MY DEAR LADY,

TO LADY ——

London, Sept. 30, 1788.

FOR many years a great person professed, and I believe had, a great regard for me. I therefore believed it my duty to speak with all freedom, which I did in a long letter. But she was so displeased, that she said to a friend, "I hate Mr. Wesley above all the creatures upon earth."

I now believe it my duty to write freely to you: will it have the same effect? Certainly I would not run the hazard, did I not regard your happiness more than your favour. Therefore I will speak. May God enable you not only to pardon it, but to profit thereby. Indeed unless you profit by it, I do not expect you to forgive.

Be pleased to observe, I do not affirm any thing: I only beg you calmly to consider, Would it be right in me to propagate a doctrine which I believed to be false? particularly if it were not only false, but dangerous to the souls of men? Frequently hindering their growth in grace; stopping their pursuit of holiness.

And is it right in you to do this? You believe the doctrine of absolute predestination is false. Is it then right for you to propagate this doctrine, in any kind or degree? particularly as it is not only false, but a very dangerous doctrine, as we have seen a thousand times? Does it not hinder the work of God in the soul? Feed all evil, and weaken all good tempers? Turn many quite out of the way of life, and drive them back to perdition?

Is not Calvinism the very antidote of Methodism? The most deadly and successful enemy which it ever had?" But my friend desired that I would propagate it, and lodged money with me for this very purpose." What then? May I destroy souls, because my friend desired it? Ought you not rather to throw that money into the sea? O let not any money, or any friend, move you to propagate a lie! To strike at the root of Methodism! To grieve the holiest of your friends, and to endanger your own soul!

Living or dying, I shall always be,

My dear Lady, your most affectionate Servant,

J. WESLEY.

TO MR. JOHN BOOTH.

MY DEAR BROTHER, London, Jan. 29, 1791. YOU give me a very agreeable account of the progress of the work of God in your circuit. As to the poor, self-conceited enthusiasts in Keighley, it seems best that you should never name them in public; but when occasion offers, strike at the root of their errors, by clearly proving the truth which they deny. And whenever you

weet with any of them in private, then speak and spare not. Whenever you have opportunity of speaking to believers, urge them to go on to perfection. Spare no pains: and God, our own God, still give you his blessing.

I am, your affectionate Friend and Brother,

J. WESLEY.

[The above, we believe, is the last letter but one, that Mr. Wesley wrote.]

MODERN CHRISTIANITY,*

EXEMPLIFIED AT WEDNESBURY,

AND

OTHER ADJACENT PLACES IN STAFFORDSHIRE.

Tua res agitur paries quum proximus ardet.

ADVERTISEMENT.

IT was our desire and design, that the following accounts, drawn up long since, should have slept for ever: but the gross misrepresentations of these facts, which are still spread abroad from day to day, constrain us at length to speak the naked truth, in as plain a manner as we are able; and now let any man of common humanity judge, whether these things ought to be so.

1. I JOHN EATON, of Wednesbury in Staffordshire, heard the Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley, in the latter end of the year 1742, preach salvation by faith, in the Coalpit-field. I and many others rejoiced to hear it, particularly many of the poor people at Darleston, some of whom soon after began to meet together in the evenings, to sing, and pray, and read the Bible.

Some at Wednesbury used to go and meet with them; but one evening the mob at Darleston rose, pelted them with clods and stones, and broke all the windows of the house where they had been.

On the 30th of May 1743, John Adams, (whose house it was) fetched a warrant, to carry some of the rioters before Justice P. of Walsal. He desired some of us of Wednesbury to go with him; so four or five of us went: but the mob at Walsal immediately rose

This tract, being referred to, Vol. II. p. 12, it is judged proper to insert it in this collection of Mr. Wesley's Works, although a pretty large account of the persecution at Wednesbury is given in his Journal, as published in that volume.

VOL. 10.-Q q

upon us; so that we were obliged to take shelter in a public house: Here we were kept close prisoners till it was dark, several of us having been much hurt and abused. When it was night, we escaped one or two at a time. Francis Ward and I went last.

On the 21st of June 1743, a large mob came to my house at Wednesbury, I was then constable; so I went to the door with my Constable's staff, and began reading the Act of Parliament against riots; but the stones flew so thick about my head, that I was forced to leave off reading and retire: so they broke about half my windows and went away; but some hours after, they came again, and broke all the rest, and the door of my house, and the clock, to pieces. This is a short account of the first damage that was done to me. JOHN EATON.

2. On the 30th of May, I James Jones went with John Eaton and some others to Walsal. As we were going to and from the Justice's house, the mob pelted us with dirt and stones. They raged more and more, till Francis Ward desired the Justice, who was present, to quiet them but instead of that he swung his hat round his head twice, and cried, "Huzza!" On which encouragement, they grew so outrageous, that we were forced to take shelter in a public house, and to stay there till it was dark.

On the 21st of June, a great multitude gathered together in Wednesbury Church-yard; among them was Harvey Walklet of Wednesbury, and Richard Dorset of Darleston. Harvey said to Richard Dorset, "Methinks they are not so well armed as I would have them." Richard answered, "There are many pretty fellows from Darleston; I know them to be good blood." Harvey replied, "There is John Baker with the oak bough in his hat, he will break the first pane of Mr. Eaton's windows." Accordingly, they went to Mr. Eaton's first, and from thence to other houses. Here are above fourscore houses in and about Wednesbury, in many of which, there are not three panes of glass left. JAMES JONES.

Wednesday, June 29.

3. I Jonathan Jones, in the county of Stafford, farmer, am willing to pay the king and country their due, might I be at peace; and go about my lawful occasions, as I ought to do.

