CHAPTER VII.

THERE is a chasm in Mr. Charles Wesley's private journal from the 6th of November, 1739, to the 14th of March following; and hence it is difficult to ascertain the whole of his movements during this period. He appears to have left Bristol early in November, and to have gone to Oxford, being summoned thither by the authorities of the University, to respond in the divinity disputations. Here, it is probable, the following letter was addressed to him, containing the intelligence of his brother Samuel's death. It was written by an intimate friend of the deceased, Mr. Amos Matthews:

"Tiverton, Nov. 14, 1739. Rev. and dear Sir,-Your brother, and my dear friend, (for so you are sensible he was to me,) on Monday, the 5th of November, went to bed, as he thought as well as he had been for some time before. He was seized about three o'clock in the morning very ill; when your sister immediately sent for Mr. Norman, and ordered the servant to call me. Mr. Norman came as quick as he possibly could; but said, as soon as he saw him, that he could not get over it, but would die in a few hours. He was not able to take anything, nor to speak to us; only 'yes,' or 'no,' to a question asked him; and that did not last half an hour. I never went from his bed-side till he expired, which was about seven the same morning. With a great deal of difficulty we persuaded your dear sister to leave the room before he died. I trembled to think how she would bear it, knowing the sincere affection and love she had for him. But, blessed be God, He hath heard and answered prayer on her behalf; and, in a great measure, calmed her spirit, though she has not yet been out of her chamber. Your brother was buried on Monday last, in the afternoon; and is gone to reap the fruit of his labours. I pray God we may imitate him in all his virtues, and be prepared to follow. I should enlarge much more, but have not time; for which reason I hope you

will excuse him who is under the greatest obligations to be, and really is, with the greatest sincerity,

"Yours in all things."

On receiving this intelligence of their brother's death, Mr. John and Charles Wesley hastened to Tiverton, to sympathize with their widowed sister. They arrived on the 21st; and John says in his Journal, "My poor sister was sorrowing almost as one without hope. Yet we could not but rejoice at hearing from one who had attended my brother in all his weakness, that several days before he went hence God had given him a calm and full assurance of his interest in Christ. 0 may every one who opposes it be thus convinced, that this doctrine is of God!"

This concluding sentence refers to a correspondence between Samuel and John concerning justification by faith, and the witness of the Holy Spirit to the personal adoption of believers. Samuel had received some very erroneous impressions, respecting the tenets and proceedings of his brothers, from letters addressed to him by Mrs. Hutton, containing exaggerated statements, and written under the influence of irritated feelings. John had attempted to convince him of the truth; and rejoiced to find, that, before his brother's spirit returned to God, he received that assurance of the divine favour which is the fruit of a vital faith in the atonement of Christ. In cases of this nature, the conviction which arises from personal experience is immensely more important than that which arises from mere argument. "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."

Mr. Samuel Wesley was tenderly beloved by his aged mother, who was now hastening to the close of her earthly pilgrimage. Nor is this surprising; for he was an example of filial reverence and affection. Under the painful bereavement this venerable woman thus poured forth the feelings of her heart to the younger of her now-surviving sons: "Nov. 29th, 1739. Dear Charles,-Upon the first hearing of your brother's death, I did immediately acquiesce in the will of God, without the least reluctance. Only I somewhat marvelled that Jacky did not inform me of it before he left, since he knew thereof; but he was unacquainted with the manner of God's dealing with me in extraordinary cases, which

indeed is no wonder; for though I have so often experienced His infinite power and mercy in my support, and inward calmness of spirit when the trial would otherwise have been too strong for me, yet His ways of working are to myself incomprehensible and ineffable!

"Your brother was exceeding dear to me in his life; and perhaps I have erred in loving him too well. I once thought it impossible for me to bear his loss; but none know what they can bear, till they are tried. As your good old grandfather often used to say, 'That is an affliction, that God makes an affliction.' For surely the manifestation of His presence and favour is more than an adequate support under any suffering whatever. But if He withhold his consolations, and hide his face from us, the least suffering is intolerable. But blessed and adored be his holy name, it hath not been so with me, though I am infinitely unworthy of the least of all his mercies! I rejoice in having a comfortable hope of my dear son's salvation. He is now at rest, and would not return to earth, to gain the world. Why then should I mourn? He hath reached the haven before me; but I shall soon follow him. He must not return to me; but I shall go to him, never to part more.

