"I waited at the door till seven in the evening, while they were examining the disaffected. I took public notice of Okerhousen, the Moravian teacher; but not of Mr. Kendrick. When all their business was over, and I had been insulted at their door from eleven in the morning till seven at night, I was sent for and asked, 'What would Mr. Wesley desire?'

"Wesley.I desire nothing but to know what is alleged against me. Justice Burton said, what hope of truth from him? Then addressing himself to me, 'Here are two of your brethren, one so silly it is a shame he should ever set up for a teacher; and the other has a thousand lies and equivocations upon oath. He has not wit enough, or he would make a complete Jesuit.'-I looked round, and said, I see none of my brethren here, but this gentleman, pointing to the Reverend Justice, who looked as if he did not thank me for claiming him.

"Burton. Why, do you not know this man? pointing to Kendrick. "Wesley.-Yes, Sir, very well: for, two years ago, I expelled him from our Society in London, for setting up for a preacher.-To this poor Kendrick assented; which put a stop to farther reflections on the Methodists.-Justice Burton then said, I might depart, for they had nothing against me.

"Wesley.-Sir, that will not satisfy me; I cannot depart till my character be fully cleared. It is no trifling matter: even my life is concerned in the charge.

"Burton.-I did not summon you to appear.

"Wesley.-I was the person meant by one Westley, and my sup posed words were the occasion of your order, which I read signed with your name.

"Burton. I will not deny my orders; I did send to summon the witnesses.

"Wesley.-Yes; and I took down their names from the constable's paper. The principal witness, Mary Castle, was setting out; but, hearing I was here, she turned back, and declared to the constable, she only heard another say, that I should speak treason. Three more of the witnesses recanted for the same reason: and Mr. Woods, who is here, says he has nothing to say, and should not have come, had he not been forced by the minister. Had I not been here, he would have had enough to say; and you would have had witnesses and oaths enough; but I suppose my coming has prevented theirs.-One of the Justices added, I suppose so too.' They all seemed fully satisfied, and would have had me to have been so too. But I insisted on their hearing Mr. Woods.

"Burton.-Do you desire he may be called as an evidence for

you?

"Wesley.—I desire he may be heard as an evidence against me, if he has aught to lay to my charge.

"Then Mr. Zouch asked Mr. Woods, what he had to say? What were the words I had spoken? Woods was as backward to speak as they to hear him: but was at last compelled to say, 'I have nothing to say against the gentleman; I only heard him pray, that the Lord would call home his banished ones.'

"Zouch.-But were there no words before or after, which pointed to these troublesome times?

"Woods.-No: none at all.

"Wesley. It was on February the 12th, before the earliest news of the invasion. But if folly and malice may be interpreters, any words, which any of you, Gentlemen, may speak, may be construed into

treason.

"Zouch. It is very true.

"Wesley.-Now, Gentlemen, give me leave to explain my own words. I had no thoughts of praying for the Pretender; but for those who confess themselves strangers and pilgrims upon earth; who seek a country,' knowing this is not their home. The Scriptures,—yes, Sir, (to the clergyman,) you know that the Scriptures speak of us as captive exiles, who are absent from the Lord, while present in the body.' We are not at home till we are in heaven.

"Zouch.-I thought you would so explain the words, and it is a fair interpretation.

"I asked if they were all satisfied?-They said they were; and cleared me as fully as I desired.-I then asked them again, to administer to me the oaths.-Mr. Zouch looked on my sermon, and asked who ordained me.-I answered, the Archbishop, and the Bishop of London, in the same week.-He said, with the rest, it was quite unnecessary, since I was a clergyman, and student of Christ Church, and had preached before the University, and taken the oaths before.-Yet I mentioned it again, till they acknowledged in explicit terms, That my loyalty was unquestionable.' I then presented Sir Rowland and Mr. Zouch, with the Appeal' to men of Reason and Religion,' and took my leave."

Mr. C. Wesley now returned to Birstal, where he preached, and then departed from Yorkshire. He came to Derby and Nottingham; at the last of which places, the mob was become outrageous, under the patronage of the Mayor. The Methodists presented a petition to the Judge, as he passed through the town; and he gave the Mayor a severe reprimand, and encouraged them to apply for relief if they were farther molested. But the Mayor paid no regard to the Judge, any longer than while he was present.

