On

of his former colleague and his kind wife before their removal. the first Sunday after his arrival he preached in Derby; and under his ministry two persons are said to have obtained the salvation of the Gospel. One of these was a blind woman belonging to the workhouse; who from that time adorned her profession, and some years after died in the Lord. He was greatly affected by this display of the Divine goodness, in thus owning his instrumentality; and resolved to devote himself afresh to the service of God and his Church. His personal piety was sensibly improved by this occurrence. Mr. Edmondson says, "The friends in Derby esteemed Mr. Watson very much; and thought that, if he held on his way, he would be a first rate preacher in the connection. That year he generally paid me a visit once a month, either at Burton-upon-Trent, or at some other convenient place in the circuit; so that our intercouse, as friends and fellow students, was kept up with mutual pleasure."

Mr. Seckerson states, that, during this year, Mr. Watson "possessed an affectionate interest in the regards of his fellow labourers; with whom he acted in the most entire concert, in maintaining and exercising the various branches of Christian discipline; and especially upon one trying occasion, when a strenuous effort was made to exclude one of our societies and congregations from a chapel which they had built, and in which they had long and peaceably worshipped God. The attempt thus made was happily rendered unsuccessful; and the religious privileges of our people were preserved."

In regard to Mr. Watson's mental character and habits at this period, Mr. Seckerson adds, "It is observed, in the Life of the late Bishop Heber,' His elder brother used to say, Reginald devoured books, rather than read them. At almost a single glance his eye caught the contents of a whole page; and his memory was so remarkably tenacious, that such passages as particularly struck him were remembered with almost verbal accuracy.' Very similar to this was the strength of mind and memory which I have often noticed and admired in Mr. Watson, when we were stationed together, and he was only in the nineteenth of his age."

year

While Mr. Watson was stationed in Derby, a clergyman in that town excited some attention by the circulation of a weak and illiberal pamphlet, entitled, "An Address to the People called Methodists.” The design of this unworthy publication was, to alienate the public confidence from the Methodist ministry, by attempting to prove that the preachers have no legitimate authority; and that the doctrines which they teach are erroneous and enthusiastic. The writer contended, that there is no regeneration beside that which is assumed to take place in baptism; that the Methodists lay claim to the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit; that they deprive men of innocent pleasures and gratifications, and subject them to needless terrors and alarms; that justification is a very difficult subject, concerning which there have been many clashing opinions among good men; and that people had far better set themselves to discharge the duties of life, than give themselves anxious concern respecting the manner of their justification before God. The charges and reasonings of this author had been advanced and refuted a hundred times; yet as the pamphlet was extensively and gratuitously circulated, and was calculated to make

an injurious impression in certain quarters, an antidote was deemed desirable; and Mr. Watson was requested by the friends in Derby to write an answer to it. With this request he complied; and produced his maiden publication, under the title of " An Apology for the Methodists; in a Letter to the Rev. J. Hotham, B. A., Rector of St. Werburgh's, Derby, in answer to a Pamphlet lately circulated among the inhabitants of Derby, entitled, 'An Address to the People called Methodists. By Richard Watson, preacher of the Gospel." Of course, this production was vastly inferior to the eloquent, argumentative, and finished works which in subsequent years emanated from his pen; yet it was no discredit to the youth of nineteen. As the author with whom he entered the lists had indulged himself pretty freely in invective and insinuation, and had given himself no trouble to ascertain the sentiments of the people whom he assailed, Mr. Watson treats him with little ceremony, and tells him some truths which we may suppose would not be very palatable. There are passages in this concise publication of considerable power and acuteness, and which give pleasing indications of future eminence; although the style is not formed, and the punctuation inaccurate. The motto which is selected from Cowper is very appropriate, and describes the character of those rash men who speak and write before they either read or think.

