preach the word, in season and out of season, though they and all men forbid me."

July 11.-Mr. C. Wesley left London, and the day following arrived in Bristol. He stayed there only one night, and then set out for Cornwall, and on the 16th, came safe to St. Ives. July 17, he says, "I rose and forgot that I had travelled from Newcastle. I spake with some of this loving simple people, who are as sheep in the midst of wolves. The priests stir up the people, and make their minds evil-affected towards their brethren. Yet the sons of violence are much checked by the Mayor, an honest Presbyterian, whom the Lord hath raised up." He informed Mr. C. Wesley, that the ministers were the principal authors of all the mischief. In their sermons they continually represented Mr. Wesley and the preachers, as Popish emissaries, and urged the enraged multitude to use all means for their suppression. While he was preaching at St. Ives on the 26th, he observes, "All was quiet, the Mayor having declared his resolution to swear twenty more constables, and suppress the rioters by force of arms. Their drum he had seized. All the time I was preaching he stood at a little distance to awe the rioters. He has set the whole town against him, by not giving us up to their fury. But he plainly told Mr. Hoblin, the fire-and-faggot minister, that he would not be perjured to gratify any man's malice. He informed us, that he had often heard Mr. Hoblin say, they ought to drive us away by blows, not by arguments."

During the riots he one day observes, "I went to church, and heard that terrible chapter Jeremiah the 7th,-enough, one would think, to make even this hardened people tremble. Never were words more applicable than those, 'Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD, THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD, THE TEMPLE of the Lord, ARE THESE!-Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falselyand come and stand before me in this house?"&c.-Mr. C. Wesley informed me, that upon one of those occasions, after hearing himself abused in a sermon longer than usual, he remained in his pew when the congregation was dismissed, it being what is called Sacrament-Sunday. The minister, perceiving him, called to the clerk, took him inside the rails, and talked with him for some time. The minister then proceeded with the service. When Mr. C. Wesley approached the table, the parson retreated, and the clerk came forward, and, holding out the large Prayer-book, cried out, "Avaunt, Satan! Avaunt!" Mr. C. Wesley remained for some time, but finding that nothing would quiet the zealous clerk, and that the minister remained stationary at the wall, he retired to his pew, and the service concluded.

His brother having summoned him to London, to confer with the heads of the Moravians and Calvinists, he set out on the 8th of August. "We had," says he, "near three hundred miles to travel in five days. I was willing to undertake the labour for the sake of peace, though the journey was too great for us and our beasts, which we had used almost every day for three months.-August 12. We hardly reached the Four

46

dery by nine at night. Here I heard that the Moravians would not be present at the Conference. Spangenberg indeed said he would, but immediately left England. My brother was come from Newcastle; J. Nelson from Yorkshire; and I from the Land's End, for good purpose!" October 17. He set out to meet his brother at Nottingham, who had escaped with his life, almost by miracle, out of the hands of the mob at Wednesbury, as before related. On the 21st, Mr. Charles Wesley observes, My brother came, delivered out of the mouth of the lions! His clothes were dirty and torn.-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.-October 24. I had a blessed parting from the Society, and by night came wet and weary to Birmingham. On the 25th, I was much encouraged by the patience of our brethren from Wednesbury. They pressed me to come and preach to them in the midst of the town. It was agreed between my brother and me, that if they asked me I should go. Accordingly we set out in the dark, and came to Francis Ward's, from whence my brother had been carried last Thursday night.* I found the brethren assembled, standing fast in one mind and spirit, in nothing terrified by their adversaries. The word given me for them, was, Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit yourselves like men, be strong.' Jesus was with us in the midst, and covered us with a covering of his Spirit. Never was I before in so primitive an assembly. We sang praises with courage, and could all set our seal to the truth of our Lord's saying, Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake.' We laid us down and slept, and rose up again, for the Lord sustained us. As soon as it was light, I walked down the town and preached boldly. It was a most glorious time! Our souls were satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and we longed for our Lord's coming to confess us before his Father, and before his holy Angels.'-We now understood what it was to receive the word in much affliction,' and yet with joy in the Holy Ghost.'