On Friday, August 24, 1744, Mr. John Wesley preached for the last time at Oxford, before the University. He had preached to them twice before, since the time he began to declare the truth in the fields and highways. Those sermons are printed in the first volume of his Works, and are well worthy of a serious perusal. "I am now," says he, "clear of the blood of those men. I have fully delivered my own soul. And I am well pleased that it should be the very day on which, in the last century, near two thousand burning and shining lights were put out at one stroke. Yet what a wide difference is there between their case and mine! They were turned out of house and home, and all that they had; whereas I am only hindered from preaching, without any other loss, and that in a kind of honourable manner; it being determined, that when my next turn to preach came, they would pay another *Mr. C. Wesley came to Oxford on this occasion, where he met his brother, the Rev. Messrs. Piers, Meriton, and others. He observes in his Journal, "My brother bore his testimony before a crowded audience, much increased by the races. Never have I seen a more attentive congregation: They did not suffer a word to slip them. Some of the Heads of Colleges stood up the whole time, and fixed their eyes upon him. If they can endure sound doctrine, like this, he will surely leave a blessing behind him. The Vice-Chancellor sent after him, and desired his notes, which he sealed up and sent immediately.”

person to preach for me. And so they did twice or thrice; even to the time that I resigned my fellowship."-They respected his general character, with which they were well acquainted.

Mr. Wesley's observation respecting the ejection of so many pious and able ministers, is affecting. It was an awful act, and an awful responsibility remains with those who exercised such an authority. But the Lord reigneth, and the fierceness of man shall turn to his praise.' I cannot but think, that the Lord, who is head over all things to his church,' saw that there was no other way of saving the nation from that deluge of Antinomianism which threatened to overwhelm it. How many children of light were thus called to walk in providential darkness! But he had a better dispensation in store for his people: A dispensation that never did, that never can, disturb the providential government; which was not given by might or power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.'

CHAPTER II.

ACCOUNTS FROM GERMANY OF THE STATE OF RELIGION IN THE ENGLISH ARMY-THE FIRST CONFERENCES-THE LABOURS OF THE BROTHERS, and of their ASSISTANTS, during the REBELLION IN SCOTLAND.

THE work of God which it is the design of these volumes to illustrate, shows its true origin, not only in its being declared to be the privilege' of every creature, but in its being received by "all sorts and conditions of men," not in the letter only, but in the Spirit. It has, indeed, been thought, and by many who are remarkable for the spirituality of their creed, not only that war is contrary to the religion of Christ, but that all who are engaged therein are excluded from its blessings. It is evident, however, that no Prophet, or Apostle, nor their blessed Master, has told us so. He showed his good-will to men thus awfully employed, with as much benignity as to any others. We know that when the Gospel has had its full effect on the human race, it will banish war from the earth. Meantime, all hostility between man and man is totally forbidden: But where is the MAGISTRATE forbidden to go to war? To deprive him of his sword while the world lieth in wickedness, seems a bold design; nor will its being sometimes used unrighteously, excuse the attempt. I am, therefore, happy in being able to present to the reader some proofs, that the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, can keep the hearts' of those who know Him, in the midst of those scenes so revolting not only to pure religion, but also to humanity. A few letters which Mr. Wesley received about this time, from some of the English soldiers in Germany, will illustrate what I have said. The principal instrument of the work therein related was afterwards a preacher in connexion with Mr. Wesley, for several years; and his life has been published. I shall give those letters together, though written at some distance of time from each other, as they will afford a more complete view of this work of God in the British army.

“Reverend SiR,-We marched to the camp near Brussels on the 1st of May, 1744. There a few of us joined in a society, being sensible, where two or three are gathered together in his name, there is our Lord in the midst of them.' Our place of meeting was a small wood, near the camp. We remained in this camp eight days, and then removed to a place called Arsk. Here I began to speak openly, at a small distance from the camp, just in the middle of the English army. And here it pleased God to give me some evidences, that my labour was not in vain. We sung a hymn, which drew about two hundred soldiers together, and they all behaved decently. After I had prayed, I began to exhort them; and though it rained very hard, yet very few went away. Many acknowledged the truth; in particular a young man, John Greenwood, who has kept with me ever since, and whom God has lately been pleased to give me for a fellow labourer. Our society is now increased to upwards of two hundred, and the hearers are frequently more than a thousand; although many say I am mad, and others have endeavoured to incense the Field-marshal against us. I have been sent for and examined several times. But, blessed be God, he has always delivered me.

