long as he lived; but he blessed God that she had rather chose to suffer wrong."

31. The mob continued to rise for six days together. The damage they did in and about Wednesbury, at the very lowest computation, is as follows:

32. I, Benjamin Constable, was induced to go to a justice of peace, on account of a warrant fetched by the wife of Joshua Constable, for abuse done to her, as she went over the field betwixt Wednesbury and Darleston. She swore against five men, before Mr. G. The warrant was executed upon one of them; but the justice would not act any thing against him unless the other four were brought before him. The man returning home, raised a mob the same evening, went to the house of Joshua Constable, pulled part of it down, and destroyed his goods. This I thought proper to acquaint the justice of,

A second thing which induced me was, That on the last day of January, there came to my house Henry Old, Francis Longmore, and Thomas Baylis, and demanded money, "else, they said, they would break my goods." But it being day-time, and their strength small, (though they had large clubs in their hands) I refused.

I sent to the constable at Darleston, to know if he would execute his warrant on the other four. He sent me word, "He durst not do it, for fear of having his house pulled down."

I went on February 2, to Mr. G. and gave him the foregoing account; and withal told him, that on the Tuesday following, February 7, they threatened to rise and pull down our houses. He answered me in a rough manner, and asked, "What I would have him to do? He could do no more than give out his warrant; and if the constable would not, or could not execute it, he could not help it." I desired that he would write a line to the officers of Wednesbury and Darleston, to exert themselves for the discouraging of any rising on Tuesday. But he refused, and told me, "If we could not agree among one another, we must go to the Devil which way we would."

33. John Bird, of Wednesbury, in the county of Stafford, carpenter, is ready to make oath, That he, together with William Mumford, and Mary Bird, on the 10th day of this instant April, went to the house of W-G-, Esq. justice of peace, in order to have a warrant for some of the principal rioters, who had lately done great damage to this deponent, and divers other persons; but the said justice refused to grant any warrant against them that William Mumford then demanded a warrant against some of the said rioters, who had done damage to him: to which the said justice said, They were Methodists; and, after several other words, refused to grant it: that on the 13th instant this deponent, together with Mary Mumford, and Mary Bird, went to the house of J-D-, Esq. a justice of the peace, in the said county, and requested the said justice to grant him a warrant to take up some of the rioters, which the said justice refused to do: so that on the 17th instant, this deponent together with Mary Bird, went to the house of W- P—, Esq. justice of the peace for the said county, and requested a warrant to take up some of the rioters; to which the said justice answered him roughly, That he and the rest of the justices in the neighbourhood, had concluded and agreed to grant us no warrant. And this deponent further saith, That be himself hath sustained damage by the rioters to the value of fifty pounds and upwards: and that neither he, nor any other person, who hath sustained damage by them, are able to bring the said rioters to justice; because not any of the above-mentioned justices of the peace, will grant any warrant to apprehend them.

Such is the liberty of conscience which Protestants grant one another! Does not He that is higher than the highest regard it?

34. Wednesday, October 19, 1743. I, John Wesley, came to Birmingham, in my way to Newcastle. Thursday, October 20, several persons from Wednesbury earnestly desired me to call there. I yielded to their importunity, and went. I was sitting writing at Francis Ward's, in the afternoon; when the cry arose, That the Darleston mob had beset the house. I called together those that were in the house, and prayed, that God would scatter the people that delight in war. And it was so: one went one way, and one another; so that in half an hour the house was clear on every side. But, before five, they returned with greater numbers. The cry of all was, "Bring out the minister."

I desired one to bring the captain of the mob into the house. After a few words interchanged, the lion was as a lamb. I then desired him to bring in one or two more of the most angry of his companions. He did so; and in two minutes, their minds were changed too. I then bade them who were in the room make way, that I might go out among the people. As soon as I was in the midst of them, I said, "Here I am: what do you want with me?" Many cried out, "We want you to go with us to the Justice." I told them, "That I will with all my heart." So I walked before, and two or three hundred of them followed, to Bentley-Hall, two miles from Wednesbury: but a servant came out, and told them, "Jus

tice Lane was not to be spoken with." Here they were at a stand, till one advised, to go to Justice Persehouse, at Walsal. About seven we came to his house: but he also sent word, "That he was in bed, and could not be spoken with."

All the company were now pretty well agreed, to make the best of their way home: but we had not gone a hundred yards, when the mob of Walsal came pouring in like a flood. The Darleston mob stood against them for a while, but in a short time, some being knocked down, and others much hurt, the rest ran away, and left me in their hands.

To attempt to speak was vain, the noise being like that of taking a eity by storm: so they dragged me along till we came to the town, at a few hundred yards distance; where, seeing the door of a large house open, I endeavoured to go in; but a man, catching me by the hair, (my hat having been caught away at the beginning,) pulled me back into the middle of the mob, who were as so many ramping and roaring lions. They hurried me from thence, through the main street, from one end of the town to the other. I continued speaking all the time to those within hearing, feeling no pain or weariness. At the west end of the town, seeing a door half open, I made towards it, and would have gone in; but a gentleman in the shop would not suffer me, saying, "They would pull the house down, if I did." However, here I stood, and asked, "Are you willing to hear me speak?" Many cried out, " No, no; knock his brains out." Others said, "Nay, but we will hear him speak first." I began asking, "What hurt have I done to you? Whom among you have I wronged in word or deed?" And continued speaking, till my voice failed. Then the floods lifted up their voice again, many crying out, "Bring him away, bring him away."

