte, who suspected Miss Hopkey's professions of piety, he consulted the elders of the Moravian Church. by them he was dissuaded from making offers of marriage to her, but it appears, that, in yielding to his sense of duty, he had a considerable struggle with his own feelings. the lady was soon after married to a Mr. Williamson. Her fiends, however, cherished a hostile feeling towards Mr. W, which they shortly found opportunity to manifest. Mr. W rigidly adhered to the rubric (def - direction for the conduct of divine service) of the Church of England and refused to admit those to the Lord's supper whom he judged unworthy, without respect of persons and some time after the marriage of Mrs Williamson, perceiving some things in her conduct of which he disapproved, he, after ineffectually endeavouring to produce amendment in her, repelled her from the communion. immediately the storm broke forth. a prosecution was commenced against him by Mr Williamson,for defamation of his wife's character and such a combination was formed among those in power to oppress him, that he was led eventually to ask the advice of his friends as to what he should do. they gave it s their opinion that he was not called by Providence to remain longer in the colony. in this opinion he coincided and sailed shortly after for England.
on his voyage home, Mr. W solemnly reviewed his religious state and experience and the record which he made in his Journal on that occasion affords an interesting view of a sincere
5 mind earnestly engaged in the search of truth. he was early warned, he says, 'against laying too much stress on outward works, as the Papists do.'. afterwards he read some Lutheran and Calvinist authors, who seemed ti him, on the other hand, too much to magnify faith. they he resorted to such English writers as Beveridge, Taylor and Nelson, whose views he thought more consonant with Scripture. his attention was next turned to the Fathers. from them he went to the Mystic writers, but here he found not what he sought . he soon saw the dangerous tendency of their system and renounced them as guides. 'and now, he adds, it is upwards of 2 years since I left my native country, in order to teach the Georgian Indians the nature of Christianity, but what have I learned, however, that he had to go down against to the very foundation -that he yet needed conversion.
Mr. W arrived in London, Feb 3, 1738 and in 4 days after, he met with Peter Bohler, a Minister of the Moravian Church. under divine Providence, the 7th of Feb, 1738, proved an important epoch in Mr. W's life, for his conversation with Bohler that day was the means of bringing his mind to correct views of the true nature of faith. it is evident from his own account of himself that he had formerly regarded faith, generally, as a principle of belief in the Gospel, which, by quickening his efforts to self-mortification and entire obedience, would raise him, through a renewed state of heart, to acceptance and peace with God. by this and subsequent conversations with Bohler, he was led to see his error and was fully 'convinced that his faith had been too much separated from an evangelical view of the promises of a free justification or pardon of sin through the atonement and mediation of Christ alone,which was the reason why he had been held in continual bondage and fear.' an appeal to Scripture silenced his principal objections to Bohler's statements respecting instantaneous conversion. 'I had, he remarks, but one retreat left on this subject. thus I grant God wrought in the first ages of Christianity, but the times are changed. what reason have I to believe He works in the same manner now? from this retreat, however, he was speedily driven, for on sun, April23d, he
*6 heard the testimony of several living witnesses that god saves now as in the ancient times. 'here ended, says he, my disputing. I could now only cry out, Lord, help thou my unbelief!
immediately Mr. W began to preach that doctrine of faith which he had thus been taught and he and a few others formed themselves into a religious society, which met in Fetter-lane. the rules of this society were printed under the title of 'Orders of a religious society, meeting in Fetter-lane in obedience to the command of God by St. James and by the advice of Peter Bohler. 1738 but although Mr. W and his friends thus assembled with the Moravians, they remained members of he Church of England.
Mr. W dates his conversion from May 24, 1738. his mind had been particularly impressed during that day with certain passages of Scripture which had occurred to him and 'in the evening..I went very unwilling to a society in aldersgate-street, where one was reading Luther's Preface to the Epistle to the Romans. about a quarter before 9, while he was describing the change which god works in the heart through faith in Christ, i felt my heart strangely warmed.I felt I did trust in Christ alone, for salvation and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, EVEN MINE (note!) and saved me from the law of sin and death'. Mr Charles Wesley also was made partaker of the same grace. Peter Bohler had visited him in his sickness at Oxford, but it was the reading of Halyburtons's Life, some time afterwards, which convinced him of the want of that faith which brings 'peace and joy in the Holy Ghost'. Luther on the Galatians deepened his convictions and increased his earnestness in seeking salvation, till at length, on Whitsunday,
(def - the 7th Sunday after Easter, celebrated as a festival in commemoration of the descent of the Holy spirit on the day of Pentecost -before 1100; ME whitsonenday, OE Hwitea Sunnangaeg white Sunday; probably so called because the newly baptized wore white robes on that day),
May 21st, 3 days before his brother John found peace, he was enabled, while reading some encouraging portions of Scripture, to view Christ as set forth to be a propitiation for his sins, through faith in his blood and he received that peace and rest in God which he had so ardently sought.
when Mr. W was in Georgia he formed the design of visiting Germany on his return to Europe and immediately after his conversion he determined to carry this purpose into effect, with a view to the confirmation of his faith. 'I hoped..the conversing with those holy men who were themselves living witnesses of he full power of faith and yet able to bear with those that are weak, would be a means, under God, of so establishing my soul, that I might goon from faith to faith and 'form strength to strength'. on this journey he formed an
*7 acquaintance with many pious Ministers in Holland and Germany. At Marienborn he was much profited by the conversation of Count Zinzendorf and others of the brethren of the Moravian establishment. he spent a fortnight at Hernhuth, conversion with the elders and observing the economy of that church, part of which, with modifications, he afterwards introduced among his own societies. having accomplished the object of his visit, he returned to England. he reached London on Sat night, Sept 16, 1738 and THE FOLLOWING DAY, Sun, he says, 'I BEGAN TO DECLARE (note - Oh Holy Spirit come to us in the same way!...so that we never stop speaking until our tongue lie silent in the grave!) again in my own country the GOOD TIDINGS OF SALVATION. preaching 3 times and afterwards expounding the Holy Scriptures to a large company in the Minories. on Mon I rejoiced to meet with or little society, which now consisted of 32 persons. the next day I went to the condemned felons in Newgate and offered them free salvation.in the evening I went to a society in Bear-yard and preached repentance and remission of sins. the next evening I spoke the truth in love at a society in aldersgate-street'.
Mr W's career
( def - 'road'; a persons general course of action in life)
of distinguished usefulness now fully commenced. FILLED WITH SYMPATHY FOR HIS FELLOW MEN, WHO WANDERED IN THE DARKNESS AND WRETCHEDNESS OF SIN, HE PREACHED TO THEM THE WAY OF SALVATION WHICH HE HIMSELF HAD FOUND. and there existed an awful need for the utmost efforts of himself and the little band with which he was associated. the religious and moral state of the nation at that time exhibited he most appalling aspect. the civil wars had exerted an baneful effect on the cause of religion, but the rapid decay of religious light and the influence, from the restoration of the Stuarts (def - rulers of Scotland from 1371-1714) to the time of the Wesleys, is perhaps without a parallel in the history of any christian country. in the Established Church, the doctrines generally preached verged towards Pelagianism
( def - doctrine of Pelagius (1525?) who denied original sin and believed in the freedom of the will),
in a great number of instances the Clergy were ignorant and immoral and the mass of the people were sunk in profligacy. (def - reckless or prodigal ie. wasteful, reckless extravagance).
and the state of things among the Dissenters was deplorable enough. the Presbyterians were urging their downward course through Arianism to
Socinianism (def - the teaching of Faustus and Laelius Socinus who rejected a number of traditional Christian doctrines, as the Trinity, the divinity of Christ and original sin and who held that Christ)
was miraculously begotten and that salvation will be granted to those who adopt Christ's virtues and the doctrines of Calvin had, among those who still held to them, degenerated in too many instances into Antinomianism.
(def - the belief that maintains that christians are freed from the moral law by virtue of grace as set forth in the gospel)
such was the state of religion and morals when Mr. W began his course.
at this period Mr. W had evidently formed no specific
8 plan to guide his future proceedings, but embrace such opportunities for usefulness as were providentially afforded him. wherever he was invited, he preached the obsolete DOCTRINE OF SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH. in London great crowds followed him, but the Clergy generally objected to his statement of the doctrine and it was not long before mot of the churches in London were shut against him, great multitudes, however, had heard the word and the results of his ministry were seen in the numbers who were brought under religious concern. in writing to the Church at Hernhuth under the date of Oct 13.1738, Mr. W states that they had then 8 bands of men, consisting of 56 persons, all of whom were seeking salvation only through the blood of Christ, that in addition to these there were two small bands of women, amounting to 8 persons and that there were many others who were waiting for instruction.
in Dec, the same year, Mr. Whitefield returned from America and he and Mr. W 'took sweet counsel together'. in the spring of the next year Mr. W went to Bristol. he first expounded to a small society in Nicholas-street and the next day, overcoming his scruples, he followed Mr. Whit's example and preached in the open air, on an eminence near the city, to about 3000 persons. on this practice, which had been in the first instance so revolting to his sense of decency and order, he observes in his journal, 'i have since seen abundant reason to adore the wise providence of God herein, making a way fro myriads of people who never troubled any church or were likely to do so, to hear that word which they soon found to be eh power of god unto salvation.
about this time some disputes took place in the Fetter-lane society as to lay-preaching and Mr. Charles Wesley, in the absence of his brother, declared warmly against it. while his brother was still at Bristol, he had also a painful interview with the Archbishop of Canterbury, who objected to the irregularity of his course and hinted at proceeding to excommunication. this conversation was to him the occasion of great perplexity of mind, which being observed by Mr. Whit, he urged him to preach in the fields the following Sun, and thus commit himself almost beyond the possibility of retreat. he followed this advice and preached, on June 24th, to nearly 1000 persons in Moorfields. at Oxford, the Dean dealt severely with him in regard of field-preaching, but on his return to London, he resumed the practice in Moorfields and on Kennington-Common and many were aroused to a serious inquiry after religion. on one occasion it was calculated that 10,000 persons were assembled to hear him.