"Many of the officers have come to hear for themselves, often nine or ten at a time. I endeavour to lose no opportunity. During our abode in the camp at Arsk, I have preached thirty-five times in seven days. One of those times a soldier, who was present, called aloud to bis comrades to come away, and not hear that fool any longer. But it pleased God to send the word spoken to his heart, so that he roared out in the bitterness of his soul for a considerable time; and then He who never fails those that seek him, turned his heaviness into joy. He is now never so happy as when he is proclaiming the loving kindness of God his Saviour.

"I was a little shocked at my first entrance on this great work, because I was alone, having none to help me. But the Lord helped me, and soon raised up William Clements, and, in June, John Evans, belonging to the train [of Artillery,] to my assistance. Since we have been in this camp, we have built two small tabernacles, in which we meet at eight in the morning, at three in the afternoon, and seven at night; and commonly two whole nights in each week.*

"Since I began to write this, we are come to our quarters, so that our society is now divided. Some of us are in Bruges, and some in Ghent. But it has pleased the Lord to leave neither place without a teacher: For John Greenwood and I are in this city, and B. Clements and Evans are in Ghent. So that we trust our Lord will carry on his work in both places.

"We that are in Bruges have hired a small place in which we meet ; and our dear Lord is in the midst of us. Many times the tears run

down every face, and joy reigns in every heart.

"I shall conclude with a full assurance of your prayers, with a longing desire to see you. O, when will the joyful meeting be! Perhaps, not on this side death. If not, my Master's will be done!

"Your unworthy brother in the Lord,

"To the Rev. Mr. Wesley."

"JOHN HAIME."

* The Duke of Cumberland came one night, wrapt up in his cloak, and staid the whole time. He afterwards gave orders that no person should hinder Haime.

"GHENT, Nov. 12, O. S. 1744. "REVEREND SIR,-We made bold to trouble you with this, to acquaint you with some of the Lord's dealings with us here. We have hired two rooms, one small one, wherein a few of us meet every day at one o'clock; and another large one for public service, where we meet twice a day, at nine in the morning and four in the afternoon; and the hand of the omnipotent God is with us, to the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan.

"The 7th instant, when we were met together in the evening, as I was at prayer, one that was kneeling by me, cried out, (like a woman in travail,) My Redeemer! my Redeemer! which continued about ten minutes. When he was asked, 'What was the matter?' he said, 'He had found that which he had often heard of, that is, a heaven upon earth!' and some others had much ado to forbear crying out in the same

manner.

"Dear Sir, I am a stranger to you in the flesh. I know not if I have seen you above once, when I saw you preaching on Kennington Common. And then I hated you as much as now, by the grace of God, I love you. The Lord pursued me with convictions from my infancy, and I often made abundance of good resolutions. But finding, as often, that I could not keep them, (as being made wholly in my own strength,) I at length left off all striving, and gave myself over to all manner of lewd ́ness and profaneness. So I continued for some years, till the battle of Dettingen. The balls then came very thick about me, and my comrades fell on every side. Yet I was preserved unhurt. A few days after this, the Lord was pleased to visit me again. The pains of hell gat hold upon me; the snares of death encompassed me. I durst no longer commit any outward sin, and I prayed God to be merciful to my soul. Now I was at a loss for books; but God took care for this also. One day as I was at work, I found an old Bible in one of the train-wagons. To read this, I soon forsook my old companions; all but one, who was still a thorn in my flesh. But, not long after, he sickened and died.

"My Bible was now my only companion, and I believed myself a very good Christian, till we came to winter quarters, where I met with John Haime. But I was soon sick of his company: For he robbed me of my treasure; he stole away my gods, telling me, 'I and my works were going to hell together.' This was strange doctrine to me, who, being wholly ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, sought only to establish my own righteousness. And being naturally of a stubborn temper, my poor brother was so perplexed with me, that sometimes he was resolved, (as he afterwards told me,) to forbid my coming to him any more.

"When the Lord had at length opened my eyes, and shown me that by grace we are saved, through faith,' I began immediately to declare it to others, though I had not as yet experienced it myself. But, October 23, as William Clements was at prayer, I felt on a sudden a great alteration in my soul. My eyes overflowed with tears of love. I knew I was through Christ reconciled to God; which inflamed my soul with fervent love to him, whom I now saw to be my complete Redeemer.

"O the tender care of Almighty God, in bringing up his children! How are we bound to love so indulgent a Father, and to fall down in