Feeling my strength renewed, I spoke again, and broke out aloud into prayer. And now one of the men, who had headed the mob before, turned and said, "Sir, follow me: not a man shall touch a hair of your head." Two or three more confirmed his words. At the same time the Mayor (for it was he that stood in the shop) cried out, "For shame, for shame; let him go." An honest butcher spoke to the same effect; and seconded his words by laying hold of four or five, one after another, who were running on the most fiercely. The people then dividing to the right and left, those three or four men who had spoken before, took me between them, and carried me through the midst bitterly protesting, "they would knock down any that touched him :" but, on the bridge, the mob rallied again we therefore went on one side, over a mill-dam, and thence through the meadows, till a little after ten, God brought me safe to Wednesbury, having lost only a part of my waistcoat, and a little skin from one of my hands.

I never saw such a chain of providences before, so many convincing proofs, that the hand of God is on every person and thing, overruling him as it seemeth him good.

Among these I cannot but reckon the circumstances that follow :

1. That they endeavoured, abundance of times, to trip me up, as we went down hill, over the wet, slippery grass, to the town; as well judging, that if I was once on the ground, I should hardly rise again: but I made no slip, nor the least stumble at all, till I was entirely out of their hands. 2. That although many strove to lay hold on my collar, or clothes, they could not fasten at all; their fingers, I cannot tell how, slipping along, without fixing once: only one man seized the flap of my waistcoat, and took it away with him; the other flap, in the pocket of which was a twenty pound bank note, was torn but half off. 3. That a lusty man, just behind, struck at me many times with a large oaken stick; with which if he had struck me, on the back of the head, I should probably have preached no more but every time the blow was turned aside, I know not how, for I could not move to the right hand or left. 4. That another man came rushing through the press, raised his arm to strike, let it sink again, and stroking my head, said, "What soft hair he has! I cannot find in my heart to hurt him." 5. That I went as straight to the Mayor's door, when I was a little loosed for a few moments, as if I had known it, (which they probably thought I did,) and found him standing in the shop, which gave the first check to the fury of the people. 6. That no creature (at least within my hearing) laid any thing to my charge, either true or false; having, in the hurry, it seems, forgot to provide themselves with an accusation of any kind. And, lastly, That they were equally at a loss to know what to do with me, none proposing any determinate thing. The cry of most was, "Away with him, away with him :" of others, "Kill him at once." But none so much as once mentioned how; only one or two (I almost tremble to relate it) screamed out, (with what meaning I cannot tell,) "Crucify the dog, crucify him."

By how gentle degrees does God prepare us, either for doing or suffering his will! Two years since, one threw at me a piece of brick, which grazed on my shoulder, but hurt me not. It was a year after, that another threw a stone, which struck me between the eyes; but the hurt was soon healed, and still no man had power to lay a hand upon me. At St. Ives, last month, I received one blow, the first I ever had, on the side of the head; and this night two, one before we came into the town, and one after I was gone out into the meadows. But though one man struck me on the breast with all his might, and the other on the mouth, so that the blood gushed out, I felt no more pain from either of the blows, than if they had touched me with a straw. October 22, 1743.

"Lo I come, if this soul and body may be useful to any thing, to do thy will, O God. And if it please thee to use the power thou hast over dust and ashes, over weak flesh and blood, over a brittle vessel of clay, over the work of thine own hands; lo, here they are, to suffer also thy good pleasure. If thou please to visit me either with pain or dishonour, I will humble myself under it, and through thy grace, be obedient unto death, even the death upon the Cross. Whatsoever may befall me, either from neighbours or strangers,

since it is thou employest them, though they know it not, (unless thou help me to some lawful means of redressing the wrong,) I will not open my mouth before the Lord, who smiteth me, except only to bless the Lord. Hereafter no man can take away any thing from me, no life, no honour, no estate; since I am ready to lay them down, as soon as I perceive thou requirest them at my hands. Nevertheless, O Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; but if not, thy will be done. Whatever sufferings hereafter may trouble my flesh, or whatever agonies may trouble my spirit, O Father, into thy hands will I commend my life, and all that concerneth it. And if thou be pleased, either that I live yet a while, or not, I will, with my Saviour, bow down my head; I will humble myself under thy hand; I will give up all thou art pleased to ask, until at last I give up the ghost."

AN

ANSWER TO MR. R. H.'s TRACT,

ENTITLED

"IMPOSTURE DETECTED."

IN the Tract just published by Mr. R. H. there are several assertions which are not true. And the whole Pamphlet is written in an unchristian and ungentlemanlike manner. I shall first set down the assertions in order, and then proceed to the manner.

I. 1. "Throughout the whole of Paul's Epistles, he can scarcely write a single line without mentioning Christ," p. 3. I just opened on the 15th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. In the last thirty verses of this chapter, how often does he mention Christ? In every single line?

2. "In that wretched harangue, which he calls a sermon, he makes himself the only subject of his own panegyrics," page 4.

Being aware of this charge, I have said, "I am, in one respect, an improper person to give this information; as it will oblige me frequently to speak of myself, which may have the appearance of ostentation. But with regard to this, I can only cast myself upon the candour of my hearers, being persuaded they will put the most favourable construction, upon what is not a matter of choice, but of necessity. For there is no other person, if I decline the task, who can supply my place, who has a perfect knowledge of the work in question, from the beginning of it to this day." See Vol. VI. p. 107. I give an account of the rise of this work at Oxford, from 1725 to 1735, ibid. At London and elsewhere, p. 108, 109. In all this there is not a line of panegyric upon myself, but a naked recital of facts. Nor is there any panegyric on any one in the following pages, but a plain account of the Methodist Doctrines.