*9 Mr. John W visited London in the summer of 1739, but shortly returned to Bristol. the labours of the 2 brothers and of Mr. Whit proved eminently successful in the neighbourhood of Kingswood. the colliers (coal miner) had been proverbial for wickedness, but many of them became truly exemplary for their piety. so considerable was the number of those who were brought under the saving influence of the Gospel, that the Bristol Clergy refused to admit them to the sacrament of the Lord's supper, being unwilling to have so much additional labour imposed upon them. the beneficial effect of the ministry of Mr. W and his fellow-labourers among the colliers of the neighbourhood was very apparent the following year, when a riot took place. the great body of the colliers had risen on account of the dearness of bread and marched to Bristol. they compelled many of the Methodist colliers to go with them and such was the influence which these exerted over the rest, that they were restrained from violence and all returned to their habitations without committing any outrage.
at this time Mr. W visited Bath and was interrupted in his preaching there by the celebrated Beau Nash. he then returned to London and preached to very great multitudes in Moorfields, on Kennington-Common, and at other places and many were awakened to a sense of sin. in the month of Oct he accepted an invitation to visit Wales where, although the churches were shut against him, he preached in private houses and in the open air, often during sharp frosts and was gladly received by the people, who were general, as Mr. W himself represented them, 'indeed ripe for the Gospel'.
about this period Mr. W stated his doctrinal views in perhaps as clear a manner as at any subsequent period. to a pious Clergyman, who wished to know in what points he differed from the Church of England, he answered that to the best of his knowledge he differed in none, the doctrines of the Church of England being the doctrines which he preached. he then explained his views on some of the principal doctrines and showed that those of the Clergy who disagreed with him on those points, differed from the Church of England also.
disputes having arisen between the Methodist and Moravians, who still formed one society in Fetter-lane, Mr. W returned to London. over this society he professed to have no authority and various new doctrines of a mystical kind, which he thought dangerous, having been introduced by several of the teachers, he at length, after several unsuccessful attempts to adjust matters, determined to withdraw. in July, 1740, after having read a paper explanatory of his views, he separated from the society. those
*10 who continued to adhere to him than met at the Foundry, near Moorfields, which he had previously taken and the whole number amounted to about 22. towards the Moravian Church at large, Mr. W continued to feel an unabated affection,, but as he was never a member of that Church and maintained only a kind of co-fraternity with those of them who were in London, his declining further intercourse with them was a step of prudence and of peace. the errors which had crept in among the Moravians in London at that time, were a refined species of Antinomianism and mystic notions of Ceasing from ordinance and waiting for faith in Stillness and these errors were afterwards carried by them into many of the methodist societies in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and other places.
the Methodist society, as that name distinguishes the people who to this day acknowledge Mr. W as their Founder under God, was, properly speaking, formed in the year 1739, in the chapel at Moorfields, where he regularly preached and where, by the blessing of God upon his and Mr. Charles W's labours, the society rapidly increased. for this and the societies in Bristol, Kingswood and other parts, he, in 1743, drew up a set of Rules, which continue in force to the present time and the observance of which was then and continues to be, the condition of membership. of these rues it may be sufficient to remark, that they relate entirely to MORAL conduct, the CHARITABLE offices and to the OBSERVANCE OF THE ORDINANCES OF GOD and evangelical Churchmen or Dissenters, walking by these Rules, might be members of the society, provided then held their doctrinal views and disciplinary prepossessions in peace and charity. the sole object of the union was to assist the members 'to MAKE THEIR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE', BY CULTIVATING THE RELIGION OF THE HEART AND A HOLY CONFORMITY TO THE LAWS OF CHRIST. these Rules bear the signature of John and Charles Wesley.
the mother of Mr W now began to attend his ministry. she had been somewhat prejudiced against her sons by report of their 'errors' and 'extravagancies' , but was convinced, upon hearing them, that they spoke 'according to the oracles of God'. the extraordinary manner in which some persons were frequently affected under Mr. W's preaching, as well as that of his coadjutors (def - assistant to a bishop or other ecclesiastic), now created much discussion and to many gave great offence. some were seized with trembling, under a painful conviction of sin; others sunk down and uttered loud and piercing cries and others fell into a kind of agony. in some instances, while prayer was offered for them, they rose up with a sudden change of feeling and testified that they had 'redemption through the
*11 blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace'. Mr. Samuel Wesley, who denied the possibility of attaining to a knowledge of the forgiveness of sins, treated these things, in a correspondence with his brother, alternately with sarcasm and serious severity and particularly attacked the doctrine of assurance. in this controversy, Mr. John W attaches no with whatever to these outward agitations, but contends that he is bound to believe the profession of an inward change made by many, who had been so affected, because that had been confirmed by their subsequent conduct and spirit. on the subject of assurance, both the disputants put forth their logical acuteness, but the result appears to have been, upon the whole, instructive to the elder brother, whose letters soften considerably towards the close of the correspondence. Mr. Samuel Wesley died in the following November.
about this time a disagreement of opinion took place between Mr. W and Mr. Whit. Mr W, being impressed with the STRONG TENDENCY OF THE CALVINISTIC DOCTRINES TO PRODUCE ANTINOMIANISM, publish a sermon against Absolute Predestination, at which Mr. Whitefield, who had some time previously embraced that notion, took offence. a controversy between them embracing some other points, ensued, which issued in a temporary estrangement and they laboured from this time independently of each other; their societies in London, Kingswood and other places, being kept quite separate. a reconciliation, however, took place between Mr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield some years afterwards, so that they preached in each other's chapels and Mr. Wesley preached the funeral sermon on Mr. Whitefield's death, at the chapel in tottenham-court-road and also at the Tabernacle in Moorfields.
several preachers, no episcopally ordained, were now employed by Mr. W to assist in the growing work, which already had swelled beyond even his and his brother's active powers suitably to supply with the ministration of the word of God. Mr. Charles W had discouraged this from the beginning and even he himself hesitated but, with John the promotion of religion was the first concern and church-order the second, although inferior in consideration to that only. with Charles these views were often reversed. Mr. W, in the year 1741, had to caution his brother against joining the Moravians after the example of Mr. Gambold, to which he was at that time inclined and adds, 'I am not clear that brother Maxfield should not expound at Greyhound-lane, nor can I as yet do without him. our Clergymen have increased full as much as the Preachers'. Mr. Maxfield's preaching had the strong sanction of the Countess of Huntingdon, but so little
12 of design, with reference to the forming of sect, had Mr. W, in the employment of Mr. Maxfield, that, in his won absence from London, he had only authorized him to pray with the society and to advise them as might be needful and upon his beginning to preach, he hastened back to silence him. on this his mother addressed him: 'John, you know what my sentiments have been. you cannot suspect me of favouring readily anything of this kind. but take care what you do with respect to that young man for he is as surely called of God to preach, as you are, examine what have been the fruits of his preaching and hear him also yourself'. he took advice and could not venture to forbid him.
his defence of himself on this point may be pronounced irrefutable and turns upon the disappointment of the hope which he had ever cherished that the parochial Clergy would take the charge of those who in different places had been turned to God by his ministry and that of his fellow-labourers.
'it pleased God, says Mr. W, by 2 or 3 Ministers of the Church of England, to call many sinners to repentance who, in several parts, were undeniably turned from a course of sin to a course of holiness.
the ministers of the places where this was done ought to have received those Ministers with open arms and to have taken those persons who had just begun to serve God into their particular care, watching over them intender love, lest they should fall back into the snare of the devil.
instead of this the greater part spoke of those ministers, as if the devil, not God had sent them. some repelled them from the Lord's table, others stirred up the people against them, representing them, even in their public discourses, as fellows not fit to live: Papists, heretics, traitors; conspirators against their Kind and country.
and how did they watch over the sinners lately reformed? even as a leopard watcheth over his pray. they drove some of them from the Lord's table, to which till now they had no desire to approach. they preached all manner of evil concerning them, openly cursing them in the name of the Lord. they turned many out of their work, persuaded others to do so too and harassed them in all manner of ways.
the event was, that some were wearied out and so turned back to the vomit again and then these good Pastors gloried over them and endeavoured to shake others by their example.
when the Ministers, by whom God had helped them before, came again to those places, great part of their work was to begin again, if it could be begun again , but the relapsers were often
*13 so hardened in sin, that no impression could be made upon them.
what could they do in a case of so extreme necessity, where so many souls lay at stake?
no Clergyman would assist at all. the expedient that remained was, to find some one among themselves who was upright of heart and of sound judgment in the things of God and to desire him to meet the rest as often as he could, in order to confirm them, as he was able, in the ways of God, either by reading to them or by prayer or by exhortation. (note: LAY MINISTRY TO MAKE Hebrews 3.13; 10.24,5; James 5.16 HAPPEN)
this statement may indeed be considered as affording the key to all that, with respect to church-order, may be called irregularity in Mr. Wesley's future proceedings. God had given him large fruits of his ministry in various places; when he was absent from them, the people were 'as sheep having no shepherd'. or were rather persecuted by their natural pastors, the Clergy. he was reduced, therefor, to the necessity of leaving them without religious care or of providing it for them. he wisely chose the latter, but true to his own principles and even prejudices he carried this no farther than the necessity of the case: the hours of service were in no instance to interfere with those of the Establishment and at the parish church the members were exhorted to communicate. thus a religious society was raised up within the national Church and with this anomaly, that as to all its interior arrangements, as a society, it was independent of its ecclesiastical authority. the irregularity was, in Principle, s great when the first step was taken as an any future time. it was a form of practical and partial separation, though not of theoretical dissent, but it arose out of a moral necessity and existed for some years in such a state, that had the Clergy been disposed to co-operate in this evident revival and spread of true religion and had the heads of the Church been willing to sanction itinerant labours among its Ministers and private religious meetings among the serious part of the people for mutual edification, the great body of Methodists might have been retained in strict communion with the Church of England.
we have now to follow these apostolic men into still more extended fields of labour and to contests more formidable. they had sustained many attacks from the press and some frowns from the authorities of the Church. by mobs they had occasionally been insulted both in England and Wales. but in London, some riotous proceedings, of a somewhat violent character, now occurred at their places of worship. with respect to these, the following anecdote is curious, as it show that Mr. W's zeal was regarded with favour in a high quarter: -
*14 'On the last day of 1742, Sir John Ganson called upon Mr. W, and said, Sir, you have no need to suffer these riotous mobs to molest you, as they have done long. I and all the other Middlesex magistrates have orders from above to do you justice whenever you apply to us'. 2 or 3 weeks after, they did apply. Justice was done, though not with rigour and from that time the Methodists had peace in London'.
in the discipline of Methodism, THE DIVISION OF THE SOCIETY INTO CLASSES is an important branch. every class is placed under a person of experience and piety, who meets the others once a week, for prayer and inquiry into the religious state of each, in order to administer exhortation and counsel. the origin of these classes was, however, purely accidental. the chapel at Bristol was in debt and it was agreed that each member of the society should contribute one penny a week to reduce the burden. the Bristol society was therefore divided into classes and for convenience, one person was appointed to collect the weekly subscriptions from each class and to pay the amount to the Stewards. the advantage of this system, when turned to a higher purpose, at once struck the methodical and practical mind of Mr. W. he therefore invited several 'earnest and sensible men' to meet him and the society in London was divided into classes like that of Bristol and placed under the spiritual care of these tried and experienced persons. at first they visited each person, at his won residence, once a week, but the preferable mode of bringing every class together weekly was at length adopted. these meetings are not, as some have supposed, inquisitorial, but their business is confined to statements of religious experience and the administration of friendly and pious counsel.mutual acquaintance with each other is thus formed; the leader is the friend and adviser of all and among the members, by their praying so often with and for each other, the true 'fellowship of saints' is promoted. opportunities are also thus afforded for ascertaining the wants of the poorer members and obtaining relief for them and for visiting the sick, the duty of a Leader being to see the members once in the week, either at the meeting or if absent from that at home. in regard of this institution Mr. Wesley remarks, 'upon reflection i could not but observe, this is the very thing which was from the beginning of Christianity. in the earliest times, those who God had sent forth 'preached the Gospel to every creature'. the body of Hearers were mostly either Jews or heathens. BUT AS SOON AS ANY OF THESE WERE SO CONVINCED OF THE TRUTH AS TO FORSAKE
*15 SIN AND SEEK THE GOSPEL SALVATION. THEY IMMEDIATELY JOINED THEM TOGETHER, TOOK AN ACCOUNT OF THEIR NAMES, ADVISED THEM TO WATCH OVER EACH OTHER AND MET THESE CATECHUMENS* (def - a person under instruction in the rudiments of christianity, as in the early church; a neophyte) as the were called, APART FROM THE CONGREGATION, THAT THEY MIGHT INSTRUCT, REBUKE, EXHORT AND PRAY WITH THEM AND FOR THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR SEVERAL NECESSITIES'.