"I took several new members into the Society; and, among them, the young man whose arm had been broke; and received Munchin, upon trial, the late captain of the mob. He has been constantly under the word, since he rescued my brother. I asked him what he thought of him? Think of him,' said he, 'that he is a man of God, and God was on his side, when so many of us could not kill one man.'-We rode through the town unmolested on our way to Birmingham, where I preached. I rode on to Evesham, and found John Nelson preaching, and confirmed his word."-On the 31st, he set out for Wales, and reached Cardiff on the first of November. "The gentlemen," says he," had threatened great things if I ever came there again. I called in the midst of them, Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by,' &c. The love of God constrained me to speak and them to hear. The word was irresistible. After it, one of the most violent opposers took me by the hand, and pressed me to come and see him. The rest were equally civil, all the time I staid; only one drunkard made some disturbance, and, when sober, sent to ask my pardon.-The voice of praise and thanksgiving was in the Society. Many are grown in grace and in the *See Mr. John WESLEY'S Works, vol. xxviii, page 175.

knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I passed an hour with the wife and daughter of the chief bailiff, who are waiting as little children for the kingdom of God."

He afterwards visited Bristol, Bath, Oxford, and London; till January 30, 1744, when he again set out for the North, recommended to the grace of God by all the brethren. On the first of February, he came to Birmingham. He observes, "A great door is opened in the country, but there are many adversaries.” The preacher at Dudley had been cruelly abused by a mob of Papists and Dissenters; the Dissenters being stirred up by Mr. Whiting, their minister. "It is probable," says Mr. C. Wesley, "that he would have been murdered, but for an honest Quaker, who favoured his escape by disguising him in his broad hat and drab-coloured coat." "Staffordshire," he observes, "at present seems the seat of war.'

"February 2.—I set out again with brother Webb, for Wednesbury, the field of battle. We met with variety of greetings on the road. I cried in the street, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world!' Several of our persecutors stood at a distance, but none offered to make the least disturbance. I walked through the blessings and curses of the people, (but the blessings exceeded,) to visit Mr. Egerton's widow. Never have I observed such bitterness as in these opposes.-February 3. I preached, and prayed with the Society, and beat down the fiery self-avenging spirit of resistance, which was rising in some to disgrace, if not to destroy the work of God." Mr. C. Wesley preached within sight of Dudley, and then waited on the friendly Captain Dudley, who had stood in the gap, and kept off persecution at Tippen-Green, while it raged all around. He then returned in peace through the enemy's country.

The rioters now gave notice that they would come on the Tuesday following, and pull down the houses and destroy the goods of the Methodists. One would think," says Mr. C. Wesley, "there was no king in Israel. There is certainly no magistrate, who will put them to shame in any thing. Mr. Constable offered to make oath, that their lives were in danger; but the Justice refused it, saying that he could do nothing. Others of our complaining brethren met with the same redress, being driven away with revilings. The magistrates do not, like those of old, themselves tear off their clothes and beat them; they only stand by and see others do it. One of them told Mr. Jones, it was the best thing the mob ever did, so to treat the Methodists; and he himself would give five pounds to drive them out of the country.' Another, when our brother Ward begged his protection, delivered him up to the mercy of the mob, who had half-murdered him before, and throwing his hat round his head, cried, Huzza, boys! Well done! Stand up for the Church!'" Mr. C. Wesley adds, "No wonder that the mob, so encouraged, should say there is no law for the Methodists! Accordingly, like outlaws they treat them, breaking their houses, and taking away their goods at pleasure: extorting money from those who have it, and cruelly beating those who have it not.

"February 4.-I spoke with those of our brethren who have this world's goods, and found them entirely resigned to the will of God; all thoughts of resistance, blessed be God, are over. The chief of them said to me, 'Naked came I into the world, and I can but go naked out

of it.' They are resolved, by the grace of God, to follow my advice, and to suffer all things. Only I wished them to go round again to the Justices and give information of their danger. Mr. Constable said, he had just been with one of them, who redressed him only by bitter reproaches, that the rest were of the same mind, and could not plead ignorance, because the rioters had the boldness to set up papers inviting all the country to rise with them to destroy the Methodists.-At noon I returned to Birmingham, having continued two days in the lions' den unhurt."

Mr. C. Wesley now set out for Nottingham, where he arrived on the 6th, and found that here, also, the monster persecution was lifting up its destructive head. "Our brethren," says he, " are violently driven from their place of meeting, pelted in the streets, &c, and mocked with vain promises of justice by the very man, who, underhand, encourages the rioters. An honest Quaker has hardly restrained some of our brethren from resisting evil: but henceforth, I hope, they will meekly turn the other cheek."