"I thank you for your care of my temporal affairs. It was natural to think that I should be troubled for my dear son's death on that account, because so considerable a part of my support was cut off. But, to say the truth, I have never had one anxious thought of such matters: for it came immediately into my mind, that God, by my child's loss, had called me to a firmer dependence on Himself; that though my son was good, he was not my God; and that now our heavenly Father seemed to have taken my cause more immediately into his own hand; and therefore, even against hope, I believed in hope that I should never suffer more.

"I cannot write much, being but weak. I have not been down stairs above ten weeks, though better than I was lately. Pray give my kind love and blessing to my daughter and Philly. I pray God to support and provide for her."

Within a few weeks of the death of Samuel Wesley, two events of great importance, connected with the public labours of the brothers, took place in London. One of these was the opening of their first separate place of worship; and the

other, the formation of the first society that was exclusively under their pastoral care. The preaching-house here referred to was the Foundery in Moorfields, the history of which is curious and interesting. It was a large and shapeless brick building, which stood near the present site of Finsburysquare. Formerly it was in the occupation of the Government, and used for the casting of cannon for the army. Hence the name by which it was known. It was inconveniently near to London, crowds being sometimes drawn to witness the process of casting; and an accident having occurred, by means of an explosion, in which some lives were lost, and many persons greatly injured, the establishment was removed to the neighbourhood of Woolwich, and the Foundery in Moorfields was left unoccupied.

In the autumn of the year 1739 two gentlemen, of the name of Watkins and Ball, neither of whom was then known to Mr. John Wesley, came to him, and urged him to rent this building for religious purposes. Their reason doubtless was, to provide a shelter for him, and the thousands who attended his ministry in Moorfields, especially during the winter months, which were then fast approaching. He was unwilling to engage in such an undertaking, his income being limited, and the expense of fitting up such a ruinous building considerable. At the same time he had to provide the requisite pecuniary supplies for the erection of the "Room" in Bristol, and the school for the children of the colliers in Kingswood, both of which were in progress. The gentlemen proposed immediately to advance the money, he giving them security for the re-payment. To this offer he at length consented; and, after extensive repairs and alterations, the Foundery was opened as a house of God in the month of November. "The United Society," says Mr. Wesley, "began soon after." Several persons, impressed by his preaching, came to him for spiritual advice. He appointed Thursday evening, as the time at which he would meet them all together, for the purpose of counsel and prayer. Twelve came the first night; forty, the next; soon after, a hundred. This was the rise of the United Societies, which now constitute what is usually called the Wesleyan Connexion.

The formation of this society, especially at this period, was

very opportune and providential; that which met at Fetterlane being greatly agitated and injured by the introduction of novel and dangerous opinions. It was mostly under the care of the Moravians; two of whose Ministers, Molther and Spangenberg, were then in London, intent, as it would seem, upon forming in England a Church in immediate connexion with their own community, and as an integral part of it. Molther was the most active and strenuous in propagating the errors by which many were misled to their ruin. He contended, that there are no degrees in faith; so that those who have not the full and unclouded assurance of the divine favour, whatever they may possess beside, have no faith at all. Another principle which he distinctly avowed and defended was, that till men have faith, they are not to use any of the means of grace, such as the reading of the Scriptures, attendance upon the ministry of the Gospel, and receiving the holy communion; these ordinances being rather injurious than beneficial, till men have a true and vital faith. It does not appear that these are the authorized tenets of the Moravian body; but they were not only avowed, but publicly enforced, by Molther, with the concurrence of his brethren. With these principles, and some others of a similar kind, the Wesleys and Mr. Ingham were justly offended; and in the enforcement of Christian duty, as well as in the encouragement of weak believers, they withstood Molther and his associates to the face. Many were carried away with the delusion, and great heartburnings and strife ensued. It was not likely that the Wesleys, with their strong and declared attachment to the Church of England, and their correct views of practical religion, could remain permanently connected with the Moravians in Fetter-lane. They were deeply grieved, especially when they found that some of their best and most pious friends were drawn aside from the simplicity of the Gospel, to their great spiritual loss. With their friend Mr. Ingham, they did what they could to arrest the progress of these errors; but they had numerous engagements in other places; and they found that, during their absence, their efforts were neutralized, and practical Christianity was supplanted, by a soothing and self-indulgent quietism.

During the month of March, 1740, Mr. Charles Wesley went to Bengeworth, to visit his friend Mr. Seward, and