Mr W now extended his labours northward. he first accepted an invitation into Leicestershire and thence proceeded to Birstal in Yorkshire, where John Nelson, who had been brought to the knowledge of God in London by the ministry of the Methodists, had been instrumental on his return of doing great good. after preaching to a large congregation on Birstal Hill, and on the side of Dewsbury moor and encouraging Mr. Nelson in his endeavours to be useful, Mr.Wesley proceeded to Newcastle-upon Tyne, hoping to have the same fruit of his labours among the colliers of that neighborhood as he had seen among those of Kingswood. in returning southward, he preached in various parts of Yorkshire and visiting Epworth, where a small society of Methodists had been collected and finding the use of the church denied him, he stood upon his father's tomb and preached to a numerous congregation, who, as well as himself, appear to have been deeply impressed with the circumstance of the son speaking to them, as from the ashes of his father, on those solemn subjects on which that venerable parish Priest had faithfully addressed them for so many years. this was on Sun, June 6, 1742. the following Sun he preached on the same spot to a vast multitude from all parts and with great visible effect. he left Epworth the following morning and, after visiting Bristol, was recalled to London, to attend the last moments of his mother, who died a decided witness of the assurance of faith, - a doctrine which, in the later years of her life, she learned from her sons more fully to understand. she was interred in the Bunhillfield burial-ground.
the labours of Mr. Charles W had been very extended and successful during the early part of the year 1743. from the west of England he proceeded to Staffordshire, Birmingham,Nottingham and Sheffield. at Sheffield, especially, he was exposed to great danger from the fury of the mob. in his Journal he observes, 'those at Moorfields, Cardiff and Walsal were lambs of these. on leaving Sheffield, a number of persons waylaid him and pelted him with eggs and stones. David Taylor, who was with him, was much hurt in the head by a stone and as to himself, he says, 'My clothes indeed abhorred me and my arm pained
*16 me a little from a blow I received at Sheffield'. having reached Leeds, he preached to thousands before Mr. Shent's door and found the people prepared for the Lord. the Clergy of Leeds treated him with respect and deference and constrained him to assist them at the sacrament.he then went to Newcastle and he remarks in his Journal, that never since he had preached the Gospel had he had greater success than at this time at Newcastle,soon after this, his brother laid the foundation of a place for the public worship of the society, the size of which startled many, but he received such assistance, sometimes from very unexpected quarters, that he was enabled to complete it. during this year new societies were formed in the western, midland and northern counties, while those before collected continued greatly to increase. in the latter end of the same year (1743) Mr. W appointed in London visitors of the sick, as a distinct office in his society.
the same year was remarkable in the life of Mr. W for his escape from one of the most dangerous of his encounters with deluded and infuriated mobs. the persecution was first excited by a sermon preached in Wednesbury church by the Clergyman. 'I never, says Mr. W, heard so wicked a sermon and delivered with such bitterness of voice and manner'. the effect was soon visible and was increased by the conduct of many of the neighbouring Magistrates, full of what they called churchmanship and loyalty. at Wednesbury, Darlaston and West Bromwich the mobs were stimulated to abuse the methodists in the most outrageous manner. even women and children were beaten, stoned and covered with mud. their houses were broken open and their goods spoiled and carried away. as soon as the intelligence reached him, Mr Wesley hastened from Bristol, whither he had gone, to comfort and advise this harassed people. on his arrival, he preached at Wednesbury without molestation, but the mob soon after surrounded the house and he was exposed to their fury for a considerable time. Mr. Charles, who met him at Nottingham, has inserted in his Journal a notice of their meeting, highly characteristic of the spirit of martyrdom in which both of them lived..'My brother came, delivered out of the mouth of the lions! his clothes were torn to tatters. he looked like a soldier of Christ. the mob of Wednesbury, Darlaston and Walsal, were permitted to take and carry him about for several hours, with a full intent to murder him, but his work is not yet finished or he had been now with the souls under the altar'. undaunted by the usage of his brother, Charles immediately set out for Wednesbury to encourage the societies.
in this year, Mr. W made his first journey into Cornwall, whither his brother Charles had preceded him and had preached
*17 to mobs 'as desperate as that at Sheffield. Mr. W followed in Aug and came to St. Ives, where he found a society formed on Dr. Woodward's plan. they gladly received him and became the nucleus of the Methodist societies in Cornwall, which from this time rapidly increased. in no part of England has Methodism obtained more influence that in the west of Cornwall. it has become, in fact, the leading profession of the people and its moral effects upon society may be viewed with the highest satisfaction and gratitude. a serious persecution was, however, experienced in Cornwall, at the commencement; the riots in Staffordshire and elsewhere continued and cruel was the treatment which the Methodists and several of the Preachers experience.
the first Conference was held in June, 1744. THE SOCIETIES SPREAD THROUGH various parts of the kingdom and a number of Preachers, under the name of ASSISTANTS and HELPERS, the former being the superintendents of the latter, had been engaged by Mr. W in the work. some Clergymen, also, more or less co-operated to promote these attempts to spread the flame of true religion and were not yet afraid of the cross. these circumstances led to the distribution of different parts of the kingdom into CIRCUITS, to which certain PREACHERS were for a time appointed and were then removed to others. the superintendence of the whole was with the 2 brothers, but particularly with Mr. John Wesley. the ANNUAL CONFERENCES afforded an admirable opportunity of CONVERSING ON IMPORTANT POINTS AND DISTINCTIONS OF DOCTRINE, that all might 'speak the same thing' in their public ministrations and of agreeing upon such a discipline as the new circumstances in which the societies were placed might require. the labours of the preachers for the ensuing year were also arranged and CONSULTATION WAS HELD ON ALL MATTERS CONNECTED WITH THE PROMOTION OF THE WORK OF God IN WHICH THEY WERE ENGAGED. EVERY THING WENT ON, HOWEVER, NOT ON PRECONCEIVED PLAN, BUT 'STEP BY STEP', AS CIRCUMSTANCES SUGGESTED AND LED THE WAY. TO THE PRINCIPLE OF doing good TO THE SOULS OF MEN , EVERY THING WAS SUBORDINATED. not excepting even their prejudices and fears, as will appear from the minutes of the first Conference, which was held in London, as just stated, in 1744. the ultimate separation of the societies from the church, after the death of the first agents in the work, was at that early period contemplated as a possibility, and made a subject of conversation and the resolution was, 'We do and will do all we can to prevent those consequences which are supposed to be likely to happen after our death, but we cannot, in good conscience, neglect the present opportunity of saving souls while we live, for fear of
consequences which may possibly or probably
*18 happen after we are dead'. to this principle Mr. W was 'faithful unto death' and it is the true key to his public conduct. his brother, after some years, less steadily adhered to it and most of the Clergymen, who attached themselves to Mr. W in the earlier periods of methodism, found it too bold a position and one which exposed them to too severe a fire, to be maintained by them.it required a firmer courage than theirs to hold out at such a post, but the Founder of Methodism, never betrayed the trust which providential circumstances had laid upon him.
in Aug following, Mr. W preached for the last time before the University of Oxford. his sermon evidently produced effect and the Vice-Chancellor sent after him and desired his notes, which he sealed up and sent immediately.
the year 1745 was chiefly spent by Mr. Charles W in London, Bristol and Wales. in the early part of the next year he visited Cornwall where he preached with great success, though in some places he suffered persecution. on his return to London, he visited the Rev. Vincent Perronet, the venerable Vicar of Shoreham, in Kent, of whose wise counsels the Wesleys afterwards frequently availed themselves, in matters of difficulty. he then set off on a tour into the north and in Staffordshire was exposed to the violence of ungodly men. having visited Dewsbury, Newcastle, Hexham and other places, he returned, through Lincolnshire, -preaching in several places. he did not remain long in London before he set off for Bristol and at Devizes had as narrow an escape for his life, from a lawless mob, as his brother had experienced at Wednesbury. amidst such storms were the foundations of that work laid, the happy results of which tens of thousands now enjoy in peace. during the same period of 2 years the labours of Mr. John W had been as unintermitting. he visited many parts of England and on his return to London he revived with vigour the pan which he had occasionally acted on, of writing and causing to be distributed small religious tracts, by which the cause of religion was greatly promoted.
at this time the attention of Mr. W was considerably directed to 'the case between the Clergy and the Methodists' and to the discipline of the societies and the means of making provision for their future welfare. he felt that a case of necessity had arisen, calling upon him to provide a ministry and a government for the people who had been raised up, - a necessity which rested upon the obvious alternative that they must either be furnished with Pastors of their own or be left without sufficient aid in the affairs of their souls. this led him closely to examine the whole matter, and
*19 the subject of church discipline was seriously discussed at several Conferences. at the Conference of 1745, a general view of church-government was adopted. a minister of Christ was contemplated as commencing his labours in some given place. he raises a society. then he visits other places in the neighbourhood, here also his ministry is crowned with success and HE FORMS more SOCIETIES, OVER EVERY ONE OF WHICH HE APPOINTS SOME ONE TO WATCH. THESE ARE DEACONS. as the work advances they need SUBORDINATE DEACONS to assist them, in regard of whom they are Presbyters or Elders, while the first Minister upon whom they all depend as their father in the Lord and the common bond of union to them all with their respective charges, may be called the Bishop or Overseer of the whole at a subsequent Conference it was concluded, that although this plan of government generally prevailed in the apostolic age, it was not absolutely binding in all its details on Christians in every period, that,if the great principles which it involves are duly secured, various modifications of the form, according to time and circumstances, are allowable. and one of those principles which Mr. W held to be, if not absolutely essential, yet strictly scriptural and highly beneficial, (as the unbroken tenor of his subsequent life fully proved) was the principle of a UNITED MINISTRY and of a connexion between the several societies founded on the union of their ministry and on their subjection, in all matters of general bearing to one common discipline. having satisfied himself on the subject of church-government and regarding himself as a Scriptural Bishop, Mr. W proceeded to call forth Preachers and set them apart or ordain them to the sacred office, for the purpose of establishing and extending that great work which he had the honour of commencing. still he did not go beyond the Necessity. he could make this scriptural appointment of Ministers and ordinances without renouncing communion with the established Church and therefore he did not renounce it, nor did the Church itself see fit to interfere so as to exclude him. in these views Charities W too, who was at every one of the early Conferences, concurred with him and if he thought somewhat differently on these points afterwards, it was not John, but Charles, who departed from first principles. in the month of Aug, 1747, Mr. W visited Ireland for the first time and found in Dublin a considerable society, which had been formed by Mr. Williams, one of the Preachers, Mr. W, after remaining a short time, requested his brother to succeed him, who found that a persecution had commenced against the infant society and that a popish mob had committed gross outrages. some of the rioters were sent to prison, but the
*20 Grand Jury at the following assizes ignored the Bill and thus gave up the Methodists to the fury of a licentious mob. Mr. Charles W continued in Ireland a considerable time and societies were formed in various parts of the country.
