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strangers. Upon this I consulted my father again, in whose answer were these words:

Dec. 1.

"This day I received both yours, and this evening, in the course of our reading, I thought I found an answer that would be more proper than any I myself could dictate; though since it will not be easily translated, I send it in the original. Πολλη μοι Καυχησις υπερ υμων πεπληρωμαι τη παρακλήσει, υπερπερισσευομαι τη χαρα.* (2 Cor. vii. 4.) What would you be? Would you be angels? I question whether a mortal can arrive to a greater degree of perfection, than steadily to do good, and for that very reason patiently and meekly to suffer evil. For my part, on the present view of your actions and designs, my daily prayers are, that God would keep you humble; and then I am sure that if you continue to suffer for righteousness sake,' though it be but in a lower degree,' the Spirit of God and of glory' shall, in some good measure, 'rest upon you.' Be never weary of well-doing: never look back, for you know the prize and the crown are before you : Though I can scarce think so meanly of you, as that you would be discouraged with the crackling of thorns under a pot.' Be not high-minded, but fear. Preserve an equal temper of mind under whatsteady The loss von value ever treatment you meet with from a not very just or well-natured world.

and in prison," and made all these actions subservient to a higher purpose, 9 even the saving of souls from death?

Whether it be not our bounden duty always to remember, that He did more for us than we can do for him, who assures us, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me"?

II. Whether upon these considerations we may not try to do good to our acquaintance? Particularly, whether we may not try to convince them of the necessity of being Christians?

Whether of the consequent necessity of being scholars?

Whether of the necessity of method and industry, in order to either learning or virtue?

Whether we may not try to persuade them to confirm and increase their industry, by communicating as often as they can?

Whether we may not mention to them the authors whom we conceive to have wrote best on those subjects?

Whether we may not assist them, as we are able, from time to time, to form resolutions upon what they read in those authors, and to execute them with steadiness and perseverance?

III. Whether, upon the considerations above-mentioned, we may not try to do good to those that are hungry, naked, or sick? In particular, whether, if we know any necessitous family, we may not give them a little food, clothes, or physic, as they want?

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upon them, especially with respect to public and private prayer, and the blessed sacrament?

I do not remember that we met with any person who answered any of these questions in the negative, or who even doubted, whether it were: not lawful to apply to this use that time and money, which we should else have spent in other diversions. But several we met with who increased our little stock of money for the prisoners and the poor, by subscribing something quarterly to it; so that the more persons we proposed our designs to, the more we were confirmed in the belief of their innocency, and the more determined to pursue them, in spite of the ridicule, which increased fast upon us during the winter. However, in spring I thought it could not be improper to desire farther instructions from those who were wiser and better than ourselves; and accordingly (on May 18, 1731) I wrote a particular account of all our proceedings to a clergyman of known wisdom and integrity. After having informed him of all the branches of our design, as clearly and simply as I could, I next, acquainted him with the success it had met with in the following words: "Almost as soon as we had made our first attempts this way, some of the men of wit in Christ Church entered the lists against us, and between; tuling us The Holy Club. mirth and anger made a pretty many reflections upon the Sacramentarians, as they were pleased to call us. Soon after, their allies at Merton

LETTER TO MR. MORGAN, SEN.

Part of the answer I received was as follows:

"GOOD SIR,

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"A pretty while after the date, yours came to my hand. I waived my answer till I had an opportunity of consulting your father, who upon all accounts is a more proper judge of the affair than I am. But I' could never find a fit occasion for it. matter, I confess, I cannot but heartily approve of that serious and As to my own sense of the religious turn of mind that prompts you and your associates to those pious and charitable offices; and can have no notion of that man's religion or concern for the honour of the University, that opposes you, as far as your design respects the colleges. I should be loath to send a son of mine to any seminary, where his conversing with virtuous young' men, whose professed design of meeting together at proper times, was to assist each other in forming good resolutions, and encouraging one another to execute them with constancy and steadiness, was inconsistent with any received maxims or rules of life among the members. As to the other branch of your design, as the town is divided into parishes, each of which has its proper incumbent, and as there is probably an ecclesiastic who has the spiritual charge of the prisoners, prudence may direct you to consult them: for though I dare not say you would be too officious, should you of your own mere motion seek out the persons that want your instructions and charitable contributions. vet should

the

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fixed two evenings in a week to meet on, partly to talk upon that subject, and partly to read something in practical divinity.

The two points, whereunto, by the blessing of God and your son's help, we had before attained, we endeavoured to hold fast: I mean, the doing what good we can, and in order thereto communicating as often as we have opportunity. To these, by the advice of Mr. Clayton, we have added a third, the observing the fasts of the Church; the general neglect of which we can by no means apprehend to be a lawful excuse for neglecting them. And in the resolution to adhere to these and all things else which we are convinced God requires at our hands, we trust we shall persevere, till he calls us to give an account of our stewardship. As for the names of Methodists, Supererogation-men, and so on, with which some of our neighbours are pleased to compliment us, we do not conceive ourselves to be under any obligation to regard them, much "To the law and to the testimony" we less to take them for arguments. appeal, whereby we ought to be judged. If by these it can be proved we are in an error, we will immediately and gladly retract it: if not, we "have not so learned Christ" as to renounce any part of his service, though men should "say all manner of evil against us," with more judgment and as little truth as hitherto. We do, indeed, use all the lawful means we know to prevent "the good which is in us" from being "evil spoken of;" but