Mr. C. Wesley and his friends at Nottingham sent a person to Litchfield, to get intelligence of what mischief had been done in Staffordshire, by the rioters in their threatened insurrection. He returned on the ninth, and Mr. C. Wesley gives the following account. "He met our brother Ward, who had fled thither for refuge. The enemy had gone to the length of his chain all the rabble of the county were gathered together, and laid waste all before them. I received a note from two of the sufferers, whose loss amounts to two hundred pounds. My heart rejoiced in the great grace which was given them; for not one resisted evil; but they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods.' We gave God the glory, that Satan was not suffered to touch their lives: they have lost all besides, and rejoice with joy unspeakable.""

Mr. C. Wesley now went on to Newcastle, preaching every where, as he had opportunity, till on March the 14th, being at Birstal, a person informed him there of a constable who had a warrant in which his name was mentioned. Mr. C. Wesley sent for him, and found it was, "To summon witnesses to some treasonable words said to be spoken by one Westley." He was just leaving Birstal when this information was given him; but he now determined not to go forward for London as he intended, thinking it better to appear before the Justices at Wakefield, and, as he says, look his enemies in the face. Accordingly, he rode to Wakefield the next morning, and waited on Justice Burton at his inn, with two other Justices, Sir Rowland Wynn, and the Rev. Mr. Zouch. He informed Mr. Burton, that he had seen a warrant of his, summoning witnesses of some treasonable words, said to be spoken by one Westley: that he had put off his journey to London, that he might answer whatever should be laid to his charge.-Mr. Burton replied, he had nothing to say against him, and he might depart.-Mr. C. Wesley answered, "That is not sufficient without clearing my character, and that of many innocent people, whom their enemies are pleased to call Methodists.— Vindicate them!' said my brother Clergyman, 'that you will find a very hard task.'—I answered, As hard as you may think it, I will engage to prove that all of them, to a man, are true members of the church of England, and loyal subjects of his Majesty King George. I then desired they would administer to me the oaths; and added, I wish, gentlemen, that you could send for every Methodist in England, and give them all

the same opportunity you do me, of declaring their loyalty upon oath.---Justice Burton said, he was informed that we constantly prayed for the Pretender in all our societies, or nocturnal meetings, as Mr. Zouch called them.—I answered, The very reverse is true. We constantly pray for his Majesty King George, by name. Here are such hymns (showing them) as we sing in our societies. Here is a sermon which I preached before the University, and another preached there by my brother. Here are his Appeals and a few more tracts, containing an account of our principles and practices. I then gave them our books, and was bold enough to say, I am as true a Church-of-England man, and as loyal a subject, as any man in the kingdom!-They all cried, that was impossible. But it was not my business to dispute, and as I could not answer till the witnesses appeared, I withdrew without farther delay.

"While I waited at a neighbour's house, the Constable from Birstal, whose heart the Lord had touched, was brought to me by one of the brethren. He told me he had summoned the principal witness, Mary Castle, on whose information the warrant was granted. She was setting out on horseback, when the news came that I was not gone forward to London, as they expected, but had returned to Wakefield. Hearing this, she turned back, and declared to him that she did not hear the treasonable words herself, but another woman had told her so. Three more witnesses, who were to swear to my words, retracted likewise, and knew nothing of the matter. The fifth, Mr. Woods, an alehouse keeper, is forthcoming, it seems, in the afternoon. I now plainly see what the consequence would have been of not appearing here to look my enemies in the face. Had I gone on my journey, there would have been witnesses enough, and oaths enough, to stir up a persecution against the Methodists. I took the witnesses' names, and a copy of the warrant, which is as follows:

'West Riding of Yorkshire.

To the Constable of Birstal, of the said Riding, or Deputy.

THESE are, in his Majesty's Name, to require and command you to summon Mary Castle, of Birstal aforesaid, and all other such person or persons as you are informed can give any information against one Westley, or any other of the Methodist Preachers, for speaking any treasonable words or exhortations, as praying for the banished, or the Pretender, &c, to appear before me, and other of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said Riding, at the White Hart in Wakefield, on the 15th of March instant, by ten o'clock in the forenoon, to be examined, and to declare the truth of what they and each of them know touching the premises and that you likewise make a return hereof, before us, on the same day. Fail not. Given under my hand, the tenth of March, 1744. E. BURTON.'

"Between two and three o'clock, Mr. Woods came, and started back on seeing me, as if he had trod upon a serpent. One of the brethren took hold of him, and told me he trembled every joint of him. The Justices' clerk had bid the constable bring Woods to him as soon as ever he came. But notwithstanding the clerk's instructions, Woods frankly confessed, now he was come, he had nothing to say, and would not have come at all, if they had not forced him.