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kind or degree of violence, on any account or pretense whatsoever, in matters of religion? Do they not hold the right every man has to judge for himself to be sacred and inviolable? Do they allow any method of bringing even those who are farthest out of the way, who are in the grossest errors, to the knowledge of the truth, except the methods of reason and persuasion; of love, patience, gentleness, long-suffering? Is there any thing in their practice which is inconsistent with this their constant profession? Do they in fact hinder their own relations or dependents from worshiping God according to their own conscience? When they believe them to be in error, do they use force of any kind, in order to bring them out of it? Let the instances, if there are such, be produced. But if no such are to be found, then let all reasonable men who believe the Bible own that a work of God is wrought in our land, and such a work (if we survey in one view the extent of it, the swiftness with which it has spread, the depth of that religion which was so swiftly diffused, and its purity from all corrupt mixtures) as, it must be acknowledged, cannot easily be paralleled, in all these concurrent circumstances, by any thing that is found in the English annals since Christianity was first planted in this island.

HOW MR. WESLEY BEGAN TO PREACH METHODISM.

I was ordained deacon in 1725 and priest in the year following. But it was many years after this before I was convinced of the great truths above recited. During all that time I was utterly ignorant of the nature and condition of justification. Sometimes I confounded it with sanctification (particularly when I was in Georgia); at other times I had some confused notion about the forgiveness of sins; but then I took it for granted the time of this must be either the hour of death or the day of judgment.

I was equally ignorant of the nature of saving faith; apprehending it to mean no more than a "firm assent to all the propositions contained in the Old and New Testaments."

As soon as, by the great blessing of God, I had a clearer view of these things I began to declare them to others also. "I believed, and therefore I spake." Wherever I was now desired to preach, salvation by faith was my only theme. My constant subjects were, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be

saved." "Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins." These I explained and enforced with all my might, both in every church where I was asked to preach, and occasionally in the religious societies of London and Westminster; to some or other of which I was continually pressed to go by the stewards or other members of them.

Things were in this posture when I was told I must preach no more in this, and this, and another church; the reason was usually added without reserve, "Because you preach such doctrines." So much the more those who could not hear me there flocked together when I was at any of the societies; where I spoke, more or less, though with much inconvenience, to as many as the room I was in would contain.

But, after a time, finding those rooms could not contain a tenth part of the people that were earnest to hear, I determined to do the same thing in England which I had often done in a warmer climate; namely, when the house would not contain the congregation, to preach in the open air. This I accordingly did, first at Bristol, where the society rooms were exceeding small, and at Kingswood, where we had no room at all; afterward, in or near London.

And I cannot say I have ever seen a more awful sight than when, on Rose Green, or the top of Hannam Mount, some thousands of people were calmly joined together in solemn waiting upon God, while

They stood, and under open air adored

The God who made both air, earth, heaven, and sky.

And, whether they were listening to his word with attention still as night, or were lifting up their voice in praise as the sound of many waters, many a time have I been constrained to say in my heart, "How dreadful is this place! This" also "is no other than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!"

Be pleased to observe: (1) That I was forbidden, as by a general consent, to preach in any church (though not by any judicial sentence) "for preaching such doctrine." This was the open, avowed cause; there was at that time no other, either real or pretended, except that the people crowded so. (2) That I had no desire or design to preach in the open air till after this prohibition. (3) That when I did, as it was no matter of choice, so neither of premeditation. There was no scheme at all previously formed which was to be supported thereby; nor had I any other end in

view than this-to save as many souls as I could. (4) Field preaching was therefore a sudden expedient, a thing submitted to, rather than chosen; and therefore submitted to because I thought preaching even thus better than not preaching at all: First, in regard to my own soul, because, "a dispensation of the Gospel being committed to me," I did not dare "not to preach the Gospel." Secondly, in regard to the souls of others, whom I everywhere saw "seeking death in the error of their life.”

MR. WESLEY CHARGED WITH PREACHING MADNESS.

"BUT you drive them out of their senses. You make them mad." Nay, then they are idle with a vengeance. This objection, therefore, being of the utmost importance, deserves our deepest consideration.

And, first, I grant, it is my earnest desire to drive all the world into what you probably call madness (I mean, inward religion); to make them just as mad as Paul when he was so accounted by Festus.

