many were knocked down, before we came away.' By their advice I turned back to the house where I had left my horse. We had been there but a short time, when many people came in very bloody. But the main cry of the mob was, Where is the preacher?' whom they sought for in every part of the house; swearing bitterly, If we can but knock him on the head we shall be satisfied.' However we shall "Not finding me, they said, catch him on Sunday at Cambourn.' Westall's turn to be there. While he was preaching at Mr. Harris's, a tall man came in, and pulled him down. Mr. Harris demanded his warrant; but he swore, 'Warrant or no warrant, he shall go with me.' So he carried him out to the mob, who took him away to the church-town. They kept him there till the Tuesday morning, when the Rev. Dr. Borlase wrote his mittimus, by virtue of which he was to be committed to the house of correction at Bodmin, as a vagrant. So they took him as far as Cambourn that night, and the next day to Bodmin." The justices who met at the next quarter-sessions in Bodmin, knowing a little more of the laws of God and man, or at least shewing more regard for them, than Dr. Borlase, declared Mr. Westall's commitment to be contrary to all law, and immediately set him at liberty.* All • How seldom have we seen clergymen in the commission of the peace, but they have neglected the duties of their profession, and grossly abused the power committed them! Our Lord declared his kingdom was not of this world: and when his ministers of any denomination, obtain dominion and authority over the temporal things of others, or acquire any share in the civil government, it seems as if a curse attended every thing they do. They mar whatever they meddle with; and occasion infinite confusion and mischief.Dr. Whitehead, All this year God was carrying on the same work, that is, reformation of manners on evangelical principles, in the English army abroad, though on a smaller scale: some account of which Mr. Wesley received from one of their preachers, in the following letter, dated November. "We make bold (says Mr. Evans, the writer) 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, wherein a few of us meet every day: and another large, wherein we meet for public service twice a day, at nine and at four. And the hand of the omnipotent God is with us, to the pulling down of the strong holds of Satan. "The seventh 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! When he was asked, what was the matter? He said, he had found that which he had often heard of, an heaven upon earth. And several 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. I then hated you as much as, by the grace of God, I love you now. The Lord pursued me with convictions from my infancy and I made many good resolutions. But finding I could not keep them, I at length gave myself over to all manner of profaneness. So I continued till the battle of Dettingen. The balls there came very thick about me, and my comrades fell on every side. Yet I was preserved unhurt. A few days after, the Lord was pleased to visit me. The pains of hell got hold upon me; the snares of death encompassed me. 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 of this also. One day I found an old Bible in one of the train waggons. This 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, telling me, I and my works were going to hell together. This was strange doctrine to me, and as I was of a stubborn temper, he sometimes resolved to forbid my coming to him any more. "When the Lord had at length opened my eyes, and shewn me that by grace we are saved through faith, I began immediately to declare it to others, though I had not 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 love to him whom I now saw to be my complete Redeemer. "O the tender care of Almighty God in bringing up his children! Dear Sir, I beg you will pray for him, who is not worthy to be a door-keeper to the least of my Master's servants." February 4, 1745, Mr. Wesley observes, "I had the pleasure of receiving from Dr. Hartley, a particular account of Dr. Cheyne's last hours.* During his Dr. George Cheyne, a physician of great learning and abilities, was born in Scotland, in 1671. He passed his youth in close study and great temperance. But coming to London, when about thirty, and finding the younger gentry and free-livers to be the most easy of access, he sud denly his last illness he felt a gentle and gradual decay, so that he apprehended what the event would be. But it did not appear to give him any concern. He seemed quite loose from all below, till without any struggle, either of body or mind, be camly gave up his soul to God." March 11, Mr. Wesley observes, "Many persons still representing the Methodists as enemies to the clergy, I wrote to a friend the real state of the case, in as plain a manner as I could, : 66 1. About denly changed his former manner of living to associate with them; having observed that this method had succeeded to introduce some others into practice. The consequence was that he grew daily in bulk, swelling to such an enormous size, that he exceeded thirty-two stone in weight, and was forced to have the whole side of his chariot made open to receive him he grew short-breathed, lethargic, nervous, and scorbutic; so that his life became an intolerable burden. After trying all the power of medicine in vain, he resolved to try a milk and vegetable diet; the good effects of which soon appeared. His size was reduced almost a third; and he recovered his strength, activity, and cheerfulness, with the perfect use of all his faculties. He lived to a mature period, dying at Bath in 1742, aged 72. He wrote several treatises that were well re. ceived; particularly," An Essay on Health and Long Life" and, "The English Malady, or a Treatise of Nervous Diseases ;" both the result of his own experience. His "Philosophical Principles of Natural Religion," published in 1705, is a work that shews great strength of mind, and extensive knowledge. Mr. Wesley was well acquainted with him, and always spake of him with esteem. David Hartley, M. A. here mentioned by Mr. Wesley, was born at Ilingworth, where his father was curate, and received his academical education at Jesus College, Cambridge, of which he was fellow. He first began to practise physic at Newark, in Nottinghamshire: from whence he removed to St. Edmund's Bury, in Suffolk. After this he settled for some time in London; and lastly went to live at Bath, where he died in 1757, aged 53. His most considerable literary production, is a work entitled "Observations on Man, his frame, his duty, and his expectations, in two parts;" London, 1749, 2 vols. 8vo. of which, a few years ago, a second edition was published. The first part contains observations on the "1. About seven years since, we began preaching inward, present salvation, as attainable by faith alone. 2. For preaching this doctrine we were forbidden to preach in most churches. 3. We then preached in private houses, and when the houses could not contain the people, in the open air. 4. For this many of the clergy preached or printed against us, as both heretics and schismatics. 5. Persons who were convinced of sin, begged us to advise them more particularly, how to flee from the wrath to come? We desired them, being many, to come at one time, and we would endeavour the frame of the human body and mind, and their mutual connexions and influences. This is a most curious and ingenious system; but it is founded on conjecture, and the parts are held together only by a vague and uncertain analogy. Dr. Hartley supposes, that what has been called the nervous fluid, is a fine elastic ether, through which vibrations are propagated to the brain, and through the whole of its substance. By these vibrations, and their various combinations and associations, he attempts to explain the operations of the soul. But he has not proved the existence of such an ether, nor of the vibrations which he supposes to exist And if he had, yet he ought to have explained to us in the clearest manner, how these vibrations are the mechanical causes of the operations of the mind; or at least have shewn, that there is a constant correspondence and harmony between the laws they observe, and the laws of the phenomena they are brought to explain. But neither of these things has he done. The first he has totally omitted; and in attempting the latter, his analogical reasoning is so vague and uncertain, that no man of common prudence would act upon such evidence in the affairs of life in which he was much interested.—In reference to this subject the authors of the Encyclopædia Britannica observe, "We think it our duty to remonstrate against this slovenly way of writing: we would even hold it up to reprobation. It has been chiefly on this faithless foundation, that the blind vanity of men has built that degrading system of opinions called MATERIALISM, by which the affections and faculties of the soul of man have been resolved into vibrations and pulses of ether." Dr. Reid, in his Essays on the Intellectual and Active Powers of Man, 2 vols. 4to. has proceeded on a plan much more simple and satisfactory. Soon after the first volume was published, (adds Dr. Whitehead) I asked the late Dr. Price, his opinion of it: he replied, "I think it. unanswerable, either by Dr. Priestley, or any other person." |