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diff --git a/old/66910-0.txt b/old/66910-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 35fa6f6..0000000 --- a/old/66910-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,29978 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Wesley's Designated Successor, by Luke -Tyerman - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Wesley's Designated Successor - The Life, Letters, and Literary Labours of the Rev. John William - Fletcher, Vicar of Maddey, Shropshire - -Author: Luke Tyerman - -Release Date: December 9, 2021 [eBook #66910] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: KD Weeks, Brian Wilson, MFR and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The Internet - Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WESLEY'S DESIGNATED SUCCESSOR *** - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note: - -This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. -Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. - -Footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they are -referenced. - -The occasional Greek word was printed without diacritical marks. - -Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please -see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding -the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - WESLEY’S DESIGNATED SUCCESSOR. - -[Illustration: J Fletcher/Madeley] - - WESLEY’S DESIGNATED SUCCESSOR: - - =The Life, Letters, and Literary Labours= - - OF THE - - REV. JOHN WILLIAM FLETCHER, - - _Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire_. - - - - - - - - - BY - - REV. L. TYERMAN, - - AUTHOR OF - - “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE REV. SAMUEL WESLEY, M.A., RECTOR OF EPWORTH;” - “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, M.A.;” - “THE LIFE OF THE REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD, B.A.;” - AND “THE OXFORD METHODISTS.” - - - - - - - - - =New York:= - PHILLIPS AND HUNT. - - =Cincinnati:= - WALDEN AND STOWE. - - MDCCCLXXXIII. - - - - - =I dedicate this Book to my Wife,= - _Who has shared my joys and sorrows for nearly - thirty years_. - - _L. TYERMAN._ - - - - - PREFACE. - - --- - - -“Jean Guillaume de la Flechere,” wrote Robert Southey, “was a man of -rare talents, and rarer virtue. No age or country has ever produced a -man of more fervent piety, or more perfect charity; no Church has ever -possessed a more apostolic minister. He was a man of whom Methodism may -well be proud, as the most able of its defenders; and whom the Church of -England may hold in remembrance, as one of the most pious and excellent -of her sons.” - -“Fletcher was a saint,” said Isaac Taylor, “as unearthly a being as -could tread the earth at all.” - -“Fletcher,” remarked Robert Hall, “is a seraph who burns with the ardour -of divine love. Spurning the fetters of mortality, he almost habitually -seems to have anticipated the rapture of the beatific vision.” - -Dr. Dixon, one of the greatest of Methodist preachers, observed, “I -conceive Fletcher to be the most holy man who has been upon earth since -the apostolic age.” - -No apology is needed for publishing the life of such a man, unless it -can be shown that a life worthy of him is already in existence. - -Excepting the brief and exceedingly imperfect biography by the Rev. -Robert Cox, in 1822, only two Lives of Fletcher have been published -since his death, ninety-seven years ago; namely, Wesley’s in 1786, and -Benson’s in 1804. - -It is true that, in 1790, the Rev. Joshua Gilpin, Vicar of Rockwardine, -appended twenty-nine biographical “Notes” to different chapters of -Fletcher’s “Portrait of St. Paul;” but the facts they contained, in -addition to those which Wesley had already given, were not many. - -A year later, in 1791, the Rev. Melville Horne, Curate of Madeley, -published “Posthumous Pieces of the late Rev. John William De La -Flechere,” a volume of 435 pages, nearly 400 of which are filled with -Fletcher’s Letters to his friends. This volume has been of great service -to me in the present work. Many quotations are made from it, and are -indicated by the footnotes, “Letters, 1791.” - -When Fletcher died, some of his admirers wished Mr. Ireland to be his -biographer; others desired Fletcher’s widow to undertake the task. Both -of them judiciously declined. Wesley was then fixed upon. He asked Mr. -Ireland to supply him with materials, but Mr. Ireland refused: Mrs. -Fletcher, however, rendered him important help. In unpublished letters -to Sarah Crosby, she writes:— - -“Mr. Ireland knew and loved my dear husband as scarcely any other person -did; and if he chooses to print a journal of their travels and of the -great spiritual labours of which he was an eye-witness, it would not be -wrong. But this is not his intention. He only wishes to gather materials -for me. With a good deal of labour, I have collected some sweet -fragments, on different subjects, from little pocket-books, but I have -handed them to Mr. Wesley, who, however, tells me he has done nothing -towards the Life, and that he has enough to occupy his time for a year -to come. Indeed, he seems to be in doubt whether he will be able to -write the Life at all. I hope the accounts I have given him will not be -shortened; if they be, I shall repent that I did not print them myself.” - -This was written on June 20, 1786, and shows that ten months after -Fletcher’s death, Wesley had not even begun Fletcher’s biography. -Fourteen weeks afterwards, he made a start. An extract from his journal -is worth quoting:— - -“1786. September 25. Monday. We took coach” at Bristol, “in the -afternoon; and on Tuesday morning reached London. I now applied myself -in earnest to the writing of Mr. Fletcher’s Life, having procured the -best materials I could. To this I dedicated all the time I could spare -till November, from five in the morning till eight at night. These are -my studying hours; I cannot write longer in a day without hurting my -eyes.” - -For little more than a month the venerable biographer, now in the -eighty-fourth year of his age, devoted all the time he “could spare” in -preparing the Life of one whom he pronounced the most “unblameable man, -in every respect, that, within four-score years,” he had “found either -in Europe or America!” The biography was finished in the month of -November, and in December was published with the title “A Short Account -of the Life and Death of the Rev. John Fletcher. By the Rev. John -Wesley. _Sequor, non passibus æquis._ London, 1786.” It certainly was a -“_Short Account_,”—a 12mo volume of 227 pages, which would have been -much smaller if the type and the space between the lines had been -different. This was the first Life of Wesley’s greatest friend, and his -“Designated Successor“! The veteran was far too busy to do justice to -his great “helper.” - -Eighteen years elapsed before another and larger Life was given to the -public. This was undertaken in 1801 by the Rev. Joseph Benson, at the -request of Fletcher’s widow, and of the Methodist Conference of that -year. In 1804 it was published with the following title:—“The Life of -the Rev. John W. de la Flechere, compiled from the Narratives of the -Reverend Mr. Wesley; the Biographical Notes of the Reverend Mr. Gilpin; -from his own Letters; and other Authentic Documents, many of which were -never before published. By Joseph Benson.” This is the only Life of -Fletcher which, _in a separate form_, has been circulated during the -last seventy-eight years. - -Of course, during this long period of nearly fourscore years, many new -facts and incidents concerning Fletcher have come to light; and, among -these new biographical materials, special mention must be made of the -Fletcher MSS. deposited in the Wesleyan Mission House, London, in 1862. -Since then, the Methodist “Committee on Book Affairs” has repeatedly -expressed the opinion that a new Life of Fletcher ought to be prepared, -and, at least, two of the foremost men in Methodism have been requested -to undertake the work. One of the two is dead, and the other seems to -have as much literary labour in hand as he is able to accomplish. Under -such circumstances, I have had the temerity to attempt the task. - -I have carefully used _all_ the _biographical matter_ that I have found -in the “Short Account” by Wesley; in the Letters published by Melville -Horne; in Gilpin’s “Notes;” in the Life by Benson; in the Fletcher MSS., -just mentioned; in other MSS. belonging to myself; in MSS. kindly lent -to me; and in all the Methodist and other publications relating to -Fletcher with which I am acquainted. - -I have no artistic talent; and if I had, I should not employ it in -writing biographies. In such publications I am only desirous to see the -man, not the artist’s drapery. I want to know his doings, sayings, and -sufferings, rather than to read philosophic discourses concerning them. -My aim, therefore, from first to last, has been to let Fletcher speak -for himself. His Letters are invaluable; the man who can read them -without being profited is greatly to be pitied. The extracts from his -sermons show how the first Methodists used to preach. The chapters -respecting the Calvinian controversy may, to some readers, be somewhat -dry, but they could not be omitted, because that controversy was the -great event in Fletcher’s life, and hastened his death. Besides, it was -by his publications on this subject that he rendered service to Wesley -and the Methodist movement, which neither Wesley himself nor any other -of Wesley’s friends could have furnished. I have refrained from -discussing the truths which Fletcher’s pen defended; but I have said -enough to indicate what the doctrines were which created Methodism, and -which alone can perpetuate its spiritual life and power. - -The portrait of Fletcher is taken from an exceedingly scarce engraving, -in the Methodist Museum, at Centenary Hall, London. - -I think I may say, without exposing myself to the charge of arrogance or -conceit, that, in this volume, the reader will find all the facts of any -importance that are known concerning Fletcher, and that here, more than -in any previous publication, is illustrated the intellectual and saintly -character of one of the holiest men that ever lived. - - L. TYERMAN. - -STANHOPE HOUSE, CLAPHAM PARK, S.W. - _October 7, 1882._ - - - - - GENERAL CONTENTS - - --- - - INTRODUCTION. - - PAGE - - Wesley requests Fletcher to be his successor—Others who might - have been designated 1–3 - - - CHAPTER I. - - FROM FLETCHER’S BIRTH TO HIS COMING TO ENGLAND IN 1752. - - Parentage—Birthplace—Early piety—Remarkable deliverances from - danger—-Education at Geneva—Removed to Lentzburg—Wishes to be - a soldier 4–9 - - - CHAPTER II. - - FROM HIS COMING TO ENGLAND TO HIS ORDINATION, 1752–1757. - - Arrives in London-Admitted to Mr. Burchell’s school—Becomes - tutor to sons of Thomas Hill, Esq.—Letter to his brother - Henry—Introduced to Methodists—His conversion—A millenarian—A - Catechumen—Acquaintance with Mr. Vaughan—Richard Edwards, his - class-leader—Letters to Wesley—His ordination 10–27 - - - CHAPTER III. - - FROM HIS ORDINATION TO HIS SETTLEMENT AT MADELEY, 1757–1760. - - A favourite among the first Methodists—Preaches in - Shropshire—Letter to Wesley—Thomas Walsh—Letter to his - class-leader—Introduced to Lady Huntingdon—Preaching to - French prisoners—Letter to Charles Wesley—Letter to Sarah - Ryan—Christian Perfection—Fletcher and his foes—Proposal to - go to the West Indies—Death of Thomas Walsh—Letter to Charles - Wesley—A Convert—Conversion of Mr. Richard - Hill—Temptation—Letters to Charles Wesley—Dorothy - Furley—Visits Lady Huntingdon—Her ladyship’s - proposal—Fletcher’s first published sermon—Earl - Ferrars—Glorious services at Everton—Choosing a - benefice—Letters to Lady Huntingdon—Commencement of ministry - at Madeley 28–60 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - FIRST TWO YEARS AT MADELEY, 1760–1762. - - Madeley—Branded a Methodist—Increasing labours—Madeley Wood and - Coalbrook Dale—Rev. Mr. Prothero’s sermon—The - publicans—Fletcher’s first sermons at Madeley—Mary - Matthews—Answers to an objection—“The Rock Church”—Letter to - a Papist—Persecutions—Letter to Rev. Mr. Hutton—Testimony of - Rev. Mr. Gilpin 61–83 - - - CHAPTER V. - - THREE QUIET SUCCESSFUL YEARS. 1762–1765. - - Fanaticism among the London Methodists—Rules of Fletcher’s - Methodist Societies—A troublesome member—A quiet year—Reasons - for and against matrimony—The furious butcher—Letters to Miss - Hatton—Wesley’s first visit to Madeley—Simplicity of - living—Alexander Mather—Fletcher at Breedon—Fletcher’s first - pastoral letter—Fletcher and his relatives 84–105 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - TWO YEARS MORE. 1766–1767. - - Fletcher depressed—Rejoicing on account of other men’s - success—Letters to Miss Hatton and Miss Ireland—Thanks for a - present—An excursion to Brighton, etc.—Pastoral letter—Miss - Hatton dying—Letter to Whitefield—Lady Huntingdon at - Madeley—Captain Scott—Fletcher in Yorkshire—Letter to Lady - Huntingdon—Rev. Cradock Glascott—Trevecca College—Fletcher - appointed chaplain of the Earl of Buchan—James - Glazebrook—“Manifestations of the Son of God” 106–130 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - TREVECCA COLLEGE: VISIT TO SWITZERLAND, ETC. 1768–1770. - - Joseph Easterbrook—Books for Trevecca College—Letter on - Conversation—Expulsion of six students at Oxford—Letter to - Whitefield—Opening of Trevecca College—Letters to Mr. and - Miss Ireland—Rev. John Jones—Mr. John Henderson, B.A.—First - anniversary of Trevecca College—Rev. Walter - Sellon—Anti-Popery sermon—Joseph Benson—Letter to Mr. - Ireland—Visit to Switzerland 131–163 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - COMMENCEMENT OF THE CALVINIAN CONTROVERSY. 1770–1771. - - Letter to masters and students of Trevecca College—Fletcher at - Trevecca College—Letter to Rev. David Simpson—Wesley’s - Doctrinal Minutes—Second anniversary of Trevecca - College—Wesley’s sermon on the death of Whitefield—Letter of - Lady Glenorchy—Joseph Benson dismissed from Trevecca - College—Fletcher’s unpublished letter to Wesley—Fletcher - resigns his office at Trevecca—Important unpublished - manuscript—The storm brewing—Shirley’s Circular - Letter—Fletcher’s “First Check to Antinomianism”—Shirley’s - “Narrative”—Fletcher’s Letter to Shirley—Fletcher’s - Vindication of Wesley’s “Minutes” 164–205 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - “SECOND CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM.” 1771. - - Letters in the _Gospel Magazine_—Unpublished letter to Joseph - Benson—Prevalent Antinomianism—Richard Hill’s pamphlet - respecting a conversation with a monk 206–217 - - - CHAPTER X. - - “THIRD CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM.” 1772. - - Edward Elwall—Unpublished letter to Sellon—Letter to the Dublin - Methodists—Richard Hill’s _Five Letters_—Fletcher’s reply to - them—Divine Grace given to all—Good men doing the Devil’s - work—Advices to Arminians 218–233 - - - CHAPTER XI. - “FOURTH CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM.” 1772. - - Richard Hill’s “_Review of all the Doctrines taught by the Rev. - J. Wesley_“—Richard Hill’s “_Six Letters_” to - Fletcher—Rowland Hill’s “_Friendly Remarks_”—“_Logica - Genevensis_”—Wesley’s “_Remarks on Mr. Hill’s - Review_”—Unpublished letter by John Pawson—Fletcher rebukes - Rowland Hill—Absurdities of Calvinism—Free Will—Unpublished - letter by Richard Hill to Walter Sellon 234–253 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - “APPEAL TO MATTER OF FACT AND COMMON SENSE.” 1772. - - Manuscript lost—Dedication—Doctrine of Original Sin—Colliers, - bargemen, and iron-workers—England’s favourite amusements—Ten - inferences 254–262 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - WESLEY’S DESIGNATED SUCCESSOR, ETC., ETC. 1773. - Wesley requests Fletcher to be his successor—Fletcher’s - reply—Wesley respecting Fletcher and Whitefield—Samuel - Bradburn visits Fletcher—Correspondence in 1773—The penitent - thief—The earthquake—Fletcher’s sermon on it 263–278 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - “THE FINISHING STROKE,” ETC. 1773. - - “_The Finishing Stroke_”—“_The Farrago Double - Distilled_”—Berridge’s “_Christian World Unmasked_”—Letters - by Berridge—Richard Hill desiring peace—Richard Hill’s - “_Three Letters_” to Fletcher—“_Creed for Arminians and - Perfectionists_” 279–293 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - “FIFTH CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM.” 1774. - - Toplady’s letter to Ambrose Serle—“_Logica Genevensis - continued_”—Remaining differences—Fletcher answering - Berridge—Wesley on Fletcher’s “_Checks_”—Lady Huntingdon - wishes an interview with Fletcher—Fletcher’s reply—Fletcher - writing and weary 294–301 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - FURTHER PUBLICATIONS IN 1774. - - “_Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism_”—Doleful - picture—Letter to Lady Huntingdon—Saving Faith—The Athanasian - Creed—Letters to J. Benson and C. Wesley 302–311 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - PUBLICATIONS IN THE YEAR 1775. - - “_Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism - continued_”—“_Scripture Scales_”—“_The Fictitious and the - Genuine Creed_”—The controversy has done Fletcher good—Rev. - Thomas Reader visits Fletcher—Christian perfection—Letter to - J. Benson—Wesley dangerously ill—Charles Wesley writes to - Fletcher—Fletcher’s reply—“_Checks to - Antinomianism_”—Reconciliations—Dr. Coke’s Letter to - Fletcher—Letter to C. Wesley 312–333 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - PUBLICATIONS IN THE YEAR 1776. - - Toplady—Fletcher’s “_Answer to the Vindication of the - Decrees_”—Toplady attacks Wesley—Fletcher answers - Toplady—Review of six years’ work—Rev. Caleb Evans’ letter on - Wesley’s “_Calm Address_”—Fletcher’s “_Vindication of the - Calm Address_”—Mr. Evans’ “_Reply_” to Fletcher’s - “_Vindication_”—Fletcher publishes “_American Patriotism_”—A - Public Fast—“_The Bible and the Sword_”—The _Monthly Review_ - on Fletcher—Government desires to reward Fletcher 334–353 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - CORRESPONDENCE IN 1776. - - Fletcher’s labours and abstinence—Again objects to become - Wesley’s successor—An excursion with Wesley—Fletcher - discouraged—Unpublished letter by J. Benson—Another work for - the press—“_Driving_ Methodism and _Still_ - Mysticism”—Fletcher dangerously ill—C. Wesley’s hymn—Michael - Onions—Letters—Fletcher apparently dying—An impromptu - hymn—Wesley escorts Fletcher to London—Another excursion with - Wesley—Second visit to Berridge—Fletcher and Venn at St. - Neots—Charles Greenwood—Fletcher resides with him—Letter “to - the parishioners of Madeley” 354–375 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - PUBLICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE IN 1777. - - “_The Doctrines of Grace and Justice equally Essential to the - Pure Gospel_”—Fletcher a millenarian—“_Bible Arminianism and - Bible Calvinism_”—“_The Plan of Reconciliation_”—Another - letter to his parishioners—Letter to W. Wase—Letters to Rev. - V. Perronet and his daughter—Fletcher visited by his - friends—Fletcher’s letter to his bishop—Charles Perronet - dies—Fletcher’s sojourn at Stoke Newington—Removes to Mr. - Ireland’s, at Brislington—Meets Henry Venn—Attends Wesley’s - Conference—Rev. David Lloyd—James Rogers visits - Fletcher—Letter to Rev. V. Perronet—Unpublished letter to - Miss Bosanquet—Lady Mary Fitzgerald—Letters to her and to - Mrs. Thornton—Preparing to leave England—Farewell letters 376–408 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - A LONG RETIREMENT. 1778–1781. - - Journey to the south of France—Unpublished letter to Miss - Bosanquet—Sermon concerning the New Birth—Letters to Rev. Mr. - Greaves, W. Perronet, the Wesley Brothers, and Dr. - Conyers—The Perronet estate in Switzerland—Unpublished letter - to Mr. Power—Fletcher among children—Fletcher and his - nephew—Messages to Madeley—Preaching at an execution—William - Perronet joins Fletcher—A perilous journey—Letter to Mr. - Ireland—Letters to Madeley—Other letters—Trials in - Switzerland—An attack of rheumatism—Letter to his - curate—National distress—Methodist meeting house at Madeley - Wood—W. Perronet’s unpublished letter—In a “miserable - lodging”—Loss of manuscripts—Religion in Switzerland—Letters - to Madeley—House of Fletcher’s nativity—Letters to W. Wase, - J. Owen, and M. Onions—Joins Mr. Ireland at Montpelier—Return - to England—Thomas Rankin visits Fletcher at - Brislington—Unpublished letter to Miss Bosanquet 409–450 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - LITERARY WORK DONE IN RETIREMENT. - - “_La Grace et la Nature_”—“_The Portrait of St. Paul._” 451–459 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - THE FIRST THREE MONTHS AFTER THE RETURN TO MADELEY. 1781 - - Affairs in confusion—Letter to Wesley—Rev. Cornelius - Bayley—Correspondence with Miss Loxdale—Letters to Wesley and - T. Rankin—Attends Wesley’s Conference at Leeds—Joseph - Pescod’s letter—Fletcher the guest of Miss Bosanquet—A - remarkable meeting at Leeds—Sanctification—Visits Sheffield 460–472 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - FLETCHER’S MARRIAGE. 1781. - - Letters to Miss Perronet and to Lady Mary Fitzgerald—History of - Miss Bosanquet—Her Orphanage at Leyton—Her fortune and her - debts—Her removal to Yorkshire—She turns farmer and - maltster—Debts and difficulties—Fletcher proposes to marry - her—Fletcher on celibacy—Unpublished love-letter—Unpublished - letters to Miss Bosanquet’s uncle and her brother—Further - correspondence—Settling affairs in Yorkshire—The wedding and - letters respecting it 473–500 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - TWO YEARS OF MARRIED LIFE AT MADELEY. 1782–1783. - - How Fletcher began the year 1782—Husband and wife go to - Madeley—Wesley visits them—William Tranter—Dr. Jobson and L. - Tyerman at Madeley—Letter to author of “The Fool of - Quality”—The Methodists of Dublin invite Fletcher and his - wife to visit them—Mrs. Fletcher’s letter to Wesley—Fletcher - has an accident which disables him—Letter to Charles Wesley—A - new poem—Nathaniel Gilbert and Melville Horne—Letters to Mrs. - Thornton and to John Valton—Fletcher and his wife visit the - Dublin Methodists—Their successful labours—Unpublished - letter, thanking them for their services—Unpublished pamphlet - by Fletcher—Fletcher begins Sunday schools at Madeley—Rev. H. - Venn visits Fletcher 501–529 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - LAST DAYS ON EARTH. 1784–1785. - - Dr. Coke and his friends begin the Methodist Missionary - Society—Fletcher one of the first subscribers—Unpublished - letter by Dr. Coke—Fletcher’s unpublished letter to Rev. Mr. - Bouverot—Dr. Priestley—Fletcher’s “_Rational Vindication of - the Catholic Faith_”—Fletcher’s “_Socinianism - Unscriptural_”—Fletcher’s Millenarianism—Unpublished letters - to Mrs. Smyth and to Lady Mary Fitzgerald—Fletcher at - Wesley’s Conference at Leeds—Sermons preached—Fletcher a - peacemaker—Remarkable scene—Fletcher objected to—Enoch Wood - and Fletcher’s discourse on Wesley’s bust—Fletcher in his - “Sentry Box”—Letter to his god-son—Rev. Charles Simeon visits - Fletcher—Modified millenarianism—Letters to Rev. Peard - Dickenson and Rev. Melville Horne—Mrs. Fletcher ill of - fever—Letter to Lady Mary Fitzgerald—Fletcher ill of - fever—Mrs. Fletcher’s account of him—Last service in Madeley - Church—Dying—Death and burial—Mrs. Fletcher’s letter to C. - Wesley—Wesley preaches Fletcher’s funeral sermon—Testimonies - concerning Fletcher—Inscription on his tombstone—Inscription - on the tablet in City Road Chapel 530–575 - - - - - _INTRODUCTION._ - - -EIGHTEEN years before his death, Wesley wrote the following letter to -Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley— - - “_January, 1773._ - - “DEAR SIR,—What an amazing work has God wrought in these kingdoms, in - less than forty years! And it not only continues, but increases, - throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland; nay, it has lately spread - into New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Carolina. But the - wise men of the world say, ‘When Mr. Wesley drops, then all this is at - an end!’ And so it surely will, unless, before God calls him hence, - one is found to stand in his place. For, ουκ αγαθον πολυκοιρανιη. Εις - κοιρανος εστω. I see more and more, unless there be one προεστως, the - work can never be carried on. The body of the preachers are not - united: nor will any part of them submit to the rest; so that either - there must be one to preside over all, or the work will indeed come to - an end. - - “But who is sufficient for these things? Qualified to preside both - over the preachers and people? He must be a man of faith and love, and - one that has a single eye to the advancement of the kingdom of God. He - must have a clear understanding; a knowledge of men and things, - particularly of the Methodist doctrine and discipline; a ready - utterance; diligence and activity, with a tolerable share of health. - There must be added to these favour with the people, with the - Methodists in general. For, unless God turns their eyes and their - hearts towards him, he will be quite incapable of the work. He must - likewise have some degree of learning, because there are many - adversaries, learned as well as unlearned, whose mouths must be - stopped. But this cannot be done unless he be able to meet them on - their own ground. - - “But has God provided one so qualified? Who is he? Thou art the man! - God has given you a measure of loving faith, and a single eye to His - glory. He has given you some knowledge of men and things, particularly - of the old plan of Methodism. You are blessed with some health, - activity, and diligence, together with a degree of learning. And to - these He has lately added, by a way none could have foreseen, favour - both with the preachers and the whole people. Come out in the name of - God! Come to the help of the Lord against the mighty! Come while I am - alive and capable of labour! - - ‘_Dum superest Lachesi quod torqueat, et pedibus me - Porto meis, nullo dextram subeunte bacillo._’ - - Come while I am able, God assisting, to build you up in faith, to - ripen your gifts, and to introduce you to the people. _Nil tanti._ - What possible employment can you have, which is of so great - importance? - - “But you will naturally say, ‘I am not equal to the task; I have - neither grace nor gifts for such an employment.’ You say true; it is - certain you have not. And who has? But do you not know Him who is able - to give them? perhaps not at once, but rather day by day: as each is, - so shall your strength be. ‘But this implies,’ you may say, ‘a - thousand crosses, such as I feel I am not able to bear.’ You are not - able to bear them _now_, and they are not now come. Whenever they do - come, will He not send them in due number, weight, and measure? And - will they not all be for your profit, that you may be a partaker of - His holiness? - - “Without conferring, therefore, with flesh and blood, come and - strengthen the hands, comfort the heart, and share the labour of - - “Your affectionate friend and brother, - “JOHN WESLEY.”[1] - -Footnote 1: - - Dr. Whitehead’s “Life of Wesley,” vol. ii., p. 355. - -In all respects, Wesley’s letter is remarkable. He wished Methodism to -be perpetuated; but he was convinced that this could not be done unless -the ruling and administrative power could be confided, not to the -Conference, or to a committee of the Conference, but to a single person. -His description of the necessary qualifications of such a ruler is -worthy of being studied. Especially ought Methodist preachers and the -Methodist people all over the world, and in all generations, to notice -the fact that Wesley’s first and pre-eminent qualification was that he -who “presided both over the preachers and people must be a man of faith -and love, and one who had a single eye to the advancement of the kingdom -of God.” For thirty-eight years, since he left the Oxford University, -Wesley’s labours had been herculean and incessant. His health had begun -to fail; so much so, that, only a few months before he wrote to -Fletcher, his friends in London had become alarmed by signs of age and -debility, and had contributed to provide him a carriage in which to -pursue those extensive and laborious journeys, which hitherto he had -made on horseback. In Edinburgh, he had undergone a medical examination -by Dr. Monro, Dr. Gregory, and Dr. Hamilton, after which he wrote: -“1772, May 18. They satisfied me what my disorder was; and told me there -was but one method of cure. Perhaps but one natural one; but I think God -has more than one method of healing either the soul or the body.” - -Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that Wesley wished to -have in training his successor; and he seems to have had no difficulty -in nominating him. His brother Charles was living, and, among his -itinerant preachers, there was a small band of remarkable men, including -Alexander Mather, Thomas Olivers, George Shadford, John Pawson, Thomas -Hanby, William Thompson, Thomas Taylor, John Nelson, Thomas Rankin, -Christopher Hopper, Joseph Benson, George Story, Thomas Rutherford, -Richard Whatcoat, Joseph Pilmore, Francis Asbury, and others; but all -these were passed over, and the man he desired and nominated to be his -successor was the saintly Swiss, John William de la Flechère, Vicar of -Madeley. - -The character and the life of such a man must be worthy of attention. -Wesley, a keen judge of men, thought him qualified to be the “προεστως” -of the Methodists. His reply to Wesley’s proposal need not be inserted -here. The position was the highest Wesley could offer him. Was he worthy -of it? Let the reader of the following pages form his own opinion. -Enough has been said to justify the present attempt to delineate the -man. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - _FROM FLETCHER’S BIRTH TO HIS COMING - TO ENGLAND_ - IN 1752. - - -JEAN GUILLAUME DE LA FLECHÈRE was a descendant of one of the most -respectable families in Switzerland; a family, in fact, which was a -branch of an earldom of Savoy. After his marriage, Fletcher’s wife found -in his desk a seal. “Is this yours?” she asked. “Yes,” replied the poor -country parson; “but I have not used it for many years.” “Why?” “Because -it bears a coronet, nearly such as is the insignia of your English -dukes. Were I to use that seal, it might lead to frivolous inquiries -about my family, and subject me to the censure of valuing myself on such -distinctions.”[2] - -Footnote 2: - - Cox’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 140. - -For some time the father of John Fletcher was a general officer in the -French army, but, on his marriage, he retired from the service. Later in -life, he accepted a colonelcy in the militia of Switzerland. - -John, his father’s youngest son, was born at Nyon, on September 12th, -1729. His birthplace was a fine old mansion, that had withstood the -storms of centuries, and, like many of the ancient houses in -Switzerland, was entered by a spiral stone staircase, which opened into -a spacious hall. “The house where I was born,” said Fletcher, “has one -of the finest prospects in the world. We have a shady wood, near the -lake, where I can ride in the cool all the day, and enjoy the singing of -a multitude of birds.” From one of the windows of Fletcher’s ancestral -home, there was a magnificent view of hill and dale, vineyards and -pastures, stretching right away to the distant Jura mountains. At a few -paces from the château, there was a terrace overlooking Lake Leman, with -its clear blue waters and its gracefully-curved and richly-wooded bays. -On the right hand, at a distance of fifteen miles, was Geneva, the -cradle of the Reformation; on the left, Lausanne and the celebrated -castle of Chillon. High up in the heavens were Alpine peaks, embosoming -scenes the most beautiful; and, not far away, was Mont Blanc, robed in -perpetual and unsullied snow. - -Not much is known of the early life of Fletcher. A few anecdotes -concerning him have been preserved by his biographers, and these shall -be given in as brief a form as possible. - -Wesley relates that Fletcher, “in his early childhood, had much of the -fear of God, and great tenderness of conscience.” One day, when he was -about seven years of age, his nurse, who had occasion to reprove him, -said, “You are a naughty boy. Do you not know that the devil is to take -away all naughty children?” The maid’s remark troubled him. He fell upon -his knees and began to pray, and did not cease till he believed God had -forgiven him. - -His filial obedience was exemplary, but, on one occasion, he, -undesignedly, offended his mother, whom he dearly loved. The good lady -was speaking in too warm a manner to one of the family. Young Fletcher -turned a reproving eye upon her. She was much displeased with what she -conceived to be unfilial forwardness, and punished him. With a look of -tender affection, he meekly replied, “When I am smitten on one cheek, -and especially by a hand I love so well, I am taught to turn the other -also.” The mother’s indignation was instantly turned into admiration of -her boy.[3] - -Footnote 3: - - Gilpin’s “Account of Fletcher.” - -While yet a youth, he had several near escapes from an untimely death. -Once, when walking upon a high wall enclosing his father’s garden, his -foot slipped, and he must have been killed had he not fallen into “a -large quantity of fresh-made mortar.” - -At another time, when swimming by himself in deep water, a strong -ribbon, which bound his hair, became loose, twisted about his leg, and -tied him “as it were neck and heels.” “I strove,” said he, “with all my -strength to disengage myself, but to no purpose. No person being within -call, I gave myself up for lost; but when I had ceased struggling, the -ribbon loosed itself.” - -On another occasion, he and four other young gentlemen agreed to swim to -a rocky island, five miles from the shore. Young Fletcher and one of his -adventurous friends succeeded in reaching the island, but the cliff was -so steep and smooth that they found it impossible to scale its heights. -After swimming round the islet again and again, they concluded that -their being drowned was inevitable. Immediately after, however, they -discovered a place of safety; and, in due time, a boat arrived and took -them home. The other three, when only half way to the island, were -rescued by a boat just as they were sinking. - -A still more remarkable deliverance from a watery grave was the -following: Fletcher was a practised swimmer, and once plunged into a -river broader than the Thames at London Bridge, and very rapid. “The -water was extremely rough, and poured along like a galloping horse.” He -endeavoured to swim against it, but in vain, and was hurried far from -home. When almost exhausted, he looked for a resting-place, feeling he -must either escape from the water or sink. With great difficulty, he -approached the shore, but found it “so ragged and sharp that he saw, if -he attempted to land there, he would be torn to pieces.” In his direful -plight, he recommenced swimming. “At last,” says he, “despairing of -life, I was cheered by the sight of a fine smooth creek, into which I -was swiftly carried by a violent stream. A building stood directly -across it, which I then did not know to be a powder-mill. The last thing -I can remember was the striking of my breast against one of the piles -whereon it stood. I then lost my senses, and knew nothing more till I -rose on the other side of the mill. When I came to myself, I was in a -calm, safe place, perfectly well, without any soreness or weariness at -all. Nothing was amiss but the distance of my clothes, the stream having -driven me five miles from the place where I left them. Many persons -gladly welcomed me on shore; one gentleman in particular, who said, ‘I -looked at my watch when you went under the mill, and again when you rose -on the other side, and the time of your being immerged among the piles -was exactly twenty minutes.’” - -Fletcher passed the early part of his life at Nyon, where he began his -education. With his two brothers, he was then removed to the university -of Geneva, where he was distinguished equally by his superior abilities -and his uncommon diligence. The two first prizes for which he stood a -candidate he carried away from a number of competitors, several of whom -were nearly related to the professors. He allowed himself but little -time either for recreation, refreshment, or sleep. After confining -himself closely to his studies all day, he would frequently consume the -greater part of the night in making notes of what he had found in the -course of his reading worthy of observation. - -After quitting Geneva, he was sent by his father to Lentzburg, in the -canton of Berne, where, besides pursuing his other studies, he acquired -the German language. On his return to Nyon, he studied Hebrew, and -improved his knowledge of mathematics. - -From early childhood, Fletcher loved and served his Maker. He himself -relates: “I think it was when I was seven years of age, that I first -began to feel the love of God shed abroad in my heart, and that I -resolved to give myself up to Him, and to the service of His Church, if -ever I should be fit for it; but the corruption which is in the world, -and that which was in my own heart, soon weakened, if not erased, those -first characters which grace had written upon it.” - -“From a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures,” wrote St. Paul to -Timothy. The same might have been said to Fletcher. His early -acquaintance with inspired truth guarded him, on the one hand, from the -snares of infidelity, and preserved him, on the other, from many of the -vices peculiar to youth. It also qualified and emboldened him to reprove -sin, and, with becoming modesty, to remonstrate with sinners. To -illustrate this, his biographers relate an incident which occurred when -he was only fourteen years of age. A lady and her three sons visited his -sister, Madame de Botens. The sons quarrelled, and the mother uttered a -hasty imprecation. Young Fletcher was shocked, and, instantly starting -from his chair, began to expound and enforce the apostolic admonition, -“Provoke not your children to wrath,” etc.; and then reminded his -astonished auditress that her imprecation might be realized; a -vaticination that soon became a fact; for, on the same day, the lady -embarked upon the lake, was overtaken with a tremendous storm, and was -brought to the point of perishing; and, soon after, two of her sons were -drowned; and the third was crushed to death at one of the gates of -Geneva. - -Fletcher had wished to be a Christian minister, and his parents had -wished the same concerning him; but, soon after the occurrence just -related, his plans of life were entirely altered. He writes: “I went -through my studies with a design of entering into orders; but, -afterwards, upon serious reflection, feeling I was unequal to so great a -burden, and disgusted by the necessity I should be under to subscribe -the doctrine of predestination, I yielded to the desire of my friends, -who would have me go into the army.”[4] - -Footnote 4: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1794, p. 219. - -The friends here mentioned did not include his parents, for they were -strongly opposed to his turning soldier; but now, nearly at the age of -twenty, his theological reading gave place to the studying of the works -of Cohorn and Vauban, the great military engineers. At this time, -Portugal was sending troops to Brazil, to defend its interests there. -Against the remonstrances of his parents, Fletcher went to Lisbon, there -gathered a company of his own countrymen, accepted a captain’s -commission, and engaged to serve the Portuguese on board a man-of-war, -which was preparing with all speed to sail to the Brazilian coasts. -Meanwhile, he wrote to his parents for a considerable sum of money, by -means of which he expected to make a small fortune in the country he was -about to visit. “They refused him roughly: unmoved by this, he -determined to go without the cash.” Whilst waiting, however, for the -ship to sail, the maid, attending him at breakfast, let the tea-kettle -fall upon his leg, and so scalded him, that he had to keep his bed. -“During that time,” says Wesley, “the ship sailed for Brazil; but it was -observed that the ship was heard of no more.” - -Wesley continues: “How is this reconcileable with the account which has -been given of his piety when he was a child? Very easily: it only shows -that his piety declined while he was at the university. And this is too -often the case of other youths in our own universities.” - -Fletcher returned to Nyon, but his military ardour was not abated; and, -being informed that his uncle, then a colonel in the Dutch service, had -procured a commission for him, he joyfully set out for Flanders. Here, -however, he was again defeated in his purpose to become a soldier. Peace -was concluded; his uncle died; his hopes were blasted; and the military -profession was abandoned. - -This, in substance, is all that is known of Fletcher, until he came to -England, as Wesley says, in 1752. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - _FROM HIS COMING TO ENGLAND TO HIS - ORDINATION._ - 1752 to 1757. - - -AFTER the frustration of his hopes in Flanders, Fletcher, accompanied by -other young gentlemen, embarked for England, for the purpose of -acquiring the English language. At the Custom House in London they were -treated with the utmost surliness. Of course their portmanteaus were -examined,—never a pleasant operation, but sometimes less politely done -than at others. In addition to this, their letters of recommendation -were taken from them, on the alleged ground that “all letters must be -sent by post.” They went to an inn, where they encountered another -difficulty. Unable to speak English, they were at a loss how to exchange -their foreign into English money. Fletcher, going to the door, heard a -well-dressed Jew talking French. The difficulty was explained; and the -Jew replied, “Give me your money, and I will get it changed.” Fletcher, -without the least suspicion, handed the gentleman his purse, containing -£90. Telling his friends what he had done, they exclaimed, “Your money’s -gone.” His friends were wrong. Before breakfast was ended the honest Jew -returned, and gave to Fletcher the full amount in English coin. - -To assist him in the acquisition of the English language, Fletcher had -been recommended to a Mr. Burchell, who kept a boarding-school at South -Mimms, a village about four miles from Hatfield, in Hertfordshire. He -was admitted into this establishment. Soon after, it was removed to -Hatfield, whither he also went. Here he remained with Mr. Burchell about -eighteen months, and pursued his studies with great diligence. He -frequently visited some of the first families in Hatfield; and, by his -easy and genteel behaviour, and his sweetness of temper, he gained the -affectionate esteem of all who knew him. - -On leaving Mr. Burchell’s academy, Fletcher was recommended by Mr. -Dechamps, a French minister, to Thomas Hill, Esq., of Tern Hall, in -Shropshire, as tutor to his two sons.[5] It was whilst in the service of -this gentleman that Fletcher was converted. The following is an extract -from one of his letters to his brother Henry, at Nyon:— - - “The news of your promotion has given me great pleasure. I feel a - sincere satisfaction in the diligence with which you devote yourself - to the good of society, and that you prefer a life of labour to one of - indolent and useless inactivity. We may be instruments of some good in - any condition of human life, if we faithfully fulfil its duties; and - the more difficult our station may prove to be, the more of - satisfaction is likely to result from acquitting ourselves well in it. - The ambition which springs from this principle has nothing censurable - in it, provided that a view to the glory of God be its motive. I - delight to think that the advancement of the Divine glory is your - principal end; in which case, as your influence extends over the whole - city, the good you do may be very great. You will find a thousand - opportunities of glorifying God by your diligence, integrity, and - disinterestedness. Endeavour to find or make occasions of this sort; - seize on them eagerly, and shrink not from entering into the minutest - details, when the object is to do good to the bodies or souls of your - neighbours. Imitate, as far as circumstances will admit, the charity - of Christ; who went about doing good, and disdained not to converse - with the most wretched. I dwell on this the more particularly, because - the vanity and pride which reign in our native town appear to me - directly opposed to the spirit of charity. If you rise above these, - you will conduct yourself as a Christian, whose sole object is to - advance the glory of God; and who thinks little of the esteem of man, - except as it may place him in a position to do more good in the world. - - “Your recreations, of which you have given me a brief sketch, are - doubtless innocent, especially if they occupy no more of your time - than a due attention to health, and the wants of our nature demand. - Although you have often reproached me with being too austere, I am far - from thinking that religion forbids the use of innocent recreations; - because, being indifferent in themselves, they become useful when they - are necessary for the relaxation of the body or the mind. I am not at - all shocked at the tradition which informs us that St. John sometimes - amused himself with a partridge which he had tamed. Happy are they - who, as far as they are able, endeavour to turn their own recreations - to the advantage of others, which may certainly, if not always, yet - sometimes, be done. I sometimes polish shells with Mr. Hill, out of - compliance with his wishes. This used formerly to put me in a bad - humour, on account of the loss of time it occasioned. But I begin to - find that pious thoughts may sanctify an occupation as insignificant - as even this, and that a renouncing of one’s own will from compliance - with that of others is not without its utility. - - “I am now going to reply to that part of your letter in which you - testify your surprise at the change which has taken place in my manner - of thinking, a change which appears to have struck you in the last - letters which I wrote to my father. You cry out against the severity - of the principles which I have laid down; and add that, without being - a prophet, you boldly predict my giving way before long to enthusiasm - and all manner of bodily austerities, led on by the principles I have - assumed. - - “I am the less astonished, my dear brother, that you should thus - speak, because it is the language of ninety-nine Christians of the - present day out of every hundred, and because I myself for a long time - thought like you on this point. In a certain sense, indeed, I always - thought highly of religion, though at the bottom no one perhaps had - less of it than I. My infancy was vicious, and my youth still more so. - At eighteen I fell into what may properly be termed ‘enthusiasm;’ for - though I lived in many habitual sins, yet because I was regularly - present at public worship, not only on the Sunday, but during the - week, I imagined myself religious. I made long prayers morning and - evening, as well as frequently during the day. I devoted to the study - of the prophecies, and to books of a religious character, all the time - I could spare from my other studies. - - “My feelings were easily excited, but my heart was rarely affected, - and I was destitute of a sincere love to God, and consequently to my - neighbour. All my hopes of salvation rested on my prayers, devotions, - and a certain habit of saying, ‘Lord, I am a great sinner; pardon me - for the sake of Jesus Christ.’ In the meantime I was ignorant of the - fall and ruin in which every man is involved, the necessity of a - Redeemer, and the way by which we may be rescued from the fall by - receiving Christ with a living faith. I should have been quite - confounded if any one had asked me the following questions: ‘Do you - know that you are dead in Adam? Do you live to yourself? Do you live - in Christ and for Christ? Does God rule in your heart? Do you - experience that peace of God which passeth all understanding? Is the - love of God shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Spirit?’ I repeat - it, my dear brother, these questions would have astonished and - confounded me, as they must every one who relies on the form of - religion, and neglects its power and influence. - - “My religion, alas! having a different foundation from that which is - in Christ, was built merely on the sand; and no sooner did the winds - and floods arise, than it tottered and fell to ruins. I formed an - acquaintance with some Deists, at first with the design of converting - them, and afterwards with the pretence of thoroughly examining their - sentiments. But my heart, like that of Balaam, was not right with God. - He abandoned me, and I enrolled myself in their party. A considerable - change took place in my deportment. _Before_ I had a form of religion, - and _now_ I lost it; but as to the state of my heart, it was precisely - the same. I did not remain many weeks in this state; the Good Shepherd - sought after me, a wandering sheep. Again I became professedly a - Christian; that is, I resumed a regular attendance at church and the - communion, and offered up frequent prayers in the name of Jesus - Christ. There were also in my heart some sparks of true love to God, - and some germs of genuine faith; but a connection with worldly - characters, and an undue anxiety to promote my secular interests, - prevented the growth of these Christian graces. Had I now been asked - on what I founded my hopes of salvation, I should have replied, that I - was not without some religion; that, so far from doing harm to any - one, I wished well to all the world; that I resisted my passions; that - I abstained from pleasures in which I had once indulged; and that if I - was not so religious as some others, it was because such a degree of - religion was unnecessary; that heaven might be obtained on easier - terms; and that if I perished, the destruction of the generality of - Christians was inevitable, which I could not believe was consistent - with the mercy of God. - - “I was in this state of mind when a dream, which I could not but - consider as a warning from God, aroused me from my security.” - -Footnote 5: - - The elder of these sons died on coming of age; the younger became M.P. - for Shrewsbury, and afterwards for Shropshire. In 1784, he took his - seat in the House of Lords, as Baron Berwick. The title still exists. - The old Tern Hall has long been called Attingham House.—Debrett’s - “Peerage” and Wesley’s and Benson’s “Lives” of Fletcher. - -At great length Fletcher here relates his dream respecting the final -judgment, and then continues:— - - “For some days, I was so dejected and harassed in mind as to be unable - to apply myself to anything. While in this state, I attempted to copy - some music, when a servant entered my chamber. Having noticed my - employment, he said, ‘I am surprised, Sir, that you, who know so many - things, should forget what day this is, and that you should not be - aware that the Lord’s day should be sanctified in a very different - manner.’ - - “The sterling character of the man, his deep humility, his zeal for - the glory of God, his love to his neighbours, and especially his - patience, which enabled him to receive with joy the insults he met - with from the whole family for Christ’s sake, and, above all, the - secret energy which accompanied his words, deeply affected me, and - convinced me more than ever of my real state. I was convinced, as it - had been told me in my dream, that I was not renewed in the spirit of - my mind, that I was not conformed to the image of God, and that - without this the death of Christ would be of no avail for my - salvation.”[6] - -Footnote 6: - - The long letter from which the foregoing is extracted was first - published in 1826, in a “Life of Fletcher” in the French language, and - printed at Lausanne. In the same year, Mr. Benson printed it as an - appendix to the ninth edition of his “Life of Fletcher.” In 1839, it - was inserted in the _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_. The extract is - partly taken from Benson’s translation and partly from that in the - magazine. - -About this period of his history, Fletcher seems to have become -acquainted with the Methodists. Wesley says:— - - “I have heard two very different accounts of the manner wherein he had - the first notice of the people called Methodists; but I think it - reasonable to prefer to any other that which I received from his own - mouth. This was as follows:— - - “When Mr. Hill went up to London to attend the Parliament, he took his - family and Mr. Fletcher with him. While they stopped at St. Albans, he - walked out into the town, and did not return till they were set out - for London. A horse being left for him, he rode after, and overtook - them in the evening. Mr. Hill asking him why he stayed behind, he - said, ‘As I was walking, I met with a poor old woman, who talked so - sweetly of Jesus Christ that I knew not how the time passed away.’ ‘I - shall wonder,’ said Mrs. Hill, ‘if our tutor does not turn Methodist - by-and-by.’ ‘Methodist, Madame!’ said he, ‘pray, what is that?’ She - replied, ‘Why, the Methodists are a people that do nothing but pray; - they are praying all day and all night.’ ‘Are they?’ said he; ‘then, - by the help of God, I will find them out.’ He did find them out not - long after, and was admitted into the society; and from this time, - whenever he was in town, he met in Mr. Richard Edwards’s class. This - he found so profitable to his soul that he lost no opportunity of - meeting; and he retained a peculiar regard for Mr. Edwards till the - day of his death.”[7] - -Footnote 7: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 17. - -It was not, however, in Mr. Edwards’s class that Fletcher found peace -with God. A few months after his decease, a 12 mo. pamphlet of -sixty-four pages was published by his widow, entitled “A Letter to Mons. -H. L. de la Fléchère, Assessor Ballival of Nyon, in the Canton of Berne, -Switzerland, on the Death of his Brother, the Reverend John William de -la Fléchère, Twenty-five Years Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire.” In that -letter it is stated, that, “from the time he heard the Methodists, he -became more and more conscious that some inward change was necessary to -make him happy. He now began to ‘strive with the utmost diligence -according to his light, hoping by _much doing_ to render himself -acceptable to God.’ But, one day, hearing a sermon preached by a -clergyman, whose name was Green, he was convinced he did not understand -the nature of _saving faith_. ‘Is it possible,’ said he, ‘that I who -have always been accounted so religious, who have made divinity my -study, and received the premium of piety (so called) from the university -for my writings on divine subjects,—is it possible that I am yet so -ignorant as not to know what faith is?’ But the more he examined, the -more he was convinced of the momentous truth. He now became sensible of -inbred sin, and sought, by the most rigorous austerities, to conquer an -evil nature; but the more he strove, the more he saw and felt that all -his soul was sin.” - -Mrs. Fletcher continues the narrative of his conversion by giving the -following extract from his diary:— - - “1755. January 12.—I received the sacrament, though my heart was as - hard as a flint. The following day, I felt the tyranny of sin more - than ever, and an uncommon coldness in my religious duties. I felt the - burden of my corruptions heavier than ever. The more I prayed for - conquest over sin, the more I was conquered. The thoughts which - engrossed my mind were generally these: I am undone. I have wandered - from God. I have trampled under foot the frequent convictions God has - been pleased to work upon my heart. Instead of going straight to - Christ, I have lost my time in fighting against sin with the dim light - of reason, and the use of the means of grace. I fear my notions of - Christ are only speculative, and do not reach the heart. I _never had - faith_, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Then every - thought, word, and work of mine have only been sin and wickedness - before God, though ever so specious before men. All my righteousness - is as filthy rags. I am a very devil, though of an inferior sort, and - if I am not renewed before I go hence, hell will be my portion to all - eternity. - - “When I saw that all my endeavours availed nothing towards my - conquering sin, I almost resolved to sin on, and to go at last to - hell. But, I remember, there was a sort of sweetness even in the midst - of this abominable thought. If I go to hell, said I, I will still love - God there; and since I cannot be an instance of His mercy in heaven, I - will be an instance of His justice among the devils; and if I put - forth His glory one way or the other, I am content. - - “But I soon recovered the ground I had lost. Christ died for _all_, - thought I; then He died for _me_; and, as I sincerely desire to be - His, He will surely take me to Himself. He will surely let me know - before I die that He died for me. But then, I thought, this may only - be in my dying hour, and that is a long time to wait. But I answered - thus: My Saviour was above thirty-three years working out my - salvation; let me wait for Him as long, and then I may talk of - impatience. Does God owe me anything? Is He bound to time and place? - Do I deserve anything at His hands but damnation? - - “So I went on, sinning and repenting, and sinning again; but still - calling on God’s mercy through Christ. I was now beat out of all my - strongholds of pride. I felt my helplessness, and lay at the foot of - the throne of grace. I cried, though _coldly_, yet I believe - _sincerely_, ‘Lord, save me! Give me justifying faith in Thy blood! - Cleanse me from my sins!’ I seldom went to private prayer, but I - thought, ‘Perhaps this is the happy hour when I shall prevail with - God;’ but still I was disappointed. - - “On Sunday, January 19, 1755, I heard an excellent sermon on, ‘Being - justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus - Christ.’ I heard it attentively, but my heart was not moved. I was - only more convinced that I was an unbeliever—that I was not justified - by faith—and that I should never till then have peace with God. The - hymn after the sermon suited the subject that had been treated of, but - I could not join in singing it. I sat mourning, whilst others rejoiced - in the Lord their Saviour. - - “The following day, I begged of God to show me all the wickedness of - my heart, and to fit me for His mercy. I besought Him to increase my - convictions, for I was afraid I did not _mourn_ enough for my sins. - But I found relief in Mr. Wesley’s Journal, where I learned that we - should not build on what we feel; but that we should go to Christ with - all our sins and all our hardness of heart. - - “On January 21, I began to write a confession of my sins, misery, and - helplessness, together with a resolution to seek Christ even unto - death; but, my business calling me away, I had no heart to go on with - it. In the evening, I read the Scriptures, and found a sort of - pleasure in seeing a picture of my wickedness so exactly drawn in the - third chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and that of my condition - in the seventh; and now I felt some hope that God would finish in me - the work He had begun. - - “On Thursday, January 23, my fast-day, Satan beset me hard. I sinned - grievously, and almost gave up all hope; I mourned deeply, but with a - heart as hard as ever. I was on the brink of despair, and yet - continued to fall into sin. In the evening, I went to my friend, Mr. - B——, and told him something of my state. He strove to administer - comfort, but it did not suit my light. When we parted, he gave me some - advice which suited me better. ‘God,’ said he, ‘loves you, and if He - denies you anything, it is for your good. You deserve nothing at His - hands; wait then patiently for Him, and never give up your hope.’ I - went home resolved to follow this advice, though I should stay till - death. - - “I had proposed to meet the Lord the following Sunday at His table, - and therefore looked out a sacramental hymn. I learned it by heart, - and prayed it over many times, and then went to bed, commending myself - to God with rather more hope and peace than I had felt for some time. - But Satan waked while I slept. I thought I committed that night in my - sleep grievous and abominable sins. I awoke amazed and confounded, and - rising with a detestation of the corruption of my senses and - imagination, I fell upon my knees, and prayed with more faith and less - wanderings than usual, and afterwards set about my business with an - uncommon cheerfulness. It was not long before I was tempted to fall - into my besetting sin, but I found myself a new creature. My soul was - not even ruffled. Having withstood two or three temptations, and - feeling peace in my soul through the whole of them, I began to think - it was the Lord’s doing. Afterwards it was suggested to me that it was - great presumption for such a sinner to hope for such a mercy. I prayed - I might not be permitted to fall into a delusion; but the more I - prayed, the more I saw it was real; for though sin stirred all the day - long, I always overcame it in the name of the Lord. - - “In the evening I read some of the experiences of God’s children, and - found my case agreed with theirs, and suited the sermon I had heard on - Justifying Faith. I called on the Lord for perseverance and an - increase of faith, for still I felt some fear lest this should be all - delusion. Having continued my supplication till near one in the - morning, I then opened my Bible, and fell on these words, ‘Cast thy - burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He will not suffer the - righteous to be moved.’ Filled with joy, I fell again on my knees to - beg of God that I might always cast my burden upon Him. I took up my - Bible again, and fell on these words, ‘I will be with thee; I will not - fail thee, neither forsake thee; fear not, neither be dismayed.’ My - hope was now greatly increased, and I thought I saw myself conqueror - over sin, hell, and all manner of affliction. - - “With this beautiful promise I shut my Bible, and as I shut it I cast - my eye on the words, ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, I will do - it.’ So having asked perseverance and grace to serve God till death, I - went cheerfully to take my rest.” - -Such is Fletcher’s own account of his conversion. His widow added the -following:— - - “I subjoin what I have heard him speak concerning this time. He still - pleaded with the Lord to take a fuller possession of his heart, and to - give a fuller manifestation of His love, till one day, when in earnest - prayer, and lying prostrate on his face, he saw, with the eye of - faith, our Saviour on the cross, and at the same time these words were - spoken with power to his heart:— - - “‘Seiz’d by the rage of sinful men, - I see Christ bound and bruis’d and slain; - ’Tis done, the Martyr dies! - His life to ransom ours is given, - And lo! the fiercest fire of heaven - Consumes the sacrifice. - - “‘He suffers both from men and God; - He bears the universal load - Of guilt and misery! - _He suffers to reverse our doom, - And lo! my Lord is here become - The bread of life to me._’ - - “Now all his bonds were broken. His freed soul began to breathe a - purer air. Sin was beneath his feet. He could triumph in the Lord. - From this time, he walked in the ways of God, and, thinking he had not - leisure enough in the day, he made it a constant rule to sit up two - whole nights in the week for reading, prayer, and meditation. At the - same time, he lived on nothing but vegetables, and on bread with milk - and water. One end of his doing this was to avoid dining in company. - Besides sitting up two entire nights every week, his custom was never - to sleep so long as he could keep awake, and he always took a candle - and book with him to bed. One night, being overcome with sleep before - he had put out his candle, he dreamed that his curtain, pillow, and - cap were on fire, but went out without doing him any harm. And truly - so it was, for in the morning his curtain was found burnt, also a - corner of his pillow, and a part of his cap, but not a hair of his - head was singed. - - “Some time after this, he was favoured with a further manifestation of - the love of God, so powerful, that, he said, it appeared to him as if - his body and soul would be separated. Now all his desires centred in - one, that of devoting himself to the service of his precious Master, - which he thought he could best do by entering into holy orders.”[8] - -Footnote 8: - - Letter to Mons. H. L. de la Fléchère, 1786, p. 13. - -To complete the accounts of Fletcher’s conversion, in 1755, an extract -from another letter must be added. In that year, writing to his brother, -he insisted on the vanity of earthly pursuits, and then gave the -following description of the change that had taken place in himself:— - - “I speak from experience. I have been successively deluded by all - those desires, and sometimes I have been the sport of them all at - once. This will appear incredible, except to those who have discovered - that the heart of unregenerate man is nothing more than a chaos of - obscurity and a mass of contradictions. If you have any acquaintance - with yourself, you will readily subscribe to this description of the - human heart. Every unconverted man must necessarily be either a - _voluptuary_, a _worldly-minded person_, or a _pharisaical - philosopher_: or, perhaps, like myself, he may be all of these at the - same time; and, what is still more extraordinary, he may be so not - only without _believing_, but even without once _suspecting_ it; - indeed, nothing is more common among men than an entire blindness to - their own real characters. How often have I placed my happiness in - mere chimeras! How often have I grounded my vain hope upon imaginary - foundations! I have been constantly employed in framing designs for my - own felicity; but my disappointments have been as frequent and various - as my projects. - - “If, hitherto, my dear brother, you have beguiled yourself with - prospects of the same visionary nature, never expect to be more - successful in your future pursuits. One labour will only succeed - another, making way for continual discontent and chagrin. Open your - heart, and there you will discover the source of that painful - inquietude to which, by your own confession, you have been long a - prey. Examine its secret recesses, and you will discover there - sufficient proof of the following truths: ‘_The heart is deceitful - above all things, and desperately wicked_;’ ‘_All have sinned, and - come short of the glory of God_;’ ‘_The thoughts of man’s heart are - only evil, and that continually_;’ ‘_The natural man understandeth not - the things of the Spirit of God_.’ On the discovery of these and other - important truths, you will be convinced that man is an apostate being, - composed of a sensual, rebellious body, and a soul immersed in pride, - self-love, and ignorance; nay more, you will perceive it a physical - impossibility that man should ever become truly happy till he is cast, - as it were, into a new mould, and created a second time. - - “For my own part, when I first began to know myself, I saw, I _felt_ - that man is an undefinable animal, partly of a bestial and partly of - an infernal nature. The discovery shocked my self-love, and filled me - with the utmost horror. I endeavoured for some time to throw a - palliating disguise over the wretchedness of my condition, but the - impression it had already made upon my heart was too deep to be - erased. It was to no purpose that I reminded myself of the morality of - my conduct; it was in vain that I recollected the many encomiums that - had been passed upon my early piety and virtue; and it was to little - avail that I sought to cast a mist before my eyes by reasonings like - these: ‘If conversion implies a total change, who has been converted - in these days? Why dost thou imagine thyself worse than thou really - art? Thou art a believer in God and in Christ; thou art a Christian; - thou hast injured no person; thou art neither a drunkard nor an - adulterer; thou hast discharged thy duties not only in a general way, - but with more than ordinary exactness; thou art a strict attendant at - church; thou art accustomed to pray more regularly than others, and - frequently with a good degree of fervour; make thyself perfectly easy; - moreover, Jesus Christ has suffered for thy sins, and His merit will - supply everything lacking on thy part.’ - - “It was by reasonings of this nature that I endeavoured to conceal - from myself the deplorable state of my heart; and I am ashamed, my - dear brother, that I suffered myself so long to be deluded by the - artifices of Satan. God Himself has invited me; a cloud of apostles, - prophets, and martyrs have exhorted me; and my own conscience, - animated by those sparks of grace which are latent in every heart, has - urged me to enter in at the strait gate; but, notwithstanding all - this, a subtle temper, a deluding world, and a deceived heart have - constantly turned the balance, for above these twenty years, in favour - of the broad way. I have passed the most lovely part of my life in the - service of these tyrannical masters, and am ready to declare in the - face of the universe that all my reward has consisted in disquietude - and remorse. Happy had I listened to the earliest invitations of - grace, and broken the iron yoke from off my neck.”[9] - -Footnote 9: - - Gilpin’s Translation of “The Portrait of St. Paul.” - -These extracts are long, but they are important. They contain all the -known facts connected with Fletcher’s conversion. - -In writing to his brother, Fletcher remarked,—“At eighteen years of age, -I devoted as much time as I could spare to read the prophecies of the -Holy Bible;” and it is a curious fact that, in the year of his -conversion, he wrote a long letter to Wesley, in which he gave a -synopsis of the writings of “a great divine abroad,” who had “spent -fifty years in making himself perfectly master of the Oriental -languages, and in comparing and explaining the various predictions -scattered in the Old and New Testaments.” Fletcher was well acquainted -with this gentleman, and had many times conversed with him on the -subjects of his lifelong study. Substantially, the young man had adopted -the aged man’s views; and now, in a condensed form (filling, however, -nineteen octavo printed pages), he presented them to Wesley. At the -time, terrific wars were being waged, and, a month before the date of -Fletcher’s letter, the great earthquake at Lisbon had occurred. At such -seasons, devout men almost instinctively begin to study prophecies, and -hence no wonder that Fletcher now felt more than ordinarily interested -in what, “for some years, had often been the subject of his -meditations.” He believed that “the grand catastrophe of God’s drama -drew near apace,” and gave his reasons for such belief by referring -first to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, “which is a rough sketch of the world’s -four universal revolutions;” secondly, to Daniel’s vision of the four -beasts; and thirdly, to Daniel’s vision of the ram and he-goat, and the -two thousand and three hundred days, at the end of which the “sanctuary” -was to “be cleansed.” Fletcher, by elaborate calculations, shows that -this cleansing was to take place between the years 1750 and 1770, and -the following extract will indicate what, in his opinion, the cleansing -meant:— - - “God is now working such a work as has not been seen since the - Apostles’ days. He has sent some chosen servants of His, both in these - kingdoms and abroad, who, by the manifest assistance of the Holy - Spirit, have removed the filthy doctrine of justification by works, - and the outward Christless performance of moral duties, which pollute - the sanctuary and make it an abomination to the Lord. The Holy Ghost - is given, and the love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of - believers as in the days of old. I own that the cleansing is but - begun; but this revolution[10] may, in all probability, be the - forerunner of a greater. God has called; a few have obeyed His call. - The generality still shut their eyes and ears against the tender - invitations of their Lord, and continue to pollute the sanctuary and - to look on the blood of the Lamb as an unholy thing. Shall not God - carry on His work? Shall the creature still resist the Creator? and - the arm of flesh be stronger than the living God? Not so. He will not - always strive with obdurate hearts. What the gentle breathings of His - Spirit cannot perform, He will do by war, sword and fire, plague and - famine, tribulation and anguish. He is going to gird on His sword, and - His right hand shall teach Him terrible things. Nations refuse the - sceptre of His mercy; what remains, then, but to rule them with an - iron sceptre, and break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel?” - -Footnote 10: - - Meaning the war then raging. - -Fletcher concludes by arguing in favour of the doctrine, that, long -before the general judgment Christ will appear on earth a second time to -work out His great redeeming purposes. - - “Give me leave, Rev. Sir,” says he, “to propose to you a thing that - many will look upon as a great paradox, but has yet sufficient ground - in Scripture to raise the expectation of every Christian who sincerely - looks for the coming of our Lord; I mean the great probability that, - in the midst of this grand revolution, our Lord Jesus will suddenly - come down from heaven, and go Himself conquering and to conquer; for - what but the greatest prejudice can induce Christians to think that - the coming of our Lord, spoken of in so plain terms by three - evangelists, is His last coming before the universal judgment and the - end of the world?”[11] - -Footnote 11: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1793, p. 411. - -There cannot be a doubt that, at this period of his life, Fletcher was -what is commonly called a Millenarian. Whether his views were right or -wrong, the reader must determine for himself. - -When resident at Tern Hall, Fletcher attended the parish church at -Atcham, a small village about five miles from Shrewsbury. Here the Rev. -Mr. Cartwright was the officiating minister,[12] and was accustomed to -catechise in public the children of his parishioners. On one occasion, -he invited the adults who needed instruction to appear in the ranks of -the catechumens, and told them that to do so would be no disgrace to -them. All, however, except Fletcher, either thought that to stand among -the young people would disgrace them, or that further instruction in -their case was not needed. The accomplished young scholar from -Switzerland, the tutor of the two sons of their county member, had a -lower opinion of his excellences than the village peasants had of -theirs; for, leaving his seat with an air of unaffected modesty, he took -his place among the children, and became a catechumen of the village -pastor.[13] - -Footnote 12: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher,” 2nd edit., p. 366. - -Footnote 13: - - Gilpin’s note, in “Portrait of St. Paul.” - -At Atcham, Fletcher became acquainted with Mr. Vaughan, an excise -officer, who gave to Wesley the following account of his deeply-revered -friend:— - - “It was our ordinary custom, when the church service was over, to - retire into the most lonely fields or meadows, where we frequently - either kneeled down, or prostrated ourselves on the ground. At those - happy seasons, I was a witness of such pleadings and wrestlings with - God, such exercises of faith and love, as I have not known in any one - ever since. The consolations, which we then received from God, induced - us to appoint two or three nights in a week, when we duly met, after - his pupils were asleep. We met also constantly on Sunday, between four - and five in the morning. Sometimes I stepped into his study on other - days. I rarely saw any book before him, besides the _Bible_ and the - _Christian Pattern_.” - - “Our interviews for singing and conversation were seldom concluded - without prayer, in which we were frequently joined by her who is now - my wife (then a servant in the family), and by a poor widow in the - village, who had known the power of God unto salvation, and who died - some years ago, praising God with her latest breath. These were the - only persons in the village whom he chose for his familiar friends; - but he sometimes walked to Shrewsbury, to see Mrs. Glynne or Mr. - Appleton. He also visited the poor in the neighbourhood who were sick; - and, when no other person could be procured, performed even the - meanest offices for them.” - -Besides the godly friends mentioned in this interesting statement, -Fletcher had another acquaintance at Atcham, whom he visited to be -instructed in singing. This gentleman supplied Wesley with what -follows:— - - “I remember but little of that man of God, Mr. Fletcher, it being - above nine-and-twenty years since I last saw him; but this I well - remember, his conversation with me was always sweet and savoury. He - was too wise to suffer any of his precious moments to be trifled away. - When company dined at Mr. Hill’s, he frequently retired into the - garden, and contentedly dined on a piece of bread and a few bunches of - currants. Indeed, in his whole manner of living he was a pattern of - abstemiousness. Meantime, how great was his sweetness of temper and - heavenly-mindedness! I never saw it equalled in any one. How often, - when I parted with him at Tern Hall, have his eyes and hands been - lifted up to heaven, to implore a blessing upon me, with fervour and - devoutness unequalled by any I ever witnessed. I firmly believe he has - not left in this land, or perhaps in any other, one luminary like - himself.”[14] - -Footnote 14: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -These glimpses of Fletcher, at this early period of his life, are too -valuable and important to be omitted. - -It is impossible to determine the exact date when he joined the -Methodist Society in London, but there can be no doubt that it was as -early as the year 1756, and probably a year or two earlier. Hence the -following extract from a letter addressed to Mr. Richard Edwards, the -leader of the London class in which Fletcher had been enrolled a -member:— - - “TERN, _October 19, 1756_. - - “DEAREST BROTHER,—This is to let you know that I am very well in body - and pretty well in soul; but I have very few friends here, and God has - been pleased to take away the chief of those few by a most comfortable - death. My aged father also is gone the way of all flesh. For some - years, I have written to him with as much freedom as I could have done - to a son, though not with so much effect as I wished. But, last - spring, God visited him with a severe illness, which brought him to a - sense of himself; and, after a deep repentance, he died about a month - ago, in the full assurance of faith.”[15] - -Footnote 15: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher, at Geneva, had refused to enter the Christian ministry; now he -entertained the most serious thoughts of devoting himself to it; but -before doing so he wrote to Wesley, with whom he had become acquainted. - - “TERN, _November 24, 1756_. - - “REV. SIR,—As I look on you as my spiritual guide, and cannot doubt of - your patience to hear, and your experience to answer, a serious - question proposed by any of your people, I freely lay my case before - you. - - “Since the first time I began to feel the love of God shed abroad in - my heart, which was, I think, when seven years of age, I resolved to - give myself up to Him and the service of His Church, if ever I was fit - for it; but the corruption which is in the world, and that which was - in my heart, soon weakened, if not erased, those first characters that - grace had wrote upon it. However, I went through my studies with a - design of going into Orders; but afterwards, upon serious reflection, - feeling I was unequal for so great a burden, and disgusted by the - necessity I should be under to subscribe to the doctrine of - predestination, I yielded to the desire of my friends, who would have - me go into the army. But just before I was quite engaged in a military - employment, I met with such disappointments as occasioned my coming to - England. Here I was called outwardly three times to go into Orders; - but, upon praying to God that if those calls were not from Him they - might come to nothing, something always blasted the designs of my - friends; and in this I have often admired the goodness of God, who - prevented me rushing into that important employment, as the horse does - into the battle. I never was more thankful for this favour than since - I heard the Gospel preached in its purity. Before, I had been afraid; - but then I trembled to meddle with holy things, and resolved to work - out my salvation privately, without engaging in a way of life which - required so much more grace and gifts than I possessed. Yet, from time - to time, I felt warm and strong desires to cast myself and all my - inability upon the Lord, if I should be called again, knowing that He - could help me, and show His strength in my weakness; and these desires - were increased by some little success that attended my exhortations - and letters to my friends. - - “I think it necessary to let you know, Sir, that my patron often - desired me to take Orders, and said he would soon help me to a living; - to which I coldly answered, I was not fit, and that besides I did not - know how to get a title. The thing was in that state when, about six - weeks ago, a gentleman I hardly knew offered me a living, which, in - all probability, will be vacant very soon; and a clergyman, that I - never spoke to, gave me, of his own accord, the title of curate to one - of his livings. Now, Sir, the question which I beg you to decide is, - whether I must and can make use of that title to get into Orders? For - with respect to the living, were it vacant, I have no mind to it, - because I think I could preach with more fruit in my own country and - in my own tongue. - - “I am in suspense; on one side, my heart tells me I must try, and it - tells me so whenever I feel any degree of the love of God and man; - but, on the other, when I examine whether I am fit for it, I so - plainly see my want of gifts, and especially of that _soul_ of all the - labours of a minister of the Gospel—_love_, _continual, universal, - flaming love_, that my confidence disappears; I accuse myself of pride - to dare to entertain the desire of supporting the ark of the Lord, and - conclude that an extraordinary punishment will sooner or later - overtake my rashness. As I am in both these frames successively, I - must own, Sir, I do not see plainly which of the two ways before me I - can take with safety, and I shall be glad to be ruled by you, because - I trust God will direct you in giving me the advice you think will - best conduce to His glory, the _only_ thing I would have in view in - this affair. I know how precious is your time; I desire no long - answer;—_persist_ or _forbear_ will satisfy and influence, Sir, your - unworthy servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[16] - -Footnote 16: - - “Thirteen Original Letters, written by the late Rev. John Fletcher. - Bath, 1791,” 12mo, p. 3. - -Wesley’s answer to this important letter has not been preserved. Perhaps -no letter was written. Wesley was now in London. Parliament met eight -days after Fletcher wrote to him. Public affairs were in a critical -condition, and, no doubt, Mr. Hill would feel it a duty to be present at -the opening of the session. When he came to London to fulfil his -parliamentary duties, it was his custom to bring his sons and their -tutor with him. That Fletcher was now in London is evident from the -following letter, addressed to Wesley within three weeks after the date -of his former one. Of course, he would have an interview with Wesley as -early as possible, and in all likelihood Wesley, at this interview, not -only advised him to be ordained, but likewise dissuaded him from his -purpose to return to Switzerland. There is no reference in the letter to -Fletcher’s proposed ordination, for, doubtless, that was a matter -already settled. Fletcher had been attending sacramental services in -Wesley’s London chapels; and it had occurred to him that these services -might be much improved, and Wesley himself considerably relieved. To say -the least, the letter is full of interest, and contains a hint which, in -large societies, might be profitably adopted. - - “_December 13, 1756._ - - “SIR,—When I have received the sacrament in your chapels, though I - admired the order and decency with which that awful part of the divine - worship was performed, I thought there was something wanting, which - might make it still more profitable and solemn. - - “As the number of communicants is generally very great, the time spent - in receiving is long enough for many, I am afraid, to feel their - devotion languish, and their desires grow cold, for want of outward - fuel. In order to prevent this, you interrupt, from time to time, the - service of the table, to put up a short prayer, or to sing a verse or - two of a hymn; and I do not doubt but many have found the benefit of - that method. But, as you can spare very little time, you are obliged - to be satisfied with scattering those few drops, instead of a - continual rain. Would not that want be easily supplied, Sir, if you - were to appoint the preachers who may be present to do what you cannot - possibly do yourself, to pray and sing without interruption, as at a - watchnight? - - “This would have several good effects: 1. Experience, as well as the - nature of the thing itself, shows every sincere seeker that, as it is - the fittest time to ask, and the most ordinary to receive grace, every - moment ought to be improved to the best advantage. 