On the 20th of June, at my neighbour Adams's house, two or three were singing a hymn, and a parcel of apprentices and others, in a very rude manner, came and threw many stones through the windows; in particular Mr. Richard Taylor's apprentice. So my neighbour John Adams goes to Squire P. and brings a warrant for him; but Mr. Taylor goes to Walsal, to the Justice, before the of fenders were brought, and he was with Squire P. when we came, who would not act at his own hall, but sent us down into the town; where a great mob was waiting for our coming.

So the Constable gave him the warrant, and he said, "What! I understand you are Methodists! I will not act for you." Then he went to the door, and told a great mob, "They might do what they would," and took off his hat and swung it about, and went away.

They gave a great shout, and some of them swore bitterly they would murder us all. We sent for the Constable to help us out of town, but he was not to be found. So we stayed in the house about two. hours, till we thought the mob was gone; but as soon as we came out, some began to hollow, and the street was quickly full. They beat and bruised us very much: but through God's mercy we escaped with our lives.

About a week after there arose a great mob at Darleston, and broke me nine large windows, and many of my goods. The same day my man was coming home with my team, and they met him, and beat him, and much abused my horses. At night they came to break the rest of my goods; but I gave them money, and they went away.

So I was at Richard Dorset's, our church-warden, and many of the mob came in and said, "Come now, d-n you, Dorset, we have done our work, pay us our wages." And I saw the drink come in, in large jugs, and every one drank what he would. What I have here said, I am ready to make oath of.

66

JONATHAN JONES.

When

4. I Francis Ward, of Wednesbury, went to Walsal, May 30, with John Eaton, to see if we could have justice done to the rioters, who had abused our neighbours at Darleston. We went to Benjamin Westley's, at the sign of the George, when one Mr. Taylor, curate of Walsal, came with the mob to the house, and, in our hearing, encouraged them to insult us. Accordingly they pelted us with dirt and stones, all the way we went to the Justice's gate. The Justice came out, and said, We must go down into the town, and then he would hear our complaint." But as we went, the mob continued to pelt us, though the Justice was with us. I desired he would be pleased to read the act of parliament against riots; but he would not. we came to Benjamin Westley's, the Justice would have had a hearing in the streets, among the mob; but at last he was prevailed with to go into the house. Then he called for John Adams, or his wife, and without hearing them speak, said, “What, you are Methodists," or words to that purpose, and immediately went out to the mob. We stayed in the house a considerable time, hoping they would disperse; but as soon as ever we came out, they gathered round us again, and beat and pelted us with whatever they could find. One of them came to me, and struck me on the eye, and cut it so, that I expected to lose my sight. I got into a shop, and had my eye dressed, and then returned to my friends. The mob pursued me again, fetched me out of the house, and beat me very much; but, with much difficulty, I got from among them again, and escaped a second time into the house. They fetched me out again, and dragged me along the street, and through the kennel to and fro, till I had quite lost my strength, and was so weak, I was not able to get up. There came a poor woman and said to the mob, "Will ye kill the man?" and lifted me up. With much ado I got home; but the abuse I there received threw me into a fever...

5. About Whitsuntide, I Joshua Constable, of Darleston, had all my windows broke by the mob, and many of my goods damaged or

spoiled, and so had many of my neighbours; in particular, John Cotterel, smith, Thomas Butler, Thomas Wilkinson, Aaron Longmore, William Powel, Anne Evans, Walter Carter, Samuel Foster, and Thomas Wilks, had their windows all broken.

Edward Martin, Anne Low, Joan Fletcher, Edward Hoxton. Mumford Wilks, Jos. Yardly, and Robert Deacon, had all their windows broken twice.

James Foster, nailer, Sarah Hires, widow, and Jonathan Jones. had their windows broken, and money extorted, to save their houses. John Foster, nailer, and Joice Wood, had their windows broken, and their goods broken and spoiled.

Jos. Spittle, collier, had his windows broken, his house broken open, some goods taken, and some lost.

William Woods, brick-maker, had his windows broken twice, and was compelled to go along with the rioters.

Elizabeth Lingham, a widow with five children, had her goods spoiled, her spinning-wheel (the support of her family) broken, and her parish allowance reduced from 2s. 6d. to 1s. 6d. a week.

Valentine Ambersly, collier, had his windows broken twice, his wife, big with child, abused and beat with clubs.

George Wynn had his windows and goods broken, and to save his house was forced to give them drink.

Thomas Day had his windows and goods broken, and was forced to remove from the town.

Jos. Stubs had his windows broken twice, and his wife so frighted that she miscarried.

6. On June 20, John Baker, Thomas Griffiths, and Daniel Oniens, at the head of a large mob, came to my house, Jonas Turner by name, at West Bromwich, near Wednesbury, and asked, “Whether I would keep from these men and go to the church ?" I answered, "I go to the church very often, but I never see any of you there." Presently Daniel Oniens, with a great club, broke great part of my windows at one blow. Others laid hold of me and said, “You shall go along with us." I told them I told them "I would not." They dragged me by force about sixty yards, and then I got loose from them. Afterwards they broke all my windows, and threw into my house three baskets full of stones, to break my goods.

7. Some time in June, about four in the afternoon, a mob came to my house at West Bromwich; I was within, and my two daughters without. They threw in stones and bricks so fast that I thought I should have been knocked on the head. Whereupon I opened the door and ran out among them. One of my daughters cried out, "My mother will be killed." On which they fell to throwing stones at her. She ran into a neighbour's house; but before she could shut the door, they broke the bottom off with a brick end. They followed my other daughter with stones, and one with a great stake. She ran into another house, much frighted, expecting to be murdered. I asked them," How they could come and abuse us thus?" Upon which one came with a large club, and swore, If I spoke another word, he would knock me on the head and bury me in the ditch." Then