During these early years of Mr. Watson's itinerancy the Methodist connection was greatly agitated by controversy respecting ecclesiastical order and discipline, and the administration of the sacraments. Many of the societies had long desired to receive the Lord's Supper at the hands of their own preachers; and it had required all Mr. Wesley's influence and energy to repress that feeling, and preserve the general tranquillity of the body. While he lived, the power of regulating the connection was vested in himself; and at his death, in the year 1791, by his appointment it devolved upon the conference, the members of which were placed in a situation of great embarrassment and fearful responsibility. The call for the sacraments in the Methodist chapels, and for public religious service in what were called Church hours, in several quarters, was loud and urgent; and in addition to these demands, not a few contended for a larger measure of lay agency in the management of the societies, and of the general affairs of the connection, and for guards against the possible abuse of ministerial power. After anxiously and maturely considering these subjects, the conference met the wishes of the societies by adopting the "Plan of Pacification," in the year 1795, and various other important regulations which were detailed in an "Address to the Societies," in the year 1797. The concessions and arrangements contained in these documents gave great and general satisfaction to the connection; and their practical wisdom and utility are demonstrated by the fact, that, so far as the subjects to which they relate are concerned, to the present day they have secured the peace of the body; and its prosperity and success during this time have exceeded all that had been previously witnessed. These measures, however, did not meet the views of every one; and a few preachers, with a number of private members of society and others, separated from their brethren, and formed the "Methodist New Connection," in the year 1798.

In the discussions which led to these results, Mr. Watson took

of his former colleague and his kind wife before their removal. On the first Sunday after his arrival he preached in Derby; and under his ministry two persons are said to have obtained the salvation of the Gospel. One of these was a blind woman belonging to the workhouse; who from that time adorned her profession, and some years after died in the Lord. He was greatly affected by this display of the Divine goodness, in thus owning his instrumentality; and resolved to devote himself afresh to the service of God and his Church. His personal piety was sensibly improved by this occurrence. Mr. Edmondson says, "The friends in Derby esteemed Mr. Watson very much; and thought that, if he held on his way, he would be a first rate preacher in the connection. That year he generally paid me a visit once a month, either at Burton-upon-Trent, or at some other convenient place in the circuit; so that our intercouse, as friends and fellow students, was kept up with mutual pleasure."

Mr. Seckerson states, that, during this year, Mr. Watson " possessed an affectionate interest in the regards of his fellow labourers; with whom he acted in the most entire concert, in maintaining and exercising the various branches of Christian discipline; and especially upon one trying occasion, when a strenuous effort was made to exclude one of our societies and congregations from a chapel which they had built, and in which they had long and peaceably worshipped God. The attempt thus made was happily rendered unsuccessful; and the religious privileges of our people were preserved."

In regard to Mr. Watson's mental character and habits at this period, Mr. Seckerson adds, "It is observed, in the Life of the late Bishop Heber,' His elder brother used to say, Reginald devoured books, rather than read them. At almost a single glance his eye caught the contents of a whole page; and his memory was so remarkably tenacious, that such passages as particularly struck him were remembered with almost verbal accuracy.' Very similar to this was the strength of mind and memory which I have often noticed and admired in Mr. Watson, when we were stationed together, and he was only in the nineteenth year of his age."

While Mr. Watson was stationed in Derby, a clergyman in that town excited some attention by the circulation of a weak and illiberal pamphlet, entitled, "An Address to the People called Methodists." The design of this unworthy publication was, to alienate the public confidence from the Methodist ministry, by attempting to prove that the preachers have no legitimate authority; and that the doctrines which they teach are erroneous and enthusiastic. The writer contended, that there is no regeneration beside that which is assumed to take place in baptism; that the Methodists lay claim to the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit; that they deprive men of innocent pleasures and gratifications, and subject them to needless terrors and alarms; that justification is a very difficult subject, concerning which there have been many clashing opinions among good men; and that people had far better set themselves to discharge the duties of life, than give themselves anxious concern respecting the manner of their justification before God. The charges and reasonings of this author had been advanced and refuted a hundred times; yet as the pamphlet was extensively and gratuitously circulated, and was calculated to make

an injurious impression in certain quarters, an antidote was deemed desirable; and Mr. Watson was requested by the friends in Derby to write an answer to it. With this request he complied; and produced his maiden publication, under the title of " An Apology for the Methodists; in a Letter to the Rev. J. Hotham, B. A., Rector of St. Werburgh's, Derby, in answer to a Pamphlet lately circulated among the inhabitants of Derby, entitled, 'An Address to the People called Methodists. By Richard Watson, preacher of the Gospel." Of course, this production was vastly inferior to the eloquent, argumentative, and finished works which in subsequent years emanated from his pen; yet it was no discredit to the youth of nineteen. As the author with whom he entered the lists had indulged himself pretty freely in invective and insinuation, and had given himself no trouble to ascertain the sentiments of the people whom he assailed, Mr. Watson treats him with little ceremony, and tells him some truths which we may suppose would not be very palatable. There are passages in this concise publication of considerable power and acuteness, and which give pleasing indications of future eminence; although the style is not formed, and the punctuation inaccurate. The motto which is selected from Cowper is very appropriate, and describes the character of those rash men who speak and write before they either read or think.