2. Continual - praying and singing would prevent the wanderings of many, who are not - convinced of sin deeply enough, or influenced by grace strongly - enough, to mourn and pray without interruption, if they are left to - themselves. 3. It would increase the earnestness of believers; for - though every one wrestles probably in his own heart both for himself - and the congregation, yet their prayers would certainly have more - power if united, and the general fire would increase the warmth of - their affections. 4. In praying frequently for universal love, as the - remembrance of Christ’s bleeding love naturally directs us to do, you - would add for many the benefit and comfort of a lovefeast to the - advantages that attend the Holy Eucharist. 5. If the prayers were - especially calculated for those that receive, is it not probable, Sir, - that they would be extremely encouraged to act faith, to touch the hem - of Christ’s garment, to cast their burden upon Him, and to lay hold of - eternal life, if they heard their weak petitions supported by the - fervent prayers of their brethren, at the same time that they feed, or - are going to feed, on the blessed signs of Christ’s body and blood? - - “It may be objected:—1. That some may prefer to pour out their souls - before God according to their different frames, whether it be - deadness, desertion, joy, overflowings of humility, repentance, love, - etc. And so they might; but I do not see how general prayer and - singing would rob them of that liberty, if they thought it more - acceptable to God and beneficial to themselves; and their praying in - private would not hinder the bulk of the congregation from uniting - with joy in the public service. 2. That this method might bring in a - confusion greater than the advantages it seems to be attended with. - But could not prudence obviate this? I am sure it could; for I have - seen that, or something like it, performed in a congregation of a - thousand communicants without the least confusion, and to the great - edification and comfort of many. - - “But you are the best judge, Sir; and if I take the liberty of giving - you this hint, to make of it what use you think fit, it is because you - said lately in the Society that you heard willingly the observations - of your people, and were ready to follow or improve them if they were - just and reasonable. - - “I am, Sir, your unworthy servant, - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[17] - -Footnote 17: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1798, p. 93. - -Within three months after this, Fletcher was ordained. On Sunday, March -6, 1757, he received deacon’s orders from the Bishop of Hereford; and -priest’s orders on the Sunday following from the Bishop of Bangor, in -the Chapel Royal at St. James’s.[18] - -Footnote 18: - - Gilpin’s “Portrait of St. Paul.” - -On the day he was ordained priest, he hastened to Snowsfields Chapel, to -assist Wesley in one of those heavy sacramental services referred to in -the foregoing letter. Wesley writes:— - - “1757, Sunday, March 13. Finding myself weak at Snowsfields, I prayed - (if He saw good) that God would send me help at the chapel, and I had - it. As soon as I had done preaching, Mr. Fletcher came, who had just - been ordained priest, and hastened to the chapel on purpose to assist - me in the administration of the Lord’s supper, as he supposed me to be - alone. - - “Sunday, March 20. Mr. Fletcher helped me again. How wonderful are the - ways of God! When my bodily strength failed, and none in England were - able and willing to assist me, He sent me help from the mountains of - Switzerland, and an helpmeet for me in every respect; where could I - have found such another?”[19] - -Footnote 19: - - Wesley’s “Works,” vol. ii., p. 376; and vol. vii., p. 415. - -Thus did Fletcher begin his remarkable ministerial life in a Methodist -meeting-house. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - _FROM HIS ORDINATION TO HIS SETTLEMENT - AT MADELEY._ - - 1757 TO 1760. - - -FOR three years after his ordination, Fletcher was without a Church -appointment. How did he spend this interval? Wesley says:— - - “He was now doubly diligent in preaching, not only in the chapels at - West Street and Spitalfields, but wherever the providence of God - opened a door to proclaim the everlasting Gospel. This he did - frequently in French (as well as in English), of which all judges - allowed him to be a complete master.”[20] - -Footnote 20: - - Wesley’s “Works,” vol. vii., p. 415. - -As might be expected, Fletcher soon became a great favourite among the -first Methodists. Almost at once, he was the highly esteemed friend of -Miss Bosanquet (his future wife), Ann Tripp, Sarah Crosby, Sarah -Ryan,[21] Thomas Walsh, and others, whose Methodistic fame will never -perish. After his death, in 1785, Mrs. Crosby wrote:— - - “It is now eight or nine and twenty years since I was first favoured - with Mr. Fletcher’s heavenly conversation, in company with Mr. Walsh - and a few other friends, most of whom are now in the world of spirits. - At these seasons, how frequently did we feel— - - ‘The o’erwhelming power of saving grace!’ - - How frequently were we silenced thereby, while tears of love our souls - o’erflowed! It affects me while I recollect the humility, fervour of - spirit, and strength of faith with which dear Mr. Fletcher so often - poured out his soul before the Great Three One, at whose feet we have - lain in holy shame and silence, till earth seemed turned to heaven. I - heard this heavenly-minded servant of the Lord preach his first sermon - in West Street chapel. I think his text was, ‘_Repent, for the kingdom - of heaven is at hand._’ His spirit appeared in his whole attitude and - action. He could not well find words in the English language to - express himself; but he supplied that defect by offering up prayers, - tears, and sighs. Nearly about this time he saw Miss Bosanquet, and - began his acquaintance with her; but, although they highly esteemed - each other, they had no correspondence for above twenty years.”[22] - -Footnote 21: - - Tyerman’s “Life of Wesley,” vol. ii., pp. 286, 289. - -Footnote 22: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher,” 2 edit., p. 320. - -Fletcher still continued to be the tutor of the sons of Mr. Hill. During -the sitting of Parliament, he was in London; the remainder of the year -was chiefly spent at Tern Hall.[23] Whilst at the latter place, he -preached, on June 19, 1757, for the first time in the church at Atcham, -taking as his text, “_Ye adulterers and adultresses, know ye not that -the friendship of the world is enmity against God?_” “A very bold -beginning,” wrote his friend Mr. Vaughan. “The congregation stood -amazed, and gazed upon him as if he had been a monster; but to me he -appeared as a messenger sent from heaven. It was not soon that he was -invited again to preach in Atcham church, but he was invited to preach -in others; first in Wroxeter, and afterwards at the Abbey Church in -Shrewsbury;[24] but I doubt whether he preached more than six times in -the six months he stayed in the country. On my saying I wished he had -more opportunities of preaching, he answered, ‘The will of God be done; -I am in His hands. If He does not call me to so much public duty, I have -the more time for study, prayer, and praise.’”[25] - -Footnote 23: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Footnote 24: - - Benson says, “He also preached twice in St. Alkmond’s Church in - Shrewsbury.” - -Footnote 25: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -In the month of May, 1757, Wesley was in the north of England and -Fletcher was in London. The following letter to Wesley needs no further -introduction:— - - “LONDON, _May 26, 1757_. - - “REV. SIR,—If I did not write to you before Mrs. Wesley had asked me, - it was not that I wanted a remembrancer within, but rather an - encourager without. There is generally upon my heart such a sense of - my unworthiness, that sometimes I dare hardly open my mouth before a - child of God, and think it an unspeakable honour to stand before one - who has recovered something of the image of God, or sincerely seeks - after it. Is it possible that such a sinful worm as I should have the - privilege to converse with one whose soul is besprinkled with the - blood of my Lord? The thought amazes, confounds me, and fills my eyes - with tears of humble joy. Judge, then, at what distance I must see - myself from you if I am so much below the least of your children; and - whether a remembrancer within suffices to make me presume to write to - you, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. - - “I rejoice that you find everywhere an increase of praying souls. I - doubt not that the prayer of the just has great power with God, but I - cannot believe that it should hinder the fulfilling of Christ’s - gracious promises to His Church. He must, and certainly will, come at - the time appointed, for He is not slack, as some men count slackness; - and, although He would have all come to repentance, He has not - forgotten to be true and just. Only He will come with more mercy, and - will increase the light that shall be at eventide, according to His - promise in Zech. xiv. 7. I should rather think that the visions are - not yet plainly disclosed, and that the day and year in which the Lord - will begin to make bare His arm openly, are still concealed from us. - - “I must say concerning Mr. Walsh,[26] as he once said to me concerning - God, ‘I wish I could attend him everywhere, as Elisha attended - Elijah.’ But since the will of God calls me from him, I must submit, - and drink the cup prepared for me. I have not seen him, unless for a - few moments three or four times before divine service. We must meet at - the throne of grace, or meet but seldom. Oh when will the communion of - saints be complete? Lord, hasten the time, and let me have a place - among them who love Thee, and love one another in sincerity! - - “I set out in two days for the country. Oh may I be faithful; - harmless, like a dove; wise, like a serpent; and bold, as a lion, for - the common cause! O Lord, do not forsake me! Stand by the weakest of - Thy servants, and enable Thy children to bear with me and to wrestle - with Thee on my behalf! - - “Oh bear with me, dear Sir, and give me your blessing every day, and - the Lord will return to you sevenfold. - - “I am, Rev. Sir, your unworthy servant, J. FLETCHER.”[27] - -Footnote 26: - - Thomas Walsh, one of the most remarkable of Wesley’s Itinerants. To - say nothing of his piety and usefulness, Wesley declared him to be the - best Hebrew scholar he had ever met. He died two years after the date - of Fletcher’s letter. - -Footnote 27: - - “Thirteen Original Letters, written by the Rev. J. Fletcher, 1791,” p. - 8. - -There is no need to dwell on Fletcher’s humbleness, as displayed in this -letter, for that was _one_ of his chief characteristics to the end of -life. It may be added, however, that the letter furnishes fresh proof -that Fletcher was one of the godly few who were expecting the speedy -appearance of the incarnate and glorified Redeemer. It is probable that -his letter to Wesley on prophecy had led Wesley to advert to the same -subject, and that this was Fletcher’s answer to one of Wesley’s -critiques. - -Three weeks after the date of this letter, Fletcher preached his first -sermon in _a church_. This was at Atcham, on June 19, as already stated. -As in the case of Wesley, churches, however, were soon closed against -him. To his friend and class-leader, Mr. Edwards, of London, he wrote:— - - “I thank you for your encouraging observations. I want them, and use - them by the grace of God. When I received yours, I had not had one - opportunity of preaching; so incensed were all the clergy against me. - One, however, let me have the use of his church—the Abbey Church at - Shrewsbury. I preached in the forenoon with some degree of the - demonstration of the Spirit. The congregation was very numerous, and I - believe one half, at least, desired to hear me again. But the minister - would not let me have the pulpit any more. The next Sunday, the - minister of a neighbouring parish lying a-dying, I was sent for to - officiate for him. He died a few days after, and the chief man in the - parish offered to make interest that I might succeed him; but I could - not consent. The next Sunday I preached at Shrewsbury again, but in - another church. The next day I set out for Bristol, and was much - refreshed among the brethren. As I returned, I called at New - Kingswood, about sixteen miles from Bristol. The minister offering me - his church, I preached to a numerous congregation, gathered on half an - hour’s notice. I think the seed then sown will not be lost.”[28] - -Footnote 28: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher,” 2nd edit., p. 38. - -Early in the year 1758, Wesley introduced Fletcher to the Countess of -Huntingdon. Her ladyship wrote:— - - “1758, March 19. I have seen Mr. Fletcher, and was both pleased and - refreshed by the interview. He was accompanied by Mr. Wesley, who had - frequently mentioned him in terms of high commendation, as had Mr. - Whitefield, Mr. Charles Wesley, and others, so that I was anxious to - become acquainted with one so devoted, and who appears to glory in - nothing, save in the cross of our Divine Lord and Master. Hearing that - he preached in French, his native language, I mentioned the case of - the French prisoners at Tunbridge. May the Lord of the harvest bless - his word, and send forth many such faithful ambassadors!”[29] - -Footnote 29: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 231. - -Fletcher was becoming famous. Already, in his twenty-ninth year, he had -gained the love and admiration of the Wesley brothers, of Whitefield, -and of the Methodist great “elect lady.” At her request, Fletcher hied -away to Tunbridge, and preached to a congregation of prisoners on their -parole, who were so deeply affected by the truth, which many of them had -not heard before, that they earnestly requested he would preach to them -every Sunday. They proceeded even further, for they signed and sent a -petition to Sherlock, Bishop of London, begging him to allow Fletcher to -officiate as their weekly chaplain. Strangely enough, notwithstanding -Sherlock’s high repute for piety, he peremptorily rejected the -prisoners’ petition. Wesley says: “If I had known this at the time, King -George should have known it, and I believe he would have given the -Bishop little thanks.”[30] - -Footnote 30: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher, as usual, continued in London with his pupils until the -prorogation of Parliament, when Mr. Hill and his family returned to -their country home. The journey to Shropshire was made in the family -coach; but, unfortunately, Mr. Hill commenced it on the Sabbath-day.[31] -This was a trial to Fletcher. Hence the following letter to Charles -Wesley:— - - “TERN, _June 6, 1758_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—Before I took my leave of you, the Sunday I set - out, and indeed almost all the time I was at the communion table, I - felt some degree of condemnation, as if, by setting out on that day, I - profaned the Sabbath, and the Lord’s supper; whereupon those words - came strongly to my mind, ‘Therefore many among you are sick and weak, - and some are dead.’ I immediately found myself out of order, and had - much ado to reach home after the service was over. Till the horses - were at the door, I thought I should not be able to go; but found - myself then a little strengthened. The next day, I was much worse, and - they were obliged to make room for me in the coach. The day after, I - was still worse, and really thought it would be my last. About noon, - while the family was at dinner, I collected what little strength I had - left; and, falling prostrate before the Lord, I besought Him not to - cut me off among heathens, but to grant me the favour of comforting - and being comforted by some Christian at my death. This request, so - contrary to true resignation, I think reached the ear of the Lord. He - rebuked the rage of the fever, and sensibly filled my soul with all - peace in believing; so that I saw I was yet for the land of the - living. Nay, a few hours after, I found myself as well as ever; and so - I continue now by God’s grace. - - “What have I to do but to make good use of the health and leisure I - have in this retreat? I see my duty, and I form resolutions; but, - alas! I carry with me a wicked heart, which enters not into these - projects; and Satan is never more assiduous and eager to injure us - than in retirement. I feel, however, by the grace of God, determined - to sustain all the attacks of the flesh and of the devil, and to seize - the kingdom of heaven by force. The Lord has been particularly - gracious to me, in putting it into my heart to pray for the brethren. - I have experienced more power and more pleasure in this duty of - intercession than I have ever done. You will rightly judge that you - are not forgotten in these poor prayers; and I hope that you also - sometimes remember me. - - “I hope you have overcome the scruple which prevented you from giving - Mr. Maxfield full liberty to labour for the Lord among us.[32] The - interest of the brethren, and no other motive, makes me desire it. - - “I shall not see you in Bristol;[33] the journey of my pupils not - taking place at the time expected. May the Lord be with you more and - more in your labours and in your devotions! Farewell! - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[34] - -Footnote 31: - - Wesley himself not infrequently set out on his long journey to the - north on Sunday. - -Footnote 32: - - It is difficult to determine what is meant by this; most likely - Fletcher wished Thomas Maxfield to preach in the neighbourhood of Tern - Hall. Five years afterwards, Maxfield left Wesley, and became an - ordained clergyman of the Church of England. - -Footnote 33: - - Wesley’s Annual Conference was held in Bristol, in August, 1758. - -Footnote 34: - - Fletcher’s “Works,” vol. viii., p. 154. - -At this period, Sarah Ryan, with whom Fletcher had become acquainted, -was acting as the housekeeper in Wesley’s “New Room” at Bristol.[35] To -her Fletcher addressed the following hitherto unpublished letter:— - - “TERN, _October 12, 1758_. - - “MY SISTER,—Where shall I begin the sad account I must give you of my - numberless infidelities from the time I left you? That very day, - having been called to preach in a church on our way, the freedom with - which the Lord enabled me to do it puffed me up in some measure. The - clear sight of the prize of my high calling was clouded, and so it - remained till I got home, when it pleased God to revive my hope full - of immortality, and to enable me to hunger and thirst after the - everlasting righteousness that shall be brought into the souls of - those in whom faith shall have its perfect work. During a few days, I - rejoiced because of the power I had over the sin that most easily - beset me,—I mean drowsiness; but, alas! my triumph was but short; for, - if the enemy did not come in at this door, another, no less effectual, - was opened to him. Just as I was going to resume my daily course of - business, I was called to preach in a church at Salop, and was obliged - to compose a sermon in the moments I should have spent in prayer. - Hurry and the want of a single eye again drew a veil between the prize - and my soul. In the meantime, Sunday came, and God rejected my impure - service, and abhorred the labour of my polluted soul; and, while - others imputed my not preaching to the fear of the minister who had - invited me to his pulpit, and to the threatenings of a mob, I saw the - wisdom and holiness of God, and rejoiced in that providence which does - all without the assistance of hurrying Uzzah. - - “In general, I find I am surrounded with thousands of temptations, so - much the more dangerous because they are disguised under the - appearance of duties. I find, at times, such an alienation to - religious duties as makes me almost question whether I have a grain of - living faith. I think God has, this morning, shown me, in a clearer - light than ever, that I must begin to hang upon frames no more, but - learn to stand by a naked faith. - - “Your unworthy brother, - “J. FLETCHER. - - “P.S.—Direct to John Fletcher, under cover to Thomas Hill, Esq., M.P., - at Tern, near Shrewsbury. - - “To Mrs. Ryan, - “At the New Room in the Horse Fair, - “Bristol.” - -Footnote 35: - - Previous to becoming Wesley’s housekeeper, Sarah Ryan, Mary Clarke, - and Sarah Crosby lived together, in a small house in Christopher - Alley, Moorfields. It was here that Miss Bosanquet (afterwards - Fletcher’s wife) formed an acquaintance with Sarah Ryan, in 1757. (See - “Life of Mrs. Fletcher,” by Henry Moore, pp. 17–20.) - -Thus did these earnest first Methodists watch over themselves with a -godly jealousy; and thus, in addition to the Christian fellowship in -their weekly class-meetings, did they tell their religious experience to -each other in epistolary correspondence. To this fact, pre-eminently, -Methodism is indebted for its rich biographies. - -Immediately after the date of the above letter, Fletcher must have set -out for Bristol, for Wesley writes:— - - “In the following week” (the third week in October), “I met Mr. - Fletcher, and the other preachers that were in the house at Bristol, - and spent a considerable time in close conversation on the head of - Christian Perfection. I afterwards wrote down the general propositions - wherein we all agreed.”[36] - -Footnote 36: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -No doubt, these propositions were substantially the same as those which -Wesley, two months before, had presented to his Annual Conference, and -which were:— - -1. That Christian Perfection does not “exclude all infirmities, -ignorance, and mistake.” - -2. That those who think they have attained Christian Perfection, in -speaking their own experience, should “speak with great wariness, and -with the deepest humility and self-abasement before God.” - -3. That young preachers, especially, should “speak of Perfection in -public, not too minutely or circumstantially, but rather in general and -scriptural terms.” - -4. That Christian Perfection “implies the loving God with all the heart, -so that every evil temper is destroyed, and every thought, and word, and -work springs from, and is conducted to the end by, the pure love of God -and our neighbour.”[37] - -Footnote 37: - - “Minutes of Conference” (edition 1862), vol. i., p. 711. - -At the close of the year, Fletcher, as usual, was, with the family of -Mr. Hill, in London, where he wrote the following to Charles Wesley. -There can be no doubt that the “humiliation before he left Tern” was the -imputations cast upon him on account of his failing to preach in the -church at Salop, mentioned in the foregoing letter to Sarah Ryan. - - “LONDON, _December 12, 1758_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—Before I left Tern, the Lord gave me a medicine to - prepare me to suffer what awaited me here. This humiliation prepared - me so well that I was not surprised to learn a person in London had - spread abroad many false and scandalous things of me during my - absence; and that the minds of many were prejudiced against me. In one - sense, I took a pleasure in thinking that I was going to be rejected - by the children of God, and that my Saviour would become more dear - under the idea that, as in heaven, so now on earth, I should have none - but Him. The first time I appeared in the chapel many were so offended - that it was with difficulty they could forbear interrupting me in - prayer, to tell me, ‘_Physician, heal thyself._’ I was on the point of - declining to officiate, fearing I should only give fresh offence; - indeed, I should have done so had it not been for my friend Bernon, - who pressed me to stand firm, representing the triumph my silence - would give my enemies. His reasons appeared to me so cogent, that, as - your brother did not reject my assistance, I read prayers, and engaged - to preach sometimes of a morning; which I have accordingly continued - to do.”[38] - -Footnote 38: - - Letters, 1791. - -This is an unpleasant but amusing episode, and presents these first -Methodists in a frame of heart and mind far from commendable. Of course, -Fletcher was not faultless. Perhaps he was blameable in the sermon -affair at Salop; but, as Wesley still permitted him to read prayers and -to preach in the West Street chapel, London, it may be taken for granted -that his offence, if an offence had been committed, was a very venial -one. Some of the early Methodists had more zeal than charity. - -Fletcher continued to officiate in West Street chapel, and, whilst doing -so, a proposal was made which occasioned him considerable anxiety. -Nathaniel Gilbert inherited an estate in Antigua. For some years, he had -been the Speaker in the House of Assembly of that island. In 1758, he -was in England, and resided at Wandsworth. Wesley, on January 17, 1758, -preached in his house, and met two of his negro servants and a mulatto, -who appeared to be much awakened. In the month of November following, -Wesley baptized the two negroes. Mr. Gilbert returned to Antigua in the -autumn of 1759, and, having become acquainted with Fletcher, was -desirous that he should go with him to the West Indian Islands, and -preach to the planters and their slaves the “glorious Gospel of the -blessed God.” Hence the following letter to Charles Wesley:— - - “LONDON, _March 22, 1759_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—Since your departure, I have lived more than ever like a - hermit. It seems to me that I am an unprofitable weight upon the - earth. I want to hide myself from all. I tremble when the Lord favours - me with a sight of myself; I tremble to think of preaching only to - dishonour God. To-morrow, I preach at West Street, with all the - feelings of Jonah. Would to God I might be attended with his success! - - “A proposal has lately been made to me to accompany Mr. Nathaniel - Gilbert to the West Indies. I have weighed the matter, but, on one - hand I feel that I have neither sufficient zeal, nor grace, nor - talents to expose myself to the temptations and labours of a mission - in the West Indies; and, on the other, I believe that if God calls me - thither, the time is not yet come. I wish to be certain that I am - converted myself before I leave my converted brethren to convert - heathen. Pray let me know what you think of this business. If you - condemn me to put the sea between us, the command would be a hard one, - but I might possibly prevail on myself to give you that proof of the - deference I pay to your judicious advice. - - “I have taken possession of my little hired chamber. There I have - _outward_ peace, and I wait for that which is within. I was this - morning with Lady Huntingdon, who salutes you. Our conversation was - deep, and full of the energy of faith on the part of the Countess; as - to me, I sat like Saul at the feet of Gamaliel.”[39] - -Footnote 39: - - Letters, 1791, p. 83. - -Charles Wesley evidently was one of Fletcher’s confidential advisers, -and had great influence over him. Fortunately, that influence was not -used to induce him to go to the West Indies. Had he gone, in all -probability his “Checks to Antinomianism” would never have been written, -and his incalculable services to Wesley and to Methodism would not have -been rendered. - -From the concluding part of Fletcher’s letter, it would seem that he was -not now resident in Mr. Hill’s London mansion, but had “a little hired -chamber” of his own. The probability is, that, during the Easter -holidays of Parliament, Mr. Hill had returned to Shropshire, and that -Fletcher had remained in London to officiate for the two Wesleys in West -Street chapel; and, perhaps, in the Foundery, and in the chapel at -Spitalfields. Twelve months previously, the Methodist Societies -connected with these three places of worship had been blessed with the -unspeakably precious ministry of the never-to-be-forgotten Thomas Walsh. -“Lord,” said he, when leaving them on February 19, 1758, “Lord, Thou -hast given me much favour in the eyes of this people. They show it by -words and deeds; their prayers and tears. Reward them a thousandfold!” -Seventeen days after the date of Fletcher’s foregoing letter, Thomas -Walsh departed this life in Dublin, in the twenty-eighth year of his -age. During his last days on earth, he was pre-eminently “in heaviness,” -_great, distressing_ “heaviness, through manifold temptations.” At -length, Satan was defeated, victory came, Walsh rapturously exclaimed, -“He is come! He is come! My Beloved is mine, and I am His! His for -ever!” And, uttering these words, he triumphantly expired.[40] Fletcher -had become acquainted with Walsh by attending his ministry in Wesley’s -London chapels. On hearing of his death, he wrote the following -impassioned letter to Charles Wesley:— - - “LONDON, _April—, 1759_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—With a heart bowed down with grief, and eyes bathed with - tears, occasioned by our late heavy loss—I mean the death of Mr. - Walsh—I take my pen to pray you to intercede for me. What! that - _sincere_, _laborious_, and _zealous_ servant of God! Was he saved - only as ‘_by fire_,’ and his prayer not heard till the twelfth hour - was just expiring? Oh where shall I appear! I, who am an unprofitable - servant! Would to God my eyes were fountains of waters to weep for my - sins! Would to God I might pass the rest of my days in crying, ‘_Lord, - have mercy upon me!_’ ‘_All is vanity_’—grace, talents, labours,—if we - compare them with the mighty stride we have to take from time into - eternity! Lord, remember me, _now_ that Thou art in Thy kingdom! - - “I have preached and administered the sacrament at West Street - sometimes in the holidays. May God water the poor seed I have sown, - and give it fruitfulness, though it be only in one soul! But I have - seen so much weakness in my heart, both as a minister and a Christian, - that I know not which is most to be pitied—the man, the believer, or - the preacher. Could I at last be _truly_ humbled, and _continue so - always_, I should esteem myself happy in making this discovery. I - preach _merely_ to keep the chapel open until God shall send a workman - _after His own heart_. ‘_Nos numeri sumus_,’—this is almost all I can - say of myself. If I did not know myself a little better than I did - formerly, I should tell you that I had ceased altogether from placing - any confidence in my repentances; but I see my heart is so full of - deceit that I cannot depend on my knowledge of myself. - - “You are not well! Are you, then, going to leave us, like poor Walsh? - Ah! stay, and permit me to go first; that, when my soul leaves the - body, you may commend it to the mercy of my Saviour. The day Mr. Walsh - died, the Lord gave our brethren the spirit of supplication; and many - unutterable groans were offered up for him at Spitalfields, where I - was. Who shall render us the same kind offices? Is not our hour near? - O, my God, when Thou comest, prepare us, and we shall be ready! You - owe your children an elegy on Mr. Walsh’s death, and you cannot employ - your poetic talents on a better subject.”[41] - -Footnote 40: - - Morgan’s “Life of Walsh.” - -Footnote 41: - - Letters, 1791, p. 85. - -In this interesting letter, Fletcher prayed for success at West Street -Chapel, even if the success was limited to “only one soul.” His prayer -was answered. At this period, there lived, in the neighbourhood of -Covent Garden, Owen and Alice Price, natives of Dolgelly, in North -Wales. One of their four children was named Mary, and was now fifteen -years of age. In 1750, when an earthquake alarmed all London, little -Mary was at school. The house in which the school was kept undulated; -several windows were broken; the children were thrown down on their -faces; and a hoarse rumbling noise was heard for nearly a minute. Mary -resolved, henceforth, to serve her Maker. She read the Bible; she -prayed; but she was not happy. Some one recommended her to attend the -preaching of the Methodists; but she hesitated to do this, because the -Methodists were despised, and her parents were opposed to enthusiasts. -At length, Mary went to the chapel in West Street, Seven Dials. It was -on a Sunday morning; and in those days Methodist meeting-houses were -crowded on Sunday mornings, _at nine o’clock_. Mary made her way down -the aisle; the minister, who was reading the prayers, she had never seen -before; but his manner, his tones, and the glancing of his eyes, were -irresistibly affecting. The minister was Fletcher, and there and then -Mary resolved to be a Methodist. The preaching and praying of Fletcher -were greatly blessed to her soul’s profit; and, after a severe struggle, -she took courage to stay, at the close of the public service, to receive -the sacrament. At that period in the history of Methodism, no one was -allowed to remain who had not a society ticket, or a note from the -officiating minister; and, accordingly, the faithful steward told the -Welsh maiden she must either go to the vestry for a note, or quit the -chapel. She went, and, with fear and trembling, asked Fletcher’s -permission to remain. “Come,” cried he, “come, my dear young friend, -come, and receive the memorials of your dying Lord. If sin is your -burden, behold the Crucified. Partake of His broken body and shed blood, -and sink into the bottomless ocean of His love.” Of course, Mary stayed. -For three months afterwards, she sought the Lord diligently in the means -of grace; and then, under a sermon preached by Thomas Maxfield, found -peace with God, through faith in Jesus Christ. In 1782, Mary Price -married Peter Kruse; Wesley appointed her to be the leader of a class at -City Road, where she and her husband worshipped; and, after being a -godly Methodist for fifty-nine years, she peacefully expired, Joseph -Benson preaching her funeral sermon, and her corpse being interred in -the burial-ground behind the City Road Chapel.[42] - -Footnote 42: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1818, pp. 360–367. - -Another convert may be mentioned here. Richard Hill (afterwards Sir -Richard) was the eldest son of Sir Rowland Hill, the first baronet of a -distinguished and ancient family. Richard was now twenty-seven years of -age. From childhood, he had been blest with the strivings of God’s Holy -Spirit, and of late had been unutterably anxious about his soul. He -writes:— - - “About October, 1757, I set myself to work with all the earnestness of - a poor perishing mariner, who is every moment in expectation of - shipwreck. I fasted, prayed, and meditated. I read the Scriptures, - communicated, and gave much alms. But these things brought no peace to - my soul; on the contrary, I saw, what I had never seen before, that - all my works were mixed with sin and imperfection. My terrors - increased, insomuch that I could neither eat nor sleep, and did not - think it possible for me to live a week. Everybody observed how ill I - looked, and I had much ado to conceal the straits I was in from all - about me. After having suffered in this manner a short time, I made my - case known to a clergyman; but all he said to me—which indeed was not - much to the purpose—had little or no effect. What to do I knew not. - Alas! I had no acquaintance with any one who seemed to have the least - experience in such a case as mine. Those about me showed the greatest - concern for my situation, and offered their remedies for my relief, - such as company, physic, and exercise, which, in order to oblige them, - I complied with; but my disorder was not to be removed by these carnal - quackeries. What I wanted was a skilful physician for my soul; but - where to find such an one I knew not. - - “I recollected, however, that once, if not oftener, the Rev. Mr. - Fletcher, then tutor to two neighbouring young gentlemen, had, in my - hearing, been spoken of in a very disrespectful manner, for things - which seemed to me to savour of a truly Christian spirit. I, - therefore, determined to make my case known to him, and, accordingly, - wrote him a letter, without mentioning my name, giving him some - account of my situation, and begging him, for God’s sake, to meet me - that very night at an inn at Salop, in which place I then was. Though - Mr. Fletcher had four or five miles to walk, yet he came punctually to - the appointment, spoke to me in a very comfortable manner, and gave me - to understand that he had very different thoughts of my state from - what I had myself. After our discourse, he went to prayer with me, - and, among the other petitions that he put up in my behalf, he prayed - that I might not trust in my own righteousness; an expression the - import of which I scarcely knew. - - “After my conversation with Mr. Fletcher, I was rather easier; but - this decrease of my terrors was of short duration. I allowed that the - promises he would have me apply to myself belonged to the generality - of sinners, but I thought they were not intended for me. I, therefore, - wrote again to Mr. Fletcher, telling him that, however others might - take comfort from the Scripture promises, I feared none of them - belonged to me. I told him also, that I found my heart to be exceeding - hard and wicked; and that, as all my duties proceeded from a dread of - punishment, and not from the principles of faith and love, and were - withal so very defective, I thought it was impossible God should ever - accept them. In answer to this, the kind and sympathising Mr. Fletcher - immediately wrote me a sweet and comfortable letter, telling me that - the perusal of the account I had given him had caused him to shed - tears of joy, because he saw the Lord had convinced me of the - insufficiency of all my own doings to justify me before God, and of - the necessity of a saving faith in the blood of Jesus. He also sent me - ‘The Life and Death of Mr. Thomas Halyburton,’ which book I read with - greatest eagerness.” - -After this, Sir Richard Hill proceeds to relate how he found peace with -God on February 18, 1758; then how he relapsed into doubts and fears, -and lost all his comfort; and then how he wrote to Fletcher in April, -1759, and said:— - - “My soul is again bowed down under the sense of the wrath of God. The - broken law, with all its thunderings and lightnings, again stares me - in the face. My hope seems to be giving up the ghost, and I see - nothing before me but blackness and darkness for ever.” - -Of course Fletcher replied to this letter. Before long, Sir Richard -regained his lost faith and peace, and ever afterwards went on his way -rejoicing.[43] - -Footnote 43: - - Sidney’s “Life of Sir Richard Hill,” pp. 21–32. - -Thus, to an important extent, was Fletcher used in the conversion of the -distinguished man, who, a few years later, became one of his sturdiest -opponents in the great Calvinian controversy. - -In the middle of June, 1759, Mr. Hill, M.P., and his family left London -for Shropshire, and, of course, Fletcher went with them. Up to the time -of his departure, Fletcher continued to preach in Wesley’s London -chapels; but, in writing to Charles Wesley, under the date of June 1, he -remarks, with his characteristic humbleness: “I am here _umbra pro -corpore_. I preach as your substitute; come, and fill worthily an office -of which I am unworthy.”[44] - -Footnote 44: - - Letters, 1791, p. 86. - -At Tern Hall, Fletcher again enjoyed his beloved retirement, and gave -himself up to study, meditation, and prayer. Indeed, his whole life was -now a life of prayer. “Wherever we met,” says Mr. Vaughan, “if we were -alone, his first salute was, ‘Do I meet you praying?’ And, if we were -conversing on any point of Divinity, he would often break off abruptly, -and ask, ‘Where are our hearts now’”[45] Solitude, however, is often -invaded by Satan. It was in the garden, where were only two human -beings, that the devil gained his first victory on earth; and it was in -“the _wilderness_” that man’s Redeemer was pre-eminently tempted by the -same accursed enemy. The following, addressed to Charles Wesley, is a -strange, but honest and instructive production. - -Footnote 45: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - - “TERN, _July 19, 1759_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—Instead of apologizing for my silence, I will tell you - that I have twenty times endeavoured to break it, but without effect. - I will simply state the cause of it. - - “This is the fourth summer that I have been brought hither, in a - peculiar manner, to be tempted of the devil in a wilderness; and I - have improved so little by my past exercises, that I have not defended - myself better than in the first year. Being arrived here, I began to - spend my time as I had determined; one part in prayer, and the other - in meditation on the Holy Scriptures. The Lord blessed my devotions, - and I advanced from conquering to conquer, leading every thought - captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ, when it pleased God to show - me some of the folds of my heart. As I looked for nothing less than - such a discovery, I was extremely surprised; so much so as to forget - Christ. You may judge what was the consequence. A spiritual languor - seized on all the powers of my soul, and I suffered myself to be - carried away quietly by a current, with the rapidity of which I was - unacquainted. - - “Neither doubt nor despair troubled me for a moment; my temptation - took another course. It appeared to me that God would be much more - glorified by my damnation than by my salvation. It seemed altogether - incompatible with the holiness, the justice, and the veracity of the - Supreme Being to admit so stubborn an offender into His presence. I - could do nothing but be astonished at the patience of God; and I would - willingly have sung those verses of Desbaraux if I had had strength:— - - ‘Tonne, frappe, il est temps, rend moi guerre pour guerre, - J’adore, en perrissant, la raison qui t’aigrit.’[46] - -Footnote 46: - - “Thunder! strike! it is time; render me war for war! - In perishing, I adore the reason which incenses Thee.” - - “Do not imagine, however, that I was in a state of evangelical - repentance. No: a man who repents desires to be saved; but I desired - it not. I was even impatient to go to my own place; and secretly - wished that God would for a moment give me the exercise of His iron - sceptre to break myself to pieces as a vessel to dishonour. A bitter - and cruel zeal against myself, and all the sinners who were with me, - filled all my thoughts and all my desires. The devil, who well knew - how to improve the opportunity, blew, without ceasing, the sparks of - some corruptions, which I thought were extinguished, or at the point - of being so, till at last the fire began to appear without. This - opened my eyes, and I felt it was time to implore succour. - - “It is now eight days since I endeavoured to pray, but almost without - success. Yesterday, however, as I sang one of your hymns, the Lord - lifted up my head, and commanded me to face my enemies. By His grace I - am already a conqueror; and I doubt not that I shall soon be more than - conqueror. - - “Although I deserve it not, nevertheless hold up my hands till all - these Amalekites be put to flight. - - “I am, etc., - J. FLETCHER.”[47] - -Footnote 47: - - Letters, 1791, p. 88. - -Certainly this was strange, perhaps unparalleled experience. Paul wrote, -“I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ _for my brethren, my -kinsmen according to the flesh_.” John Fletcher seemed to wish for this, -that _God might be glorified_. “A fit of melancholy,” says the reader; -“almost insanity.” That, however, is sooner said than proved. Fletcher -had a great work to do, and, as in the case of his Divine Master, -temptations helped to prepare him for it. Weeks after the date of the -foregoing letter, he continued to write bitter things against himself. -The following letter has not before been published; it was addressed “to -Mrs. Ryan, at the Room in the Horse-Fair, Bristol:”— - - “TERN, _September 5, 1759_. - - “MY SISTER,—I have often been with you in spirit, desiring to follow - you as you follow Christ; and I trust you have put up some petitions - for me, that I may not run in vain, but may at last apprehend that for - which I am apprehended. - - “I have been taught many lessons—by man, self, and Satan—since I saw - you, but doubt I am not much nearer wisdom, unless it is in this - point—that I am more foolish in my own eyes. I groan to be so often - diverted from the pursuit of the one thing needful; but - unfaithfulness, levity, unbelief, taint those groans, and make me - question their sincerity and mine. Will you try once more to spur me - out of my haltings? Send me an account of the struggles you went - through before you found rest. What degree of joy, fear, hope, sorrow, - doubting, fervency or coldness of desire in soul and body—waking, - working, and sleeping? - - “Remember me to Miss Furley.[48] Were I less averse to writing, I - would have written to her, to beg her not to faint at any time, but be - a zealous follower of those who through faith and patience inherit the - promises; but I trust she does not want the advice as often as I do. - Let me know how she does in the Lord and in the flesh, and desire her - to remember me at the throne of grace. Adieu. - - “JOHN FLETCHER.” - -Footnote 48: - - Dorothy Furley, the youngest daughter of John Furley, a Dutch and - Turkey merchant, was born at West Ham in 1730. She was converted in - early life, and became acquainted with the Countess of Huntingdon, - Miss Bosanquet, the Wesley brothers, Miss Johnson, Mrs. Ryan, and many - others of the first Methodists, by whom she was held in high esteem. - In 1764, she was married to Mr. Downs, one of Wesley’s local preachers - in London. After her husband’s death, she removed to Leeds, and died - July 28, 1807. The written directions respecting her funeral concluded - with these words: “Glory, glory, glory be to my gracious God and - Saviour! I live in the full assurance of faith and hope that I shall - see my Saviour’s face, and behold that glory which He had with the - Father before all worlds, but which He left for my sake. To Him I owe - all my salvation, here and to all eternity. To Him, with the Father - and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, dominion, and majesty, now and - through all ages! Amen. Hallelujah! Amen.”—_Methodist Magazine_, 1818, - p. 222. - -Charles Wesley proposed that, during the ensuing Parliamentary session, -Fletcher should be paid for his services in the London chapels. In the -same spirit of self-abasement as is displayed in the foregoing letters, -Fletcher replied as follows:— - - “_September 14, 1759._ - - “MY DEAR SIR,—A few days ago, the Lord gave me two or three lessons on - poverty of spirit, but, alas! how have I forgotten them! I saw, I - felt, that I was entirely void of wisdom and virtue. I was ashamed of - myself; and I could say, with a degree of feeling which I cannot - describe, ‘_Nil ago; nil habeo; sum nil; in pulvero serpo._’ I could - _then_ say what Gregory Lopez was enabled to say at all times, ‘There - is no man of whom I have not a better opinion than of myself.’ I could - have placed myself under the feet of the most atrocious sinner, and - have acknowledged him for a saint in comparison of myself. If ever I - am humble and patient, if ever I enjoy solid peace of mind, it must be - _in this very spirit_. Ah! why do I not find these virtues? Because I - am filled with _self-sufficiency_, which blinds me and hinders me from - doing justice to my own demerits. O pray that the spirit of Jesus may - remove these scales from my eyes _for ever_, and compel me to retire - into my own nothingness. - - “To what a _monstrous_ idea had you well-nigh given birth. What! the - labours of _my_ ministry under you deserve a salary! I, who have done - nothing but dishonour God hitherto, and am not in a condition to do - anything else for the future! If, then, I am permitted to stand in the - courts of the Lord’s house, is it not for me to make an - acknowledgment, rather than to receive one? If I ever receive anything - of the Methodist Church, it shall be only as an indigent mendicant - receives alms, without which he would perish. Such were some of the - thoughts which passed through my mind with regard to the proposal you - made to me in London; and I doubt whether my own vanity, or your - goodness, will be able to efface the impressions they have left. - - “I have great need of your advice relative to the letters which I - receive from my relations, who unite in their invitations to me to - return to my own country. One says, to settle my affairs there; - another, to preach there; a third, to assist him to die. They press me - to declare whether I renounce my family, and the demands I have upon - it. My mother, in the strongest terms, commands me at least to go and - see her. What answer shall I make? If she thought _as you do_, I - should write to her, ‘_Ubi Christiani, ibi patria_;’ ‘my mother, my - brethren, my sisters, are those who do the will of my heavenly - Father;’ but she is not in a state of mind to digest such an answer. I - have no inclination to yield to their desires, which appear to me - merely _natural_, for I should lose precious time and incur expense. - My presence is not _absolutely_ necessary to my concerns; and it is - more probable that my relations will pervert me to vanity and - interest, than that I shall convert them to genuine Christianity. - Lastly, I should have no opportunity to exercise my ministry. Our - Swiss ministers, who preach only once a week, would not look upon me - with a more favourable eye than the ministers here, and would only - cause me either to be laid in prison or to be immediately banished - from the country. - - “Permit me to thank you for the sentence from Kempis, with which you - close your letter, by returning you another. ‘You run no risk in - considering yourself as the wickedest of men, but you are in _danger_ - if you prefer yourself to any one.’”[49] - -Footnote 49: - - Letters, 1791, p. 91. - -A fortnight later, Fletcher wrote again to Charles Wesley as follows:— - - “TERN, _September 29, 1759_. - - “What you say about reducing a mother to despair has made me - recollect, what I have often thought, that the particular fault of the - Swiss is to be _without natural affection_. With respect to that - preference which my mother shows me above her other children, I see - clearly I am indebted for almost all the affection she expresses for - me in her letters to my absence from her, which hinders her from - seeing my faults. Nevertheless, I reproach myself severely, that I - cannot interest myself in her welfare as much as I did in that of my - deceased father. I am astonished at the difference. I believe the time - is not yet come when my presence may be of service to her; and I - flatter myself she will not be shocked at my refusal, which I have - softened as much as I could. - - “I fear you did not rightly understand what I wrote about the proposal - you made me at London. So far from making conditions, I feel myself - unworthy of receiving them. I trouble myself with no temporal things; - my only fear is that of having too much, rather than too little, of - the necessaries of life. I am weary of abundance. I could wish myself - to be poor with my Saviour. Those whom He hath chosen to be rich in - faith, appear to me objects of envy in the midst of their wants.”[50] - -Footnote 50: - - Letters, 1791, p. 95. - -Fletcher wanted no salary for preaching in Methodist chapels; and, for -the present, he refused to return to Switzerland. His reason for the -latter might have been more filially expressed; but no one will doubt -his sincerity, or that his motives were not pure. The next letter, -written two days later, was addressed to Sarah Ryan, Wesley’s -housekeeper at Bristol, and to her friend, Dorothy Furley. It is too -full of eloquent piety to be abridged. - - “_October 1, 1759._ - - “DEAR SISTERS,—I have been putting off writing to you, lest the action - of writing should divert my soul from the awful and delightful worship - it is engaged in. But I now conclude I shall be no loser, if I invite - you to love Him my soul loveth; to dread Him my soul dreadeth; to - adore Him my soul adoreth. - - “Sink with me before the throne of grace; and, while the cherubim veil - their faces, and cry out in tender fear and exquisite trembling, - ‘Holy! Holy! Holy!’ let us put our mouths in the dust, and echo back - the solemn sound, ‘Holy! Holy! Holy!’ Let us plunge ourselves in that - ocean of purity. Let us try to fathom the depths of Divine mercy; and, - convinced of the impossibility of such an attempt, let us lose - ourselves in them. Let us be comprehended by God, if we cannot - comprehend Him. Let us be supremely happy in God. Let the intenseness - of our happiness border upon misery, because we can make Him no - return. Let our head become waters, and our eyes a fountain of - tears,—_tears_ of humble repentance, of solemn joy, of silent - admiration, of exalted adoration, of raptured desires, of inflamed - transports, of speechless awe. My God and my all! Your God and your - all! Our God and our all! Praise Him! With our souls blended into one - by Divine love, let us with one mouth glorify the Father of our Lord - Jesus Christ; our Father, who is over all, through all, and in us all. - - “I charge you before the Lord Jesus, who giveth life and more abundant - life; I entreat you by all the actings of faith, the stretchings of - hope, the flames of love you have ever felt, sink to greater depths of - self-abasing repentance; rise to greater heights of Christ-exalting - joy. And let Him, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all - that you can ask or think, carry on, and fulfil in you the work of - faith with power; with that power whereby He subdueth all things unto - Himself. Be steadfast in hope, immovable in patience and love, always - abounding in the outward and inward labour of love; and receive the - end of your faith, the salvation of your souls. - - “I am, dear sisters, your well-wisher, - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[51] - -Footnote 51: - - “Thirteen Original Letters,” by Rev. John Fletcher, 1791, p. 9. - -Mr. Benson inclines to think that it was at this period that Fletcher -first preached at Madeley. The Rev. Mr. Chambers was the vicar, and -frequently desired the tutor of Mr. Hill’s sons to assist him in his -ministerial duties. Tern Hall was ten miles from Madeley, and one of Mr. -Hill’s grooms was ordered to have a horse ready for Fletcher’s use every -Sunday morning. So great, however, was his aversion to giving trouble to -any one, that, if the groom did not awake at the proper time, he seldom -would suffer him to be called; but prepared the horse for himself.[52] - -Footnote 52: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Parliament was opened on November 13, when, as usual, Mr. Hill and his -family repaired to London. Two days afterwards, Fletcher wrote the -following to Charles Wesley:— - - “LONDON, _November 15, 1759_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—Your letter was not put into my hands till eight days - after my arrival in London. I carried the enclosed to its address, and - passed three hours with a modern prodigy,—_an humble and pious - countess_. I went with trembling, and in obedience to your orders; but - I soon perceived a little of what the disciples felt when Christ said - to them, ‘_It is I, be not afraid._’ - - “Her ladyship proposed to me something of what you hinted to me in - your garden,—namely, to celebrate the communion sometimes at her house - of a morning, and to preach when occasion offered,—in such a manner, - however, as not to restrain my liberty, nor to prevent me assisting - you, or preaching to the French refugees; and that only till - Providence should clearly point out the path in which I should go. - Charity, politeness, and reason accompanied her offer; and I confess, - in spite of the resolution, which I had almost _absolutely_ formed, to - fly the houses of the great, without even the exception of the - Countess’s, I found myself so greatly changed, that I should have - accepted, on the spot, her ladyship’s proposal; but my engagement with - you withheld me; and, after thanking her, I said, when I had reflected - on her obliging offer, I would do myself the honour of waiting upon - her again. - - “Nevertheless, two difficulties stand in my way. Will it be consistent - with the poverty of spirit, which I seek? Can I accept an office for - which I have such small talents? And shall I not dishonour the cause - of God, by stammering out the mysteries of the Gospel in a place where - the most approved ministers of the Lord have preached with so much - power, and so much success? What think you? - - “I give myself up to your judicious counsels. I feel myself unworthy - of them; much more still of the appellation of _friend_, with which - you honour me. You are an _indulgent father_ to me, and the name of - _son_ suits me better than that of _brother_.”[53] - -Footnote 53: - - Letters, 1791, p. 98. - -It hardly need be added, that the “modern prodigy,” the “humble and -pious Countess,” was Lady Huntingdon, to whom Wesley had introduced -Fletcher nearly two years before. Her ladyship’s proposal really -amounted to this, that, without at all interfering with his preaching -for the Wesley brothers, and with his labours among the French prisoners -and refugees, Fletcher should act as one of her domestic chaplains. -Charles Wesley’s reply to Fletcher’s inquiries has not been preserved; -but there can be no doubt it was favourable, for such was Fletcher’s -profound respect for Methodism’s poet, that, if he had, in the least, -disapproved of the Countess’s offer, it would most certainly have been -declined. “I am so assured of your salvation,” wrote Fletcher, in the -letter from which the foregoing is extracted, “that I ask no other place -in heaven, than that I may have at your feet. I doubt even if Paradise -would be Paradise to me, unless it were shared with you.” This language -was extravagant; but it shows the high admiration in which Fletcher, at -this time, held one who might be justly called his dearest and most -confidential friend. The proposal of the Countess of Huntingdon was -accepted; and Fletcher opened his commission to the great and honourable -in her ladyship’s drawing-room, in the lowly spirit of St. Paul, “Unto -me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that -I should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.” During the ensuing -winter, he preached in Wesley’s London chapels, as usual; and, -alternately with the Wesley brothers and other clergymen, he preached in -the houses of Lady Huntingdon, Lady Gertrude Hotham, and Lady Frances -Shirley, generally once, and frequently twice, in every week.[54] - -Footnote 54: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 233. - -The French prisoners and refugees have been mentioned. Unfortunately, -there are no details preserved of the extent and success of Fletcher’s -labours among those pitiable sojourners; but there can be no doubt that -it was for their instruction and benefit, that Fletcher, in 1759, -published a sermon in the French language, entitled, “Discours sur la -Regeneration. Imprime à Londre l’an 1759.” 12mo, 48 pp. His sermon is -founded upon John iii. 3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, -verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the -kingdom of God.” At the end of the discourse are two short poems, in -French, with the titles, “Sentiments d’une Ame que la Grace régénère;” -and “Le Bonheur de l’homme Régénère.” The subject and substance of the -whole may be gathered from the brief preface, of which the following is -a translation:— - - “Some prejudiced persons having caused it to be reported that I preach - a dangerous doctrine, you will be able to judge as to that, with a - knowledge of the case, by reading this discourse on Regeneration. - - “I beg you to read, in addition, some short pamphlets which have just - appeared, and which are entitled, ‘The Nature and Design of - Christianity;’[55] ‘Salvation by Faith;’[56] and ‘Awake thou that - sleepest.’[57] I recommend these three works for your examination, - because, although I am not the author of them, they contain the - sentiments which I wish to see engraven in our hearts, as they were in - the heart of St. Paul. - - “If you find here the religion of Christ, give the glory to God, and - let it be found in the depths of your own souls; but, if you find - anything contrary to the Holy Scriptures and the purity of - Christianity, I pray you, in the name of the Lord, to point it out to - me. Conduct so kind will sensibly oblige your servant in Christ, - - “J. DE LA FLECHERE.” - -Footnote 55: - - An extract from Law’s “Christian Perfection,” first published by - Wesley in 1740; the sixth edition appeared in 1759. - -Footnote 56: - - Wesley’s “Sermon on Salvation by Faith,” first published in 1738; and - a tenth edition in 1756. - -Footnote 57: - - Charles Wesley’s well-known sermon, preached before the University of - Oxford, on April 4, 1742. - -With the exception of a tract, entitled “A Christmas Box for Journeymen -and Apprentices,” which, Wesley says, was printed and circulated in -1758, this “Discours sur la Regeneration” was Fletcher’s earliest -publication. - -During the first three months of 1760, Fletcher enjoyed sweet -intercourse with his beloved and confidential friend, Charles Wesley. -The latter relates that he forgot his birthday till Fletcher’s prayer -put him in mind of it. He and Fletcher had conversations respecting the -doctrine of assurance, which they both held, but which they thought had -not been sufficiently guarded. In a letter, dated March 16, 1760, -Charles observes,—“God has remarkably owned the Word since Mr. Fletcher -and I changed our manner of preaching it.”[58] - -Footnote 58: - - C. Wesley’s Journal, vol. ii., p. 227. - -At this period, the Methodists of London took a profound interest in the -fate of Earl Ferrars, brother of the Rev. Walter Shirley, and cousin of -the Countess of Huntingdon. This profligate nobleman had murdered his -steward, and was now awaiting his trial by the Peers of England. The -unhappy culprit was executed on the 5th of May. Many were the prayers -offered for his conversion. A day of fasting was kept at the Foundery. - - “Yesterday,” wrote Charles Wesley, on April 4, “many met me in the - chapel (West-street), to join in prayer for the murderer. Till 4 p.m. - we continued looking upon Him whom we had pierced. I never remember a - more solemn season. I carried Mr. Shirley and his sister to Mrs. - Herritage’s, where Mr. Fletcher helped us to pray for poor Barabbas, - as he calls him. Again the spirit made intercession for him with - groans unutterable. Our watch-night lasted from seven to half-past - ten. My text was, ‘Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Behold, - and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow,’ etc. - (Lamentations of Jeremiah i. 12). The Word was sent, I believe, to - many hearts. Mr. Fletcher seconded it. We both prayed _after_ God, - particularly for the criminal. The chapel was excessively crowded, and - therefore very hot. Miss Shirley carried me to my lodgings. It was - past eleven before John Fletcher and I got to rest.”[59] - -Footnote 59: - - _Ibid._, vol. ii., p. 231. - -The last words of this extract almost indicate that Charles Wesley and -Fletcher were living together, in the same house; but, be that as it -may, there cannot be a doubt of the warm friendship that existed between -them. - -Besides preaching in Wesley’s London chapels, Fletcher occasionally -preached for the Countess of Huntingdon, at Brighton.[60] He also -visited Berridge at Everton. Hence the following, addressed to Charles -Wesley:— - - “DUNSTABLE, _March 1, 1760_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—I have had a pleasant journey as to my body, but an - unhappy one for my soul. Everything required that I should cry without - ceasing, ‘_Lord, be merciful to me a sinner!_’ but, alas! I have not - done so. The fine weather invites me to execute a design, I had half - formed, of making a forced march to spend next Sunday at Everton, Mr. - Berridge’s parish. May the voice of the Lord there be heard by a poor - child of Adam, who, like him, is still behind the trees of his - stupidity and impenitence! - - “If I do not lose myself across the fields before I get there, and if - the Lord is pleased to grant me the spirit of supplication, I will - pray for you, until I can again pray with you. Don’t forget me, I - beseech you. I would fain be with you on those solemn occasions, when - a thousand voices are raised to heaven to obtain those graces which I - have not; but God’s will be done! - - “Don’t forget to present my respects to the Countess. If I continue - any time at Everton, I shall take the liberty of giving her some - account of the work of God in these parts; if not, I will give it her - in person. Adieu. - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[61] - -Footnote 60: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 233. - -Footnote 61: - - Letters, 1791, p. 100. - -Strange scenes had recently been witnessed at Everton and in the -surrounding country; and it is not surprising that Fletcher was desirous -of seeing what the hand of God had wrought. His visit was a memorable -one. On arriving, he introduced himself to Berridge “as a new convert, -who had taken the liberty to wait upon him for the benefit of his -instruction and advice.” Berridge, perceiving he was a foreigner, asked -what countryman he was. - -“A Swiss, from the canton of Berne,” was the reply. - -“From Berne! then probably you can give me some account of a young -countryman of yours, John Fletcher, who has lately preached a few times -for the Messrs. Wesley, and of whose talents, learning, and piety, they -both speak in terms of high eulogy. Do you know him?” - -“Yes, sir, I know him intimately; and did those gentlemen know him as -well they would not speak so highly of him. He is more obliged to their -partial friendship than to his own merits.” - -“You surprise me,” said Berridge. - -“I have the best reason for speaking of John Fletcher as I do. I am John -Fletcher.” - -“If you be John Fletcher,” replied Berridge, “you must take my pulpit -to-morrow.”[62] - -Footnote 62: - - Cox’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 25 - -Thus began Fletcher’s acquaintance with Berridge. No doubt he preached -at Everton, for strong-willed Berridge was wont to have his way. It is -probable that Fletcher communicated what he had seen and heard to the -Countess of Huntingdon. At all events, it is said, her ladyship, -accompanied by Martin Madan and Henry Venn, hastened to join him there. -On the morning after their arrival, at seven o’clock, Berridge preached -to an enormous congregation, assembled in a field near his church. At -eleven, in the church, Mr. Hicks read prayers, and Venn explained the -“joy that is in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.” In the -afternoon, to an amazing multitude gathered from all parts of the -surrounding country, Martin Madan cried, in the open air, “If any man -thirst, let him come unto me and drink.” Next day, in the morning, -Fletcher read prayers, and Madan preached from “Ye must be born again,” -the church being crowded to excess, and the windows filled within and -without. In the afternoon, the prayers were read by Berridge, and Venn -enforced the words, “This is life eternal, to know Thee, the only true -God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” Large numbers being unable -to gain admission to the church, Berridge addressed those outside from, -“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” -The third day’s services were even more remarkable than the previous -ones. It was calculated that, in the small village of Everton, ten -thousand persons were assembled to hear the Word of God, and to join in -His holy services. The number is almost incredible; and picturesque must -have been the travelling tribes as they journeyed to this “hill of -Zion.” Venn preached, of course, in the open air, from the text, “The -harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” The huge -congregation was deeply affected, and several persons, both men and -women, fell to the ground and wept bitterly. The afternoon congregation -was even greater than that in the morning. At night, Berridge was the -preacher, and selected as his text, “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh -away the sin of the world.” Towards the close of his sermon, five -persons “sunk down as dead;” and others cried with a loud and bitter -cry, “What must we do to be saved?” Berridge concluded his discourse; -and these memorable three days’ services were finished by the assembled -thousands, the Countess, and the five clergymen, all joining in singing -Wesley’s noble hymn,— - - “Arm of the Lord, awake, awake! - Thine own immortal strength put on! - With terror clothed, hell’s kingdom shake, - And cast Thy foes with fury down! - - “As in the ancient days appear! - The sacred annals speak Thy fame: - Be now omnipotently near, - To endless ages still the same. - - “Thy arm, Lord, is not shortened now, - It wants not now the power to save; - Still present with Thy people, Thou - Bear’st them through life’s disparted wave. - - “By death and hell pursued in vain, - To Thee the ransomed seed shall come, - Shouting their heavenly Sion gain, - And pass through death triumphant home. - - “The pain of life shall there be o’er, - The anguish and distracting care, - There sighing grief shall weep no more, - And sin shall never enter there. - - “Where pure, essential joy is found, - The Lord’s redeemed their heads shall raise, - With everlasting gladness crowned, - And filled with love, and lost in praise.”[63] - -Footnote 63: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 400. - -What pen can adequately describe this grand outburst of scriptural faith -and Christian exultation? It was a scene that has not oft been equalled; -and, no doubt, helped to increasingly qualify Fletcher for the great -work that awaited him. - -Fletcher’s duties as a tutor were now ended. The two sons of Mr. Hill -had become undergraduates at Cambridge. Fletcher seems to have returned -to Tern Hall; but, as a new Parliament was about to be elected, Mr. Hill -objected to the ordained tutor preaching in the neighbourhood of the -Hall, because his well-known Methodist proclivities might raise a -stumbling-block at the polling-booths. Hence the following extract from -a letter addressed to the Countess of Huntingdon:— - - “TERN, _September 6, 1760_. - - “The fear Mr. Hill has, that I should lessen his interest at - Shrewsbury at the next election,—the shyness of the neighbouring - clergy,—and the want I feel of an ordination from the great Shepherd - and Bishop of my soul, will probably prevent my preaching at all in - the country. O may the Spirit of God preach the Gospel to my heart! - - “Generous as you are, Madam, I believe you would have saved me the - shame of receiving the present you made me at Paddington, had you - foreseen the uneasy thoughts it raised in my heart. ‘Is not this - making godliness a gain? Can I in conscience receive what is devoted - to the poor when I am not in actual want?’ I am not ashamed of living - upon charity, but to receive it, without being an immediate object of - charity, gives me more uneasiness than want could possibly do. And now - I am deprived, for many months, of the unspeakable advantage of living - upon Providence, and must live upon a stock, as well as the rich of - this world! Is not this a lesson? And does not your generosity, Madam, - bid me look to Jesus for _poverty of spirit_, without which all - outward acts are nothing but pride, sin, misery, and lies? - - “I am, with gratitude and shame, your ladyship’s unworthy servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[64] - -Footnote 64: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 234. - -Fletcher was without employment. What was the best course to take? He -might have permanently united himself to the Wesley brothers; or he -might have devoted himself to the congregations of the Countess of -Huntingdon. But another path was marked out for him by an unerring -Providence. He had been of great service to the sons of Mr. Hill; and -Mr. Hill was desirous of promoting his preferment. The living of Dunham, -in Cheshire, was now vacant, and Mr. Hill informed Fletcher that it was -at his service. “The parish,” said he, “is small, the duty light, the -income good (£400 per annum), and it is situated in a fine, healthy, -sporting country.” “Alas!” replied Fletcher, “alas, Sir, Dunham will not -suit me; there is too much money, and too little labour.” “Few clergymen -make such objections,” rejoined Mr. Hill. “It is a pity to decline such -a living, especially as I know not that I can find you another. What -shall we do? Would you like Madeley?” “That, Sir,” said Fletcher, “would -be the very place for me.” “My object,” answered Mr. Hill, “is to make -you comfortable in your own way. If you prefer Madeley, I shall find no -difficulty in persuading Mr. Chambers to exchange it for Dunham, which -is worth more than twice as much as Madeley.”[65] - -Footnote 65: - - Cox’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 32. - -An arrangement was soon made. Mr. Hill’s nephew was the patron of the -Madeley living; and Mr. Hill himself the patron of that of Dunham. The -uncle and nephew met at Shrewsbury races, and there, on a _racecourse_, -of all places in the world, it was settled that the Madeley living -should be offered to Fletcher. The presentation was made; but Fletcher, -at the last moment, hesitated to accept it, and wrote to his friend -Charles Wesley as follows:— - - “TERN, _September 26, 1760_. - - “A fortnight ago, the minister of this parish, with whom I have had no - connection for these two years, sent me word (I know not why) that his - pulpit should be at my service at any time. - - “Some days after, I ventured a visit of civility to the vicar of a - neighbouring parish, who fell out with me, three years ago, for - preaching faith in his church. He received me with the greatest - kindness, and said often, he would have me take the care of souls - somewhere or other. - - “Last Sunday, the vicar of Madeley, to whom I was formally curate, - coming to pay a visit here, expressed great regard for me; seemed to - be quite reconciled: and assured me, that he would do all he could to - serve me; of which he yesterday gave me a proof, by sending me a - testimonial unasked. - - “He was no sooner gone, than news was brought that the old clergyman” - (at Dunham) “died suddenly the day before; and that same day, before I - heard it, Mr. Hill, meeting, at the races, his nephew, who is patron - of Madeley, told him, if he would present me to Madeley, he would give - the vicar of that parish the living vacated by the old clergyman’s - death. This was immediately agreed to, as Mr. Hill himself informed me - in the evening, wishing me joy. - - “You have repeatedly advised me not to resist Providence, but to - follow its leadings. I am, however, inwardly in suspense. My heart - revolts at the idea of being here alone, opposed by my superiors, - hated by my neighbours, and despised by all the world. Without piety, - without talents, without resolution, how shall I repel the assaults, - and surmount the obstacles which I foresee, if I discharge my duty at - Madeley with fidelity? On the other hand, to reject this presentation, - to burn this certificate, and to leave in the desert the sheep whom - the Lord has evidently brought me into the world to feed, appears to - me nothing but obstinacy and refined self-love. I will hold a middle - course between these extremes: I will be wholly _passive_ in the steps - I must take; and _active_ in praying the Lord to deliver me from the - evil one, and to conduct me in the way He would have me to go. - - “If you see anything better, inform me of it speedily; and, at the - same time, remember me in all your prayers, that, if this matter be - not of the Lord, the enmity of the Bishop of Lichfield, who must - countersign my testimonials; the threats of the chaplain of the Bishop - of Hereford, who was a witness to my preaching at West Street; the - objections drawn from my not being naturalized; or some other - obstacle, may prevent the kind intentions of Mr. Hill.”[66] - -Footnote 66: - - Letters, 1791, p. 106. - -Within a week after the date of this communication, several of -Fletcher’s anticipated obstacles were gone. Hence the following, from a -letter addressed to the Countess of Huntingdon, who was visiting the -Rev. Benjamin and Lady Margaret Ingham, in Yorkshire:— - - “1760, October 3.—Were I to have my choice, I would prefer waiting at - the pool under your roof, or that of those who think like you, to any - other way of life; and I will own to your ladyship, that the thought - of giving this up is one of the chief difficulties I have now to - encounter. But I seem to be a prisoner of Providence, who is going, in - all probability, to cast my lot among the colliers and forge-men of - Madeley. The two thousand souls of that parish, for whom I was called - into the ministry, are many sheep in the wilderness, which I cannot - sacrifice to my own private choice. - - “When I was suffered to attend them, for a few days, some began to - return to the Shepherd of their souls, and I found it then in my heart - to spend and be spent for them. It is true, when I was sent away from - them, that zeal cooled to such a degree, that I have wished a thousand - times they might never be committed to my care; but the impression of - the tears of those who, when I left them, ran after me crying, ‘Who - will now show us the way to heaven?’ never quite wore off, and, upon - second thoughts, I always concluded that, if the Lord made my way - plain to their church, I could not run away from it without disobeying - the order of Providence. - - “That time is come. The church is vacated; the presentation to it - brought, unasked for, into my hands; the difficulty of getting proper - testimonials, which I looked upon as insurmountable, vanishes at once; - the three clergymen that had opposed me with the most bitterness, - signed them; the Bishop of Lichfield countersigns them without the - least objection; the lord of the manor, my great opposer, leaves the - parish; and the very man (the vicar), who told me I should never - preach in that church, now recommends me to it, and tells me he will - induct me himself. - - “Are not these intimations of the will of God? It seems so to me. What - does your ladyship think? I long to go and consult you in Yorkshire, - but cannot do it now, without giving up the point on which I want your - advice.”[67] - -Footnote 67: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 237. - -There is, or, at least, there used to be, in the parish vestry at -Madeley, a book containing the following inscription:—“John Fletcher, -clerk, was inducted to the vicarage of Madeley, the 17th of October, -1760. John Fletcher, vicar.” - -The deed was done. Wesley had strongly opposed his acceptance of the -Madeley living, telling him that to take a living was not his calling. -Charles Wesley’s advice is unknown; but, probably, it was the reverse of -his brother’s. John desired and greatly needed the help of an ordained -clergyman, not only to preach, but to administer the sacraments to the -multiplying Methodists. He tried to retain Fletcher, a minister to his -own heart’s content; but he failed. It was well he did. In the -itinerancy, Fletcher’s time for reading and study would have been -extremely limited. At Madeley, he had abundance of leisure for both, -and, during the next ten years, acquired that theological wealth, which, -in the hour of need, enabled him to be of the greatest service to -Wesley, by the writing of his unanswerable “Checks to Antinomianism.” - -Wesley’s opposition is mentioned in the following extracts from two -letters addressed to the Countess of Huntingdon:— - - ”1760, October 28. All the little circumstances of my institution and - induction have taken such an easy turn, that I question whether any - clergyman ever got over them with less trouble. I preached last - Sunday, for the first time, in my church, and shall continue to do so, - though I propose staying with Mr. Hill till he leaves the country, - which will be, I suppose, in a fortnight, partly to comply with him to - the last, and partly to avoid falling out with my predecessor, who is - still at Madeley, but who will remove about the same time. - - ”Among many little providences, I shall mention one to your ladyship. - The Bishop having unexpectedly sent me word to go to him for - institution without delay, if I wished not to be at the trouble of - following him to London, I set out in haste for Hereford, where I - arrived the day before his lordship’s departure. As I went along, I - thought that if my going to Madeley was from the Lord, it was - providential that I should thus be called to be instituted in the - country, for were it to be in London, Sir Peter Rivers, the Bishop’s - chaplain, who examined me for orders, and who made so much noise last - summer in West Street Chapel, where he found me preaching, would - infallibly defeat the end of my journey, according to his - threatenings. Thus did worldly wisdom work in my heart; but no - divination can stand against the God of Jacob, who is a jealous God, - and does not give His glory to another. A clergyman, named Sir Dutton - Colt, came to see the Bishop just as I entered the palace, and the - secretary, coming to him, said in my hearing, ‘Sir Peter is just come - from London to take possession of a prebend, which the Bishop has - given him; he is now in the palace; how do you rank with him?’ My - surprise was great, for a moment, and my first thought was to ride - away without institution; but, having gone too far to retreat, I had - an instant strength from on high to be still and see the salvation of - the Lord. My second thought was to thank God for sending this man from - London in that point of time to defeat Mr. Hill’s design; and, easily - throwing up Madeley, I cried for strength to make a good confession - before the high priest and the scribe; and I felt I had it, but I was - not called to use it, for the Bishop was alone, the ceremony was over - in ten minutes, and Sir Peter did not come in till after. I met him at - the door of the Bishop’s room, and a wig I had on that day prevented - his recollecting who I was. Your ladyship cannot conceive how thankful - I was for this little incident, not because I was not disappointed of - a living, but because I saw and felt, that, had I been disappointed, - it would have been no disappointment to me. - - ”If I know anything of myself, I shall be much more ready to resign my - benefice, when I have had a fair trial of my unprofitableness to the - people committed to my care, than I was to accept it. Mr. John Wesley - bids me do it without a trial. He will have me ‘see the devil’s snare, - and fly from it at the peril of my soul.’ I answer, I cannot see it in - that light. He adds, ‘Others may do well in a living; you cannot; it - is not your calling.’ I tell him, I readily own that I am not fit to - plant or water any part of the Lord’s vineyard; but that _if_ I am - called at all, I am called to preach at Madeley, where I was first - sent into the ministry, and where a chain of providences, I could not - break, has again fastened me; and that, though I may be as - unsuccessful as Noah, yet I am determined to try to be there a - preacher of Christ’s righteousness; and that, notwithstanding my - inability, I am not without hopes, that He who reproved a prophet’s - madness by the mouth of an ass, may reprove a collier’s profaneness - even by my mouth. - - ”I reserve for another letter an account of my own soul, and of what - begins to be as dear to me as my own soul—_my parish_.”[68] - -Footnote 68: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 238. - -The other letter, here promised, was written three weeks later. The -following is an extract from it:— - - “TERN, _November 19, 1760_. - - “I have hitherto written my sermons, but I am carried so far beyond my - notes when in the pulpit, that I propose preaching with only my - sermon-case in my hand next Friday, when I shall venture on an evening - lecture for the first time. I question whether I shall have above - half-a-dozen hearers; but I am resolved to try. - - “The weather and the roads are so bad, that the way to the church is - almost impracticable; nevertheless all the seats were full last - Sunday. Some begin to come from adjacent parishes, and some more (as - they say) _threaten_ to come when the season permits. - - “I cannot yet discern any deep work, or indeed anything but what will - always attend the crying down of man’s righteousness, and the - insisting upon Christ’s—I mean a general liking among the poor; and - offence, ridicule, and opposition among the ‘reputable’ and ‘wise’ - people. Should the Lord vouchsafe to plant the Gospel in this county, - my parish seems to be the best spot for the centre of such a work, as - it lies among the most populous, profane, and ignorant. - - “But it is well if, after all, there is _any_ work in my parish. I - despair even of this, when I look at myself, and quite fall in with - Mr. John Wesley’s opinion about me; though I sometimes hope the Lord - has not sent me here for nothing. I am, however, fully determined to - resign my living, if the Lord does not think me worthy to be His - instrument. I abhor the title of a living for a living’s sake; it is - death to me. - - “There are three meetings in my parish—a Papist, Quaker, and Baptist, - and they begin to call the fourth _the Methodist_ one—I mean the - Church. But the bulk of the inhabitants are stupid heathens, who seem - past all curiosity, as well as all sense of godliness. I am ready to - run after them into their pits and forges, and I only wait for - Providence to show me the way. I am often reduced to great perplexity; - but the end of it is sweet. I am driven to the Lord, and He comforts, - encourages, and teaches me. I sometimes feel that zeal which forced - Paul to wish to be accursed for his brethren’s sake; but I want to - feel it without interruption. The devil, my friends, and my heart have - pushed at me to make me fall into worldly cares and creature - snares,—first, by the thoughts of marrying; then, by the offers of - several boarders, one of whom, a Christian youth, offered me £60 a - year; but I have been enabled to cry, ‘_Nothing but Jesus, and the - service of His people_;’ and I trust the Lord will keep me in the same - mind.”