while these indefatigable Ministers of Christ were thus exerting themselves to promote a general revival of pure religion, the Preachers under their direction, though labouring in more limited districts of country, were scarcely less laboriously employed. at this period one of them writes from lancashire to Mr. Wesley, 'Many doors are opened for preaching in these parts, but cannot be supplied for want of Preachers. I think some one should be sent to assist me, otherwise we shall lose ground. my circuit requires me to travel 150 miles in 2 weeks during which time I preach publicly 34 times, besides meeting the societies, visiting the sick and transacting other affairs.
of the Preachers some were engaged in business and preached at their leisure in their own neighbourhoods, but still, zealous for the salvation of me, they often took considerable journeys. others gave themselves up, for a time, to more extended labours and then settled. but the third class, who had become the regular 'assitants' and 'Helpers' of Mr. W, were devoted wholly to the work of the ministry and, after a period of probation and a scrutiny into their character, doctrinal views and talents at the annual Conferences, were admitted by solemn prayer, into what was called 'full connexion', which was, in fact, their ordination. no provision was, however, made at this early period for their maintenance. THEY TOOK NEITHER 'PURSE NOR SCRIP'; THEY CAST THEMSELVES UPON THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD AND THE HOSPITALITY AND KINDNESS OF THE SOCIETIES and were by them, like the primitive Preachers, 'helped forward after a godly sort, (foot - the want of a provision for their wives and families, in the early periods of Methodism, cause the loss of many eminent Preachers, who were obliged to settle in Independent congregations) on their journeys, to open new places, and to instruct those for whose souls 'no man cared'. it might be as truly said of hem as of the first propagators of Christianity, they had 'no certain dwelling place'. under the severity of labour and the wretched accommodations to which they cheerfully submitted, many a fine constitution was broken and premature death was often induced.
at the early annual Conferences, the doctrines which should be taught were one of the principal subjects of conversation. it is, however, proper to observe that the Clergymen and others who thus assembled did not meet to draw up formal articles of
*21 faith. they admitted those of the Church of England and THEIR PRINCIPAL OBJECT WAS TO ASCERTAIN HOW SEVERAL OF THE DOCTRINES RELATIVE TO EXPERIMENTAL CHRISTIANITY, which they found stated in substance in those articles and further illustrated in the Homilies, were to be understood and explained. THIS LIGHT THEY SOUGHT FROM MUTUAL DISCUSSION, IN WHICH EVERY THING WAS BROUGHT TO THE STANDARD OF THE WORD OF INSPIRED TRUTH.
the Minutes of the early Conferences contain not only the record of these conversations, but also the frame of the discipline of the body, growing up from year to year, and embodied in many copious directions and arrangements. the most important of these remain in force to this day, although some, in a maturer state of the society, have gone into disuse. it is worthy of remark, because it goes to show the importance which Mr. W attached to an academical preparation for the ministry, that the 'establishment of A SEMINARY FOR LABOURERS' was a subject of conversation at the very first Conference which was held, in the year 1744 it is asked, 'Can we have a seminary for Labourers? and the answer is, 'If God spare us till another Conference'. the year after it was inquired, 'Can we have a seminary for labourers yet? answer, 'NOT TILL GOD GIVES US A PROPER TUTOR. the institution was thus actually resolved upon and delayed only by circumstances. the reasons why the project was not afterwards carried into effect appear to have been the rapid spread of the work and the consequent demand for additional preachers. Mr. W also looked to Kingswood school as subsidiary to this design. in the mean time he enjoined on the preachers the STUDY OF THE ORIGINAL SCRIPTURES and a large course of theological and general reading. the doctrines and principal branches of the discipline of the body being generally settled, Mr. W desisted from publishing extracts from the minutes of the annual Conferences for several years. Mr. Charles W married in 1749, yet still continued his labours with but little abatement. about this time some difference arose between the 2 brothers. the very success which had been vouchsafed to their labours seems to have operated on the prejudices of Charles in favour of the Church and he sought to obtain a share in the government of the societies with his brother and to adopt those planes which, by limiting the number of the Preachers, would have greatly prevented the extension of the work. Mr. W, discovering and Charles afterwards withdrawing more from public life, the
*22 government remained with John more exclusively than before. in this difference, there was no unworthy jealousy between the 2 brothers, but they continued to cherish the most tender affection for each other.
previously to this time, Mr. W had formed an attachment to Mrs. Grace Murray, a pious and respectable woman, but his union with her was prevented by the interference of his brother. still, however, believing that his entering the marriage state would promote his usefulness, he, in the year 1751, was united to Mrs. Vizelle, a widow lady of independent fortune, but the union did not prove productive of the comfort and advantages which Mr W anticipated.
a school at Kingswood, near Bristol, for the children of the poor, had been long built, but that neighbourhood was also fixed upon by Mr. W for an institution, in which the sons of the preachers and those of the richer methodists, should receive at once the best education and the most efficient religious training. it was opened in June, 1748 and he published soon after a 'Short Account' of the institution, with the plan of education adopted, particularly for those who were to remain so long in it as to go through a course of academical learning and adds, 'Whoever carefully goes through this course will be a better scholar than 9 in 10 of the graduates at oxford and Cambridge'. in this great and good design he grasped at too much and the school came in time to be confined to the sons of the preachers and ceased, as at first, to receive other boarders. indeed, from the increase of the preachers' families, the school was rapidly filled and required enlargement at different times and finally, it was necessary to establish a second school at Woodhouse Grove, in Yorkshire. the circumstance of the preachers being so much from home and removing every one of 2 years from their Circuits, rendered an institution of this kind imperative and, as it necessarily grew out of the system of itinerancy, it was cheerfully and liberally, though often inadequately, supported by private subscriptions and a public annual collection throughout all the congregations the most gratifying moral results have followed and a useful and religious education has been secured to the sons of the Preachers, many of whom engaged in professional or commercial pursuits, are now found filling, honourably to themselves, important situations in general society and some, having afforded undeniable proofs of genuine conversion and of a divine call to public labours in the church of Christ, have been admitted into the ministry and are among its highest ornaments, or its brightest hopes. while it is cause of gratulation that an institution
*23 for the education of the junior preachers is now determined on , it is, however to be regretted, that the original plan of Mr. W, to found an institution for the Connexion at large, which should unite the advantages of a school and a college, has not yet been resumed with a view to its being carried into effect. various circumstances, at that early period, militated against the success of this excellent project, which have gradually disappeared and if in that infant state of the cause, Mr. W wisely thought that Methodism should provide for all its wants, religious and educational, within itself, much more incumbent is it t do so now. many of the sons of our friends, for want of such a provision, have been placed in schools where their religious principles have been neglected or perverted and too often have been taught to ridicule or to be ashamed of, the religious profession of their fathers.
in the autumn of 1753 Mr. W was threatened with consumption, brought on, in the midst of his great and continuous labour, by repeated attacks of cold. by the advice of Dr. Fothergill he retired to Lewisham and her, not knowing how it might please god to dispose of him and wishing 'to prevent vile panegyric' (def - lofty praise) in case of death, he wrote his epitaph as follows:
her lieth
the body of John Wesley,
a brand plucked out of the burning
who died of a consumption in the fifty first
year of his age,
not leaving, after his debts are paid,
10 pounds behind him:
PRAYING,
God be merciful to me an unprofitable servant!
(he ordered that this, if any, inscription should be placed on his tombstone.)
during Mr. W's illness, Mr. Whitefield wrote to him in a strain which shows the fulness of affection which existed between those great and good men, not withstanding their differences of opinion. the letter is dated Bristol, Dec. 3, 1753
Rev. and very dear Sir,
'if seeing you so weak when leaving London distressed me, the news and prospect of your approaching dissolution hath quite weighed me down. I pity myself and the church, but no you. a radiant throne awaits you and ere long you will enter into your master's joy. Yonder he stands with a
*24 massy crown, ready to put it on your head, amidst an admiring throng of saints and angels. but I, poor I, that have been waiting for my dissolution these 19 years, must be left behind to grovel her below! Well! this is my comfort. it cannot be long ere the chariots will be sent even for worthless me. if prayers can detain them, even you, Rev and very dear Sir, shall not leave us yet but if the decree is gone forth, that you must now fall asleep in Jesus, may he kiss your soul away and give you to die in the embraces of triumphant love! it in the land of the dying, I hope to pay my last respects to you next week. if not Rev. and very dear Sir, F-a-r-e-w-e-l-l. (note - latin quote; foot - 'I shall follow, though not with equal steps'.
Rev and very dear Sir,
Your most affectionate, sympathizing and afflicted
younger brother in the Gospel of our common Lord, G. Whitefield.
from Lewisham Mr. W removed to the hot wells, near Bristol and, EVER INTENT UPON IMPROVING TIME, began his Notes on the New Testament. for some time after this, he appears to have remained in an invalid state. during his illness, Mr. Charles W went forth to visit the societies and to supply his brother's place.
in 1755 at the Conference held in Leeds, the question was formally discussed whether the Methodists ought to separate from the Church and it was decided that, whether lawful or not, it was not expedient. Mr. Charles Perronet and some others, for whom Mr W had great respect, were at this time urging him to make full provision for the spiritual wants of his people as being in fact in a state of real and hopeless separation from the Church and he did some years afterwards so far relax, as to allow of preaching in Church-hours under certain circumstances, as,
1. when the minister was wicked or heal pernicious doctrine
2. when the churches would not contain the population of a town or where the church was distant. in that case he prescribed reading the Psalms and lessons and part of the Liturgy. and for this purpose, as well as for he use of the American societies, he published his abridgement of the Common Prayer under the title of the 'Sunday Service of the Methodists'.
in 1756 he printed an Address to the Clergy, plain, affectionate
*25 and powerful, breathing at once the spirit of an Apostle and the feeling of a brother. Happy if that call had been heard! he might perhaps be influenced in this by a still lingering hope of a revival of the spirit of zeal and piety among the Ministers of the established Church , in which case that separation of his people from the Church, which he began to foresee as otherwise inevitable, he thought might be prevented and this he had undoubtedly much at heart. under the same view it probably was that in 1764 he addressed a circular to all the Serious Clergy whom he knew, inviting them to a closer co-operation in promoting the influence of religion in the land, without any sacrifice of opinion, and being still at liberty, as to outward order, to remain 'quite regular or quite irregular or partly regular and partly irregular'. of the 34 clergymen addressed, only 3 returned any answer. from this time he gave up all hope of a formal connexion with even the pious Clergy. 'they are, he observes, a rope of sand and such they will continue' and he therefore set himself with deep seriousness to perpetuate the union of his Preachers. at the Conference of 1769 he rad a paper, the object of which was to bind the Preachers together by a closer tie and to provide for the continuance of their union after his death. they were to engage solemnly to devote themselves to God, to preach the old Methodist doctrines and to maintain the whole Methodist discipline. after Mr. W's death they were to repair to London and those who chose to act in concert were to draw up articles of agreement, whilst such as did not so agree were to be dismissed 'in the most friendly way possible'. they were then to choose a Committee by voe, each of the members of which was to be Moderator in his turn and this Committed was to enjoy Mr. W's power of proposing Preachers to be admitted or excluded, of appointing their station for the ensuing year and of fixing the time of the next Conference.this appears to have been the first sketch of an ecclesiastical constitution for the body, and it mainly consisted in the entire delegation of the power which Mr. W had always exercised, to a Committee of Preachers to be chosen by the rest when assembled in Conference. the form of government he thus proposed was therefore a species of Episcopacy to be exercised by a committee of 3, 5 or 7, as the case might be. another and a more eligible provision was subsequently made, but this sufficiently shows that Mr. W had given up all hope of strict union with the Church and his efforts were henceforth directed merely to prevent any thing like formal separation and the open renunciation of her communion, hence he would not allow his Preachers to administer the sacraments.
