"When I came back to Francis Ward's, I found many of our brethren waiting upon God. Many also whom I had never seen before, came to rejoice with us. And the next morning as I rode through the town, in my way to Nottingham, every one I met expressed such a cordial affection, that I could scarce believe what I saw and heard. "I cannot close this head, without inserting as great a curiosity in its kind, as, I believe, was ever yet seen in England; which had its birth within a very few days of this remarkable occurrence at Walsal. Staffordshire. "To all High-Constables, Petty-Constables, "WHEREAS, we, his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said County of Stafford, have received information, that several disorderly persons, styling themselves Methodist Preachers, go about raising routs and riots, to the great damage of his Majesty's liege people, and against the peace of our sovereign Lord the King: "These are in his Majesty's name, to command you, and every one of you, within your respective districts, to make diligent search after the said Methodist Preachers, and to bring him or them before some of us, his said Majesty's Justices of the Peace, to be examined concerning their unlawful doings. "Given under our hands and seals, this J. Lane, IV. Persehouse." It appears from the preceding account, that these were the two justices to whom the mob carried Mr. Wesley, and who severally refused to see him. What is it a mob will not dare to do, when encouraged to break break the peace, by the very men who are sworn to maintain it! Mr. Wesley now went forwards toward the North, and on Sunday, October 30, being at Wensley, he preached in the church, on, What must I do to be saved? He shewed in the plainest terms he could devise, that outward religion will not bring us to heaven: that none can go thither without inward holiness, which is only to be attained by faith. As he went back through the church-yard, many of the parish were in high debate, What religion this preacher was of? Some said he must be a Quaker; others, an Anabaptist: but at length one deeperlearned than the rest, brought them all clearly over to his opinion, that he was, a Presbyterian-Papist! February 15, 1744. A report prevailed that the French threatened an invasion, and were expected to land every hour, in support of Charles Stuart, the Pretender to the Crown of England. At this critical time, many addresses were sent up to the throne, expressing attachment to the principles of the Revolution, and to the King's person and government. The alarm was general; the principles of the Methodists were but imperfectly known, and their itinerancy and private societies brought them under general suspicion. Mr. Wesley was therefore desired to write an address to the King, and March 5, he complied with the request, and wrote as follows: "To the King's Most Excellent Majesty; "The humble Address of the Societies in England and Wales, in Derision called Methodists. "Most gracious Sovereign, "So inconsiderable as we are, a people scattered and peeled and trodden under foot from the beginning hitherto, we should in no wise have presumed, even on this great great occasion, to open our lips to your Majesty, had we not been induced, indeed constrained so to do, by two considerations: the one, that in spite of all our remonstrances on that head, we are continually represented as a peculiar sect of men, separating ourselves from the established church; the other that, we are still traduced as inclined to Popery, and consequently disaffected to your Majesty. "Upon these considerations, we think it incumbent upon us, if we must stand as a distinct body from our brethren, to tender for ourselves, our most dutiful regards to your sacred Majesty and to declare in the presence of him we serve, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, that we are a part, however mean, of that Protestant church established in these kingdoms: that we unite together for this and no other end, to promote, so far as we are capable, justice, mercy, and truth; the glory of God, and peace and good-will among men that we detest and abhor the fundamental doctrines of the church of Rome, and are steadily attached to your Majesty's royal person and illustrious house. "We cannot indeed, say or do either more or less, than we apprehend consistent with the written word of God. But we are ready to obey your Majesty to the uttermost, in all things which we conceive to be agreeable thereto. And we earnestly exhort all with whom we converse, as they fear God, to honour the King. We of the clergy in particular, put all men in mind to revere the higher powers, as of God; and continually declare, ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. none. "Silver and gold, most of us must own, we have But such as we have, we humbly beg your Majesty to accept: together with our hearts and VOL. U. N prayers prayers may he who hath bought us with his blood, the Prince of all the Kings of the earth, fight agatnst all the enemies of your Majesty, with the two-edged sword that cometh out of his mouth! And when he calleth your Majesty from this throne, full of years and victories, may it be with that voice, Come, receive the kingdom prepared for thee, from the beginning of the world! "These are the continual prayer of, your Majesty's dutiful and loyal subjects, John Wesley, &c."-This address was not presented; it being on further consideration, judged best to lay it aside.* "In April, (says Mr. Wesley) I took a second journey into Cornwall, and went through many towns I had not seen before. Since my former visit, there had been hot persecution both of the preachers and people. The preaching-house at St. Ives, was pulled to the ground one of the preachers pressed and sent for a soldier, as were several of the people over and above, the being stoned, covered with dirt, and the like, which was the treatment many of them met with from day to day. But notwithstanding this, they who had been eminent for hurling, fighting, drinking, and all manner of wickedness, continued eminent for sobriety, piety, and all manner of goodness. In all parts, more and more of the lions became lamb, continually praising God, and calling their old companions in sin, to come and magnify the Lord together. About the same time John Nelson, and Thomas Beard, were pressed and sent for soldiers, for no other crime, either committed or pretended, than that of calling sinners to repentance. The case of John Nelson is well known. Thomas Beard also, was nothing terrified by his adversaries. Yet the body after a while sunk under its burden. He was then lodged in the hospital *See Vol. 1. page 259. hospital of Newcastle, where he still praised God continually. His fever increasing, he was let blood: his arm festered, mortified, and was cut off: two or three days after which, God signed his discharge, and called him up to his eternal home. "All this year the alarms were uninterrupted, from the French on the one hand, and the Rebels on the other and a general panic ran through the nation, from the East to the West, from the North to the South. I judged it the more needful to visit as many places as possible, and avail myself of the precious opportunity. My brother and our other preachers were of the same mind: they spoke and spared not. They rushed through every open door, and cried, 'Sinners, behold the Lamb! And their word did not fall to the ground: they saw abundant fruit of their labour. I went through many parts of Wales: through most of the midland counties; and then through Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire, to Newcastle upon Tyne. And multitudes who were utterly careless before, did now prepare to meet their God." The persecution at St. Ives, Mr. Wesley observes, "Was owing in great measure to the indefatigable labours of Mr. Hoblin, and Mr. Simmons; gentlemen worthy to be had in everlasting remembrance, for their unwearied endeavours to destroy heresy. "Fortunati ambo! Siquid mea pagina possit, Happy both! Long as my writings, shall your fame remain. The riots in Staffordshire still continued in the beginning of this year. The mob of Walsal, Darlaston, |