[69] - -Footnote 69: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 239. - -In such a way and spirit did Fletcher begin his ministry of twenty-five -years’ duration at Madeley. Comment on his simple and honest letters is -unnecessary; it would be uninstructive meddling, which would try the -reader’s patience. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - _FIRST TWO YEARS AT MADELEY._ - - FROM OCTOBER 17, 1760, TO NOVEMBER 22, 1762. - -ALMOST of necessity, the life of a clergyman in a small country town is -an uneventful and quiet one; and, therefore, the first ten years that -Fletcher spent at Madeley were unmarked by stirring incidents, such as -were perpetually occurring in the lives of his friends Wesley and -Whitefield. - -Madeley is a market town in the county of Salop. It is beautifully -situated in a winding glen, through which the river Severn flows. In -1800, fifteen years after Fletcher’s death, it contained, according to -the parliamentary returns, 291 houses, and 4,758 inhabitants. The church -is dedicated to St. Michael; and the parish includes Coalbrook Dale and -Madeley Wood, noted for their coal mines and their iron-works. Colliers -and iron-workers at Madeley, in the days of Fletcher, were quite as -ignorant and brutal as they were elsewhere. His mission was a trying -one; and its burdensomeness was not lessened by the fact that there was -not a single clergyman in the county of Salop who approved of his -Methodist doctrines, or sympathized with his Methodist endeavours. -Further, he was without parochial experience. He had preached for the -Wesleys and for the Countess of Huntingdon; and, on a few rare -occasions, he had been permitted to occupy the pulpits of the -Established Church; but, notwithstanding the temporary assistance he had -rendered to his Madeley predecessor, he had never held a curacy. In -parish work he was a novice; but he was not dismayed. A few months -before his induction, he had been with Berridge, who, with the exception -of Mr. Hicks at Wrestlingworth, was as much without clerical sympathy -and help in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire, as -Fletcher himself was now in Salop. Berridge had seen marvellous results -of his denounced ministry, and why should not Fletcher see the same? -Hence, on January 6, 1761, he wrote as follows to the Countess of -Huntingdon:— - - “I had a secret expectation to be the instrument of a work in this - part of our Church; and I did not despair of being soon a _little - Berridge_. Thus warmed with sparks of my own kindling, I looked out to - see the rocks broken, and the waters flowing out; but, to the great - disappointment of my hopes, I am now forced to look within, and see - the need I have of being broken myself. If my being stationed in this - howling wilderness is to answer no public end as to the Gospel of - Christ, I will not give up the hope that it may answer a private end - as to myself, in humbling me under a sense of unprofitableness. - - “As to my parish, all that I see in it, hitherto, is nothing but what - one may expect from speaking plainly, and with some degree of - earnestness; a crying out, ‘He is a Methodist—a downright Methodist!’ - While some of the poorer say, ‘Nay, but he speaketh the truth!’ Some - of the best farmers, and most of the respectable tradesmen, talk about - turning me out of my living as a Methodist or a Baptist. My Friday - lecture took better than I expected, and I propose to continue it till - the congregation desert me. The number of hearers at that time is - generally larger than that which my predecessor had on Sunday. The - number of communicants is increased from thirty to above a hundred; - and a few seem to seek grace in the means. I thank your ladyship for - mentioning Mr. Jones as a curate. There is little probability of my - ever wanting one. My oath obliges me to residence, and, when I am - here, I can easily manage all the business, and only wait for - opportunities of oftener bearing witness to the truth.”[70] - -Footnote 70: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 240. - -Fletcher’s troubles were various. He was dissatisfied with himself; a -visionary convert caused him anxiety; and many of his parishioners -maligned him. Writing to Charles Wesley on March 10, 1761, he remarked:— - - “I feel more and more that I neither _abide_ in Christ, nor Christ in - me; nevertheless, I do not _so_ feel it, as to seek Him without - intermission. ‘_Oh wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from_’ - this heart of unbelief? Blessed be God, who has promised me this - deliverance, through our Lord Jesus Christ! - - “My new convert has, with great difficulty, escaped the wiles of the - devil; who, by fifty visions, had set her on the pinnacle of the - temple. Thanks be to God, she has come down without being cast - headlong. I have had more trouble with her visions than with her - unbelief. Two other persons profess that they have received the - consolations of Divine love: I wait for their _fruits_. - - “A few days ago, I was violently tempted to quit Madeley. The spirit - of Jonah had so seized upon my heart that I had the insolence to - murmur against the Lord; but the storm is now happily calmed, at least - for a season. Alas! what stubbornness there is in the will of man; and - with what strength does it combat the will of God under the _mask of - piety_, when it can no longer do so with the uncovered, shameless face - of vice! ‘_If a man bridleth not his tongue_,’ all his _outward - ‘religion is vain.’_ May we not add to this, if a man bridleth not his - will, which is the language of his desires, his _inward religion is - vain_ also? The Lord does not, however, leave me altogether; and I - have often a secret hope that He will one day touch my heart and lips - with a live coal from the altar; and that then His word shall consume - the stubble, and break to pieces the stone. - - “The question, which you mean to repeat at the end of the winter, is, - I hope, whether you shall be welcome at Madeley? My answer is, you - shall be welcome; for I have already lost almost all my reputation, - and the little that remains does not deserve a competition with the - pleasure I shall have in seeing you.”[71] - -Footnote 71: - - Letters, 1791, p. 107. - -Notwithstanding his dejection, and the opposition he had to encounter, -Fletcher continued to labour with unflagging diligence. To his Friday -night lecture he now added the catechising of children on Sunday -afternoons, but relieved himself of the toil of preparing a second -Sunday sermon, by reading the sermons of other men. He also began to see -a prospect of commencing services at Madeley Wood and at Coalbrook Dale. -Hence, in another letter to Charles Wesley he wrote as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _April 27, 1761_. - - “When I first came to Madeley, I was greatly mortified and discouraged - by the smallness of my congregations; and I thought if some of our - friends in London had seen my little company they would have triumphed - in their own wisdom. But now, thank God, things are altered in that - respect. Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of seeing some in the - churchyard who could not get into the church. - - “I began a few Sundays ago to preach in the afternoon, after - catechising the children; but I do not preach my own sermons. Twice I - read a sermon of Archbishop Usher’s; and last Sunday one of the - Homilies, taking the liberty of making some observations on such - passages as confirmed what I had advanced in the morning; and, by this - means, I stopped the mouths of many adversaries. - - “I have frequently had a desire to exhort in Madeley Wood and - Coalbrook Dale, two villages of my parish; but I have not dared to run - before I saw an _open door_. It now, I think, begins to open. Two - small Societies of about twenty persons have formed of themselves in - those places, although the devil seems determined to overturn all. A - young person, the daughter of one of my rich parishioners, has been - thrown into despair, so that everybody thought her insane, and, - indeed, I thought so too. Judge how our adversaries rejoiced; and, for - my part, I was tempted to forsake my ministry, and take to my heels; I - never suffered such affliction. Last Saturday, I humbled myself before - the Lord on her account, by fasting and prayer; and I hope the Lord - heard my prayer. Yesterday, she found herself well enough to come to - church. - - “You will do well to engage your colliers at Kingswood to pray for - their poor brethren at Madeley. May those at Madeley, one day, equal - them _in faith_, as they _now do_ in that _wickedness_, for which they - (the Kingswood colliers) were famous before you went among them. - - “Mr. Hill has written me a very obliging letter, to engage me to - accompany the elder of my pupils to Switzerland; and if I had any - other country than the place where I am, I should, perhaps, have been - tempted to go. At present, however, I have no temptation that way, and - I have declined the offer as politely as I could.”[72] - -Footnote 72: - - Letters, 1791, p. 109. - -The case of the young woman just mentioned was to Fletcher a great -trial. In a letter written to Lady Huntingdon[73] on the same day as the -foregoing letter to Charles Wesley, he states, that, previous to this, -reports had been spread that he drove the people mad, and he had borne -such scandals “patiently enough,” but this “glaring instance,” which -seemed to confirm the rumours circulated against him, had thrown him -into “agonies of soul.” To a great extent, Fletcher had yet to learn a -lesson which the Wesleys and Whitefield had long ago been taught: “If ye -be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of -glory and of God resteth upon you” (1 Peter iv. 14). - -Footnote 73: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 241. - -The scandals were continued; and even the pulpit was used in lampooning -the Madeley preacher. Hence the following, addressed to Charles Wesley:— - - “MADELEY, _August 19, 1761_. - - “I know not whether I mentioned to you a sermon preached at the - Archdeacon’s Visitation. It was almost all levelled at the points - which are called the doctrines of Methodism, and, as the preacher is - minister of a parish near mine, it is probable he had me in his eye. - After the sermon, another clergyman addressed me with an air of - triumph, and demanded what answer I could make. As several of my - parishioners were present, besides the churchwardens, I thought it my - duty to take the matter up; and I have done so by writing a long - letter to the preacher, in which I have touched the principal mistakes - of his discourse, with as much politeness and freedom as I was able; - but I have had no answer. I could have wished for your advice before I - sealed my letter; but, as I could not have it, I have been very - cautious, entrenching myself behind the ramparts of Scripture, as well - as those of our Homilies and Articles. - - “I know not what to say to you of the state of my soul. I daily - struggle in the Slough of Despond, and I endeavour every day to climb - the Hill Difficulty. I need wisdom, mildness, and courage; and no man - has less of them than I. - - “As to the state of my parish, the prospect is yet discouraging. New - scandals succeed those that wear away; but ‘_offences must come_.’ - Happy shall I be if the offence cometh not by me. My churchwardens - speak of hindering strangers from coming to the church, and of - repelling them from the Lord’s table; but on these points I am - determined to make head against them. A club of eighty working men, in - a neighbouring parish, being offended at their minister, determined to - come in procession to my church, and requested me to preach a sermon - for them; but I thought proper to decline doing so, and have thereby a - little regained the good graces of the minister, at least for a - time.”[74] - -Footnote 74: - - Letters, 1791, p. 111. - -The preacher, at the Archdeacon’s visitation, was the Rev. Mr. -Prothero;[75] and the “long letter” to him may be found in Fletcher’s -collected works (vol. viii.), where it fills twenty-eight octavo pages, -and is entitled a “Defence of Experimental Religion.” It is dated -“Madeley, July 25, 1761.” - -Footnote 75: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1821, p. 17. - -Mr. Prothero’s “elegant sermon,” as Fletcher terms it, seems to have -consisted of two parts: a defence of revealed religion against Deists -and Infidels; and a warning against religious superstition and -enthusiasm. The first part gave Fletcher “exceeding great satisfaction,” -and the _design_ of the second part was good, for, as Fletcher remarks, -“It is the duty of a preacher to keep the sacred truths committed to -him, as well from being perverted by enthusiasts, as from being crushed -by infidels. Boasting of communion with God, and peculiar favours from -heaven, is hurtful to the cause of Christ, when people’s lives show them -to be actuated by a spirit of delusion; and setting up impulses in the -room of repentance, faith, hope, charity, obedience, has done no small -mischief in the Church of God.” - -But, while Fletcher praises Mr. Prothero for “the goodness of his -design,” he passes strictures upon the execution of it. He condemns Mr. -Prothero for “representing, in general, that virtue, benevolence, -good-nature, and morality, are the _way_ to salvation;” and shows, that -according “to the Word of God and the teaching of our Church,” sinners -are saved by the exercise of faith in Christ. He objected to Mr. -Prothero’s doctrine, that, by nature, and without the assistance of -Divine grace, man “has the same power to enter the paths of virtue as to -walk across a room.” He censured the way in which the preacher -discountenanced the doctrine of the necessity of the new birth; and he -maintained, at great length, that to “set aside all feelings in -religion, and to rank them with unaccountable impulses,” is not -consistent with the teachings of the Bible, and with the Liturgy, -Articles, and Homilies of the English Church. - -Soon after this, Fletcher was in another trouble. Hence the following -letter written to Charles Wesley:— - - “MADELEY, _October 12, 1761_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—You have always the goodness to encourage me, and your - encouragements are not unseasonable; for discouragements follow one - after another with very little intermission. Those which are of an - inward nature are sufficiently known to you; but some others are - peculiar to myself, especially those I have had for eight days past, - during Madeley wake. - - “Seeing that I could not suppress these bacchanals, I did all in my - power to moderate their madness; but my endeavours have had little or - no effect. You cannot well imagine how much the animosity of my - parishioners is heightened, and with what boldness it discovers itself - against me, because I preached against drunkenness, shows, and - bull-baiting. The publicans and maltmen will not forgive me. They - think that to preach against drunkenness, and to cut their purse, is - the same thing. - - “My church begins not to be so well filled as it has been, and I - account for it thus: the curiosity of some of my hearers is satisfied, - and others are offended by the word; the roads are worse; and if it - shall ever please the Lord to pour His Spirit upon us, the time is not - yet come. The people, instead of saying, ‘Let us go up to the house of - the Lord,’ exclaim, ‘Why should we go and hear a Methodist?’ - - “I should lose all patience with my flock if I had not more reason to - be satisfied with them than with myself. My own barrenness furnishes - me with excuses for theirs; and I wait the time when God shall give - seed to the sower and increase to the seed sown. In waiting that time, - I learn the meaning of this prayer, ‘Thy will be done.’ - - “Believe me your sincere, though unworthy, friend, - “J. FLETCHER.”[76] - -Footnote 76: - - Letters, 1791, p. 112. - -Fletcher’s faithful preaching offended the publicans, and, judging of -his sermons in general by the following specimens, it is not surprising -that his preaching offended others. The extracts are taken from a sermon -delivered in the month of December 1761, and first published in the -Dublin edition of the _Methodist Magazine_ for 1821 (pp. 249–258).[77] -The text was, “Thou shalt speak My words to them, whether they will hear -or whether they will forbear, for they are most rebellious” (Ezek. ii. -7). After challenging his congregation to assert their innocence, -Fletcher proceeded:— - - “Supposing you never allowed yourself to dishonour the name of God by - customary swearing, or grossly to violate His Sabbaths, or commonly to - neglect the solemnities of His public worship; supposing, again, that - you have not injured your neighbours in their lives, their chastity, - their character, or their property, either by violence or by fraud; or - that you never scandalously debased your rational nature by that vile - intemperance which sinks a man below the worst kind of brutes; - supposing all this, can you pretend that you have not in smaller - instances violated the rules of piety, of temperance, and of chastity? - Does not your own heart prove you guilty of pride, of passion, of - sensuality, of an excessive fondness for the world and its enjoyments; - of murmuring, or at least secretly repining, against God under the - strokes of an afflictive Providence; of misspending a great deal of - your time; of abusing the gifts of God’s bounty to vain, and, in some - instances, to pernicious purposes; of mocking Him when you have - pretended to engage in His worship, drawing near to Him with your lips - while your heart has been far from Him? Does not your conscience - condemn you of some one breach of the law at least? and by one breach - of it, does not the Holy Ghost bear witness (James ii. 10) that you - are become guilty of all, and are as incapable of being justified - before God by any obedience of your own, as if you had committed ten - thousand offences? But, in reality, there are ten thousand and more to - be charged to your account. When you come to reflect on all your sins - of negligence, as well as on your voluntary transgressions; on all the - instances in which you have failed to do good when it was in your - power to do it; on all the instances in which acts of devotion have - been omitted, especially in secret; and on all those cases in which - you have shown a stupid disregard to the honour of God, and to the - temporal and eternal happiness of your fellow-creatures; when all - these, I say, are reviewed, the number will swell beyond all - possibility of account, and force you to cry out, ‘I am rebellious, - most rebellious; mine iniquities are more than the hairs of my head!’ - They will appear in such a light before you that your own heart will - charge you with countless multitudes; and how much more then that God, - ‘who is greater than your heart, and knoweth all things’?” - -Footnote 77: - - Fletcher seldom wrote his sermons, and more rarely read them. More - than one hundred and forty sermons of Wesley’s have been published, - and at least sixty of Whitefield’s; but of Fletcher’s, who had much - more leisure than either Wesley or Whitefield, only about a dozen. All - the rest are mere outlines. The following are copied from Fletcher’s - MSS., and have not before been published. They may be taken as fair - specimens of Fletcher’s pulpit preparations and pulpit helps. They are - skeletons of two sermons, preached from Matt. xxii. 36–39:— W “I. Why - we must love God. - - “II. How we must love Him. - - “III. What we must do in order to love Him. - - “He is our Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, Sanctifier. He commands us to - love Him. Out of His love there is no happiness. Love of God contains - all. He loved us first. - - “With all our soul, heart, and strength. Above all things. More than - our life, wives, children, estate, honour, ourselves. - - “Be convinced we do not love Him. Abhor ourselves for our rebellion. - Confess, repent, and believe. Keep a sense of our forgiveness. Pray to - Him. Praise Him. Walk with Him. Seek but Him. Refuse all comfort - unless we feel His love. Keep a constant communion with Him by seeing - His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. - - “How have we fulfilled this great duty? Try yourselves. Pray an hour - by yourselves. If you do not love, you hate. What fury to hate all - that is good, great, and lovely! What madness to set our love on - creatures! It must fall with them. Love God in Christ. Look to Christ. - Believe in Christ, to love God. If you do not love Him, you are in - your lives in the devil’s state. You can no more go to heaven than the - devil. Choose which you will love. The world calls. Let us give all - for all.“ - - “Love thy _neighbour_. All men; though never so distant in place, - different in opinions, interests. Because made by the same hand; - partakers of the same nature; bought with the same blood; capable of - the same happiness. - - “As _ourselves_. Not judging; not thinking evil; not speaking evil; - not defrauding; not coveting; doing them good; praying for them; - honouring them - - “Because all made in image of God. None but in something better than - ourselves; none but is a child of God, or may become so. - - “Put the best construction on words or actions, much more upon - thoughts. Relieve necessities. This is imitating God. What we give is - lent to God. - - “Love universally, constantly, impartially, sincerely; from a sense of - Christ’s love.” - -This was plain speaking, but very characteristic of the preaching of the -Church of England Methodists. Space will permit only one other extract -from this sermon. - - “And now, sinner, think seriously with yourself what defence you will - make to all this? Will you fly in the face of God and that of your - conscience so openly as to deny one of the charges of rebellion, yea, - of aggravated rebellion, I have advanced against you? Have you not - lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven? Have you not sided with - His sworn enemies—the world and the flesh? What part of your body, - what faculty of your soul, have you not employed as an instrument of - unrighteousness? When did you live one day before God with the - dependence of a creature, the gratitude of a redeemed creature, the - heavenly frame of a sanctified creature? Nay, when did you live one - hour without violating God’s known law, either in word, or thought, or - action? Have not you done it almost continually by the vanity of your - mind and the hardness of your heart, if not by the open immorality of - your life? And, what infinitely aggravates your guilt, have you not - despised and abused God’s numberless mercies? Have you not affronted - conscience, His deputy in your breast? Have you not resisted and - grieved His Spirit? Yea, have you not trifled with Him in all your - pretended submissions or solemn engagements? Thousands are, no doubt, - already in hell whose guilt never equalled yours; and yet God has - spared you to see almost the end of another year, and to hear now this - plain representation of your case. And will you not yet consider? - Shall nothing move you to shake off that amazing carelessness and - stupid disregard of your salvation? Will you never begin to ‘work it - out with fear and trembling’? Will you slumber in impenitency till - eternal woes crush you into destruction? Is death, is judgment, is the - bottomless pit so distant that you dare put off from week to week the - day of your conversion? You have read in God’s Word that there is - mercy with Him that He may be feared; but where did you read that - there is mercy with Him for those who fear Him not? Show me such a - place; I shall not say anywhere in the Bible, but in any book written - by a moral heathen. And yet you hope you can be saved in this way. - - “Sinner, despise me _here_ if thou wilt; call me _here_ an enthusiast, - and laugh at the concern I feel for thy perishing soul; but - _hereafter_ thou wilt do me justice, clear me before the Lord Jesus, - and acknowledge that thy blood is upon thine own head, that thou art - undone because thou wouldst be undone, because thou wouldst take - neither warning nor reproof.” - -To give the reader a further idea of the faithfulness and searching -character of Fletcher’s preaching at this early period of his Madeley -ministry, the subjoined extracts are given from sermons preached during -the first three months of 1762. - -In January, 1762,[78] he delivered a discourse upon the words, “Ye will -not come unto Me, that ye might have life;” in which he described “four -classes of sinners who will not come to Christ that they might have -life;” and proved “that unbelief, or not coming to Christ for life, is -the most abominable and damning of all sins.” One brief extract on the -latter point must suffice:— - - “Unbelief is a sin of so deep a dye that the devils in hell cannot - commit the like. Our Saviour never prayed, wept, bled, and died for - devils. He never said to them, ‘Ye will not come unto Me, that ye - might have life.’ They can never be so madly ungrateful as to slight a - Saviour. Mercy never wooed their stubborn, proud hearts as it does - ours. They have abused grace, it is true, but they never trampled - mercy underfoot. This more than diabolical sin is reserved for thee, - careless sinner. Now thou hearest Christ compassionately say in the - text, ‘Ye will not come unto Me,’ and thou remainest unmoved; but the - time cometh when Jesus, who meekly entreats, shall sternly curse; when - He who in tender patience says, ‘Ye will not come unto Me,’ shall - thunder in righteous vengeance, ‘Depart from Me, ye cursed; depart - unto the second death,—the fire prepared for the devil and his - angels.’ In vain wilt thou plead then as thou dost now, ‘Lord, I am no - adulterer; I am no extortioner; I used to eat at Thy table; I was - baptized in Thy name; I was a true churchman; there are many worse - than I am.’ This will not admit thee into the kingdom of Christ. His - answer will be, ‘I know you not; you never came to Me for life.’” - -Footnote 78: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1821, p. 651. - -Plain preaching such as this was not likely to please the easy-going -Pharisees of the age in which Fletcher lived, any more than it is likely -to be popular among the same class of people at the present day. To -utter such truths required courage then; and it requires courage now. -Fletcher, one of the gentlest of human beings, possessed this courage. - -No doubt there were many occasions when his sermons were full of the -richest comfort to those who had truly repented, and unfeignedly -believed Christ’s holy Gospel; but he never failed faithfully to fulfil -an Old Testament commission, binding upon the ministers of God -throughout all time: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a -trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob -their sins” (Isa. lviii. 1). - -At the risk of wearying the reader, further extracts must be given, -exemplifying Fletcher’s fearless fidelity. - -On January 4, 1762, England declared war against Spain; and, a few days -after, proclamations were issued for a general fast to be observed in -England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, in the month of March.[79] -Fletcher, as a loyal Churchman, preached on this occasion;[80] his text -was Ezek. xxxiii. 7–9. After a few preliminary remarks respecting the -king’s “pious proclamation,” he proceeds to say,— - - “We must attack, unmask, and overthrow vice with holy violence, and - strike at the heart of sin with the boldness of John the Baptist, and - in the spirit of Elijah. Without any apology for my plainness, I shall - endeavour to convince the wicked man both of his wickedness and - danger.” - -Footnote 79: - - _London Magazine_, 1762, p. 48. - -Footnote 80: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1822, p. 153. - -Fletcher begins with “practical atheists” - - “Thousands there are, who, by gross ignorance, shameful neglect of - instruction, and abominable contempt of godliness, are in the front of - the battle, and next to the prince of darkness. Their heart is - darkened by the mists of pride and the clouds of presumption, and they - are such utter strangers to their want of spiritual light and divine - grace, that they seldom or never call upon God for help with any - solemnity. The unhappy heathenish families who are of that stamp meet - regularly every day to eat, drink, and make provision for the flesh; - but how seldom do they meet to read and pray. You will find almost as - much godliness among the wild Indians as among these practical - atheists. But why should I call them _atheists_? They have many gods. - The world is their god; pleasure is their god; vanity is their god; - money is their god; their belly is their god; to some or other of - these idols, they sacrifice their hearts and their time. As for the - God of heaven, the great and eternal Jehovah, they put Him off with a - careless attendance on His public worship on Sunday morning, if the - weather suits them; and it is well if to this they add sometimes the - babbling over of the Lord’s Prayer and the Creed, which, after all, in - the manner in which they do it, is no better than a solemn mockery of - the Saviour, whom they constantly crucify afresh. Do you belong to - such a heathenish, prayerless family? If you do, suffer me to deliver - my soul by telling you, that you are the very first person to whom I - am bound to say, ‘Thou shalt surely die.’ Read your sentence in Psalm - lxxix. 6. What! shall the indignation of the Lord fall upon prayerless - families among the heathen, and shall it pass by the nominally - Christian, but prayerless family to which you belong? No, no; the - Judge of all the earth will do right; He will repay you to your face.” - - “The wicked is often known, to others and to himself, by his - injustice, oppression, cruelty, deceit, and unfair dealing. Did you - ever make a prey of the poor and helpless? Are you like the - horse-leech, crying, ‘Give, give,’ still wanting more profit, and - never thinking you have enough? Do you take more care to lay up - treasures on earth than in heaven? Have you got the unhappy secret of - distilling silver out of the poor man’s brow, and gold out of the - tears of helpless widows and friendless orphans? Or, which is rather - worse, do you, directly or indirectly, live by poisoning others, by - encouraging the immoderate use of those refreshments, which, taken to - excess, disorder the reason, ruin the soul, and prove no better than - slow poison to the body? If your business calls you to buy or sell, do - you use falsehood? do you equivocate? do you exaggerate or conceal the - truth, in order to impose upon your neighbour, and make a profit of - his necessity or credulity? If any of these marks be upon you, God’s - word singles you out, and drags you to the bar of Divine justice to - hear your doom in the text, ‘The wicked shall surely die.’ O, see your - danger; repent, and make restitution! Why should you meet the unjust - steward in hell, when you may yet follow Zaccheus into heaven?” - - “There is another fearful sin, which has in it no profit, no pleasure, - no, not sensual sweetness enough to bait the hook of temptation. The - only enticement to it is the diabolical disposition of the wicked man, - and the horrid pride he takes in _cutting a figure_ among the children - of Belial. I speak of oaths and curses,—those arrows shot from the - string of a hellish heart, and the bow of a Luciferian tongue, against - heaven itself; these are some of the sparks of hell-fire, which, now - and then, come out of the throat of a wicked man. Do they ever come - out of thine? A year ago, I laid before you the horror of that sin, - and besought you to leave it to Satan and his angels, and to act no - more the part of an _incarnate devil_. Have you strictly complied with - that request? Has not heaven been pierced with another fiery dart? - Have not good men, or good angels (if any attend you still) shuddered - at those imprecations, which you have used, perhaps without remorse?” - - “But, perhaps, your conscience bears you witness that you are not a - swearing Christian, or rather a swearing infidel. Well; but are you - clear in the point of adultery, fornication, or uncleanness? Does not - the guilt of some vile sin, which you have wickedly indulged in time - past, and perhaps are still indulging, mark you for the member of a - harlot, and not the member of Christ? Do you not kindle the wrath of - heaven against yourself and your country, as the men and women of - Gomorrah did against themselves and the other cities of the plain? If - you cherish the sparks of wantonness, as they did, how can you but be - made with them to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire? Do not flatter - yourselves with the vain hope, that your sin is not so heinous as - theirs. If it be less in degree, is it not infinitely greater in its - aggravating circumstances? Were these poor Canaanites _Christians_? - Had they Bibles and ministers? Had they sermons and sacraments? Did - they ever vow, as you have done, to renounce the devil, and all the - sinful lusts of the flesh? Did they ever hear of the Son of God - sweating great drops of blood, in an agony of prayer, to quench the - fire of human corruption? O acknowledge your guilt and danger, and, by - deep repentance, prevent infallible destruction. - - “I cannot pass in silence the detestable, though fashionable, sin, - which has brought down the curse of heaven, and poured desolation and - ruin upon the most flourishing kingdoms,—I mean pride in apparel. Even - in this place, where poverty, hard labour, and drudgery would, one - should think, prevent a sin which Christianity cannot tolerate even in - kings’ houses, there are not wanting foolish virgins, who draw - iniquity with cords of vanity, and betray the levity of their hearts - by that of their dress. Yea, some women, who should be mothers in - Israel, and adorn themselves with good works as holy and godly - matrons, openly affect the opposite character. You may see them offer - themselves first to the idol of vanity, and then sacrifice their - children upon the same altar. As some sons of Belial teach their - little ones to curse, before they can well speak, so these daughters - of Jezebel drag their unhappy offspring, before they can walk, to the - haunts of vanity and pride. They complain of evening lectures, but run - to midnight dancings. O that such persons would let the prophet’s - words sink into their frothy minds, and fasten upon their careless - hearts: ‘Because the daughters of Sion are haughty, and walk with - stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, the Lord will smite with a sore - the crown of their head, and discover their shame: instead of well-set - hair, there shall be baldness, and burning instead of beauty.’” - -These abbreviated extracts of Fletcher’s descriptions of “the wicked” -are followed by his _directions_ to humble themselves before Almighty -God; to confess their sins with deep sorrow, and to return to the Lord -with prayer and fasting; to meditate on the universality, commonness, -and boldness of the nation’s wickedness; to begin a visible and thorough -reformation; and to seek personal salvation in Christ. The bold preacher -cries:— - - “From the gilded palace to the thatched cottage, our guilt calls for - vengeance. Wickedness is become so fashionable, that he who refuses to - run with others into vanity, intemperance, or profaneness, is in - danger of losing his character, on one hand; while, on the other, the - son of Belial prides himself in excesses, glories in diabolical - practices, and scoffs with impunity at religion and virtue. O England! - England! happy, yet ungrateful island! Dost thou repay fruitfulness by - profaneness,—plenty by vanity,—liberty by impiety,—and the light of - Christianity by excesses of immorality? - - “As you regard the prosperity of the king, the good of our Church, and - the welfare of our country;—as you would not bring a private curse - upon yourself, your house, and your dearest friends;—as you value the - honour of Almighty God, and dread His awakened wrath;—as you would not - force Him to make our land a field of blood, or to break the staff of - our bread, and send famine, pestilence, popery, or some other fearful - judgment among us;—I pray you, I beseech, I entreat each of you, my - dear brethren! as upon my bended knees,—in the name of our Lord Jesus, - and by those bowels of Divine mercy against which we have madly kicked - in times past, and which, nevertheless, still yearn over us,—I entreat - you not to rest in outward humiliation and reformation. Christians - must go one step beyond the Ninevites. O seek then, with all true - Christians, a righteousness superior to that of the Scribes and - Pharisees. Seek it in Christ. Never rest, till you are sure of your - interest in Him; till you feel the virtue of His blood applied to your - hearts by the power of His Spirit. Without this, all the rest will - stand you in little stead.”[81] - -Footnote 81: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1822, p. 222. - -This, in truth, was thunder and lightning preaching,—no doubt greatly -needed then, as, indeed, it is greatly needed now; preaching likely to -give offence, but the faithfulness of which God always honours, and -crowns with marked success. It raised up against Fletcher bitter -enemies; but it was the means of converting not a few of his godless -parishioners. - -One of these was Mary Matthews, who, listening to the reproaches cast -upon Fletcher, was greatly prejudiced against him. At length, she went -to hear him. Mary thought herself very good, but Fletcher showed she was -very vile. For two years, she was an earnest penitent, and then, by -faith in Christ, found peace with God. Mary was brought before -magistrates for opening her little house, in Madeley Wood, for -preaching, but she continued faithful; and, in 1788, passed away to -heaven, her last words being, “I am almost at home. Farewell! God bless -you! God for ever bless you!” - -Another was Mary Barnard, who lived to the age of ninety, was very lame, -but always crawled to Madeley church when the weather would permit. -Totally without education herself, she had a son who became a Methodist -local preacher. Her death occurred in 1797, and her last message to -Fletcher’s widow was,—“The covenant is signed and sealed between my Lord -and me. I am His by a marriage bond; and He is mine. And now I set to my -seal, that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin.”[82] - -Footnote 82: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1800, pp. 219–223. - -Such conversions were among Fletcher’s encouragements; and he greatly -needed them. His preaching saved some, but offended others. In one of -his unpublished manuscripts, dated “Madeley, February 28, 1762,” he -notes a somewhat remarkable occurrence:— - - “Last Sunday, only one objection was made against the doctrine I - preached in this church, and that, I think, was a poor one, as it was - supported by no argument and no Scripture. The sum of it was this, ‘It - is hard to say that one breach of the law brings a man under the - curse, and exposes one out of Christ to the damnation of hell.’ To - this I answer by four arguments. - - “The first is taken from matters of fact in the Word of God. By one - sin, and by the offence of one, condemnation came upon all men, namely - by the one sin of Adam’s eating the forbidden fruit. And a more awful - example you have in the sudden destruction of Ananias and Sapphira his - wife _for having told one single lie_. - - “The second argument is taken from common sense, which tells us that - one leak in a ship unstopped will sink it in time, as certainly as a - hundred; one piece broken out of a glass makes it a useless glass, as - much as if it was dashed into twenty pieces; one stab of a dagger - through the heart kills a man as much as a hundred would. And so one - sin uncancelled by Christ’s blood will as surely destroy an - unconverted man as a hundred, though his destruction will not be so - terrible as that of him who has committed a hundred. - - “The third argument is taken from the exactness of human laws and the - practice of earthly judges. They all condemn a man for one single - offence. If one can be proved it is enough. Let a murderer kill one - man, he is to be hanged as well as if he had killed a hundred. Let a - highwayman take one pound from one single person, the law condemns him - for a felon, and sends him to the gallows, as well as if he had taken - a thousand pounds from a thousand different travellers. The law of the - land, to the breach of which the penalty is annexed, is as effectually - broken by one act of felony as by a hundred; and the law of God is as - much, though not so heinously, broken, by one sin as by a hundred: - consequently the law of God curses and damns for one sin as well as - for a hundred. - - “The fourth argument is taken from Deuteronomy xxvii. 26, ‘Cursed be - he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.’ Also, - Galatians iii. 10, ‘Cursed is every one that continueth not in all - things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ And - James ii. 10, ‘Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in - one point, he is guilty of all.’ He violates the law, despises the - law, incurs the punishment threatened.” - -Passing by Fletcher’s arguments and logic, this fugitive manuscript is -of some importance, as intimating not only that objections were made to -Fletcher’s doctrines, but also that he was accustomed publicly to notice -and answer them in his parish church. - -Fletcher had other troubles besides those arising from objections to his -teaching. In his Fast-day sermon, preached on March 12, 1762, he had -cried:— - - “‘Because of swearing the land mourneth.’ If the prophet of old had - lived in our degenerate days, he would have added, ‘Because of perjury - the land groaneth.’ To go no farther than the place we inhabit, how - many of us, who have been entrusted with public offices, have wilfully - broken the oaths administered unto us? How many open and notorious - drunkards, fighters, sabbath-breakers, blasphemers of God’s Word, and - cursers of men, have escaped deserved censure, I shall not say by the - accidental neglect, but by the downright perjury of officers?” - -This bold accusation stimulated one of Fletcher’s young parishioners to -put the law in force against one of the culpable parish officers; by -which act the young man brought himself into trouble, and also Fletcher, -who protected him. - -Further, in the small house of Mary Matthews, built upon the rock in -Madeley Wood, Fletcher had begun to hold preaching services; the -congregation assembling there had been called “the Rock Church;” and -Mary Matthews had been fined £20 for permitting such assemblies in her -humble dwelling. Fletcher refers to these incidents in the following -letter to Charles Wesley:— - - “MADELEY, _May 16, 1762_. - - “Since my last, our troubles have increased. A young man having put in - force the Act, for suppressing swearing, against a parish officer, he - stirred up all the other half gentlemen to remove him from the parish. - Here I interposed, and, to do so with effect, I took the young man - into my service. By God’s grace, I have been enabled to conduct - myself, in this matter, so as to give them no handle against me; and, - in spite of all their cabals, I have got the better of them. - - “What has greatly encouraged them is the behaviour of a magistrate, - who was at the first inclined to favour me, but afterwards turned - against me with peculiar malevolence, and proceeded so far as to - threaten me and all my flock of the Rock Church with imprisonment. - Hitherto, the Lord has stood by me, and my little difficulties are - nothing to me; but I fear I support them rather like a philosopher - than a Christian. We were to have been mobbed with a drum last - Tuesday, at the Rock Church; but their captain, a papist, behaved - himself so very ill, that they were ashamed of him, and are made - peaceable for the present.”[83] - -Footnote 83: - - Letters, 1791, p. 114 - -Fletcher wrote to this persecuting papist the following letter, which is -now for the first time published:— - - “SIR,—The indecent and profane manner in which you broke upon those of - my parishioners who came to me for private exhortations at Mrs. - Matthews’, lays me under an absolute obligation to present you at - Ludlow Court as a person notoriously guilty—1, Of drunkenness; 2, of - cursing; 3, of disturbing me in the discharge of the private labours - of my ministry; 4, of profane disregard to the Liturgy of the - Established Church; 5, of want of respect for the Royal Family, openly - intimated in indecent interruption while I prayed for them, and - obliging me to get up from my knees and make you go out of the room - before I could conclude the collect in peace; and 6, of cursing, and - making game of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. - - “Though I told you upon the spot, that you should be informed of for - your profane behaviour, I think it my duty to acquaint you of it more - particularly, that you may prepare your answers to the above mentioned - charges. - - “I assure you, Sir, that malice, or any private pique, is entirely out - of the question. I heartily wish you well, and am ready to do you any - service but that of sacrificing the interests of religion and virtue - to open profaneness and immorality. - - “The following considerations weigh much with me to make me insist on - the churchwardens putting you in their presentment; and they will, I - hope, convince you that I act only according to the dictates of - Christian prudence. - - “1. Most of the things laid to your charge were grown into habit - before they broke out in my presence. It is not the first time that - you have been seen in liquor, and been heard to use profane - expressions, and to make sport of the things of God, and turn my - labours into ridicule. - - “2. So public an offence absolutely demands a public punishment, and - the officers, whom I have informed of your behaviour, must be perjured - if they present you not, and an irreparable blow will be given to the - honour of religion and morality. - - “3. The regard I have for our Church, and the peace of the parish, - obliges me to resist in you the persecuting spirit of opposition your - Church is so noted for. - - “4. Part of my business here as a clergyman of the Church of England - is to withstand the propagation of your dangerous principles, and to - oppose the increase of the blind persecuting zeal which some seem to - breathe after you. If you are suffered openly to excite that profane - zeal with impunity, how will your misled companions be confirmed in - their errors. If you, who have so many laws to curb you, can offend - with impunity, how daring will others grow in wickedness. - - “5. A person of note in the parish has lately undergone the severity - of the law for part of the above-mentioned charges. What intolerable - partiality would it be in the officers and me to take no notice of you - who are guilty of the whole. - - “Lastly. If I do not get you presented, I shall for ever deprive - myself of the liberty of repressing profaneness, immorality, and - persecution in my parish. Every drunkard, every swearer, every railer, - etc., etc., will (and not without reason) say to me, ‘You could spare - Mr. Haughton, who was notoriously guilty of our errors; why should you - be stricter with Protestants than with Papists?’ - - “I flatter myself that these reasons will convince you that I am led - by Christian prudence and a calm resolution to oppose triumphing - profaneness, and not at all by any private views or uncharitable - motives. And, wishing that, if you are convicted, the course of human - laws may lead you to the harbour of temperance and piety, - - “I remain, Sir, your humble and obedient servant, - “J. FLETCHER.” - -Of course, opinions differ as to the expediency of trying to make men -moral by Acts of Parliament; but there can be no doubt of Fletcher’s -Christian sincerity in the action he took against Mr. Haughton. His -effort, however, was a failure. Writing to Charles Wesley, in the month -of July, 1762, he said:— - - “Your letter arrived some days too late, to prevent my taking a false - step respecting the papist in question. Three weeks ago, I went to - Ludlow to the Bishop’s visitation, and I thought the occasion - favourable for my purpose; but the churchwardens, when we were on the - spot, refused to support me, and the court has paid no regard to my - presentation. Thus I have gained some experience, though at my own - cost. The sermon did not touch the string with which I was whipped at - the last visitation; and I afterwards had the boldness to go and dine - with the Bishop. - - “Many of my parishioners are strangely disconcerted at my bringing my - gown back from Ludlow. With respect to the magistrate I mentioned to - you in my last, because he acted as judge of the circuit two years - ago, he now believes himself as able a lawyer as Judge Foster; but, - for the present, he contents himself with threatenings. I met him the - other day, and, after he had called me Jesuit, etc., and menaced me - with his cane, he assured me that he would soon put down our - assemblies. How ridiculous is this impotent rage! - - “I have attempted to form a Society, and, in spite of much opposition - and many difficulties, I hope to succeed. I preach, I exhort, I pray; - but, as yet, I seem to have cast the net on the wrong side of the - ship. Lord Jesus, come Thyself, and furnish me with a Divine - commission! - - “For some months past, I have laboured under an insuperable - drowsiness: I could sleep day and night; and the hours which I ought - to employ with Christ on the mount, I spend like Peter in the - garden.”[84] - -Footnote 84: - - Letters, 1791, p. 115. - -Poor Fletcher’s troubles continued and increased. A month later, he -wrote again to Charles Wesley, as follows:— - - “I have still trials of all sorts. First, spiritual ones. My heart is - hard; I have not that contrition, that filial fear, that sweet, humble - melting of heart before the Lord, which I consider essential to - Christianity. - - “Secondly, the opposition made to my ministry increases. A young - clergyman, who lives in Madeley Wood, where he has great influence, - has openly declared war against me, by pasting on the church door a - paper, in which he charges me with rebellion, schism, and being a - disturber of the public peace. He puts himself at the head of the - gentlemen of the parish (as they term themselves), and, supported by - the Recorder of Wenlock, he is determined to put in force the - Conventicle Act against me. A few weeks ago, the widow who lives in - the Rock Church, and a young man, who read and prayed in my absence, - were taken up. I attended them before the magistrate, and the young - clergyman with his troop were present. They called me Jesuit, etc.; - and the magistrate tried to frighten me, by saying that he would put - the Act in force, though we should assemble only in my own house. I - pleaded my cause as well as I could; but, seeing he was determined to - hear no reason, I told him he must do as he pleased, and that, if the - Act in question concerned us, we were ready to suffer all its rigours. - In his rage, he went the next day to Wenlock, and proposed to grant a - warrant to have me apprehended; but, as the other magistrates were of - opinion that the business did not come under their cognizance, but - belonged to the Spiritual Court, he was obliged to swallow his spittle - alone. - - “Mr. Madan,[85] whom I have consulted, tells me the Act may be - enforced against the mistress of the house, the young man, and all who - were present. The churchwardens talk of putting me in the Spiritual - Court for meeting in houses, etc.; but what is worst of all, three - false witnesses offer to prove upon oath that I am a liar; and some of - _my followers_ (as they are called) have dishonoured their profession, - to the great joy of our adversaries. - - “In the midst of these difficulties I have reason to bless the Lord, - that my heart is not troubled. Forget me not in your prayers.”[86] - -Footnote 85: - - The Rev. Martin Madan, who, before he became a clergyman, was a - barrister-at-law. - -Footnote 86: - - Letters, 1791, p. 117. - -All this braggart persecution seems to have ended in threats. Fletcher -wrote again to Charles Wesley, on November 22, 1762:— - - “The debates about the illegality of exhorting in houses (although - only in my own parish) grew some time ago to such a height, that I was - obliged to lay my reasons before the Bishop; but his lordship very - prudently sends me no answer. I think he knows not how to disapprove, - and yet dares not approve this methodistical way of procedure.”[87] - -Footnote 87: - - Letters, 1791, p. 124. - -Such is a bird’s-eye view of Fletcher’s ministry and ministerial trials -during the first two years after his appointment to the living of -Madeley in 1760. As an earnest evangelical clergyman of the Church of -England, he almost stood alone. Shropshire had produced one like-minded -minister; but he, the Rev. Mr. Hatton, was now in the Isle of Man. To -this gentleman, Fletcher, in his solitude, wrote as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _August 4, 1762_. - - “REV. SIR,—There are so few of our profession in this county who are - not ashamed of the cross of Christ, and of the Homilies and Articles - of our Church, that it gave me no small pleasure to hear you are not - led away with the generality into dry empty notions of morality and - formality,—the two legs on which fashionable religion stalks through - this so-called Christian land. May the Lord Jesus convince us daily - more and more, by His Spirit, of sin in ourselves, and of - righteousness in Him! May we, in the strength of our dying Samson, - pull down the buildings of self-righteousness, though the consequence - should be to see all our hopes of preferment and esteem buried in the - ruins! May we never be led to preach another Gospel than that of - Christ! ‘He that believeth shall be saved; he that believeth not shall - be damned’ (Mark xvi. 16). - - “I hope, Sir, you will not be discouraged. Regard not the wind, but - sow your seed early and late; and the Lord of the harvest will give - the increase, as seemeth best to His heavenly wisdom. I meet with many - trials in my parish, but our faithful Lord opens always a door for me - to escape; and so He will for you. - - “I should be thankful to Providence, if your way should be made plain - into this neighbourhood. You owe yourself to Shropshire in particular; - and no county needs hands for the spiritual harvest more than this - does. I pray that the Lord of the harvest may thrust you among us. - - “I bespeak a sermon when you come to Salop; trusting that you will not - be ashamed to bear witness to the truth as it is in Jesus, from so - despised a pulpit as that of, dear Sir, your affectionate and weak - fellow servant in the Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[88] - -Footnote 88: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1829, p. 175. - -Fletcher longed for clerical sympathy and co-operation; but he had to -wait for them. In all respects his position was a trying one. The Rev. -Mr. Gilpin, who afterwards was well acquainted with him, writes:— - - “Celebrated for the extensive ironworks carried on within its limits, - Madeley was remarkable for little else than the ignorance and - profaneness of its inhabitants, among whom respect to man was as - rarely to be observed as piety towards God. In this benighted place, - the Sabbath was openly profaned, and the most holy things - contemptuously trampled under foot; even the restraints of decency - were violently broken through, and the external form of religion held - up as a subject of ridicule. - - “Immediately upon his settling in this populous village, Mr. Fletcher - entered upon the duties of his vocation with an extraordinary degree - of earnestness and zeal. He saw the difficulties of his situation, and - the reproaches to which he should be exposed by a conscientious - discharge of the pastoral office; but, as a steward of the manifold - grace of God, he faithfully dispensed the word of life, according as - every man had need; instructing the ignorant, reasoning with - gainsayers, exhorting the immoral, and rebuking the obstinate. Not - content with discharging the stated duties of the Sabbath, he counted - every day as lost in which he was not actually employed in the service - of the Church. As often as a small congregation could be collected, he - joyfully proclaimed to them the acceptable year of the Lord, whether - it were in the church, in a private house, or in the open air.” - - “It was a common thing, in his parish, for young persons of both sexes - to meet together for what was called recreation; and that recreation - usually continued from evening to morning, consisting chiefly in - dancing, revelling, drunkenness, and obscenity. These licentious - assemblies he considered a disgrace to the Christian name, and - determined to exert his ministerial authority for their total - suppression. Frequently he burst in upon them with a holy indignation, - making war upon Satan in places peculiarly appropriated to his - service.” - - “His enemies wrested his words, misrepresented his actions, and cast - out his name as evil; but whether he was insulted in his person, or - injured in his property; whether he was attacked with open abuse, or - pursued by secret calumny, he walked amid the most violent assaults of - his enemies, as a man invulnerable; and while his firmness discovered - that he was unhurt, his forbearance testified that he was unoffended.” - - “Had he aimed at celebrity as a public speaker, furnished as he was - with the united powers of learning, genius, and taste, he might have - succeeded beyond many; but his design was to _convert_ and not to - _captivate_ his hearers; to secure their eternal interests, and not to - obtain their momentary applause. Hence his ‘_speech and his preaching - were not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of - the Spirit and of power_.’ He spake as in the presence of God, and - taught as one having Divine authority. There was an energy in his - preaching that was irresistible. His subjects, his language, his - gestures, the tone of his voice, and the turn of his countenance, all - conspired to fix the attention and affect the heart. Without aiming at - sublimity, he was truly sublime; and uncommonly eloquent without - affecting the orator.”[89] - -Footnote 89: - - “The Portrait of St. Paul.” - -Such is the testimony of a gentleman who, for a season, lived in -Fletcher’s house, and for many years lived in the neighbourhood of -Fletcher’s parish. It would be worse than foolish to add anything to it, -except the remarks of Fletcher’s friend and first biographer, John -Wesley:— - - “Mr. Fletcher settled at Madeley in the year 1760, and from the - beginning he was a laborious workman in his Lord’s vineyard. At his - first settling there, the hearts of several were unaccountably set - against him, insomuch that he was constrained to warn some of these - that if they did not repent God would speedily cut them off. And the - truth of these predictions was shown over and over by the signal - accomplishment of them.[90] But no opposition could hinder him from - going on his Master’s work, and suppressing vice in every possible - manner. Those sinners who endeavoured to hide themselves from him he - pursued to every corner of his parish by all sorts of means, public - and private, early and late, in season and out of season, entreating - and warning them to flee from the wrath to come. Some made it an - excuse for not attending church that they could not awake early enough - to get their families ready. He provided for this also. Taking a bell - in his hand, he set out every Sunday at five in the morning, and went - round the most distant parts of the parish, inviting all the - inhabitants to the house of God. - - “Yet, notwithstanding all the pains he took, he saw for some time - little fruit of his labour; insomuch that he was more than once in - doubt whether he had not mistaken his place; whether God had indeed - called him to confine himself to one town, or to labour more at large - in His vineyard. He was not free from this doubt when a multitude of - people flocked together at a funeral. He seldom let these awful - opportunities slip without giving a solemn exhortation. At the close - of the exhortation which was then given, one man was so grievously - offended that he could not refrain from breaking out into scurrilous, - yea, menacing language. But, notwithstanding all his struggling - against it, the Word fastened upon his heart. At first, indeed, he - roared like a lion; but he soon wept like a child. Not long after, he - came to Mr. Fletcher in the most humble manner, asking pardon for his - outrageous behaviour, and begging an interest in his prayers. This was - such a refreshment as he stood in need of. In a short time, this poor - broken-hearted sinner was filled with joy unspeakable. He then spared - no pains in exhorting his fellow-sinners to flee from the wrath to - come. - - “It was not long after, when, one Sunday evening, Mr. Fletcher, after - performing the usual duty at Madeley, was about to set out for Madeley - Wood, to preach and catechise as usual. But just then notice was - brought (which should have been given before) that a child was to be - buried. His waiting till the child was brought prevented his going to - the wood; and herein the providence of God appeared. For at this very - time, many of the colliers, who neither feared God nor regarded men, - were baiting a bull just by the meeting-house; and, having had plenty - to drink, they had all agreed, as soon as he came, _to bait the - parson_. Part of them were appointed to pull him off his horse, and - the rest to set the dogs upon him. One of these very men afterwards - confessed that he was with them when this agreement was made; and that - afterwards, while they were in the most horrid manner cursing and - swearing at their disappointment, a large china punch-bowl, which held - above a gallon, without any apparent cause (for it was not touched by - any person or thing) fell all to shivers. This so alarmed him that he - forsook all his companions, and determined to save his own soul.”[91] - -Footnote 90: - - Jonathan Crowther, President of the Methodist Conference in 1819, - relates, in his unpublished autobiography, the following anecdote: - “Mrs. Fletcher told me that one Sunday, after the forenoon service, - Mr. Preston, a gentleman farmer near Madeley, very grossly insulted - Mr. Fletcher in the churchyard, and evinced great enmity against his - faithful ministry. In his sermon in the afternoon, Mr. Fletcher said, - he had a powerful impression that before the next Sabbath God would - give a signal mark of His displeasure against the enemies of His cause - and truth. The week was drawing to a close; nothing remarkable had - happened; but on Saturday night, Mr. Preston, when returning home from - market in a state of intoxication, fell from his horse and died on the - spot.” - -Footnote 91: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - - - - - CHAPTER V. - _THREE QUIET, SUCCESSFUL YEARS._ - - 1762–1765. - - -IN the autumn of 1762 Methodism in London was in perilous confusion. Two -years before, Wesley had appointed Thomas Maxfield, one of his first -preachers, to meet a select band, who professed to be entirely -sanctified. Some of the members of this band soon had dreams, visions -and impressions, as they thought, from God; and Maxfield, instead of -repressing their whimsies, encouraged them, so that their vagaries were -soon regarded as proofs of the highest state of grace. Some of the -preachers rebuked these visionaries. This excited resentment, and they -refused to hear their rebukers preach. They became the avowed followers -of Maxfield, who told them they were not to be taught by man, and -especially by those who had less grace than themselves. George Bell, -converted in 1758, and sanctified in 1761, joined them, and became -wilder than the wildest of them. The result was, when Wesley returned to -London in October, 1762, he found the Society there in a disgraceful -uproar, and the followers of Maxfield and Bell formed into a sort of -detached connexion.[92] They called themselves “the witnesses.” Wesley -and his brother were in great distress. The latter wrote to Fletcher, -and received the following reply:— - - “MADELEY, _September 20, 1762_. - - “‘_Crede quod habes, et habes_,’ is not very different from those - words of Christ, ‘_What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe - that ye receive them, and ye shall have them_.’ The humble reason of - the believer, and the irrational presumption of the enthusiast, draw - this doctrine to the right hand or the left; but to split the - hair—here lies the difficulty. I have told you that _I am no party - man_; I am neither for nor against the witness for Christian - perfection _without examination_. I complain of those who deceive - themselves; I honour those who do honour to their profession; and I - wish we could find out the right way of reconciling the most profound - humility with the most lively hopes of grace. I think you insist on - the one and Maxfield on the other; and I believe you both sincere in - your views. God bless you both; and if either of you goes too far, may - the Lord bring him back!”[93] - -Footnote 92: - - For a fuller account of this unhappy schism, see Tyerman’s “Life and - Times of Wesley,” vol. ii., pp. 432–444. - -Footnote 93: - - Letters, 1791, p. 121. - - “MADELEY, _November 22, 1762_. - - “Brother Ley[94] arrived here yesterday, and confirms the melancholy - news of many of our brethren overshooting sober and steady - Christianity in London. I feel a great deal for you and the Church in - these critical circumstances. Oh that I could stand in the gap! Oh - that I could, by sacrificing myself, shut this immense abyss of - enthusiasm which opens its mouth among us! - - “The corruption of the best things is always the worst of corruptions. - Going into an extreme of this nature, or only winking at it, will give - an eternal sanction to the vile aspersions cast on all sides on the - purest doctrines of Christianity; and we shall sadly overthrow, - overthrow in the _worst manner_, what we have endeavoured to build for - many years. - - “I have a particular regard for Maxfield and Bell—both of them are my - correspondents. I am strongly prejudiced in favour of the witnesses, - and do not willingly receive what is said against them; but allowing - that what is reported is one-half mere exaggeration, the tenth part of - the rest shows that spiritual pride, presumption, arrogance, - stubbornness, party spirit, uncharitableness, prophetic mistakes, in - short, _every sinew_ of enthusiasm is now at work in many of that - body. I do not credit any one’s bare word, but I ground my sentiments - on Bell’s own letters. - - “May I presume to lay before you my mite of observation? Would it be - wrong in me calmly to sit down, with some unprejudiced friends and - lovers of both parties, and to fix with them the marks and symptoms of - enthusiasm; and then insist, at first in love, and afterwards, if - necessary, with all the weight of my authority, upon those who _have - them_ or _plead for them_, either to stand to the sober rule of - Christianity, or _openly_ to depart from us? - - “Fear not, dear Sir, the Lord will take care of the ark. Have faith in - the Word, and leave the rest to Providence. ‘_The Lord will provide_’ - is a comfortable motto for a believer.”[95] - -Footnote 94: - - One of Wesley’s Itinerant Preachers. - -Footnote 95: - - Letters, 1791, p. 126. - -Thus by proposing to act as mediator between the Wesleys and their -distracted followers in London did Fletcher end the eventful year of -1762. In the middle of the year he told Charles Wesley that he had -“attempted to form a Society,” and hoped to succeed. He drew up rules -for this Society.[96] First of all, he described “the nature of a -Religious Society,” and quoted Malachi iii. 16, Psalm lxvi. 16; Luke -viii. 1–3; Acts i. 15, ii. 42–47; Heb. iii. 12, 13, x. 25; Col. iii. 16; -1 Cor. xiv. 29–31; 1 Thess. v. 11–14; James v. 16; and Jude i. 18–21. -“Encouraged by these texts,” said he, “a few of us design to unite in a -Religious Society to support and animate each other in the ways of -godliness.” He proceeds:— - - “In order to be admitted into the Society, one only condition is - previously required, namely, a sincere desire to flee from the wrath - to come, and to seek salvation from the servitude of sin according to - the Gospel, and the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, - especially the ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth, which - are earnestly recommended to the perusal of every person who would be - a member. - - “It is, however, expected that the sincerity of such a desire be - evinced by putting on the form of godliness, which we apprehend to - consist in three things: 1. Doing no harm, Isa. i. 16; Rom. xii. 9. 2. - Doing good, Isa. i. 17; Rom. xii. 9. 3. Using the means of grace, Luke - i. 16, Isa. lv. 6.” - -Footnote 96: - - He also drew up the following rules of daily self-examination for - himself:— - - “1. Did I awake spiritual, and was I watchful in keeping my mind from - wandering this morning when I was rising? - - “2. Have I this day got nearer to God in times of prayer, or have I - given way to a lazy, idle spirit? - - “3. Has my faith been weakened by unwatchfulness, or quickened by - diligence this day? - - “4. Have I this day walked by faith and eyed God in all things? - - “5. Have I denied myself in all unkind words and thoughts; have I - delighted in seeing others preferred before me? - - “6. Have I made the most of my precious time, as far as I had light, - strength, and opportunity? - - “7. Have I kept the issues of my heart in the means of grace, so as to - profit by them? - - “8. What have I done this day for the souls and bodies of God’s dear - saints? - - “9. Have I laid out anything to please myself when I might have saved - the money for the cause of God? - - “10. Have I governed well my tongue this day, remembering that ‘in a - multitude of words there wanteth not sin’? - - “11. In how many instances have I denied myself this day? - - “12. Do my life and conversation adorn the Gospel of Jesus - Christ?”[97] - -Footnote 97: - - “Thirteen Original Letters, by the Rev. John Fletcher. Bath: 1791,” p. - 38. - -Under the first of these rules Fletcher mentions “taking the Lord’s name -in vain, either by profane cursing, swearing, or trivial exclamations;” -sabbath-breaking; uncleanness; drunkenness, or tippling, or going into a -public house, or staying without necessity; fighting; quarrelling; -brawling; railing, uncharitable conversation; filthy talking; jesting; -evil speaking; attendance at balls, plays, races, cock-fightings and -bull-baitings; gaming; song-singing; reading unprofitable books; -softness; needless indulgence; putting on gaudy and costly apparel; -smuggling; taking advantage of a neighbour, etc. - -Under the second, he includes doing good to the bodies of men; doing -good to the souls of men; discountenancing profaneness and immorality; -diligence in business; taking up the cross daily, etc. - -Under the third, he names, the public worship of God in the church; the -ministry of the Word either read or expounded; the Lord’s Supper; family -prayer; private prayer; Scripture reading; fasting; and singing hymns -and psalms. - -It is needless to tell _Methodist_ readers that Fletcher’s _rules_ are -_substantially_ the same as the rules which Wesley drew up and published -for the Methodists in 1743, and which, excepting two or three trivial -alterations, introduced in 1744, are the same now as they were then. -Fletcher, however, attached an “Appendix” to his rules, to the following -effect:— - - 1. That any one practising the Rules “is to give in his or her name to - the Director of the Society and the major part of the members; and - they shall be joyfully admitted, be they high or low, old or young, - learned or unlearned.” - - 2. If any member fell into sin, he must be expelled. - - 3. If the expelled member wished to be re-admitted, he must - acknowledge his error, and if, after a trial of three months, he - appeared to be reformed, his re-admission should take place. - - 4. The members were to meet together one evening every week between - seven and eight o’clock. - - 5. They were to watch over each other in love. - - 6. They were not to be angry with those who spoke against the Society. - -The probability is that Fletcher did not print his Rules, as Wesley had -done. Indeed, there was no need for this, as his Societies were few in -number, and existed within a comparatively small area. It was an easy -thing for Fletcher to read the rules to each Society as occasion -required, and, perhaps, they were inscribed in the registers of -attendance. Three years after Fletcher’s death, the Rev. Melville Horne, -his successor at Madeley, printed and published them, and stated, in a -Preface, that Fletcher drew them up soon after his settlement at -Madeley, and revised and corrected them about the year 1777. - -In another production, entitled “Heads of Examination for Adult -Christians,” Fletcher set up a higher standard than his “Rules” -contained. The following is an abridgment of the questions he wished his -people to propose to themselves:— - - “Do I feel any pride? Am I dead to all desire of praise? If any - despise me, do I like them the worse for it? Or if they love and - approve me, do I love them more on that account? Is Christ the life of - all my affections and designs, as my soul is the life of my body? Have - I always the presence of God? Does no cloud come between God and the - eye of my faith? Am I saved from the fear of man? Do I speak plainly - to all, neither fearing their frowns, nor seeking their favours? Am I - always ready to confess Christ, to suffer with His people, and to die - for His sake? Do I deny myself at all times, and take up my cross? Am - I willing to give up my ease and convenience to oblige others, or do I - expect them to conform to my hours, ways, and customs? Are my bodily - senses and outward things all sanctified to me? Am I poor in spirit? - Have I no false shame in approaching God? Do I not lean to my own - understanding? Do I esteem every one better than myself? Do I never - take that glory to myself which belongs to Christ? Does meekness bear - rule over all my tempers, affections, and desires? Do I possess - resignation, seeing God does, and will do, all for my good? Am I - temperate, using the world, and not abusing it? Am I courteous, not - severe; suiting myself to all with sweetness; striving to give no one - pain, but to gain and win all for their good? Am I vigilant, redeeming - time, and taking every opportunity of doing good? Do I perform the - most servile offices, such as require labour and humiliation, with - cheerfulness? Do I love God with all my heart? Do I constantly present - myself, my time, my substance, talents, and all I have, a living - sacrifice? Is every thought brought into subjection to Christ? Do I - love my neighbour as myself? Do I think no evil, listen to no - groundless surmises, nor judge from appearances? How am I in my sleep? - If Satan presents any evil imagination, does my will immediately - resist or give way to it? Do I bear the infirmities of age or sickness - without seeking to repair the decays of nature by strong liquors? Or - do I make Christ my sole support, casting the burden of a feeble body - into the arms of His mercy?”[98] - -Footnote 98: - - Letters, 1791, p. 434. - -This was the life Fletcher himself strove to live; and this was the life -he urged his Methodists to live. - -Fletcher’s Methodist Society at _Madeley_ was formed as early as the -year 1762; and one of its members soon involved him in trouble. Hence -the following, taken from a letter addressed to Charles Wesley:— - - “MADELEY, _January 5, 1763_. - - “As to my parish, we are just where we were. We look for our - Pentecost, but we do not pray sufficiently to obtain it. We are left - in tolerable quiet by all but the sergeant, who sent a constable to - make enquiry concerning the life of His Majesty’s subjects, upon - information that the cry of murder had been heard in my house on - Christmas Day. - - “This report originated in the cries of a young woman, who is of our - Society, and whom Satan has bound for some months. It seems to me as - if that old murderer proposed to ruin the success of my ministry at - Madeley, as he did in London, in the French Church, by means of Miss - A——d. - - “The young woman here emaciates her body by fastings; falls into - convulsions, sometimes in the church, and sometimes in our private - assemblies; and is perpetually tempted to suicide. Her constitution is - considerably weakened, as well as her understanding. What to do in - this case I know not; for those who are tempted in this manner pay as - little regard to reason as the miserable people in Bedlam. Prayer and - fasting are our only resources. We propose to represent her case to - the Lord on Tuesday next, and on all the following Tuesdays. Aid the - weakness of our prayers with all the power of yours.”[99] - -Footnote 99: - - _Ibid._, 1791, p. 127. - -This was a greater trial to Fletcher than, at first sight, appears. It -seems to have led him to entertain the thought of resigning his living. -More than six months afterwards, in another letter to Charles Wesley, he -wrote:— - - “MADELEY, _July 26, 1763_. - - “Everything here is pretty quiet now. Many of our offences die away; - though, not long ago, I had trials in abundance. One of them might - have made me quit Madeley; but the young person I mentioned as being - sorely tempted of the devil, is happily delivered.”[100] - -Footnote 100: - - _Ibid._, p. 133. - -Fletcher’s life at Madeley, during the year 1763, seems to have been a -quiet one. Maxfield’s quarrel with Wesley still continued, and Fletcher -took an interest in it. Wesley’s annoyance was great, and his -forbearance with the London fanatics exposed him to the censure of his -friends. John Downes, in a letter to Joseph Cownley, wrote:— - - “I consider the follies and extravagance of the witnesses as the - devices of Satan, to cast a blemish upon a real work of God. The more - I converse with the solid ones, the more I long to experience what - they do. It is a state worthy of a Christian. As to the follies of the - enthusiasts, Mr. Charles hears every week less or more. He threatens, - but cannot find in his heart to put in execution. The consequence is, - the talk of all the town, and entertainment for the newspapers.” - -On February 1, 1763, Charles Wesley wrote:— - - “Satan has made sad havoc of the flock. Four years ago, I gave warning - of the flood of enthusiasm which has now overflowed us.” - -A week later John Wesley remarked:— - - “The mask is thrown off. George Bell, John Dixon, etc., have quitted - the Society. I wrote to Thomas Maxfield, but was not favoured with an - answer. This morning I wrote a second time, and received an answer - indeed! The substance is, ‘You take too much upon you.’”[101] - -Footnote 101: - - Tyerman’s “Life and Times of Wesley,” vol. ii., p. 462. - -These brief extracts are given to indicate the great commotion that at -this time existed. The excitement was not confined to London. It was -shared by Mr. Samuel Hatton and Miss Hatton, both of them Fletcher’s -friends and correspondents, and who seem to have resided at the ancient -town of Wem, about twenty miles from Madeley.[102] In a letter to Miss -Hatton, Fletcher expressed his views, as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _March 14, 1763_. - - “Mr. Maxfield’s reply to Mr. Wesley seems to me just in _some_ points, - and in _others_ too severe. Mr. Wesley is, perhaps, too tenacious of - some expressions, and too prone to credit what he wishes concerning - some mistaken witnesses of the state of fathers in Christ. Mr. - Maxfield, perhaps, esteems too little the inestimable privilege of - being perfected in that love which casts out fear. But, in general, I - conceive that it would be better for babes, or young men in Christ, to - cry for a growth in grace, than to dispute whether fathers in Christ - enjoy such privileges.”[103] - -Footnote 102: - - Letters, 1791, p. 182. - -Footnote 103: - - Letters, 1791, p. 130. - -A few weeks later, in a letter to Mr. Samuel Hatton, Fletcher wrote:— - - “MADELEY, _April 22, 1763_. - - “I am quite of your opinion about the mischief that some professors do - in the Church of Christ under the mask of sanctity; but my Master bids - me bear with the tares until the harvest, lest, in rooting them up, I - should promiscuously pull up the wheat also. As to Mr. Wesley’s system - of perfection, it tends rather to promote humility than pride, if I - may credit his description of it in the lines following:— - - “‘Now let me gain perfection’s height, - Now let me into _nothing_ fall, - Be _less than nothing_ in Thy sight, - And feel that Christ is _all in all_!’ - - “More than this I do not desire, and I hope that, short of this, - nothing will satisfy either my dear friend or me.”[104] - -Footnote 104: - - _Ibid._, p. 132. - -The following letter, to Charles Wesley, refers to the same disturbance; -but it also mentions another matter of great interest. Six years ago, -Fletcher had become acquainted with Miss Bosanquet. During the present -year, he had commenced a correspondence, in the highest degree -religious, with Miss Hatton. He was a lone man, living among colliers. -He had lately been with Charles Wesley. Charles was an eminently social -man, and had suggested to Fletcher that he would do well to marry. -Fletcher replied as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _September 9, 1763_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—I see that we ought to learn continually to cast our - burdens upon the Lord, who alone can bear them without fatigue and - pain. If Maxfield returns, the Lord may correct his errors, and give - him so to insist on the fruits of faith as to prevent antinomianism. I - believe him sincere; and, though obstinate and suspicious, I am - persuaded he has a true desire to know the will and live the life of - God. I reply in the same words you quoted to me in one of your - letters,—‘Don’t be afraid of a wreck, for Jesus is in the ship.’ After - the most violent storm, the Lord will, perhaps, all at once, bring our - ship into the desired haven. - - “You ask me a very singular question with respect to women; I shall, - however, answer it with a smile, as I suppose you asked it. You might - have remarked that, for some days before I set off for Madeley, I - considered matrimony with a different eye to what I had done; and the - person who then presented herself to my imagination was Miss - Bosanquet. Her image pursued me for some hours the last day, and that - so warmly, that I should, perhaps, have lost my peace if a suspicion - of the truth of Juvenal’s proverb, ‘_Veniunt a dote sagittae_,’ had - not made me blush, fight, and fly to Jesus, who delivered me at the - same moment from her image and the idea of marriage. Since that time, - I have been more than ever on my guard against admitting the idea of - matrimony, sometimes by the consideration of the love of Jesus, which - ought to be my whole felicity; and, at others, by the following - reflections. - - “It is true that the Scripture says that a good wife is the gift of - the Lord; and it is also true that there may be one in a thousand; but - who would put in a lottery where are nine hundred and ninety-nine - blanks to one prize? And, suppose I could find this Phœnix, this woman - of a thousand, what should I gain by it? A distressing refusal. How - could she choose such a man as I? If, notwithstanding all my - self-love, I am compelled cordially to despise myself, could I be so - wanting in generosity as to expect another to do that for me, which I - cannot do for myself—to engage to love, to esteem, and to honour me? - - “I will throw on my paper some reflections which the last paragraphs - of your letter gave rise to, and I beg you will weigh them with me in - the balances of the sanctuary. - - “Reasons for and against matrimony. - - “1. A tender friendship is, after the love of Christ, the greatest - felicity of life; and a happy marriage is nothing but such a - friendship between two persons of different sexes. - - “2. A wife might deliver me from the difficulties of housekeeping, - etc. - - “3. Some objections and scandals may be avoided by marriage. - - “4. A pious and zealous wife might be as useful as myself; nay, she - might be much more so among my female parishioners, who greatly want - an inspectress. - - “1. Death will shortly end all particular friendships. The happier the - state of marriage, the more afflicting is the widowhood; besides, we - may try a friend and reject him after trial; but we cannot know a wife - till it is too late to part with her. - - “2. Marriage brings after it a hundred cares and expenses; children, a - family, etc. - - “3. If matrimony is not happy, it is the most fertile source of - scandal. - - “4. I have a thousand to one to fear that a wife, instead of being a - help, may be indolent, and consequently useless; or humoursome, - haughty, capricious, and consequently a heavy curse. - - “Farewell! Yours, - “J. FLETCHER.”