*26 about this time much prejudice was excited against Mr. W in Scotland by the republication of Hervey's 11 Letters. he had 3 times visited this county and, preaching only upon the fundamental truths of Christianity, had been received with great affection. the societies had increased and several of his Preachers were stationed in different towns. Lady finances Gardiner, the widow of Colonel Gardiner and other persons eminent for piety and rank, attended the Methodist ministry, but the publication of this wretched work caused a temporary odium, Hervey, who had been one of the little band at Oxford, became a Calvinist and as his notions grew more rigid with age, so his former feelings of gratitude and friendship to Mr. W were blunted. he had also fallen into the hands of Cudworth, a decided Antinomian, who 'put in and out' of the Letters 'what he pleased'. they were not, however, published until Hervey's death, and against his dying injunction. it is just to so excellent a man to record this fact, but the work was published in England and republished, with a violent preface by Dr. Erskine, in Scotland and among some of the Calvinists it had the effect of producing very unfavourable views of Mr. W.
Methodism having begun to make some progress in america, in consequence of the emigration of some of the members of the society from England and Ireland, Mr. W inquired of the Preachers at the Conference of 1769, whether any of them would embark in that service. Messrs Boardman and Pilmoor, 2 excellent men, of good gifts, volunteer their services and were sent to take the charge of the societies. from this time the work spread with great rapidity. more than 20 Preachers had devoted themselves to it previously to the war of independence and societies were raised up in Maryland, Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania. during the war they still prosecuted their labours, though, as several of them took the side of the mother-country, they were exposed to danger. others, with more discretion, held on their way in silence, speaking only of the things of God. after the war had terminated, political views were laid aside and Mr. W made a provision for the government of his American societies, which will be subsequently adverted to. they became, of course, independent of British Methodism, but have honourably preserved, in general, the doctrines, the discipline and above all, the spirit of the body. great, and even astonishing, has been their success in that new and rising country, to the wide-spread settlements of which their plan of itinerancy was admirably adapted. the Methodists are become, as to numbers, the leading religious body of the Union and their
*27 annual increase is very great. it is also satisfactory to remark, that the leading Preachers and members of the Methodist Church i the US appear to be looking forward with enlarged views and with prudent regard, to the future and to aim at the cultivation of learning in conjunction with piety. several Colleges have been from time to time established and recently a University, for the education of the youth of the American Connexion, has been founded. the work in the US had been distinguished by frequent and extraordinary revivals of religion, in which a signal effect has been produced upon the moral condition of large districts of country and great numbers of people have been rapidly brought under a concern for their salvation. in the contemplation of results so vast and in so few years, we may devoutly exclaim, 'What hath God wrought!
the year 1770 is memorable in the history of Methodism, for having given birth to a long and very ardent controversy on the doctrines of Calvinism. it took its rise from the publication of the Minutes of the Conference, in which it was determined, that in some particulars then pointed out, the Preachers had 'leaned too much on Calvinism. this is easily explained. Mr. Whitefield and Howell Harris, the early coadjutores (def- assistant) of the Wesleys, became Calvinists, but the affection which existed among this little band was strong and as they all agreed in preaching, what was at that time most needed, the doctrine of salvation by faith, 'an agreement' was made at a very early period, between the Wesleys and Howell Harris, to forget all peculiarities of opinion as much as possible in their sermons, to use as far as they could, with a good conscience, the same phrases in expressing the point on which they substantially agreed and to avoid controversy. such an agreement shows the liberal feeling which existed among the parties, but it was not of a nature to be so rigidly kept as to give entire satisfaction. on these articles of peace, we find therefore, endorsed, at a subsequent period, in the hand-writing of Mr. Charles W, 'Vain agreement'. Mr. W's anxiety to maintain unity of effort as well as affection with Mr. Whitefield, led him also, in 1743, to concede to his Calvinistic views,as far as possible and he appears not to have been disposed to deny, though he says he could not prove it, that some persons might be unconditionally elected to eternal glory, but not to the necessary exclusion of any other from salvation. and he was then 'inclined to believe' that there is a state attainable in this life, 'from which a man cannot finally fall'. but he was subsequently convinced by the arguments of Mr. Thomas Walsh, that this was an error. these considerations will account for the existence of what
*28 Mr. W called 'a leaning to Calvinism', both in himself and among some of the Preachers and rendered a review of the cast necessary. though the leaders had approached so near 'the very edge of Calvinism' on one side and 'of Antinomianism' also, with safety, it was not to be wondered at that others should overstep the line. besides, circumstances ha d greatly changed. a strong tide of Antinomianism had set in and threatened great injury to practical godliness throughout the land. Dr. Southey attributes this to the natural tendency of Methodism, but here he shows himself only partially acquainted with the subject. the decline of religion among many of the Dissenting churches had scattered the seeds of this heresy all around then, though not without calling forth a noble testimony against it from some of their ablest Ministers and when they began to feel the influence of the revival of piety in the last century, the tares sprung up with the plants of better quality. the Calvinism taught by Mr. Howell Harris and Mr. Whitefield, was also perverted by many of the hearers to sanction the same errors. several of the evangelical Clergy, likewise, who had no immediate connexion with Mr. W, were Calvinists of the highest grade and as their number in creased,their incautious statements of the doctrines of grace and faith, carried beyond their won intentions, became more mischievous. to show, however, that Antinomianism can graft itself upon other stocks besides that of the Calvinistic decrees, ti was found also among many of the Moravians and the Methodists did not escape. wherever, indeed, the doctrine of justification by faith is preached, there is a danger, as St. Paul himself anticipated in his Epistle to the Romans, lest perverse, wain and evil minds should pervert it to licentiousness; heavenly as ti is in authority and pure in its influence, when rightly understood.in fact, there is no such exclusive connexion between the more sober Calvinistic theories of predestination and this great error, as some have supposed. it is too often met with, also, among those who hold the doctrine of general redemption, though it must be acknowledged, that for the most part, such persons, at length go over to predestinarian notions, as affording, at least, some collateral confirmation of the solifidian theory. that high Calvinistic opinions, in their various forms, were at this time greatly revived and diffused, is certain. the religious excitement produced gave activity to theological inquiries and speculative minds, especially those which had some taste for metaphysical discussions, wee soon entangled in questions of Predestination, prescience (def - knowledge of things before they exist or happen) necessity and human freedom. the views of Calvin on these subjects were also held by many, who. connecting them with vital and saving truths,
*29 were honoured with great usefulness and as the Wesleyan societies were often involved in these discussions and in danger of having their faith unsettled and their practical piety injured, by those in whom Calvinism had begun to luxuriate into the ease and carelessness of Antinomian license, no subject at that period more urgently required attention. for this reason, Mr. W brought it before the Conference. the withering effects of this delusion were also strongly pointed out in his Sermons and were afterwards still more powerfully depicted by the master-pencil of Mr. Fletcher, in those great works to which he now began to apply himself, in order to stem the torrent. Dr. Southey has fallen into the error of imagining that Mr. Fletcher's descriptions of the ravages of antinomianism were drawn from its effects upon the Wesleyan societies, but that mistake arose from his not adverting to the circumstance, that neither Mr. W nor Mr. Fletcher confined their cares to these societies, but kept an equally watchful eye upon the state of religion in the land at large and consequently in the Church of which they were Ministers. the societies under Mr. W's charge were indeed at no time more than very partially affected by this form of error. still, in some places they had suffered and in all were exposed to danger and as Mr. W regarded them as a people given to him by God, that he might not only preserve them from error, but might also engage to bear a zealous and steadfast testimony 'against the evils of the time' in every place, he endeavoured to prepare them for their warfare, by instructing them fully in the questions at issue.
Mr. Fletcher came forward to defend his venerable friend, on account of the great uproar which the Calvinistic party had raised against him upon the publication of these Minutes. the Countess of Huntingdon had taken serious alarm and office and the Rev.Walter Shirley, her brother and Chaplin, had written a Circular Letter to all the serious Clergy and several others, inviting them to go in a body to the ensuing conference and 'insist upon a formal recantation of thee said Minutes and in case of a refusal , to sign and publish their protest against them. Mr. Shirley and a few others accordingly attended the Bristol Conference,where, says Mr. W, we had more Preachers than usual, in consequence of Mr. Shirley's Circular Letter. at 10 on Thurs morning he came, with 9 or 10 of his friends: we conversed freely for about 2 hours and, I believe they were satisfied that we were not such 'dreadful heretics' as they imagined, but were tolerably sound in the faith'.
the meeting was creditable to each party. Mr. W acknowledged that the Minutes were 'not sufficiently guarded'. and
*30 to prevent all future misconstruction, he and the Conference issued the following 'Declaration', to which was appended a Note from Mr. Shirley, acknowledging his mistake as to the meaning of the Minutes:
Bristol, Aug. 9,1771
'whereas the doctrinal points in the Minutes of a Conference held in London, Aug 7, 1770, have been understood to favour 'justification by works' , now the Rev. John W and others, assembled in Conference, do declare,that we had no such meaning and that we abhor the doctrine of 'justification by works' as a most perilous and abominable doctrine. and as the said Minutes are not sufficiently grated in the way they are expressed, we hereby solemnly declare in the sight of God, that we have no trust or confidence but in the alone Merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for justification or salvation, either in life, death or the day of judgment. and though no one is a real Christian believer (and consequently cannot be saved) who doeth not good works, where there is time and opportunity, yet our works have no part in meriting or purchasing out justification, from first to last, either in whole or in part.
