was so deeply impressed with the truths to which he had listened that he resolved from that time to devote himself unreservedly to the service of God. He took Mr. Swindells to his house, which thenceforward, for many years, was the home of the Methodist Preachers in their visits to the city. The friends of Mr. Chambers in the North of Ireland, having heard of the stand that he had taken, endeavoured, by every possible means, to induce him to give up his connection with Methodism, holding out the bait of a comfortable independence for his family; but they could not move him from the choice which he had made. For nearly sixty years he continued a consistent and devoted member of the Methodist Society, supporting it by his contributions and discharging with efficiency the duties of some of its most important offices. He died in peace in 1828, aged eighty years.

*

The infant Society at Waterford was soon exposed to violent persecution. In the year 1750 Mr. Wesley, having heard of the success of the cause there, visited the city. He arrived, with Christopher Hopper, at Grannagh Ferry, about a mile from his destination, on the 14th of June, in the evening, having missed his way. At the ferry,' he says, 'was a lad who asked my name. When he heard it, he cried out, "O, Sir, you have no business here; you have nothing to do at Waterford ! Butler has been gathering mobs there all this week; and they set upon us so, that we cannot walk the streets. But if you will stay at that little house, I will go and bring B. M'Culloch to you." We stayed

some time, and then thought it best to go a little on our way toward Portarlington. But the ferryman

would not come over: so that, after waiting till we were weary, we made our way through some grounds, and over the mountain, into the Carrick road, and went on, about five miles, to a village, where we found a quiet house. Sufficient for this day was the labour thereof. We were on horseback, with but an hour or two's intermission, from five in the morning till within a quarter of eleven at night.-Friday, 15th.-About two in the morning I heard people making a great noise, and calling me by my name. They were some of our friends from Waterford, who informed us that, upon the lad's coming in, sixteen or eighteen of them came out to conduct me into the town. Not finding me, they returned; but the mob met them by the way, and pelted them with dirt and stones to their

own doors.' Soon after, Butler, having quarrelled with some of his wicked companions, lost his right arm in the affray, and thus disabled returned to Cork, where, according to one account, he dragged out the remainder of his life in unpitied misery'; § and, according to another, he rendered himself amenable to justice, and was transported for life.

The Rev. William Smith relates that sixty years after, in 1810, when he was stationed in Cork, a person of the name of Murphy, of very shabby appearance, was pointed out to him as the son of a man who had headed the mob which persecuted the Methodists at this early period; and who, from wealthy circumstances,

became exceedingly poor and wretched. His degradation was viewed by the citizens as a judgment from God for his outrageous conduct.*

In 1751, the Rev. George Whitefield preached on several occasions in Waterford,† the persecution then having apparently in some measure subsided.

Although Mr. Wesley's first intention of visiting the city was frustrated, he continued to manifest his deep interest in the Society there to the close of his life. His first visit was paid in 1752. He writes: 'September 1st. I preached at Waterford. Only one poor man behaved amiss. His case is really to be pitied. Some time since he had strong desires to serve God, and had broken off his outward sins, when Mr. one of the Prebendaries, told him, he did very wrong to go after those fellows; and made him promise to hear them no more. He kept his word, and turned back, as a dog to his vomit, wallowing in sin, as he did before. But he does not go to the Methodists; so all is well he may go to the devil, and welcome! -Wednesday, 2nd.-At eleven Mr. Walsh began preaching in Irish in the Market-house. It being market-day, the people flocked from all sides: many of them seriously attended. A few of the rabble cursed and swore, but did not make a considerable interruption. At five I went to the Court-house, and began preaching, but the mob was so numerous and noisy that few could hear. Perceiving the noise increase more and more, I walked through the midst of the mob to my lodgings. They hallooed and shouted and cursed amain: hitherto could they come, but no further.'t

Thomas Walsh frequently preached at Waterford about this time, both in Irish and in English, in the old Court-house, which was in Broad Street, and in Sir Charles' Arch, Michael Street, as well as in the open air. In the following spring, Joseph Cownley was at work in this city, a man pronounced by Mr. Wesley to have been one of the best Preachers in England.' Others, also, at this early period, laboured in Waterford, whose appointments do not appear on any official record, who can yet never be forgotten in connection with the history of Methodism in Ireland: such as James Morgan, § the friend and biographer of Thomas Walsh, and the author of The Crucified Jesus. He was then one of the most promising Preachers in the Connexion, uniting great natural eloquence with an attractive presence and address. So laborious, however, was the work at that time that he was all but induced to retire from it. In a letter of Mr. Walsh to Mr. Wesley, dated October 8th, 1755, it is stated: Brother Morgan, after labouring usefully for some time in Waterford, is running away from the work, from a consciousness of his inability; yet it seems he has more extensive gifts than some who have preached for years.' ||

Laurence Coughlan at about this time laboured in Waterford. He was a native of Drumsna, in Leitrim, and was originally a zealous Roman Catholic; but after his conversion he became a man of deep piety and a useful Preacher. In 1766, he was ordained by the Bishop of London, and was sent by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel as a Missionary to Newfoundland, where he laboured faithfully and successfully as an avowed Methodist. In 1756,

the celebrated Thomas Qlivers was appointed to Waterford.*

The people to whom these godly men laboured were, in general, too poor to afford much financial help; so the Preachers had to endure many privations.