[105] - -Footnote 105: - - Letters, 1791, p. 144. - -This is a curious letter. Eighteen years after the time when it was -written, Fletcher married Miss Bosanquet. Probably the “reasons _for_ -matrimony” had been, in substance, suggested by Charles Wesley. -Fletcher’s “reasons _against_ matrimony” were undoubtedly sincere, but -they were unintentionally selfish, and were unworthy of him. Experience -taught him wisdom. - -Before proceeding further, a remarkable occurrence must be noted. The -church at Madeley is dedicated to St. Michael, whose feast-day is -September 29. On that day, in 1763, Fletcher preached from Dan. iii. 14, -and concluded his discourse in words like these:— - - “From the dedication of our church, from days set apart to be kept - holy, Satan takes occasion to enforce the worship of his threefold - image, profit, honour, pleasure. Now remember the duty of God’s - people, and quit yourselves like men. Some petty Nebuchadnezzars have - sent to gather together, not princes, but drunken men; and have set - up, not a golden image, no, nor a golden calf, but a living bull.[106] - O ye that fear God, be not afraid of their terror; be not allured by - their music; confess the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. ‘No - other God can deliver after this sort,’ said the heathen; and give me - leave to add, ‘No other God can punish after this sort.’ The burning - furnace of His indignation is heated; and eternity is the duration of - its torments.”[107] - -Footnote 106: - - The reference obviously is to a bull-baiting. - -Footnote 107: - - Fletcher’s Works, vol. viii., p. 76. - -The way in which Fletcher was led to preach this sermon on “the -Wake-Sunday” was told by himself, and the story, after his death, was -published in a small tract, entitled, “The Furious Butcher Humbled: a -true and remarkable story, as related by the late Rev. Mr. Fletcher, -Vicar of Madeley.” The substance of it was also inserted in the -_Evangelical Magazine_ for the year 1798. From that account, the -following is taken. - - “One Sunday,” said Mr. Fletcher, “when I had done reading prayers at - Madeley, I went up into the pulpit, intending to preach a sermon, - which I had prepared for that purpose; but my mind was so confused, - that I could not recollect either my text or any part of my sermon. I - was afraid I should be obliged to come down without saying anything. - But, having recollected myself a little, I thought I would say - something on the First Lesson, which was the third chapter of the book - of Daniel, containing the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - being cast into the fiery furnace. I found, in doing this, such - extraordinary assistance from God, and such a peculiar enlargement of - heart, that I supposed there must be some peculiar cause of it. I - therefore desired, if any of the congregation found anything - particular, they would acquaint me with it in the ensuing week. - - “In consequence of this, the Wednesday after, a woman came and gave me - the following account:— - - “‘I have been for some time much concerned about my soul. I have - attended the church at all opportunities, and have spent much time in - private prayer. At this, my husband (who is a butcher) has been - exceedingly enraged, and has threatened me severely as to what he - would do to me if I did not leave off going to John Fletcher’s church; - yea, if I dared to go again to any religious meetings whatever. When I - told him I could not in conscience refrain from going, at least, to - the parish church, he became outrageous, and swore dreadfully, and - said, if I went again, he would cut my throat as soon as I came back. - This made me cry to God that He would support me; and, though I did - not feel any great degree of comfort, yet, having a sure confidence in - God, I determined to do my duty, and leave the event to Him. Last - Sunday, after many struggles with the devil and my own heart, I came - downstairs ready for church. My husband said he should not cut my - throat, as he had intended, but he would heat the oven, and throw me - into it, the moment I came home. Notwithstanding this threat, which he - enforced with many bitter oaths, I went to church, praying all the way - that God would strengthen me to suffer whatever might befall me. While - you were speaking of the three children whom Nebuchadnezzar cast into - the burning fiery furnace, I found all you said belonged to _me_. God - applied every word to my heart; and, when the sermon was ended, I - thought, if I had a thousand lives, I could lay them all down for Him. - I felt so filled with His love that I hastened home, fully determined - to give myself to whatsoever God pleased; nothing doubting that He - either would take me to heaven, if He suffered me to be burnt to - death; or that He would in some way deliver me, as He did His three - servants that trusted in Him. When I got to my own door, I saw flames - issuing from the oven, and I expected to be thrown into it - immediately. I felt my heart rejoice, that, if it were so, the will of - the Lord would be done. I opened the door, and, to my utter - astonishment, saw my husband upon his knees, praying for the - forgiveness of his sins. He caught me in his arms; earnestly begged my - pardon; and has continued diligently seeking God ever since.’” - -Such was the poor woman’s story. After listening to it, Fletcher cried, -“Now I know why my sermon was taken from me, namely, that God might thus -magnify His mercy.” - -Nothing need be added, except that to attribute these strange -occurrences to anything less than the direct interference of Him who has -supreme authority over all human minds and hearts would be infidelity of -the most impious kind. - -Nothing is known of Fletcher’s life during the year 1764. It is a -singular fact, that only three of his letters, belonging to this period, -have been published, and these were all addressed to his friend, at Wem, -Miss Hatton. They are entirely devoid of incident; but are full of -piety. The following are extracts:— - - “Madeley, March 5, 1764. Your dulness in private prayer arises from - the want of familiar friendship with Jesus. To obviate it, go to your - closet, as if you were going to meet your dearest friend; cast - yourself at His feet; bemoan your coldness; extol His love to you; and - let your heart break with a desire to love Him. Get _recollection_,—a - dwelling within ourselves,—a being abstracted from the creature, and - turned towards God. For want of such a frame, our times of prayer are - frequently dry and useless; imagination prevails, and the heart - wanders; whereas we pass easily from recollection to delightful - prayer.”[108] - - “Madeley, September 3, 1764. With respect to the hindrances your - worldly business lays in your way, the following means, in due - subordination to faith in Jesus, may be of service to you you:— - - “1. Get up early and save time, before you go to business, to put on - the _whole armour of God_, by close meditation and earnest prayer. - - “2. Consider the temptation that most easily besets you, whether it be - hurry, or vanity, or lightness, or want of recollection to do what you - do as unto God. - - “3. When your mind has been drawn aside, do not fret, or let yourself - go down the stream of nature, as if it were vain to attempt to swim - against it; but confess your fault, and calmly resume your former - endeavour, but with more humility and watchfulness. - - “4. Steal from business now and then, though for two or three minutes - only, and, in the corner where you can be least observed, pour out - your soul in confession; or utter a short ejaculation for power to - watch, and to believe that Jesus can keep you watching.”[109] - - “Madeley, _December, 1764_. I am sensible how I want advice in a - thousand particulars, and how incapable I am to direct anyone; but the - following observations came to my mind on the reading of your letter, - and I venture to send them. - - “You cannot expect to attain to such a carriage as will please all you - converse with. The Son of God, the _original_ of all human perfection, - was blamed, sometimes for His silence, and sometimes for His speaking; - and shall the handmaid be above her Master? - - “There is no sin in wearing such things as you have by you, if they - are necessary for _your station_, and characterize your _rank_. - - “There is no sin in _looking cheerful_. ‘_Rejoice evermore_:’ and, if - it is our duty always to be _filled with joy_, it is our duty to - _appear_ what we are in reality. I hope, however, your friends know - how to distinguish between _cheerfulness_ and _levity_. - - “Beware of stiff singularity in things _barely indifferent_: it is - _self_ in disguise; and it is so much the more dangerous when it comes - recommended by a serious, self-denying, religious appearance. - - “I hope the short-comings of some about you will not prevent you - eyeing the prize of a glorious conformity to our blessed Head. It is - to be feared that not a few of those who profess to have attained it, - have mistaken the way. They are still _something_; whereas I apprehend - that an important step towards that conformity is to become _nothing_; - or rather, with St. Paul,—to become in our own eyes the _chief of - sinners_, and the _least of saints_.”[110] - -Footnote 108: - - Letters, 1791, p. 147. - -Footnote 109: - - _Ibid._, 1791, p. 151. - -Footnote 110: - - Letters, 1791, p. 153. - -These fragmentary extracts are of some importance, because they indicate -the matters respecting which Fletcher was consulted, and also exhibit -his own habitual frame of mind. - -Before leaving the year 1764, one incident must be mentioned, far too -interesting to be omitted. So far as there is evidence to show, there -had been no interview, and, indeed, no correspondence, between Fletcher -and Wesley since the year 1760, when Fletcher, contrary to the advice of -Wesley, accepted the living of Madeley. There is not the slightest proof -of any estrangement of affection having taken place; but Fletcher had -been too much occupied to visit Wesley in London; and Wesley, -considering the opposition Fletcher had to encounter, had, hitherto, not -deemed it expedient to visit Fletcher at Madeley. As to epistolary -correspondence, Charles Wesley was Fletcher’s chosen adviser; and that, -for the present, was quite enough. The Madeley persecutions had now -subsided; and, hence, in the month of July, 1764, the _Arch-Methodist_ -ventured to invade the parish of the Madeley vicar. He wrote:— - - “1764, Saturday, July 21. I rode to Bilbrook, near Wolverhampton, and - preached at between two and three. Thence we went on to Madeley, an - exceedingly pleasant village, encompassed with trees and hills. It was - a great comfort to me to converse once more with a Methodist of the - _old type_, denying himself, taking up his cross, and resolved to - be”.bn 117.png - - “Sunday, July 22. At ten, Mr. Fletcher read prayers, and I preached on - those words in the Gospel,”The church would nothing near contain the - congregation; but a window near the pulpit being taken down, those who - could not come in stood in the churchyard, and I believe all could - hear. The congregation, they said, used to be much smaller in the - afternoon than in the morning; but I could not discern the least - difference, either in number or seriousness. I found employment enough - for the intermediate hours in praying with various companies who hung - about the house, insatiably hungering and thirsting after the good - word. Mr. Grimshaw, at his first coming to Haworth, had not such a - prospect as this. There are many adversaries indeed; but yet they - cannot shut the open and effectual door. - - “Monday, July 23. The church was pretty well filled even at five, and - many stood in the churchyard. In the evening, I preached at - Shrewsbury, to a large congregation, among whom were several men of - fortune. I trust, though hitherto we seem to have been ploughing on - the sand, there will at last be some fruit.”[111] - -Footnote 111: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Wesley’s first visit to Madeley was, to himself, eminently satisfactory; -and his report of it shows that, notwithstanding the “many adversaries,” -Fletcher’s labours had been crowned with great success. - -Truly might Wesley designate Fletcher “a Methodist of the old type, -_denying himself_, and taking up his cross.” The following letter, -addressed “to Mr. Henry Perronet, at Mr. Wright’s, at the Boot, in Old -Street, St. Luke’s Parish, London,” will partly illustrate Wesley’s -meaning. - - “MADELEY, _November 6, 1765_. - - “SIR,—I have received both your letter and Mr. Charles Wesley’s, and - shall be exceeding glad of an opportunity to oblige or serve you in - anything in my power. - - “As you seem to me a stranger to the situation of the country, I would - have you come down first, and choose for yourself a spot that may suit - your taste. I live here in a little market-town, three or four miles - from the foot of the Wrekin, at the south-east of that hill; so that - you may easily take a walk or ride with me to some of the spots or - villages where you may prefer to fix your abode, if this does not - please you. I live alone in my house, having neither wife, child, nor - servant. I can, therefore, without inconveniency, spare you a room in - the meantime. If you choose to provide your food, you shall have - conveniences for it; if you choose to table with a neighbour, as I do, - you may. - - “You seem to be cut out for contemplation and retirement, Sir; I hope - you have made choice of Jesus for the chief subject of your - meditations. May you find much of His presence everywhere! - - “If you choose to venture into Shropshire, you may take the Shrewsbury - coach at the Swan, in Lad Lane, somewhere in the city, and in two days - and a half you will be at Shiffnal, eighteen miles short of - Shrewsbury, and three from Madeley. If you send me word when you are - to set out, I will send my mare to meet you at the Red Lion, in - Shiffnal, the day that the coach passes through the town. - - “That the Lord may direct and prosper you in all things is the wish - of, Sir, your affectionate servant in Christ, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[112] - -Footnote 112: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1825, p. 744. - -As a farther illustration of Fletcher’s simplicity of living, and of his -habitual piety, an incident may be introduced, belonging to _about_ this -period, and published in a sermon preached on the occasion of the death -of Fletcher’s widow, in 1816, by the Rev. John Hodson. Mr. Hodson says:— - - “A few days ago, I was in company with a pious female, who, for many - years, was intimately acquainted with Mr. Fletcher. She said Mr. - Fletcher sometimes visited a boarding-school at Madeley. One morning - he came in just as she and the other girls had sat down to breakfast. - He said but little while the meal lasted, but when it was finished he - spoke to each girl separately, and concluded by saying to the whole, - ‘I have waited some time on you this morning, that I might see you eat - your breakfast; and I hope you will visit me to-morrow morning, and - see how I eat mine.’ He told them his breakfast hour was seven - o’clock, and obtained a promise that they would visit him. Next - morning, they went at the time appointed, and seated themselves in the - kitchen. Mr. Fletcher came in, quite rejoiced to see them. On the - table stood a small basin of milk and sops of bread. Mr. Fletcher took - the basin across the kitchen, and sat down on an old bench. He then - took out his watch, laid it before him, and said, ‘My dear girls, - yesterday morning I waited on you a full hour, while you were at - breakfast. I shall take as much time this morning in eating my - breakfast as I usually do, if not rather more. Look at my watch!’ and - he immediately began to eat, and continued in conversation with them. - When he had finished, he asked them how long he had been at breakfast. - They said, ‘Just a minute and a half, Sir.’ ‘Now, my dear girls,’ said - he, ‘we have fifty-eight minutes of the hour left;’ and he then began - to sing,— - - ‘Our life is a dream! - Our time as a stream - Glides swiftly away, - And the fugitive moment refuses to stay.’ - - After this, he gave them a lecture on the value of time, and the worth - of the soul. They then all knelt down in prayer, after which he - dismissed them with impressions on the mind the narrator never ceased - to remember.” - -At Wesley’s yearly Conference of 1765, Alexander Mather was appointed to -“Salop” circuit, with William Minethorpe as his colleague. Mr. Mather -was now in the thirty-third year of his age. During the last eight -years, he had been an itinerant preacher, and had passed through strange -and painful vicissitudes. In 1760 his circuit had been “Staffordshire;” -in which circuit he had “built a preaching-house at Darlaston, and hired -a large building at Birmingham.” He had extended his labours as far as -Shrewsbury, Coventry, Stroud, and Painswick; and, by Wesley’s -directions, had visited the “Societies” in Wales. At Birmingham, Mather -and the poor Methodists had been repeatedly in danger of being murdered -by persecuting crowds; and at Wolverhampton the mob had pulled down the -newly-built meeting-house; and had threatened to do the same at Dudley, -Darlaston, and Wednesbury. He had also preached at several places in -Shropshire, and now, in 1765, the county was made a Methodist circuit, -in which he was appointed to act as Wesley’s “Assistant.” Fletcher had -already formed two or three Societies, which, without being so -designated, were, _ipso facto_, Methodist Societies. He warmly welcomed -Mather, and was more than willing to be a Methodist co-worker. Hence the -following letter addressed to the brave itinerant:— - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—I thank you for your last favour. If I answered not - your former letter it was because I was in expectation of seeing - you—not from the least disregard. I am glad you enjoy peace at - Wellington; and I hope you will do so at the Trench when you go there. - My reasons for stopping there were not to seize upon the spot _first_, - but to fulfil a promise I made to the people, of visiting them. I - _desire_ you will call there as often as you have opportunity. An - occasional exhortation from you or your companion,[113] at the - Bank,[114] Dale,[115] etc., will be esteemed a favour; and I hope that - my going, as Providence directs, to any of your places (leaving to you - the management of the Societies), will be deemed no encroachment. In - short, we need not make _two parties_; I know but _one_ heaven below, - and that is Jesus’s love. Let us both go and abide in it; and when we - have gathered as many as we can to go with us, too many will still - stay behind. - - “I find there are in the ministry, as in the common experience of - Christians, times which may be compared to winter. No great stir is - made in the world of grace beside that of storms and offences, and the - growth of the trees of the Lord are not showy; but when the tender - buds of brotherly and redeeming love begin to fill, spring is at hand. - The Lord give us harvest after seed time! Let us wait for fruit, as - the husbandman; and remember, that he who believes does not make - haste. The love of Christ be with us all. Pray for - - “J. FLETCHER.”[116] - -Footnote 113: - - William Minethorpe, Mather’s colleague. - -Footnote 114: - - A place about five miles from Madeley, where Fletcher had gathered a - small Society. - -Footnote 115: - - Coalbrook Dale. - -Footnote 116: - - Letters, 1791, p. 163. - -Thus began Methodism in the county of Salop, which circuit, in 1766, -contained 587 members. It is only right to say, however, that, in the -Minutes of Conference, the name of the circuit was, in that year, -changed to “Staffordshire,”—a name which it retained till 1782, though -it embraced a number of towns and villages in the county where the -Madeley vicar lived and laboured. - -In 1765 Fletcher made two evangelistic visits. The first of these was to -Breedon, in Leicestershire. Walter Sellon had been one of the first -masters of Wesley’s Kingswood school, had acted as one of Wesley’s -preachers, and, by the influence of the Countess of Huntingdon, had -received episcopal ordination. At this period, he held two curacies, one -at Smisby and the other at Breedon-on-the-Hill. His churches were -generally crowded, and his ministry was attended with uncommon power. He -lived in the house of Mr. Hall, of Tonge, the leader of Methodist -Society classes at Breedon, Worthington, and Diseworth, and who, after -living all his life in the house where he was born, peacefully fell -asleep in Jesus in the year 1813, at the age of eighty-one.[117] Of -course Fletcher’s reputation was well known by Sellon; and now, in 1765, -for a brief season, they exchanged pulpits. Immense crowds assembled; -and exceedingly picturesque must have been the sight of long processions -of pious people climbing the lofty hill on the top of which Breedon -church was built, and singing as they went their sweet songs of Zion. -The church was crammed when Fletcher preached; numbers stood outside; -and as many as could clambered to the windows to look at the seraphic -minister to whom they wished to listen.[118] Mr. Benson, in his “Life of -Fletcher,” relates an incident which must not be omitted here. Human -nature is the same all the world over, and throughout all generations. - -Footnote 117: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1818, pp. 49–57. - -Footnote 118: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1856, pp. 36–38. - -We are told the clerk of Breedon church was offended because the crowds -attending it increased his labour in cleaning it. Turning his -worldly-wisdom to practical account, he began to charge persons, from -other parishes, a penny each for admission, and stood at the church door -to collect the money. Whilst he was doing this, Fletcher was prayerfully -ascending the steep hill, and reverentially contemplating the solemn -service upon which he was about to enter. One of the congregation went -to meet him, and told him of the clerk’s worldliness. Fletcher was -shocked at the behaviour of his ecclesiastical subordinate, and -hastening up the steep ascent, exclaimed, “I’ll stop his proceeding.” -The clerk, however, was more nimble than the priest. Before Fletcher -could reach the money-gate the clerk was in his desk, ready to read -responses and perform all the other duties pertaining to his office. -Perhaps he thought he had cleverly escaped detection and reproof, but -the sordid creature was mistaken. Fletcher went through the service, and -then remarked, “For sixteen years I have not been so moved as I have -been to-day. I am told that the clerk beneath me has demanded, and has -actually received, money from strangers before he would suffer them to -enter the church. I desire all who have paid the money to come to me, -and I will return what they have paid; and as to this iniquitous clerk, -his money perish with him!” - -This interesting story is not without its use, for it exhibits -Fletcher’s almost stern fidelity, and also the spirit of parish clerks -more than a hundred years ago. It would be unfair, however, to ostracize -the Breedon official as one whose worldly wickedness is without a -parallel; for there is little room to doubt that even at the present day -largess is often levied upon congregations, if not by responding clerks, -by doorkeepers and other officials belonging to the ecclesiastical -edifices of an age which thinks itself greatly in advance of its -predecessors. - -Fletcher made another and more important Gospel tour during the year -1765. For the first time, he visited Bath and Bristol. In the former -city, Lady Huntingdon had erected a chapel, and had summoned six -clergymen of the Church of England to assist at the opening; namely, -Whitefield, Romaine, Venn, Madan, Shirley, and Townsend. This took place -on October 6, 1765.[119] Fletcher came after them, and preached to the -aristocratic congregations in her ladyship’s meeting-house with -extraordinary zeal and earnestness. The Countess wrote:— - - “Deep and awful are the impressions made on every hand. Dear Mr. - Fletcher’s preaching is truly apostolic. The Divine blessing - accompanies his word in a very remarkable manner. He is ever at his - work, is amazingly followed, and is singularly owned of God.”[120] - -Footnote 119: - - See “Life of Whitefield,” vol. ii., p. 489. - -Footnote 120: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 469. - -During his stay at Bath, Fletcher wrote his _first pastoral letter_, -which was addressed, “To those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in or -about Madeley. Peace be multiplied to you from God the Father, and from -our Lord Jesus Christ, through the operations of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” -The letter was dated “Bath, October 30, 1765,” and the following is the -substance of it:— - - “By the help of Divine Providence, and the assistance of your prayers, - I came safe hither last Saturday se’nnight. I was and am still a good - deal weighed down under the sense of my insufficiency to preach the - unspeakable riches of Christ to poor dying souls. This place is the - seat of Satan’s gaudy throne; but the Lord hath nevertheless a few - names here that are not ashamed of Him, both among the poor and among - the rich. There are not many of the latter, but blessed be God for any - one! It is a great miracle if one camel passes through the eye of a - needle; or, in other words, if one rich person enters the kingdom of - God. I thank God that none of you are rich in the things of this - world. You are freed from a dreadful snare, even from Dives’ portion - in this world. May you know the happiness of your state! It is a mercy - to be driven to the throne of grace even by bodily want, and to live - in dependence on Divine mercy even for a morsel of bread. - - “I have been sowing the seed, that the Lord hath given, both in Bath - and Bristol; and, though I have not been able to discharge my office - as I would, the Lord has in some measure stood by me, and overruled my - foolishness and helplessness. I am much supported by the thought that - ‘you pray for me.’ With regard to the state of my soul, I find, - blessed be God! that as my day is, so is my strength to travel on, - without minding much either good or bad report. - - “My absence from you answers two good ends in regard of me. I feel - more my insufficiency, and the need of being daily ordained of Christ - to preach His Gospel; and I shall value the more the worth of my - privilege with you if I return safely to you. I had yesterday a most - advantageous offer made me of going free of cost to my own country, to - see my mother, brothers, and sisters in the flesh, whom I have not - seen for near eighteen years; but I find my relations in the spirit - are nearer and dearer to me than my relations in the flesh. I have - therefore refused the kind offer, that I might return to you, and be - comforted by the mutual faith of you and me. - - “I hope, my dear brethren, that you improve much under the ministry of - that faithful servant of God, Mr. Brown,[121] whom Providence blesses - you with. Make haste to gather the honey of knowledge and grace as it - drops from his lips; and may I find the hive of your heart so full of - it at my return, that I may share with you in the heavenly store! - - “In order to this, entreat the Lord to stir up your hunger and thirst - after the flesh and blood of Jesus, and to increase your desire for - the sincere milk of the Word. When people are hungry they will find - time to go to their meals; and a good appetite does not think a meal a - day too much. Be not satisfied with knowing the way to heaven, but - walk in it constantly and joyfully. Be thoroughly in earnest. You may - impose upon your brethren by a formal attendance on the means of - grace, but you cannot deceive the Searcher of hearts. Let Him then see - your heart struggling towards Him; and if you fall through heaviness, - sloth, or unbelief, do not make a bad matter worse by continuing - hopeless in the ditch of sin and guilt. Up and away to the blood of - Jesus! It will not only wash away the guilt of past sins, but - strengthen you to trample all iniquity under foot in the time to come. - Never forget that the soul of the diligent shall be made fat; and that - the Lord will spue the lukewarm out of His mouth. Get, therefore, that - love which makes you diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving - the Lord. - - “I beg you will not neglect the assembling of yourselves together, - and, when you meet in Society, be neither backward nor forward to - speak. Let every one esteem himself the meanest in the company, and be - glad to sit at the feet of the lowest. If you are tempted against any - one, yield not to the temptation; and pray for much of that love which - hopeth all things, and puts the best constructions even upon the worst - of things. I beg, for Christ’s sake, I may find no division and no - offence among you at my return. ‘If there be any consolation in - Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if - any bowels of mercy, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having - the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done - through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem - the others better than himself.’ - - “I earnestly beg the continuance of your prayers for me, that the Lord - may keep me from hurting His cause in these parts, and that when - Providence shall bring me back among you (which I hope will be this - day fortnight), I may be thoroughly furnished for every good word and - work. That the blessing of God may crown all your hearts and your - meetings, is the earnest prayer of, my very dear brethren, - - “Your unworthy servant in the Gospel of our common Lord, - - “JOHN FLETCHER. - - “P.S.—I had not time to finish this letter yesterday, being called - upon to preach in a market town in the neighbourhood. The dragon - showed some of his spite and venom to little purpose. A gentleman - churchwarden would hinder my getting into the pulpit, and, in order to - this, cursed and swore, and took another gentleman by the collar in - the middle of the church. Notwithstanding his rage, I preached. May - the Lord raise in power what was sown in weakness!”[122] - -Footnote 121: - - A clergyman whom James Ireland, Esq., of Brislington, near Bristol, - had obtained to supply Fletcher’s pulpit at Madeley. See a subsequent - letter, dated April 27, 1767. - -Footnote 122: - - “Thirteen Original Letters.” By the Rev. J. Fletcher. Bath: 1791, p. - 10. - -From this interesting letter, it appears that Fletcher spent four -Sundays at Bath and Bristol. No doubt, he was the guest of the Countess -of Huntingdon; but, at the same time, he formed an acquaintance with the -excellent James Ireland, Esq., of Brislington, with whom he commenced a -correspondence two or three months afterwards, which was continued to -the end of life. There can hardly be a doubt that Mr. Ireland was the -gentleman who offered to take Fletcher to Switzerland, free of cost. At -this time, Mr. Ireland’s daughter was out of health, and for many years -afterwards he was accustomed to go to the south of France for the -benefit of himself and his family. - -Eighteen years had elapsed since Fletcher had seen his mother, his -brothers, and his sisters, and of course he wished to visit them; but -there was his work at Madeley, and that was enough to make him forego -what, under other circumstances, must have been an unspeakable pleasure. -Some will accuse him of the want of natural affection, and will say he -owed duties to his distant and long unseen relatives, as well as to his -parishioners. Probably, in answer to such a charge, he would have quoted -the words of his supreme Master: “Who is my mother? and who are my -brethren? Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, -the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” - -It is evident, from Fletcher’s pastoral epistle, that his preaching in -the west of England was not confined to Bath and Bristol; but, except -the disgraceful incident of the profane churchwarden swearing and almost -fighting to keep him out of the pulpit of a church in some neighbouring -market town, no details of his tour have been preserved. The letters and -journals of Wesley and Whitefield abound with facts and adventures, full -of interest and instruction: the letters of Fletcher were of another -character. They are rich in truth and piety; but not always in materials -for biography. His habitual self-abnegation kept in the shade thousands -of facts which the curiosity of the Christian world would like to know. - -The first two years he spent at Madeley were rough and stormy. He worked -with all his might, but with small results. The next three years were -comparatively calm and prosperous. Opposition gradually died. His -labours were attended with success. He formed several Societies of -converted people; and his friend Wesley made the county of Salop a -Methodist circuit. For nearly five years he had confined his -evangelistic efforts to his own immediate neighbourhood; after this, to -a considerable extent, he became an itinerant. Let us follow him. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - _TWO YEARS MORE._ - - 1766 AND 1767. - - -FLETCHER began the year 1766 in mournfulness, and yet full of love and -loyalty to Christ. In a letter to Miss Hatton, he wrote:— - - “MADELEY, _January 13, 1766_. - - “MADAM,—This evening I have buried one of the warmest opposers of my - ministry—a stout, strong young man, aged twenty-four years. About - three months ago, he came to the churchyard with a corpse, but refused - to come into the church. When the burial was over, I went to him, and - mildly expostulated with him. His constant answer was, that he had - bound himself never to come to church while I was there; adding, that - he would take the consequences. Seeing I got nothing, I left him, - saying, with uncommon warmth, though, as far as I can remember, - without the least touch of resentment, ‘I am clear of your blood; - henceforth it is upon your own head; you will not come to church upon - your legs, prepare to come upon your _neighbours’ shoulders_!’ He - wasted from that time, and, to my great surprise, has been buried on - the spot where we were when the conversation passed between us. When I - visited him in his sickness, he seemed _tame_, as a wolf in a trap. O - may God have turned him into a sheep in his last hours! - - “This last year has been the worst I have had here,—barren in - convictions, fruitful in backslidings. - - “I have filled my page, but not with the name of Jesus. Let your heart - contain what my letter wants,—_Jesus and His precious blood_,—_Jesus - and His free, glorious salvation_. Live to Him; breathe for Him; buy, - sell, eat, drink, read, write for Him. Receive Him as _yours_ - altogether, and give Him your _whole_ self. Take us, Lord, into Thy - gracious favour; stamp us with Thy glorious image, and conduct us to - Thy eternal kingdom!”[123] - -Footnote 123: - - Letters, 1791, p. 165. - -Fletcher was depressed. His labours at Madeley, during the past year, -had not been fruitful; and concerning his success even at Bath he was -doubtful. Mr. Brown, his temporary curate, however, seems to have been -useful; and so also were Wesley’s itinerant evangelists; on account of -which he thankfully rejoiced. In another letter to Miss Hatton, he -wrote:— - - “MADELEY, _May 27, 1766_. - - “The coming of Mr. Wesley’s preachers into my parish gives me no - uneasiness. As I am sensible that everybody does better, and is more - acceptable than myself, I should be sorry to deprive any one of a - blessing; and I rejoice that the work of God goes on, by _any - instrument_, or in _any place_. How far it might have been expedient - to have postponed preaching regularly in my parish, till the minister - of —— had been reconciled to the invasion of his; and how far this - might have made my way smoother, I do not pretend to determine: time - will show it, and in the meanwhile I find it good to have faith in - Providence. - - “I fear I have left as great a stink at Bath as Mr. Brown a sweet - savour here. Everything is good to me that shows me my - unprofitableness; but I desire to grieve, that the good of my private - humiliation is so much overbalanced by the loss of many about - me.”[124] - -Footnote 124: - - Letters, 1791, p. 169. - -Thus did Fletcher depreciate himself. The truth is, he was in feeble -health, and hardly knew it. At this time, also, two of his dear friends -were dying—Miss Hatton, of Wem, and Miss Ireland, the only daughter of -James Ireland, Esq., of Brislington, Bristol. Miss Hatton had been at -Madeley, and Miss Ireland was about to migrate to the south of France. -To these ladies, he wrote as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _June 21, 1766_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I am much concerned to hear, by Mrs. Tower, that you - are so weak; but my concern has greatly increased, since I was told - that the foundation of your illness was laid at Madeley; and, I am - afraid, by my imprudence in taking you to the woman with whom we - received the sacrament. I ask God’s pardon and yours for it; and I - hope it will be the means of humbling me, and of making me more tender - of my friends. - - “The advice you give me about my health is seasonable. I hope to - follow it. I am not conscious of having neglected it; but I will - endeavour that there be not so much as the shadow of a call for - repeating it. - - “If the air at Wem does not agree with you, could you not come to - Madeley? Though I am no nurse, and though I have been the contrary of - one to you, I hope we should wait upon you with more tenderness than - when you were here last. Mrs. Power would nurse you, and I would talk - to you of the love of Jesus as well as I could. You know I perceived - your bodily weakness when you were here, and charged you with a - neglect of your body. If I was right, I hope you will follow the - advice you give me. - - “Offer yourself to God for life or death, for ease or pain, for - strength or weakness. Let Him choose or refuse for you; only do you - choose Him for your present and eternal portion.”[125] - -Footnote 125: - - Letters, 1791, p. 170. - -Seven months after this, Miss Hatton peacefully expired.[126] Miss -Ireland lived more than two years longer. To her, he wrote the -following:— - - “MADELEY, _July —, 1766_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—The poor account your father has brought us of - your health, and his apprehensions of not seeing you any more, before - that solemn day when all people, nations, and tongues shall stand - together at the bar of God, make me venture to send you a few lines. - - “First, then, my dear friend, let me beseech you not to flatter - yourself with the hopes of living long here on earth. These hopes fill - us with worldly thoughts, and make us backward to prepare for our - change. I would not, for the world, entertain such thoughts about - myself. I have now, in my parish, a young man who has been two years - under the surgeon’s hands. Since he was given up, about two months - ago, he has fled to the Lord, and has found in Him that saving health, - which a thousand times surpasses that with which the surgeon flattered - him; and he now longs to be with Christ, which is far better. - - “Secondly. Consider, my dear, how good the Lord is to call you to be - transplanted into a better world, before you have taken deeper root in - this sinful world. If it is hard to nature to die _now_, how much - harder would it be if you lived to be the mother of a family, and to - cleave to earth by the ties of new relations, schemes of gain, or - prospects of success! - - “Thirdly. Reflect that, by your illness, the Lord, who forecasts for - us, intimates that long life would not be for His glory, nor your - happiness. I believe He takes many young people from the evil to come, - and out of the way of those temptations, or misfortunes, which would - have made them miserable in time and in eternity. - - “Fourthly. Your earthly father loves you much: witness the hundreds of - miles he has gone for the benefit of your health; but your heavenly - Father loves you a thousand times better; and He is all wisdom, as - well as all goodness. Allow, then, such a loving, gracious Father to - chose for you; and, if He chooses death, acquiesce, and say, ‘Good is - the will of the Lord! His choice must be best!’ - - “Fifthly. Weigh the sinfulness of sin, both original and actual, and - firmly believe the wages of sin is death. This will make you patiently - accept the punishment; especially if you consider that Jesus Christ, - by dying for us, has taken away the sting of death, and turned the - grave into a passage to a blessed eternity. - - “Sixthly. Try to get nearer to the dear Redeemer. He offers rest to - the heavy laden, pardon to the guilty, strength to the feeble, and - life to the dead. - - “Seventhly. When you have considered your lost state, as a sinner, - together with the greatness, the freeness, and the suitableness of - Christ’s salvation, believe in Him. Be not afraid to venture upon and - trust in Him. Cast yourself on Him by frequent acts of reliance, and - stay your soul on Him by means of His promises. Pray much for faith, - and be not afraid of accepting, using, and thanking God for _a - little_. - - “Eighthly. Beware of impatience, repining, and peevishness, which are - the sins of sick people. Be gentle, easy to be pleased, and resigned - as the bleeding Lamb of God. Wrong tempers indulged, grieve, if they - do not quench, the Spirit. - - “Ninthly. Do not repine at being in a strange country, far from your - friends; and, if your going to France does not answer the end proposed - for your body, it will answer a spiritual end to your soul. - - “Tenthly. In praying, reading, hearing any person read, and - meditating, do not consult feeble, fainting, weary flesh and blood; - for, at this rate, death may find you idle, and supine, instead of - striving to enter in at the strait gate; and, when your strength and - vigour fail, remember that the Lord is the strength of your life and - your portion for ever.”[127] - -Footnote 126: - - _Ibid_, p. 190. - -Footnote 127: - - Letters, 1791, p. 174. - -Not many even faithful ministers of Christ would have written in such a -strain as this to a young lady, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, -leaving her native land, and apparently dying; but Fletcher, like all -the first Methodists, was intensely in earnest, and never thought of -sacrificing fidelity for the sake of seeming courtesy. - -The young lady’s father had given Fletcher a hamper of wine, and a -parcel of broadcloth to be made into a suit of clothes, kindly -requesting him not to send his coat again to be patched. In -acknowledging this generous present, the needy and somewhat seedy Vicar -wrote as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _July —, 1766_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—You should have a little mercy on your friends, - in not loading them with such burdens of beneficence. How would you - like to be loaded with kindnesses you could not return? Were it not - for a little of that grace which makes us not only willing, but happy - to be nothing, to be obliged and dependent, your present would make me - quite miserable. I submit to be clothed and nourished by you, as your - servants are, without the happiness of serving you. To yield to this - is as hard to friendship as it is to submit to be saved by free grace, - without one scrap of our own righteousness. However, we are allowed, - both in religion and friendship, to ease ourselves by thanks and - prayers, till we have an opportunity of doing it by actions. I thank - you then, my dear friend, and pray to God that you may receive His - benefits as I do yours. - - “Your broadcloth can lap me round two or three times; but the mantle - of Divine love, the precious fine robe of Jesus’s righteousness, can - cover your soul a thousand times. The cloth, fine and good as it is, - will not keep out a hard shower; but that garment of salvation will - keep out even a shower of brimstone and fire. Your cloth will wear - out; but that fine linen, the righteousness of saints, will appear - with a finer lustre the more it is worn. The moth may fret your - present, or the tailor may spoil it in cutting it; but the present, - which Jesus has made you, is out of the reach of the spoiler, and - ready for present wear. Let me beseech you, my dear friend, to accept - of this heavenly present, as I accept of your earthly one. I did not - send you one farthing to purchase it: it came unsought, unasked, - unexpected, as the seed of the woman came. It came just as I was - sending a tailor to buy me cloth for a new coat, and I hope when you - next see me, it will be in your present; now let Jesus see you in His. - Accept it freely. Wear no more the old rusty coat of nature and - self-righteousness. Send no more to have it _patched_. Make your boast - of an unbought suit, and love to wear the livery of Jesus. - - “You will then love His work. It will be your meat and drink to do it; - and, that you may be vigorous in doing it, as I shall take a little of - your wine for my stomach’s sake, take you a good deal of the wine of - the kingdom for your soul’s sake. Every promise of the Gospel is a - bottle, a cask that has a spring within, and can never be exhausted. - Draw the cork of unbelief, and drink abundantly. Be not afraid of - intoxication; and if an inflammation follows, it will only be that of - Divine love. Be more free with the heavenly wine, than I have been - with the earthly, which you sent me. I have not tasted it yet, but - whose fault is it? Not yours certainly, but mine. If you do not drink - daily out of the cup of salvation, whose fault is it? Not Jesus’s, but - yours. Jesus gives you His righteousness to cover your nakedness, and - the consolations of His Spirit to cheer and invigorate your soul. - Accept and use. Wear, drink, and live to God.”[128] - -Footnote 128: - - Letters, 1791, p. 178. - -Fletcher was religious in everything, and all his faculties were -sanctified. He could not even acknowledge the kindness of his friend -without introducing religion; but, to do this gracefully, he exercises, -not his manly understanding, but his sportive fancy. “Fancy,” said -fanciful Thomas Fuller, “can adorn whatever it touches, can invest naked -fact and dry reasoning with unlooked-for beauty, make flowerets bloom -even on the brow of a precipice, and, when nothing better can be had, -can turn the very substance of the rock itself into moss and lichens.” -Few men have possessed a finer fancy than Fletcher did; but his was -rarely used except for religious purposes. He might have been an -accomplished allegorist; but he preferred to be a scriptural reasoner. -His creed was founded, not upon fancies, but upon facts. Hence, in the -same month that he wrote the foregoing letter to Mr. Ireland, he wrote -as follows to Miss Hatton:— - - “MADELEY, _July 17, 1766_. - - “Let your faith be _rational_ as well as affectionate. God is good. He - does not want us to take His word without proof. What expectations of - the Messiah from the beginning of the world! What amazing miracles and - wonders were wrought in favour of that people and family, from which - He was to come! What prophecies fulfilled, that we might rationally - believe! What displays of the Godhead in that heavenly man, Christ - Jesus! _In Him dwelt_, of a truth, _the fulness of the Godhead - bodily_. You see the power of God in His miracles; the goodness of God - in His character; the justice and mercy of God in His death; the - truth, and faithfulness, and glory of God in His resurrection, in the - coming of His Spirit, and in the preaching of His everlasting Gospel. - O, my friend, we may believe _rationally_. We may, with calm - attention, view the emptiness of all other religions, and the fulness - of assurance that ours affords.”[129] - -Footnote 129: - - Letters, 1791, p. 180. - -Soon after the date of this letter, Fletcher proceeded to London, to -Brighton, and to Oathall, where he had sweet intercourse with the -Countess of Huntingdon, Romaine, Venn, Sir Charles Hotham, and with a -gentleman and lady from his own country, who were visiting the Countess, -and Mr. and Mrs. Powys of Berwick, in Shropshire, Mr. Powys being a -gentleman of high connections and of large fortune, and who had, about -this period, become conspicuous, in conjunction with Sir Richard Hill -and Mr. Lee, of Cotery, for zeal in the cause of God and truth.[130] - -Footnote 130: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 375. - -While staying with Lady Huntingdon at Oathall, Fletcher wrote another -pastoral letter, which could not have been more faithful, but might, -perhaps with advantage, have been more gentle. - - “OATHALL, SUSSEX, _September 23, 1766_. - - “To those who love or fear the Lord Jesus at Madeley, grace, peace, - and love be multiplied unto you, from our God and Saviour Jesus - Christ! - - “Providence, my dear brethren, called me so suddenly from among you, - that I had no time to take my leave of you, and recommend myself to - your prayers. But I hope the good Spirit of our God, who is the Spirit - of love and supplication, has brought me to your remembrance, as the - poorest and weakest of Christ’s ministers, whose hands stand most in - need of being strengthened and lifted up by your prayers. Pray on - then, for yourselves, for one another, and for him whose glory it is - to minister to you in spiritual things, and whose sorrow it is not to - do it in a manner more suitable to the majesty of the Gospel, and more - profitable to your souls. My heart is with you, nevertheless I bear - patiently this bodily separation for three reasons. - - “1. The variety of more faithful and able ministers, which you have - during my absence, is more likely to be serviceable to you than my - presence among you, and I would always prefer your profit to my own - satisfaction. - - “2. I hope Providence will give me those opportunities of conversing - and praying with a greater variety of experienced Christians, which - will tend to my own improvement, and, I trust, in the end, to yours. - - “3. I flatter myself that, after some weeks’ absence, my ministry will - be recommended by the advantage of novelty, which (the more the pity) - goes farther with some than the Word itself. In the meantime, I shall - give you some advice, which, it may be, will prove both suitable and - serviceable to you. - - “Endeavour to improve daily under the ministry that Providence blesses - you with. Be careful to attend it with diligence, faith, and prayer. - Would it not be a great shame if, when ministers come thirty or forty - miles to offer you peace and pardon, strength and comfort, in the name - of God, any of you should slight the glorious message, or hear it as - if it was nothing to you, and as if you heard it not? See then that - you never come from a sermon without being more deeply convinced of - sin and righteousness. In order to this,— - - “Use much prayer before you go to church. Consider that your next - appearance there may be in a coffin, and entreat the Lord to give you - now so to hunger and thirst after righteousness that you may be filled - therewith. Hungry people never go fasting from a feast. Call to mind - the text I preached from the last Sunday but one before I left - you,—‘Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and - hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as new born babes - desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby’ (1 - Peter ii. 1, 2). - - “When you are under the Word, beware of sitting as judges, and not - like criminals. Many judge of the manner, matter, voice, or person of - the preacher. You, perhaps, judge all the congregation when you should - judge yourselves guilty of eternal death and yet worthy of eternal - life, through the worthiness of Him who stood and was condemned at - Pilate’s bar for you. The moment you have done crying to God as - guilty, or thanking Christ as reprieved, criminals, you have reason to - believe that this advice is levelled at you. - - “When you have been at a means of grace and do not find yourselves - sensibly quickened, let it be matter of deep humiliation to you. For - want of repenting of their unbelief and hardness of heart, some get - into a habit of deadness and indolence, so that they come to be as - insensible and as little ashamed of themselves as stones. - - “Beware of the inconsistent behaviour of those who complain that they - are full of wandering in the evening under the Word when they have - suffered their minds to wander from Christ all the day long. Oh! get - acquainted with Him, that you may walk in Him and with Him. Whatsoever - you do or say, especially in the things of God, do or say it as if - Christ was before, behind, and on each side of you. Indeed, He is so, - whether you consider it or not; for when He visibly appeared on earth, - He called Himself ‘the Son of Man which is in heaven;’ how much more - then is He present on earth now that He makes His immediate appearance - in heaven? Make conscience then to maintain a sense of His blessed - presence all the day long, and all the day long you will have a - continual feast. For, can you conceive anything more delightful than - to be always at the fountain of love, peace, beauty, and joy,—at the - spring of power, wisdom, goodness, and truth? Can there be a purer and - more melting happiness than to be with the best of fathers, the - kindest of brothers, the most generous of benefactors, and the - tenderest of husbands? Now Jesus is all this and much more to the - believing soul. Oh! believe, my friends, believe in Jesus now, through - a continual now; and until you can thus believe, mourn over your - unbelieving heart; drag it to Him as you can; think of the efficacy of - His blood shed for the ungodly; and wait for the Spirit of faith from - on high. - - “Some of you wonder why you cannot believe, why you cannot see Jesus - with the eye of your mind, and delight in Him with the affections of - your heart. I apprehend the reason to be one of these, or perhaps - altogether. - - “1. You are not poor, lost, undone, helpless, despairing sinners in - yourselves. You indulge spiritual and refined self-righteousness; you - are not yet dead to the law, and quite slain by the commandment. Now - the kingdom of heaven belongs to none but the poor in spirit. Jesus - came to save none but the lost. What wonder then, if Jesus is little - to you, and if you do not live in His kingdom of peace, righteousness, - and joy in the Holy Ghost? - - “2. Perhaps you spend your time in curious reasonings, instead of - casting yourselves as forlorn sinners at the feet of Christ, leaving - it to Him to bless you when and in the manner He pleases. Know that He - is the wise and sovereign God, and that it is your duty to lie before - Him as clay, as fools, as sinful nothings. - - “3. Perhaps, also, some of you wilfully keep idols of one kind or - another; you indulge some sin against light and knowledge, and it is - neither matter of humiliation, nor of confession to you. The love of - praise, that of the world, that of money, and that of sensual - gratifications, when not lamented, are as implacable enemies to Christ - as Judas and Herod were. How can ye believe, seeing ye seek the honour - that cometh from men? Hew then your Agags in pieces before the Lord. - Run from your Delilahs to Jesus resolutely. Cut off the right hand and - pluck out the right eye that offends you. ‘Come out from among them, - and be separate, saith the Lord, and I will receive you.’ - Nevertheless, when you strive, take care not to make yourself a - righteousness of your own striving. Remember that justifying - righteousness is finished and brought in, and that your goodness can - no more add to it than your sins diminish it. Shout then, ‘_the Lord - your Righteousness_!’ And, if you are undone sinners, humbly and yet - boldly say, ‘In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.’ - - “When I was in London, I endeavoured to make the best of my time; that - is to say, to hear, receive, and practise the Word. Accordingly, I - went to Mr. Whitefield’s Tabernacle, and heard him give his Society a - most sweet exhortation upon love. He began by observing that when the - Apostle St. John was old and past walking and preaching, he would not - forsake the assembling himself with his brethren, as the manner of too - many is, upon little or no pretence at all. On the contrary, he got - himself carried to their meeting, and, with his last thread of voice, - preached to them his final sermon made up of this one sentence, ‘My - little children, love one another.’ I wish, I pray, I earnestly - beseech you to follow that evangelical, apostolical advice; and till - God makes you all little children, little in your own eyes, and simple - as little children, give me leave to say, dear brethren, love one - another, and, of course, judge not, provoke not, be not shy of one - another, but bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of - Christ. Yea, bear with one another’s infirmities, and do not easily - cast off any one, no not for sin, except it be obstinately persisted - in. - - “My sheet is full, and so is my heart of good wishes for and strong - longing after you all. I have just room to tell you I hope to be with - you in three or four weeks’ time. Oh! let me have the comfort of - finding you all believing and loving. Farewell, my dear brethren! The - blessing of God be with you all! This is the earnest desire of - - “Your unworthy minister, - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[131] - -Footnote 131: - - “Thirteen Original Letters,” by Fletcher, published at Bath in 1791, - p. 20. - -This is a long but valuable letter—valuable for the sentiments and -advice it contains, and also as showing Fletcher’s loving and faithful -passion to save the souls of his parishioners. Comment upon it would be -easy, but is unnecessary. When he wrote it, on September 23, he intended -to return to Madeley in “three or four weeks’ time,” but at the -beginning of November he was still in London. In a letter to Mr. Powys, -dated the first of that month, Whitefield remarked, “Dear Mr. Fletcher -is become a scandalous Tottenham Court preacher.”[132] How long he -continued to officiate in Whitefield’s far-famed chapel it is impossible -to tell; but at the beginning of 1767 he was at Madeley, and wrote to -Miss Hatton as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _January 9, 1767_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—The dream of life will soon be over; the morning of - eternity will soon succeed. Away then with all the shadows of time! - Away from them to the _Eternal Substance—to Jesus, the First and the - Last, by whom, and for whom, all things consist_. If you take Jesus to - be your head, by the mystery of faith, you will be united to the - resurrection and the life. The bitterness of death is past, my dear - friend. _Only_ look to Jesus. He died for you—died in your place—died - under the frowns of heaven, that we might die under its smiles. Regard - neither unbelief nor doubt. Fear neither sin nor hell. Choose neither - life nor death. All these are swallowed up in the immensity of Christ, - and are triumphed over in His cross. Fight the good fight of faith. - Hold fast your confidence in the atoning, sanctifying blood of the - Lamb of God. Confer no more with flesh and blood. Go, meet the - bridegroom. Behold He cometh! Trim your lamp. Quit yourself like a - soldier of Jesus. I _entreat_ you, as a companion in tribulation; I - _charge_ you, as a minister, go, at every breath you draw, to Him, who - says, ‘Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out:’ and ‘He - that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.’ - Joyfully sing the believer’s song, ‘O death, where is thy sting? O - grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the - victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!’ Let your surviving friends - triumph over you, as one faithful unto death,—as one triumphing in - death itself.”[133] - -Footnote 132: - - Whitefield’s Works, vol. iii., p. 339. - -Footnote 133: - - Letters, 1791, p. 189. - -Three weeks after this, the Christian lady thus addressed was dead.[134] -Fletcher, in a letter to Mr. Ireland, wrote:— - - “Poor Miss Hatton died full of serenity, faith, and love. The four - last hours of her life were better than all her sickness. When the - pangs of death were upon her, the comforts of the Almighty bore her - triumphantly through, and some of her last words were: ‘Grieve not at - my happiness. This world is no more to me than a bit of burnt paper. - Grace! Grace! A sinner saved! I wish I could tell you half of what I - feel and see. I am going to keep an everlasting Sabbath. O death, - where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, - who giveth me the victory, through my Lord Jesus Christ!’ It is very - remarkable that she had hardly any joy in her illness; but God made - her ample amends in her extremity. He keeps His strongest cordial for - the time of need. Blessed, for ever blessed, be His holy name!”[135] - -Footnote 134: - - _Ibid_, p. 190. - -Footnote 135: - - Letters, 1791, p. 192. - -As already stated, Fletcher, when in London, had preached in Tottenham -Court Road Chapel. Whitefield wrote a letter, thanking him for his -services. Fletcher’s highly characteristic reply was as follows:— - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—I am confounded when I receive a letter from you. - Present and eternal contempt from Christ and all His members is what I - deserve. A sentence of death is my due; but, instead of it, I am - favoured with lines of love. Your mentioning my poor ministrations - among your congregation opens again a wound of shame, that was but - half healed. I feel the need of asking God, you, and your hearers to - pardon me, for weakening the glorious matter of the Gospel by my - wretched broken manner, and for spoiling the heavenly power of it by - the uncleanness of my heart and lips. - - “I should be glad to be your curate some time this year; but I see no - opening, nor the least prospect of any. What between the dead and - living, a parish ties one down more than a wife. If I could go - anywhere this year, it should be to Yorkshire, to accompany Lady - Huntingdon, according to a design that I had half formed last year; - but I fear I shall be debarred even from this. I set out, God willing, - to-morrow morning for Trevecca, to meet her ladyship there, and to - show her the way to Madeley, where she proposes to stay three or four - days, on her way to Derbyshire. - - “Last Sunday seven-night, Captain Scott preached to my congregation a - sermon, which was more blessed, though preached only upon my - horse-block, than a hundred of those I preach in the pulpit. I invited - him to come and treat her ladyship next Sunday with another, now the - place is consecrated. If you should ever favour Shropshire with your - presence, you shall have the captain’s, or the parson’s, pulpit at - your option. Many ask me, whether you will not come to have some fruit - here also. What must I answer them? I, and many more, complain of a - stagnation of the work. What must we do? Everything buds and blossoms - about us, yet our winter is not over. - - “Present my Christian respects to Mrs. Whitefield, Mr. Hardy, Mr. - Keen, Mr. Joyce, Mr. Croom, and Mr. Wright. Tell Mr. Keen I am a - letter in his debt, and postpone writing it till I have had such a - sight of Christ as to breathe His love through every line. - - “I am, rev. and dear Sir, with sincere affection and respect, your - willing, though halting and unworthy servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[136] - -Footnote 136: - - _Evangelical Magazine_, 1802, p. 346. - -Captain Scott, the martial evangelist, mentioned in this letter, was a -Shropshire man, and belonged to an ancient and respectable family. He -had begun his military life as a cornet, and had been promoted to the -rank of captain in the 7th regiment of dragoons. A short time before his -first visit to Madeley, Fletcher, in a letter to the Countess of -Huntingdon, remarked:— - - “I went last Monday to meet Captain Scott, one of the fruits that have - grown for the Lord at Oathall,—a captain of a truth—a bold soldier of - Christ. God has thrown down before him the middle wall of bigotry, and - he boldly launches into an irregular usefulness. For some months, he - has exhorted his dragoons daily; and, for some weeks, he has preached - publicly in the Methodist Meeting House, in his regimentals, to - numerous congregations, with good success. The stiff regular ones - pursue him with hue and cry; but, I believe, he is quite beyond their - reach. God keep him zealous and simple! I believe this _red coat_ will - shame many a _black one_. I am sure he shames me.”[137] - -Footnote 137: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., pp. 317, 318. - -In the year 1767, the Countess of Huntingdon was much occupied in making -preparations for the opening of her college at Trevecca, in Wales. From -the commencement of this important project, Fletcher was one of her -ladyship’s chosen advisers. In the month of April, he met her at -Trevecca, and escorted her to Madeley, where she spent several days on -her way to Yorkshire. The visit was a memorable one. Her ladyship was -accompanied by Lady Anne Erskine and Miss Orton. The rich Christian -communion of these three noble ladies with the poor vicar may be -imagined, but cannot be described. It was, probably, at this period that -the Countess was led to think of Fletcher as the future president of her -college. At all events, in the following year, he was appointed to that -important office.[138] - -Footnote 138: - - _Ibid_, vol. i., p. 288; ii., p. iv. - -Captain Scott also was at Madeley, and though Fletcher, of course, could -not allow him the use of the pulpit of the parish church, he had him -mounted upon the horse-block of the parish parsonage, where he preached -twice, on Sunday, to large congregations; and on the day following, in -Madeley Wood, an immense concourse of people assembled to hear him, many -of whom were drawn thither by curiosity, to see the famous Countess and -the preaching soldier. - -Up to the time of the Countess’s visit, Fletcher was in doubt whether he -would be able to attend her in Yorkshire, but, before she left Madeley -Vicarage, it was arranged that he should follow her immediately after -Whit-Sunday. Mr. Ireland wished him to visit Bristol, and certainly he -had some claim upon him; for, to say nothing of the valuable presents he -had sent, for the use of Fletcher and the poor of Madeley, he had -secured for them a most acceptable curate, to serve the parish during -Fletcher’s absence. Fletcher, for the present, was obliged to decline -his friend’s invitation. Hence the following letter to him:— - - “MADELEY, _April 27, 1767_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—I have just received your letter, upon my - arrival from Wales with dear Lady Huntingdon, who is, of a truth, a - _tried stone_, built upon the _corner stone_, and such as you have - seen her, such, I am persuaded, you will find her to the last,—a soul - devoted to Jesus, living by faith, going to Christ Himself by the - Scriptures, instead of resting in the letter of the Gospel promises, - as too many professors do. - - “I thank you for your care to procure not only a supply for my church, - but such an agreeable, acceptable, and profitable one as Mr. Brown. I - know no one that should be more welcome than he. Tell him, with a - thousand thanks for his condescension, that I deliver my charge over - to him fully, and give him a _carte blanche_, to do or not to do, as - the Lord will direct him. I have settled it, that I shall endeavour to - overtake my lady at Kippax, in Yorkshire, against the Sunday after - Whitsuntide. - - “With regard to the Bristol journey, I must first come from the north, - before I dream of going to the south. God help us to steer immovably - to the grand point of our salvation,—_Jesus_, the _Crucified_! To Him - I recommend myself, and you, and my noble guests. Love Him,—praise - Him,—serve Him, who hath loved you, bought you, and died for - you.”[139] - -Footnote 139: - - Letters, 1791, p. 196. - -In the year 1767, Whit-Sunday occurred on June 7, and, during the week -following, Fletcher joined the Countess of Huntingdon at Huddersfield, -where her ladyship was staying, for a few days, with Venn, at the -vicarage. On Sunday, the 14th, he preached twice in Venn’s church, to -large and deeply attentive congregations. He then accompanied the -Countess to Aberford, on a visit to Benjamin Ingham, who had married her -niece, Lady Margaret Hastings. Whilst there, accompanied by the Rev. -Joseph Townsend, Rector of Pewsey, in Wiltshire, who had preached at the -opening of Lady Huntingdon’s chapel at Bath, in 1765, the whole family -party at Aberford made an excursion to Haworth. Grimshaw, the -brave-hearted incumbent, to whom Yorkshire Methodism owes so much, had -died four years before, and had been succeeded by the Rev. Mr. -Richardson, a good man, and evangelical in his principles, but averse to -open-air preaching, in which his predecessor had delighted. The intended -visit to Haworth having become known, and it being understood that -Fletcher and Mr. Townsend would preach, an immense multitude of people -assembled to hear them. Application was made for the use of what was -called “Mr. Whitefield’s pulpit,” that is, a scaffold erected by the -side of Haworth church, and from which Whitefield was wont to thunder -his overwhelming sermons. Mr. Richardson refused the request. Lady -Huntingdon remonstrated; and, though it is not stated that the scaffold -was brought out, it is known that both Fletcher and Townsend preached in -the churchyard. - -On leaving Aberford, the Countess and her friends proceeded to Kippax, -on a visit to her niece, Mrs. Medhurst. Here, at the beginning of July, -they were joined by the Rev. Martin Madan; and now the village of Kippax -became the centre of some of the most remarkable evangelistic efforts -recorded in Methodistic annals. For some weeks, Fletcher, of Madeley; -Madan, from London; Venn, Vicar of Huddersfield; Conyers, Rector of -Helmsley; Burnet, Vicar of Elland; Ryland, Curate of Huddersfield; -Bentley, Vicar of Kippax; and Powley, Vicar of Dewsbury, made frequent -excursions not only in the immediate neighbourhood of Kippax, but to -distant parts of the county, affectionately inviting the multitudes who -flocked to hear them to flee from the wrath to come.[140] Unfortunately, -the details of these missionary labours seem to be irrecoverably lost; -and it can only be added that, in consequence of being seized with a -rather alarming illness, the Countess of Huntingdon was not able to take -part in many of the services. After Fletcher’s return to Madeley, he -wrote to her ladyship as follows:— - - “MY VERY DEAR AND HONOURED LADY,—The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, - who tried Israel, and led them through many a wandering to the good - land—this faithful God has met with you; a _rod_ is in His hand, but - that hand bears so _deep_ a print of love, that the design of His - visitation cannot be mistaken. Nor does He come without the supporting - _staff_. He kills to make alive. He wounds to heal. He afflicts to - comfort, and to do it more deeply and effectually. My hearty prayer - for your ladyship is, that you may drink the cup the Lord holds out to - you as a new token of His unchangeable love. I call it unchangeable, - because it is really so in its nature, though the appearances of it - greatly vary for the trial of faith. ‘I am God,’ says He; ‘I change - not, therefore Israel is not consumed,’ and Shadrach is kept in the - burning fiery furnace. - - “I have often heard your ladyship speak admirably upon knowing Christ, - and the power of His resurrection, and _the fellowship of His - sufferings_. The Lord will have you improve in that heavenly - knowledge; therefore He gives you so long a lesson at this time. The - lesson is hard, I grant; but the Master is _so loving_, the science so - noble, and the scholar so used to severe exercises, that it is no - wonder you are placed on the highest form. No cross—no crown! The - heavier the cross, the brighter the crown! - - “Till I received Lady Anne’s letter, I often wanted to persuade myself - that your ladyship had got quite well soon after I left Kippax. I beg - my best respects and warmest thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Medhurst, Miss - Medhurst, and the dear company of your ladyship. Their kindness and - patience towards me while at Kippax have laid me under a heavy burden - of obligations, which I desire gratefully to acknowledge. - - “Through a mistake of our good friend Ireland, dear Mr. Glascott came - here the day after I arrived from Yorkshire. He stayed only one day. - This stripling will throw down Goliath. I blessed that cross and - accident which brought me acquainted with a young soldier that made me - so ashamed of myself. Mr. Hill[141] is gone to Brighton, where I hope - he will be as useful as he is in Shropshire. Captain Scott set out - last Monday for York, after making a great stir for good in - Shrewsbury. - - “I am loth to trouble Lady Anne with a request of a line, to know how - your ladyship does, yet I know not well how to give up the hope that - she will once more steal two minutes for it. - - “I am, with peculiar thanks to Lady Anne for her letter, and to your - ladyship for numberless favours, my lady, your most indebted and - obliged servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[142] - -Footnote 140: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., pp. 290, 291. - -Footnote 141: - - Afterwards Sir Richard Hill, Bart., one of Fletcher’s antagonists in - the Calvinian controversy. - -Footnote 142: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 296. - -No further reference to the illness of the Countess of Huntingdon is -needed; but a few lines may be added concerning Mr. Glascott, whom Mr. -Ireland had sent to Madeley to officiate during Fletcher’s supposed -absence. This young clergyman had been ordained at Oxford in 1765. For -two years, he had served the curacy of Cheveley, in Berkshire, and had -been recently dismissed. He was now introduced to Lady Huntingdon, -became her assistant chaplain, and laboured in her connexion till 1781. -Mr. Ireland then presented him to the vicarage of Hatherleigh, in -Devonshire. Here he prayed and preached for nearly fifty years; and here -he died, in the full triumph of the faith of Christ, on the 18th of -August, 1830.[143] - -Footnote 143: - - _Ibid_, vol. ii., p. 464. - -For years past, Fletcher and Whitefield had been sympathizing and -warm-hearted friends, but, up to the present, Whitefield had not been to -Madeley. After Fletcher’s departure from Yorkshire, Whitefield succeeded -him in that county, and glorious were the seasons which Lady Huntingdon -and the great evangelist enjoyed at Kippax, Huddersfield, Leeds, and -other places. Fletcher urged Whitefield to call at Madeley on his way to -what he called his “winter quarters” in London; but Whitefield found it -impracticable to comply with his friend’s request.[144] Thus was lost an -opportunity that did not recur. Whitefield never preached in Madeley -church. He died in 1770. - -Footnote 144: - - _Ibid_, vol. i., p. 299. - -The Countess of Huntingdon spent the winter of 1767 chiefly at Bath, and -was in constant correspondence with Fletcher concerning her college at -Trevecca. Her proposal was to admit no young men except such as were -truly converted to God, and resolved to dedicate themselves to His -service. All admitted might stay three years, and be clothed, boarded, -lodged, and educated gratuitously. Afterwards, those who desired it -might enter the Christian ministry, either in the Church of England or -among Protestants of any other denomination. The scheme was generous, -and as free from bigotry as it could be. Her ladyship had to select -first of all a president, and her choice fell upon Fletcher. He accepted -her invitation. It was impossible that he should be generally resident -at Trevecca, much less constantly; his duty to his Madeley parishioners -would not admit of this; but he promised to attend as often as he -conveniently could; to give advice respecting the appointment of masters -and the admission of students; to revise the studies and conduct of the -latter, and to assist their piety, and judge of their qualifications for -the work of the ministry. All this was to be done without any fee or -reward whatever. - -The plan for the examination of candidates for admission was drawn up by -her ladyship. It was then submitted to Romaine, Venn, Wesley, and -others, and received their approval. The Countess finally sent it to her -president elect, who returned the following answer:— - - “MADELEY, _November 24, 1767_. - - “MY DEAR LADY,—I received the proposals which your ladyship has drawn - up for the examination of the young men who may appear proper - candidates for the Trevecca academy; and I gratefully acknowledge your - kindness in allowing me to propose suitable young men resident in my - parish. - - “Our Israel is small, my lady, and if among six hundred thousand only - two faithful men were found of old, the Joshuas and Calebs cannot be - numerous among us. After having perused the articles, and looked round - about me, I designed to answer your ladyship, ‘_Out of this Galilee - ariseth no prophet_.’ With this resolution I went to bed, but, in my - sleep, was much taken up with the thought and remembrance of one of my - young colliers, who told me, some months ago, that for four years he - had been inwardly persuaded he should be called to speak for God. I - looked upon the unusual impression of my dream as a call to speak to - the young man, and at waking desired to do so at the first - opportunity. To my great surprise, he came to Madeley that very - morning, and I found upon enquiry that he had been as much drawn to - come as I to speak to him. This encouraged me to speak of your - ladyship’s design, and I was satisfied by his conversation that I - might venture to propose him to your ladyship for further examination. - - “His name is _James Glazebrook_, collier and getter of ironstone in - Madeley wood. He is now twenty-three—by look nineteen. He has been - awakened seven years. He has been steady from the beginning of his - profession, at least so far as to be kept outwardly unblameable, but - has seemed to me to walk mostly in heaviness. What I told him was as - oil put into a glimmering lamp, and he seems to revive upon hearing of - the little outward call. Notwithstanding his strong desire to exhort, - he has not yet attempted to do so; and his not being forward to run of - himself, makes me have the better hope his call is from God. He has no - mean gift in singing and prayer. His judgment and sense are superior - to his station, and he does not seem to be discouraged by the severest - part of your ladyship’s proposals. One difficulty stood in the way. He - maintains by his labour his aged mother; but this is made easy by his - mother’s leave, and the promise of an elder son to maintain her if he - can have his brother’s place in the pit. - - “With regard to the superintendency of the college, or the examination - of the candidates, I know myself too well to dream about it; - nevertheless, so far as my present calling and poor abilities will - allow, I am ready to throw my mite into the treasury. - - “Some of our conversations upon the manifestations of the Son of Man - to the heart have led me into many an hour’s consideration. The Holy - Ghost alone can clear up the points to pursue. Nevertheless, I have - found both comfort and profit in setting upon paper the reflections I - have been enabled to make upon the mysterious subject; and they have, - through mercy, set my soul more than ever against the rampant errors - of Sandemanianism. Should Providence ever favour me with an - opportunity, I would bespeak an hour of your ladyship’s time to ratify - my views of the point, under God. - - “I am happily provided with a schoolmaster to my mind, and my ministry - is the last under which I would advise any one intended for a preacher - to sit. Nevertheless, if the young candidate, (Mr. Eastwood) mentioned - in the letter, wants retirement and a prophet’s room at my house he - may have it, if he can cook for himself or find a table in the - neighbourhood.”[145] - -Footnote 145: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., p. 82. - -There is only one other incident, in the life of Fletcher, deserving -attention and belonging to the year 1767; and as it can be summarily -dispatched, it may be best to mention it at once, before returning to -two matters in his letter to the Countess of Huntingdon, which will -require more extended notice. - -On December 1, the tenth Earl of Buchan died at Bath, and was succeeded -by his son, who appointed Fletcher, Venn, and Berridge to be his -chaplains. In a letter to Lady Huntingdon, referring to the appointment, -Fletcher wrote:— - - “I have just received a letter from Lord Buchan, in which he says, - ‘Pray for me, that I also may be found faithful when our Master calls - for me, and that I may live a martyr to redeeming love, and die a - trophy and a monument of the reality of the despised influences of the - Holy Ghost.’ It is a singular honour to belong to so excellent a - nobleman. Oh! how far below his grace is his nobility! I feel a strong - desire to pray that he may be kept from the fickleness of youth[146] - and the baits of ambition. I share in the happiness of Lady Buchan and - Lady Anne Erskine upon the occasion. May God make them, together with - your ladyship, a fourfold cord to draw sinners unto Jesus.”[147] - -Footnote 146: - - The new earl was only twenty-four years of age. - -Footnote 147: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., p. 19. - -Fletcher evidently was pleased with his appointment. The emoluments of -his new office probably were small, perhaps _nil_; but, by means of it, -he became associated with one of the most pious and exemplary noblemen -of the day. - -To recur to Fletcher’s former letter to the Countess of Huntingdon. - -He nominated James Glazebrook as a fitting candidate to be examined for -admission into Lady Huntingdon’s intended college. As already stated, -Glazebrook was a poor, hardworking collier. He was without money and -without learning; but he had two of the three things by which Wesley -tested the Divine call of his itinerants to preach; namely, “_grace_” -and “_gifts_;” and Fletcher had no doubt that when the opportunity -arrived, he would have the third—“_fruit_.” Wesley’s own definitions of -these three words were:— - - “_Grace_: a knowledge of God as a pardoning God; the love of God - abiding in them; desiring and seeking nothing but God; and the being - holy in all manner of conversation. _Gifts_: in some tolerable degree - a clear, sound understanding; a right judgment in the things of God; a - just conception of salvation by faith; and a degree of utterance so as - to be able to speak justly, readily, clearly. _Fruit_: are any truly - convinced of sin and converted to God by their preaching? As long as - these three marks concur in any, we believe he is called of God to - preach.” - -Whether Fletcher adopted Wesley’s threefold test, and applied it to -James Glazebrook, it is impossible to ascertain; but that his opinion of -the young man was correct, subsequent events fully proved. Glazebrook -was one of Fletcher’s converts. He was one of the first students at -Trevecca college, if not _the very first_. There he distinguished -himself equally by his superior abilities and his uncommon diligence. He -allowed himself but little time for refreshment, rest, or recreation. -His piety was as remarkable as his gifts and diligence. He was soon sent -forth to preach, and his labours were attended with considerable -success. For three years, he was thus employed in various parts of -England. He then tired of the itinerant life, and desired the Countess -of Huntingdon to procure him orders in the Established Church. With the -assistance of Fletcher a title was obtained, and Glazebrook was ordained -deacon by the Bishop of Lichfield, in December 1771. Soon after his -ordination, he entered on the curacy of Smisby, in Derbyshire; after -which he served the curacies of Rowley Regis, near Birmingham; Shawbury, -Shropshire; Ravenstone, in Derbyshire; and Hugglescote, in -Leicestershire. In 1777, he was ordained priest by Dr. Hurd, Bishop of -Worcester. Two years later, he married the eldest daughter of Thomas -Kirkland, Esq., M.D., of Ashby-de-la-Zouch, an intimate friend of the -Countess of Huntingdon; and, soon after his marriage, became minister of -St. James’s, Warrington. Ultimately, Lord Moira presented him to the -vicarage of Belton, a village in Leicestershire, whose living even now -is not worth more than about £180 a year. Here he continued till the -time of his decease; and here, as well as at Warrington and other -places, he was made the honoured instrument of “turning many to -righteousness.” Besides his ministerial labours, he wrote and published -a “Treatise on Extemporary Preaching,” “Letters on Infant Baptism,” an -“Answer to Gilbert Wakefield’s Treatise on Baptism,” and, after his -death, his family published a volume of his sermons, which was well -received by the public. Such, in brief, was the history of Fletcher’s -convert and _protegé_. Further particulars concerning him may be found -in the _Evangelical Register_ for 1836. - -The other matter, requiring attention, in Fletcher’s letter to Lady -Huntingdon, under the date of November 24, 1767, is his reference to the -conversations he had had with her ladyship upon the “Manifestations of -the Son of Man to the heart,” and the fact that he had devoutly studied -this mysterious subject for “many hours,” and had put his thoughts “upon -paper.” This important manuscript was not published until after -Fletcher’s death. The editor of his collected works, in a brief preface, -says:— - - “For the Letters on the Manifestation of Christ, the reader is obliged - to Mrs. Fletcher. When they were written, or to whom they are - addressed, is uncertain; but, from the beginning of the first letter, - the decayed state of the manuscript, and the extreme smallness of the - character, which could scarcely have been legible to the author in his - latter years, they are supposed to have been the first essay of a - genius afterwards so much admired. The reader is requested to remember - that the pious author wrote only for himself and his friends; that - these sheets want his perfecting hand; and that the editor thought - himself entitled to take no liberties.” - -From this preface, it is evident that the editor was not acquainted with -the foregoing letter to the Countess of Huntingdon; and it may be added, -that there is no need for the apology, that the “sheets want” Fletcher’s -“perfecting hand.” - -The Letters are six in number, and fill fifty-three octavo pages in -Fletcher’s collected works.