During these early years of Mr. Watson's itinerancy the Methodist connection was greatly agitated by controversy respecting ecclesiastical order and discipline, and the administration of the sacraments. Many of the societies had long desired to receive the Lord's Supper at the hands of their own preachers; and it had required all Mr. Wesley's influence and energy to repress that feeling, and preserve the general tranquillity of the body. While he lived, the power of regulating the connection was vested in himself; and at his death, in the year 1791, by his appointment it devolved upon the conference, the members of which were placed in a situation of great embarrassment and fearful responsibility. The call for the sacraments in the Methodist chapels, and for public religious service in what were called Church hours, in several quarters, was loud and urgent; and in addition to these demands, not a few contended for a larger measure of lay agency in the management of the societies, and of the general affairs of the connection, and for guards against the possible abuse of ministerial power. After anxiously and maturely considering these subjects, the conference met the wishes of the societies by adopting the "Plan of Pacification," in the year 1795, and various other important regulations which were detailed in an "Address to the Societies," in the year 1797. The concessions and arrangements contained in these documents gave great and general satisfaction to the connection; and their practical wisdom and utility are demonstrated by the fact, that, so far as the subjects to which they relate are concerned, to the present day they have secured the peace of the body; and its prosperity and success during this time have exceeded all that had been previously witnessed. These measures, however, did not meet the views of every one; and a few preachers, with a number of private members of society and others, separated from their brethren, and formed the "Methodist New Connection," in the year 1798.

In the discussions which led to these results, Mr. Watson took

little or no interest. He was satisfied with the discipline of the body, and with those modifications of it which men of greater wisdom and experience than himself deemed it necessary to make in peculiar emergencies. The societies in the circuits where he laboured were in peace; and his mind was too much occupied with Biblical and theological studies, and the acquisition of information on all subjects within his reach, to concern himself with affairs of this nature. He read none of the numerous publications, which were then so eagerly and extensively circulated, recommending deep and extensive changes in the Methodist discipline and order, but with diligence and zeal pursued "the noiseless tenor of his way;" for his leading desire was, to be a pastor according to God's own heart, feeding the people with knowledge and understanding, Jer. iii, 15. His inattention to the subject of Church government perhaps may be excused, but it is not to be commended. Had he carefully studied the Methodist economy, and compared it with the principles of ecclesiastical order laid down in the New Testament, he would have been better qualified for his official duties as a Methodist preacher, and better prepared for those unseen trials which awaited him.

His character and labours in the Derby circuit were very cordially approved by the societies and congregations, who were anxious to secure his services a second year; but the delicacy of his health, he thought, rendered him unfit for that station, and induced him to decline their request to remain with them as one of their ministers. The wisest of men are often very imperfect judges of things relating to themselves. Had Mr. Watson continued at Derby, with his faithful and affectionate colleagues, Messrs. Shelmerdine and Seckerson, who knew his worth, he would have escaped the calamitous circumstances in which he was involved during the ensuing year, and which filled with bitter sorrow and vexation so large a portion of his life. The circuit was very extensive, reaching to a place within four miles of Chesterfield; many of the journeys were long and bleak; the accommodations in several of the country places, both in regard to food and lodging, were very indifferent; he was afraid lest his strength should fail, as it had done during the first year of his itinerancy; and therefore wished to be removed to another station, more congenial to his habits, and feeble constitution. The friends in Derby, especially the more judicious and intelligent of them, duly appreciated his excellencies, and were sorry to be deprived of his ministry so soon; and therefore took an affectionate leave of him at the expiration of the year, when he accompanied his superintendent to London, for the purpose of being admitted into full ministerial connection with the conference. Having passed acceptably through the four years of his probation, and undergone a strict examination, both in regard to his personal piety and his doctrinal views, he was cordially approved by his fathers and brethren, and solemnly set apart to the full duties of the Christian ministry, and appointed to the Hinckley circuit, having then attained to the age of twenty years and six months.

Mr. Watson entered upon his work in his new appointment under very encouraging circumstances. His talents as a preacher had been greatly improved by exercise; his attainments as a theologian were very considerable; he had the full confidence of his brethren; by