and that is, that Mr Welley was perhaps too pofitive, and depended too much on his own judgment. His father feems to have entertained the fame idea, where he hints the neceffity of "bending his mind to the will of God." When a man's own opinion is contrary to that of feveral of the moft fenfible people in the nation; when thefe perfons are his nearest relations; and when their judgment fo clearly concurs with the voice of a whole parish, it feems not improper to conclude, that there is in it fomething providential, and that he ought to doubt his own judgment, and to fufpend his determinations.

And what friend of Mr Wefley's is

there, fo bigoted as to fay, he could not be mistaken? It is very poflible, he might conceive fome things to be materially hurtful, which were not fo dangerous as he apprehended; and that he

might fuppofe his falvation abfolutely to depend upon the fociety, and other advantages he enjoyed at Oxford, when in reality it was not fo. Add to this, that his reasonings on this fubject feem to argue too much confidence in outward means, and too little in the grace of God: as if it were impoffible he should be kept from evil in the fame circumftances as other men; and as if (to ufe the lanof his brother) more were neguage ceffary to the very existence of his chriftian life, than to the falvation of every other clergyman in the kingdom." Strange indeed!

Thus, with the freedom of history, but without any intention of offence, have we hazarded our opinion on this occafion. And though we differ, and prefume that most people will differ from Mr Wefley, and conceive that he faw

great difficulties, where in reality there were none but what his own imagination had created, it is impoffible not to admire and give him the full credit of his confcientiousness and integrity. Perhaps in this cafe his judgment was erroneous and his reasonings inconclufive; but it must at least be granted, that, as the fubject presented itself to his mind, he could not, with a good conscience, have acted otherwife than he did.

CHAP. VI.

OF HIS MISSION TO AMERICA.

WHEN

THEN we firft became acquainted with the subject of this chapter, it was not without fome furprise. Having feen in how determined a manner Mr Wesley had oppofed himself to the folicitations of his friends, with regard to Epworth, we naturally expected, that nothing less than ftern neceffity could have induced him to quit his beloved retirement. The contrary however was the fact. In one of his excurfions to London, he met with a gentleman (Dr Burton) who was one of the trustees for the new colony at Georgia;

and was induced, by his folicitations, though with some reluctance, to give up his pupils, and to leave his native country.

Not long after the correfpondence we have so particularly confidered, we find him embarked. On the 14th of October 1735, accompanied by a Mr Ingham of Queen's College, Mr Delamotte, fon of a merchant in London, and his brother Charles, he went on board the Simmonds, off Gravefend, bound for Georgia. In the fame fhip was Mr Oglethorpe, who was afterwards a general officer, and died a few years ago at a very advanced age. Mr Wefley's chief object was the miffion to the Indians, whom, however, from the troubles that prevailed on the continent, he had little opportu nity of inftructing.

While the fhip remained in the river,