[148] It is extremely difficult to give, in a -brief form, the substance of these important papers; and yet the task -must be attempted, because the subject is one of great interest and -because the Letters seem to have been among the earliest of his -compositions, that were afterwards published. - -Footnote 148: - - They were first published by the Rev. Melville Horne, in 1791, with - the title, “Six Letters on the Spiritual Manifestation of the Son of - God.” - -His object is clearly stated in his opening paragraph:— - - “When I had the pleasure of seeing you last, you seemed surprised to - hear me say, that the Son of God, for purposes worthy of His wisdom, - manifests Himself, sooner or later, to all His sincere followers, in a - spiritual manner, which the world knows not of. The assertion appeared - to you unscriptural, enthusiastical, and dangerous. What I then - advanced to prove that it was scriptural, rational, and of the - greatest importance, made you desire I would write you on the - mysterious subject. I declined it, as being unequal to the task; but, - having since considered that a mistake here may endanger your soul or - mine, I sit down to comply with your request; and the end I propose by - it is, either to give you a fair opportunity of pointing out my error, - if I am wrong, or to engage you, if I am right, to seek what I esteem - the most invaluable of all blessings,—revelations of Christ to your - own soul, productive of the experimental knowledge of Him, and the - present enjoyment of His salvation.” - - “I shall not be able to establish the doctrine I maintain unless you - allow me the existence of the proper senses, to which our Lord - manifests Himself. The manifestation I contend for being of a - spiritual nature, must be made to spiritual senses; and that such - senses exist, and are opened in, and exercised by, regenerate souls, - is what I design to prove in this letter” (the first), “by the joint - testimony of Scripture, our Church, and reason.” - -In his second letter, Fletcher defines what he means, and does not mean, -by the manifestations of the Son of God to the soul of man. In the third -and fourth, he dwells on the uses of such manifestations. The fifth -contains a summary of the numerous appearances of the Son of God during -the Old Testament dispensation, and concludes with answers to the -objection that these appearances proved “only, that God favoured the -patriarchs and Jews with immediate revelations of Himself, because they -had neither the Gospel nor the Scriptures.” Fletcher’s fourth answer to -this objection is so characteristic that it must be quoted:— - - “If, because we have the letter of Scripture, we must be deprived of - all immediate manifestations of Christ and His spirit, we are great - losers by that blessed book, and we might reasonably say, ‘Lord, bring - us back to the dispensation of Moses! Thy Jewish servants could - formerly converse with Thee face to face; but now we can know nothing - of Thee, but by their writings. They viewed Thy glory in various - wonderful appearances; but we are indulged only with black lines - telling us of Thy glory. They had the bright Shekinah, and we have - only obscure descriptions of it. They were blessed with lively - oracles; and we only with a dead letter. The ark of Thy covenant went - before them, and struck terror into all their adversaries; but a book, - of which our enemies make daily sport, is the only revelation of Thy - power among us. They made their boast of Urim and Thummim, and - received particular, immediate answers from between the cherubim; but - we have only general ones, by means of Hebrew and Greek writings, - which many do not understand. They conversed familiarly with Moses - their mediator, with Aaron their high priest, and with Samuel their - prophet; these holy men gave them unerring directions in doubtful - cases; but, alas! the apostles and inspired men are all dead; and - Thou, Jesus, our Mediator, Priest, and Prophet, canst not be consulted - to any purpose, for Thou manifestest Thyself no more. As for Thy - sacred book, Thou knowest that sometimes the want of money to purchase - it, the want of learning to consult the original, the want of wisdom - to understand the translation, the want of skill or sight to read it, - prevent our improving it to the best advantage, and keep some from - reaping any benefit from it at all. O Lord! if, because we have this - blessed picture of Thee, we must have no discovery of the glorious - original, have compassion on us, take back Thy precious book, and - impart Thy more precious Self to us, as Thou didst to Thy ancient - people!” - -In his sixth and last Letter, Fletcher proves “that the New Testament, -as well as the Old, abounds with accounts of particular revelations of -the Son of God;” and he concludes thus:— - - “Having thus led you from Genesis to Revelation, I conclude by two - inferences, which appear to me undeniable. The first, that it is - evident our Lord, before His incarnation, during His stay on earth, - and after His ascension into heaven, hath been pleased, in a variety - of manners, to manifest Himself to the children of men, both for the - benefit of the Church in general, and for the conversion of sinners - and the establishment of saints in particular. Secondly, that the - doctrine, which I maintain, is as old as Adam, as modern as St. John, - the last of the inspired writers, and as scriptural as the Old and New - Testaments, which is what I wanted to demonstrate.” - -This is an imperfect outline of Fletcher’s production, but want of space -prevents enlargement. Some, with a scornful jeer, will brand Fletcher as -a mystic; and others, sincerely in search of truth, but who have not -experienced that of which he speaks, will ask his meaning. Leaving the -former to their own infidel or pharisaic wisdom, it may be said in reply -to the latter, Fletcher meant nothing more than what Christ Himself -meant in His sixth beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they -shall _see God_;” and again, in one of His latest utterances, “He that -hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he -that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and -will _manifest Myself to him_.” Or, again, Fletcher meant what St. Paul -meant in texts like the following:—“The natural man receiveth not the -things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither -can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” “God, who -commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, -to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of -Jesus Christ.” “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the -evidence of things not seen.” - -If it be asked, again, what is the meaning of these and such like texts? -it may be answered, substantially,—the meaning is the same as what is -meant by stanzas like the following, written by John or Charles Wesley, -and selected from their Hymn Book, almost at random:— - - “Spirit of faith, come down, - Reveal the things of God; - And make to us the Godhead known, - And witness with the blood. - O that the world might know - The all-atoning Lamb! - Spirit of faith! descend and show - The virtue of His name.” - - “Come, Holy Ghost, (for moved by Thee - The prophets wrote and spoke), - Unlock the truth, Thyself the key, - Unseal the sacred Book. - Expand Thy wings, celestial Dove, - Brood o’er our nature’s night; - Oh, our disordered spirits move, - And let there now be light. - God, through Himself, we then shall know, - If Thou within us shine; - And sound, with all Thy saints below, - The depths of love divine.” - - “Author of faith, eternal word, - Whose spirit breathes the active flame; - Faith, like its finisher and Lord, - To-day, as yesterday, the same: - To Thee our humble hearts aspire, - And ask the gift unspeakable: - Increase in us the kindled fire, - In us the work of faith fulfil. - The things unknown to feeble sense, - Unseen by reason’s glimmering ray, - With strong, commanding evidence, - Their heavenly origin display. - Faith lends its realizing light, - The clouds disperse, the shadows fly; - The Invisible appears in sight, - And God is seen by mortal eye.” - - “O disclose Thy lovely face, - Quicken all my drooping powers; - Gasps my fainting soul for grace, - As a thirsty land for showers; - Haste, my Lord, no more delay! - Come, my Saviour, come away! - Dark and cheerless is the morn, - Unaccompanied by Thee; - Joyless is the day’s return, - Till Thy mercy’s beams I see; - Till Thou inward light impart, - Glad my eyes and warm my heart. - Visit, then, this soul of mine, - Pierce the gloom of sin and grief; - Fill me, Radiancy Divine, - Scatter all my unbelief; - More and more Thyself display, - Shining to the perfect day.” - -If it be asked, again, what means all this? let the enquirer carefully -and devoutly read Fletcher’s Six Letters. He will be wiser and better -for his exercise; and will ascertain that Fletcher and Wesley were not, -in the vulgar sense of the expression, bewildered and bewildering -mystics, but spiritually enlightened, sober, scriptural divines, who, -with reverential and joyous hearts, could sing:— - - “What we have felt and seen, - With confidence we tell; - And publish to the sons of men - The signs infallible. - We by His Spirit prove - And know the things of God, - The things, which freely of His love - He hath on us bestow’d. - His glory our design, - We live our God to please; - And rise, with filial fear divine - To perfect holiness.” - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - _TREVECCA COLLEGE: VISIT TO SWITZERLAND, ETC._ - - FROM JANUARY 3, 1768, TO JULY 1770. - - -IN Fletcher’s letter to Lady Huntingdon, dated November 24, 1767, it is -intimated that the Countess had suggested to Fletcher that a certain -“Mr. Eastwood” could serve him as his village schoolmaster, and was -anxious to do so, in order to have the benefit of Fletcher’s ministry. -There can be no doubt that the name “Eastwood” is a mistake, and that -“Easterbrook” was meant. - -Joseph Easterbrook was a son of the bell-man of Bristol, and had been -educated at Wesley’s Kingswood School.[149] He was now about seventeen -years of age, and came to reside at Madeley.[150] Afterwards he obtained -episcopal ordination, and became Vicar of the Temple Church, Bristol, -and Ordinary of Newgate Prison in that city. He continued faithful to -Wesley and to Methodism; and, it is said, he preached a sermon in every -house in his large parish. He died in 1791, in the fortieth year of his -age. This is not the place to give further details of his history; but -it is hoped that those now related will add to the interest of what -Fletcher writes concerning him in the following letter to the Countess -of Huntingdon, in reply to one she had addressed to him respecting -suitable books for the students of her intended college:— - - “MADELEY, _January 3, 1768_. - - “MY LADY,—I thank your ladyship for having recommended to me - Easterbrook. I hope he will be the captain of the school, and a great - help to the master, as well as a spur to the students. He has good - parts, a most happy memory, and a zeal that would gladden your - ladyship’s heart. He has preached no less than four times to-day; and - seems, indeed, in his own element when he is seeking after the lost - sheep of the house of Israel. He is employed every evening in the work - of the Lord; and I give him the more opportunity to exercise his - talent, as it appears he does it far better than I. I beg two things - for him: first, that it may hold; secondly, that he may be kept - humble. He would at first live upon potatoes and water; but, finding - it may impair his health, I have got him to table with me, and shall - gladly pay his board. He works for me, and the workman is worthy of - his hire. - - “Our young collier” (Glazebrook) “seems a little discouraged with - regard to the hope of his being admitted one of your students. He - thinks he stands no chance, if all must be qualified as he” - (Easterbrook) “is. - - “With regard to books, I am in doubt what to write your ladyship. - Having studied abroad, and used rather foreign than English books with - my pupils” (Mr. Hill’s sons), “I am not well enough acquainted with - the books Great Britain affords to select the _best_ and most - _concise_. Besides, a plan of studies must be fixed upon first, before - proper books can be chosen. Grammar, logic, rhetoric, ecclesiastical - history, and a little natural philosophy and geography, with a great - deal of practical divinity, will be sufficient for those who do not - care to dive into languages. Mr. Townsend and Charles Wesley might, by - spending an hour or two together, make a proper choice; and I would - recommend them not to forget Watt’s ‘Logic,’ and his ‘History of the - Bible, by Questions and Answers,’ which seem to me excellent books of - the kind for clearness and order. Mr. Wesley’s ‘Natural Philosophy’ - contains as much as is wanted, or more. Mason’s ‘Essay on - Pronunciation’ will be worth their attention. ‘Henry and Gill on the - Bible,’ with the four volumes of Baxter’s ‘Practical Works,’ Keach’s - ‘Metaphors,’ ‘Taylor on the Types,’ Gurnal’s ‘Christian Armour,’ - ‘Edwards on Preaching,’ Johnson’s English Dictionary, and Mr. Wesley’s - ‘Christian Library,’ may make part of the little library. The book of - Baxter, I mention, I shall take care to send to Trevecca, as a mite - towards the collection, together with Usher’s ‘Body of Divinity,’ - Scapula’s Greek Lexicon, and Littleton’s Latin Dictionary. - - “With regard to those who propose to learn Latin and Greek, the master - your ladyship will appoint may choose to follow his particular method. - Mr. Wesley’s books, printed for the use of Christian youths, seem to - me short and proper, and their expense less, which, I suppose, should - be consulted. Two or three dictionaries of Bailey or Dyke for those - who learn English, with two or three Coles’s Dictionaries, - Shrevelins’s, and Pasor’s, for those who will learn Latin and Greek, - may be a sufficient stock at first. - - “Mr. Edward Stillingfleet[151] is presented, by Mr. Hill, to the - living of Shawbury, eight miles from Shrewsbury, and twenty from here. - I thank the Lord for this fellow-helper. - - “I am, your ladyship’s unworthy servant, - “J. FLETCHER.”[152] - -Footnote 149: - - “Unpublished Letter by John Pawson.” - -Footnote 150: - - Misled by the author of the “Life and Times of the Countess of - Huntingdon,” I have stated in my “Life and Times of Wesley,” that, at - the opening of Trevecca College, Easterbrook was appointed to the - office of master. This is a mistake. The master, as will be seen in - succeeding pages, was a wonderful child, twelve years old! Perhaps, - however, Easterbrook rendered some assistance.—L. T. - -Footnote 151: - - A great-grandson of the celebrated bishop of that name. He proved - himself to be a faithful friend to Venn, and the other evangelical - clergymen of the age. - -Footnote 152: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1821, p. 437. - -The reader may learn two facts from Fletcher’s letter. First, what were -the books in divinity he most loved and prized. It is to be feared that -such books are no longer popular. In the case of many theological -students, they have given place to the flimsy and even sceptical -productions of a later period. The more the pity. No wonder that so many -pulpits are spiritless, and that so many pews are starved. - -Secondly: It is also evident that Fletcher had already formed a sort of -circuit of preaching places, otherwise a youth like Easterbrook could -hardly have found the opportunity to preach every evening in the week, -and four times on Sunday. It is now impossible to ascertain what the -places were; but Wesley’s testimony may here be appropriately -introduced. - - “From the beginning, Mr. Fletcher did not confine his labours to his - own parish. For many years, he regularly preached at places, eight, - ten, or sixteen miles off, returning the same night, though he seldom - got home before one or two in the morning. At a little Society which - he had gathered about six miles from Madeley, he preached two or three - times a week, beginning at five in the morning.”[153] - -Footnote 153: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Of course, all this was ecclesiastically irregular, and a repetition of -it would not be permitted now; but, fortunately for the people who “sat -in darkness,” it was, except in a few instances, only a peccadillo a -hundred years ago, at which bishops, priests, and deacons found it a -convenience to themselves to wink. - -It was at this time that Wesley wrote to Fletcher his unusually long and -well-known letter on conversation. The following are brief extracts from -it:— - - “BIRMINGHAM, _March 20, 1768_. - - “DEAR SIR,—Mr. Easterbrook told me yesterday that you are sick of the - conversation even of them who profess religion,—that you find it quite - unprofitable, if not hurtful, to converse with them three or four - hours together, and are sometimes almost determined to shut yourself - up, as the less evil of the two. - - “I do not wonder at it at all, especially considering with whom you - have chiefly conversed for some time past, namely, the hearers of Mr. - Madan, or Mr. Bourian, perhaps I might add, of Mr. Whitefield. The - conversing with these I have rarely found to be profitable to my soul. - Rather it has damped my designs; it has cooled my resolutions; and I - have consciously left them with a dry, dissipated spirit. - - “Again; you have, for some time, conversed a good deal with the - genteel Methodists. Now it matters not a straw what doctrine they - hear,—whether they frequent the Lock or West Street,—they are, almost - all, salt which has lost its savour, if ever they had any. They are - thoroughly conformed to the maxims, the spirit, the fashions, and - customs of the world. - - “But were these or those of ever so excellent a spirit, you conversed - with them too long. One had need to be an angel, not a man, to - converse three or four hours at once, to any purpose. - - “But have you not a remedy for all this in your hands? In order to - truly profitable conversation, may you not select persons clear of - both Calvinism and Antinomianism? not fond of that luscious way of - talking, but standing in awe of Him they love; who are vigorously - working out their salvation, and are athirst for full redemption, and - every moment expecting it, if not already enjoying it?”[154] - -Footnote 154: - - Tyerman’s “Life and Times of Wesley,” vol. iii., p. 4. - -Apart from the subject of this letter, it is of importance, as showing -that the maelstrom of the Calvinian controversy was already stirring, -and that Wesley was afraid of Fletcher being drawn into it. This would -be much more apparent could the letter be quoted here _in extenso_. -Suffice it to add, that Fletcher was preserved from the spreading evils, -and that it is difficult to tell how much he was indebted to Wesley’s -long warning letter for his escape from danger. - -So far as Fletcher was concerned, the great event of the year 1768 was -the opening of Lady Huntingdon’s College at Trevecca. Wesley seemed to -disapprove of her ladyship’s design. In a letter to his brother Charles, -he wrote:— - - “Edinburgh, May 14, 1768.—I am glad Mr. Fletcher has been with you. - But, if the tutor fails, what will become of our College at Trevecca? - Did you ever see anything more queer than their plan of institution? - Pray, who penned it, man or woman? I am afraid the Visitor” (Fletcher) - “too will fail.”[155] - -Footnote 155: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xii., p. 126. - -Meanwhile, however, an occurrence had taken place, which appeared to -make the opening of Trevecca College increasingly desirable and -important. On the 12th of March, six students belonging to Edmund Hall, -Oxford, were expelled the University, really and truly on the ground -that they were charged with being Methodists. The event, as may easily -be imagined, created a national sensation. Numbers of tracts and -pamphlets, _pro et con_, were published; and, among others, one by -Whitefield, entitled, “A Letter to the Reverend Dr. Durell, -Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; occasioned by a late -Expulsion of Six Students from Edmund Hall.” Whitefield’s letter was -dated April 12, 1768, exactly a month after the expulsions took place. -Fletcher read it with approbation, and wrote to Whitefield, thanking him -for the service he had rendered to the cause of truth; and also -referring to a recent visit to Bristol, to the Rev. Cradock Glascott, -who had supplied for him at Madeley; and to the prospect there was of -obtaining a suitable master, from Suffolk, for the College at Trevecca. -Fletcher’s letter was as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _May 28, 1768_. - - “REVEREND AND DEAR SIR,—I thank you, though late, for the kind leave - you gave me of trying to pipe where you trumpet the name of our dear - Redeemer, in Bristol. I ask you, and my hearers there, and, above all, - our gracious Lord, to pardon me for the wretched manner in which I - performed, or rather spoiled, the glorious work. - - “I thank you, also, for your letter to the Vice-Chancellor. Mr. - Talbot[156] treated us with the reading of it at our meeting of the - clergy at Birmingham; and I saw applause and satisfaction sitting upon - every brow. - - “Lady Huntingdon, in a few lines I had lately, mentions that - Providence raises a master for her school from Suffolk, who promises - well. She desires he may be secured, if approved of. Perhaps you know - him; and you are the best judge whether he is likely to answer. For my - part, I am willing to put my smoking flax to the tapers of my brethren - and fathers, when they endeavour to throw some light and order upon - her ladyship’s design; but I feel my place should be among the - scholars, rather than among the Directors. - - “Mr. Glascott quitted himself as a faithful and able minister, during - his stay here. Thousands attended him in the next parish, where he - nobly took the field. Nevertheless, I see a curse of barrenness upon - this neighbourhood, which makes me groan for a day of Pentecost. God - hasten it in His time! You will please to remember that you are a - debtor to our barbarians, as well as to the Greeks in London. When you - come, my pulpit will be honoured, greatly honoured, to hold you, if my - church cannot hold your congregation.”[157] - -Footnote 156: - - No doubt, the Rev. William Talbot, LL.D., Vicar of Kineton, in - Warwickshire. - -Footnote 157: - - Fletcher’s Works, vol. viii., p. 255. - -Who “the master from Suffolk” was, has never yet been stated. The matter -is of little consequence. In the month of July, Wesley visited Fletcher, -and, no doubt, they conversed concerning the College at Trevecca; but -Wesley’s account of his visit is so brief as to be almost significant -that there was something in their interview that he would rather -suppress than publish. He simply writes: “1768, Sunday, July 31. I -preached for Mr. Fletcher in the morning; and in the evening at -Shrewsbury.”[158] Within a month after this, the college was opened; -but, instead of being at Trevecca, Wesley was in Cornwall. - -Footnote 158: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -The opening took place on Wednesday, August 24, the anniversary of the -birthday of Lady Huntingdon. In all likelihood, Fletcher, the president, -was present; but no positive evidence of this has been published. -Indeed, considering the importance of the event, the account of it is -remarkably brief. The best, in fact, so far as I know, the only one ever -given to the public, is an extract from Whitefield’s Memorandum Book, as -follows:— - - “August 24, 1768. Opened good Lady Huntingdon’s Chapel and College, in - the parish of Talgarth, Brecknockshire, South Wales. Preached from - Exodus xx. 24: ‘In all places where I record My name, I will come unto - thee, and I will bless thee.’ August 25.—Gave an exhortation to the - Students, in the College-chapel, from Luke i. 15: ‘He shall be great - in the sight of the Lord.’ Sunday, August 28.—Preached in the court - before the College (the congregation consisting of some thousands), - from 1 Cor. iii. 11: ‘Other foundation can no man lay, than that is - laid, which is Jesus Christ.’”[159] - -Footnote 159: - - Gillies’ “Life of Whitefield.” - -To this must be added a single sentence, from a letter which Whitefield -wrote to Mr. Keene, on August 30: “What we have seen and felt at the -College is unspeakable.”[160] - -Footnote 160: - - Trevecca College was supported at the sole expense of the Countess of - Huntingdon till her death, on June 17, 1791. “Had her ability been - equal to her desire for its continuance, she would have endowed it, - and thereby have provided for its perpetuity.” About four years before - her decease, and with her full approval, provision was made for the - future. Seven trustees were appointed to take care of the College - after her ladyship’s death; and a subscription was begun for its - maintenance. This accumulated fund, in 1791, amounted to £585, 3 per - cent. Consols. The lease of the Trevecca property had expired, and it - was now determined to remove the college to Cheshunt, near London. - Accordingly, the Trevecca house was given up at Lady-day, 1792; the - furniture, the library, and the communion plate were taken to - Cheshunt, where the new establishment was formally opened on August - 24, the anniversary of the commencement of the abandoned one at - Trevecca. A religious service, of nearly three hours and a-half’s - duration, was held; Lady Anne Agnes Erskine, executrix of the Countess - of Huntingdon, presided; and seven or eight hundred persons were - present. (“The Order observed at the opening of the Countess of - Huntingdon’s College at Cheshunt, London, 1792,” 8vo., 86 pp.) - -That is all. Is there an instance of any other Methodist Institution so -important as this, the published details of whose opening services are -so pitiably meagre? - -It has been said, there is no _positive_ proof that Fletcher was at the -opening of Trevecca College; but there is _incidental_ evidence that he -was, and that his friend James Ireland, Esq., was with him. This will be -found in the _second_ of the following letters addressed to Mr. Ireland -and his dying daughter. - - “MADELEY, _July 30, 1768_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—Uncertain as I am whether your daughter is yet alive, - I know not what to say, but this,—our Heavenly Father appoints all - things for the best. If her days of suffering are prolonged, it is to - honour her with a conformity to the crucified Jesus. If they are - shortened, she will have drunk all her cup of affliction, and found, - at the bottom of it, not the bitterness of her sins, but the - consolations of our Saviour’s Spirit. - - “I had lately some views of death, and it appeared to me in the most - brilliant colours. What is it to die, but to open our eyes after the - disagreeable dream of life? It is to break the prison of corruptible - flesh and blood, into which sin has cast us. It is to draw aside the - curtain which prevents us seeing the Supreme Beauty and Goodness face - to face. O my dear friend, how lovely is death, when we look at it in - Jesus Christ! To die is one of the greatest privileges of the - Christian. - - “If Miss Ireland is still living, tell her, a thousand times, that - Jesus is the resurrection and the life; that He has vanquished and - disarmed death; that He has brought life and immortality to light; and - that all things are ours, whether life or death, eternity or time. - These are great truths upon which she ought to repose her soul with - full assurance. Everything is shadow, in comparison of the reality of - the Gospel. If your daughter be dead, believe in Jesus, and you shall - find her again in Him, who fills all in all, who encircles the - material and spiritual world in His arms—in the immense bosom of His - Divinity. - - “Adieu, my dear friend. Yours, - “J. FLETCHER.”[161] - -Footnote 161: - - Letters, 1791, p. 198. - - “MADELEY, _October 14, 1768_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—I think I told you at Trevecca,[162] that we had - no farmers at Madeley who feared God and loved Jesus. This generation - among us are buried in the furrows of their ploughs, or under the - heaps of corn which fill their granaries. Now that I am on the spot, I - do not see one who makes it necessary for me to change my opinion. - Your bailiff cannot come from this Nazareth. - - “If the last efforts of the physicians fail with respect to Miss - Ireland, it will be a consolation to you to know that they have been - tried. Every thing dies. Things visible are all transitory; but - invisible ones abide for ever. If Christ is our life and our - resurrection, it is of little importance whether we die now, or thirty - years hence. - - “Present my respects to your son, and tell him, that last week I - buried three young persons who had died of a malignant fever; and who, - on the second day of their illness, were deprived of their speech and - senses, and, on the fifth, of their lives. Of what avail are youth and - vigour when the Lord lifts His finger? And shall we sin against the - eternal power, the infinite love, the inexorable justice, and the - immense goodness of this God, who gives us, from moment to moment, the - breath which is in our nostrils? No—we will employ the precious gift - in praising and blessing this good God, who is our Father in Jesus - Christ. - - “I hope you learn, as well as I, and better than I, to know Jesus in - the Spirit. I have known Him after the flesh, and after the letter; I - strive to know Him in the power of His Spirit. Under the Divine - character of a quickening Spirit, He is everywhere. All that live, - live in Him, and they who are spiritually alive have a double life. - The Lord give us this second life more abundantly. Yours, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[163] - -Footnote 162: - - In all probability at the opening of the College on August 24. - -Footnote 163: - - Letters, 1791, p. 199. - -The next is an extract from a long letter, addressed to dying Miss -Ireland. - - “MADELEY, _December 5, 1768_. - - “MY DEAR AFFLICTED FRIEND,—I hear you are returned from the last - journey you took in search of health. Your Heavenly Father sees fit to - deny it you, not because He hateth you (_for whom the Lord loveth He - chasteneth_), but because life and health might be fatal snares to - your soul, out of which you could not escape, but by tedious illness, - and an early death. - - “Your father has crossed the sea for you; Jesus has done more. He has - crossed the abyss that lies between heaven and earth—between the - Creator and the creature. He has waded through the sea of His tears, - blood, and agonies, not to take you to the physician at Montpelier, - but to become your physician and Saviour Himself. Oh, my friend, delay - not cheerfully to surrender yourself to Him. Look not at your sins - without beholding His blood and righteousness. Eye not death but to - behold your gracious Saviour, saying, ‘_Fear not, O thou of little - faith: wherefore dost thou doubt?_’ Consider not eternity but as the - palace where you are going to enter with the Bridegroom of souls, and - rest from all your sins and miseries. View not the condemning law of - God but as made honourable by Him, who was made a curse for you. If - you have no comfort, distrust not Jesus on that account; on the - contrary, take advantage from it to give greater glory to God, by - believing, as Abraham did, ‘in hope against hope.’ In this simple, - Gospel way, wait the Lord’s leisure, and He will comfort your heart. - - “I hope you take care to have little or nothing else mentioned to you - but His praises and promises. Your tongue and ears are going to be - silent in the grave. Now, or never, you must use them to hear and - speak good of His name. Comfort your weeping friends. Reprove the - backsliders. Encourage seekers. Remember the praying, believing, - preaching, though dying thief. Be not afraid to drop a word for Him - who opens a fountain of blood for you. Suffer, live, die at His feet; - and you will soon revive, sing, and reign in His bosom for evermore. - Farewell, in the Conqueror of Death and Prince of Life. - - “J. FLETCHER.”[164] - -Footnote 164: - - _Ibid_, 1791, p. 204. - -Within three months after the date of this letter, Miss Ireland had left -a world of sin and suffering, and had entered into that rest which -remains for the people of God.[165] Hence the following, addressed to -her father:— - - “MADELEY, _March 26, 1769_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—The Lord is desirous of making you a true disciple of - His dear Son, the ‘_Man of Sorrows_,’ by sending you affliction upon - affliction. A sister and a wife who appear to hasten to the grave in - which you have so lately laid your only daughter, places you in - circumstances of uncommon sorrow. But in this see the finger of Him - who works all in all, and who commands us to forsake all to follow - Him. Believe in Him. Believe that He does all for the best; and that - all shall work for good to those who love Him. His goodness to your - daughter ought to encourage your faith and confidence for Mrs. - Ireland. Offer her upon the altar, and you shall see that, if it be - best for her and you, His grace will suspend the blow which threatens - you. - - “Your rich present of meal came last week, and shall be distributed to - the pious poor agreeably to your orders. We are happy to receive your - bounty, but you are more happy in bestowing it upon us. Witness the - words of Jesus, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ - Nevertheless, receive, by faith, the presents of the Lord, the gifts - of His Spirit, and reject not the bread which cometh down from heaven, - because the Lord gives it you with so much love. - - “I shall be obliged to go to Switzerland this year or the next, if I - live and the Lord permits. I have there a brother, a worthy man, who - threatens to leave his wife and children to come and pay me a visit if - I do not go and see him myself. It is some time since our gracious God - convinced him of sin, and I have some of his letters which give me - great pleasure. This circumstance has more weight with me than the - settlement of my affairs.”[166] - -Footnote 165: - - Letters, 1791, p. 205. - -Footnote 166: - - _Ibid_, p. 206. - -Mr. Ireland was a frequent benefactor to Fletcher and the poor of -Madeley. Hence, in another letter to the same friend in need, Fletcher -wrote:— - - “I think I wrote my last letter two days before I received your - bounty—a large hogshead of rice and two cheeses. Accept the thanks of - your poor and mine. I distributed your gifts on Shrove Tuesday; and - preached to a numerous congregation on ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of - God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto - you.’ We prayed for our benefactor, that God would give him a - hundredfold in this life, and eternal life, where life eternal will be - no burden.”[167] - -Footnote 167: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Help, like Mr. Ireland’s, was always welcome. Many of Fletcher’s -parishioners were extremely poor, and to the utmost of his ability he -contributed to their necessities. One who knew him writes:— - - “The profusion of his charity toward the poor and needy is scarcely - credible. It constantly exhausted his purse; it frequently unfurnished - his home; and sometimes left him destitute of the common necessaries - of life. That he might feed the hungry, he led a life of abstinence - and self-denial; and that he might cover the naked, he clothed himself - in the most homely attire.”[168] - -Footnote 168: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher was President, or, as Wesley chose to call him more correctly, -_Visitor_ of Trevecca College. The office brought upon him considerable -anxiety and labour. In the summer of 1769, John Jones made application -to be appointed head master. Mr. Jones, from 1746 to 1767, had been one -of Wesley’s itinerant preachers. He was one of the first classical -masters of Kingswood School, and wrote the Latin Grammar which was used -in that academy.[169] He was highly esteemed by Wesley, and after he -left Kingswood was generally stationed in Wesley’s two most important -circuits, London and Bristol. In 1754, when there was great excitement -respecting a possible separation of the Methodists from the Church of -England, Charles Wesley wished what he called “_the sound preachers_” to -be “_qualified for orders_,” and wrote to his brother, saying, “I know -none fitter for training up the young men in learning than yourself or -J. Jones.” Nine years after this, when Erasmus, a bishop of the Greek -Church, visited London, he, at Wesley’s request, ordained Jones to -assist the Arch-Methodist in administering the sacraments to his -Societies. Charles Wesley would not admit the validity of this -ordination, and consequently would not allow Mr. Jones to officiate as a -clergyman. This was a severe trial to the newly-ordained preacher, and -led him to leave the Methodists. He afterwards procured ordination from -the Bishop of London, and was presented to the living of Harwich, where -he continued to preach for many years, and where he ended his days in -peace.[170] He never lost his love for Wesley. In 1775, when Wesley was -dangerously ill in Ireland, he wrote to him from Harwich:— - - “I cannot express what I felt when I was informed you were both - senseless and speechless; and it was like life from the dead when I - heard you were out of danger and able to sit up. Time was when you - would have taken my advice, at least in some things. Let me entreat, - let me beseech you, to preach less frequently, and that only at the - principal places,” etc.[171] - -Footnote 169: - - Myles’s “Chronological History of the Methodists.” - -Footnote 170: - - Atmore’s “Methodist Memorial.” - -Footnote 171: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1787, p. 444. - -Such was John Jones, Wesley’s friend, and at one time held in high -esteem by Wesley’s brother Charles. His ambition to be employed in Lady -Huntingdon’s college at Trevecca was not inordinate. Fifteen years -before, Charles Wesley had thought him qualified to train young men for -the ministry, and from one of his letters, written in 1777, and -published in the _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_ for 1837, it is evident -that Charles Wesley’s opinion was well founded. The letter was addressed -to a gentleman of Magdalene College, Cambridge, who was about to be -ordained, and wished Mr. Jones’s advice respecting the composition of -sermons and preaching them. - - “Prayer,” said he, “should always precede the composing of a - discourse. In general, the explication of the text or context, if they - need it, should not be too short. The propositions or doctrines should - not be too long nor too many, and the clearer they are the better. The - illustrations should be proper and lively; the proofs close and home; - the motives strong and cogent; the inferences and application natural, - and not laboured. For if we cannot persuade the passions, we shall go - but a little way with most of our hearers. This was George - Whitefield’s peculiar talent; but I do not mean to persuade you to - bawl as loud as he did, and yet I would advise you to raise your voice - in the application of your discourse. Eight-and-thirty years ago I - thought it an easy matter to prove most points in divinity. I have - been learning the contrary ever since, and I find it now very - difficult, by Scriptures properly understood and applied, to prove - many things which I once thought quite clear. I find it necessary to - understand the Scripture I bring in as a proof before I use it as - such. I will add one thing more. You will find it very difficult to - use such plain language as will be understood in most congregations. - Avoid long periods as much as possible. Imitate Cæsar rather than - Cicero; leave the latter to Dr. Middleton and Samuel Furley. It is far - better to be understood by our hearers than to be admired by getting - out of their depth. To do all the good we can is our one business in - life.” - -Mr. Jones was a man of sense, and piety, and experience; and yet -Fletcher hesitated in recommending him to be appointed a tutor in -Trevecca College. Did Fletcher sympathize with his friend Charles Wesley -in the repugnance which the latter felt to Mr. Jones’s ordination by -Erasmus, the bishop of the Greek Church? Perhaps so; at all events, the -following letter to the Countess of Huntingdon was cautious, if not -cold:— - - “MADELEY, _July 1, 1769_. - - “MY LADY,—Mr. Jones’s letter puzzled me a little. I did not know what - answer to make to it. I have, however, sat down, and, after an - introduction, I say to him— - - “‘The first and grand point to be kept in view at Lady Huntingdon’s - College is to maintain and grow in the spirit of faith and power that - breathes through the Acts of the Apostles, and was exemplified in the - lives of the primitive Christians. The first and grand qualification - required in a person called to be at the head of such a college is, - then, a degree of faith and power from above, with an entire - devotedness to God and His cause. - - “‘The master, who is there at present, seems, on account of his youth, - to be deficient in point of experience. Nor is he a proper master of - the Greek, nor even of the harder classics; so that he can hardly - maintain his superiority over those who read Cicero and Horace. - Whether this inconveniency, Sir, would be avoided, supposing you were - appointed to succeed him, I cannot judge by your letter. He is also - unacquainted with divinity and the sciences, of which it is proper he - should give the students some idea; and how far you may excel him in - these points, Sir, is not in my power to determine. He has twenty-five - guineas a year, with his board, room, and washing. I dare say the - generous foundress would not hesitate to raise the salary of a master - of superior merit, though she hopes none would undertake that office - for the sake of money.’ - - “After giving Mr. Jones a little account of the business of the - College, I add— - - “‘The variety of classes in it demands great assiduity and diligence - in the master. I would not, therefore, advise anyone to engage without - a proper trial. I have begged of Lady Huntingdon not to fix upon a - master till she had allowed him to look about him, and see how he - liked the place, people, and business; and, as you very properly - observe, Sir, it would be improper _to engage, and then to repent of - the undertaking_. I think that, if, upon consulting with the Lord in - prayer, and with Mr. Maxfield in conversation, you find your heart - free to embrace so peculiar an opportunity of being useful to your - generation, it might be best to come and see how you like the - business, and how it agrees with you; and should not matters prove - agreeable on either side, I dare say Lady Huntingdon will pay your - travelling expenses to Talgarth,[172] and back again.’ - - “In a letter to Mr. Maxfield,[173] I desired him to inform your - ladyship how Mr. Jones’s mind stands after reflecting on the contents - of my letter to him, and whether he would go to make a trial. I add, - that so much depends upon the aptness to teach, Christian experience, - solidity, liveliness, and devotedness of a master, that no one can - presume to judge of these things by a letter, or even by a day’s - conversation. - - “If your ladyship does not approve of this step, a line to Mr. - Maxfield will rectify what you think amiss, and will oblige, my lady, - your unworthy servant, - - “J. FLETCHER. - - “P.S.—If your ladyship is so good as to spare a minister for three - weeks, I shall be glad to wait upon the dear young men and their - patroness at the College.”[174] - -Footnote 172: - - Trevecca College was in the parish of Talgarth, South Wales. It was - supposed to be part of an old castle erected in the reign of Henry the - Second. The date over the entrance was 1176. - -Footnote 173: - - Thomas Maxfield, who had seceded from Wesley’s Connexion in 1763, and - had received episcopal ordination from the Bishop of Derry. - -Footnote 174: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., p. 98. - -This is an important letter, not only as exhibiting the views of -Fletcher, but as containing a curious chapter in the earliest history of -Trevecca College. The College, as it was ostentatiously called, had been -opened ten months. It had one master; and the author of the “Life and -Times of the Countess of Huntingdon” says Joseph Easterbrook was the -person who occupied this position; but adduces no proof in support of -his assertion. Another, and a far greater authority, attests that the -master of the College was a child. Who was he? - -In 1788, there was printed “A Sermon, occasioned by the Death of the -celebrated Mr. J. Henderson, B.A., of Pembroke College, Oxford: Preached -at St. George’s, Kingswood, November 23; and at Temple Church, Bristol, -November 30, 1788. By the Rev. William Agutter, M.A., of St. Mary -Magdalen College, Oxford. Published at the request of the Congregations. -Bristol. 1788.” 8vo, pp. 32. The text of the sermon is, “Moses was -learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” Mr. Agutter’s eulogy of -Henderson cannot here be quoted at full length: the following are brief -extracts from it:— - - “Mr. Henderson was born, as it were, a thinking being; and was never - known to cry, or to express any infantine peevishness. The questions - he asked, as soon as he was able to speak, astonished all who heard - him.” - - “His memory was so strong that he retained all he read; and his - judgment so solid that he arranged, examined, and digested all that he - remembered, and thus made it his own.” - - “At a time that other children were employed in the drudgery of - learning words, he was occupied in obtaining the knowledge of things. - _While but a boy, he was engaged to teach the learned languages. At - twelve years of age, he taught Greek and Latin in the College of - Trevecca. The Governor of the College at that time was the Rev. Mr. - Fletcher, late Vicar of Madeley._”[175] - -Footnote 175: - - The _Arminian Magazine_, for 1793, confirms this statement. - -Mr. Agutter proceeds to say, that, when Fletcher was dismissed from -Trevecca, Henderson was dismissed with him. - -This, then, was the master—the only master of Trevecca College during -the first year of its existence—a child, a wonderful child, twelve years -old! A further account of this prodigy, or, as the _Monthly Review_, of -1789, called him, “a second Baratier,”[176] may interest the reader. - -Footnote 176: - - Baratier was a German, born in 1721, and is said to have understood - the German, French, Greek, and Latin languages when he was five years - old. At the age of nine, he could not only translate the Hebrew - Scriptures into Latin or French, but also re-translate these versions - into Hebrew. Before he had completed his tenth year, he composed a - Hebrew Lexicon of rare and difficult words, with curious critical - remarks. In his thirteenth year he translated from the Hebrew “Rabbi - Benjamin’s Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa,” and published them in - two volumes, “with historical and critical notes and dissertations.” - He also, with remarkable success, applied himself to the study of - philosophy, mathematics, ecclesiastical history, law, etc. He died in - his twentieth year. - -His father was a native of Ireland, and, from 1759 to 1771, was one of -Wesley’s best itinerant preachers,—a man of deep piety, great talent, -and amiable disposition; but naturally of a timid and melancholy mind. -On relinquishing the itinerancy, he commenced a boarding-school at -Hannam, near Bristol; but two of his pupils having been drowned while -bathing, his mind was so affected, that he abandoned his school, and -opened, at the same place, an asylum for the insane, which Wesley -pronounced the best of the kind in the three kingdoms. - -John Henderson, his only child, was born at Bellgaran, near Limerick, in -1757, and, as early as possible, was sent to Wesley’s School, at -Kingswood. At the age of eight, he had made such proficiency in the -Latin language, as to be able to teach it in the school. In his twelfth -year, as already stated, he became the Master in Trevecca College. When -about fourteen years of age, he left Trevecca, and, probably, spent the -next ten years with his father at Hannam. At twenty-four, he entered -Pembroke College, Oxford; and, in due time, took the degree of Bachelor -of Arts. His thirst after knowledge was unbounded; and his amiable -temper and remarkable talents secured him the respect of all who knew -him. His learning was deep and multifarious. He was skilled in grammar, -rhetoric, history, logic, ethics, metaphysics, and scholastic theology. -He studied medicine with great attention, and practised it among the -poor, wherever he had a chance, gratuitously. He was well versed in -geometry, astronomy, and every branch of natural and experimental -philosophy, and also in civil and canon laws. Besides several of the -modern languages, he was master of the Greek and Latin tongues; and was -intimately acquainted with Persic and Arabic. Scarcely a book could be -mentioned, but he could give some account of it; nor any subject -started, but he could engage in the discussion of it. His talents for -conversation were so attractive, various, and multiform, that he was a -companion equally acceptable to the philosopher and the man of the -world, to the gay, the learned, and illiterate, the young and the old of -both sexes. He attracted the notice of Dr. Johnson, was intimate with -Sir William Jones, Miss Hannah More, and other celebrities; and Mr. -Wilberforce offered him his patronage and a living, if he would reside -in London. - -Like most geniuses, John Henderson was eccentric. When he first went to -Oxford, his clothes were made in a fashion peculiar to himself; he had -no stock or neckcloth; and he wore his hair like that of a boy at -school. His mode of life was singular. He generally went to bed at -daybreak, and rose in the afternoon, except when he was obliged to -attend the morning service of the college chapel. Before he retired to -rest, he frequently stripped himself naked to the waist, took his -station at a pump near his rooms, sluiced his head and the upper part of -his body, pumped water over his shirt, and then, putting it on, went to -bed. This he jocularly called “an excellent cold bath.” He became an -ardent admirer of the nonsense of Jacob Behmen’s wild philosophical -divinity; studied Lavater’s “Physiognomy;” and attained to a -considerable knowledge of magic and astrology; and declared the -possibility of holding correspondence with the spirits of the dead, upon -the strength of his own experience. - -He died at Oxford, on November 2, 1788, and was buried at St. George’s, -Kingswood. His father was so painfully affected by the loss of his -affectionate and only child, that he caused the corpse to be taken up -again, several days after the interment, to satisfy himself that his son -was really dead.[177] - -Footnote 177: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1793, pp. 140–144. - -Wesley had great love and respect for poor Henderson’s father, and, a -few months after the young man’s untimely death, he wrote:— - - “1789, March 13.—I spent some time with poor Richard Henderson, deeply - affected with the loss of his only son; who, with as great talents as - most men in England, had lived two-and-thirty years, and done just - nothing.”[178] - -Footnote 178: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -This, however, was scarcely true. Henry Moore, in his “Life of -Wesley,”[179] relates an anecdote which is worth preserving, and which -must conclude this lengthened notice of the child professor at the -Countess of Huntingdon’s College at Trevecca. In reference to Wesley’s -entry in his Journal, Mr. Moore remarks:— - - “Not a vestige of Mr. Henderson’s writings remains. This is owing to - what some would call a cross providence. He used to visit his father - at Hannam, near Bristol, in the summer vacation. He there studied - intensely, and wrote largely. His MSS. he stored in a large trunk - without a lock. Returning home, some time before his last illness, he - flew to his treasure, but found the trunk empty. He enquired of Mrs. - Henderson, who called up the servant, and asked for the papers in the - trunk. The girl, who had been hired that year, replied with great - simplicity, ‘La! ma’am, I thought they were good for nothing, and so I - lighted the fire with them during the winter.’ Mr. Henderson looked at - his excellent mother-in-law for some time, but spoke not a word. He - then went into his study, and was never known to mention the subject - more.” - -Footnote 179: - - Vol. ii., p. 360. - -“Oh! Diamond, Diamond! thou little knowest the mischief thou hast done!” -said Sir Isaac Newton to his favourite little dog, who, by upsetting a -taper on his desk, had set fire to the papers which contained the whole -of his unpublished experiments, and thus reduced to ashes the labours of -many years. Poor Henderson, in his misfortune, “spoke not a word.” -Newton lived thirty years after his great loss, but made no important -addition to his scientific discoveries; Henderson died soon after his -sad calamity; and hence Wesley’s disparaging remark concerning him: -“With as great talents as most men in England, he lived two-and-thirty -years, and did just nothing.” Wesley must have been ignorant of the fact -related by Mr. Moore; for, on no other ground can an apology be framed -for his unfair remark. - -It is time to return to Fletcher. Wesley was not present at the opening -of Trevecca College, in 1768, but he took part in the religious services -held at the first anniversary in 1769. Whitefield was unavoidably -absent, for he was preaching farewell sermons, and administering -farewell sacraments, to his London congregations, and, a week -afterwards, set out on his final visit to America. But, even without -him, the Methodist gathering at Trevecca was _one_ of the most -remarkable recorded in old Methodist history. Besides Wesley and -Fletcher, there were present Howell Harris, the founder of the Welsh -Methodists; the Rev. Daniel Rowlands, rector of Llangeitho, with a -salary of £10 a year, a preacher whose eloquence was overwhelming, and -whose meetings among the Welsh mountains can never be forgotten; the -Rev. William Williams, curate of Lanwithid, a brave-hearted man who had -met violent persecution without flinching, and a member of the first -Conference of the Calvinistic Methodists in Wales, in 1743; Howell -Davies, rector of Prendergast, an intimate friend of Whitefield, a -preacher whom thousands upon thousands flocked to hear, in fields, and -on commons and mountains, and the attendance at whose monthly sacraments -was so great that his church had to be emptied several times over to -make room for the remaining communicants waiting out of doors; the Rev. -Peter Williams, another itinerant clergyman of the Established Church, -who joined the Methodists as early as the year 1741; and the Hon. and -Rev. Walter Shirley, brother of the notorious Earl Ferrers, first cousin -of the Countess of Huntingdon, converted under the ministry of Venn, and -now an earnest minister of Christ; to whom must be added Lady -Huntingdon, the Countess of Buchan, Lady Anne Erskine, and Miss Orton, -and also the first students of Trevecca, headed by their juvenile -master, John Henderson. - -The services were held daily for a whole week, from the 19th to the 25th -of August inclusive. Fletcher, Rowlands, and William Williams arrived at -the College on Friday, the 18th, and next morning Rowlands preached in -the chapel to a crowded congregation, from the words, “Lord, are there -few that be saved?” In the afternoon, the Lord’s Supper was -administered, Fletcher addressing the communicants and spectators, and -Williams giving out a hymn, which was sung with great enthusiasm. At -night, Howell Harris preached to a large congregation assembled in the -court from the text, “The time is come that judgment must begin at the -house of God.” During the day, Walter Shirley and several lay preachers -arrived at Trevecca. - -On Sunday, August 20, at ten in the morning, Fletcher read the Liturgy -in the court, and Shirley preached on, “Acquaint thyself now with Him, -and be at peace.” At one, the Lord’s Supper was administered in the -chapel, and Rowlands, Fletcher, and Williams gave addresses. During the -afternoon, Fletcher preached in the court to an immense congregation, -from, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.” When his sermon was -ended, Rowlands, in the Welsh language, addressed the crowd from, “It is -appointed unto men once to die.” - -On Monday and Tuesday the clergymen preached, and Howell Harris and -several of the lay preachers joined in the services. - -On Wednesday, August 23rd, Wesley came, accompanied by Howell Davies and -Peter Williams.[180] Wesley writes:— - - “Wednesday, August 23rd. I went on to Trevecca. Here we found a - concourse of people from all parts, come to celebrate the Countess of - Huntingdon’s birthday, and the anniversary of her school, which was - opened on the twenty-fourth of August, last year. I preached in the - evening to as many as her chapel could well contain; which is - extremely neat, or rather, elegant; as is the dining-room, the school, - and all the house. About nine, Howell Harris desired me to give a - short exhortation to his family. I did so; and then went back to my - lady’s, and laid me down in peace. - - “Thursday, August 24th. I administered the Lord’s Supper to the - family.[181] At ten, the public service began. Mr. Fletcher preached - an exceeding lively sermon in the court, the chapel being far too - small. After him, Mr. William Williams preached in Welsh till between - one and two o’clock. At two we dined. Meantime, a large number of - people had baskets of bread and meat carried to them in the court. At - three, I took my turn there; then Mr. Fletcher; and about five, the - congregation was dismissed. Between seven and eight, the lovefeast - began, at which, I believe, many were comforted. In the evening, - several of us retired into the neighbouring wood, which is exceeding - pleasantly laid out in walks, one of which leads to a little mount - raised in the midst of a meadow that commands a delightful prospect. - This is Howell Harris’s work, who has likewise greatly enlarged and - beautified his house; so that, with the gardens, orchards, walks, and - pieces of water that surround it, it is a kind of little - paradise.”[182] - -Footnote 180: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., pp. 98, 99. - -Footnote 181: - - The author of the “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon” says, - “Shirley assisted Wesley,” and adds, “The sacrament was first - administered to the clergyman, then to the students, and then to Lady - Huntingdon, the Countess of Buchan, Lady Anne Erskine, Miss Orton, and - the other members of the family.” - -Footnote 182: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -This is not the place to enlarge upon Howell Harris’s establishment, -which adjoined Trevecca College. Suffice it to say, that here he had -gathered together a family of more than a hundred persons, “all -diligent, all constantly employed, all fearing God and working -righteousness.”[183] - -Footnote 183: - - _Ibid._ - -The lovefeast mentioned by Wesley was the concluding service on the -_first anniversary day_, strictly speaking, of Trevecca College. At that -lovefeast, Walter Shirley, Howell Davies, and Daniel Rowlands gave short -exhortations, and Peter Williams and Howell Harris offered prayers. Lady -Huntingdon observes:— - - “Truly our God was in the midst of us, and many felt Him eminently - nigh. The gracious influence of His Spirit seemed to rest on every - one. Words fail to describe the holy triumph with which the great - congregation sang— - - ‘Captain of Thine enlisted host, - Display thy glorious banner high,’ etc. - - It was a season of refreshing from the presence of the Lord—a time - never to be forgotten.” - -Next morning, Wesley set off for Bristol; but the services were -continued. In the afternoon, Shirley took his stand on the scaffold in -the court, and addressed the multitude from the words, “Wherefore He is -able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, -seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” - - “From that time,” wrote Lady Huntingdon, “we had public preaching - every day at four o’clock, whilst Mr. Shirley and Mr. Fletcher - remained. Copious showers of Divine blessing have been felt on every - side. Truly God is good to Israel. Continue Thy goodness, and in much - greater abundance! O that I may be more and more useful to the souls - of my fellow-creatures! I want to be, every moment, all life, all - zeal, all activity for God, and ever on the stretch for closer - communion with Him. My soul pants to live more to Him; and to be more - holy in heart and life, that all my nature may show the glories of the - Lamb.”[184] - -Footnote 184: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., pp. 98–101. - -Alas! that these glorious scenes among the Welsh mountains should so -soon be followed by scenes of discord and of disputes. The great storm -of the Calvinian controversy was already brewing. - -Walter Sellon occupies a rather unique position in Methodistic annals. -He died in 1792, at the age of seventy-seven; and yet of the first -thirty, and the last twenty-two years of his life, hardly anything is -known. Dr. Abel Stevens, in his “History of Methodism,” says Sellon was -originally a baker; but I know of no authority for this, except -Toplady’s, whose hatred and abuse of Sellon were such as to justify a -hesitancy in believing a statement concerning his stout antagonist, -which he intended to be injurious to his fame. Sellon was born in the -year 1715; but up to the year 1745 he had not been introduced to Wesley. -In a letter to Wesley, dated December 31, 1744, he states, that, until -recently, he had condemned him as “an innovator,” and had “pitied those -who followed” him. But, having heard Wesley preach, and having read his -sermon on “Scriptural Christianity,” delivered before the Oxford -University on August 24, 1744, his opinions concerning him and his -followers were entirely changed; and he now requested Wesley, when he -had an opportunity, to preach at Maidenhead, “where drunkenness, -adultery, profaneness, gaming, and almost every abominable vice, were -not only committed with greediness, but gloried in, and boasted -of.”[185] Whether Wesley went to Maidenhead, which seems to have been -Sellon’s place of residence, is not known; but, three years and a half -afterwards, when he opened his famous Kingswood School, Walter Sellon -was appointed the Headmaster “for the Classics.”[186] About the year -1754, Sellon received episcopal ordination, and became curate of the -churches of Smisby, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and of Breedon, where vast -multitudes flocked to hear him, “not only from adjacent towns and -villages, but frequently from places ten, fifteen, and twenty miles -distant.” “He was a real Methodist,” wrote Jonathan Edmondson, “and -hundreds were turned to God through his instrumentality.”[187] Sellon -enjoyed the confidential friendship of Wesley, and especially of -Wesley’s brother Charles; and, about the time of his appointment to his -curacies, stood faithfully by them in their contentions with the most -able and prominent of their itinerant preachers, concerning the -separation of the Methodists from the Established Church. All his -publications were controversial; and all, except his first, were written -specially in defence of the anti-Calvinian doctrines Wesley taught. This -is not the place to review Walter Sellon as an author. Suffice it to -say, that he was always powerful, rather than polite; and that, after -his first publication, in 1765, which was levelled at Socinianism, he -prepared a second in 1768, which was entitled, “Arguments against the -Doctrine of General Redemption considered.” Without noticing, at -present, the subsequent writings of Sellon, it is enough to add, that, -about the year 1770, he was presented by the Earl of Huntingdon to the -Vicarage of Ledsham, in Yorkshire, where he lived and laboured until his -death, on June 13, 1792.[188] In an unpublished manuscript, John Pawson -says:— - - “I do not believe Mr. Sellon was made the instrument of awakening a - single soul after he came to Ledsham. He was tutor to young Mr. - Medhurst, of Kippax, who lately murdered his wife, and would have - murdered his mother some years ago, if my brother Tarboton had not - rescued her at the hazard of his own life. While in that family, Mr. - Sellon seemed to lose all spirit and life, and, as far as I could - learn, had very little savour of godliness about him. He took not the - least notice of the Methodists, no more than if he had never known - them.” - -Footnote 185: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1778, p. 327. - -Footnote 186: - - Myles’ “Chronological History of the Methodists.” - -Footnote 187: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1856, p. 38. - -Footnote 188: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1856, p. 41. - -John Pawson was one of Wesley’s most honest and hardworking itinerants; -but he sometimes was more severe in his strictures than was desirable. -His remark, however, concerning Sellon’s abandonment of the Methodists -was probably correct; for Wesley, in a letter dated June 10, 1784, wrote -to him: “You used to meet me when I came near you; but you seem, of -late, to have forgotten your old friend and brother.”[189] - -Footnote 189: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xiii., p. 43. - -To return to Fletcher. He and Sellon were well known to each other. Four -years ago, they had exchanged pulpits for a season, Sellon preaching at -Madeley, and Fletcher at Smisby and Breedon-on-the-Hill. Now Sellon was -entering the arena of controversy. The expulsion of the Methodist -students from Oxford University, in 1768, had been the means, -incidentally, of bringing some of the chief doctrines of Calvinism into -public notice. Sir Richard Hill, in defending the students, had warmly -advocated Calvinistic predestination. Dr. Nowell, in answering Sir -Richard, had clearly shown that this predestination was not the doctrine -of the Church of England. Toplady had rushed to the rescue of his -favourite dogma, and had published his translation of “Zauchius,” and -also his “Letter to Dr. Nowell.” Sellon was the first of Wesley’s -friends who entered the lists, by preparing and publishing his -“Arguments against the Doctrine of General Redemption considered. -London, 1769.” 12mo. 178 pp. Wesley encouraged him, and so did -Fletcher. The former wrote as follows:— - - “WAKEFIELD, _July 9, 1768_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—I am glad you have undertaken the ‘Redemption - Redeemed;’ but you must in no wise forget Dr. Owen’s answer to it: - otherwise you will leave a loop-hole for all the Calvinists to creep - out. The Doctor’s evasions you must needs cut in pieces, either - interweaving your answers with the body of the work, under each head, - or adding them in marginal notes. - - “Your ever affectionate brother, - “J. WESLEY.”[190] - -Footnote 190: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xiii. p. 41. - -After the book was published, Fletcher wrote to Sellon the following -letter, plainly showing that the great Calvinian controversy, though as -yet in its incipient state, was causing considerable commotion:— - - “MADELEY, _October 7, 1769_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—I thank you for your letter and books. They came - safe to hand, and I shall give you the amount at the first - opportunity. I have inquired what the Calvinists think; but they - choose to be silent,—a sign that they have not any great thing to - object. Mr. R——[191] looked at your book here in my house, and - objected to Ελεησω ον αν ελεω, Rom. ix. 15. He says, ελεω is, ‘I have - mercy,’ not ‘I should have mercy.’ I observed to Mr. Glascott, ‘It is - the subjunctive mood, and may take the sign should, would, or could, - according to the analogy of faith.’ - - “I long to see Coles[192] answered. My request to you is, that you - would answer him in the cool manner you have the Synod;[193] and my - prayer to God is, that you may be assisted for that important work. - - “I know two strong Calvinist believers, who lately took their leave of - this world with, ‘I shall be damned.’ O, what did all their - professions of perseverance do for them? They left them in the lurch. - May we have the power of God in our souls, and we shall readily leave - unknown decrees to others. - - “The Lord give you patience with your brethren! The best way to - confound them is, to preach that kingdom of God which they cast away, - with real righteousness, and present peace and joy in believing; that - is poison to the synodical kingdom. - - “I despair of seeing you before I have seen Switzerland, which I - design to visit next winter. Mr. Ireland takes me as far as Lyons in - my way. - - “There are some disputes in Lady Huntingdon’s College; but when the - power of God comes, they drop them. The Calvinists are three to one. - Your book I have sent them as a hard nut for them to crack. - - “May the Lord spare you, and make you a free, joyful soldier of the - Lord Jesus; as tough against sin and unbelief as you are against - Calvin and the Synod! The Lord has overruled your leaving Smisby for - good. Let us trust in Him, and all will be well. Farewell. - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[194] - -Footnote 191: - - Probably Romaine, who was at Berwick, near Shrewsbury, on September 9, - 1769, and wrote a letter full of his strongest Calvinism. (See - Romaine’s Works, vol. vi., p. 330. Edition 1813.) - -Footnote 192: - - Elisha Coles, a clerk to the East India Company, who died in 1688. His - “Practical Discourse of God’s Sovereignty,” here referred to, was - answered by Sellon a year or two afterwards. - -Footnote 193: - - The Synod of Dort, held at Dort in 1618 and 1619, and consisting of - thirty-eight Dutch and Walloon divines, five professors of the Dutch - Universities, and twenty-one Lay-elders; besides twenty-eight foreign - divines, from England and other countries. At this celebrated Synod, - the five points of difference between the Calvinists and Arminians - were decided in favour of the former. Sellon, in his able book, - controverts this decision, at all events so far as the doctrine of - predestination is concerned. - -Footnote 194: - - Fletcher’s Works, vol. viii., p. 205. - -This episode respecting Walter Sellon is not irrelevant, and is of -considerable importance, inasmuch as it relates, in part, to the rise of -the great Calvinian controversy of the last century, in which Fletcher -became one of the chief actors. Sellon’s book, in favour of the doctrine -of “General Redemption,” was the first published by Wesley’s adherents, -and is exceedingly able; but this is not the place to analyse and give -an account of it. - -Seventeen years had elapsed since Fletcher left his father’s house in -Switzerland. He had now decided to pay a visit to the place of his -nativity, and to travel as far as the south of France with his generous -friend, Mr. Ireland, of Brislington, Bristol. The following letter to -Mr. Ireland refers to this contemplated visit, and to another matter, -which must be noticed:— - - “MADELEY, _December 30, 1769_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—Last night, I received your obliging letter, and am - ready to accompany you to Montpelier, provided you will go with me to - Nyon. I shall raise about twenty guineas, and, with that sum, a - gracious Providence, and your purse, I hope we shall want for nothing. - If the Lord sends me, I should want nothing, though I had nothing, and - though my fellow-traveller were no richer than myself. - - “I hope to be at Bristol soon, to offer you my services to pack up. - You desired to have a Swiss servant, and I offer myself to you in that - capacity; for I shall be no more ashamed of serving you, as far as I - am capable of doing, than I am of wearing your livery. - - “Two reasons (to say nothing of the pleasure of your company) engage - me to go with you to Montpelier,—a desire to visit some poor Huguenots - in the south of France, and the need I have to recover a little French - before I go to converse with my compatriots. - - “The priest at Madeley is going to open his mass-house, and I declared - war on that account last Sunday, and propose to strip the whore of - Babylon and expose her nakedness to-morrow. All the papists are in a - great ferment, and have held meetings to consult on the occasion. One - of their bloody bullies came ‘to pick up a quarrel’ with me, as he - said, and what would have been the consequence had I not had company - with me I know not. How far more rage may be kindled to-morrow I don’t - know; but I question whether it will be right for me to leave the - field in these circumstances. I forgot to mention that two of our poor - ignorant Churchmen are about to join the mass-house, which also is the - cause of my having taken up arms.”[195] - -Footnote 195: - - Letters, 1791, p. 208. - -Fletcher preached his anti-popery sermon as he intended, taking as his -text 1 Tim. iv. 1–3: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that, in the -latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing -spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having -their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and -commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received -with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” An outline -of the sermon may be found in Fletcher’s Collected Works, vol. vii., p. -490. As the people were leaving the church, a man, who acted as the -spokesman of the papists present, cried, “There was not a word of truth -in the whole sermon;” and then, turning to Fletcher, assured him that he -would shortly produce a gentleman who would refute all that he had said. -The threat was not fulfilled;[196] and Benson, in his “Life of -Fletcher,” first published in 1804, remarks:— - - “By Mr. Fletcher’s bold and prudent stand the designs of the papists - were in a great measure frustrated, and they were prevented making any - progress worth mentioning in Madeley. It is true there is even now a - mass-house and a priest at Madeley, but I find, upon inquiry, there - are not a dozen Popish families in the parish.” - -Footnote 196: - - Fletcher’s Works, vol. vii., p. 494. - -Fletcher’s intended visit to Switzerland was, for a little while, -deferred; because he deemed it his duty to await the threatened -refutation of his anti-popish sermon. Hence, early in January 1770, he -went to Trevecca; probably for the purpose of meeting Joseph Benson, who -was about to become head master of the college. - -Joseph Benson was now nearly twenty-two years of age, and for the last -four years had been the classical master of Wesley’s school at -Kingswood, and was at present keeping terms at Oxford. His acquaintance -with Fletcher was slight, but his admiration of him great. He writes:— - - “I had only had two or three interviews with Mr. Fletcher, which were, - I think, in the year 1768, when I was classical master at Kingswood - school. As he occasionally made an excursion from Madeley to Bristol - and Bath, in one of these excursions we invited him to preach at - Kingswood. He came, and took as his text, ‘Him that cometh unto Me I - will in no wise cast out.’ The people were exceedingly affected; - indeed quite melted down. The tears streamed so fast from the eyes of - the poor colliers that their black faces were washed by them. As to - himself, he was carried out so far beyond his strength that, when he - concluded, he put off his shirt, which was as wet as if it had been - dipped in water. But this was nothing strange; whenever he preached it - was generally the case. From this time, I conceived a particular - esteem for him, chiefly on account of his piety; and wished much for a - further acquaintance with him, a blessing which I soon after obtained; - for through his means, and in consequence of Mr. Wesley’s - recommendation to the Countess of Huntingdon, I was made head master - of the academy, or, as it was commonly called, the college, at - Trevecca, though I could ill be spared from Kingswood, where I had - acted in that capacity about four years. Being greatly wanted at - Kingswood, and having likewise a term to keep at Oxford, I could only - pay them a short visit for the present, which was in January 1770; but - in the spring following, I went to reside there, and for some time was - well satisfied with my situation.”[197] - -Footnote 197: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -No record exists of what transpired between Fletcher and Benson at -Trevecca; but the following letter, written there, and addressed to Mr. -Ireland, deserves insertion:— - - “TREVECCA, _January 13, 1770_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I know not what to think of our journey. My heart - frequently recoils. I have lost all hope of being able to preach in - French, and I think if I could they would not permit me. I become more - stupid every day; my memory fails me in a surprising manner. I am good - for nothing, but to go and bury myself in my parish. I have those - touches of misanthropy which make solitude my element. Judge, then, - whether I am fit to go into the world. On the other hand, I fear that - your journey is undertaken partly from complaisance to me, and in - consequence of the engagement we made to go together. I acquit you of - your promise; and, if your business does not really demand your - presence in France, I beg you will not think of going there on my - account. The bare idea of giving you trouble would make the journey - ten times more disagreeable to me than the season of the year. - - “The day after I wrote to you I preached the sermons against popery, - which I had promised to my people; and Mr. S—t—r called out several - times in the churchyard, as the people went out of church, that ‘there - was not one word of truth in the whole of my discourse, and that he - would prove it.’ He also told me that he would produce a gentleman who - should answer my sermon and the pamphlet I had distributed. I was, - therefore, obliged to declare in the church that I should not quit - England, and was only going into Wales, from whence I would return - soon to reply to the answer of Mr. S—t—r and the priest, if they - should offer any. I am thus obliged to return to Madeley by my word so - publicly pledged, as well as to raise a little money for my journey. - Were it not for these circumstances, I believe I should pay you a - visit at Bristol, notwithstanding my misanthropy. - - “The hamper which you mention, and for which I thank you, provided it - be the last, arrived three days before my departure, but not knowing - what it was, nor for whom it was intended, I put it into my cellar - without opening it. I want the _living water_ rather than cider, and - righteousness more than clothes. I fear, however, lest my unbelief - should make me set aside the fountain whence it flows, as I did your - hamper. Be that as it may, it is high time to open the treasures of - Divine mercy, and to seek in the heart of Jesus for the springs of - love, righteousness, and life. The Lord give us grace so to seek that - we may find, and be enabled to say with the woman in the Gospel, ‘I - have found the piece of silver which I had lost.’ - - “If your affairs do not really call you to France I will wait until - Providence and grace shall open a way to me to the mountains of - Switzerland, if I am ever to see them again. Adieu! Give yourself - _wholly_ to God. A divided heart, like a divided kingdom, falls - naturally by its own gravity either into darkness or into sin. My - heart’s desire is that the love of Jesus may fill your soul, and that - of your unworthy and greatly obliged servant, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[198] - -Footnote 198: - - Letters, 1791, p. 210. - -The journey to Switzerland was deferred, but took place; though no one -seems to know the exact date when it was begun or when it ended. In the -month of July, however, Fletcher was again in England. Strangely enough, -there is no letter of his that refers to the extensive tour made by him -and his friend Ireland; but the latter sent the following account to Mr. -Benson:— - - “I was with Mr. Fletcher, day and night, nearly five months, - travelling all over Italy and France. At that time, a popish priest - resided in his parish, who attempted to mislead the poor people. Mr. - Fletcher, therefore, throughout this journey, attended the sermons of - the Roman Catholic clergy, visited their convents and monasteries, and - conversed with all the most serious among them whom he met with, in - order that he might know their sentiments concerning spiritual - religion. He was so very particular in making observations respecting - the gross and absurd practices of the priests and other clergy, - especially while we were in Italy, that we were frequently in no small - danger of our lives. He wished to attend the Pope’s chapel at Rome, - but I would not consent to accompany him till I had obtained a promise - from him that he would forbear to speak by way of censure or reproof - of what he saw or heard. He met with many men of science and learning, - with whom he conversed freely on Gospel truths, which most of them - opposed with violence. A few listened and were edified. His whole - life, as you well know, was a sermon; all his conversations were - sermons. Even his disputations with infidels were full of instruction. - We met with a gentleman of fortune, an excellent classical scholar, - with whom we continued near a fortnight at an hotel. He said he had - travelled all over Europe, and had passed through all the Societies in - England to find a person whose life corresponded with the Gospels and - with Paul’s Epistles. He asked me (for it was with me he first began - to converse) if I knew any clergyman or dissenting minister in - England, possessed of a stipend of £100 a year for the cure of souls, - who would not leave them all if he were offered double that amount. I - replied in the affirmative, and pointed to my friend Fletcher; when - disputations commenced, which continued for many days.”[199] - -Footnote 199: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Mr. Gilpin, in Fletcher’s “Portrait of St. Paul,” adds to this account. -He says:— - - “This debate was continued, by adjournment, for the space of a week. - Whatever had been said upon the subject by the most celebrated writers - was brought forward, and thoroughly discussed. Mr. Fletcher repeatedly - overcame his antagonist, who regularly lost his temper and his cause - together. Mr. Fletcher took a view of the Christian’s enviable life, - his consolation in trouble, and his tranquillity in danger; together - with his superiority to all the evils of life and the horrors of - death; interspersing his remarks with affectionate admonitions and - powerful persuasives to a rational dependence upon the truths of the - Gospel. At the conclusion of this memorable debate, the unsuccessful - disputant conceived so exalted an idea of his opponent’s character, - that he never afterwards mentioned his name but with peculiar - veneration and regard; and when they met again, eight years later, in - Provence, where the gentleman lived in affluence, he showed Mr. - Fletcher every possible civility, entertained him at his house in the - most hospitable manner, and listened to his conversation on spiritual - subjects with all imaginable attention and respect.” - -Mr. Gilpin mentions another incident of the same kind. Fletcher, in his -travels, met a young gentleman from Genoa, who had imbibed the infidel -notions of the day. They had a debate, which lasted several days, from -morning till night. The sceptic was vanquished, and was so struck with -the masterly skill of Fletcher, and his more than parental concern, -that, before they parted, he looked up to his instructor with reverence, -listened to him with admiration, and desired to be present at morning -and evening prayer.