The work was most laborious. The Circuit included so many towns and villages that it took six weeks to go regularly through them. During the absence of the Preachers from the city, the little flock were kept together by meetings for exhortation and prayer.†

Mr. Wesley, on his second visit to the city, May, 1756, was accompanied by Thomas Walsh. He writes:

On the

Friday, 7th.-We rode to Waterford, where, after preaching, I earnestly exhorted the Society to love as brethren. same subject I preached in the morning, and spent great part of the day in striving to remove misunderstandings and offences. It was not lost labour. Six-and-twenty were left in the morning; before night seven-and-fifty were joined together. T. Walsh preached at five; but the room being too small, they were obliged to go into the yard. In the evening we had high and low, rich and poor, both in the yard and adjoining gardens. There seemed now to be a general call to this city. So I thought it best the next morning to leave Mr. Walsh there, while I went forward to Clonmel.'

Up to this time, rooms were hired in different parts of the city for holding meetings; but the growth of the Society now rendered it necessary that a suitable building should be erected for public worship: so the first preaching - house was built in Factory Lane, in 1758.‡ It is referred to by Mr. Wesley in his next visit to the city, July 21st, 1760: We rode in the afternoon to Waterford, where our friends had procured a commodious place, inclosed on all sides. I preached

there three evenings, with great hope of doing good. Our large room was full every morning. O! why should we despair of any souls whom God hath made?' But even the additional accommodation afforded by the new premises proved insufficient. At the next visit of the venerated founder of Methodism, July 1762, he preached in a court adjoining the main street. During his three days' stay in the city, several backsliders were reclaimed, many sinners were aroused from their lethargy and some mightily rejoiced in God their Saviour.

During a visit of the devoted Mrs. Bennis to Waterford, in 1763, she spoke to a young man, named John Stretton, about his soul, and was thus the means of his conversion.§ Some years after, he removed to Newfoundland, and became there a prominent and successful Local Preacher. He built the first Methodist Chapel in Eastern British America, at Harbour Grace, at his own cost; and, in the absence of any regularly appointed Minister, continued for years to conduct stated services, and thus gave to Methodism there a character and a stability which it retains to the present day.

In the spring of 1764, God revived His Work greatly in the Society at Waterford. Duncan Wright was then, with his regiment, quartered in the city, and was so quickened and blessed that his previous scruples with regard to entering the regular work were overcome. When Mr. Wesley wrote, stating that, if he left the Army there was immediate work for him to do, he responded to the call of God by His servant. In the spring of the following year, 1765,

having learned that there was no Preacher in the city, he returned to it, and spent some time very agreeably among his former acquaintances.' Then he saw, as he had not done before, the craven, intolerant and lawless spirit of many of the Irish Roman Catholics. He says: 'While I carried a sword by my side, few of them cared to speak their minds; but now, that restraint being removed, several of them told me to my face that they thought it would be doing God and the Church service, to burn all such as I am, in one fire! The infatuation of many of them, owing to the ignorance they are kept in, cannot be described; for upon the least pretence, and often without any, they rise in large parties, well armed, to destroy the lives and properties of

their neighbours, oppose the magistracy and even insult the Army.'

Mr. Wesley's next visit to the city was in 1765. He says Monday, July 1st.-I rode to Waterford, and preached in a little court, on our "Great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens" for us. But I soon found

I was got above most of my hearers: I should have spoke of death or judgment. On Tuesday evening I suited my discourse to my audience, which was considerably increased; but much more the next evening; and deep attention sat on almost every face. The room was well filled on Thursday morning; and the poor people were so affectionate, that it was with difficulty we were able to break from them, amidst abundance of prayers and blessings.'

The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia. Compiled and Written by the Rev. A. R. Fausset, M.A. Illustrated by Six Hundred Woodcuts. London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1878.-The popular purpose and plan of this book, indicated by its title, are faithfully, laboriously and ably carried out. Mr. Fausset has accomplished a Herculean task, in producing, by himself, this entire balky volume of seven hundred and fifty three-columned and closely printed pages. His object in solitarily undertaking this huge labour was, by means of unity of anthorship,' to secure unity of tone and aim. This has been effected with notable success. In this respect, The Englishman's Cyclopædia contrasts favourably with Smith's Bible Dictionary. The work is homogeneous and coherent. Its theological principles and critical canons are fixed, and, in the main, safe and sound. We have here none of the crude and superficial rationalism; none of the heady, highminded destructiveness which mar some articles in Dr. Smith's great compilation. This is a real advantage; and, in the present times, a positive excellence, an absolute virtue. Mr. Fausset has not only clean escaped the modernistic tendency, but also manifests a manly and religious

disregard of its self-sufficient cynicism. Of course, this unity of tone and aim" could not be secured without some sacrifice, not only of personal ease, but also in many articles, of the fulness, freeness and facile mastery displayed by the specialist and expert in his own favourite studies. Yet, for all that, Mr. Fausset has efficiently and worthily achieved that which he saw to be wanted and manfully attempted to supply: 'a storehouse of Scriptural information in a most compact and sensible form.' We think, however, that the book might, with considerable saving of time and trouble to both writer and readers, have been made more compact' by the omission from such a work as this of Biblical details well known to Sunday-scholars in the upper Bible-class, and consisting of mere extracts from Scripture or presentation of Scripture facts in less effective words, involving much vain and tiresome repetition of the same minutiæ in different articles. Nor is it easy to see-even if this were the English Boy's Cyclopædia-the necessity, in a work of such magnitude and such variety, for woodcuts, of not a very high style of art, of an elephant, a camel, etc., whose likeness is sufficiently well known to most children. The 'critical' part of the