'Mr. Shirley's Christian respects wait on Mr. W. the Declaration agreed to in Conference Aug 8, 1771, has convinced Mr. Shirley he had mistaken the meaning of the doctrinal points in the Minutes of the Conference held in London, Aug 7.1770 and he hereby wishes to testify the full satisfaction he has in the said Declaration and his hearty concurrence and agreement with the same.
Mr. W is at full liberty to make what use he pleases of this. Aug 10,1771
Mr. Fletcher had entitled his Defence of Mr. W, 'the First Check to Antinomianism' but he did not content himself with Evangelizing the apparently Legal Minutes and defending the doctrinal consistency and orthodox of Mr. W. he incidentally discussed various other points of the quinquarticular controversy and he, as well as Mr. W, was quickly assailed by a number of replies not couched in the most courteous style. Mr. Fletcher's skill and admirable temper so fully fitted him to conduct the dispute which had arisen, that Mr. W left the contest chiefly to him and calmly pursued his labours and the
*31 whole issued in a series of publications from the Vicar of Madeley which, as a whole, can scarcely he too highly praised or valued. while the language endures, they will effectually operate as checks to Antinomianism in every subtle form which it may assume and present the pure and beautiful system of evangelical truth, as well guarded on the other hand against Pelagian self-sufficiency. the Rev. Augustus Toplady, Mr. (afterwards Sir Richard) Hill and his brother, the Rev. Rowland Hill, with the Rev. John Berridge, where his principal antagonists, but his learning, his acuteness, his brilliant talent at illustrating an argument and above all, the hallowed spirit in which he conducted the controversy, gave him a mighty superiority over his opponents and although there will be a difference of opinion, according to the systems which different readers have adopted, as to the side on which the victory of ARGUMENT remains, there can be none as to which bore away the prize of TEMPER. (def - 'to divide or proportion duly;
4. calm disposition or state of mind ie. to be out of temper/
6. metallurgy -the degree of hardness and strength imparted to a metal/
7. Archaic - a middle course
8. obsolete - the constitution or character of a substance
9. to moderate or mitigate ie. to t justice with mercy
10. to soften or tone down.
11. to bring to a proper, suitable or desirable state by or as by blending or admixture.
15. to tune (ie a keyboard instrument)so as to make the tones available in different keys or tonalities.
17. archaic - to combine or blend in due proportions
the Calvinian controversy, painful as it was in many respects and the cause of much unhallowed joy to the profane wits of the day, who were not a little gratified at this exhibition of what they termed 'spiritual gladiatorship' , has been productive of im0portant consequences in this country. it showed to the pious and moderate Calvinists how well the richest views of evangelical truth could be united with what is properly Arminianism and it effected, by its bold and fearless exhibition of the logical consequences of the doctrines of the Decrees, much greater moderation in those who still admitted them and gave birth to some softened modifications of Calvinism in the age that followed, - an effect which has remain to this day. the disputes on these subjects have, since that time, been less frequent and more temperate, nor have good men so much laboured to depart to the greatest distance from each other, as to find a ground on which they could make the nearest approaches.
in the midst of all these controversies and cares, the societies continued to spread and flourish under the influence of the zeal and piety of the Preachers, animated by the ceaseless activity and regular visits of Mr. W, who, though now upwards of 70..seemed to possess his natural strength unabated. his thoughts were, however, frequently turning with anxiety to some arrangement for the government of the Connexion after his death and, not being satisfied that the plan he had sketched out a few yards before would provide for a case of so much consequence, he directed his attention to Mr. Fletcher and warmly invited him to come forth into the work and to allow himself to be introduced by him to the societies and Preachers as their future head. earnestly as this was pressed, Mr. Fletcher could not be induced to
*32 undertake a task to which, in his humility, he thought himself inadequate. this seems to have been his only objection, but had he accepted the offer, the plan would have failed, as Mr. Fetcher was a few years afterwards called into another world. from Mr.Charles W, who had become a family man and had nearly given up travelling, he had no hope as a successor and even then a further settlement would have been necessary, because he could not be expected long to survive his brother. still therefore this important matter remained undetermined. at the time the overture was made to Mr. Fletcher, the Preachers who were fully engaged in the work amounted to 150 and the societies, in Great Britain and Ireland, to upwards of 35,000, exclusive of regular hearers. this rapid and constant enlargement of the connexion heightened the urgency of the question of its future settlement and it is pleasing to remark, that Mr. Charles W at length entered into this feeling and offered his suggestions. in spite of the little misunderstandings which had arisen, he maintained a strong interest in a work, of which he had been so eminent an instrument and this grew upon him in his latter years.
in 1775 Mr. W, during a tour in the north of Ireland, had a dangerous sickness occasioned by sleeping on the ground, in an orchard, in the hot weather, which he says he had been 'accustomed to do for 40 years without ever being injured by it'. he was low to admit that old age had arrived, or he trusted to triumph long over its infirmities. the consequence in this case, however, was that, after manfully struggling with the incipient symptoms of the complaint and attempting to throw them off by reading, journeying and preaching, he sunk into a severe fever, from which, after lying insensible for some days, he recovered with extraordinary rapidity and resumed a service which extended as it had been through so many years, was not yet to be terminated.
the Foundry having become too small for the comfortable accommodation of the congregation in that part of London and being also gloomy and dilapidated, a new chapel was erected in the year 1778. 'Nov 1, says Mr W was the day appointed for opening the New Chapel in the City-road. it is perfectly neat, but not fine and contains far more than the Foundry; I believe, together with the morning chapel, as many as the Tabernacle. many were afraid that the multitudes, crowding from all parts would have occasioned much disturbance, but they were happily disappointed, there was none at all. all was quietness, decency and order. I preached on part of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple and both in the morning and after noon God
*33 was eminently present in the midst of the congregation'. here the brothers agreed to officiate as often as possible till the congregation should be settled. 2 resident Clergymen were also employed at this chapel as curates, for reading the full Church Service, administering the sacraments and burying the dead.
in 1778 Mr. W began to publish a periodical work, which he entitled, 'The Arminian Magazine, consisting of Extracts (def- to take and copy out from a book) and original Treatises on Universal Redemption.' he needed a medium through which he could reply to the numerous attacks made upon him and he made use of it further to introduce into general circulation several choice treatises on Universal Redemption and to publish selections from his valuable correspondence with pious persons. he conducted this work while he lived and it is still continued by the Conference, under the title of the 'Wesleyan-Methodist magazine', on the same general principles as to its theology, though on a more enlarged plan.
in 1783 Mr. W paid a visit to Holland, having been pressed to undertake this journey by a Mr. Ferguson, formerly a member of the London society, who had made acquaintance with some pious people, who
having read Mr. W's Sermons, were desirous of seeing him, the record which he has made in his Journal of this journey exhibits his activity at so advanced an age and presents an interesting picture of his intercourse with a pious remnant in several parts of that morally deteriorated country.
that provision for the stability and the government of the Connexion after his death which had been to Mr. W a matter of serious concern for several years, was accomplished in 1784 and gave him, whenever he subsequently adverted to the subject, the greatest satisfaction. from this time he felt that he had nothing more to do, than to spend his remaining life in the same spiritual labours in which he had been so long engaged and that he had done all that a true prudence required, to provide for the continuance and extension of a work which had so strangely enlarged under his superintendence.
this settlement was effected by a legal instrument, enrolled in Chancery, called 'A Deed of Declaration', in which 100 Preachers, mentioned by name, were declared to be 'the Conference of the people called Methodists'. by means of this Deed, a legal description was given to the term Conference and the settlement of the chapels upon Trustees was provided for, so that the appointment of Preachers to officiate in them should be vested in the conference, as it had heretofore been in Mr. W. as the whole of the Preachers were not included in the Deed and a few
*34 who thought themselves equally entitled to be of the hundred Preachers who thus formed the legal Conference, were excepted, some dissatisfaction arose, but soon subsided. all the preachers in full connexion were also allowed to vote in the Conference and subsequently, those who were also allowed to vote in the Conference and subsequently, those who were not of the Hundred, but had been in connexion a certain number of years, where permitted, by their votes, to put the President into nomination fro the election of the legal Conference. thus all reasonable ground for mistrust and jealousy was removed from the body of the Preachers at large and with respect to the 100 Preachers themselves the President being chosen annually and each being eligible to that honour, efficiency of administration was wisely connected with equality. the consequence has been, that the Preachers have generally remained most firmly united by affection and mutual confidence and that few serious disputes have ever arisen among them or have extended beyond a very few individuals. Ecclesiastical history does not, perhaps, present an instance of an equal number of Ministers brought into contact so close and called so frequently together , for the discussion of various subjects, among whom so much general unanimity, both as to doctrines and points of discipline, has prevailed, joined with so much real good-will and friendship towards each other, for so great a number of years. this is the more remarkable, as by their frequent charges from station to station, opposite interests and feelings are very often brought into conflict. the final decisions of the Conference on their appointment to these stations, generally the most perplexing part of its annual business, are however cheerfully or patiently submitted to from the knowledge that each has of the public spirit with which that body is actuated and the frank and brotherly manner in which all its proceedings are conducted. the order of proceeding in the business of the Conference is the same as in the days of Mr. W. it admits candidates for the ministry, on proper recommendation from the Superintendents and District -Meetings, examines those who have completed their probation of 4 years and receives the approved into full connexion, which is its ordination, investigates which any exception, the character and talents of those who are already in connexion year by year; appoints the stations of the year ensuing; sends additional Preachers to new places; receives the reports of the Committees appointed to manage and distribute various Funds; reviews the state of the societies and issues an Annual Pastoral Address. at the time of the meeting of the Conferences, beside
*35 the Sunday services, public worship is held early in the morning and in the evening of every day, except Sat, which is usually attended by great multitudes. the business of each Conference, exclusive of that done in Committees which meet previously, occupies, on the average, about a fortnight in every year, were it not for the District-meetings, composed of the Preachers, and the Stewards of a number of circuits or stations, in different part =s of the kingdom, 9an arrangement which was adopted after Mr. Wesley's death) the business of the Conference would require a much longer time to transact, but in these meetings much is prepared for its final decision
the state in which the separation of the US from the mother country left the Methodist American societies had become a matter of serious concern to Mr. w and presented to him a new case, for which it was imperative to make some provision. this, however, could not be done but by a proceeding which he foresaw would lay him open to much remark and some censure, for the rigid English Episcopalians. but with him, the principle of making every thing indifferent give place to the necessity of doing good or preventing evil, was paramount and when that necessity was clearly made out, he was not a man to hesitate. the mission of Messrs. Boardman and Pilmoor to America has been already mentioned. 2 years afterward, in 1771, Mr. W sent out messrs. Asbury and Wright and in 1773, Messrs Rankin and Shadford. in 1777, the Preachers in the different Circuits in America had amounted to 40 and the societies had also greatly increased. these were scattered in towns and settlements so distant that it required constant and extensive travelling from the Preachers to supply them with the word of God. the 2 last-mentioned preachers returned, after employing themselves on the mission fro about 5 years and Mr. Asbury, a true itinerant, who in this respect followed in America the unwearied example of Mr. W, gradually acquired a great and deserved influence, which supported as it was by his excellent sense, moderating temper and entire devotedness to the service of God, increased rather than diminished to the end of a protracted life. the American Preachers, like those in England, were at first restrained by Mr Wesley from administering either of the sacraments, but when, through the war and the acquisition of independence by the States, most of the Clergy of the Church of England had left the country, neither the children of the members of the Methodist societies could be baptized nor the Lord's supper administered among them, without a change of the original plan. Mr. Asbury's predilections for the former order of things prevented him from listening
*36 to the request of the American societies to be formed into a regular Church and furnished with all its spiritual privileges and a division had already taken place among them this breach, however, Mr. Asbury had the address to heal and at the peace he laid the whole case before Mr. W. the result will be seen by the following extract from his letter to Dr. Coke, Mr. Asbury and the brethren in america, dated Bristol, Sept 10th, 1784 -
'by a very uncommon train of providences, many of the provinces of North America are totally disjoined from their mother country and erected into independent States. the English Government has no authority over them, either civil or ecclesiastical, any more than over the States of Holland. a civil authority is exercised over them, partly by the Congress, partly by the Provincial Assemblies. but no one either exercises or claims any ecclesiastical authority at all. in this peculiar situation, some thousands of the inhabitants of these States desire my advice and, in compliance with their desire, I have drawn up a little sketch.
