SECT. I. SECT. II. Of his Birth and Education, till his Ordination in 1735, Of his Voyage to Georgia, his Situation there, and Return to Of Mr. Wesley's Residence at Oxford from November, 1729, to October, 1735; with an Account of the Proceedings of the first Methodist So- Containing a View of Mr. Wesley's Labors as an Itinerant Preacher, and of the Formation of Societies, &c., till the first Conference in 1744, . Containing a further Account of Mr. Wesley's Labors: a Summary of the Minutes of Conference respecting the Doctrines he taught; and a View Of Mr. Wesley's Ministerial Labors, and the Spread of Methodism, till the Conference in 1770 with an Extract from the larger Minutes; giving a View of various Regulations respecting the Preachers, &c. &c., Stating the principal Circumstances of Mr. Wesley's Life and Labors, till after the Conference in 1784; with a Continuation of the History of Opinions and Debates, &c., on the New Plan of Ordination: Several Par- ticulars of the last Years of Mr. Wesley's Life; with an Account of Stating the Opinion Mr. Wesley himself had, of the relative Situation of his Societies to other religious Bodies of People in this Kingdom: and his Notion of the Charac- ter and Office of the Methodist Preachers, SECT. IV. A View of the Increase of the Methodists for the last Thirty THE LIFE OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY. BOOK FIRST. CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE FAMILY. CHAPTER I. Of his Great Grandfather, and Grandfather Wesley. So far as we can trace back any account of the family, Mr. Wesley's ancestors appear respectable for learning, conspicuous for piety, and firmly attached to those views of Christianity which they had formed from the sacred Scriptures. Bartholomew Wesley, his great grandfather, was educated in one of our universities, and afterwards held the living of Allington in Dorsetshire. When the act of uniformity took place in 1662, he was ejected from his living, and enrolled on the list of fame with those illustrious names, who chose rather to suffer the loss of all things than violate conscience. If we judge from the circumstances of the nation, and the temper of the people at this time, we shall be led to conclude, that the act of uniformity originated with a party; that it was founded in revenge, and had cruelty and oppression for its object. It was however, the means under God, of raising up a cloud of witnesses, who testified to the world by their sufferings, that religion is not a mere engine of the state, but something real, in comparison of which those who feel its influence count all other things but dung and dross. While in the university, Mr. Wesley had applied himself to the study of physic as well as divinity; a practice which had been frequent, and not then fallen wholly into disuse. He was often consulted as a physician while he held his living, and after his ejectment applied himself chiefly to the practice of physic, though he still preached occasionally. It is said that he used a peculiar plainness of speech, which hindered him from becoming a popular preacher. He lived several years after he was silenced; but the death of his son, John Wesley, of whom I shall next speak, affected him so much, that he afterwards declined apace, and did not long survive him.* * See Nonconformist's Memorial, vol. i. p. 442. John Wesley, M. A., of New-Inn Hall Oxford, son of the above mentioned gentleman, was grandfather of the late Rev. John Wesley. We have no certain account of the time of his birth, nor of the year when he died. It pleased God to incline him to remember his Creator in the days of his youth, a circumstance which always affords comfort in the future part of life. He had a very humbling sense of sin, and a serious concern for his salvation when a school-boy; and soon after began to keep a diary, in which he recorded the remarkable instances of providential care over him, the method of God's dealings with his soul, and how he found his heart affected under the means of grace, and the occurrences of providence, whether prosperous and pleasing, or afflictive. This method he continued, with very little intermission, to the end of his life.