The counting all things on earth but dung and dross, so we may win Christ; the trampling under foot all the pleasures of the world; the seeking no treasure but in heaven; the having no desire of the praise of men, a good character, a fair reputation; the being exceeding glad when men revile us, and persecute us, and say all manner of evil against us falsely; the giving God thanks, when our father and mother forsake us, when we have neither food to eat, nor raiment to put on, nor a friend but what shoots out bitter words, nor a place where to lay our head: this is utter distraction in your account; but in God's it is sober, rational religion; the genuine fruit, not of a distempered brain, not of a sickly imagination, but of the power of God in the heart, of victorious love, "and of a sound mind."

I grant, secondly, it is my endeavor to drive all I can into what you may term another species of madness, which is usually preparatory to this, and which I term repentance or conviction.

I cannot describe this better than a writer of our own has done, I will therefore transcribe his words:

"When men feel in themselves the heavy burden of sin, see damnation to be the reward of it, and behold with the eye of their mind the horror of hell, they tremble, they quake, and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulness of heart, and cannot but accuse themselves, and open their grief unto Almighty God, and call unto him for mercy. This being done seriously, their mind is so occupied, partly with sorrow and heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, that all desire of meat and drink is laid apart, and loathsomeness (or loathing) of all worldly things and pleasure cometh in place. So that nothing then liketh them more than to weep, to lament, to mourn, and both with words and behavior of body to show themselves weary of life.”

Now, what if your wife or daughter or acquaintance, after hearing one of these field preachers, should come and tell you that they saw damnation before them, and beheld with the eye of their mind the horror of hell? What if they should "tremble and quake," and be so taken up, "partly with sorrow and heaviness, partly with an earnest desire to be delivered from this danger of hell and damnation, as to weep, to lament, to mourn, and both with words and behavior to show themselves weary of life;" would you scruple to say that they were stark mad; that these fellows had driven them out of their senses; and that, whatever writer it was that talked at this rate, he was fitter for Bedlam than any other place?

You have overshot yourself now to some purpose. These are the very words of our own Church. You may read them, if you are so inclined, in the first part of the Homily on Fasting. And, consequently, what you have peremptorily determined to be mere lunacy and distraction is that "repentance unto life" which, in the judgment both of the Church and of St. Paul, is "never to be repented of."

I grant, thirdly, that extraordinary circumstances have attended this conviction in some instances. A particular account of these I have frequently given. While the word of God was preached some persons have dropped down as dead; some have been, as it were, in strong convulsions; some roared aloud, though not with an articulate voice; and others spoke the anguish of their souls.

This, I suppose, you believe to be perfect madness. But it is easily accounted for, either on principles of reason or Scripture. First. On principles of reason. For, how easy is it to suppose that a strong, lively, and sudden apprehension of the heinousness of sin, the wrath of God, and the bitter pains of eternal death should affect the body as well as the soul during the present laws of vital union, should interrupt or disturb the ordinary cir

culations, and put nature out of its course! Yea, we may question whether, while this union subsists, it be possible for the mind to be affected in so violent a degree without some or other of those bodily symptoms following.

It is likewise easy to account for these things on principles of Scripture. For when we take a view of them in this light we are to add to the consideration of natural causes the agency of those spirits who still excel in strength, and, as far as they have leave from God, will not fail to torment whom they cannot destroy; to tear those that are coming to Christ. It is also remarkable that there is plain Scripture precedent of every symptom which has lately appeared. So that we cannot allow even the conviction attended with these to be madness without giving up both reason and Scripture.

I grant, fourthly, that touches of extravagance, bordering on madness, may sometimes attend severe conviction. And this also is easy to be accounted for by the present laws of the animal economy. For we know fear or grief, from a temporal cause, may occasion a fever, and thereby a delirium.

It is not strange, then, that some, while under strong impressions of grief or fear, from a sense of the wrath of God, should for a season forget almost all things else, and scarce be able to answer a common question; that some should fancy they see the flames of hell, or the devil and his angels, around them; or that others, for a space, should be "afraid," like Cain, "whosoever meeteth me will slay me.' All these, and whatever less common effects may sometimes accompany this conviction, are easily known from the natural distemper of madness, were it only by this one circumstance, that whenever the person convinced tastes the pardoning love of God they all vanish away in a moment.

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Lastly. I have seen one instance (I pray God I may see no more such!) of real, lasting madness.

Two or three years since I took one with me to Bristol who was under deep convictions, but of as sound an understanding in all respects as ever he had been in his life. I went a short journey, and, when I came to Bristol again, found him really distracted. I inquired particularly at what time and place, and in what manner, this disorder began. And I believe there are at least threescore witnesses alive and ready to testify what follows: When I went from Bristol he contracted an acquaintance with some persons who were not of the same judgment with me. He was soon prejudiced against me: quickly after, when our society

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