Lord King's account of the primitive church convinced me many years ago, that Bishops and Presbyters are the same order, and consequently have the same right to ordain. for many years I have been importuned, from time to time, to exercise this right, by ordaining part of our Travelling Preachers, but i have still refused,not only for peace' sake , but because i was determined, as little as possible, to violate the established order of the national Church to which i belonged.
but the case in widely different between England and North America. here there are Bishops who have a legal jurisdiction. in America there are none, neither any parish Ministers. so that, for some hundred miles together, there is none either to baptize or to administer the Lord's Supper. here, therefore, my scruples are at an end and i conceive myself at full liberty, as i violate no order and invade no man's right, by appointing and sending labourers into the harvest.
I have accordingly appointed Dr. Coke and Mr. Francis Asbury to be joint Superintendents over our brethren in North America, as also Richard Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey to act as Elders among them, by baptizing and administering the Lord's supper. and i have prepared a Liturgy, little differing from that of the Church of England, (I think the best-constituted national Church in the world.) which I advise all the Travelling preachers to use on the Lord's day, in all the congregations, reading the Litany only on Wed and Fri and praying extempore on all other days. I also advise the Elders to administer the supper of the Lord on every Lord's day.
*37 2 persons were this appointed as Superintendents or Bishops and 2 as Elders, with power to administer the sacraments and the American Methodists were formed into a church, because they could no longer remain a society attached to a colonial Establishment which then had ceased to exist.
some time after this, Mr. W appointed several of the English Preachers, by imposition of hands to administer the sacraments to the societies in Scotland. there the English Establishment did not extend and a necessity of a somewhat similar kind existed, though not of so pressing a nature as in America. he, however,steadily objected to give this liberty, generally, to his Preachers in England and those who administered the sacraments in Scotland were not permitted to perform the same office in England upon their return. the reason why he refused to appoint in the same manner and for the same purpose, for England, is stated in the letter above quoted. he was satisfied of his power, as a presbyter, to ordain for such an administration but, he says, 'I have still refused, not only for peace' sake, but because I was determined as little as possible to violate the established order of the national Church to which i belonged'. this was a prudent principle most sincerely held by him and it explains his conduct in those particulars for which he has been censured by opposite parties. when it could not be avoided, without sacrificing some real good, he did violate 'the established order', thinking that this order was in itself merely prudential. when that necessity did not exist, his own predilections and those of many members of his societies, enforced upon him this abstinence from innovation.
in the year 1786, at the Bristol Conference, the old subject of separating from the Church was again discussed and 'without one dissenting voice', it was determined to continue therein, 'which determination, he remarks, will, I doubt not , stand at lest till i am removed into a better world'. after the Conference was concluded, he paid a second visit to Holland, in company with Mr. Bracken bury and Mr. Broadbent, preached in various places, expounded to private companies and engaged in conversation with many learned and pious individuals.
on his return to England,his Journal presents the usual record of constant preaching and travelling, interspersed with useful remark and incident. the labours and journeys of almost every day are noticed, exhibiting at once a singular instance of natural strength, sustained, doubtless, by the special blessing of God and of an entire consecration of time to the service of mankind, of which no similar example is probably on record and which is rendered still
*38 more wonderful by the consideration that it had been continued for more than half a century, on the same scale of exertion and almost without intermission.
the vigour of his mind at this age is also as remarkable,
the same power of acute observation as formerly is manifested.
the same taste for reading and criticism,
the same facility in literary composition.
nor is the buoyant cheerfulness of his spirit a less striking feature.
nothing of the old man of unrenewed nature appears,
no forebodings of evil
no querulous comparisons of the present with the past,
there is the same delight in the beautiful scenes of nature
the same enjoyment of conversation, provided it had the 2 qualities of usefulness and brevity.
the same joy in hopeful appearances of good
and the same tact at turning the edge of little discomforts and disappointments by the power of an undisturbed equanimity.
above all we see the man of One Business, living only to serve god and his generation,
'instant in season and out of season',
seriously intent, not upon doing so much duty, but upon saving souls.
and preaching, conversing and writing for this end alone.
this period of his life must have been to him one of rich reflection. in his Journal of 1735, Mr 24, he observes, 'I was now considering how strangely the grain of mustard-seed, planted about 50 years ago, had grown up. it was spread through all Great Britain and Ireland, the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, then to america, through the whole continent,into Canada, the Leeward Islands (note - a group of islands a bit out in the Atlantic Ocean from Northwest Africa) and Newfoundland. and he societies, in all these parts walk by one rule, knowing that religion is in holy tempers and striving to worship God,not in form only, but likewise in spirit and in truth.
he must, indeed, have been insensible to the emotions of a generous nature,had he not felt an honest satisfaction, that he had lived down calumnies and that were mobs formerly awaited him, he met with the kind and cheering attentions of the most respectable persons of all religious persuasions, in every part of the country. but, more than this, he could compare the dearth and barrenness of one area with the living verdure and fertility of another. long-forgotten truths had been made familiar; - a neglected population had been brought within the range of Christian instruction and the constant preaching of the word of life by faithful men; - religious societies had been raise up through the land, general distinguished by piety and zeal: - by the blessing of god upon the labours of Mr. Whitefield and others of his first associated, the old Dissenting churches had been quickened into life and new ones multiplied; the Established Church had been awakened from her lethargy; the number of faithful Ministers in
*39 her parishes greatly multiplied; the influence of religion spread into the colonies and the USA and above all, a vast multitude, the fruit of his own ministerial zeal and faithfulness, had, since the time in which he commenced his labours, departed into a better world. these thoughts must often have passed through his mind and inspired his heart with devout thanksgivings although no allusion is ever made to them in a boastful manner. for the past, he knew to whom the praise belonged and the future he left to God, certain at lest of meeting in heaven a greater number of glorified spirits of whose salvation he had been, under God, the instrument, that any Minister of modern ages. that 'joyful hope' may explain an incident, which occurred at Oxford towards the close of life. the Rev. Henry Moore, who was with him at the time, observes, that one Sun morning, Mr. W, on entering the pulpit, instead of announcing the hymn immediately, to the great surprise of the congregation,stood silent, with his eyes closed, for he space of at least 10 minutes rapt (def - 'seized', 'carried off'; transported with emotion; enraptured) in thought and then, with a feeling which at once conveyed to all present the subject which had so absorbed his attention, gave out the hymn commencing with the lines,
'Come, let us join our friends above, who have obtain'd the prize.
it was also his constant practice to preach on All Saints' day, which was with him a favourite festival, on communion with the saints in heaven, a practice probably arising out of the same delightful association of remembrances and hope.
on his attaining his 85th year, he makes the following reflections:
'I this day enter on my 85th year. and what cause have I to praise god, as for a 1000 spiritual blessings, so for bodily blessings also! how little have I suffered yet, by 'the rush of numerous years!' it is true, i am not so agile as I was in times past.
I do not run or walk so fast as i did.
my sight is a little decayed. my left eye is grown dim and hardly serves me to read.
I have daily some pain in the ball of my right eye, as also in my right temple, (occasioned by a blow received some time since) and
in my right shoulder and arm, which I impute partly to a sprain and partly to the rheumatism.
I find likewise some decay of my memory, with regard to names and things lately past,
but not at all with regard to what I have read or heard 20,40 or 60 years ago.
neither do I find any decay in my hearing, smell, taste or appetite,
*40 (though I want but a third part of the food I once did)
nor do I feel any such thing as weariness, either in travelling or preaching.
and I am not conscious of any decay in writing sermons, which I do as readily and I believe as correctly, as ever.
to what cause can I impute this, that i am as I am?
first, doubtless, to the power of God, fitting me for the work to which I am called, as long as He pleases to continue me therein and next, subordinately to this, to the prayers of His children.
may we not impute it, as inferior means:
1. to my constant exercise and change of air?
2. to my never having lost a night's sleep, sick or well, at land or sea, since I was born?
3. to my having sleep at command, so that, whenever I feel myself almost worn out, I call it and it comes, day or night.
4.to my having constantly, for above 60 years, risen at 4in the morning?
5. to my constant preaching at 5 in the morning, for above 50 years?
6. to my having had so little pain in my life,and so little sorrow or anxious care? even now, though i find pain daily in my eye, temple or arm, yet it is never violent and seldom lasts many minutes at a time.
whether or not this is sent to give me warning that I am shortly to quit this tabernacle, I do not know, but, be it one way, or the other, I have only to say,
'my remnant of days
i spend to His pr due,
and they all are devoted to Him.
and referring to some persons in the nation who thought themselves endowed with the gift of prophecy, he adds, 'if this is to be the last year of y life, according to some of these prophets, I hope it will be the best. I am not careful about it, but heartily receive the advice of the angel in Milton,
How well is thine; how long permit to heaven.
the 2 brothers, whose affection no differences of opinion could diminish,were now to be separated by death. Dr. Whitehead, who visited Mr. Charles Wesley frequently during his last sickness, observes:
'he possessed that state of mind which he had been always pleased to see in others, -unaffected humility and holy resignation to the will of God. he had no transports of joy, but solid hope and unshaken confidence in Christ, which kept his mind in perfect peace. a few days before his death he composed the following lines. having been silent and quiet for some time, he called Mrs W to him and bade her write as he dictated:
In age and feebleness extreme,
who shall a sinful worm redeem?
Jesus, my only hope Thou art,
strength of my failing flesh and heart
o could I catch a smile from thee,
and drop into eternity!
he died, Mr 29, 1788, aged 79 years and 3 months and was buried, Apr 5, in Mary bone churchyard at his own desire. the pall was supported by eight Clergymen of the Church of England.
on his tombstone are the following lines, written by himself on the death of one of his friends: they could not be more aptly applied to any person than to Mr. Charles Wesley:
'with poverty of spirit bless'd,
rest, happy saint, in Jesus rest;
a sinner saved, through grace forgiven,
Redeem'd from earth to reign in heaven!
thy labours of unwearied love,
by thee forgot, are crown'd above;
Cron'd through the mercy of they Lord,
with a free, full, immense reward!