* During his stay at Oxford, he was taken notice of for his seriousness and diligence. He applied himself particularly to the study of the oriental languages, in which he made great progress. Dr. John Owen, who was at that time vice-chancellor, had a great regard for him, which affords strong evidence both of his abilities and piety at this early period of life. He began to preach occasionally at the age of twenty-two, and in May, 1658, was sent to preach at Whitchurch in Dorsetshire. Soon after the restoration, some of his neighbors gave him a great deal of trouble, because he would not read the common prayer. They complained of him to the Bishop of Bristol, and laid many heavy things to his charge. Mr. Wesley being informed that the bishop desired to speak with him, he waited on his lordship, and has recorded in his diary the conversation that took place on this occasion. Mr. Wesley's defence of himself turns chiefly on two points, his allegiance to the king; and, his right to preach the Gospel without being ordained according to the rites of the established church. With respect to the first, he solemnly assures the bishop, that the things alleged against him were either invented or mistaken: that, whatever his bitter enemies might say against him, there were others who would give a different character of him; that Mr. Glisson had done it; and that Sir Francis Fulford, being his hearer, would acquaint his lordship concerning him: that he did not think the old Nonconformists were his Majesty's enemies; and that he had conscientiously taken the oath of allegiance, and had faithfully kept it. With respect to the second point, the bishop informs Mr. Wesley, that if he preached, it must be upon ordination, according to the order of the church of England. Mr. Wesley answers, that, if he meant by ordination the sending spoken of Rom. x., he had it; that he had a mission from God and man; but he was not satisfied in his conscience concerning the ordination in the church of England. As to his abilities, he offers to submit to any examination his lordship would appoint; to give him a confession of his faith, or to take any other method that might be required. He *I have taken some pains to discover whether this manuscript be anywhere preserved; but I have not obtained any satisfactory information concerning it. The extracts from it have been preserved by Calamy. sea. then states the reasons which satisfied him, that he ought to preach. These are, 1. That he was devoted to the service from his infancy. 2. That he was educated for it, at school and in the university. 3. That, as a son of the prophets, after having taken his degrees, he preached in the country, being approved of by judicious, able Christians, ministers and others. 4. That it pleased God to seal his labors with success in the conversion of several souls from ignorance and profaneness, to the power of godliness; that such conversions had taken place wherever he had been called to preach; at Radpole, Melcomb, Turnwood, Whitchurch, and at He declares, that if this was not found to be the case upon examination, he was willing to be discharged from his ministry. "I will stand or fall, says he, on the issue thereof." He adds, 5. That the church seeing the presence of God going along with him, they did, by fasting and prayer, in a day set apart for that end, seek an abundant blessing on his endeavors. "A particular church! exclaims the bishop: yes, my lord, says Mr. Wesley, I am not ashamed to own myself a member of one. Bishop. You have no warrant for your particular churches. Wesley. We have a plain, full, and sufficient rule for gospel worship in the New Testament, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles. B. We have not. W. The practice of the apostles is a standing rule in those cases which were not extraordinary. B. Not their practice but their precepts. W. Both precepts and practice. Our duty is not delivered to us in Scripture only by precepts, but by precedents, by promises, by threatenings mixed, not common-place wise. May it please your lordship, we believe that cultas non institutus est indebitus. B. It is false. W. The second commandment speaks the same: Thou shalt not make unto thyself any graven image. B. That is forms of your own invention. W. Bishop Andrews taking notice of non facies tibi, satisfied me, that we may not worship God but as commanded. B. You take discipline, church government, and circumstances, for worship. W. You account ceremonies parts of worship. B. Well then, you will justify your preaching, will you, without ordination according to law? W. All these things laid together are satisfactory to me for my procedure therein. B. They are not enough. W. There has been more written in proof of the preaching of gifted persons, with such approbation, than has been answered by any one yet. B. I am glad I heard this from your own mouth. You will stand to your principles, you say? W. I intend it, through the grace of God; and to be faithful to the King's Majesty, however you may deal with me. B. I will not meddle with you. W. Farewell to you, sir. B. Farewell, good Mr. Wesley." It is to be hoped that the bishop was as good as his word. But there were some persons of influence in his neighborhood who were too much his enemies to permit him to continue quietly at Whitchurch, till the act of uniformity ejected him. For in the beginning of 1662, he was seized on the Lord's day as he was coming out of church, carried to Blandford, and committed to priSir Gerrard Napper was one of the most furious of his enemies, and the most forward in committing him; but meeting with son. |