Mr. Wesley's Labours and Providential Escapes-His Opinion of the Montanists.-Death of Mr. Jane-His Extraordinary Event preceding Mr. Wesley's Marriage -Verses on that Occasion-His Marriage-Renewed Mr. Wesley's dangerous Illness-Mr. C. Wesley's renewed Labours-Mr. Wesley's re-assumption of Itinerancy— His Correspondence with the Rev. Mr. Walker, of Great Revival of Religion-Separation of Maxfield and others-Minutes of the Conference against Antino- Proposal to Mr. Fletcher fully to unite with Mr. Wesley in the Work-Remarkable Death of Mr. Downs—Mr. Wesley's dangerous Illness in Ireland-Dispute con- Labours and Opposition in the Isle of Man-Secession of Eminent Preacher-Protestant Association-Mr. Wesley's letter on that Occasion-His Letter to the Bishop of London, and to Sir Henry Trelawney— Thoughts on “ Dr. Parson's Remains of Japhet”—Cu- rious Questions put to Mr. Wesley-His Letter respect- The Three Last Years of Mr. Wesley's Life-His Last A Review of Mr. Wesley's Labours as a Writer, and as a Minister of Christ-Testimonies of Eminent Men con- ERRATA. Page 343, line 11, for "this Father," read "his Father." 366, dele &c. at the close of the third line of the first Latin quotation. A few copies of the First Volume were published with an awkward trans- position, in page 550,-the THIRD line of which ought to have been the FIRST. The Purchasers of those copies may be supplied with two corrected pages, 549 and THE LIFE OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, A.M. BOOK THE FIFTH. CHAPTER I. PROGRESS OF RELIGION, WITH THE PERSECUTIONS THAT FOLLOWED. MR. WESLEY having now several helpers after his own heart, the work of God prospered in many places. Many societies were formed in Somersetshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and in several parts of Yorkshire. And those in London, Bristol, Kingswood, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, were much increased. But as in the beginning of Christianity, so it was now : This sect was every where spoken against. But its enemies were not content with this. In the year 1740, several rioters, who had long disturbed the meetings in Bristol, were emboldened by impunity. Their numbers also increased, so as to fill, not only the court before the preaching-house, but a considerable part of the street. The Mayor sent them orders to B VOL. II. disperse; but they set him at defiance. He then dispatched several of his officers, who took the ring-leaders into custody. The next day they were brought into court, it being the time of the quarter-sessions. There they received a severe reprimand; and from that time, the Society in Bristol enjoyed almost uninterrupted peace. In London the rioters were not so easily subdued. They assembled at various places, and frequently treated Mr. Wesley and many of his serious hearers in a shameful manner. They followed them with showers of stones, and once attempted to unroof the Foundery, where the congregation was assembled, and had nearly accomplished their design. The common cry was, "You may treat them as you please, for there is no law for them." But Sir John Ganson, the chairman of the Middlesex Justices, called on Mr. Wesley, and informed him," that he had no need to suffer these riotous mobs to molest him;" adding, "Sir, I and the other Middlesex Magistrates have orders from above, to do you justice whenever you apply to us." A short time after, he did apply. Justice was done, though not with rigour; and from that period the Society had peace in London. It was very confidently stated, in that day, that when the question concerning the persecutions suffered by the Societies at this time, came before the Council, the King declared, that "No man in his dominions should be persecuted on the account of religion, while he sat on the throne." His late Majesty also, and indeed all that dynasty, have acted on the same principle. A remarkable circumstance, which Mr. Wesley related to me, may throw considerable light on those "orders from above." One of the original Society of Methodists at Oxford, on the departure of its founders from the university, after seeking for others like-minded, at length joined the Society of Quakers, and settled at Kew. Being a man of considerbehaviour, he was much able property, and of exemplary respected, and favoured with free permission to walk in the |