'the Methodists are greatly indebted to Charles Wesley for his unwearied labours and great usefulness at the first formation of the societies, when every step was attended with difficulty and danger. and being dead he yet speaketh by his numerous and excellent hymns, written for the use of the societies, which still continue to be the means of daily edification and comfort to thousands.
Mr W was on his regular pastoral visit to Ireland when he entered his 87th year. after holding the Irish Conference in Dublin, and the English Conference at Leeds, in Aug, he returned to London. from thence he set out to Bristol and proceeded on his usual tour through the West of England and Cornwall.from thence he returned by way of Bristol and Bath to London. in the early part of next year, he was again at Bristol, whence he proceeded, preaching at several intermediate towns, to Birmingham. from this place he proceeded through Staffordshire to Madeley.he then visited, for the last time, the societies in Cheshire, Lancashire and the north of England, on his return southward,he passed through the East Riding of Yorkshire, to hill; preaching in every place as on the brink of eternity. he also visited Epworth and various parts of Lincolnshire and, upon entering his 88th year, has the following reflections:
'this day I enter into my 88th year. for above
*42 86 years I found none of the infirmities of old age; my eyes did not wax dime, neither was my natural strength abated, but last Aug, I found almost a sudden change. my eyes were so dim that no glasses would help me; my strength likewise now quite forsook me and probably will not return in this world, but i feel no pain from head to foot, only, it seems nature is exhausted and humanly speaking, will sink more and more, till
'the weary springs of life stand still at last.
'this, says Dr. Whitehead, at length was literally the case; the death of Mr. W, like that of his brother Charles, being one of those rare instances in which nature, drooping under the lad of ears, sinks by a gentle decay. for several ears preceding his death, this decay was, perhaps more visible to others than to himself, particularly by a more frequent disposition to sleep during the day, by a growing defect in memory, a faculty he once possessed in a high degree of perfection and by a general diminution of the vigour and agility he had so long enjoyed. his labours, however, suffered little interruption and when the summons came, it found him, as he always wished it should , in the Harness, still occupied in his Master's work!
that interesting record of unparalleled labours 'in the Gospel,' the Journal of Mr. W closes on Sun, Oct 24, 1790 when he states that he preached twice at Spitalfields church. he continued, however to visit various places till Feb, continually praying, 'LORD, LET ME NOT LIVE TO BE USELESS'.
on Thurs, Feb 17, 1791, he preached at Lambeth, but on his return seemed much indisposed and said he had taken cold. on the following Sun he was so unwell as to be unable to engage in his usual public exercises. but on Mon he was so much better, that he went to Twickenham to dine with Lady Fitzgerald. he preached on Tues evening at City road and on Wed he went to Leatherhead and preached to a small company what proved to be his last sermon, from, 'Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while he is near.' on Fri he became so alarmingly ill,that Dr. Whitehead was sent for, but his sill proved unavailing. Mr. W got rapidly worse and felt that his end was drawing nigh. in this solemn crisis this eminent servant of God experienced the supporting influence of that religion which he had been the honoured instrument of reviving in this land and in America, to so great an extent. great as had been his labours in the cause of Christ, they were no more the foundation of his hope in death, than they had
*43 been in life. 8 years before, when at Bristol, he had an alarming attack and then, while contemplating his critical situation, he said to Mr. Bradford, 'I have been reflecting on my past life. i have been wandering up and down between 50 and 60 years, endeavouring in my poor way to do a little d]]good to m fellow-creatures and now it is probable, that there are but a few steps between me and death and what have I done to trust to for salvation? I can see nothing which I have done or suffered that will bear looking at I have no other plea than this,
'I the chief of sinners am,
but Jesus died for me.
this was his language to the last. on Sun, the 27th, he alluded to his views and feelings in that illness. he had been silent for some time, examining, as it appeared, the ground of his confidence, when he said, 'There is no need of more'' when at Bristol my words were.
I the chief of sinners am,
but Jesus died for me. '
and on one asking, 'is this the present language of your heart, and do you feel now as you did then? he answered, 'yes' and afterwards added, in reference to Christ, 'He is all! He is all!' the day following, he reverted to the same subject and said, 'How necessary it is for every one to be on the right foundation>' and then quoted again his favourite stanza , expressive of the entire dependence of his soul on the sacrificial death of Christ. and he strikingly proved how available is that plea. the most cheering manifestations of the divine presence wee vouchsafed to him. on another occasion, he had called for pen and ink, but when they were brought, being unable to write, one said to him, 'Let me write for you, Sir; tell me what you would say'. He replied 'Nothing, but that God is with us' and not long after he broke out in a manner which, considering his weakness, astonished all present, in singing,
I'll praise my Maker while I've breath;
and when my voice is lost in death,
praise shall employ my nobler powers,
my days of praise shall ne'er be past,
while life and though and being last,
or immortality endures.
shortly after he had sung this verse, he became evidently worse and his voice failed in endeavouring to sing part of another hymn. having rested awhile, he desired those who sere with him to 'pray and praise'. they kneeled down and the room seemed to be filled with the divine presence. having given directions respecting his
*44 funeral, he again begged they would pray and praise. several friends who were in the house being called up, they all kneeled down again and he joined with them in great fervour of spirit, but in particular part of the prayer, his whole soul seemed to be engaged in a manner which evidently showed how ardently he longed for the full accomplishment of their united desires. and when one of the Preachers prayed, that if God were about to take away their father to his eternal rest, He would be pleased to continue and increase his blessing upon the doctrine and discipline which He had long made his servant the means of propagation and establishing in the world ; Mr. W responded, 'Amen', with such a fervour and strength of voice as indicated how intense was his desire that the petition should be answered. in the course of the same day, he attempted to speak to one who came into his room, but, perceiving that he did not make himself understood, he paused a little and then, with all the remaining strength he had, cried out, THE BEST OF ALL IS, GOD IS WITH US. during the night following, he frequently attempted to repeat the psalm, part of which he could only utter,
I'LL PRAISE - I'LL PRAISE.'
on Wed morning, Mar 2, it was evident that the closing scene drew near and Mr. Bradford having prayed with him, he was heard to articulate, 'Farewell!' this was the last word he uttered and while several of his friends were kneeling around his bed, he passed without a groan or struggle into the joyful presence of his Lord.
at the desire of many of his friends his corpse was placed in the New Chapel and remained there the day before his interment and so great were the crowds that came to see the body, that it was determined the funeral should be private, in order to prevent tumult. he was accordingly buried between 5 and 6 o'clock in the morning of Ma the 9th; notice having been given to his friends only the evening before, the Rev, Mr. Richardson read the funeral service and when he came to that part, 'Forasmuch as in hath pleased almighty God to take unto Himself the soul of our dear Brother etc, he substituted with the most tender emphasis the epithet RATHER for brother, which had so touching an effect that almost all present broke out into loud weeping, the funeral sermon was preached in the forenoon, to a very crowded and attentive
*45 Sacred to the Memory
of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A.
sometime Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford,
a man in Learning and sincere Piety
scarcely inferior to any;
in Zeal, Ministeral Labours and extensive usefulness,
Superior, perhaps, to all men,
since the days of St. Paul
regardless of Fatigue, personal Danger, and Disgrace
he went out into the highways and hedges
calling Sinners to Repentance,
and Publishing the Gospel of Peace.
he was the Founder of the Methodist Societies,
and the chief Promoter and Patron
of the Plan of Itinerant preaching,
which he extended through Great Britain and Ireland,
the West Indies and America,
with unexampled Success.
he was born the 17th of June, 1703
and died the 2d of Mar, 1791 in sure and certain hope of Eternal Life,
through the Atonement and Mediation of a Crucified
Saviour
he was 65 Years in the Ministry,
and 52 an Itinerant Preacher
he lived to see, in these Kingdoms only,
about 300 Itinerant,
and 1000 Local Preachers,
raised up from the midst of his own People
and 80,000 persons in the Societies under his care.
his Name will be ever had in grateful Remembrance
by all who rejoice in the universal Spread
of the Gospel of Christ.
Soli Deo Gloria
*46 this Inscription shows the number of Preachers and members of society at the time of Mr. W's death.
the number of Circuits at home was 115 and
the Mission Stations were 8 in the West Indies in British America .
the minutes of the last Conference (1834) mark the vast increase of eh work since the venerable Founder of Methodism was taken home to his reward,
the number of Circuits in Great Britain and Ireland was then 411
and of Mission Stations in the 4 quarters of the globe 177.
the number of regular Preachers stationed at home was 1070
and on the Missions abroad 236;
while the societies amounted in Great Britain to 291,939
in Ireland to 25,614
and on the Foreign Stations to 48,304
the Conference in Upper Canada had under its care 14,930 members and 64 regular Preachers
in the United States he number of regular Preachers and Missionaries was 2,400and
the societies amounted to 619,771 members. the total number of members in the Wesleyan-Methodist societies throughout the world, exclusive of regular Travelling Preachers, who are statedly employed in the ministry was, 1,000,558.
to say nothing of the advantages which other religious bodies have derived indirectly from Methodism, such are some of its direct effects. such is the success which has rewarded the Methodists for keeping their original object steadily in view and striving to promote the work of true religion independently of party considerations.
the spirit of Methodism has never been the spirit of party.
there is not indeed so much of formal union between the Methodists and the Church as in Mr. W's day.
the general introduction of the sacrament of the Lord's supper, a measure which Mr. W strenuously opposed to the last, has certainly made the separation between his followers and the Church more visible; but this was not the result of hostility to the Church, nor for the reasons usually urged by the Dissenters. the separation which subsists between the Methodists and the national Church was rather the result of circumstances and it took place so as to leave unimpaired the general feeling of affection on the part of the Methodists for all that is excellent in the Establishment. that feeling has strengthened as the number of evangelical laborious Ministers has increased in the Church and her services have thus improve in spirituality and efficiency. recognising in her 'the mother of us all' and contemplating with deepest admiration her noble army of Confessors and Martyrs and the illustrious train of her Divines, whose writings have been and continue to b, the light of Christendom, the followers of Mr. W wish the national Church prosperity
*47 and perpetuity. at the same time they cherish true Christian affection for all other evangelical denominations, and rejoice in their success in spreading our common Christianity. thus have eh Methodists ever been 'teh friends of all, and enemies of none' and if, maintaining their purity and energy, they proceed in their providential course, practically 'rememering one fundamental principle of Wesleyan Methodism is ANTI-SECTARIANISM AND A CATHOLIC SPIRIT' hey must, under the divine blessing, prosper to a far greater extent. if, continuing to overlook all mere party-objects, they unwaveringly pursue their high, their hallowed aim, simply to promote the spread of pure Christianity throughout the land and the world at large, they will not fail to answer the end for which their great Founder ever regarded the Methodists as raised up by the Head of the Church and the blessings of their system will be diffused still more widely and will descend to ages yet unborn.
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