In the beginning of March, Mr. Wesley returned to London, and on the 24th preached at Shoreham, without molestation. The next day he met with and stopt a travelling Preacher, "Who (he says) had crept in among our Helpers, without either discretion or veracity." We may well suppose, that such instances as this did not frequently occur at this early period of the work; when the Lay-Preachers were few in number, no provision made for their subsistence, and their labours and dangers very great. It is not easy to imagine, what motive a Preacher could have, in going out to travel under these circumstances, but a desire of doing good.

About this time Mr. Charles Perronet attached himself to Mr. Wesley, and attended him as a companion, both in England and Ireland, the whole of this year. On the 4th of May they left London, and the next day arrived in Bristol. On the 9th, Mr. Wesley observes,

My name-sake and charge was takon ill of a fever, which soon appeared to be the small-pox. On the 12th I administered the sacrament to my patient, who grows worse and worse. May 19th, expecting the turn of the distemper, I sat up with Charles: the Lord is pleased to try our faith and patience yet further."On the 23d, he was out of danger.

Mr. Wesley continued his labours in Bristol, London, and the places adjacent, till August the 24th, when he set out for Ireland with Mr. Charles Perronet, being strongly importuned by his brother, Mr. John Wesley, to come and supply his place in Dublin. On the 27th, they reached Mr. Philips's, in Wales, and his brother not being come from Ireland, according to appointment, they concluded he was detained by contrary winds, and had an opportunity of refreshing themselves and their weary beasts. On the 28th, he observes,

" Mr.

"Mr. Gwynne came to see me, with two of his family. My soul seemed pleased to take acquaintance with them. We rode to Maismynis church, where I preached, and Mr. Williams, after me, in Welsh. I preached a fourth time (the same day) at Garth. The whole family received us as the messengers of God; and, if such we are, they received him that sent us."

August 29th, Mr. John Wesley arrived from Ireland, and came to them at Garth.* On the 30th, Mr. Charles Wesley preached on a tomb-stone in Builth church-yard; and again in the afternoon in the evening he preached at Garth, on the marks of the Messias, from Matthew xi. 5. September 2d, he observes, "I took horse with Mr. Philips, Mr. Gwynne, and a brother from Anglesea, as a guide, and found the seven miles to Radnor four good hours' ride. I preached in the church, and laboured to awaken the dead, and to lift up the hands that hung down. The Minister seemed a man of a simple heart, and surely not eager for preferment, or he would not be content with his salary of three pounds a year. September 3d, their friends left them on the 4th, early in the morning, they set out for Holyhead, which place they reached the next day at seven in the morning, having travelled on horseback twenty-five hours. Sunday, September 6th, he sent an offer of his assistance to the Minister, who was ready to beat the messenger. He preached, however, at the request of some gentlemen, who behaved with great propriety.-September the 9th, they reached Dublin in safety.

Dublin had long been remarkable for a bad police. Frequent robberies, and sometimes murder, were committed

This accords with Mr. John Wesley's printed Journal,

mitted in the streets at an early hour in the evening with impunity. The Ormond and Liberty mob, as they were called, would sometimes meet, and fight till one or more persons were killed. It was said the mob had beat a Constable to death in the street, and hung the body up in triumph, without any of them being brought to punishment for the murder. There was no vigour in the Magistrates, and their power was despised. It is no wonder that the Methodists, at their first coming, were roughly handled in such a place as this: but it is wonderful that they so soon got a firm footing, and passed through their sufferings with so little injury. On Mr. Wesley's arrival here, he observes, "The first news we heard was, that the little flock stands fast in the storm of persecution, which arose as soon as my brother left them. The Popish mob broke open their room, and destroyed all before them. Some of them are sent to Newgate, others bailed. What will be the event we know not, till we see whether the Grand Jury will find the bill." He afterwards informs us that the Grand Jury threw out the bill, and thus gave up the Methodists to the fury of a licentious Popish mob. He says, "God has called me to suffer affliction with his people. I began my ministry with Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people,' &c. September 10th, I met the Society, and the Lord knit our hearts together in love stronger than death. We both wept and rejoiced for the consolation. God hath sent me, I trust, to confirm these souls, and to keep them together in the present distress."

Mr. Wesley spent no time in idleness. He was daily employed in preaching, expounding, visiting the people, and praying with them. September 20th, after commending their cause to God, he went forth to Oxmantowngreen, adjoining the Barracks, believing the Lord

would make bare his arm in their defence. He called

"Come unto me all

in his Master's name and words, ye that are weary," &c. The number of hearers was very great, and a religious awe kept down all opposition. He spoke with great, freedom to the poor Romanists, and, like St. Paul at Athens, quoted their own authors to convince them, particularly Kempis, and their Liturgy. None lifted up his voice or hand to oppose; all listened with strange attention, and many were in tears. He advised them to go to their respective places of worship: they expressed general satisfaction, especially the Romanists, who now maintained that he was a good Catholic.

The two following instances, together with others of a similar kind which have already been brought forward, may shew the liberality of his sentiments towards other denominations of Christians, who did not unite with him, or with the Methodists. "September 25th, I passed the evening very agreeably at a Baptist's; a woman of sense and piety, and a great admirer of my father's Life of Christ. September 28th, had an hour's conference with two serious Quakers, who hold the head with us, and build on the one foundation."

At this early period of the work, when the Societies were in their infancy, the two brothers, and the LayPreachers, suffered great inconveniences at the places where they lodged, even in large towns; and we suppose that both their accommodations and provisions were worse in country Societies. The rooms, also, where they assembled when they could not preach in the open air, began to be much too small for the number of people who attended. This being the present state of things in Dublin, Mr. Charles Wesley purchased a house near that place, called Dolphin's Barn. The whole

whole ground floor was 42 feet long, and 24 broad. This was to be turned into a preaching-house, and the Preachers were to be accommodated in the rooms over it; but before he completed the purchase, he wrote to his brother for his opinion on the matter. His letter is dated October 9th; in which he says, one advantage of the house was, that they could go to it immediately; and then adds, "I must go there, or to some other lodgings, or take my flight; for here I can stay no longer. A family of squalling children, a landlady just ready to lie in, a maid who has no time to do the least thing for us, are some of our conveniences.* Our two rooms for four people (six when J. Healy, and Haughton, come) allow no opportunity for retireCharles and I groan for elbow-room in our press-bed our diet answerable to our lodgings: no one to mend our clothes and stockings; no money to buy more. I marvel that we have stood our ground so long in these lamentable circumstances. It is well I could not foresee, while on your side of the water.” October 17th, he observes, "I passed the day at the house we have purchased, near Dolphin's Barn, in writing and meditation. I could almost have set up my rest here but I must not look for rest on this side eternity."

ment.

Mr. Wesley continued his labours in Dublin, till February 9th, 1748, when he took an excursion into the country. His brother, Mr. John Wesley, had spent fourteen or fifteen days in Dublin, the preceding August, and then returned to England, without visiting any of the country places. There were, however, a few Preachers in Ireland, who had already introduced the

-P 2

* He seems to mean, these are some of the best things in our present accommodations.