Persecutions of Mr. Charles Wesley in Staffordshire and York- shire-Increase of the Societies-Mr. Wesley's Danger and Escape at Wednesbury-His first Visit to Cornwall-Riots in Stafford- shire-Preaches for the last time before the University of Oxford— Correspondence with the Rev. J. Erskine-His Sermon on "A Catholic Spirit"-First Conference held-Remarks Pages 95-116 Mr. Charles Wesley's Labours in Cornwall, Kent, Staffordshire, and the north of England-Persecution at Devizes-Remarks-Mr. Wesley at Newcastle-His Statement of the Case between the Clergy and the Methodists-Remarks-Labours in Lincolnshire, &c.-Persecutions in Cornwall-Count Zinzendorf-Dr. Dod- dridge-Mr. Wesley a Writer of Tracts-His Sentiments on Church Government-Extract from the Minutes of the early Conferences-Remarks-Mr. Wesley's Labours in different parts of the Kingdom-His zeal to diffuse useful Knowledge-Mobs in Labours of the Preachers-Doctrinal Conversations of the Confer- ences-Justification-Repentance-Faith-Assurance---Remarks -Fruits of justifying Faith-Sanctification-Witness of the Spirit--Remarks-Spirit in which Mr. Wesley sought Truth- Miscellaneous Extracts from the Minutes of the early Confer- Early List of Circuits-Mr. Charles Wesley in London—Earthquake there-Differences between Mr. Charles Wesley and the Preach. ers-Remarks--Respective Views of the Brothers-Mr. Wesley's Marriage Mr. Perronet-Kingswood School-Remarks-Mr. Wesley visits Scotland-Letters-Sickness-Mr. Whitefield's Letter to him in Anticipation of his Death--Mr. Wesley's Re- Methodism in America-Revivals of Religion-Remarks-Mr. Wes- Mr. Wesley's Sickness in Ireland-Letter to the Commissioners of Excise--Visit to the Isle of Man-Opening of City Road Chapel- "Arminian Magazine"-Disputes in the Society at Bath-Mr. State of the Societies in America-Ordination of Superintendents and Elders for the American Societies-Remarks-Dr. Coke-Mr. Asbury-Mr. Charles Wesley's Remonstrances-Ordinations for Scotland-Remarks-Mr. Wesley's second Visit to Holland--His Labours in England, Ireland, and the Norman Isles-Return to London-Remarks-Extract from a Sermon by Bishop Copleston -Mr. Wesley's Reflections on the progress of the Work, and on Death of Mr. Charles Wesley-His Character-His Hymns-Re- Mr. Wesley and the Church-Modern Methodism and the Church- 306-323 1* ADVERTISEMENT. VARIOUS Lives or Memoirs of the Founder of Methodism have already been laid before the public. But it has been freiently remarked that such of these as contain the most approved accounts of Mr. Wesley, have been carried out to a length which obstructs their circulation, by the intermixture of details comparatively uninteresting beyond the immediate circle of Wesleyan Methodism. The present Life, therefore, without any design to supersede larger publications, has been prepared with more special reference to general readers. But, as it is contracted within moderate limits chiefly by the exclusion of extraneous matter, it will, it is hoped, be found sufficiently comprehensive to give the reader an adequate view of the life, labours and opinions of the eminent individual who is its subject; and to afford the means of correcting the most material errors and misrepresentations which have had currency respecting him. On several points the author has had the advantage of consulting unpub. lished papers, not known to preceding biographers, and which have enabled him to place some particulars in a more satisfactory light. London, May 10, 1831. ADVERTISEMENT TO THIS EDITION. In this edition, translations are given of such passages in the dead languages as are left untranslated in the London edition. It is enlarged, too, and we hope enriched, by a variety of notes, on points of peculiar importance in an American edition. The price, nevertheless, is so extremely low as to be justified solely by the confident anticipation of very extensive sales. The profits, if any, (as of all other publications from the Methodist Episcopal Press,) will be scrupulously applied to the spread of the Gospel, and to strictly charitable objects.. THE LIFE OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, A. M. CHAPTER I. JOHN and CHARLES WESLEY, the chief founders of that religious body now commonly known by the name of the Wesleyan Methodists, were the sons of the Rev. Samuel Wesley, rector of Epworth, in Lincolnshire. Of this clergyman, and his wife Mrs. Susanna Wesley, who was the daughter of the Rev. Dr. Annesley, as well as of the ancestors of both, an interesting account will be found in Dr. Adam Clarke's "Memoirs of the Wesley Family," and in the "Life of Mr. John Wesley" by Dr. Whitehead, and the more recent one by Mr. Moore. They will be noticed here only so far as a general knowledge of their character may be necessary to assist our judgment as to the opinions and conduct of their more celebrated sons. The rector of Epworth, like his excellent wife, had descended from parents distinguished for learning, piety, and nonconformity. His father dying whilst he was young, he forsook the Dissenters at an early period of life; and his conversion carried him into High Church principles, and political toryism. He was not however so rigid in the former as to prevent him from encouraging the early zeal of his sons, John and Charles, at Oxford, although it was even then somewhat irregular, when tried by the strictest rules of Church order and custom; and his toryism, sufficiently high in theory, was yet of that class which regarded the rights of the subject tenderly in practice. He refused flattering overtures made by the adherents of James II, to induce him to support the measures of the court, and wrote in favour of the Revolution of 1688; admiring it, probably, less in a political view, than as rescuing a Protestant Church from the dangerous influence of a Popish head. For this service, he was presented with the living of Epworth, in Lincolnshire, to which, a few years afterward, was added that of Wroote, in the same county. He held the living of Epworth upward of forty years, and was distinguished for the zeal and fidelity with which he discharged his parish duties. Of his talents and learn ing, his remaining works afford honourable evidence. Mrs. Susanna Wesley, the mother of Mr. John Wesley, was, as might be expected from the eminent character of Dr. Samuel Annesley her father, educated with great care. Like her husband, she also, at an early period of life, renounced nonconformity, and became a member of the Established Church, after, as her biographers tell us, she had read and mastered the whole controversy on the subject of separation; of which, however, great as were her natural and acquired talents, she must, at the age of thir teen years, have been a very imperfect judge. The serious habits impressed upon both by their education, did not forsake them;" they feared God, and wrought righteousness;" but we may perhaps account for that obscurity in the views of each on several great points of evangelical religion, and especially on justification by faith, and the offices of the Holy Spirit, which hung over their minds for many years, and indeed till toward the close of life, from this early change of their religious connections. theological reading, according to the fashion of the Church people of that day, was now directed rather to the writings of those divines of the English Church who were tinctured more or less with a Pelagianized Arminianism, than to the works of its founders; their successors, the Puritans; or of those eminent men among the Nonconformists, whose views of discipline they had renounced. They had parted with Calvinism; but, like many others, they renounced with it, for want of spiritual discrimination, those truths which were as fully maintained in the theology of Arminius, and in that of their eminent son, who revived, and more fully illustrated it, as in the writings of the most judicious and spiritual Calvinistic divines themselves. Taylor, Til lotson, and Bull, who became their oracles, were Arminians of a different class. Their The advantage of such a parentage to the Wesleys was great. From their earliest years they had an example in the father of all that could render a clergyman respectable and influential; and, in the mother, there was a sanctified wisdom, a masculine understanding, and an acquired |