[200] - -Footnote 200: - - “Portrait of St. Paul.” - -While at Marseilles, Mr. Ireland procured for Fletcher the use of a -Protestant church in that neighbourhood; but the engagement to preach in -it caused Fletcher great anxiety, probably because he had lost his -facility in speaking the French language. He prayed about it earnestly -all the week; and when Sunday morning came, he entreated Mr. Ireland to -inform the minister of the church that he was unable to fulfil his -engagement. Mr. Ireland refused; and Fletcher was compelled to ascend -the pulpit, where he preached with such effect, that the whole -congregation, among whom were many ministers, were in tears.[201] - -He determined, while in the south of France, to visit the Protestants in -the Cevennes mountains, whose fathers had suffered so severely in the -cause of Christ; “the heretics of the Cevennes, those accursed -remainders of the old Albigenses,” as the Bull of Clement XI., dated -1703, designated them. The journey was long and difficult, but no -argument could prevail with him to abandon his resolution of attempting -it on foot. “Shall I,” said he to his friend Ireland, “make a visit on -horseback and at ease, to those poor cottagers, whose fathers were -hunted along the rocks, like partridges upon the mountains? No: I will -visit them under the plainest appearance, with my staff in my hand.” -Accordingly, he set out alone, and, after travelling till it was nearly -dark, he entered a small house, and begged the favour of being allowed -to sit in a chair till morning. The master of the cottage, after some -hesitation, consented. Conversation followed; the host and hostess were -charmed; the best provisions in their humble dwelling were given to the -traveller; and, before they retired to rest, prayer was proposed and -offered. Early on the morrow, the strange visitant renewed his -conversation and his prayers; father, mother, and children were melted -into tears; and the poor man himself told his neighbours that he had -nearly refused to admit a stranger into his house, who was more an angel -than a man. The family were papists. - -Continuing his journey, Fletcher reached a small town, where he was -entertained by a pious minister, to whom he had been recommended. The -Protestants received him with open arms. He conversed with their elders; -admonished their youth; visited their sick; and preached with freedom -and success. Many among them were comforted, and many built up in their -most holy faith. - -Footnote 201: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -As he travelled over the mountains, he, one day, put up in a small -dwelling, whose master could hardly speak without uttering an oath. Of -course, Fletcher, in his own peculiar way, reproved the swearer; and, -with such effect, that the man confessed his sin; and ever afterwards, -when in danger of falling into his old habit, nothing more was necessary -to restrain him than to remember the saintly stranger who had once -obtained a lodging beneath his humble roof.[202] - -Footnote 202: - - Gilpin’s “Notes to Portrait of St. Paul.” - -Fletcher and Mr. Ireland proceeded from France to Italy, and traversed -the celebrated Appian Way. As they approached it, Fletcher directed the -driver to stop; for, said he to Mr. Ireland, “I cannot _ride_ over -ground where the Apostle Paul once _walked_, chained to a soldier.” As -soon as he set his foot upon the old Roman road, he took off his hat; -and, walking on with his eyes lifted up to heaven, he gave God thanks -for the glorious truths which Paul preached. He rejoiced that, in -England, these truths were still published; and prayed that they might -be revived in Italy. He reviewed the life, the travels, the labours, and -the sufferings of the great Apostle, his remarks being intermixed with -prayer and praise, and the man himself resembling an incarnation of -devotion.[203] - -Footnote 203: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -On arriving in Switzerland, he was at once solicited by the clergy at -Nyon to occupy their pulpits. He complied with their requests; and, -wherever he was announced to preach, multitudes from all quarters -flocked to hear him. Even deists listened to him with admiration, and -the crowds seemed to think him more than human. Despisers of revelation -were overawed and confounded; formalists were roused; and careless -sinners startled. One of his converts betook himself to sacred studies, -and became a Protestant minister at Lyons. When the time for Fletcher’s -departure came, a good old minister, of more than threescore years and -ten, besought him, with indescribable earnestness, to stay a little -longer, even were it only for a single week; and, when he found that -this was impracticable, the old gentleman burst into tears, and, -addressing Mr. Ireland, cried, “Oh, Sir, how unfortunate for my country! -During my lifetime, it has produced but one angel of a man, and now it -is our lot to lose him!” At length the carriage, that was to bear away -the travellers, appeared; multitudes crowded round about it, anxious to -receive a last word or look; and not a few followed it for above two -miles, before they could summon sufficient resolution to bid farewell to -their saintly compatriot whom they had learned to love so much.[204] - -Footnote 204: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher reached England about the time of midsummer 1770. His tour had -done him good, and had prepared him for the more than ordinary trials -that awaited him. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - _COMMENCEMENT OF THE CALVINIAN - CONTROVERSY._ - - 1770 AND 1771. - - -DURING his absence from England, Fletcher wrote several letters to the -masters and students of the Countess of Huntingdon’s College at -Trevecca;[205] but none of these have been published, and, probably, -none of them now exist. Immediately after his return, and before he had -an opportunity of visiting the College, he indited the following -remarkable epistle:— - - “MADELEY, _July 23, 1770_. - - “To the masters and students of Lady Huntingdon’s College. - - “Grace, mercy, and peace attend you, my dear brethren, from God our - Father, and from our Lord and Brother Jesus Christ! - - “_Brother_, do I say? Should I not rather have written _All_? Is not - He _all and in all_? _All_ to believers, for He is their God, as the - λογος (_the Word_), and their Friend, Brother, Father, Spouse, etc., - etc., etc., as He is λογος γενομενος σαρξ (_the Word made flesh_). - From Him, through Him, and in Him, I salute you in the Spirit. I - believe He is here with me, and in me. I believe He is yonder with - you, and in you; for ‘in Him we live, move, and have,’ not only our - animal, but rational and spiritual, ‘being.’ May the powerful grain of - faith remove the mountain of remaining unbelief, that you and I may - see things as God sees them! When this is the case, we shall discover - that the Creator is _All_ indeed, and that creatures, which we are - wont to put in His place, are mere nothings, passing clouds that our - Sun of Righteousness has thought fit to clothe Himself with, and paint - some of His glories upon. In an instant, He could scatter them into - their original nothing, or resorb them for ever, and stand without - competitor, יחוה, the _Being_. - - “But suppose that all creatures should stand for ever, little - signatures of God, what are they even in their most glorious estate, - but as tapers kindled by His light, as well as formed by His power? - Now conceive a Sun, a spiritual Sun, whose centre is everywhere, whose - circumference can be found nowhere; a Sun whose lustre as much - surpasses the brightness of the luminary that rules the day, as the - Creator surpasses the creature; and say, What are the twinkling tapers - of good men on earth,—what is the smoking flax of wicked - creatures,—what the glittering stars of saints in heaven? Why, they - are all lost in His transcendent glory, and if any one of these would - set himself up as an object of esteem, regard, or admiration, he must - indeed be mad with _self_ and _pride_. He must be, as dear Mr. Howell - Harris has often told us, a foolish apostate, a devil. - - “Understand this, believe this, and you will sink to unknown depths of - self-horror, for having aspired at being _somebody_, self-humiliation - at seeing yourself _nobody_, or what is worse an _evil-body_. - - “But I would not have you dwell even upon this evil, so as to lose - sight of your Sun, unless it be to see Him covered, on this account, - with our flesh and blood, and wrapt in the cloud of our nature. Then - you will cry out with St. Paul, ‘O the depth!’ Then, finding the - manhood is again resorbed into the Godhead, you will gladly renounce - all selfish, separate existence in Adam and from Adam. You will take - Christ to be your life; you will become His members by eating His - flesh and drinking His blood; you will consider His flesh as your - flesh, His bone as your bone, His Spirit as your spirit, His - righteousness as your righteousness, His cross as your cross, and His - crown (whether of thorns or glory) as your crown. You will reckon - yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through - this dear Redeemer. You will renounce propriety; you will heartily and - gladly say, ‘Not I, not I, but Christ liveth; and only _because He - lives_, I do, and shall live also.’ - - “When it is so with us, then we are creatures in our Creator, and - redeemed creatures in our Redeemer. Then we understand and feel what - He says, ‘Without Me the Creator, ye are nothing; without Me the - Saviour, ye can do nothing.’ ‘The moment I consider Christ and myself - as two, I am gone,’ says Luther; and I say so too. I am gone into - self, and into Antichrist; for that which will be _something_, will - not let Christ be _all_; and that which will not let Christ be all, - must certainly be Antichrist. What a poor, jejune, dry thing is - doctrinal Christianity, compared with the clear and _heartfelt assent_ - that the believer gives to these fundamental truths! What life, what - strength, what comfort flow out from them! O my friends, let us - believe, and we shall see, taste, and handle the Word of Life. When I - stand in unbelief, I am like a drop of muddy water drying up in the - sun of temptation. I can neither comfort, nor help, nor preserve - myself. When I do believe and close in with Christ, I am like that - same drop losing itself in a boundless, bottomless sea of purity, - light, life, power, and love. There _my good_ and _my evil_ are - equally nothing; equally swallowed up; and grace reigns through - righteousness unto eternal life. - - “There I wish you all to be. There I beg you and I may meet with all - God’s children. I long to see you that I may impart unto you (should - God make use of such a worm) some spiritual gift, and that I may be - comforted by the mutual faith of you and me, and by your growth in - grace, and in divine as well as human wisdom, during my long absence. - I hope matters will be so contrived that I may be with you, to behold - your order, before the anniversary. Meanwhile, I remain your - affectionate fellow-labourer and servant in the Gospel of Christ, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[206] - -Footnote 205: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.“ - -Footnote 206: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.“ - -No wonder that the visits of a man breathing such a spirit were -welcomed. Mr. Benson, the head master of the College, writes:— - - “He was received as an angel of God. It is not possible for me to - describe the veneration in which we all held him. Like Elijah, in the - schools of the prophets, he was revered; he was loved; he was almost - adored; not only by every student, but by every member of the family. - - “And indeed he was worthy. The reader will pardon me, if he thinks I - exceed. My heart kindles while I write. Here it was that I saw, shall - I say, an angel in human flesh? I should not far exceed the truth if I - said so. But here I saw a descendant of fallen Adam, so fully raised - above the ruins of the fall, that, though by the body he was tied down - to earth, his _whole conversation was in heaven_. His _life_, from day - to day, was _hid with Christ in God_. Prayer, praise, love, and zeal, - all ardent, elevated above what one would think attainable in this - state of frailty, were the element in which he continually lived. As - to others, his one employment was, to call, entreat, and urge them, to - ascend with him to the glorious source of being and blessedness. He - had leisure, comparatively, for nothing else. Languages, arts, - sciences, grammar, rhetoric, logic, even divinity itself, were all - laid aside, when he appeared in the schoolroom among the students. His - full heart would not suffer him to be silent. He _must_ speak, and - they were readier to hearken to this servant and minister of Jesus - Christ, than to attend to Sallust, Virgil, Cicero, or any Latin or - Greek historian, poet, or philosopher they had been engaged in - reading. And they seldom hearkened long, before they were all in - tears, and every heart catched fire from the flame that burned in his - soul. - - “These seasons generally terminated in this. Being convinced that to - be ‘filled with the Holy Ghost’ was a better qualification for the - ministry of the Gospel than any classical learning (though that too - may be useful in its place), after speaking awhile in the schoolroom, - he used frequently to say, ‘As many of you as are athirst for the - fulness of the Spirit, follow me into my room.’ On this, many of us - instantly followed him, and there continued till noon, _for two or - three hours_, praying for one another, till we could bear to kneel no - longer. This was done, not once or twice, but many times; and I have - sometimes seen him, on these occasions—once in particular—so filled - with the love of God, that he cried out, ‘O my God, withhold Thy hand, - or the vessel will burst!’ But he afterwards told me, he was afraid he - had grieved the Spirit of God, and that he ought to have prayed that - the Lord would have enlarged the vessel, or have suffered it to break, - that the soul might have had no further bar to its enjoyment of the - Supreme Good. - - “Such was the ordinary employment of this man of God, while he - remained at Trevecca. He preached the word of life to the students and - family, and to as many of the neighbours as desired to be present. He - was always employed, either in illustrating some important truth, or - exhorting to some neglected duty, or administering some needful - comfort, or relating some useful anecdote, or making some profitable - remark. His devout soul, always burning with love and zeal, led him to - intermingle prayer with all he uttered. His manner was so solemn and, - at the same time, so mild and insinuating, that it was hardly possible - for any one to be in his company without being struck with awe and - charmed with love, as if in the presence of an angel or departed - spirit. Indeed, I frequently thought, while attending to his heavenly - discourse, that he was so different from the generality of mankind as - to look more like Moses or Elijah, or some prophet or apostle come - again from the dead, than a mortal man dwelling in a house of - clay.”[207] - -Footnote 207: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.“ - -This, to some, may appear excessive eulogy; and, therefore, the reader -is reminded that Joseph Benson, who wrote it, was not a weak-minded -fanatic, but a man of robust understanding, a classical scholar of no -mean attainments, an able commentator on the Old and New Testaments, one -of the most powerful and successful preachers of his times, and twice -President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. Such a man was not -likely to write random words. He knew Fletcher, and, to the best of his -power, described him accurately. And, further, it must be remembered -that Benson’s testimony was endorsed by Wesley, who inserted it verbatim -in his “Life of Fletcher.“ - -Such was Fletcher; and yet this half-angelic man had soon to leave -Trevecca! The reasons for this must now be given. The subject will be -far from pleasant; but, in a Life of Fletcher, it cannot be evaded. For -some time past, the storm of the Calvinian controversy had been brewing; -now the crisis came, and the storm burst with terrific violence. - -Before proceeding, however, with the history of the controversy, there -is a letter belonging to this period too interesting to be omitted. -David Simpson, who had belonged to Rowland Hill’s Methodist Society, at -Cambridge, had recently received episcopal ordination, and begun his -famous ministry. Like Wesley, Whitefield, Berridge, Rowland Hill, and -others, he was inclined to become, to some extent, an itinerant -preacher, and, therefore, _irregular_. He was only twenty-four years of -age, without experience, and in need of counsel. Accordingly, he wrote -to Fletcher, who returned the following answer:— - - “MADELEY, _August 4, 1770_. - - “REVEREND AND DEAR SIR,—I have sometimes preached in licensed places, - but have never been censured for it. Perhaps it is because my - superiors in the Church think me not worth their notice, and despair - of shackling me with their unevangelical regularity. If the Bishop - were to take me to task about this piece of irregularity, I would - observe,— - - “1. That the canons of men cannot overthrow the canons of God. ‘Preach - the word. Be instant in season and out of season.’ ‘The time cometh, - and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship,’ particularly and - exclusively of all other places, neither upon mount Gerizim, nor upon - mount Zion; but they shall worship everywhere in spirit and in truth. - The contrary canons are Jewish, and subversive of the liberty - wherewith Christ hath made us free; yea, contrary to the right of - Churchmen, which must, at least, include the privilege of dissenters. - - “2. Before the Bishop shackled me with canons, he charged me to ‘look - for Christ’s lost sheep that are dispersed abroad, and for His - children who are in the midst of this wicked world;’ and these sheep, - etc., I will try to gather whenever I meet them. We have a general - canon:—‘While we have time, let us do good to all men, and especially - to them who are of the household of faith.’ ‘Go into all the world, - and preach the Gospel to every creature’ willing to hear it. - - “A Justice of the Peace would once prosecute me upon the Conventicle - Act; but, when it came to the point, he durst not do it. Some of my - parishioners went and complained to the Bishop about my conventicles. - I wrote to the Registrar that I hoped his Lordship, who had given me - the above-mentioned charge at my ordination, would not be against my - following it; that I thought it hard the tipplers should have twenty - or thirty tippling-houses, the papists one meeting-house, and the - dissenters three or four, in my parish, undisturbed, and that I should - be disturbed, because I would not have God’s Word confined to one - house; and that, with respect to the canons, it would be absurd to put - them in force against preaching clergymen, when they were set aside - with respect to catechising, tippling, gaming, and carding clergymen; - that I did not desire his Lordship to patronize me, in an especial - manner, in the use of my Christian liberty; but that I hoped he would - connive at it. - - “Whether they received my letter or not, I do not know; but they never - attempted to molest me. - - “Be modestly and steadily bold for God, and your enemies will be more - afraid of you than you of them; or if God will honour you with the - badge of persecution, He will comfort and bless you the more for it. - May the God of all grace and power be with you more and more! Ask it, - dear Sir, for your brother and servant in Christ, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[208] - -Footnote 208: - - Fletcher’s Works, vol. viii., p. 257. - -Fletcher had been only a few weeks at home, when Wesley opened the -Annual Conference of his Itinerant Preachers. This took place in London, -on August 7, 1770. The twenty-eighth question of that Conference was, -“What can be done to revive the work of God where it is decayed?” In -answering this, it was resolved, 1. That there must be more visitation -from house to house; 2. That the books Wesley had printed should be more -widely dispersed; 3. That there should be more field-preaching; 4. That -there should be preaching at five o’clock in the morning wherever twenty -hearers could be obtained; 5. That evils in congregational singing -should be corrected; 6. That four fast-days should be observed every -year; 7. That the Methodists must be taught to seek and expect, not only -_gradual_, but “instantaneous sanctification”; 8. That every Itinerant -Preacher, “in every large town, should spend an hour with the children” -of the Methodists every week; 9. That no itinerant preacher should be so -appointed to preach on Sundays, as to keep him “from church above two -Sundays in four.” - -The last answer to the question is the only one that concerns the Life -of Fletcher, and must be given verbatim. Continuing to instruct and -direct his preachers, Wesley observed, lastly,— - - “Take heed to your doctrine. - - “We said, in 1744, ‘We have leaned too much toward Calvinism.’ - Wherein? - - “1. With regard to _man’s faithfulness_. Our Lord Himself taught us to - use the expression, and we ought never to be ashamed of it. We ought - steadily to assert, on His authority, that if a man is not ‘faithful - in the unrighteous mammon,’ God will not give him ‘_the true riches_.’ - - “2. With regard to _working for life_. This also our Lord has - expressly commanded us. ‘Labour,’ εργαζεσθε, literally, ‘work for the - meat that endureth to everlasting life.’ And, in fact, every believer, - till he comes to glory, works for as well as _from_ life. - - “3. We have received it as a maxim, that ‘a man is to do nothing in - order to justification.’ Nothing can be more false. Whoever desires to - find favour with God should ‘cease from evil, and learn to do well.’ - Whoever repents should do ‘works meet for repentance.’ And if this is - not _in order_ to find favour, what does he do them for? - - “Review the whole affair. - - “1. Who of us is _now_ accepted of God? - - “He that now believes in Christ with a loving and obedient heart. - - “2. But who among those who never heard of Christ? - - “He that feareth God, and worketh righteousness according to the light - he has. - - “3. Is this the same with ‘he that is sincere’? - - “Nearly, if not quite. - - “4. Is not this ‘salvation by works’? - - “Not by the _merit_ of works, but by works as a _condition_. - - “5. What have we then been disputing about for these thirty years? - - “I am afraid, _about words_. - - “6. As to _merit_ itself, of which we have been so dreadfully afraid: - we are rewarded ‘according to our works,’ yea, ‘because of our works.’ - How does this differ from _for the sake of our works_? And how differs - this from _secundum merita operum_? As our works _deserve_. Can you - split this hair? I doubt I cannot. - - “7. The grand objection to one of the preceding propositions is drawn - from a matter of fact. God does in fact justify those who, by their - own confession, neither feared God nor wrought righteousness. Is this - an exception to the general rule? - - “It is a doubt, God makes any exception at all. But how are we sure - that the person in question never did fear God and work righteousness? - His own saying so is not proof; for we know how all that are convinced - of sin undervalue themselves in every respect. - - “8. Does not talking of a justified or a sanctified _state_ tend to - mislead men, almost naturally leading them to trust in what was done - in one moment? Whereas we are every hour and every moment pleasing or - displeasing to God, ‘according to our works.’ According to the whole - of our inward tempers, and our outward behaviour.”[209] - -Footnote 209: - - “Minutes of the Methodist Conferences,” vol. i., p. 97. - -For the next five years (1770–1775), Fletcher made it his duty to -explain and defend these theological theses; and a review of this -quinquennial controversy—as concise as possible—must now be attempted. - -Eight days after the close of Wesley’s Conference, Lady Huntingdon, with -the Rev. Walter Shirley and the Rev. Henry Venn, arrived at Mr. -Ireland’s residence at Brislington, on their way to Trevecca to attend -the services in connection with the anniversary of the College. Wesley -had been at the anniversary a year ago, and had been invited to be at -the present one. Accordingly, he remained in Bristol with the -expectation of accompanying her ladyship to Wales, but, horrified by the -doctrinal minutes of his late Conference, she wrote to him saying that, -until he renounced such doctrines, she must exclude him from all her -pulpits. Wesley returned no reply to this communication, but, next day, -calmly and quietly set out for Cornwall.[210] - -Footnote 210: - - It is said that when Shirley sent her ladyship a copy of Wesley’s - Doctrinal Minutes, she burnt it. (Bogue and Bennett’s “History of - Dissenters.“) - -The day after this, the Countess, accompanied by Shirley and Venn, Lady -Anne Erskine, Miss Orton, Mr. Ireland, and Mr. Lloyd, started for -Trevecca, where Fletcher, the President of the College, was ready to -receive them. Here, also, were assembled three of the Methodist -clergymen in Wales, William Williams, Peter Williams, and Daniel -Rowlands; likewise Howell Harris, and several other lay preachers and -exhorters. On Wednesday, August 23, at nine in the morning, Shirley -administered the Lord’s Supper; at ten, Fletcher preached; at two in the -afternoon, Venn addressed the students; and at four, Howell Harris -addressed a large congregation in the court of the College. On Thursday -morning, August 24, Venn administered the sacrament; at ten, Daniel -Rowlands and William Williams preached in the court; at two, Shirley -examined the students, and gave an exhortation; at four, Peter Williams -discoursed in the chapel, and some of the lay preachers in the court. In -the evening Berridge arrived at the College. - -On Friday, August 24, the anniversary day of the opening, a public -prayer-meeting was held in the chapel, at six o’clock in the morning, -when Rowlands, Williams, Harris, and Berridge offered prayer; after -which Fletcher, as President of the College, administered the Lord’s -Supper, first to ten clergymen, then to the students, then to Lady -Huntingdon and her household, and then to the congregation in general. -Public service began at ten. A scaffold was erected in the court, on -which sat all the clergy, dissenting ministers, lay preachers, and -students. Fletcher read the liturgy of the Church of England, Peter -Williams offered extemporary prayer, the vast congregation sang most -lustily the glorious hymn of heretical Wesley, beginning with the line, - - “Arm of the Lord, awake, awake!“ - -Shirley preached from the words, “For after that, in the wisdom of God, -it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that -believe.” Then William Williams followed with a sermon in Welsh. At two, -her ladyship’s guests all dined, the people in the chapel and in the -court continuing to sing and pray. At three, Berridge discoursed from, -“They went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, -and confirming the word with signs following.” After him, Daniel -Rowlands, in his own eloquent and powerful manner, addressed the -multitude in Welsh, taking as his text, “We preach Christ crucified.” In -the evening, Venn delivered a sort of charge to the ministers, students, -and lay preachers, from the text, “Preach the word; be instant in -season, out of season;” and Fletcher concluded the services of the -anniversary by offering prayer. - -The next morning, however, at seven o’clock, these godly and earnest -people held another prayer-meeting in the chapel, in which Shirley, -Venn, Berridge, and Fletcher took part. On the day following, Sunday, -August 26, Venn and Berridge preached, and then this memorable -assemblage dispersed, Lady Huntingdon proceeding, by way of Berwick and -Worcester, to Bristol, where she met Charles Wesley, and, despite the -heresy of his brother and the itinerants at the late Conference, took -him to Bath to preach several times in her chapel in that city.[211] - -Footnote 211: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., pp. 106–109. - -Truly, these were glorious days; but, mournful to relate, they were soon -followed by days of strife and bitterness. Wesley was accused of having -renounced the doctrines of the Reformation. He was traduced as a -Pelagian, a Pharisee, a Papist, an Antichrist.[212] All this was unjust -and untrue. In less than four months after the memorable Conference of -1770, Wesley preached his “Sermon on the Death of Whitefield,” in which -he said:— - - “The fundamental point of Mr. Whitefield was, give God all the glory - of whatever is good in man; and, in the business of salvation, set - Christ as high, and man as low as possible. With this point, he and - his friends at Oxford, the original Methodists (so-called) set out. - Their grand principle was, there is no _power_ (by nature) and _no - merit_ in man. They insisted, all power to think, speak, or act right, - is in and from the Spirit of Christ; and all merit is (not in man, how - high soever in grace, but merely) in the blood of Christ. So he and - they taught: There is no power in man, till it is given him from - above, to do one good work, to speak one good word, or to form one - good desire. For it is not enough to say, all are _sick of sin_: no, - we are all _dead in trespasses and sins_. It follows that all the - children of men are _by nature children of wrath_. We are all _guilty - before God_, liable to death temporal and eternal. - - “And we are all helpless, both with regard to the power and to the - guilt of sin. For _who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean_? - None less than the Almighty. Who can raise those that are _dead_, - spiritually dead in sin? None but He who raised us from the dust of - the earth. But on what consideration will He do this? _Not for works - of righteousness that we have done. The dead cannot praise Thee, O - Lord!_ nor do anything for the sake of which they should be raised to - life. Whatever therefore God does, He does it merely for the sake of - His well-beloved Son: _He was wounded for our transgressions, He was - bruised for our iniquities. He Himself bore all our sin in His own - body upon the tree. He was delivered for our offences, and rose again - for our justification._ Here then is the sole _meritorious cause_ of - every blessing we do or can enjoy: in particular of our pardon and - acceptance with God, of our free and full justification. But by what - means do we become interested in what Christ has done and suffered? - _Not by works, lest any man should boast_; but by faith alone. _We - conclude_, says the Apostle, _that a man is justified by faith, - without the works of the law_. And _to as many as_ thus _receive Him, - giveth He power to become the sons of God: even to those that believe - in His name, who are born, not of the will of man, but of God_. - - “And _except a man be thus born again, he cannot see the kingdom of - God._ But all who are thus _born of the Spirit_, have _the kingdom of - God within_ them. Christ sets up His kingdom in their - hearts—_righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost_. That _mind - is in them, which was in Christ Jesus_, enabling them to _walk as - Christ also walked_. His indwelling Spirit makes them both holy in - heart, and _holy in all manner of conversation_. But still, seeing all - this is a free gift, through the righteousness and blood of Christ, - there is eternally the same reason to remember, _He that glorieth, let - him glory in the Lord_. - - “You are not ignorant, that these are the fundamental doctrines which - he (Mr. Whitefield) everywhere insisted on. And may they not be summed - up, as it were, in two words, _The new birth, and justification by - faith_. These let us insist upon, with all boldness, at all times, and - in all places. In public (those of us who are called thereto), and, at - all opportunities, in private. Keep close to these good old - unfashionable doctrines, how many soever contradict and blaspheme. Go - on, my brethren, in the _name of the Lord, and in the power of His - might_. With all care and diligence, _keep that safe which is - committed to your trust_: knowing that _heaven and earth shall pass - away_; but this truth _shall not pass away_.”[213] - -Footnote 212: - - Fletcher’s Works, vol. i., p. 209. - -Footnote 213: - - Wesley’s “Sermon on the Death of Whitefield,” p. 26. - -Thus did Wesley address the crowds of Calvinists, in Whitefield’s two -London chapels, on Sunday, November 18, 1770. There can be no doubt that -he meant this to be an answer to the misrepresentations and calumnies -launched against him, on account of the doctrinal minutes of his recent -Conference. It ought to have been sufficient to silence his adversaries, -but it was not. Passion is more easily excited than appeased. In a -letter to the Countess of Huntingdon, Lady Glenorchy[214] wrote:— - - “EDINBURGH, _January 10, 1771_. - - “Your ladyship’s account of what occurred at Mr. Wesley’s last - Conference does not surprise me. I have since seen the Minutes, and - must bear my feeble testimony against the sentiments contained in - them. May the Lord God of Israel be with you, and enable you to make a - firm stand in defence of a free-grace Gospel! Lady Anne’s letter has - told me all you have been doing in this momentous affair. When you - next write to dear Mr. Shirley, give my kindest regards to him, and - also to Mr. Venn, Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Romaine. From what Lady Anne - says, I fear very much for Mr. Fletcher that he will be carried off by - Mr. Wesley’s influence. What will be the end of this business I know - not. I know Mr. Wesley is greatly displeased with me, though I have - always countenanced his preachers; but now I find this cannot be done - by me any longer. Nevertheless, I respect him highly, and pray that he - may be led in the way of truth.”[215] - -Footnote 214: - - Lady Glenorchy opened a number of chapels, both in Scotland and - England, and did her utmost to supply them with evangelical ministers. - She was, in fact, the Lady Huntingdon of Scotland. - -Footnote 215: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. i., p. 111. - -Lady Glenorchy executed her conscientious threat. Lady Huntingdon had -already done the same. Further action was taken. Joseph Benson was -dismissed from Trevecca College, because he adhered to the doctrines of -Wesley. The good Countess, however, gave him the following certificate:— - - “This is to certify that Mr. Joseph Benson was master for the - languages in my College at Talgarth for nine months, and that, during - that time, from his capacity, sobriety, and diligence, he acquitted - himself properly in that character; and I am ready at any time to - testify this on his behalf whenever required. - - “College, _January 17, 1771_. - S. HUNTINGDON.”[216] - -Footnote 216: - - Macdonald’s “Life of Benson.” - -Benson was unexceptionable as a classical master; but, in her ladyship’s -opinion, he was a heretic in theological dogmas, because he did not -believe the doctrine of absolute predestination.[217] Fletcher, the -president of the college, was dissatisfied with her ladyship’s dismissal -of the master, and wrote to her as follows:— - - “_January 7, 1771._ - - “Mr. Benson made a very just defence when he said, he held with me the - possibility of salvation for all men; that mercy is offered to all; - and yet may be received or rejected. If this be what your ladyship - calls Mr. Wesley’s opinion, free-will, and Arminianism, and if ‘every - Arminian must quit the College,’ I am actually discharged also; for, - in my present view of things, I must hold that sentiment, if I believe - that the Bible is true, and that God is love. - - “For my part, I am no party-man. In the Lord, I am your servant, and - that of your every student; but I cannot give up the honour of being - connected with my old friends, who, notwithstanding their failings, - are entitled to my respect, gratitude, and assistance, could I - occasionally give them any. Mr. Wesley shall always be welcome to my - pulpit, and I shall gladly bear my testimony in his, as well as in Mr. - Whitefield’s. But if your ladyship forbid your students to preach for - the one, and offer them to preach for the other at every turn; and if - a master is discarded for believing that Christ died for all; then - prejudice reigns, charity is cruelly wounded, and party spirit shouts, - prevails, and triumphs.” - -Footnote 217: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -On the same day, Fletcher wrote to the dismissed Benson the following:— - - “_January 7, 1771._ - - “DEAR SIR,—The same post brought me yours, and two from my lady, and - one from Mr. Williams.[218] Their letters contained no charges, but - general ones, which with me go for nothing. If the procedure you - mention be fact, and your letter be a fair account of the transactions - and words relative to your discharge, a false step has been taken. I - write by this post to her ladyship on the affair, with all possible - plainness. If the plan of the college be overthrown, I have nothing - more to say to it. I will keep to my tent for one; the confined tool - of any one party I never was, and never will be. If the blow that - should have been struck at _the dead spirit_, is struck at _dead_ - Arminius, or _absent_ Mr. Wesley,—if a master is turned away without - any fault, it is time for me to stand up with firmness, or to - withdraw. - - “Take care, my dear Sir, not to make matters worse than they are; and - cast a mantle of forgiving love over the circumstances that might - injure the cause of God, so far as it is put into the hands of that - eminent lady, who has so well deserved of the Church of Christ. Rather - suffer in silence, than make a noise to cause the Philistines to - triumph. Do not let go your expectation of a baptism from above. May - you be supported in this and every other trial! Farewell! - - “J. FLETCHER.” - -Footnote 218: - - A clergyman, who, professing to be under serious impressions, had been - permitted by her ladyship to stay a few weeks at the college; but was - neither master nor student. Fletcher termed him “a bird of passage.” - -Two days later, Fletcher wrote again to Benson as follows:— - - “_January 9, 1771._ - - “I am determined to stand or fall with the liberty of the College. As - I entered it a free place, I must quit it the moment it is a harbour - for party spirit. - - “As I am resolved to clear up this matter or quit my province, I beg - you will help me to as many _facts_ and _words_, _truly done_, and - _really spoken_, as you can; whereby I may show that false reports, - groundless suspicions, party spirit against Mr. Wesley, arbitrary - proceedings, and unscriptural impulses, hold the reins and manage - affairs in the College; as also that the balance of opinions is not - maintained, and Mr. Wesley’s opinions are dreaded, and struck at, more - than deadness of heart, and a wrong conduct. - - “So far as we can, let us keep this matter to ourselves. When you - speak of it to others, rather endeavour to palliate than aggravate - what has been wrong in your opposers. Remember that great lady has - been an instrument of great good, and that there are great - inconsistencies attending the greatest and best of men. Possess your - soul in patience. See the salvation of God; and believe, though - against hope, that light will spring out of darkness. - - “I am, with concern for you and that poor College, - “Yours, in Jesus, - “J. FLETCHER.” - -On February 20, Fletcher set out for the College;[219] and, on his -return to Madeley, he wrote to Wesley the following hitherto unpublished -letter:— - - “MADELEY, _March 18, 1771_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—I was sorry not to have had it in my power to meet - you in Shropshire,[220] and give you, by word of mouth, an account of - what passed at Lady Huntingdon’s College respecting you, at my last - visit there. - - “The hasty admitting of subjects that did not appear to me proper; the - sanguine hopes they would turn out against probability, the divisions - at Brecknock and the Hay, and some things that I did not approve in - Mr. Benson’s dismission, gave me a disgust to the College. - Nevertheless, I went to try to make the best of the matter; but I - found at my arrival that the students had been armed by Mr. Shirley - against the point I had, with some success, maintained when I was - there before, namely, internal conversion by the power of the Holy - Ghost dwelling in the heart by faith. He called it _perfection_, and - as such baited it out of the place. - - “I saw the College was no longer my place, as I was not likely to do - or receive any good there, especially as Calvinism strongly prevailed. - Under these circumstances, and humbling views of my insufficiency, I - told my lady and all around me, I resigned the place of - superintendent; nevertheless, I would stay awhile to supply the want - of a master. - - “In the meantime, an extract of your last Minutes was sent to my lady, - who wept much over it, through an honest fear that you had fairly and - fully given up the grand point of the Methodists, free justification, - _articulum stantis vel cadentis ecclesiæ_. The heresy appeared - horrible, worth being publicly opposed, and such as a true believer - ought to be ready to burn against. I tried to soften matters, but in - vain. The students were commanded to write their sentiments upon your - doctrine of salvation by works, working for life, the merit of works, - etc.; and whoever did not fully disavow it, was to quit the College. I - wrote among the rest, and showed the absurdity of inferring from these - Minutes that you had renounced the Protestant doctrine and the - atonement. I defended your sentiments, by explaining them as I have - heard you do, and only blamed the unguarded and not sufficiently - explicit manner in which they were worded. I concluded by saying, - that, as, after Lady Huntingdon’s declaration, I could no longer stay - in the College, but as an intruder, I _absolutely_ resigned my place, - as I must appear to all around as great a heretic as yourself. - - “This step had a better effect than I expected. My lady weighed with - candour what I had advanced, though she thought it too bad to be laid - before the students. In short, I retired in peace and as peacemaker, - the servant and no more the principal of the College. I advised Lady - Huntingdon to choose a moderate Calvinist in my place, and recommended - Mr. Rowland Hill. The College will take quite a Calvinist turn, and an - itinerant ministry will go out of it to feed the Church of God of that - sentimental denomination. I strongly recommended them to set fire to - the harvest of the Philistines, and not to that of their fellow - Israelites who cannot pronounce Shibboleth in their way. My lady - seemed quite disposed for peace last Friday;[221] and she will write - to you to beg you will explain yourself upon the Minutes, that she and - the College may see you are not _an enemy to grace_, and may be - friends at a distance, instead of open adversaries. - - “And now, my dear Sir, I beseech you to put on all the bowels of mercy - and condescension that are in Christ, to hope the College and its - foundress mean well; and give them all the satisfaction you can. I - need not bring to your remembrance the words of the Apostle, ‘As much - as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.’ I trust they are graven - on your heart, and that, should war ensue, your moderation will still - appear to all men. The points that will most stop the mouth of our - friend are the total fall of man, and his utter inability to do any - good of himself; the absolute necessity of the grace and Spirit of God - to raise even a good thought or desire in the heart; the Lord - rewarding no work, or accepting of none, but so far as they proceed - from His preventing, convincing, and converting grace; the blood and - righteousness of Christ being the sole meritorious cause of our - salvation, and the only spring of all acceptable works, whether we do - them spontaneously from life or for more abundant life. - - “I look upon Lady Huntingdon as an eminent servant of God, an honest, - gracious person, but not above the reach of prejudice; and where - prejudice misleads her, her warm heart makes her go rather too fast. - It is in your power greatly to break, if not altogether to remove, the - prejudice she has conceived against you, and to become all things to - her, that you may not cause her to stumble in the greatness of her - zeal for the Lord. The best way to get the Calvinists to allow us - _something_, is to grant them _all_ we possibly can. - - “As your enemies will particularly watch your writings and sermons, - and Satan your heart to find an occasion against you by - self-righteousness and dependence upon your great works, my prayer is - that you may fully disappoint them, by guarding the Gospel truth in - your own heart and life and doctrine, as much from the legal as the - antinomian extreme, between which it invariably lies. - - “With respect to me, I am not yet a Christian in the full sense of the - word; but I follow after, if so be I may apprehend that for which I am - apprehended of Christ. Take no notice of my scrawl. Pray for, and - direct, Rev. and dear Sir, your affectionate friend and unworthy - servant in Christ, - - “J. FLETCHER. - - “To - “The Rev. Mr. John Wesley, - “At the Octagone, - “Chester.” (Salop postmark.) - -Footnote 219: - - “Life and Times of Wesley,” vol. iii., p. 88. - -Footnote 220: - - Wesley was at Wem only three days before this letter was written. - -Footnote 221: - - The day Wesley was at Wem, namely, March 15. - -Four days after the date of this letter, Fletcher wrote to Benson, -giving him some of the particulars just recited; but also mentioning -other facts, too interesting and important to be omitted here. - - “_March 22, 1771._ - - “MY DEAR FRIEND.—On my arrival at the College, I found all very quiet, - I fear through the enemy keeping his goods in peace. While I preached - the next day, I found myself as much shackled as ever I was in my - life; and, after private prayer, I concluded I was not in my place. - The same day[222] I resigned my office to my lady; and, on Wednesday, - to the students and the Lord. Nevertheless, I went on as usual, only I - had no heart to give little charges to the students, as before. I - should possibly have got over it as a temptation, if several - circumstances had not confirmed me in my design. Two I shall mention. - When Mr. Shirley was at the College, what you had written upon the - ‘baptism of the Holy Ghost’ was taken to pieces. Mr. Shirley - maintained that the prophecy of Joel (Acts ii.) had its complete - fulfilment on the day of Pentecost; and thus he turned the stream of - living waters into imperceptible dews, _nemine contradicente_, except - two, who made one or two feeble objections; so that the point was, in - my judgment, turned out of the College after you, and was abused under - the name of ‘Perfection.’ This showed I was not likely to receive or - do any good there. - - “Some days after my arrival, however, I preached the good old doctrine - before my Lady and Mr. H——. The latter also talked of imperceptible - influences, and the former thanked me; but, in my apprehension, - spoiled all by going to the College the next day, to give a charge - partly against _Perfection_, in my absence. - - “Last Friday, I left them all in peace, the _servant_, but no more the - _president of the College_. My lady behaved with great candour and - condescension towards me in the affair. As for you, you are still out - of her books, and are likely so to continue. Your last letters have - only thrown oil on the fire. All was seen in the same light in which - Mr. Wesley’s letter appeared. You were accused of having alienated my - heart from the College, but I have cleared you. - - “I rejoice that your desires after a larger measure of the Holy Spirit - increase. Part rather with your heart’s blood than with them. Let me - meet you at the throne of grace; and send me word how you dispose of - yourself. If you are at a loss for a prophet’s room, remember I have - one here. - - “J. FLETCHER.”[223] - -Footnote 222: - - Wesley says he “_spent the day_ in fasting and prayer.” (Wesley’s - Works, vol. vii., p. 416.) - -Footnote 223: - - Benson’s Life, by Macdonald. - -To these letters must be added a verbatim copy of an important document, -altogether in Fletcher’s own handwriting, and never published until now. - -“An account of John Fletcher’s case, with the reasons that have induced - him to resign the superintendency of the Countess of Huntingdon’s - College in Wales. - - “I was first connected with Mr. Wesley, under whom, for love and - gratitude’s sake, I occasionally laboured some years. - - “By Mr. C. Wesley I had the honour of being presented to Lady - Huntingdon, who kindly admitted me to the office of a private - chaplain, and granted me full leave to assist my old friends as often - as I would. - - “By means of her ladyship I was afterwards introduced to Mr. - Whitefield, and had the honour of assisting him also both in London - and Bristol, and found myself peculiarly happy in showing, by my equal - readiness to throw my mite of assistance where it was accepted, that - though I was the Lord’s free man I delighted to be the common servant - of all. I was glad also to have from time to time an opportunity of - bearing a kind of practical testimony against the spirit of party and - division, which, to my great grief, crumbled the Church of Christ - around me. - - “After taking a dangerous turn into the doctrines of election and - reprobation, my sentiments settled at last into the anti-Calvinist - way, in which Mr. Wesley was rooted. Notwithstanding this, it became a - steady, invariable point with me never to be so attached to his, or - any one party, as to be shy of, much less break with another. - - “I had soon an opportunity of being closely tried in my spirit of - catholic love. Mr. Maxfield separated from his and my old friend Mr. - Wesley. I thought him rather in the wrong, and Mr. Wesley was my - oldest acquaintance. Notwithstanding, I ventured upon the loss of his - friendship, and of my connection with him, by publicly assisting Mr. - Maxfield when the breach between them was widest, and the press - groaned under the unkind productions of their unhappy division.[224] - Though I touched Mr. Wesley’s friendship in the tenderest part, he - bore with me, and his patience increased my regard for him; nor is it - at all abated now, though I have had little opportunity to show it - him, having hardly exchanged one or two letters with him these many - years. - - “Soon after Lady Huntingdon founded her College, and partly by her - unmerited esteem, partly by Providence, and partly by my desire to be - a Gibeonite to God’s people and hew wood if I could not draw water, I - was brought to have a principal share in the management of it. The - free spirit that breathed in the noble foundress’s proposals, and the - general terms of admittance, suited my catholic taste, and the liberty - of sentiment granted to all that firmly maintained our total fall in - Adam, attached me no less to the institution than its excellence and - the prospect of its usefulness. - - “Scruples nevertheless rose in my mind. The first was a fear lest - improper subjects, persons destitute either of grace or gifts, perhaps - of both, were admitted with the greatest readiness, and kept upon the - foundation with the most sanguine hopes that a day of Pentecost would - make them what they did not appear to me to be as yet—Christians and - preachers. Flattering myself that it would be so, after some modest - expostulations I submitted my judgment to that of the noble foundress, - whose light I think in general as superior to mine as is her rank and - grace. - - “The Brecknock division[225] broke out. I suddenly tried to prevent - it, but it took place, and secretly wounded my catholic spirit. - Nevertheless, hopes that the Lord might overrule it for good soon - healed the wound. This brought on a rupture between my two dear and - honoured friends, the foundress of the college and Mr. Wesley. An - unkind, though I hope well-meant letter, was wrote on the occasion by - one, and was unkindly received, yea, looked upon as highly insulting, - by the other. I saw the advantage of the enemy. I blamed, and yet I - loved them both. Where I could not soften matters I remained neuter. - Hence, however, arose a difficulty how I should be faithful to my lady - without being unfaithful to Mr. Wesley. Meantime, the prejudice seemed - to me to rise, and somewhat sowed the seeds of the Hay division. Mr. - Benson’s dismission followed, and though I hope it was from the Lord, - yet I could not help blaming the manner in which it was conducted. - - “Lady Huntingdon said on the occasion, nobody that held Mr. Wesley’s - opinions should stay in the College; every Arminian should quit the - place. This wounded again my catholic spirit, and appeared to me a - breach of the privilege most solemnly granted to the members of the - College at the opening of it. I thought that my lady had no right to - impose such a law—a law so contrary to her first proposals—till it had - received a proper sanction by a majority of the votes both of masters - and students, and till leave had been granted to those who could not - in conscience come into it to withdraw quietly, without the odium of - an expulsion. I observed that if this was the case, I looked upon - myself as discharged, because I for one could no more believe that - Christ did not taste death for every man, than I could believe God was - not truth and love; and because all the sentiments of Mr. Wesley - obnoxious to the Calvinist, except perfection, are inseparably - connected with general redemption. - - “With regard to perfection itself, I believe that when Mr. Wesley is - altogether consistent upon that subject, he means absolutely nothing - by it but the full cluster of Gospel blessings, which Lady Huntingdon - so warmly presses the students to pursue; namely, Gospel faith, the - immediate revelation of Christ, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the - Spirit of adoption, the kingdom that cannot be moved, the element of - forgiving love, deep and uninterrupted poverty of spirit, and, in a - word, a standing upon Mount Sion and enjoying its great and glorious - privileges. And I am fully persuaded that, in this respect, there is - more misunderstanding between my lady and Mr. Wesley about words and - modes of expression than about things and essential principles. All - the difference between them seems to _me_ to consist in this: my lady - is more for looking to the misery and depth of the fall; Mr. Wesley - more for considering the power and effects of the recovery. My lady - speaks glorious things of free grace; and Mr. Wesley inculcates the - glorious use we ought to make of it. Both appear to me to maintain one - and the same truth, and to guard it; my lady against the Legalists, - Mr. Wesley against the Antinomians. If, therefore, they do not - understand one another, and fall out by the way, I shall think it is a - great pity, and shall continue to be, at least in my heart, the loving - servant of both; though both will possibly think me prejudiced for not - seeing just as they do. - - “I was also grieved that my lady should have received for truth so - absurd an imagination as that of Mr. Wesley being willing to give £100 - a-year to a rigid Calvinist in bondage, who just read prayers with a - Welsh accent, and that wise Benson made the foolish proposal to him, - when Benson, to my certain knowledge, feared his head was at times a - little affected. And I began to fear lest my lady should, upon the - most improbable assertions, receive unfavourable impressions against - me, as she had done against her old friend Mr. Wesley, especially as - my particular regard for him was still the same. - - “Be that as it will, my regard for Lady Huntingdon and the students - made me send her ladyship my sentimental creed, that, if she did not - disapprove of it, I might come to the College; and I came, to my - thinking and feeling, as free and as happy as ever, and was quite free - on the Saturday evening and the next morning till noon, when the - little commission and authority I had to exhort the students was quite - taken away from me. As I preached in the chapel, an uncommon weight - came upon me on a sudden, and it was not without much difficulty that - I struggled under it through the rest of my sermon. As soon as the - service was over, I retired to my room in very great heaviness and - distress. I saw in the clearest light that I was not in my place, and - must no longer preside in the College. From that time, I had no heart - to speak to the students on the things of God. So clear and strong was - my conviction that I mentioned it directly to Mr. Howell Harris, and - that very evening to my lady, and to all the students on the next - Wednesday; and as I concluded our morning meeting with prayer, I was - led solemnly upon my knees to resign my charge to God, and to pray for - a proper person to preside in my place. - - “Nevertheless my high regard for my lady, and my love for the - students, prevented me from being faithful to my conviction, and I - would have quenched it, if I had been able. But several things - happened which gave me courage to be faithful. - - “Lady Huntingdon showed me a letter to Hook, which she had read to the - students; and, though I admired the honesty and impartiality that - appeared in it, I afterwards thought hard of that expression, that - every one who held eternal justification must quit the College. This - appeared to me as severe upon consistent Calvinists, as the like - expression before upon consistent Arminians, as, I believe, every - Predestinarian, who will not contradict himself, must hold himself - eternally justified in God’s sight. - - “I had reason to fear Mr. Shirley, that great minister whom I honour - much in the Lord, had said he would oppose through the world the - doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which I am bound in - conscience to maintain among all professors, especially in the - College. From these different views of things, I saw difficulties - would perpetually arise to her ladyship, the College, and myself. - - “I was also grieved that when he tried his well-meant zeal (though it - was not, in my judgment, zeal according to knowledge) to explode the - baptism of the Holy Ghost, and laugh it out of the College, after - having dressed it in a fool’s coat and called it Perfection, most of - the students had tamely allowed him that Joel’s prophecy was entirely - fulfilled upon the hundred and twenty disciples on the day of - Pentecost, that believers are to grow in grace by imperceptible dews, - and that we can do very well without a remarkable shower of grace and - Divine effusion of power, opening in us the well of living water that - is to flow to everlasting life. - - “As it appeared to me they had, in a good degree, given up their - little expectation of this Gospel blessing, and renounced the grand - point which I apprehended was to be firmly maintained and vigorously - pursued in the College, I did not feel the same liberty with them in - prayer, and found that, as matters were and appeared likely to - continue, my convictions and desires would rather be damped than - cherished among them. - - “Nor, indeed, did I see, upon this new plan, any advantage this - College was to have more than the academy at Abergavenny, itinerancy - excepted; so that I feared many would get into the habit of preaching - by rote, and of talking of the power without heartily waiting for it, - which made me give up my hopes that those who have not gifts should - ever be useful preachers, as a day of Pentecost and power from on high - can alone supply the want of them. - - “My lady, likewise, appeared to me so excessively afraid of - Perfection, that she seemed to take umbrage at a harmless expression I - had used in a letter hastily written to a friend, ‘_The fiery baptism - will burn up self_,’—an expression which I had caught from Mr. Harris, - who frequently uses it, though no one will accuse him of befriending - Mr. Wesley’s doctrine of Perfection. Whatsoever he means by it, I mean - nothing but to convey the idea of a power that enables us to say, with - a tolerable degree of propriety, as St. Paul, ‘I live not, but Christ - lives in me;’ and I saw that, if I was faithful to my light, - misapprehensions of the like kind, and well or ill grounded fears, - would perpetually arise. - - “But what weighed most with me, next to what passed in my heart, the - third Sunday in Lent, was the strong light in which I saw the great - difficulty arising from the difference of sentiments between the - students and myself. I had frequently observed that, if I tried to - stir up those who appeared to be carnally secure, or spiritually - asleep on their soft doctrinal pillows, they directly fancied I aimed - at robbing them of one of their jewels, the doctrine of perseverance, - though the Searcher of hearts knows I had not the least thought about - it. By the same stratagem of the enemy, when I exhorted loiterers to - leave the things that are behind, and press toward the mark for the - prize of our high calling in Christ, they imagined I wanted to drive - them to the brink of some horrible precipice, or into the jaws of some - monster called Perfection, in which notion they were possibly - confirmed not only by Mr. Shirley’s positive assertions, but by - frequent hints thrown out by her ladyship herself upon the danger of - that imaginary bugbear. Alas! how needless it is to give charges - against sinless Perfection to young men who believe no such thing is - to be attained, and who live mostly under the power of the carnal - mind. What must be the consequence if grace does not interpose? What, - but a settling upon the lees of nature and formality, and a singing of - a soft requiem to the drowsy hearts of those who are not really alive - to God? What makes me think so, is the frequent opportunities I have - had to observe that a word which may too indirectly countenance sin, - by the craft and power of Satan and the prevalence of natural - corruption, goes farther than twenty directly and powerfully thundered - against it. - - “Again. The light of most Calvinists is such that they cannot believe - a man knows anything of free grace who does not enter into all their - sentiments. Of this, a moderate one gave me lately a particular - instance, by telling me point blank, I was in a damnable heresy, and - never knew anything of myself or of true grace, because I had said, - sinners perish for resisting and quenching the Spirit of grace. Hence, - I conclude, and not without a premise, that it would be as ridiculous - in me to expect the majority of students to follow my directions, as - it would be to hope that young men who have good eyes should follow a - person whom they believe almost if not altogether blind. - - “Things appeared to me in this light, when the uneasiness of my lady - occasioned by Mr. Wesley’s Minutes showed itself. I admired her zeal - for the grand truths of the Gospel. Appearances were for her, and I - could not excuse Mr. Wesley’s unguarded expressions, any more than my - lady’s great warmth against them; her ladyship having mentioned again - and again that they were horrible and abominable, and that she must - burn against them, and at last added, that, whosoever in the College - did not fully and without any evasion disavow them should not stay in - her College, etc. Accordingly, an order came for the students and - masters to write their sentiments upon them. I thought I would not lay - that burden upon others without touching it myself, and, following the - light in which I could see and trace Mr. Wesley’s doctrines from a - long acquaintance with his sentiments, I blamed the unguarded and not - sufficiently explicit manner in which they were worded, but approving - the doctrines themselves as agreeable to what appears to me the - analogy of faith. All the College, I suppose, rose with one voice - against them, which must make me appear strangely heterodox, if not - altogether a heretic worse than Mr. Wesley. This consideration, - together with my lady’s repeated declaration that every student who - did not disavow them should quit the College, gave me at last courage - to do absolutely what I had done in a partial manner near a fortnight - before, namely, to resign the office of Principal of the College, - which I saw I could no longer discharge with honour, with a good - conscience, or any probability of success. - - “If I know anything of my own heart, I can truly say, I have not taken - this step from pique or chagrin, nor from any supposed unkindness in - her ladyship or the students, whose undeserved regard and peculiar - respect for me have made me feel the greatest reluctance to comply - with what I esteem the order of the Lord and the explicit dictate of - my own conscience, confirmed by the train of circumstances which I - have mentioned. - - “My high esteem for her ladyship is not at all abated. My love to the - students, and regard for the College are the same. Nay, I can truly - say, my regard for them goads me away, as I see nothing but a scene of - confusion, distraction, and jealousy if I stay. The whole of this - affair appears to me to be from the Lord, and it is my sentiment, - that, as the College has naturally been filled with Calvinists, is - providentially founded near a Calvinist academy in Wales, a Calvinist - country, an itinerant ministry is to go forth from it to feed chiefly - the Church of God of that sentimental denomination. In order to this, - a moderate, lively Calvinist must superintend, under the noble - foundress, and, as a token that her ladyship is not dissatisfied with - my conduct, I humbly beg she would give me leave to recommend my - successor to her. - - “Mr. Whitefield is dead; some of his forlorn congregation have already - been blessed under the ministry of the students; who is more proper to - head them than he whom the religious world begins to call the young - Whitefield, Mr. Rowland Hill? His remarkable sufferings for Christ’s - sake, entitle him to the honour of presiding over this work; and I - hope the Lord will make him willing to accept an office for which he - seems to be so well fitted by his popularity and success. - - “If it be objected that he is young, I reply, he is older than Mr. - Whitefield was when he set out upon his great errand, and that the - warmth of his heart, the ripeness of his zeal, and the amazing - steadiness of his conduct for years, under the greatest difficulty - both at home and abroad, together with the many seals God has already - given to His ministry in various parts of the kingdom, ought greatly - to turn the scale in his favour. And, indeed, what is an old Saul to a - young David? And who deserves most the name and honour of a father? - He, or myself? Without hesitating, I answer Mr. Rowland Hill, who has - perhaps begotten more children to God in one discourse than I have in - all my poor labour these fourteen years.” - -Footnote 224: - - After many unhappy contentions, and much forbearance on Wesley’s part, - Thomas Maxfield seceded from Wesley in 1763. Maxfield has been far - more highly honoured in Methodist histories and biographies than his - merits warranted. - -Footnote 225: - - I have failed in my endeavour to ascertain what is meant by the - “Brecknock division.” There can be no doubt, however, that Wesley met - with great annoyance in that part of Wales. Previous to the opening of - Trevecca College, he wrote:— - - “1767. September 2.—I found the work of God in Pembrokeshire had been - exceedingly hindered, chiefly by Mr. Davies’s preachers, who had - continually inveighed against ours, and thereby frightened abundance - of people from hearing or coming near them. This had sometimes - provoked them to retort, which always made a bad matter worse. The - advice, therefore, which I gave them was:—1. Let all the people - sacredly abstain from backbiting, tale-bearing, evil-speaking. 2. Let - all our preachers abstain from returning railing for railing, either - in public or in private, as well as from disputing. 3. Let them never - preach controversy, but plain, practical, and experimental religion.” - - A year and a half after Fletcher left Trevecca, Wesley wrote again in - his journal:— - - “1772. August 14.—About noon, at the request of my old friend Howell - Harris, I preached at Trevecca, on the strait gate, and we found our - hearts knit together as at the beginning. He said, ‘I have borne with - these pert, ignorant young men, vulgarly called students, till I - cannot in conscience bear any longer. They preach barefaced - reprobation, and so broad antinomianism, that I have been constrained - to oppose them to the face, even in the public congregation.’ It is no - wonder they should preach thus. What better can be expected from raw - lads of little understanding, little learning, and no experience?” - -This long document is endorsed “Letter to Lady Huntingdon.” It would be -easy to make it the text for a long sermon; but want of space forbids -the attempt to do this. Besides, intelligent readers are quite competent -to form just opinions respecting it. Suffice it to say, that it is of -high importance, as containing, by far, the fullest account ever -published of the reasons why Fletcher took a step which led to great -events he never contemplated. Had he continued to be the Superintendent -of the Trevecca College, it is probable that the Calvinian controversy -would not have grown to such wide dimensions. That, however, is not a -proof of imprudence on Fletcher’s part; for, as every one who knows the -history of that controversy is well aware, it was impossible for the -great religious movement of the last century to proceed without the -doctrines in Wesley’s Minutes being thoroughly examined, discussed, and -settled. - -Wesley preached his sermon on the death of Whitefield on November 18, -1770. Six weeks afterwards, it was respectfully attacked in the January -number of the Calvinists’ periodical, the _Gospel Magazine_. Two months -later, the same magazine made a furious assault on Walter Sellon’s -“Defence of God’s Sovereignty,” stigmatizing it as “A mite of reprobate -silver, cast into the _Foundery_, and coming out thence, bearing the -impress of that pride, self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency, natural -to men in their fallen unrenewed state.” “This performance,” continues -the reviewer, “is extolled to the very skies by the Arminians. It is -calculated for their meridian, and well establishes the haughty system -of their own works and faithfulness, in opposition to the grace of the -Gospel, and the faithfulness of a covenant God, in the finished -salvation of sinners by Jesus Christ.” - -In May, the same periodical printed Wesley’s “Minutes,” and branded them -as “the very doctrines of Popery, yea, of Popery unmasked.” The number -for the month of June contained an article of twelve pages, entitled, “A -Comment or Paraphrase on the Extract from the Minutes of the Rev. Mr. -Wesley, etc.” The temper and the unfairness of the article may be judged -by the paraphrase on the first Minute, “_Take heed to your doctrine_.” -That is, remarks the commentator,— - - “Beware, in your preaching, of ascribing the whole and sole glory of - salvation, from first to last, to the free unmerited grace of God in - Christ Jesus. Be cautious how you sink man below his dignity, rob him - of his excellency, strip him of the power of His free-will and - abilities to perform his part in the work of salvation, and so deprive - him of all trust in himself, hope from himself, and boasting of - himself; for hence will be an end of self-seeking, self-righteousness, - and self-soothing. Then would he sink into self-despair. Take heed to - this.” - -Meanwhile, Fletcher wrote to Wesley as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _June 24, 1771_.[226] - - “DEAR SIR,—When I left Wales, where I had stood in the gap for peace, - I thought my poor endeavours were not altogether vain. Lady Huntingdon - said she would write civilly to you, and desire you to explain - yourself about your ‘Minutes.’ I suppose you have not heard from her, - for she wrote me word, since then, that she believed she must not - meddle in the affair. At least, that is what I made of her letter. - Upon receiving yours from Chester, I cut off that part of it where you - expressed your belief of what is eminently called by us the doctrine - of free grace, and sent it to the College, with a desire it might be - sent to Lady Huntingdon. She has returned it to me, with a letter, in - which she expresses the greatest disapprobation of it. The purport of - her letter is, to charge you with tergiversation, and me with being - the dupe of your impositions. She has also written in stronger terms - to her College. - - “Things I hoped would have remained there; but how am I surprised and - grieved to see zeal borrowing the horn of discord, and sounding an - alarm throughout the religious world against you. Mr. Hatton called - upon me last night, and showed me a printed circular, which, I - suppose, is, or will be, sent to the serious clergy and laity - throughout the land. I have received none, as I have lost, I suppose, - my reputation of being a ‘_real Protestant_,’ by what I wrote upon - your ‘Minutes’ in Wales. - - “This is an exact copy of the printed letter— - - “‘SIR,—Whereas Mr. Wesley’s Conference is to be held at Bristol, on - Tuesday, the 6th of August next, it is proposed by Lady Huntingdon and - many other Christian friends (real Protestants), to have a meeting at - Bristol at the same time, of such principal persons, both clergy and - laity, who disapprove of the underwritten ‘Minutes;’ and, as the same - are thought injurious to the very _fundamental_ principles of - Christianity, it is further proposed that they go in a body to the - said Conference, and insist upon a formal recantation of the said - Minutes; and, in case of a refusal, that they sign and publish their - protest against them. Your presence, Sir, on this occasion, is - particularly requested; but, if it should not suit your convenience to - be there, it is desired that you will transmit your sentiments on the - subject to such persons as you think proper to produce them. It is - submitted to you, whether it would not be right, in the opposition to - be made to such a _dreadful heresy_, to recommend it to as many of - your Christian friends, as well of the dissenters as of the - Established Church, as you can prevail on to be there, the cause being - of so public a nature. - - “‘I am, Sir, your obedient servant,—WALTER SHIRLEY. - - “‘P.S.—Your answer is desired, directed to the Countess of Huntingdon; - or the Rev. Mr. Shirley; or John Lloyd, Esq., in Bath; or Mr. James - Ireland, merchant, Bristol; or to Thomas Powis, Esq., at Berwick, near - Shrewsbury; or to Richard Hill, Esq., at Hawkstone, near Whitchurch, - Shropshire. Lodgings will be provided. Inquire at Mr. Ireland’s, - Bristol.’ - - “I think it my duty, dear Sir, to give you the earliest intelligence - of this bold onset, and to assure you that, upon the evangelical - principles mentioned in your last letter to me, I, for one, shall be - glad to stand by you and your doctrine to the last, hoping that you - will gladly remove stumbling-blocks out of the way of the weak, and - alter such expressions as may create prejudice in the hearts of those - who are inclined to admit it. - - “I write to Mr. Shirley to expostulate with him, and to request him to - call in his circular letter. He is the last man that should attack - you. His sermons contain propositions much more heretical and - anti-Calvinistical than your ‘Minutes.’ If my letters have not the - desired effect, I shall probably, if you approve of them and correct - them, make them public for your justification. - - “I find Mr. Ireland is to write to make you _tamely recant_ without - measuring swords, or breaking a pike with our _real Protestants_. I - wrote to him also. - - “I am, dear Sir, your unworthy servant in the Gospel, - “JOHN FLETCHER. - - “To the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, - “At his Preaching House in Dublin, - “Ireland.” - -Footnote 226: - - This letter is inserted in the “Life and Times of Wesley,” where it - was published for the _first_ time. It is reproduced here, because - Fletcher’s life would not be complete without it.—L. T. - -Lady Huntingdon did not write to Wesley, but he wrote a long and -faithful letter to her, dated June 19, 1771, in which he insisted that -the doctrines he preached now were the same as he had preached for above -thirty years.[227] - -Shirley did not “call in his circular letter.” It would have been more -to the honour of himself and his friends had he done so; for, when -Wesley’s Conference assembled on August 6, the response to it was -ridiculous. Of all “the serious clergy and laity throughout the land,” -only Shirley himself, and the Rev. Cradock Glascott, and the Rev. Mr. -Owen, ministers officiating in the Countess of Huntingdon’s chapels, -together with Messrs. Lloyd, Ireland, and Winter, and two students (!) -from Trevecca College attended. After what had taken place, Wesley, -without arrogance, might have disdained these insignificant self-elected -deputies; but he graciously allowed them to enter his Conference. First -of all, Wesley prayed; then Shirley asked if the letters[228] of himself -and the Countess of Huntingdon had been read to the Conference; and, -being answered in the negative, he asked leave to read them himself, -which was granted. A long conversation followed, and then Shirley -produced a written declaration which he wished the Conference to sign. -Wesley examined it, and made some alterations, which Shirley says were -“not very material;” and then Wesley and fifty-three of his itinerant -preachers appended to it their signatures. The declaration was as -follows:— - - “Whereas the doctrinal points in the Minutes of a Conference, held in - London, August 7, 1770, have been understood to favour justification - by works; now the Rev. John Wesley and others assembled in Conference, - do declare that we had no such meaning, and that we abhor the doctrine - of Justification by Works as a most perilous and abominable doctrine: - and, as the said Minutes are not sufficiently guarded in the way they - are expressed, we hereby solemnly declare, in the sight of God, that - we have no trust or confidence but in the alone merits of our Lord and - Saviour Jesus Christ, for Justification or Salvation, either in life, - death, or the day of judgment: and, though no one is a real Christian - believer, (and consequently cannot be saved) who doth not good works, - where there is time and opportunity, yet our works have no part in - meriting or purchasing our salvation from first to last, either in - whole or in part.” - -Footnote 227: - - “Life and Times of Wesley,” vol. iii., p. 93. - -Footnote 228: - - The letter of the Countess, dated “August 2, 1771,” in substance was - an apology for the apparently presumptuous way in which she and her - friends had proposed to invade Wesley’s Conference; accompanied with - an excuse founded on the fact that they regarded Wesley’s “Minutes,” - of 1770, as “repugnant to Scripture, the whole plan of man’s salvation - under the new covenant of grace, and also to the clear meaning of our - Established Church, as well as to that of all other Protestant - Churches.” Shirley’s letter was to the same effect. (See Shirley’s - “Narrative of the Principal Circumstances relative to the Rev Mr. - Wesley’s late Conference, held in Bristol, August 6, 1771.”) - -This declaration being signed by Wesley and all the Itinerant Preachers -present (except Thomas Olivers), Shirley was required “to make some -public acknowledgment that he had mistaken the meaning of the -‘Minutes,’” At first he hesitated, but, “a few days afterwards, sent -Wesley the following message, with which,” says Shirley, “he was very -well pleased”:— - - “Mr. Shirley’s Christian respects wait on Mr. Wesley. The declaration - agreed to in Conference August 8, 1771, has convinced Mr. Shirley he - had mistaken the meaning of the doctrinal points in the Minutes of the - Conference, held in London August 7, 1770; and he hereby wishes to - testify the full satisfaction he has in the said declaration, and his - hearty concurrence and agreement with the same.” - -It might have been thought that here the fracas would have ended; and -so, perhaps, it would, had it not been for an incident which must now be -mentioned. - -Fletcher had already written his “First Check to Antinomianism.” It was -finished on July 29,[229] and Wesley immediately put it into the hands -of his printer, William Pine, of Bristol, to be printed and published; -and the manuscript was being set up in type at the very time that -Shirley and his friends were at Wesley’s Conference. The Conference -began on Tuesday, August 6. Wesley writes:— - - “We had more preachers than usual at the Conference, in consequence of - Mr. Shirley’s circular letter. At ten on _Thursday_ morning, he came - with nine or ten of his friends. We conversed freely for about two - hours, and I believe they were satisfied that we were not so ‘dreadful - heretics’ as they imagined, but were tolerably sound in the - faith.”[230] - -Footnote 229: - - It is a notable fact that Wesley had spent the three previous days - with Fletcher. Hence the following from Wesley’s Journal:— - - “1771. _Friday_, July 26. I went on to Shrewsbury, where Mr. Fletcher - met me.—_Sunday_, 28. I preached at Madeley, morning and afternoon. - The church would not near contain the congregation; but the window - near the pulpit being open, those without could hear as well as those - within.—_Monday_, 29. I went on to Worcester.” - - Probably Wesley took Fletcher’s manuscript away with him. - -Footnote 230: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -The next day, Friday, August 9, Shirley was informed that Fletcher’s -manuscript was being printed. He and his friends appealed to Wesley to -stop the press. Mr. Ireland, in particular, who had already written to -Fletcher an account of the preceding day’s amicable proceedings, -entreated Wesley to wait till he (Ireland) could receive an answer to -his letter. He ventured to assure Wesley that if Fletcher were upon the -spot he would suppress the publication; and he himself offered to defray -all the expense that had been incurred. Wesley answered, “I will -consider it;” and, at the same time, he told his visitors that “he had -corrected all the _tart_ expressions in” the manuscript.[231] - -Footnote 231: - - Shirley’s “Narrative.” - -Wesley spent Saturday and Sunday in Bristol; and then, on Monday, August -12, he “set out for Wales.” Three days afterwards, Mr. Ireland received -a letter from Fletcher, who wrote:— - - “I feel for poor dear Mr. Shirley, whom I have (considering the - present circumstances) treated too severely in my ‘Vindication of the - Minutes.’ My dear Sir, what must be done? I am ready to defray, by - selling to my last shirt, the expense of the printing of my - Vindication, and suppress it. Direct me, dear Sir. Consult with Mr. - Shirley and Mr. Wesley about the matter. Be persuaded I am ready to do - everything that will be brotherly in this unhappy affair.”[232] - -Footnote 232: - - Shirley’s “Narrative.” - -Wesley having departed from Bristol, Mr. Ireland at once went to Mr. -Pine, the printer, and showed him Fletcher’s letter; and the same -evening Mr. Pine communicated its contents to the Bristol preachers. The -next morning, Friday, August 16, Mr. Ireland sent to the preachers a -_copy_ of Fletcher’s letter; and, in a letter from himself, told them -that Fletcher “supposed the book was out; but, even in that case, he -wished it to be suppressed.” Mr. Ireland entreated them to defer the -publication till they had further authority from Fletcher and Wesley, -“and engaged to be accountable for every consequence.”[233] - -Footnote 233: - - _Ibid._ - -While Mr. Ireland was making these strenuous efforts to suppress the -publication, Wesley wrote to the Countess of Huntingdon as follows:— - - “1771. August 14.—When I received your ladyship’s letter of the 2nd - inst., I immediately saw that it required an answer, only I waited - till the hurry of Conference was over, that I might do nothing rashly. - I know your ladyship would not servilely ‘deny the truth;’ neither - would I; especially that great truth, justification by faith, for - which I have given up all my worldly hopes, my friends, my reputation; - yea, for which I have so often hazarded my life, and by the grace of - God will do again. The principles established in the ‘_Minutes_’ I - apprehend to be no way contrary to this; or to that faith which was - once delivered to the saints. I believe whoever calmly considers Mr. - Fletcher’s letters will be convinced of this. I fear, therefore, ‘zeal - against those principles’ is no less than zeal against the truth, and - against the _honour_ of our Lord. The preservation of His honour - appears so sacred to me, and has done for above these forty years, - that I have counted, and do count, all things loss in comparison of - it. But till Mr. Fletcher’s printed letters are answered, I must think - everything spoken against those ‘_Minutes_’ is totally destructive of - _His honour_, and a palpable affront to Him both as our Prophet and - Priest, but more especially as our King. Those letters, therefore, - which could not be suppressed without betraying the honour of our - Lord, largely prove that the ‘_Minutes_’ lay no other foundation than - that which is laid in Scripture, and which I have been laying, and - teaching others to lay, for between thirty and forty years. Indeed, it - would be amazing that God should at this day prosper my labours, as - much if not more than ever, by convincing as well as converting - sinners, if I was ‘_establishing another foundation, repugnant to the - whole plan of man’s salvation under the covenant of grace, as well as - the clear meaning of our Established Church and all other Protestant - Churches_.’ This is a charge indeed! But I plead, not guilty; and till - it is proved upon me, I must subscribe myself, my dear lady, your - ladyship’s affectionate but much injured servant, - - “JOHN WESLEY.”[234] - -Footnote 234: - - Whitehead’s “Life of Wesley,” vol. ii., p. 350. - -Thus, by Wesley’s firmness, Fletcher’s manuscript, without any delay, -was printed and published. Its title was, “A Vindication of the Rev. Mr. -Wesley’s Last Minutes: Occasioned by a circular printed Letter, inviting -principal Persons, both Clergy and Laity, as well of the Dissenters as -of the Established Church, who disapprove of those Minutes, to oppose -them in a Body, as a dreadful Heresy: And designed to remove Prejudice, -check Rashness, promote Forbearance, defend the Character of an eminent -Minister of Christ, and prevent some important Scriptural Truths from -being hastily branded as heretical. In Five Letters, to the Hon. and -Rev. Author of the Circular Letter. By a Lover of Quietness and Liberty -of Conscience. Bristol: Printed by W. Pine, in Wine Street, 1771.” 12 -mo., 98 pp. - -The publication roused again the Hon. and Rev. Walter Shirley, who -immediately prepared and published “A Narrative of the principal -Circumstances relative to the Rev. Mr. Wesley’s late Conference, held in -Bristol, August the 6th, 1771, at which the Rev. Mr. Shirley, and -others, his Friends, were present. With a Declaration then agreed to by -Mr. Wesley, and Fifty-three of the Preachers in Connection with him. In -a Letter to a Friend. By the Rev. Mr. Shirley. Bath: 1771.” 12mo., 24 -pp. - -Upon the whole, Mr. Shirley’s “Narrative” was truthful, fair, and -respectful.[235] It is dated “Bath, September 12, 1771.” He apprised -Fletcher of its contents, and of his intention to publish it; and -Fletcher, in reply, wrote the following letter, which completes the -history of the commencement of the great Calvinistical controversy:— - - “MADELEY, _September 11, 1771_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—It is extremely proper, nay, it is highly - necessary, that the public should be informed how much like a minister - of the Prince of Peace, and a meek, humble, loving brother in the - Gospel of Christ, you behaved at the Conference. Had I been there, I - would gladly have taken upon me to proclaim these tidings of joy to - the lovers of Zion’s peace. Your conduct at that time of love is - certainly the best excuse for the hasty step you had taken; as my - desire of stopping my ‘_Vindication_,’ upon hearing of it, is the best - apology I can make for my severity to you. - - “I am not averse at all, Sir, to your publishing the passages you - mention out of my letters to Mr. Ireland. They show my peculiar love - and respect for you, which I shall at all times think an honour; and, - at this juncture, shall feel a peculiar pleasure to see proclaimed to - the world. They apologize for my calling myself ‘_a lover of - quietness_,’ when I unfortunately prove _a son of contention_; and - they demonstrate that I am not altogether void of the fear that - becomes an awkward, inexperienced surgeon, when he ventures to open a - vein in the arm of a person for whom he has the highest regard. How - natural is it for him to tremble, lest by missing the intended vein, - and pricking an unseen artery, he should have done irreparable - mischief instead of an useful operation! - - “But while you do me the kindness of publishing those passages, permit - me, Sir, to do Mr. Wesley the justice of informing him, I had also - written to Mr. Ireland, that, ‘whether my _Letters_ were suppressed or - not, the ‘_Minutes_’ _must_ be vindicated,—that Mr. Wesley owed it to - the Church, to the _real Protestants_, to all his Societies, and to - his own aspersed character,—and that, after all, the controversy did - not seem to me to be so much whether the ‘_Minutes_’ should stand, as - whether the Antinomian Gospel of Dr. Crisp[236] should prevail over - the practical Gospel of Jesus Christ. - - “I must also, Sir, beg leave to let my vindicated friend know, that, - in the very letter where I so earnestly entreated Mr. Ireland to stop - the publication of my Letters to you, and offered to take the whole - expense of the impression upon myself, though I should be obliged to - sell my last shirt to defray it, I added that, ‘If they were - published, I must look upon it as a _necessary evil_, or - _misfortune_.’ Which of the two words I used I do not justly - recollect: a _misfortune_ for you and me, who must appear inconsistent - to the world;—you, Sir, with your Sermons,[237] and I with my - Title-page; and nevertheless _necessary_ to vindicate misrepresented - truth, defend an eminent minister of Christ, and stem the torrent of - Antinomianism. - - “It may not be improper, also, to observe to you, Sir, that when I - presented Mr. Wesley with my ‘Vindication,’ I begged he would correct - it, and take away whatever might be unkind or too sharp: urging that - though I meant no unkindness, I was not a proper judge of what I had - written under peculiarly delicate and trying circumstances, as well as - in a great hurry; and did not, therefore, dare to trust either my pen, - my head, or my heart. He was no sooner gone” (from Bristol) “than I - sent a letter after him to repeat and urge the same request; and he - wrote me word, that he had ‘expunged every tart expression.’ _If he - has_ (for I have not yet seen what alterations his friendly pen has - made) I am reconciled to the publication; and _that he has_, I have - reason to hope from the letters of two judicious London friends, who - calmed my fears, lest I should have treated you with unkindness. - - “One of them says, ’I reverence Mr. Shirley for his candid - acknowledgment of his hastiness in judging. I commend the Calvinists - at the Conference for their justice to Mr. Wesley, and their - acquiescence in the Declaration of the Preachers in connexion with - him. But is that Declaration, however dispersed, a remedy adequate to - the evil done, not only to Mr. Wesley, but to the cause and work of - God? Several Calvinists, in eagerness of malice, had dispersed their - calumnies through the three kingdoms. A truly excellent person - herself,[238] in her mistaken zeal, had represented him as _a papist - unmasked, a heretic, an apostate_. A clergyman of the first reputation - informs me _a Poem on his Apostacy_ is just coming out.[239] Letters - have been sent to every serious Churchman and Dissenter through the - land, together with the _Gospel Magazine_. Great are the shoutings, - “_And now that he lieth let him rise up no more_.” This is all the - cry. His dearest friends and children are staggered, and scarce know - what to think. You, in your corner, cannot conceive the mischief that - has been done, and is still doing. But your letters, in the hand of - Providence, may answer the good ends you proposed by writing them. You - have not been too severe to dear Mr. Shirley, moderate Calvinists - themselves being judges, but very kind and friendly to set a good - mistaken man right, and probably to preserve him from the like - rashness as long as he lives. Be not troubled, therefore, but cast - your care upon the Lord.’ - - “My other friend says, ‘Considering what harm the Circular Letter has - done, and what a useless satisfaction Mr. Shirley has given by his - vague acknowledgment, it is no more than just and equitable that your - Letters should be published.’ - - “Now, Sir, as I never saw that _acknowledgment_, nor the _softening - corrections_ made by Mr. Wesley in my ‘Vindication;’ as I was not - informed of some of the above-mentioned particulars when I was so - eager to prevent the publication of my Letters; and as I have reason - to think that, through the desire of an immediate peace, the festering - wound was rather skinned over than probed to the bottom,—all I can say - about this publication is, what I wrote to our common friend, namely, - that ‘I must look upon it as a _necessary evil_.’ - - “I am glad, Sir, you do not direct your letter to Mr. Olivers,[240] - who was so busy in publishing my ‘Vindication;’ for, by a letter I - have just received from Bristol, I am informed he did not hear how - desirous I was to call it in, till he had actually given out, before a - whole congregation, it would be sold. Besides, he would have pleaded - with smartness that he never approved of a patched-up peace,—that he - bore his testimony against it at the time it was made,—and that he had - a personal right to produce _my_ arguments, since both parties refused - to hear _his_ at the Conference. - - “If your Letter is friendly, Sir, and you print it in the same size as - my ‘Vindication,’ I shall gladly buy £10 worth of the copies, and - order them to be stitched with my ‘Vindication,’ and given gratis to - the purchasers of it; as well to do you justice, as to convince the - world that we make a loving war; and also to demonstrate how much I - regard your respectable character, and honour your dear person. Mr. - Wesley’s heart is, I am persuaded, too full of brotherly love to deny - me the pleasure of thus showing you how sincerely I am, Rev. and dear - Sir, your obedient servant, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.” - -Footnote 235: - - That there might be no misunderstanding between them, Fletcher, on the - same day, sent Wesley “the substance, and almost the very words,” of - this letter to Shirley. - -Footnote 236: - - The Rev. Tobias Crisp, D.D., a divine of the Church of England, born - in London in 1600, and who died in 1643. He was educated at Eton, - thence he removed to Cambridge, and afterwards to Oriel College, - Oxford. At the age of twenty-seven, he was appointed Rector of - Brinkworth, in Wiltshire. Early in life, he was a favourer of the - doctrines of Arminianism; afterwards, he became the champion of - Antinomianism. His sermons, in three volumes, were printed after his - death. It is said that, though the tenets he embraced seem to be a - plea for licentiousness, he himself was remarkable for the purity and - modesty of his manners. - -Footnote 237: - - A few years ago, Shirley had published “Twelve Sermons, preached on - several occasions,” 12mo., 189 pp. - -Footnote 238: - - Lady Huntingdon. - -Footnote 239: - - This was published in the _Gospel Magazine_, in the same month as - Wesley’s Conference was held. It was signed “Cleon,” and dated - “London, June 17, 1771.” Speaking of Wesley, “Cleon” says,— - - “Pride prompts him on, and Satan now has gained - A conquest o’er perverted truth retained; - At best perverted, glaring now appears, - The pride of Rome, the lie of num’rous years.” - -Footnote 240: - - Thomas Olivers, who for several years, corrected proof sheets for - Wesley. - -The reader has now as full an account as can be given of the way in -which the long and angry war between _Wesleyan_ Methodism and -_Calvinian_ Methodism was begun. It is difficult to say, decidedly, who -was to blame for it. Wesley had a perfect right—in fact, under existing -circumstances, he was almost bound by duty—to publish his theological -theses; but it was unfortunate that, to use the words of himself and his -fifty-three preachers, “_they were not sufficiently guarded_ in the way -they were expressed.” - -The Countess of Huntingdon and her nephew, the Hon. and Rev. Walter -Shirley, had a perfect right to take counsel with their Calvinian -friends respecting Wesley’s “Minutes;” but it was offensive arrogance to -propose to “_go in a body to_ Wesley’s _Conference, and insist upon a -formal recantation of the said Minutes_.” Wesley was under no obligation -to either Lady Huntingdon or Walter Shirley; and their issuing of the -“Circular Letter” was pure impertinence, though, no doubt, they thought -it a Christian duty. - -Fletcher had a perfect right to explain and vindicate Wesley’s -‘Minutes,’ and to send Wesley his manuscript to be printed and -published; and Wesley had a perfect right to avail himself of this -permission. - -Mr. Ireland had a perfect right to entreat Wesley’s printer to delay the -publication till he (Ireland) received an answer to the letter he had -sent to Fletcher; and Fletcher, though, perhaps, showing too much -flexibility of purpose, displayed Christian kindness of the highest -order in his reply; but that reply arrived in Bristol too late, for -Wesley had already left for Wales, and Wesley’s editor had publicly -announced that the “Vindication” would be published. Besides, Fletcher -himself, within five weeks after the time when Wesley’s Conference was -held, changed his opinion, told Mr. Ireland that “the ‘Minutes’ _must_ -be vindicated,” and informed Shirley himself that he was “reconciled to -the publication” of his manuscript. - -Nothing more need be said. Indeed, all, in substance, is said that can -be said; and it only remains to notice the 12mo pamphlet of 98 pages, -that gave such huge offence, and led to such serious consequences. -Fletcher presents:— - - “I. A general view of the Rev. Mr. Wesley’s doctrines. - - “II. An account of the commendable design of his ‘Minutes.’ - - “III. A vindication of the propositions which they contain, by - arguments taken from Scripture, reason, and experience; and by - quotations from eminent Calvinist divines, who have said the same - things in different words.” - -On the first of these points, he writes:— - - “Mr. Wesley is accused of dreadful heresy; and may not I, an old - friend and acquaintance of his, be permitted to speak a word in his - favour? This step, I fear, will cost me my reputation (if I have any), - and involve me in the same condemnation with him, whose cause, - together with that of truth, I design to plead: but when humanity - prompts, gratitude calls, and friendship excites; when reason invites, - justice demands, truth requires, and conscience summons; he does not - deserve the name of a Christian friend, who, for any consideration, - hesitates to vindicate what he esteems truth, and to stand by an - aggrieved friend, brother, and father. - - “1. For above these sixteen years, I have heard him frequently in his - chapels, and sometimes in my church; and I have familiarly conversed - and corresponded with him, and have often perused his numerous works - in verse and prose; and I can truly say, that, during all that time, I - have heard him, upon every proper occasion, steadily maintain the - total fall of man in Adam, and his utter inability to recover himself, - or take one step towards his recovery, ‘_without the grace of God - preventing him, that he may have a good will, and working with him - when he has that good will_.’ - - “2. I must likewise testify that he faithfully points out Christ as - the only way of salvation; and strongly recommends faith as the only - means of receiving Him, and all the benefits of His righteous life and - meritorious death; and truth obliges me to declare, that he frequently - expresses his detestation of the errors of modern Pharisees, who laugh - at original sin, set up the power of fallen man, cry down the - operations of God’s Spirit, deny the absolute necessity of the blood - and righteousness of Christ, and refuse Him the glory of all the good - that may be found in Jew or Gentile. You will not without difficulty - find in England, and perhaps in all the world, a minister who has - borne more frequent testimonies, either from the pulpit or the press, - against those dangerous errors. - - “3. The next fundamental doctrine of Christianity is that of holiness - of heart and life; and no one can here accuse Mr. Wesley of leaning to - the Antinomian delusion, which ‘_makes void the law through_’ a - speculative and barren ‘_faith_’: on the contrary, he appears to be - peculiarly set for the defence of practical religion; for, instead of - representing Christ as the minister of sin, he sets Him forth as a - complete ‘Saviour from sin.’ Not satisfied to preach holiness begun, - he preaches finished holiness, and calls believers to such a degree of - heart-purifying faith, as may enable them continually to ‘_triumph in - Christ_,’ as being ‘_made to them sanctification_,’ as well as - ‘_righteousness_.’ This he sometimes calls ‘full sanctification,’ the - state of _fathers_ in Christ, or ‘_the glorious liberty of the - children of God_:’ sometimes, a being ‘_strengthened, stablished, and - settled_;’ or ‘_being rooted and grounded in love_:’ but most commonly - he calls it, ‘Christian _Perfection_;’ a word which, though used by - the Apostles in the same sense, cannot be used by him without raising - the pity or indignation of one half of the religious world: some make - it the subject of their pious sneers and godly lampoons; while others - tell you roundly they ‘abhor it above everything in the creation.’ - - “4. But this is not all: he holds also general redemption, and its - necessary consequences, which some account ‘_dreadful heresies_.’ He - asserts, with St. Paul, that ‘_Christ, by the grace of God, tasted - death for every man_;’ and this _grace_ he calls ‘_free_,’ as - extending itself _freely_ to all. Nor can he help expressing his - surprise at those pious ministers, who maintain that the Saviour keeps - His grace, as they suppose He kept His blood, from the greatest part - of mankind, and yet engross to themselves the title of ‘_preachers of - free grace_.’ - - “5. As a consequence of the doctrine of general redemption, Mr. Wesley - lays down two axioms, of which he never loses sight in his preaching. - The first is, that ‘_All our salvation is of God in Christ_,’ and - therefore _of grace_: all opportunities, invitations, inclination, and - power to believe being bestowed upon us of mere grace,—grace most - absolutely free. But he proceeds farther; for, secondly, he asserts, - with equal confidence, that, according to the Gospel dispensation, - ‘_All our damnation is of ourselves_,’ by our obstinate unbelief and - avoidable unfaithfulness. He is persuaded the most complete system of - divinity is that in which neither of those two axioms is superseded: - it is bold and unscriptural to set up the one at the expense of the - other.” - -These _extracts_ from Fletcher’s first letter are important, as showing -what Fletcher conceived to be Wesley’s fundamental doctrines; and it -must be borne in mind, that, Wesley having read and revised Fletcher’s -manuscript, Fletcher’s conception is stamped with Wesley’s own -authority. - -Fletcher proceeds to explain and to defend Wesley’s “Minutes,” and to -show they were greatly needed. He says:— - - “Mr. Wesley’s _design_ was to guard his preachers and their hearers - against Antinomian principles and practices, which spread like - wild-fire in some of his Societies; where persons, who spoke in the - most glorious manner of Christ, and their interest in His complete - salvation, have been found living in the greatest immoralities, or - indulging in the most unchristian tempers. Nor need I go far for a - proof of this sad assertion. In one of his Societies, not many miles - from my parish, a married man, who professed being in _a state of - justification and sanctification_, growing wise above what is written, - despised his brethren as legalists, and his teachers as persons not - clear in the Gospel. He instilled his principles into a serious young - woman; and what was the consequence? Why, they talked about ‘finished - salvation in Christ,’ and ‘the absurdity of perfection in the flesh,’ - till a perfect child was conceived and born; and, to save appearances, - the woman swore it to a travelling man that cannot be heard of. Thus, - to avoid legality, they plunged into hypocrisy, fornication, adultery, - perjury, and the depth of ranterism. Is it not hard that a minister - should be traduced as guilty of _dreadful heresy_ for trying to put a - stop to such dreadful practices? And is it not high time that he - should cry to all that regard his warnings, ‘_Take heed to your - doctrine_’?” - -Fletcher then proceeds to give a deplorable picture of many of the -professing Christians of the age, which, it is to be hoped, was too -darkly drawn, though it is difficult to prove it was. The following -extract shows that many of the Methodists were not better than their -neighbours, and that it was of paramount importance that Wesley’s -preachers should _take heed to their doctrine_:— - - “Mr. Wesley has many persons in his Societies, (and would to God there - were none in ours!) who profess they were justified or sanctified in a - moment; but, instead of trusting in the living God, so _trust in what - was done in that moment_, as to give over taking up their cross - _daily_, and _watching unto prayer with all perseverance_. The - consequences are deplorable: they slide back into the spirit of the - world; and their tempers are no more regulated by the meek, gentle, - humble love of Jesus. Some inquire with the heathens, _What shall we - eat, and what shall we drink_ to please ourselves? Others evidently - _love the world; lay up treasures on earth_; or ask, _Wherewith shall - we be fashionably clothed?_ Therefore, _the love of the Father is not - in them_. And not a few are _led captive by the devil at his will_: - influenced by his unhappy suggestions, they harbour bitterness, - malice, and revenge: none is in the right but themselves, and ‘wisdom - shall die with them.’ - - “Now, Sir, Mr. Wesley cannot but fear it is not well with persons who - are in any of these cases: though everybody should join to extol them - as ‘dear children of God,’ he is persuaded that _Satan has beguiled - them, as he did Eve_; and he addresses them, as our Lord did the angel - of the church of Sardis,—‘I know thy works, that thou _hast a name, - that thou livest; and art dead_,’ or dying: ‘_Repent, therefore, and - strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have - not found thy works perfect before God._’” - -When it is remembered that Fletcher’s manuscript was read and revised by -Wesley, before it was printed, the foregoing description of “_many -persons_” in Wesley’s Societies is possessed of more than ordinary -interest. Only ten years had elapsed since the great revival of -Christian perfection in those Societies, and yet such was the judgment -pronounced by Fletcher, and which Wesley sanctioned! - -After explaining and defending all the doctrines contained in Wesley’s -“Minutes,” Fletcher concludes his fourth letter as follows:— - - “Thus, Sir, have I looked out for the _heresy_, the _dreadful heresy_ - of Mr. Wesley’s ‘Minutes,’ by bringing all the propositions they - contain to the touchstone of Scripture and common sense; but, instead - of finding it, I have found the very marrow of the Gospel of Christ. I - have showed that the ‘Minutes’ contain nothing but what is truly - scriptural; and nothing but what the best Calvinist divines have - themselves, directly or indirectly, asserted; except, perhaps, the - sixth proposition concerning the merit of works; and, with respect to - this, I hope I have demonstrated, upon rational and evangelical - principles, that Mr. Wesley, far from _bringing in a damnable heresy_, - has done the Gospel justice, and Protestantism service, by candidly - giving up an old prejudice, equally contrary to Scripture and good - sense,—a piece of bigotry which has long hardened the papists against - the doctrine of salvation by the merit of Christ, and has added - inconceivable strength to the Antinomian delusion among us. - - “One difficulty remains, and that is, to account for your attacking - Mr. Wesley, though you could not wound him without stabbing yourself. - Reserving my reflections upon this amazing step for another letter, - - “I remain your astonished servant in the bonds of a peaceful Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER.” - -As here indicated, the fifth and last letter contained that which most -offended Shirley. In his “Narrative,” Shirley remarks:— - - “Mr. Wesley assured us he had corrected all the _tart_ expressions in - them” (that is, in Fletcher’s Letters). “Alas! _Qualia verba, quæ - facta!_ Whether there are _no tart_ expressions in the Letters, let - every one that hath seen them judge. But, perhaps, this learned - gentleman distinguishes between the _tart_ and the _bitter_. If all - the _tart_ expressions are corrected, I am sure there are enough of - the _bitter_ left. - - “As to the Letters themselves, I shall have ‘the author’s’ pardon for - noticing two particular charges against me. - - “1. I am supposed to want candour; as if I had put a forced - construction on the ‘Minutes,’ in order to bring Mr. Wesley in guilty. - Mr. Fletcher has attempted a ‘vindication’ of them; and, by breaking - them into sentences and half-sentences, and refining upon each of - these detached particles, he has done more than I could have expected, - even from his great abilities, in giving a new turn to the whole. But, - after reading his learned and elaborate ‘Vindication,’ when I cast my - eye over the ‘Minutes,’ and consider the whole as it stands in - context, I must own, I am just where I was: nothing _but the - ‘Declaration’_ could ever convince me that justification by works was - not maintained and supported by the ‘Minutes.’ - - “2. The charge of _inconsistency_ is supported by quotations from my - sermons. To this, I beg leave to observe, that the passages quoted are - not altogether in point; neither do they maintain justification by - works in such direct and express terms as the ‘Minutes’ appear to do. - I must, however, own that they savour too strongly of mysticism and - free-will; and all I can say, on my behalf in this respect, is, that - they were written many years ago, at a time when I had more zeal than - light; that my present ministry, as well as my present way of - thinking, is very different; and that I have frequently expressed my - disapprobation of those sermons, nay wished they had been burnt.” - -Shirley was nettled; and, after the imperious arrogance displayed in his -“Circular Letter,” he deserved to be. Fletcher’s fifth and last letter -is caustical; but not more so than the occasion justified. The following -is extracted from it:— - - “HON. AND REV. SIR,—Having vindicated both some important doctrines of - the Gospel, and an eminent servant of Christ from the charge of - _dreadful heresy_, I will now take the liberty of a friend to - expostulate a little with _you_. - - “When Brutus, among other senators, rushed upon Cæsar, the venerable - general said, ‘Art thou also among them? Even thou, my son?’ May not - Mr. Wesley address you, Sir, in the same words, and add, ‘If a body of - men must be raised to attack me, let some zealous follower of Dr. - Crisp, some hot-headed vindicator of reprobation and eternal - justification blow the trumpet, and put himself at their head; but let - it not be _you_, who believe with me that we are moral agents; that - God is love; that Jesus tasted death for every man; and that the Holy - Spirit shall not always strive with sinners. If you do not regard my - reputation, consider at least your own, and expose me not as a heretic - for advancing propositions, the substance of which you have avowed - before the sun.’ - - “But had those propositions, at length, appeared to you unsound, yea, - and had you never maintained them yourself, should you not, as a - Christian and a brother, have wrote to Mr. Wesley, acquainted him with - your objections, and desired him to solve them and explain himself, or - you should be obliged publicly to expose him? - - “Was this condescension more than was due from you, Sir, and our other - friends, to a grey-headed minister of Christ, an old general in the - armies of Emmanuel, a father who has children capable of instructing - even masters in Israel, and one whom God made the first and principal - instrument of the late revival of internal religion in our Church? - - “Instead of this friendly method, as if you were a Barak, _commanded - by the Lord God of Israel_, you call _together the children of - Naphthali and Zebulun_: you convene, from England and Wales, clergy - and laity, Churchmen and Dissenters, to meet you at Bristol, where - they are, it seems, to be entertained in good and free quarters. And - for what grand expedition? Why, on a day appointed, you are to march - up _in a body_, not to attack Sisera and his iron chariots, but an old - Caleb, who, without meddling with you, quietly goes on to the conquest - of Canaan; not to desire, in a friendly manner, after a fair debate of - every proposition that appears dangerous, and, upon previous - conviction, that what is exceptionable may be given up; but to do what - I think was never done by nominal, much less by _real Protestants_. O - let it not be told in Rome, lest the sons of the Inquisition rejoice! - This mixed, this formidable body is to _insist upon_ Mr. Wesley and - the preachers in his connexion, _formally recanting_ their ‘Minutes,’ - as _appearing injurious to the very fundamental principles of - Christianity_, and being _dreadfully heretical_. And this, - astonishing! without the least inquiry made into their meaning and - design, without a shadow of authority from our superiors in Church or - State, without an appeal _to the law and to the testimony_, without - form of process, without judge or jury, without so much as allowing - the poor heretics (who are condemned six weeks before they can - possibly be heard) to answer for themselves! - - “How could you suppose, Sir, that Mr. Wesley and the preachers who - assemble with him are such weak men, as tamely to acknowledge - themselves heretics upon your _ipse dixit_? Suppose Mr. Wesley took it - in his head to convene all the divines that disapprove the extract of - Zanchius,[241] to go with him in a body to Mr. Toplady’s chapel, and - demand a formal recantation of that performance as heretical; yea, to - insist upon it, before they had ‘measured swords or broken a pike - together,’ would not the translator of Zanchius laugh at him, and ask - whether he thought to frighten him by his protests, or bully him into - orthodoxy? - - “O, Sir, have we not fightings enough without, to employ all our time - and strength? Must we also declare war and promote fightings within? - Must we catch at every opportunity to stab one another, because the - livery of truth which we wear is not turned up in the same manner? - What can be more cruel than this? What can be more cutting to an old - minister of Christ, than to be traduced as a dreadful heretic, in - printed letters sent to the best men in the land, yea, through all - England and Scotland, and signed by a person of your rank and piety? - To have things that he knows not, that he never meant, laid to his - charge, and dispersed far and near? While he is gone to a neighbouring - kingdom,[242] to preach Jesus Christ, to have his friends prejudiced, - his foes elevated, and the fruit of his extensive ministry at the - point of being blasted? Put yourself in his place, Sir, and you will - see that the wound is deep and reaches the very heart. - - “Our Elijah[243] has lately been translated to heaven. Grey-headed - Elisha is yet awhile continued upon earth. And shall we make a hurry - and noise, to bring in railing accusations against him with more - success? Shall the sons of prophets, shall even _children_ in grace - and knowledge, openly traduce the venerable seer and his abundant - labours? When they see him run upon his Lord’s errands, shall they - cry, not, ‘_Go up, thou bald head_,’ but, ‘_Go up, thou heretic_’? O - Jesus of Nazareth, Thou rejected of men, Thou Who wast once called a - deceiver of the people, suffer it not; lest the raging bear of - persecution come suddenly out of the wood upon those sons of discord, - and tear them in pieces.” - -Footnote 241: - - In 1769, Toplady published “The Doctrine of Absolute Predestination - Stated and Asserted. Translated, in great measure, from the Latin of - Jerome Zanchius; with some Account of his Life prefixed.” 8vo. 134 pp. - An impious production, in the garb of piety. - -Footnote 242: - - Wesley was in Ireland from March 24 to July 22, 1771. It was during - this period that Shirley sent forth his offensive “Circular Letter.” - -Footnote 243: - - Whitefield, who died September 30, 1770. - -Remembering the confidential and warm friendship that had existed -between Fletcher and the Countess of Huntingdon and her nephew, Walter -Shirley, it must be admitted that these “expostulations” were pungent; -but they were provoked by the arrogance of the offenders. It is true, as -already stated, that, on the evening before Wesley’s Conference -assembled, her ladyship and Shirley wrote letters to Wesley containing -half-hearted apologies for their “arbitrary way of proceeding” in the -“Circular Letter.” “It must be acknowledged,” said Shirley, “that, upon -the whole, the Circular Letter was too hastily drawn up and improperly -expressed; and, therefore, for the _offensive expressions_ in it, we -desire we may be hereby understood to make every suitable submission to -you, Sir, and to the gentlemen of the Conference.”[244] The apology was -proper; but it was not sufficient. The “Circular Letter,” branding -Wesley as a dreadful heretic, had been sent to a large number of -“principal persons, both clergy and laity,” throughout the three -kingdoms; whereas the letters of the Countess and her nephew were -private ones, addressed only to Wesley and his preachers. Moreover, the -apology was accompanied with a threat. - -Footnote 244: - - Shirley’s “Narrative.” - - “I cannot but wish,” wrote Shirley, “that the recantation of the - Circular Letter may prevail as an example for the recantation of the - ‘Minutes.’ If I should be unhappily disappointed in this respect, I - shall feel myself bound in conscience to yield my public testimony - against such doctrines as these, which appear to me subversive of the - _fundamentals_ of Christianity.”[245] - -Footnote 245: - - Shirley’s “Narrative.” - -And, once more, the apology, such as it was, was sent too late, for -Fletcher had already written his “Vindication” of Wesley’s “Minutes;” -the manuscript had been sent to Wesley, and Wesley had revised it, and -committed it to the press. - -The war was begun, and we must follow it to its termination, _so far as -Fletcher is concerned_; for it is impossible, in a work like this, to -notice _all_ the pamphlets that were published. Those who wish for -further information may turn to the “Life and Times of Wesley.” - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - _SECOND CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM_ - - 1771. - - -WESLEY’S “Minutes” and Shirley’s “Circular Letter” created a commotion. -The Rev. Walter Sellon had recently published his “Church of England -Vindicated from the Charge of Absolute Predestination; as it is stated -and asserted by the Translator of Jerome Zanchius” [Toplady] “in his -Letter to the Rev. Dr. Nowell. Together with some Animadversions on his -Translation of Zanchius, his Letter to the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, and his -Sermon on 1 Tim. i. 10.” This not over-courteous publication was -reviewed in the August number of the _Gospel Magazine_ for 1771; and, no -doubt, the review had been read by the gentlemen who proposed to invade -Wesley’s Conference. It began as follows:— - - “A composition of low scurrility and illiberal abuse, for which this - author and his coadjutors are remarkable. Not one Calvinist who comes - in his way escapes. He is so much given up to slander and defamation, - that he can no more refrain from defaming even the dead than from - slandering the living.” - -Its last paragraph was the following; and these two citations will -enable the reader to form an opinion of the whole:— - - “When we meet with erroneous systems set up in opposition to the Word - of God, we speak our mind freely of them, and aim to show the - dangerous tendency of them. But no sooner do we touch the cobweb - system of self-righteous Pharisees, but they cry out, with their - brethren of old to our Lord, ‘Thou reproachest us also.’ We cannot aim - to dissect and expose their opinions, but they cry out of slandering - their persons, and ‘Oh, you have no love to Mr. John!’ God bless Mr. - John! But who is Mr. John? Is he the standard of truth, the pinnacle - of orthodoxy, the touchstone by which truth is to be tried and known? - What is Mr. John? What is Mr. Walter? Men, frail men, and miserable - sinners like ourselves. All that we say of them is, As men, we love - them; as miserable sinners, we wish their salvation; as - fellow-creatures, we would not hurt a hair of their heads; whatever is - in our power to do them good, we would cheerfully minister unto them.” - -In the September number of the same periodical, there was a letter, -signed “Simplex,” and dated “August 3, 1771, From the Neighbourhood of -the Foundery,” as follows:— - - “SIR,—I have just read your last number, and am amazed at the - Declaration in it, as made by Mr. Wesley and his friends, at the late - Conference at Bristol. I am amazed at the wisdom of that great man - that he should devise a Declaration[246] couched in terms so ambiguous - as to satisfy his opponents, whilst, in reality, it denies not one - tittle clearly asserted in the ‘Minutes;’ and I am amazed at - gentlemen, who might have been acquainted with the unfathomable policy - of that dubious divine, not being more upon their guard than to have - been put off by such an unmeaning confession. - - “Since the Conference, and, of course, since the making of this - Declaration, Mr. Fletcher has published a very warm, and not - ill-written ‘Vindication of the Minutes,’ which, from his intimacy - with Mr. Wesley, evidently shows that the gentleman in question never - meant to recant what he had declared in the ‘Minutes’ when he signed - the Declaration.[247] - - “What can we think of this? You ask, What can we say to this? Why, - gentlemen, you may say that the fox has had sagacity enough to elude - his hunters. Or, in other words, that Mr. Wesley is, what I always - took him to be, a very wise man. - - “Does this tend to clear up the affair? Yes. Taken in its connection - with Fletcher’s ‘Vindication of the Minutes,’ it very plainly clears - it up to every man; and shows that however these gentlemen may abhor - the doctrine of justification by the _merit_ of works, as most - perilous and abominable, they are determined to abide by the doctrine - of justification by works as a condition, which is all that is clearly - expressed in the ‘Minutes.’ If Cranmer and his brethren had drunk half - as deep into the spirit of Ignatius,” [Loyala!] “they had never been - brought to the stake for their doctrine; but might even have outwitted - the eagle-eyed Bishops of London and Winchester.” - -Footnote 246: - - This is a calumny. The Declaration was not drawn up by Wesley, but by - Shirley. “Wesley,” says Shirley, “made some, _not very material_, - alterations in it.” - -Footnote 247: - - Another misrepresentation; for Fletcher’s manuscript was committed to - the press before the Declaration was signed. - -Another communication by “Simplex” must be noticed. Like his former -letter, it was printed in the _Gospel Magazine_. It was dated “From the -Neighbourhood of the Foundery, October 9, 1771,” and was addressed “To -the Rev. Mr. Wesley, Mr. Sellon, Mr. Fletcher, and Mr. Olivers.” The -following are extracts from it:— - - “Mr. Wesley is now an old man, and, according to the course of nature, - must in a little time have done with a lying world. Let him, like an - honest man, a Christian, that has heaven in his eye, and a sense of - the Divine presence upon his heart, tell us plainly whether he really - thinks that his continuance in the love of God, and the exercise of - faith, is owing to his own good management, or to the sovereignty and - freeness of the love of God and agency of the Holy Ghost?” - -The _temper_ of this production is painfully displayed in its concluding -paragraph:— - - “Should any reply be made to this letter, and might I be indulged with - liberty to choose my correspondent, I would most earnestly deprecate - having anything to do with the Reverend Mr. Walter Sellon, as I am no - adept in scolding, and am sorry to see the name of a Christian - minister prefaced to such foul and futile productions as those, of Mr. - Sellon’s pen. Mr. Fletcher’s pen is indeed more cleanly, but every - whit as unfair; and him I object to because he is apt to exclaim - against his opponents as enemies to Christian peace, even when he - himself does what he can to stab their reputation to the heart. He is - very apt grievously to complain of ill-usage from others, when, at the - same time, like a madman, he himself keeps flinging abroad firebrands, - arrows, and death amongst those who differ from him. Mr. Olivers - should be my man, if in future he will guard against shocking common - decency, as he has done in his letter to Mr. Toplady, where he is - pleased to call Mr. Hervey’s admirable letters to Mr. Wesley - _scurrilous_: which _indecency_, although borrowed indeed from _Mr. - Walter Sellon_, must needs have an influence fatal to Master Thomas - Olivers’ credit as a writer. As to the Rev. Mr. Wesley himself, I do - not expect that he can spare so much time as to give a satisfactory - answer to my querulous epistle, as it will require his being more - explicit than he has hitherto accustomed himself to be.” - -Enough has been said to show the bitterness of feeling which had already -sprung up against Fletcher (to say nothing of Wesley, Sellon, and -Olivers), and that it was not surprising he was induced to defend -himself against such infamous attacks as those of “Simplex” and his -Calvinian friends. - -Meanwhile, Shirley was passing through the press his “Narrative of the -Principal Circumstances relating to the Rev. Mr. Wesley’s late -Conference, held in Bristol August the 6th, 1771” (8 vo., 24 pp.) -Fletcher refers to this in the following extract from an unpublished -letter addressed to Joseph Benson, and kindly lent by Mr. G. J. -Stevenson:— - - “MADELEY, _August 24, 1771_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—How much water may rush out of a little opening! What - are our dear lady’s jealousies come to? Ah, poor College! They are - without a master, but not without a mistress. Their conduct and - charges of heresy stirred me up to write in defence of the ‘Minutes.’ - The pamphlet is gone abroad _unseasonably_ in its present dress. The - _toga_ would now suit it, but it wears the _chlamys_. By this means, - the voice of the arguments will be lost in the cry of treachery. - - “I received this morning a most kind letter from Mr. Shirley, whom I - now pity much. He will pass by me; but I fear Mr. Olivers will have - some cutting lashes. Mr. Shirley is gone to Wales, probably to consult - what to do in the present case. What a world! Methinks I dream when I - reflect that I have written on controversy; the last subject I thought - I should have meddled with. I expect to be smartly taken in hand and - soundly drubbed for it. Lord, prepare me for it, and for everything - that may make me cease from man, and above all from your unworthy - friend, - - “J. FLETCHER. - - “P.S. My kindest love to Mr. Mather.[248] I hope you are happy in each - other’s company. May you be both blessed, as being one heart, and one - soul, and colleagues in Jesus!” - -Footnote 248: - - Mr. Mather and Mr. Benson were now stationed in Wesley’s London - Circuit. - -Instead of inflicting on Thomas Olivers what Fletcher calls “some -cutting lashes,” Shirley treated the sturdy Welshman with forbearance; -and if he used severity at all, not Wesley’s itinerant, but the Vicar of -Madeley was his victim. - -Fletcher immediately prepared a reply to Shirley’s “Narrative;” and, -before the year was ended, published it, with the title, “A Second Check -to Antinomianism; occasioned by a Late Narrative, in Three Letters to -the Hon. and Rev. Author. By the Vindicator of the Reverend Mr. Wesley’s -Minutes.” 12mo, 120 pp. This “Second Check,” like the former one, was -revised by Wesley,[249] and, therefore, was issued with his approval. - -Footnote 249: - - See “The Second Part of the Fifth Check to Antinomianism,” p. 11, - First Edition. - -Fletcher’s first letter to Shirley begins as follows:— - - “In my last private communication, I observed, Rev. Sir, that, if your - ‘Narrative’ was kind, I would buy a number of copies, and give them - gratis to the purchasers of my book, that they might see all you can - possibly produce in your own defence, and do you all the justice your - proper behaviour at the Conference deserves. But, as it appears to me - there are some important mistakes in that performance, I neither dare - recommend it _absolutely_ to my friends, nor wish it, in the religious - world, the _full_ success you desire. - - “I do not complain of its severity; on the contrary, considering the - sharpness of my fifth letter, I gratefully acknowledge it is _kinder_ - than I had reason to expect. But permit me to tell you, Sir, I look - for _justice_ to the scriptural arguments I advance in defence of - truth, before I look for _kindness_ to my insignificant person, and - could be much sooner satisfied with the _former_, than with the - _latter_ alone. As I do not admire the fashionable method of advancing - general charges without supporting them by particular proofs, I shall - take the liberty of pointing out some mistakes in your ‘Narrative,’ - and, by that means, endeavour to do justice to Mr. Wesley’s - ‘Declaration,’ your own ‘Sermons,’ my ‘Vindication,’ and, above all, - to the cause of practical religion.” - -Fletcher then proceeds to quote numerous texts of Scripture in support -of the doctrine of a second justification by works, and argues that it -“will rouse Antinomians out of their carnal security, stir up believers -to follow hard after holiness, and reconcile fatal differences among -Christians, and seeming contradictions in the Scripture.” - -In sundry passages he treats the Antinomians with deserved severity; -but, in a long foot-note, observes:— - - “I beg I may not be understood to level the following paragraphs, or - any part of these letters, at my pious _Calvinist_ brethren. God knows - how deeply I reverence many, who are immovably fixed in, what some - call, _the doctrines of grace_; how gladly (as conscious of their - genuine conversion and eminent usefulness) I would lie in the dust at - their feet to honour our Lord in His dear members; and how often I - have thought it a peculiar infelicity to dissent from such excellent - men, with whom I wanted both to live and die, and with whom I hope - soon to reign for ever. - - “As these _real_ children of God lament the bad use Antinomians make - of their principles, I hope they will not be offended if I bear my - testimony against a growing evil, which they have frequently opposed - themselves. While the _Calvinists_ guard the _foundation_ against - _Pharisees_, they will, I hope, allow the _Remonstrants_ to guard the - _superstructure_ against _Antinomians_. If in doing these good offices - to the Church, we find ourselves obliged to bear a little hard upon - the peculiar sentiments of our opposite friends, let us do it in such - a manner as not to break the bonds of peace and brotherly kindness; so - shall our honest reproof become matter of useful exercise to that - _love_ which _thinketh no evil_, _hopeth all things_, _rejoiceth_ even - _in the_ galling _truth_, and is neither _quenched by many waters_, - nor damped by any opposition.” - -In his second letter, Fletcher protests against Shirley recanting the -doctrines contained in his published sermons, and concludes as follows:— - - “I assure you, Sir, I do not love the warlike dress of the Vindicator, - any more than David did the heavy armour of Saul. With gladness, - therefore, I cast it aside to throw myself at your feet, and protest - to you, that, though I thought it my _duty_ to write to you with the - utmost _plainness_, _frankness_, and _honesty_, the design of doing it - with _bitterness_ never entered my heart. However, for every ‘_bitter - expression_’ that may have dropped from my sharp, vindicating pen, I - ask you pardon; but it must be _in general_, for neither friends nor - foes have yet _particularly_ pointed out to me _one_ such expression. - - “You condescend, Rev. Sir, to call me your ‘learned friend.’ - _Learning_ is an accomplishment I never pretended to; but your - _friendship_ is an honour I shall always highly esteem, and do at this - time value above my own brother’s love. Appearances are a little - against me: I feel I am a thorn in your flesh; but I am persuaded it - is a _necessary_ one, and this persuasion reconciles me to the - thankless and disagreeable part I act. I can assure you, my dear Sir, - I love and honour you, as truly as I dislike the rashness of your - well-meant zeal. The motto I thought myself obliged to follow was, ‘_E - bello pax_;’ but that which I delight in is, ‘_In bello pax_.’ May we - make them harmonize till we learn war and polemic divinity no more! - - “If in the meantime we offend our weak brethren, let us do something - to lessen the offence till it is removed. Let us show them we make war - without so much as shyness. Should you ever come to the next county, - as you did last summer, honour me with a line, and I shall gladly wait - upon you, and show you (if you permit me) the way to my pulpit, where - I shall think myself highly favoured to see you ‘secure the - foundation,’ and hear you enforce the doctrine of _justification by - faith_, which you fear we attack. And should I ever be within thirty - miles of the city where you reside, I shall go to submit myself to - you, and beg leave to assist you in reading prayers for you, or giving - the cup with you. Thus shall we convince the world how controversy may - be conscientiously carried on without interruption of brotherly love; - and I shall have the peculiar pleasure of testifying to you in person - how sincerely I am, - - “Honoured and dear Sir, - “Your submissive and obedient servant, in the bond of a - _practical_ - Gospel, - “J. FLETCHER.” - -The third letter, to a large extent, is historical, and shows, with -terrific faithfulness, that not a few of the so-called evangelical -ministers and churches of a hundred years ago were far from what they -should have been, and that Wesley’s “Minutes” and Fletcher’s “Checks” -were greatly needed. Fletcher writes:— - - “For some years, I have suspected there is more imaginary than - _unfeigned faith_ in most of those who pass for believers. With a - mixture of indignation and grief, have I seen them carelessly follow - the stream of corrupt nature, against which they should have manfully - wrestled. When they should have exclaimed against their - _Antinomianism_, I have heard them cry out against the _legality_ of - their wicked hearts; which, they said, still suggested they were to - _do something_ in order to salvation. Glad was I, therefore, when I - had attentively considered Mr. Wesley’s ‘Minutes,’ to find they were - levelled at the very errors, which gave rise to an evil I had long - lamented in secret, but had wanted courage to resist and attack.” - - “Do not imagine, Rev. Sir, I cry up God’s law, to drown the late cries - of _heresy_ and _apostacy_. I appeal to matter of fact and to your own - observations. Consider the religious world, and say if ‘Antinomianism’ - is not, in general, a motto better adapted to the state of professing - congregations, societies, families, and individuals, than ‘_Holiness - unto the Lord_.’ - - “Begin with _congregations_, and cast your eyes upon the _hearers_. In - general, they have curious ‘_itching ears_,’ and ‘_will not endure - sound doctrine_.’ They say they ‘will have nothing but Christ;’ and - who could blame them if they would have Christ in all His offices? - Christ, with all His parables and sermons, cautions and precepts, - reproofs and expostulations, exhortations and threatenings? Who would - find fault with them, if they would have Christ with His poverty and - self-denial, His reproach and cross, His spirit and graces, His - prophets and apostles, His plain apparel and mean followers? But, - alas! it is not so. They will have _what_ they please of Christ, and - that too _as_ they please. They admire Him in one chapter, and know - not what to make of Him in another. If He asserts His authority as a - Lawgiver, they are ready to treat Him with as little ceremony as they - do Moses. If He says, ‘_Keep my commandments, I am a King_;’ like the - Jews of old, they rise against the awful declaration; or they _crown - Him_ as a _surety_, the better to ‘_set Him at nought_’ as a - _monarch_. If He adds to His ministers, ‘Go, and teach all nations _to - observe all things_ whatsoever I have _commanded_ you;’ they complain, - ‘This is _the law_; give us _the gospel_, we can relish nothing but - the gospel.’” - - “Hence it is that some preachers must choose comfortable subjects to - please their hearers; just as those, who make an entertainment for - nice persons, are obliged to study what will suit their difficult - taste. A multitude of important Scriptures can be produced, on which - no minister, who is unwilling to lose his reputation as an evangelical - preacher, must dare to speak in some pulpits, unless it is to explain - away or enervate their meaning.” - - “Whence springs this almost general Antinomianism of our - congregations? Shall I conceal the sore because it festers in my own - breast? Shall I be partial? No! In the name of Him who is no respecter - of persons, I will confess my sin, and that of many of my brethren. - Though I am the least and the most unworthy of them all, I will follow - the dictates of my conscience, and use the authority of a minister of - Christ. - - “Is not the Antinomianism of hearers fomented by that of preachers? - Does it not become us to take the greatest part of the blame upon - ourselves, according to the old adage, ‘Like priest, like people’? Is - it surprising that some of us should have an Antinomian audience? Do - we not make or keep it so? When did we preach such a practical sermon - as that of our Lord on the mount, or write such close letters as the - epistles of St. John? Alas! I doubt it is but seldom. Not living so - near to God ourselves as we should, we are afraid to come near the - consciences of our people. Some prefer popularity to plain-dealing. We - love to see a crowd of worldly-minded hearers, rather than a ‘_little - flock_,’ ‘_a peculiar people, zealous of good works_.’ Luther’s advice - to Melancthon, ‘So preach that those who do not fall out of love with - their sins, may fall out with thee,’ is more and more unfashionable. - Under pretence of drawing our hearers by love, some of us softly rock - the cradle of carnal security in which they sleep. The old Puritans - strongly insisted upon _personal holiness_, and the first Methodists - upon the _new birth_; but these doctrines seem to grow out of date. - The Gospel is cast into another mould. People, it seems, may now be - ‘_in Christ_’ without being ‘_new creatures_,’ or new creatures - without casting ‘_old things_’ away. They may be God’s children - without God’s image; and be ‘_born of the Spirit_’ without ‘_the - fruits of the Spirit_.’ If our unregenerate hearers get orthodox ideas - about the way of salvation in their heads, evangelical phrases - concerning Jesus’ love in their mouths, and a warm zeal for our party - and favourite forms in their hearts, without any more ado, we help - them to rank themselves among the children of God. But, alas! this - self-adoption into the family of Christ will no more pass in heaven, - than self-imputation of Christ’s righteousness.” - - “How few of our celebrated pulpits are there where more has not been - said, _at times_, for sin than against it! With what an air of - positiveness and assurance has that Barabbas, that murderer of Christ - and souls, been pleaded for! ‘It will humble us, make us watchful, - stir up our diligence, quicken our graces, endear Christ.’ That is, in - plain English, pride will beget humility, sloth will spur us on to - diligence, rust will brighten our armour, and unbelief, the very soul - of every sinful temper, is to do the work of faith! Jesus, who - cleansed the lepers with a word or a touch, cannot, with all the force - of His Spirit, and virtue of His blood, expel the leprosy of sin; it - is too inveterate. Death, that foul monster, the offspring of sin, - shall have the important honour of killing his father. This is - confidently asserted by those who cry, ‘Nothing but Christ!’ They - allow Him to lop off the branches; but Death, the great Saviour Death, - is to destroy the root of sin. In the meantime, _the temple of God_ - shall _have agreement with idols_, and _Christ concord with Belial: - the Lamb of God shall lie down with the roaring Lion in our heart_.” - - “To speak the melancholy truth, how few individuals are free from - practical Antinomianism! Setting aside their attendance on the - ministry of the Word, where is the material difference between several - of our genteel believers and other people? Do not we see the sumptuous - furniture in their apartments, and fashionable elegance in their - dress? What sums of money do they frequently lay out in costly - superfluities to adorn their persons, houses, and gardens! In our - fashionable churches and chapels, you may find people professing to - believe the Bible, who so conform to this present world as to wear - gold, pearls, and precious stones, when no distinction of office or - state obliges them to it, in direct opposition to the words of two - Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul. Multitudes of professors, far from - being convinced of their sin in this respect, ridicule Mr. Wesley for - bearing his testimony against it. The opposition he dares to make to - that growing branch of vanity affords matter of pious mirth to a - thousand Antinomians. Isaiah could openly reprove the _haughty - daughters of Zion_, who _walked with stretched forth necks, wanton - eyes, and tinkling feet_: he could expose _the bravery of their - fashionable ornaments, their round tires like the moon, their chains, - bracelets, head-bands, rings and ear-rings_; but some of our humble - Christian ladies will not bear a reproof from Mr. Wesley on the head - of dress. They even laugh at him as a _pitiful legalist_, and yet, oh, - the inconsistency of the Antinomian spirit! they call Isaiah the - _evangelical prophet_! - - “Finery is often attended with an expensive table, at least with such - delicacies as our purse can reach. St. Paul _kept his body under_, and - was _in fastings often_; and our Lord gives us directions about the - proper manner of _fasting_. But the apostle did not _know_ the easy - way to heaven taught by Dr. Crisp; and our Lord did not _approve_ of - it, or He would have saved Himself the trouble of His directions. In - general, we look upon fasting much as we do upon penitential - flagellation. Both equally raise our pity; we leave them both to - popish devotees. Some of our good old Church people will yet fast on - Good Friday: but our fashionable believers begin to cast away that - last scrap of self-denial. Their faith, which should produce, animate, - and regulate works of mortification, goes a shorter way to work; it - explodes them all.” - -Fletcher continues to write in the same strain, through many succeeding -pages; but one more extract must suffice. - - “If _these shall go into eternal punishment_; if such will be the end - of all the impenitent Nicolaitans; if our churches and chapels swarm - with them; if they crowd our communion tables; if they are found in - most of our houses, and too many of our pulpits; if the seeds of their - fatal disorder are in all our breasts; if they produce Antinomianism - around us in all its forms; if we see bold Antinomians in _principle_, - bare-faced Antinomians in _practice_, and sly _pharisaical - Antinomians_,[250] who speak well of the law, to break it with greater - advantage,—should not every one _examine himself whether he is in the - faith_, and whether he has a _holy Christ_ in his heart, as well as a - _sweet Jesus_ upon his tongue; lest he should one day swell the tribe - of Antinomian reprobates? Does it not become every minister of Christ - to drop his prejudices, and consider whether he ought not to imitate - the old watchman, who, fifteen months ago, gave a _legal alarm_ to all - the watchmen that are in connexion with him? And should we not do the - Church excellent service, if, agreeing to lift up our voices against - the common enemy, we gave God no rest in prayer, and our hearers in - preaching, till we all _did our first works_, and _our latter end_, - like Job’s, _exceeded our beginning_? - - “Near forty years ago, some of the ministers of Christ, in our Church, - were called out of the extreme of self-righteousness. Flying from it, - we have run into the opposite, with equal violence. Now that we have - learned wisdom by what we have suffered in going beyond the limits of - truth both ways, let us return to a just scriptural medium. Let us - equally maintain the two evangelical axioms on which the Gospel is - founded: 1. ‘All our salvation is of God, by free grace, through the - alone merits of Christ.’ And, 2. ‘All our damnation is of ourselves, - through our avoidable unfaithfulness.’” - -Footnote 250: - - It may be well to say, once for all, that all these quotations, with - their _differences of type_, are taken from the _first editions_ of - Fletcher’s publications. The differences are not preserved in recent - editions. - -Fletcher’s pictures are dark: I incline to _think_ a little too dark, -though I cannot _prove_ they are. At all events, were existing facts -such as he states them to have been, it was high time to sound an alarm -in Zion. - -In a postscript to his “Three Letters,” Fletcher refers to a pamphlet -published by Richard Hill, Esq., respecting a conversation which he and -others had held with a monk in Paris.[251] Having quoted Mr. Hill’s -remark, that, according to the monk, “Popery is about the mid-way -between Protestantism and Mr. J. Wesley,” Fletcher proceeds to say:— - - “We desire to be confronted with all the pious Protestant divines. - But, who would believe it? the suffrage of a papist is brought against - us! Astonishing! that our opposers should think it worth their while - to raise one recruit against us in the immense city of Paris, where - fifty thousand might be raised against the Bible itself! - - “So long as Christ, the prophets, and apostles are for us, together - with the multitude of the Puritan divines of the last century, we - shall smile at an army of Popish friars. The knotted whips, that hang - by their side, will no more frighten us from our Bibles, than the - _ipse dixit_ of a Benedictine monk will make us explode, as heretical, - propositions which are demonstrated to be scriptural. - - “I hope the gentlemen concerned in the ‘Conversation,’ lately - published, will excuse the liberty of this postscript. I reverence - their piety, rejoice in their labours, and honour their warm zeal for - the Protestant cause; but that very zeal, if not accompanied with a - close attention to every part of the Gospel truth, may betray them - into mistakes, which may spread as far as their respectable names. I - think it therefore my duty to publish these strictures, lest any of my - readers should pay more regard to the good-natured friar, who has been - pressed into the service of Dr. Crisp, than to St. John, St. Paul, St. - James, and Jesus Christ, on whose plain declarations I have shown that - the ‘Minutes’” (of Mr. Wesley) “are founded.” - -Footnote 251: - - Its title was “A Conversation between Richard Hill, Esq., the Rev. Mr. - Madan, and Father Walsh, Superior of a Convent of Benedictine Monks at - Paris, held at the same Convent, July 13, 1771, in the presence of - Thomas Powis, Esq., and others, relative to some Doctrinal Minutes - advanced by the Rev. Mr. John Wesley and others, at a Conference held - in London, August 7, 1770. To which are added some Remarks by the - Editor.” Fletcher’s name is not mentioned in the pamphlet; but because - he chose to refer to it in his “Second Check to Antinomianism,” it is - here introduced to the reader’s notice. Hereafter, in order to avoid, - as far as possible, a repetition of the history of the Calvinian - controversy, as published in the “Life and Times of Wesley,” no - publications on the subject will be discussed, except those in which - Fletcher was attacked, or which he answered.—L. T. - -So ends all that need be said here concerning Fletcher’s “Second Check -to Antinomianism.” To appreciate its style, its temper, and its -arguments, the reader must peruse it for himself; and, by doing so, his -mind will be enriched, and his soul profited. - -An extract from one of Fletcher’s letters may fitly close this section -of his biography. The letter was addressed to the Rev. Joseph Benson, -and was dated “December 5, 1771.” - - “There is undoubtedly such a thing as the _full assurance of faith_. - Be not discouraged on account of thousands, who stop short of it. It - is our own fault if we do not attain it. God would give us ample - satisfaction if we did but deeply feel our wants. Both you and I want - a deeper awakening, which will produce a death to outward things and - speculative knowledge. Let us shut our eyes to the gilded clouds - without us: let us draw inward, and search after God, if haply we may - find Him. Let us hold fast our confidence, though we are often - constrained against hope, to believe in hope. But let us not rest in - our confidence, as thousands do; let it help us to struggle and wait, - till He come. Let us habituate ourselves to live inwardly. This will - solemnize us, and prevent our trifling with the things of God. We may - be thankful for what we have without resting in it. We may strive, and - yet not trust in our striving; but expect all from Divine grace.”[252] - -Footnote 252: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -In such a frame of mind and heart Fletcher carried on his polemic -warfare. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - “_THIRD CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM._” - - 1772. - - -WHEN Fletcher finished his “Second Check to Antinomianism,” in “Three -Letters” to Walter Shirley, he began a “Vindication of the Doctrine of -Christian Perfection.” This, however, for a time, was laid aside; but -was afterwards completed, and embodied in his “Last Check to -Antinomianism.” The reason for this postponement was a somewhat sudden -determination to write upon the Unitarian Controversy, which was now as -prominent as the Calvinian one. A brief biographical episode will -explain the matter more fully. - -Edward Elwall was born at Sedgley, in Staffordshire. He settled in -business at Wolverhampton, where he acquired the reputation of great -integrity in his dealings. He had not enjoyed the advantages of a -learned education, but he possessed a serious and inquisitive turn of -mind, and had good natural abilities. One of his first publications was -intended to prove that the fourth commandment, appointing the _seventh_ -day of the week to be observed as the Sabbath, was binding on all -generations. As long as he continued in business, he constantly shut up -his shop on that day, and as regularly opened it on the succeeding one. -For this he was called a Jew. About the year 1714, he became -distinguished as an Unitarian, and published, “A true Testimony for God -and His sacred Law, being a Defence of the first Commandment of God, -against all Trinitarians under Heaven.” This drew on him the resentment -of the neighbouring clergy, who procured an indictment against him for -heresy and blasphemy, on which he was tried at Stafford Assizes. He -pleaded his own cause, and was acquitted. After this, he removed to -London, and became a member of the Seventh-day Baptist Church at -Mill-yard, Goodman’s Fields. Towards the end of life, he attended the -meetings of the Quakers, and was sometimes permitted to speak at them. -He died in London, at an advanced age, about the year 1745. - -Elwall’s work “against all Trinitarians under Heaven” had recently been -re-published, and Fletcher was requested to answer it. Hence the -following, hitherto unpublished, letter, addressed to “the Rev. Walter -Sellon, at Ledsham, near Ferry-Bridge, Yorkshire.” - - “MADELEY, _January 7, 1772_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I thank you for yours. I hope Glazebrook[253] will be - more moderate, on account of some rubs which his new Calvinistic zeal - has procured him. - - “My reason for troubling you soon with an answer is to make a request. - I have laid by my Third ——[254], which is a vindication of the - doctrine of Christian perfection. A pamphlet (the third edition) has - lately been published at Birmingham, and meets with great success. The - author is E. Elwall, a Socinian Quaker, who was tried for blasphemy at - Stafford, and came off with flying colours, after fully denying the - Godhead of Christ, and His atonement. - - “Some serious people have desired me to answer the book. As I suppose - your _Dr. Preese_[255]” (sic) “is one of his stamp, I want to see by - your candle as well as my own. Could you send me, by the post, what - you have published against him? By cutting the margin close, you might - bring it to a tolerable size for a packet; and I should not grudge - paying the postage. If you cannot do this, send me, at least, your - best answer to the objection taken from John xvii. 3, and to the words - ‘_only God_,’ which seem to exclude Jesus Christ. - - “We must fight the Antinomians while the Calvinists put weapons into - their hands against the truth. Mr. Hill has taken Mr. Wesley in hand - very roughly. I have been with him. His answer to my ‘Vindication’ is - expected every day, and is out, I suppose, in London. God give us - wisdom! Set your razor against Mason, for what we mean as keenness - (which is allowable) is directly construed as bitterness. - - “When you send the packet, put upon the direction, ‘_Not by London, - but by + Post Bag, Manchester and Salop_,’ or else they will make me - pay double. - - “I preach much, and see little fruit. The Holy Ghost is not given - among us. These are hard times. God help us to more gospel and life, - but not my lady’s gospel! - - “I am yours in a hurry, - “J. FLETCHER.” - -Footnote 253: - - The poor collier whom Fletcher so greatly befriended at Madeley, and - who was one of the first students at Trevecca, in 1768. - -Footnote 254: - - The words are illegible, but, no doubt, his “Third Check to - Antinomianism” is meant. - -Footnote 255: - - Probably meant for the celebrated Dr. Price, of whom more will have to - be said anon. - -Not to mention other matters referred to in this letter, there can be no -doubt that Fletcher now began to write his Anti-Socinian Treatises; but, -as will be seen hereafter, he never finished them. Other things, even -more pressing, claimed his attention, and he was obliged to postpone his -attack on the citadel of _religious infidelity_. - -“I long to be out of controversy,” said Fletcher to Joseph Benson, in a -letter dated February 1772,[256] and yet he continued it. He could not -help himself. To say nothing of the duty he owed to Christ and Gospel -truth, it was impossible, at present, to retire from the field of -conflict without exposing himself to the taunt of recreant timidity. -Besides, though his opponents had been vanquished, they would, in that -case, have appeared victorious. No doubt, also, he was encouraged to -proceed by his bespattered but beloved friend Wesley. In a letter to -Lady Maxwell, Wesley wrote:— - - “LONDON, _February 8, 1772_. - - “MY DEAR LADY,—I commend you for meddling with points of controversy - as little as possible. It is abundantly easier to lose our love in - that rough field, than to find truth. This consideration has made me - exceedingly thankful to God for giving me a respite from polemical - labours. I am glad He has given to others both the power and the will - to answer them that trouble me; so that I may not always be forced to - hold my weapons in one hand, while I am building with the other. I - rejoice, likewise, not only in the abilities, but in the temper, of - Mr. Fletcher. He writes as he lives. I cannot say that I know such - another clergyman in England or Ireland. He is all fire, but it is the - fire of love. His writings, like his constant conversation, breathe - nothing else, to those who read him with an impartial eye. And, - although Mr. Shirley scruples not to charge him with using subtilty - and metaphysical distinctions, yet he abundantly clears himself of - this charge, in the ‘Second Check to Antinomianism.’ Such the last - letters are styled, and with great propriety; for such they have - really been. They have given a considerable check to those who were - everywhere making void the law through faith; setting ‘the - righteousness of Christ’ in opposition to the law of Christ, and - teaching that without holiness any man may see the Lord.”[257] - -Footnote 256: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Footnote 257: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xii., p. 326. - -All, however, were not of Wesley’s opinion. In Ireland, Walter Shirley -was a great favourite among the Methodists, for there he had preached -with much success. Fletcher’s first and second “Checks” were addressed -to Shirley; and the Irish Methodists, who, as yet, had neither heard nor -seen their author, were divided in their sentiments respecting them. The -Dublin Society wrote two letters to him, in answer to which he sent them -the following:— - - “To the Methodist Society at Dublin. - - “MADELEY, _March, 1772_. - - “MY DEAR BRETHREN,—Mercy and love be multiplied unto you, from Him who - was and is to come, the Almighty! - - “I should have acknowledged before now the favour of the two letters - with which you honoured me, if I had not conveyed my thanks to you - immediately by means of brother Morgan.[258] But thanks at second-hand - do not satisfy my gratitude; permit me, therefore, to present them, if - not in person, at least by some grateful lines personally written. - - “I am much obliged to those of you who approve my little attempt to - vindicate practical religion and the character of an eminent servant - of Christ, who ministered unto you in holy things, and whom some of - our mistaken friends in England exposed as the author of dreadful - heresy. The thanks which some of you unexpectedly bestowed upon me on - that occasion, I have laid at the feet of Jesus, to whom all praise - belongs, who is the author of every good gift, and from whom comes all - the help done upon the earth. - - “When I took up my pen, I aimed at discharging my duty towards God and - His misapprehended truth; towards my honoured father in Christ, Mr. - Wesley, and his misunderstood ‘Minutes’; and though all the world - should have blamed me, they would never have robbed me of the - satisfaction of having at least attempted to clear my conscience. - - “The manner in which part of you have refused me their thanks, is too - civil and brotherly not to deserve mine. I wish many of our English - brethren had been as moderate as you in their disapprobation of my - letters to the Rev. Mr. Shirley. You will see in a ‘Second Check to - Antinomianism’ some things that may reconcile you to the first; and I - have just sent to the press a ‘Third Check,’ to what appears to me the - favourite delusion of the Church; which I trust will cast more light - on the delicate subject about which we divide. - - “If we cannot see things in the same light, I hope we never shall, I - beg we never may, disagree in love. - - “I am glad you agreed to disagree about the giving or refusing me your - undeserved thanks. Let every little rub of opposition heighten our - love; every little clashing of sentiment make the heavenly spark show - itself, and kindle our souls into that charity which hopeth all - things, endureth all things, thinketh no evil, and is not provoked. - - “If I have been obliged to bear a little hardly upon my dear honoured - brother, Mr. Shirley, I beg that nothing I have written to him on - account of his precipitancy, rashness, or hurry, may prevent you from - looking upon him with the love and respect due to a minister of - Christ. Recommending him and myself to your prayers, and taking the - liberty to recommend to you mutual forbearance, a daily increase of - brotherly love, and a continual growth in the genuine liberty of the - Gospel, I remain, my dear brethren, your obliged, affectionate, and - obedient brother and servant, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[259] - -Footnote 258: - - One of Wesley’s itinerant preachers, well-read and popular, but now - enervated, and settled in Dublin. - -Footnote 259: - - “Thirteen Original Letters written by the Rev. J. Fletcher.” Bath, - 1791, p. 22. - -It has been already stated that at the commencement of the year 1772, -Fletcher was writing his “Vindication of the Doctrine of Christian -Perfection;” and that this was laid aside for the purpose of writing -against Socinianism. Very soon, however, he had to devote his attention -to another subject. In the foregoing letter, dated “March, 1772,” he -tells the Methodist Society at Dublin that he had sent his “Third Check -to Antinomianism” to the press; and this is confirmed by the following -extract from a letter by Wesley to his brother Charles:— - - “BIRMINGHAM, _March 17, 1772_. - - “I am to-day to meet Mr. Fletcher at Billbrook. Part of the ‘Third - Check’ is printing; the rest I have ready. In this he draws the sword - and throws away the scabbard. Yet, I doubt not, they will forgive him - all, if he will but promise to write no more.”[260] - -Footnote 260: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xii., p. 128. - -Fletcher’s parochial duties were heavy, and yet he seems to have written -his “Third Check to Antinomianism” in about a month. It must have been a -strain to accomplish this. The work is no flimsy production, but is full -of Scriptural arguments, which could not be framed, arranged, and -adequately expressed without a vast amount of labour; and the book -itself was of no mean size, consisting, as it did, of one hundred and -fourteen small typed and closely printed pages. The following was its -title: “A Third Check to Antinomianism; in a Letter to the Author of -“Pietas Oxoniensis:” By the Vindicator of the Rev. Mr. Wesley’s Minutes. -‘Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and _Scriptural_ -doctrine; for the time will come when they will not endure sound -doctrine,’ 2 Tim. iv. 2, 3. ‘_Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they -may be sound in the faith_; but _let brotherly love continue_,’ Tit. i. -13, Heb. xiii. 1. Bristol: Printed by W. Pine in Wine Street, 1772.” - -Why was it written and published? Fletcher had replied to the “Circular -Letter” and the “Narrative” of Shirley, and in doing so had vindicated -Wesley’s “Minutes.” Shirley was now silent, but other antagonists -started up. A small 8vo. pamphlet was published, with the title “A -Letter to the Rev. Mr. Fletcher, of Madeley, on the Differences -subsisting between him and the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Shirley.” The author -subscribed himself “An enemy to no man, but a friend to religion;” and -his letter was dated “Bath, February 3, 1772.” This religious gentleman -alleged that, under the existing circumstances, the publication of -Fletcher’s answer to Shirley’s “Circular Letter” “was highly censurable, -yea, criminal.” He accused Fletcher of “wantonly scattering firebrands, -arrows, and death;” his defence of Wesley’s “Minutes” was “flimsy;” and -he was actuated by “personal envy or enmity more than by a love to -Christ and a godly zeal to promote truth.” Fletcher, properly enough, -declined to notice the virulent and frothy pamphlet of this Bath -religionist; but another publication, issued about the same time, -demanded his attention. Its author was his friend and neighbour, Richard -Hill, Esq., and its title as follows: “Five Letters to the Reverend Mr. -F——r, relative to his Vindication of the Minutes of the Reverend Mr. -John Wesley. Intended chiefly for the comfort of mourning backsliders, -and such as may have been distressed and perplexed by reading Mr. -Wesley’s Minutes, or the Vindication of them. By a Friend. London: -1772.” 8vo., 40 pp.[261] - -Footnote 261: - - A second edition, “revised and much enlarged,” was published about the - same time as Fletcher’s “Third Check.” The first edition consisted of - forty pages, the second of fifty-two. There is nothing of importance, - however, in the second issue which is not in the first, except a few - acrid references to Wesley. The following may be taken as a specimen: - “I shall make no remarks upon the poor, loose, flimsy manner in which - the ‘Minutes’ are worded; but I cannot help observing that it seems - almost impossible for Mr. Wesley to write a page without contradicting - himself” (p. 50). - -Mr. Hill’s first letter is dated “December 2, 1771.”[262] His pamphlet -is remarkable for two things—_only two_:—First, the highest Christian -urbanity towards Fletcher; and secondly, the writer’s curious theology. -A few extracts from Mr. Hill’s letters will suffice to show that -Fletcher’s task of answering his courteous opponent was not a difficult -undertaking. - -Footnote 262: - - In the second edition it is dated “Feb., 1772.” - - “God alone knows the sorrow of heart wherewith I address you; and how - much the fear of casting stumbling-blocks before some who are really - sincere, and the apprehensions of giving malicious joy to others who - desire no greater satisfaction than to see the children of the Prince - of Peace divided among themselves, had well-nigh prevailed upon me to - pour out my soul in silence instead of publicly taking up the pen - against you. But when I perceived the solicitude with which Mr. - Wesley’s preachers recommended your letters to Mr. Shirley in their - respective congregations, and, above all, how many of God’s people had - been perplexed and distressed by reading them,—I say, when I perceived - this to be the case, and had prayed to the Giver of all wisdom for - direction, I could not but esteem it my indispensable duty to send out - a few observations on your book, especially as no other person, that I - know of, had made any reply to the doctrinal parts of it from the time - of its publication. With regard to the ‘_Circular Letter_,’ I shall - studiously avoid the very mention of it; as whether the sending of it - were in itself a wrong step or a right one, is of no consequence in - the matter of salvation. Neither shall I follow you page by page, but - taking the ’Minutes’ in the order they stand, shall dwell upon them, - more or less, as appears necessary.” - -The plan here propounded is carried out, but want of space renders it -impossible to give an outline of Mr. Hill’s theology. The following -quotations must be taken as specimens of others which might be given:— - - “Your argument is this; that, ‘_believing is previous to - justification_.’ But, dear Sir, this is begging the question; and, - permit me to say, that I deny the assertion. Waving all disputes - concerning eternal justification, or justification in the mind and - purpose of God, I maintain, that, believing cannot possibly be - previous to justification; and you must yourself maintain the same, - unless you will adopt the phrase of _an unjustified believer_; whereas - the Holy Ghost teaches that _all who believe are justified_. We may as - well suppose that a man eats before he takes any food, and that he - sees before he receives the light of the sun, as that he believes - before he is justified: for believing, and feeding upon Christ, are - not more inseparably connected than eating and taking bodily food, or - than seeing and receiving light are inseparably connected. Yea, true - faith can no more subsist without its object Christ, than there can be - a marriage without a husband. From hence, I conclude, that the - doctrine of believing before justification, and thereby making the - grace of faith a conditional work, is not less contrary to reason than - it is to Scripture itself.” - - “I most sincerely abhor the Minute, ‘that we are every hour and every - moment pleasing or displeasing to God, according to our works; - according to the whole of our inward tempers, and our outward - behaviour;’ and, yet, I equally abhor the assertion, ‘that David did - not _displease_ God more when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, - and imbrued his hands in her husband’s blood, than when he danced - before the ark.’ I know, from Scripture authority, that when David - committed the sin you allude to, the thing which he had done - _displeased the Lord_. But, though I believe that David’s _sin_ - displeased the Lord, must I therefore believe that David’s _person_ - came under the curse of the law? and that, because he was ungrateful, - God, whose gifts and callings are without repentance, was unfaithful? - Surely no. David was still a son, though a perverse one. Like - backsliding Ephraim, he was still a pleasant child, though he went on - frowardly.” - - “Either Christ has fulfilled the whole law, and borne the curse, or He - has not. If He has not, no soul can ever be saved; if He has, then all - debts and claims against His people, be they more or be they less, be - they small or be they great, be they before or be they after - conversion, are for ever and for ever cancelled. All trespasses are - forgiven them. They are justified from all things. They already have - everlasting life. They are now (virtually) sat down in heavenly places - with Christ their Forerunner; and as soon shall Satan pluck His crown - from His head, as His purchase from His hand.” - -Such were some of the absurd and pernicious doctrines propounded by Mr. -Hill, and which Fletcher felt it his duty to refute. Towards Wesley, -there is, in Mr. Hill’s pamphlet, an occasional stroke of bitterness, -as, for instance, where he asserts that “there is a much nearer -resemblance between the doctrines of Mr. John Wesley and mother Church”, -(Popery) “than the popish Superior chose to acknowledge;”[263] but -towards Fletcher, Mr. Hill, throughout, displays the most respectful -kindness, and concludes his fifth and last letter thus:— - - “And now, dear Sir, I cannot conclude these letters without expressing - my earnest desire that the contents of them may never cause any - decrease of love and Christian fellowship between us. Pardon then, my - dear Sir, I ardently beseech you, O pardon all that you have found - amiss in the unworthy author of these epistles; and much, I am sure, - your charity will have to overlook. If we cannot see things alike now, - I hope the time is not far off when we shall be thoroughly united in - sentiment, as well as in heart, and each of us, casting our crowns - before the throne, shall join our voices in that one harmonious song - of praise, with which the regions of bliss shall echo without - intermission, and without end, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to - receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and - glory, and blessing.’ ‘Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be - unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and - ever.’ - - “In the meanwhile, let me acknowledge before the world that there is - not a man living to whom I am more indebted for repeated instances of - affection, and labours of love, than I am to dear Mr. Fletcher; and, - therefore, notwithstanding all differences of judgment between us, I - trust he will always give me leave to subscribe myself his most - affectionate friend and brother, in the bonds of the Gospel of peace, - - “The Author of _Pietas Oxoniensis_.” - -Footnote 263: - - The reference here is to Father Walsh, the Benedictine monk at Paris; - and, it may be added, that, in a foot-note, Mr. Hill acknowledges - himself to have been the author of the “Conversation” with that - gentleman, recently published. - -This was worthy of Mr. Hill, who, eleven years afterwards, succeeded to -the title and estates of his father, and became Sir Richard Hill, Bart. - -Though Mr. Hill’s _first_ letter to Fletcher was dated as recently as -December 2, 1771, the whole _five_ were published, and Fletcher’s answer -to them committed to the press as early as the month of March,[264] -1772. Fletcher begins his “Third Check to Antinomianism” as follows:— - - “HONOURED AND DEAR SIR,—Accept my sincere thanks for the Christian - courtesy with which you treat me in your five letters. - - “Some of our friends will undoubtedly blame us for not yet dropping - the contest; but others will candidly consider that controversy, - though not desirable in itself, yet properly managed, has, a hundred - times, rescued truth, groaning under the lash of triumphant error. We - are indebted to our Lord’s controversies with the Pharisees and - Scribes for a considerable part of the four Gospels; and, to the end - of the world, the Church will bless God for the spirited manner in - which St. Paul, in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, defended - the controverted point of a believer’s present justification by faith; - as well as for the steadiness with which St. James, St. John, St. - Peter, and St. Jude carried on their important controversy with the - Nicolaitans, who abased St. Paul’s doctrine to Antinomian purposes. - - “Had it not been for controversy, Romish priests would, to this day, - feed us with Latin masses and a wafer-god. Some bold propositions, - advanced by Luther against the doctrine of indulgences, unexpectedly - brought on the Reformation. They were so irrationally attacked by the - infatuated papists, and so scripturally defended by the resolute - Protestants, that these kingdoms opened their eyes, and saw thousands - of images and errors fall before the ark of evangelical truth. - - “From what I have advanced in my _Second Check_, it appears, if I am - not mistaken, that we stand now as much in need of a reformation from - Antinomianism, as our ancestors did of a reformation from Popery; and - I am not without hope that the extraordinary attack which has been - made upon Mr. Wesley’s anti-Crispian propositions, and the manner in - which they are defended, will open the eyes of many, and check the - rapid progress of so enchanting and pernicious an evil. This hope - inspires me with fresh courage; and, turning from the Hon. and Rev. - Mr. Shirley, I presume to face (I trust in the spirit of love and - meekness) my new respectable opponent.” - -Footnote 264: - - The date, at the end of the Third Check, is “Madeley, February 3, - 1772.” - -Fletcher’s first purpose, in this important controversy, was to attack -Antinomianism; now he was obliged to attack Calvinism, which, though the -parent of Antinomianism, did not in the present instance approve of it. -It is needless to recapitulate Fletcher’s arguments in favour of the two -doctrines, that all mankind are redeemed by the infinite sacrifice of -the incarnate Son of God, and that, through the same sacrifice, “_the_ -manifestation of the Spirit is given to _every man_ to profit withal” (1 -Cor. xii. 7). A few brief extracts, however, will help to illustrate his -spirit, and his style of writing. - - “The grace of God is as _the wind_, which _bloweth where it listeth_; - and _it listeth_ to blow, with more or less force successively, all - over the earth. You can as soon meet with a man that never felt the - wind, or _heard the sound thereof_, as with one that never felt the - Divine breathings, or heard _the still small voice_, which we call the - grace of God. To suppose the Lord gives us a thousand tokens of _His - eternal power and Godhead_, without giving us a capacity to consider, - and grace to improve them, is not less absurd than to imagine that - when He bestowed upon Adam all the trees of paradise for food, He gave - him no eyes to see, no hands to gather, and no mouth to eat their - delicious fruits.” - - “Waiving the case of infants, idiots, and those who have _sinned the - sin unto death_, was there ever a sinner under no obligation to repent - and to believe in a merciful God? Oh, ye opposers of _free grace_, - search the universe with Calvin’s candle, and among your reprobated - millions, find out the person who never had a merciful God; and show - us the unfortunate creature, whom a sovereign God bound over to - absolute despair of His mercy from the womb. If there is no such - person in the world; if all men are bound to repent and to believe in - a merciful God, there is an end of Calvinism. An unprejudiced man can - require no stronger proof that all are redeemed from the curse of the - Adamic law, which admitted of no repentance; and that the covenant of - grace, which admits of, and makes provision for it, freely extends to - all mankind. - - “_Out of Christ’s fulness all have received grace_, a _little leaven_ - of saving power, an inward monitor, a divine reprover, a ray of _true_ - heavenly _light_, which manifests first moral, and then spiritual good - and evil. St. John _bears witness of that light_, and declares _it - was_ the spiritual _life of man_, the true light _which enlighteneth_ - not only _every man_ that comes into the Church, but _every man that - comes into the world_—without excepting those who are yet _in - darkness. For the light shineth in darkness_, even when _the darkness - comprehends it not_. The Baptist also bore _witness of that light, - that all men through it_, not through him, _might believe_; φως, - _light_, being the last antecedent, and agreeing perfectly with δι’ - αυτου.” - -The reader has already seen Mr. Hill’s strange and pernicious doctrine -respecting eternal justification. Fletcher treats this Calvinistic dream -with terrible though polite severity. Without attempting to condense his -arguments, the following extract will serve to show his perfect victory -over his respected opponent:— - - “You go on, ‘If Christ fulfilled the whole law and bore the curse, - then all debts and claims against His people, be they more or be they - less, be they small or be they great, be they before or be they after - conversion, are for ever and for ever cancelled.’ - - “Your doctrine drags after it all the absurdities of eternal, absolute - justification. It sets aside the use of repentance and faith, in order - to pardon and acceptance. It represents the sins of the elect as - forgiven not only before they are confessed, but even before they are - committed. It supposes that all the penitents who have believed that - they were once _children of wrath_, and that God was displeased at - them when they lived in sin, have believed a lie. It makes the - preaching of the Gospel one of the most absurd, wicked, and barbarous - things in the world. For what can be more absurd than to say, ‘Repent - ye, and believe the Gospel;’ ‘He that believeth not shall be damned;’ - if a certain number can _never repent or believe_, and a certain - number can _never_ be damned?” - -In concluding his Treatise, Fletcher remarks:— - - “If I have addressed my _Three Checks_ to the Rev. Mr. Shirley and - yourself” (Mr. Richard Hill), “God is my witness it was not to reflect - upon two of the most eminent characters in the circle of my religious - acquaintance. Forcible circumstances have over-ruled my inclinations. - _Decipimur specie recti._ Thinking to attack error, you have attacked - the very truth which Providence calls me to defend: and the attack - appears to me so much the more dangerous as your laborious zeal and - eminent piety are more worthy of public regard, than the boisterous - rant and loose insinuations of twenty _practical_ Antinomians. The - tempter is not so great a novice in anti-Christian politics as to - engage only _such_ to plead for _doctrinal_ Antinomianism. This would - soon spoil the trade. It is his masterpiece of wisdom to get _good - men_ to do him that eminent service. He knows that their _good_ lives - will make way for their _bad_ principles. Nor does he ever deceive - with more decency and success than under the respectable cloak of - their genuine piety. - - “If a wicked man pleads for sin, _foenun habet in cornu_, he carries - the mark on his forehead; we stand upon our guard. But when a good man - gives us to understand that _there are no lengths God’s people may not - run, nor any depths they may not fall into_, without losing _the - character of men after God’s own heart_, that _many will praise God - for_ our _denial of Christ_, that _sin and corruption work for good_, - that _a fall into adultery will drive us nearer to Christ_, and _make - us sing louder to the praise of free grace_; when he quotes Scripture - too, in order to support these assertions, calling them the pure - Gospel, and representing the opposite doctrine as the Pelagian heresy, - worse than popery itself,—he _casts the_ Antinomian _net on the right - side of the ship_, and is likely to enclose a great multitude of - unwary men; especially if some of the _best_ hands in the kingdom - drive the frighted shoal into the net, and help to drag it to shore. - - “This is, honoured Sir, what you have done, not designedly, but - thinking to do God service. Hence the steadiness with which I have - looked in the face a man of God, whose feet I should be glad to wash - at any time, under a lively sense of my great inferiority. I beg you - not to consider the unceremonious plainness of a Swiss mountaineer as - the sarcastic insolence of an incorrigible Arminian. - - “By a mistake, fashionable among religious people, you have unhappily - paid more regard to Dr. Crisp than to St. James. And, as you have - pleaded the dangerous cause of the impenitent monarch, I have - addressed you with the honest boldness of the expostulating prophet. I - have said to my honoured opponent, ‘_Thou art the man!_’ - - “I owe much respect to you, but more to truth, to conscience, and to - God. If, in trying to discharge my duty towards them, I have - inadvertently betrayed any want of respect to you, I humbly ask your - pardon; and I can assure you, in the face of the whole world, that - notwithstanding your strong attachment to the peculiarities of Dr. - Crisp, as there is no family in the world to which I am under greater - obligations than yours, so there are few gentlemen for whom I have so - peculiar an esteem, as for the respectable author of _Pietas - Oxoniensis_.” - - “Before I lay down my pen,” says Fletcher, in a “Postscript,” “I beg - leave to address, a moment, the _true_ believers who espouse Calvin’s - sentiments. Think not, honoured brethren, that I have no eyes to see - the eminent services which many of you render to the Church of Christ; - no heart to bless God for the Christian graces which shine in your - exemplary conduct; no pen to testify, that, by letting your light - shine before men, you adorn the Gospel of God our Saviour, as many of - your predecessors have done before you. I am not only persuaded that - your opinions are consistent with a genuine conversion but I take - heaven to witness how much I prefer a Calvinist who loves God to a - Remonstrant who does not. If I have, therefore, taken the liberty of - exposing your favourite mistakes, do me the justice to believe that it - was not to pour contempt upon your respectable persons; but to set - your peculiarities in such a light as might either engage you to - renounce them, or check the forwardness with which some have lately - recommended them as the only _doctrines of grace_, and the _pure - Gospel_ of Jesus Christ; unkindly representing their remonstrant - brethren as enemies to free grace, and abettors of a dreadful heresy. - - “And you, my remonstrant brethren, permit me to offer you some - seasonable advices. 1. More than ever, let us confirm our love to our - Calvinist brethren. If our arguments gall them, let us not envenom the - sore by maliciously triumphing over them. Nothing is more likely to - provoke their displeasure, and drive them from what we believe to be - the truth. 2. Do not rejoice in the _mistakes_ of our opponents, but - in the _detection_ of error. Desire not that _we_, but that _truth_ - may prevail. Let us not only be willing that our brethren should win - the day if they have _truth_ on their side; but let us make it matter - of solemn, earnest, and constant prayer. 3. Let us strictly observe - the rules of decency and kindness, taking care not to treat any of our - opponents in the same manner that they have treated Mr. Wesley. The - men of the world sometimes hint that he is a papist, and a Jesuit; but - good, mistaken men have gone much farther in the present controversy. - They have published to the world, that they _verily believe his - principles are too rotten for even a papist to rest upon_; that he - _wades through the quagmires of Pelagianism_, deals in - _inconsistencies, manifest contradictions, and strange - prevarications_; that if _a contrast were drawn from his various - assertions upon the doctrine of sinless perfection, a little piece - might extend into a folio volume_; and that they are _more than ever - convinced of his prevaricating disposition_. Not satisfied with going - to a Benedictine monk, in Paris, for help against his _dreadful - heresy_, they have wittily extracted an argument, _ad hominem_, from - _the comfortable dish of tea he drinks with Mrs. Wesley_; and, to - complete the demonstration of their respect for that grey-headed, - laborious minister of Christ, they have brought him upon the stage of - controversy in a dress of their own contriving, and made him declare - to the world, that, _whenever he and fifty-three of his - fellow-labourers say one thing, they mean quite another_. And what has - he done to deserve this usage at _their_ hands? Which of _them_ has he - treated unjustly or unkindly? Even in the course of this controversy, - has he injured any man? May he not say to this hour, _Tu pugnas; ego - vapulo tantum_? Let us avoid this warmth, my brethren; remembering - that personal reflections will never pass for convincing arguments - with the judicious and humane. - - “I have endeavoured to follow this advice with regard to Dr. Crisp; - nevertheless, lest you should rank him with _practical_ Antinomians, I - once more gladly protest my belief that he was a _good_ man; and - desire that none of you would condemn _all_ his sermons, much less his - _character_, on account of his unguarded antinomian propositions. - - “4. If you would help us to remove the prejudices of our brethren, not - only grant with a good grace, but strongly insist upon the great - truths for which they make so noble a stand. Steadily assert, with - them, that the scraps of morality and formality, by which Pharisees - and deists pretend to merit the Divine favour, are only _filthy rags_ - in the sight of a holy God; and that no righteousness is current in - heaven but the _righteousness which is of God by faith_. If they have - set their hearts upon calling it _the imputed righteousness of - Christ_, though the expression is not strictly scriptural, let it - pass; but give them to understand, that as _Divine_ imputation of - righteousness is a most glorious _reality_, so human imputation is a - most delusive _dream_; and that of this sort is undoubtedly the - _Calvinian imputation_ of righteousness to a man, who actually defiles - his neighbour’s bed, and betrays innocent blood. A dangerous - contrivance this! not less subversive of common heathenish morality, - than of St. James’s _pure and undefiled religion_. - - “Again, our Calvinist brethren excel in setting forth a _part_ of - Christ’s priestly office; I mean the immaculate purity of His most - holy life, and the all-atoning, all-meritorious sacrifice of His - bloody death. Here imitate, and, if possible, surpass them. Shout a - _finished atonement_ louder than they. If they call this complete - atonement _finished salvation_, or _the finished work of Christ_, - indulge them still: for peace’s sake, let those expressions pass; - nevertheless, at proper times, give them to understand that it is - absolutely contrary to reason, Scripture, and Christian experience to - think that _all_ Christ’s mediatorial work is _finished_. Insinuate - you should be very miserable if He had nothing more to do _for_ you - and _in_ you. Tell them, as they can bear it, that He works _daily_ as - a _Prophet_ to enlighten you; as a _Priest_ to make intercession for - you; as a _King_ to subdue your enemies; as a _Redeemer_ to deliver - you out of all your troubles; and as a _Saviour_ to help you to work - out your own salvation; and hint that, in all these respects, Christ’s - work is no more finished than the working of our own salvation is - completed. - - “The judicious will understand you; as for bigots, they are proof - against Scripture and good sense. Nevertheless, mild irony, sharply - pointing a scriptural argument, may yet pass between the joints of - their impenetrable armour, and make them feel either some shame, or - some weariness of contention. But this is a dangerous method, which I - would recommend to very few. None should dip his pen in the wine of - irony, till he has dipped it in the oil of love; and even then, he - should not use it without constant prayer, and as much caution as a - surgeon lances an impostume. If he goes too deep, he does mischief; if - not deep enough, he loses his time; the virulent humour is not - discharged, but irritated by the skin-deep operation. And ‘who is - sufficient for these things?’ Gracious God of wisdom and love! if Thou - callest us to this difficult and thankless office, let all our - sufficiency be of Thee! and should the operation succeed, Thine and - Thine alone shall be all the glory.” - -Such advices were Christian and opportune. No doubt, they were meant for -men like Thomas Olivers and Walter Sellon. Wesley, in a tract of twelve -pages, had, in 1770, attacked Toplady’s “Abridgement of Zanchius on -Predestination.” Toplady, in the same year, had replied to this, in a -most bitter and scurrilous “Letter to the Rev. Mr. John Wesley.” Not -having leisure for this kind of work, Wesley had requested Olivers to -answer Toplady. Olivers, in 1771, had published his “Letter to the -Reverend Mr. Toplady” (12mo, 60 pp.), and had treated Toplady with an -amount of well-deserved tartness, which quite justified Fletcher in -giving the above advice. - -Then, again, Walter Sellon, in the same year, 1771, had published his -“Church of England Vindicated from the Charge of Absolute -Predestination, as is stated and asserted by the Translator of Jerome -Zanchius, in his Letter to the Rev. Dr. Nowell. Together with Some -Animadversions on his Translation of Zanchius, his Letter to the Rev. -Mr. John Wesley, and his Sermon on 1 Tim. i. 10.” 12mo, 129 pp. In his -small country parish, Ledsham, in Yorkshire, Sellon had dealt Toplady’s -predestination theory heavy blows; and, it must be added, he had not -been sparing in virulence. He began with telling the abusive vicar of -Broad Hembury, “I shall deal plainly with you; more plainly, perhaps, -than you might _desire_; yet not so plainly as you might _justly -expect_. I would not say a word _barely_ to enrage you; and yet, I doubt -not, but I shall _enrage_ you, because there is no coping with such -writers as you, without speaking a little in your own manner; and I have -always observed, those that are most prone to _give_ offence are also -most prone to _take_ it.” Sellon fulfilled his threatening promise, and -concluded: “Excuse my plainness, Sir, if I tell you farther, you seem -much to stand in need of learning the lesson dictated by Solon of -Athens, ‘_Know thyself_;’ and of praying heartily that prayer prescribed -by our Church, ‘_From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and -hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness,—Good -Lord, deliver us!_’” - -Fletcher, in this irritating controversy, never lost his temper. Some of -his coadjutors and opponents did; and hence the Christian and needed -cautions and advices at the end of his “Third Check to Antinomianism.” - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - “_FOURTH CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM._” - - 1772. - - -THE issue of Fletcher’s “Third Check” was immediately followed by “A -Review of all the Doctrines taught by the Rev. Mr. John Wesley; -containing a full and particular Answer to a Book entitled, ‘A Second -Check to Antinomianism. In Six Letters, to the Author of that Book. -Wherein the Doctrines of a Twofold Justification, Free-Will, Man’s -Merit, Sinless Perfection, Finished Salvation, and Real Antinomianism -are particularly discussed; and the Puritan Divines vindicated from the -Charges brought against them of holding Mr. Wesley’s Doctrines.’ To -which is added ‘A Farrago.’ London, 1772.” 8vo, 151 pp. The letters -are all signed “The Author of P.O.,” meaning, of course, Richard Hill. - -Almost at the same time that the book, with this ponderous title, was -published, Mr. Richard Hill committed to the press an 8vo tract of -sixteen pages, entitled, “Some Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, A Third -Check to Antinomianism. By the Author of ‘_Pietas Oxoniensis_.’” - -Of the second of these publications nothing need be said. Considerable -bitterness towards Wesley is displayed, and a modicum of severity -towards Fletcher; but, perhaps, not more than might be naturally -expected; for men dislike to be vanquished. - -His first and much larger pamphlet, containing, besides the “Farrago,” -“Six Letters” addressed to Fletcher, must have more attention. The -“Letters” relate, not to the “_Third_,” but the “Second Check” of -Fletcher, and were published only a few days before the appearance of -the “Remarks” just noticed. Mr. Hill thus commences his first letter:— - - “REVEREND SIR,—After many debates with myself, and much solicitation - from my friends, you now hear from me again on your _Second Check to - Antinomianism_. I make no other apology for writing, than that I think - there is an absolute necessity an answer should be given to it. But, - whilst I make my animadversions on your letters, may the Divine Author - of love and meekness preserve me from the unhappy spirit in which they - are written! Oh, my dear Sir, I never could have supposed that sneer, - banter, and sarcasm, yea notorious falsehood, calumny, and gross - perversions, would have appeared before the world under the sanction - of your venerable name.” - -In making such accusations, Mr. Hill ought to have known he was himself -guilty of “notorious falsehood and calumny;” but he was angry, and anger -is always blindfolding. - -Mr. Hill next proceeds to denounce Wesley’s “doctrine of _a second -justification by works_;” and asserts that “it has no existence in the -Word of God, nor in any Protestant Church under heaven;” but that, in -this matter, “Mr. Wesley and Mr. Fletcher have the whole Council of -Trent on their side.” - -With considerable ability, but with great bitterness and even reviling, -especially so far as Wesley is concerned, Mr. Hill endeavours to refute -Fletcher’s arguments in support of the doctrine just named, and then -remarks:— - - “I intended to have made several other extracts from your first - letter; but as I really cannot find many lines together free from - gross misrepresentations and perversions, and hardly one single - paragraph exempt from cutting sneers and low sarcasms, I confess I - have not patience to transcribe them; especially when I consider that - they are addressed to one” (Walter Shirley) “who, notwithstanding your - former unkind behaviour, hath treated you with all the politeness of a - gentleman, and the humility of a Christian.” - -This was an ebullition of bad temper. The charges are untrue, and the -spirit is unchristian. Fletcher employed irony, but, as all candid -readers of his Checks must acknowledge, it was always polite and -decorous. None but irritated men, like Mr. Hill, can find “low -sarcasms;” and as for “gross misrepresentations and perversions,” they -have no existence. - -In his Second Letter, Mr. Hill takes up the doctrine of free-will, and -pronounces Fletcher’s statements, in support of the free agency of man, -to be “as totally void of solid scriptural argument, as they are replete -with calumny, gross perversions, and equivocations.” - -In his Third Letter, Mr. Hill discusses what he is pleased to call -_Sinless_ Perfection,—a doctrine which neither Wesley nor Fletcher ever -taught. _Christian_ Perfection[265] they enforced and defended; but -_Sinless_ Perfection, using the word in its strict and literal sense, -was not a dogma of theirs, but a verbal invention, adopted from -Whitefield and others, by Mr. Hill and his angry friends, who desired to -make their opponents the target of ridicule and scorn. - -Footnote 265: - - The reader who wishes to know what is meant by this is strongly - recommended to read Wesley’s invaluable treatise, entitled, “A Plain - Account of Christian Perfection;” his equally important and scriptural - sermon on “Christian Perfection,” and his other irrefutable sermons on - the same subject. - -Mr. Hill begins with several revolting anecdotes respecting people who -professed themselves to be _perfect_ Christians,—stories which probably -were true; but stories concerning _perfect_ fanatics whom Wesley and -Fletcher would have condemned as strongly as Mr. Hill. His Letter -terminates with a series of the same sort of nauseous anecdotes. In a -certain sense, it is smart, and Mr. Hill thought it so; for, in -concluding it, he remarks:— - - “Now, my dear Sir, I have given you a little in your own way; but, - notwithstanding you have set me the example in this manner of writing, - I shall be glad to set you the example of mutual forgiveness. By - cutting and slashing, we shall never convince each other of our - errors; and the end of our controversy will be, that the world will - laugh at you for taking the sword of banter, the shield of perversion, - the helmet of prejudice, and the breastplate of acrimony, in order to - fight for the doctrine of sinless perfection; and I myself shall be - laughed at, in my turn, for losing so much precious time in answering - you.” - -Mr. Hill’s fourth letter is a brief one, and is devoted to what he calls -Fletcher’s “heavy bombs of bitter sneer and cutting sarcasm,” hurled at -the doctrine of “_the finished salvation of Christ_.” - -The fifth and sixth letters, and also the postscript, are not -theological, but simply abusive. Fletcher is said to “have traduced all -the most celebrated ministers of the Gospel” of that day; and to have -“thrown stumbling-blocks into the way of thousands.” A “wretched spirit -of low sarcasm and slanderous banter runs throughout” his whole -writings. Wesley and Fletcher had “adopted a scheme of religion gathered -out of Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism, Arminianism, Popery, Mysticism, -and Quakerism.” - -The “Farrago of Hot and Cold Medicines, by the Rev. Mr. John Wesley, -extracted from his own Publications,” is, of course, principally -levelled against Wesley. The spirit of it may be gathered from an -extract from Bishop Hall, on the title-page of Mr. Hill’s ill-natured -pamphlet:— - - “I would I knew where to find you; then I could take a direct aim. - Whereas now I must rove and conjecture. To-day you are in the tents of - the Romanists; to-morrow, in ours; next day, between both, against - both. Our adversaries think you ours, we theirs; your conscience finds - you with both and neither. I flatter you not; this of yours is the - worst of all tempers. _Will you be a church alone?_ Alas! how full are - you of contradictions to yourself! How full of contrary purposes! How - oft do you chide with yourself? How oft do you fight with yourself?” - -Of course, all this was provoking. Had Fletcher been of a much less -combative disposition than he really was, it would have been impossible -for him, as a man of honesty and honour, to lay aside his pen. Mr. -Hill’s accusations were serious ones, involving Fletcher’s moral -character; and a reply to them was imperative. But, before Fletcher’s -“Fourth Check to Antinomianism” is introduced to the reader’s notice, -another publication, which preceded it, must be mentioned. This was -entitled “Friendly Remarks occasioned by the Spirit and Doctrines -contained in the Rev. Mr. Fletcher’s Vindication, and more particularly -in his Second Check to Antinomianism, to which is added a postscript, -occasioned by his Third Check. In a letter to the Author, by -***********. A.M. London: 1772.” 8vo. 71 pp. The letter is dated, -“London, July 4, 1772,” and the asterisks stand for the name of Rowland -Hill, Mr. Richard Hill’s impulsive and eccentric brother, who had taken -his degree at Cambridge, had been refused orders by half-a-dozen -bishops, and was now nearly twenty-seven years of age. Berridge and -Whitefield had been his friends, and even Wesley had approved of his -preaching among his Societies.[266] At present, he was in London, -discoursing to immense congregations in Whitefield’s two Metropolitan -Chapels, and was resident in the Tabernacle House, in Moorfields.[267] -There, no doubt, the pamphlet was written, which must now be noticed. - -He begins with a reference to his extensive preaching tours; and states -that he was frequently invited to preach in the meeting-houses of -Wesley’s Societies, and that this occasioned him considerable -perplexity, for to preach against Wesley’s “sentiments in his own -congregations would be unfair.” He continues:— - - “And yet, when I consider how many excellent Christians are contained - in Mr. Wesley’s Societies, whom I love as my own soul, and to whom I - have frequently given promises of my assistance and labours, how will - it grieve me to be constrained to withdraw from them, whom I so much - honour and respect.” - -Rowland Hill proceeds to say, that “hitherto he had declined having the -least share in the late contentions.” He was at Bristol in 1771, when -Mr. Shirley and his friends invaded Wesley’s Conference, but he refused -to join them, and left the city, for, he remarks, “Peace I love, but -controversy I hate.” He continues:— - - “Upon my return to Bristol, I saw your first publication.[268] As I - dearly loved your character, I read it with great prejudice in your - favour; but still, the _tartness_ of the style, as well as the bad - doctrine it contained, concerned me; but, as I plainly perceived your - intention was to make the ‘_Minutes_’ speak as much Gospel as - possible, though I was sorry for the performance, I felt a loving pity - for the author. About the same time, I called upon Mr. Wesley, then in - Bristol, and, in strong terms, expressed to him my concern about his - ‘_Minutes_.’ He told me that he looked upon the whole of them as - truth, and that he should vindicate them as such. - - “Still my determination was to appear in no open separation from Mr. - Wesley; hoping that time would soften the edge of the dispute, and - restore calmness and composure among contending parties; but your - _second_ publication[269] compels me to believe that to be neutral any - longer will be criminal. You have now done sufficient to darken every - gleam of hope of future tranquillity, by publishing _such_ doctrine, - and in _such_ a spirit, as has kindled no small flame in the religious - world.” - -Footnote 266: - - Sidney’s “Life of Rowland Hill,” p. 56. - -Footnote 267: - - _Ibid_, p. 70. - -Footnote 268: - - The “Vindication” of Wesley’s Minutes. - -Footnote 269: - - “Second Check to Antinomianism, in Three Letters,” to Mr. Shirley. - -No doubt Rowland Hill was perfectly sincere when he said he hated -controversy, and loved peace; and yet, such is the tendency of polemical -writing, Rowland Hill and his brother Richard became the principal -fomentors of this controversial warfare. - -Having given what he calls “a simple narration of facts,” Mr. Rowland -Hill proceeds to say:— - - “I will now make some strictures principally upon your last - performance. This I pray God I may be enabled to do with meekness and - judgment. I know there is no _argument_ in _banter_, nor _conclusion_ - in _sarcasm_, nor _divinity_ in a _sneer_: such weapons I wish totally - to discard; they are _pitiful_ even for the world, but they are - _scandalous_ when used by a Christian. I hate such feeble aids, and - will scorn to use them; they would defile my soul, and stab the cause - I mean to maintain. The meek and dove-like disposition of Christ, I - humbly hope will teach me, while I write, to _pity_, not to _abuse_, - the mistaken; and meekly to deliver my sentiments, without having - recourse to the _low arts_ of _slander_ and _reflection_.” - -Rowland Hill had good intentions; but whether he fulfilled them will be -seen in the succeeding extracts. - - “After having first dressed up Mr. Shirley according to your own - fancy, and branded him with the opprobrious _name_ of _Antinomian_, - you place him at the head of a set of monsters invented by yourself; - and, after having thus raised a hideous and unthought-of ghost, you - remand it to the shades by your own spells and incantations of - _banter_ and _contempt_.” - - “After having said so much as to place us in a manner even amongst - _murderers_, on account of our principles of grace, it really shocks - and almost disheartens me from following you any further. I will, - therefore, now omit reminding you of the numberless _sneers_, - _taunts_, and _sarcasms_, which so dreadfully decorate the whole of - your performance; they are nothing better than the infernal _terms of - darkness_; it is _hateful_ to transcribe them; _let darkness be their - doom_.” - - “Consider in what detestable colours you have pictured us before the - world. There is scarce an abomination but what we are charged with; - and our enemies triumph at the supposed discovery. You are the man, - they say, that has been among the _Calvinists_, has found out their - hypocrisy, and are now publishing against them. Numbers of them, to my - knowledge, carry about your book in ill-natured triumph, and cast in - our teeth, as certain truth, the _dreadful slanders_ you have - _invented_. In short, Sir, you have brought over us such a day of - _blasphemy_ and _rebuke_ as we never felt before.” - - “Our characters now lie bleeding before you; we smart severely under - the cruelty of your pen; and complain loudly against your great - injustice. You have given us up to be trampled upon by the world, who, - from your _pretended_ discoveries, looks upon us all as hypocrites - detected under the mask of religion. If you think us in error, for - Christ’s sake, _sneer_ at us no more; though it may be _sport_ to you, - it is, in a manner, _death_ to us. Learn the more Christian lesson to - pity us, and pray for us, and try to set us right in love.” - -Rowland Hill, no doubt, intended to avoid in his pamphlet “_the low art -of slander_;” but he failed in carrying out his purpose. Any one who has -read, with candour, Fletcher’s first and second Checks to Antinomianism, -must admit that Mr. Hill’s accusations are unfounded. Where had Fletcher -slandered Rowland Hill, or any of his Calvinistic friends? It is true -that he had treated some of the _doctrines_ of the Calvinists with -“_banter_” and with “_sarcasm_;” but his Calvinian friends, against -whose tenets he had written, had, uniformly, been treated with -respectful affection. Impetuous Rowland improperly applied Fletcher’s -“_banter_” and “_sarcasm_,” not to _doctrines_, as Fletcher had -intended, but to the _men_ who held them, himself and his godly friends -included; a thing from which Fletcher’s loving soul revolted. - -The remainder of Rowland Hill’s “Friendly Remarks” chiefly consists of -animadversions, intended to show “the glaring inconsistencies and -palpable mistakes” of Fletcher, in the doctrines he had defended and -enforced. It would be an almost endless task to dwell upon the -theological criticisms of Fletcher and his opponents. As might be -expected, Rowland Hill, in attacking Fletcher’s tenets, is often smart; -and, it must be added, often bitter. - -A reply to the pamphlets of Richard Hill and his brother Rowland became -a necessity. Fletcher could not remain silent under such unfounded and -undeserved imputations. Hence, though weary of the warfare, he at once -resumed his pen, and began to prepare his “Fourth Check to -Antinomianism.” The postscript of Rowland Hill’s “Friendly Remarks,” -dated “July 4, 1772,” states that the “Third Check” had just “made its -appearance.” The fourth was published before the year was ended, and -bore the title of “Logica Genevensis; or, a Fourth Check to -Antinomianism, in which St. James’s Pure Religion is defended against -the Charges, and established upon the Concessions of Mr. Richard and Mr. -Rowland Hill. In a Series of Letters to those Gentlemen, by the -Vindicator of the Minutes. Bristol: Printed by William Pine, -1772.” 12mo. 245 pp. The letters are thirteen in number, and all of -them are addressed to Mr. Richard Hill, except the ninth, which is -addressed “to Mr. Rowland Hill,” and the tenth and eleventh written to -the two brothers conjointly. The thirteenth, and last, is dated, -“Madeley, Nov. 15, 1772.”[270] - -Footnote 270: - - The semi-infidel _Monthly Review_, which could hardly exist without - sneering at evangelical religion, remarked concerning this Fourth - Check to Antinomianism:— - - “Mr. Fletcher continues to push the Calvinists with unremitting - vigour. He here encounters two formidable adversaries at once. The - veteran Wesley, who now, perhaps, thinks it time to retire from the - well-fought field, is fortunate in having so zealous an auxiliary.” - (_Monthly Review_, 1773, p. 240.) - -Meanwhile, Wesley published “Some Remarks on Mr. Hill’s Review of all -the Doctrines taught by Mr. John Wesley.” This is not the place to -analyse Wesley’s 12mo. pamphlet of 54 pages, but the following extract -from it may be acceptable:— - - “With regard to Mr. Hill’s objections to Mr. Fletcher, I refer all - candid men to his own writings—his letters, entitled a ‘First, Second, - and Third Check to Antinomianism;’ the rather, because there are very - few of his arguments which Mr. Hill even _attempts_ to answer. ’Tis - true he promises ‘a full and particular answer to Mr. Fletcher’s - “Second Check to Antinomianism”;’ but it will puzzle any one to find - where that answer is except in the title-page. And if anything more is - needful to be done, Mr. Fletcher is still able to answer for himself. - But if he does, I would recommend to his consideration the advice - formerly given by a wise man to his friend, ‘See that you humble not - yourself to that man; it would hurt both him and the cause of God.’ - ’Tis pity but he had considered it sooner, and he might have escaped - some keen reflections. But he did not. He imagined when he spoke or - wrote in the simplicity of his heart, that his opponents would have - received his words in the same spirit wherein they were spoken; but - they turn them all into poison. He not only _loses his sweet words_, - but they are turned into bitterness—are interpreted as mere _sneer_ - and _sarcasm_! A good lesson for _me_. I had designed to have - transcribed Mr. Fletcher’s character of Mr. Hill, and to have added a - little thereto, in hope of softening his spirit. But I see it is in - vain; as well might one hope to soften - - ‘Inexorable Pluto, king of shades.’ - - Since he is capable of putting such a construction even upon Mr. - Fletcher’s gentleness and mildness; since he ascribes even to him ‘a - pen dipped in gall,’ what will he not ascribe to _me_? I have done - therefore with humbling myself to these men—to Mr. Hill and his - associates. I have humbled myself to them for these thirty years, but - will do it no more. I have done with attempting to soften their - spirits; it is all lost labour” (pp. 3, 4). - -Having come to such a determination, it need not be added that Wesley’s -pamphlet was one of the most trenchant he ever published. - -Wesley was in Shropshire in the month of August, and probably had an -interview with Fletcher. It is not unlikely that Fletcher accompanied -Wesley in his journey to Bristol; but if this were not the case, it is -certain that he soon after followed him. Hence the following hitherto -unpublished letter, written by John Pawson, an itinerant preacher of ten -years’ standing:— - - “BRISTOL, _September 29, 1772_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—Mr. Wesley came here on Saturday, August 29, and - has been with us ever since, but intends to leave Bristol next Monday” - [October 5]. “He seems to be as zealous and active in his Master’s - service as ever, and quite in good health. We have also had the great - Mr. Fletcher here, but he is now returned to Madeley. He seems to be - an eminent saint indeed. I had the satisfaction to hear him twice. He - is a lively, zealous preacher; the power of God seems to attend his - word; yet I admire him much more as a writer than as a preacher. Being - a foreigner, there is a kind of roughness attends his language that is - not grateful to an English hearer; and the English not being his - mother-tongue, he sometimes seems to be at a loss for words. Yet he - certainly is a great and blessed man. - - “We have had very large congregations to hear both Mr. Wesley and Mr. - Fletcher, especially the latter; and I hope we shall see the fruit of - their preaching in a little time. I trust that our gracious Lord will - be with us, and that we shall have a prosperous year; though I - apprehend it will be attended with greater difficulties than ever to - keep the people together in Bristol. We have the Tabernacle[273] on - one hand, and Mr. Janes,[274] who has a meeting in Tucker Street, on - the other. Mr. Roquet[271] also is disaffected towards us. He has been - in London for some time with his dear friend Mr. Hill. One night he - preached in the Foundery, where he gave universal offence by using - many Calvinistical phrases, and by telling the whole congregation that - he knew there were whores and bawds even in the Bands[272] in Bristol. - He said, ‘These eyes have seen it, and this heart has groaned on - account of it.’ How he will be when he returns I know not; but these - are the accounts we hear from London. Were it not that so many of our - people are so exceedingly unstable, we need not fear any of these - things; but you well know that many of them have got itching ears, and - will run about, say or do what we will. - - “Mr. Wesley has just published his answer to Mr. Hill. I suppose it - will make the Calvinists exceeding angry; but I think Mr. Fletcher’s - ‘Fourth Check,’ which is now in the press, will make them much more - so, as he does not spare them at all, but endeavours to show, in the - clearest manner, the horrible consequences of their beloved opinions. - He is writing something upon Perfection, the former part of which I - have seen; and I think he will set that doctrine in so Scriptural a - light, as to stop the mouths of gainsayers.” - -Footnote 271: - - Whitefield had a Tabernacle at Kingswood; and Lady Huntingdon, in - 1753, built one in Bristol, which Whitefield opened. - -Footnote 272: - - Thomas Janes, who from 1767 to 1770 was one of Wesley’s itinerants. - His health not being equal to the rough work of a Methodist preacher - he settled as the pastor of a dissenting congregation in Bristol. He - died in 1773. He was a man of considerable abilities, and compiled and - published a volume which he entitled “The Beauties of the Poets.” - -Footnote 273: - - One of the first masters of Wesley’s Kingswood School, but now an - ordained clergyman of the Church of England, and curate of St. - Werburgh in Bristol. He was an intimate friend of Lady Huntingdon. - -Footnote 274: - - The Band-meetings of the Methodists, consisting of persons selected - from the Methodist classes. - -Fletcher dedicated his “Fourth Check to Antinomianism” “to all candid -Calvinists in the Church of England.” An extract from this dedication -may be useful, as giving, in a brief form, some of the doctrines which -Fletcher had defended and enforced, and which had so hugely offended his -Calvinistic friends. - - “They” [his opponents] “will try to frighten you from reading this - book, by protesting that I throw down the foundation of Christianity - and help Mr. Wesley to place _works_ and _merit_ on the Redeemer’s - throne. To this dreadful charge I answer:—1. That I had rather my - right hand should lose its cunning to all eternity, than use it a - moment to detract from the Saviour’s _real_ glory. 2. That the - strongest pleas I produce for holiness and good works are quotations - from the Homilies of our own Church as well as from the Puritan - divines, whom I cite preferably to others, because they held what you - are taught to call the _doctrines of grace_. 3. That what I have said - of those doctrines recommends itself to every unprejudiced person’s - reason and conscience. 4. That my capital arguments in favour of - practical Christianity are founded upon our second justification by - the evidence of good works in the great day; a doctrine which my - opponent himself cannot help assenting to. 5. That from first to last, - when the _meritorious cause_ of our justification is considered, we - set works aside; praying God _not to enter into judgment with us_, or - _weigh our merits_, but to _pardon our offences_ for Christ’s sake; - and gladly ascribing the whole of our salvation to His alone merits, - as much as Calvin or Dr. Crisp does. 6. That when the word _meriting_, - _deserving_, or _worthy_, which our Lord uses again and again, is - applied to good works or good men, we mean absolutely nothing but - _rewardable_, or qualified for the reception of a _gracious reward_. - And 7. That even this _improper_ merit or rewardableness of good works - is entirely derived from Christ’s _proper_ merit, who works what is - good in us; and from the gracious promise of God, who has freely - engaged Himself to recompense the fruits of righteousness, which His - own free grace enables us to produce.” - -In the first eight of his letters, Fletcher quotes copiously from the -Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies of the Church of England, and from the -writings of Puritan divines. He also minutely examines Mr. Richard -Hill’s objections to his doctrines and to his Scriptural expositions. Up -to this point there is a comparative absence of his cutting irony; but -there is a great amount of powerful and triumphant writing. - -In his ninth letter, addressed to Rowland Hill, he naturally enough lays -aside the restraint he had put upon himself. Richard Hill was now a man -of matured life, forty years of age; his brother Rowland was a young man -of only twenty-seven. The former had not been sparing in the use of -acrimonious epithets; the latter had been lavish. No wonder that -Fletcher spared not his youthful opponent. He wrote:— - - “What reason have you to assert, as you do, that I ‘_have grossly - misrepresented the Scriptures_,’ and ‘made _universal havoc of every - truth of the Gospel_’? The first of these charges is heavy, the second - dreadful. Let us see by what arguments they are supported. After - throwing away a good part of your book in passing a long, Calvinian, - juvenile sentence upon my spirit as a writer, you come at last to the - point, and attempt to explain some of the Scriptures which you suppose - I have ‘misrepresented.’” - -Fletcher proceeds to examine what he calls “the arguments” of Rowland -Hill; and then concludes, as follows:— - - “Having answered your objections to what you justly call ‘the - principal cause of the controversy among us,’ I may make one or two - observations upon the _friendliness_ of your ‘_Friendly Remarks_.’ - - “Candid reader, if thou hast read my Checks without prejudice, and - attentively compared them with the Word of God, wouldest thou ever - think that the following lines contain an extract from the _friendly_ - sentence, which my young opponent passes upon them?—‘Hard names, - banter, sarcasm, sneer, abuse, bravado, low arts of slander, - slanderous accusation, opprobrious name, ill-natured satire, odious, - deformed, detestable colours, unfair and ungenerous treatment, terms - void of truth, unmerciful condemnations, false humility, irritating - spirit, provoking, uncharitable style, continual sneers, most odious - appellations, abusive words, notorious scandalizing, lines too - dreadful to be transcribed, unworthy of an answer, beneath contempt, - most indecent ridicule, a wretched conclusion, as bitter as gall, - _and_ slanders which ought even to make a Turk blush.’ - - “If thou canst not yet see, gentle reader, into the nature of Mr. - Rowland Hill’s ‘_Remarks_,’ peruse the following _friendly_ sentences. - ‘In regard to the fopperies of religion, you certainly differ from the - Popish priest of Madeley. You have made universal havoc of every truth - of the Gospel. You have invented dreadful slanders. You plentifully - stigmatize many with the most unkindly language. You have blackened - our principles, and scandalized our practice. You place us in a manner - among murderers. It shocks me to follow you. Our characters lie - bleeding under the cruelty of your pen, and complain loudly against - your great injustice. Blush for the characters you have injured by the - rashness and bitterness of your pen. You have invented a set of - monsters, and raised a hideous ghost, by your own spells and - incantations of banter and contempt. Numberless sneers, taunts, and - sarcasms dreadfully decorate the whole of your performance: they are - nothing better than infernal terms of darkness, which it is hateful to - transcribe.’ - - “When I cast my eyes upon this extract, I cannot help crying out, ‘If - this is my antagonist’s _friendliness_, alas! what will be his - _displeasure_? And what have I done to deserve these tokens of - Calvinian benevolence? Why are these flowers of Geneva rhetoric so - plentifully heaped upon my head?’ - - “Sir, I do not intimate that I have done nothing displeasing to you. - Far from insinuating it, I shall present my readers with a list of the - manifold, but well-meant provocations, which have procured me your - public correspondence. I say, _well-meant provocations_; for all I - want to _provoke_ any one _to_ is _love and good works_. - - “1. I have written my Checks with the _confidence_ with which the - clear dictates of reason, and the full testimonies of Scripture, - usually inspire those who love what they esteem truth more than they - do their dearest friends. - - “2. After speaking most honourably of _many Calvinists_, even of all - that are _pious_, I have taken the liberty to insinuate, that the - schemes of _finished salvation_, and _imputed righteousness_, will no - more save a Calvinist guilty of _practical_ Antinomianism, than the - doctrine of _general redemption_ will save an ungodly remonstrant. - Thus I have made no difference between the _backsliding elect_ of the - Lock,[275] and the _apostates_ of the Foundery, when death overtakes - them in their sins, and in their blood. - - “3. I have maintained that our Lord did not speak an untruth when He - said, _In the day of judgment, by thy words shalt thou be justified_; - and that St. Paul did not propagate heresy when he wrote, _Work out - your own salvation_. - - “4. I have sprinkled with the salt of irony your favourite doctrine - (‘Friendly Remarks,’ p. 39), ‘Salvation wholly depends upon the - purpose of God according to election, without any respect to what may - be in them,’ _i.e._ _the elect_. Now, Sir, as by the doctrine of - undeniable consequences, he who receives a guinea with the _king’s - head_ on the one side cannot but receive the _lions_ on the other - side; so he that admits the preceding proposition, cannot but admit - the inseparable counterpart, namely, the following proposition, which - every attentive and unprejudiced person sees written in blood upon - that side of Calvin’s standard which is generally kept out of sight, - ‘Damnation wholly depends upon the purpose of God according to - reprobation, without respect to what may be in the reprobates.’ Here - is no ‘inventing a monstrous creed,’ but merely turning the leaf of - your own, and reading what is written there, namely, _damnation - finished_, evidently answering to _finished salvation_.” - -Footnote 275: - - The Lock Hospital, where Martin Madan was Chaplain. - -Fletcher admits that he had used irony in his Checks, not, however, -because he liked it, but because he found it needful. He writes:— - - “If I make use of irony in my Checks, it is not from ‘_spleen_,’ but - _reason_. It appears to _me_ that the subject requires it, and that - _ridiculous error_ is to be turned out of the temple of truth, not - only with scriptural argument, which is _the sword of the Spirit_, but - also with _mild irony_, which is a proper scourge for a glaring and - obstinate mistake.” - -Holding such a view, he introduces, in one of the two letters addressed -to Richard and Rowland Hill unitedly, an illustration of the absurdities -involved in Calvinism, which, perhaps, is as severe as anything that his -Checks contain. The extract is long, but must be given unabridged. - - “You decry ‘illustrations,’ and I do not wonder at it; for they carry - light into Babel, where it is not desired. The father of error begets - _darkness_ and _confusion_. From darkness and confusion springs - _Calvinism_, who, wrapping himself up in some garments he has stolen - from the truth, deceives the nations, and gets himself reverenced in a - dark temple, as if he were the pure and free Gospel. - - “To bring him to a _shameful_ end, we need not stab him with the - dagger of ‘_calumny_,’ or put him upon the rack of _persecution_. Let - him only be dragged out of his obscurity, and brought unmasked to open - light. The silent beams of truth will pierce him through! Light alone - will torture him to death, as the meridian sun does a bird of night - that cannot fly from the gentle operation of its beams. - - “May the following _illustration_ dart at least one luminous beam into - the profound darkness in which your venerable Diana delights to dwell! - And may it show the Christian world that we do not ‘_slander you_,’ - when we assert, you inadvertently _destroy God’s law_, and cast the - Redeemer’s _crown to the ground_: and that when you say, ‘_In point of - justification_’ (and consequently of condemnation) ‘_we have nothing - to do with the law: we are under the law as a rule of life_,’ but not - as a rule of judgment, you might as well say, ‘We are under no law, - and consequently no longer accountable for our actions.’ - - “The King, whom I _suppose_ in love with your doctrines of free grace - and free wrath, by the advice of a predestinarian council and - parliament, issues out a _Gospel_ proclamation, directed, ‘To all his - dear subjects, and _elect_ people, the _English_.’ By this evangelical - manifesto they are informed, ‘That in consideration of the Prince of - Wales’s meritorious intercession, and perfect obedience to the laws of - England, all the penalties annexed to the breaking of those laws are - now abolished with respect to _Englishmen_: That His Majesty freely - pardons all his subjects, who have been, are, or shall be guilty of - adultery, murder, or treason: That all their crimes, “past, present, - and to come, are for ever and for ever cancelled:”’ That, - nevertheless, his loving subjects, who remain strangers to their - privileges, shall still be served with sham warrants according to law, - and frightened out of their wits, till they have learned to plead they - are _Englishmen_ (_i.e._ elect): And then they shall set at defiance - all legalists, that is, all those who shall dare to deal with them - according to law: And that, excepting the case of the above-mentioned - _false_ prosecution of his chosen people, none of them shall ever be - molested for the breach of any law.’ - - “By the same supreme authority, it is likewise enacted, that all the - laws shall continue in force against foreigners, (_i.e._ reprobates) - whom the King and the Prince hate with everlasting hatred, and to whom - they have agreed never to show mercy: That, accordingly, they shall be - prosecuted to the utmost rigour of every statute, till they are all - hanged or burned out of the way: And that, supposing no personal - offence can be proved against them, it shall be lawful to hang them in - chains for the crime of one of their forefathers, to set forth the - King’s wonderful justice, display his glorious sovereignty, and make - his chosen people relish the better their sweet, distinguishing - privileges as _Englishmen_. - - “Moreover, His Majesty, who loves order and harmony, charges his - loving subjects to consider still the statutes of England, which are - in force against foreigners, as very good _rules of life_ for the - English, which they will do _well_ to follow, but BETTER to break; - because every breach of those rules will _work for their good_, and - _make them sing louder_ the faithfulness of the King, the goodness of - the Prince, and the sweetness of this Gospel proclamation. - - “Again, as nothing is so displeasing to the King as _legality_, which - he hates even more than extortion and whoredom; lest any of his dear - people, who have acted the part of a strumpet, robber, murderer, or - traitor, should, through the remains of their inbred corruption, and - ridiculous _legality_, mourn too deeply for breaking some of their - _rules of life_, our gracious Monarch solemnly assures them, that, - though he highly disapproves of adultery and murder, yet these - breaches of _rules_ are not worse, in his sight, than a wandering - thought in speaking to him, or a moment’s dulness in his service: That - robbers, therefore, and traitors, adulterers and murderers, who are - free-born _Englishmen_, need not be at all uneasy about losing his - royal favour; this being utterly impossible, because they always stand - complete in the honesty, loyalty, chastity, and charity of the Prince. - - “Moreover, because the King changes not, whatever lengths the - _English_ go in immorality, he will always look upon them as his - _pleasant children_, his _dear people_, and men after his own heart; - and that, on the other hand, whatsoever lengths foreigners go in pious - morality, his gracious Majesty is determined still to consider them as - _hypocrites_, _vessels of wrath_, and _cursed children_, for whom is - reserved the blackness of darkness for ever; because he always views - them completely guilty, and absolutely condemned in a certain _robe of - unrighteousness_, woven thousands of years ago by one of their - ancestors. This dreadful _sanbenito_[276] His Majesty has thought fit - to put upon them by imputation; and in it, it is his good pleasure - that they should hang in adamantine chains, or burn in fire - unquenchable. - - “Finally, as foreigners are dangerous people, and may stir up His - Majesty’s subjects to rebellion, the _English_ are informed that if - any one of them, were he to come over from Geneva itself, shall dare - to insinuate that this most gracious gospel proclamation is not - according to equity, morality, and godliness, the first Englishman - that meets him shall have full leave to brand him as a papist, without - judge or jury, in the forehead or on the back, as he thinks best; and - that, till he is farther proceeded with according to the utmost - severity of the law, the chosen nation shall be informed, in the - _Gospel Magazine_, to beware of him as a man who ‘scatters firebrands, - arrows, and deaths,’ and _makes universal havoc of every_ article of - this sweet gospel proclamation. - - “Given at Geneva, and signed by four of His Majesty’s principal - secretaries of state for the predestination department. - - “JOHN CALVIN. THE AUTHOR OF ‘P. O.’[277] - DR. CRISP. ROWLAND HILL.” - -Footnote 276: - - A frock, painted with flames and devils, in which heretics were burnt - by the Inquisition. - -Footnote 277: - - Richard Hill, the author of _Pietas Oxoniensis_. - -To those not acquainted with the Calvinian controversy, this -“illustration” may appear ungenerous and unfair; but in reality, the -doctrines it burlesques had all been asserted by Calvinists, and the -theological points involved in them had all been exposed and -controverted by Fletcher, in his “Checks to Antinomianism.” No doubt the -exposure was unpleasant, but the author of the Checks was not to be -blamed for this. His work was done with an aching heart in the defence -of truth and righteousness. - -Fletcher’s twelfth Letter, addressed to Richard Hill alone, dwells -altogether on the doctrine of Imputed Righteousness, which Fletcher -describes as follows:— - - “Consistent Calvinists believe that if a man is elected, God - absolutely imputes to him Christ’s personal righteousness, _i.e._, the - perfect obedience unto death which Christ performed upon earth. This - is reckoned to him for obedience and righteousness, even while he is - actually disobedient, and before he has a grain of inherent - righteousness. They consider this imputation, as an unconditional and - eternal act of grace, by which, not only a sinner’s past sins, but his - crimes _present_ and _to come_, be they more or be they less, be they - small or be they great, are for ever and for ever covered. _He is_ - eternally _justified from all things_. And, therefore, under this - imputation, he is perfectly righteous before God, even while he - commits adultery or murder. Or, to use your own expression, whatever - _lengths he runs_, whatever _depths he falls into_, ‘_he always stands - absolved, always complete in the everlasting righteousness of the - Redeemer_.’” - -This, to many Calvinists of the present day, will seem to be an -extravagant caricature of one of their favourite dogmas, but it must not -be overlooked that a great part of Fletcher’s descriptive definition is -actually taken from the published writings of Richard Hill. No wonder, -therefore, that Fletcher, with stinging irony, proceeds to say:— - - “In point of justification, it matters not how unrighteous a believer - actually is in himself; because the robe of Christ’s personal - righteousness, which, at his peril, he must not attempt to patch up - with any personal righteousness of his own, is more than sufficient to - adorn him from head to foot; and he must be sure to appear before God - in no other. In this rich garment of _finished salvation_, the - greatest apostates shine brighter than angels, though they are ‘_in - themselves black_’ as the old murderer, and filthy as the brute that - wallows in the mire. This ‘best robe,’ as it is called, is - full-trimmed with such phylacteries as these,—‘Once in grace, always - in grace;’ ‘Once justified, eternally justified;’ ‘Once washed, always - fair, undefiled, and without spot.’ And so great are the privileges of - those who have it on, that they can range through all the bogs of sin, - wade through all the puddles of iniquity, and roll themselves in the - thickest mire of wickedness, without contracting the least spot of - guilt, or speck of defilement.” - -Of course, Fletcher found no difficulty in demolishing such luscious and -pernicious nonsense as this. - - “If this doctrine is true,” says he, “the Divine perfections suffer a - general eclipse; one half of the Bible is erased; St. James’s Epistle - is made void; defiled religion justly passes for ‘_pure gospel_;’ the - Calvinian doctrine of perseverance is true; and barefaced - Antinomianism is properly recommended as ‘_the doctrines of grace_.’” - -Fletcher’s last letter, also addressed to “Richard Hill, Esq.” alone, -deals with the doctrine of Free-will. His definition of the Methodist -doctrine deserves quotation. - - “We never supposed that the natural will of fallen man is free _to - good_, before it is more or less touched and rectified by grace. All - we assert is, that, whether a man chooses good or evil, his _will_ is - _free_, or it does not deserve the name of _will_. It is as far from - us to think that man, unassisted by Divine grace, is sufficient to - will spiritual good; as to suppose that when he wills it by grace he - does not will it _freely_. And, therefore, agreeably to our Tenth - Article, which you quote against us without the least reason, we - steadily assert that _we have no power to do good works, without the - grace of God preventing us_, not that we may have a _free_ will, for - this we always had in the above-mentioned sense, but _that we may have - a good will_; believing that, as confirmed saints and angels have a - _free_ will, though they have no _evil_ will, so abandoned reprobates - and devils have a _free_ will, though they have no _good_ will.” - -These may appear to the cursory reader metaphysical niceties of no -practical importance; but, a hundred years ago, they were considered -doctrines of vital interest. The difference between Fletcher and his -Calvinian friends is well stated by himself:— - - “From our mutual concessions, it is evident we agree, 1. That the will - is always _free_; 2. That the will of man, considered as fallen in - Adam, and unassisted by the grace of God, is only _free to evil_; and, - 3. That when he is _free to good_, free to choose life, he has this - from redeeming grace. - - “But, although we agree in those material points, the difference - between us is still very considerable; for, we assert, that through - the Mediator promised to all mankind in Adam, God, by His free grace, - restores to ALL _mankind_ a talent of _free will to good_, by which - they are put in a capacity of _choosing life or death_, that is, of - acquitting themselves well or ill, at their option, in their present - state of trial. - - “This _you_ utterly deny, maintaining that man is not in a state of - probation; and that as Christ died for none but the elect, none but - they can ever have any degree of saving grace, that is, _any free will - to good_. Hence, you conclude that _all_ the elect are in a state of - _finished salvation_; and _necessarily_, _infallibly_, and - _irresistibly_ choose life; while _all_ the reprobates are shut up in - a state of _finished_ damnation; and _necessarily_, _infallibly_, and - _irresistibly_ choose death. - - “We are obliged to oppose this doctrine, because it appears to us a - doctrine of _wrath_, rather than a doctrine of _grace_. If we are not - mistaken, it is opposite to the general tenor of the Scriptures, - injurious to all the Divine perfections, and subversive of this - fundamental truth of natural and revealed religion, _God shall judge - the world in righteousness_. It is calculated to strengthen the carnal - security of Laodicean professors, raise horrid anxieties in the minds - of doubting Christians, and give damned spirits just ground to - blaspheme to all eternity. Again, it withdraws from thinking sinners - and judicious saints the helps which God has given them, by multitudes - of conditional promises and threatenings, designed to work upon their - _hopes_ and _fears_. And, while it unnecessarily stumbles men of sense - and hardens infidels, it affords wicked men rational excuses to - continue in their sins, and gives desperate offenders full room to - charge not only Adam, but God Himself, with all their enormities.” - -In this piteous way did the evangelical revivalists of the last century -become divided. It was a mournful scene; but, in the long run, it was -over-ruled for good. Error was crushed, and truth rose triumphant. -Meanwhile, on one side at least, great bitterness was engendered, and -lamentable epithets were used. In the hottest of the fray, however, -Fletcher, the chief combatant, never lost his temper. Hence, in -concluding his “Fourth Check to Antinomianism,” he wrote:— - - “Although we severely expose the mistakes of godly Calvinists, we - sincerely love their persons, truly reverence their piety, and - cordially rejoice in the success which attends their evangelical - labours. And, although we cannot admit their _logic_, while they - defend a bad cause with bad arguments, we should do them great - injustice if we did not acknowledge that there have been, and are - still among them, men eminent for good sense and good learning—men as - remarkable for their skill in the art of logic, as for their deep - acquaintance with the oracles of God. We thank them for their pious - labours; we ask the continuance, or the renewal, of their valuable - love. We invite them to our pulpits; and assure them that, if they - admit us into theirs, we shall do by them as we would be done - by,—avoiding to touch there, or among their own people occasionally - committed to our charge, upon the points of doctrine debated between - us; and reserving to ourselves the liberty of bearing our full - testimony in our own pulpits, and from the press, against - Antinomianism and Pharisaism in all their shapes.” - -There were other combatants in the field whose power over themselves was -not so great and so praiseworthy. Walter Sellon was one of them, to whom -Richard Hill addressed the following, hitherto unpublished, letter, just -about the time when the Fourth Check of Fletcher first appeared:— - - “HAWKSTONE, _December 24, 1772_. - - “DEAR SIR,—It will answer no end for you and me to continue our - disputes, except that of stirring up the old man in us both. I believe - you have the grace of God, and I am sure you are blest with a good - understanding, which is well cultivated by acquired knowledge. With - these endowments and qualifications, I trust it will please God to - make you abundantly useful in the cause of Christ. I heartily forgive - whatever has savoured more of Walter Sellon than of Jesus Christ in - your two letters to me; and I beg the same on behalf of poor Richard - Hill. Come, my dear Sir, let us pray for each other. If ever I have - the pleasure of seeing you in the flesh, be assured that I shall - embrace you in the bonds of brotherly love; if not, I trust we shall - one day meet in a better place, where there will be no other - contention between us than who shall sing loudest, ‘Grace, grace unto - it!’ Without undervaluing myself in any respect, this will certainly - be the privilege of that amazing monument of mercy who desires always - to subscribe himself, - - “Very dear Sir, your sincere and affectionate friend, in the best of - bonds, - - RICHARD HILL.” - - “To the Rev. Mr. Sellon, - Ledsham, near Ferry Bridge, - Yorkshire.” - -This polemical chapter cannot be more fitly concluded than with these -breathings of Christian love, to which may be added an extract from a -letter which Fletcher wrote to Mr. Charles Perronet, who was suffering -great affliction of body and mind:— - - “1772, September 7.—MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—No cross, no crown; the - heavier the cross, the brighter the crown. - - “‘O for a firm and lasting faith, - To credit all the Almighty saith!’ - - “Faith, I mean the _evidence of things not seen_, is a powerful - cordial to support and exhilarate us under the heaviest pressures of - pain and temptation. By faith, we live upon the _invisible, eternal_ - God; we believe that _in Him_ we live, move, and have our being; - insensibly we slide from _self_ into _God_, from the visible into the - invisible, from the carnal into the spiritual, from time into - eternity. Here our spirits are ever young; they live in and upon the - very fountain of strength, sprightliness, and joy. Oh! my dear friend, - let us rest more upon the _truth as it is in Jesus_. Of late, I have - been brought to feed more upon Jesus as _the truth_. I see more in Him - in that character than I ever did. I see Christ _the truth_ of my - life, friends, relations, sense, food, raiment, light, fire, - resting-place. All out of Him are but shadows. All _in Him_ are - blessed sacraments; I mean visible signs of the fountain, or vehicles - to convey the streams of inward grace.”[278] - -Footnote 278: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - _“APPEAL TO MATTER OF FACT AND COMMON - SENSE.”_ - - 1772. - - -THE present chapter is a somewhat inconvenient break in the history of -the Calvinian controversy; but in maintaining chronological order, the -inconvenience cannot be avoided. - -Fletcher’s “Fourth Check to Antinomianism” was finished on November 15, -1772, and was published before the year was terminated. On a fly-leaf at -the end of the _first_ edition the following advertisement was printed:— - - “In a few days will be published, price two shillings, by the same - author, ‘An Appeal to Matter of Fact and Common Sense; Or, A Rational - Demonstration of Man’s corrupt and lost Estate.’” - -In some respects, this is Fletcher’s ablest publication, and certainly -it has been his most popular. A “second edition, revised and enlarged,” -was printed a few months after the first, and, since then, it has been -scores of times re-issued. As early as the year 1804, Joseph Benson, -Fletcher’s biographer, remarked concerning it, “I hardly know a treatise -that has been so universally read, or made so eminently useful.” Even -the _Monthly Review_ had nought to say against it. In the number for -March, 1773, the editor’s notice of it was the following:— - - “Although we cannot subscribe to all Mr. Fletcher’s religious - opinions, we think there are abundance of good things in his writings; - and we have no doubt that he is warmly animated by a sincere and pious - regard for the salvation of the souls that are committed to his - charge, as well as for the spiritual welfare of mankind in general.” - -It is worthy of remark that besides being vended at Wesley’s Foundery in -London, the first edition was also “sold at the _workhouse_ in Madeley -Wood, Shropshire, _for the benefit of the poor_.” When the second -edition was published, the _workhouse_, for some unknown reason, was not -advertised. Probably parochial officials had interdicted the sale. - -Fletcher seems to have spent more time upon his “Appeal to Matter of -Fact and Common Sense” than he did upon any of his “Checks to -Antinomianism.” Joseph Benson saw it in manuscript, and read most of it, -a year before its publication. Fletcher took it to Bristol and left it -there; but, before it was committed to the press, he requested that it -might be returned to him at Madeley, to be further revised and improved. -For many weeks, the manuscript was unheard of, “but,” says Benson, “he -was quite easy under the apprehended loss, which certainly would not -have been a small one, as any person will judge who considers how much -thought and time such a work must have cost him. It was found, however, -by-and-by, had the finishing hand put to it, and was published to the -conviction and edification of thousands.”[279] - -Footnote 279: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher’s dedication of his book, highly characteristic, and embodying -biographical facts, deserves attention. - - “To the principal inhabitants of the parish of Madeley, in the county - of Salop. - - “GENTLEMEN,—You are no less entitled to my private labours than the - inferior class of my parishioners. As you do not choose to partake - with them of my evening instructions, I take the liberty to present - you with some of my morning meditations. May these well-meant - endeavours of my pen be more acceptable to you than those of my - tongue! And may you carefully read in your closets what you have - perhaps inattentively heard in the church! I appeal to the Searcher of - hearts that I had rather impart truths than receive tithes. You kindly - bestow the latter upon me; grant me, I pray, the satisfaction of - seeing you favourably receive the former, from, gentlemen, your - affectionate minister and obedient servant, - - “Madeley, 1772. - - “J. FLETCHER.” - -Fletcher’s principal tithe payers would not attend his evening services, -and yet he was more anxious to teach them “the truth as it is in Jesus,” -than to receive their pelf. He loved their souls, though they were too -high and mighty—that is, too worldly and ignorant—to appreciate his -ministry. - -Fletcher rightly regarded the doctrine which he irrefutably establishes -as of the highest importance. By large numbers of men, who considered -themselves good Christians, it was treated with indifference, and in -many instances it was flatly denied. With the exception of his “Notes on -the Old and New Testaments,” the largest as well as the ablest book -Wesley ever wrote was on the same subject. His “Doctrine of Original Sin -according to Scripture, Reason, and Experience,” was first published in -1757; and now, fifteen years later, his friend Fletcher, doubtless with -his approval, used his great talents to the utmost in defending the same -dogma. In both books, to some extent, the same line of argumentation is -followed; but, of course, Fletcher’s style is very different from that -of Wesley. Both of them insisted that the doctrine is essential to the -Christian religion, and that if it is not true, the Christian religion -is not needed. In his preface Wesley wrote:— - - “If we take away this foundation, that man is by nature foolish and - sinful, ‘fallen short of the glorious image of God,’ the Christian - system falls at once; nor will it deserve so honourable an appellation - as that of a ‘cunningly devised fable.’” - -Fletcher began his book with the same assertion. His first paragraph is -as follows:— - - “In every religion, there is a principal truth or error, which, like - the first link of a chain, necessarily draws after it all the parts - with which it is essentially connected. This leading principle in - Christianity, distinguished from Deism, is the doctrine of our corrupt - and lost estate; for if man is not _at variance_ with his Creator, - what need of a _Mediator_ between God and him? If he is not a - _depraved, undone_ creature, what necessity of so wonderful a - _Restorer_ and _Saviour_ as the Son of God? If he is not _enslaved_ to - sin, why is he _redeemed_ by Jesus Christ? If he is not _polluted_, - why must he be _washed in the blood of_ that immaculate _Lamb_? If his - soul is not _disordered_, what occasion is there for such a divine - _Physician_? If he is not _helpless_ and _miserable_, why is he - perpetually invited to secure the _assistance_ and _consolations_ of - the Holy Spirit? And, in a word, if he is not _born in sin_, why is a - _new birth_ so absolutely necessary, that Christ declares, with the - most solemn asseverations, _without it no man can see the kingdom of - God_? - - “This doctrine then being of such importance that genuine Christianity - stands or falls with it, it may be proper to state it at large; and as - this cannot be done in stronger and plainer words than those of the - sacred writers and our pious Reformers, I beg leave to collect them - and present the reader with a picture of our natural estate, drawn at - full length by those ancient and masterly hands.” - -Fletcher proceeds to do this, and with irrefutable arguments establishes -his doctrine; but in this part of his work there is no need to follow -him. Indeed, his summary of Scripture proofs and his quotations from the -Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy of the Church of England, do not fill -more than about a dozen pages. His “second part” he begins as follows:— - - “As no man is bound to believe what is contrary to common sense, if - the above-stated doctrine appears irrational, Scriptures, Articles, - Homilies, and Liturgy are quoted in vain. When men of parts are - pressed with their authority, they start from it as an imposition on - their reason, and make as honourable a retreat as they possibly can. - - “Some, to extricate themselves at once, set the Bible aside as full of - incredible assertions. Others, with more modesty, plead that the - Scriptures have been frequently misunderstood, and are so in the - present case. They put grammar, criticism, and common sense to the - rack, to show that when the inspired writers say the human _heart is - desperately wicked_, they mean that it is extremely good; or at least - like blank paper, ready to receive either the characters of virtue or - of vice. With respect to the testimony of our Reformers, they would - have you to understand that in this enlightened age we must leave - their harsh, uncharitable sentiments to the old Puritans and the - present Methodists. - - “That such objectors may subscribe as a solemn truth what they have - hitherto rejected as a dangerous error, and that humbled sinners may - see the propriety of a heart-felt repentance, and the absolute need of - an Almighty Redeemer, they are here presented with some proofs of our - depravity, taken from the astonishing severity of God’s dispensations - towards mankind.” - -Limited space renders it impossible to give an outline of Fletcher’s -thirty-six arguments, all founded upon the following axiom:— - - “If we consider the Supreme Being as creating a world for the - manifestation of His glory, the display of His perfections, and the - communication of His happiness to an intelligent creature, whom He - would attach to Himself by the strongest ties of gratitude and love, - we at once perceive that He never could form this earth and man in - their present disordered, deplorable condition.” - -An extract from the ninth argument will not be out of place, furnishing, -as it does, a doleful picture of a large number of Fletcher’s -parishioners—the colliers, the bargemen, and the iron-workers. - - “To go no farther than this populous parish; with what hardships and - dangers do our indigent neighbours earn their bread! See those who - ransack the bowels of the earth to get the black mineral we burn; how - little is their lot preferable to the Spanish felons who work the - golden mines? - - “They take their leave of the light of the sun, and, suspended by a - rope, are let down many fathoms perpendicularly towards the centre of - the globe; they traverse the rocks through which they have dug their - horizontal ways. The murderer’s cell is a palace in comparison of the - black spot to which they repair; the vagrant’s posture in the stocks - is preferable to that in which they labour. - - “Form, if you can, an idea of the misery of men kneeling, stooping, or - lying on one side, to toil all day in a confined place, where a child - could hardly stand; whilst a younger company, with their hands and - feet on the black dusty ground, and a chain about their body, creep, - and drag along, like four-footed beasts, heavy loads of the dirty - mineral, through ways almost impassable to the curious observer. - - “In these low and dreary vaults, all the elements seem combined - against them. Destructive damps, and clouds of noxious dust, infect - the air they breathe. Sometimes water incessantly distils on their - naked bodies; or, bursting upon them in streams, drowns them, and - deluges their work. At other times, pieces of detached rocks crush - them to death; or the earth, breaking in upon them, buries them alive. - And frequently sulphureous vapours, kindled in an instant by the light - of their candles, form subterraneous thunder and lightning. What a - dreadful phenomenon! How impetuous is the blast! How fierce the - rolling flames! How intolerable the noisome smell! How dreadful the - continued roar! How violent and fatal the explosion! - - “Wonderful providence! Some of the unhappy men have time to prostrate - themselves; the fiery scourge grazes their backs; the ground shields - their breasts; they escape. See them wound up out of the blazing - dungeon, and say if _these are not brands plucked out of the fire_. A - pestiferous steam and clouds of suffocating smoke pursue them. Half - dead themselves, they hold their dead or dying companions in their - trembling arms. Merciful God of Shadrach! Kind Protector of Meshach! - Mighty Deliverer of Abednego! Patient Preserver of rebellious Jonah! - Will not _these_ utter a song—a song of praise to Thee? praise ardent - as the flames they escape—lasting as the life Thou prolongest? Alas, - they refuse! And some—O tell it not among the heathens, lest they for - ever abhor the name of _Christian_—some return to the very pits where - they have been branded with sulphureous fire by the warning hand of - Providence, and there, sporting themselves again with the most - infernal wishes, call aloud for a fire that cannot be quenched, and - challenge the Almighty to cast them into hell, that bottomless pit - whence there is no return. - - “Leave these black men at their perilous work, and see yonder - barge-men haling that loaded vessel against wind and stream. Since the - dawn of day, they have wrestled with the impetuous current; and now - that it almost overpowers them, how do they exert all their remaining - strength, and strain their every nerve? How are they bathed in sweat - and rain? Fastened to their lines as horses to their traces, wherein - do they differ from the laborious brutes? Not in an erect posture of - the body, for, in the intenseness of their toil, they bend forward, - their head is foremost, and their hands upon the ground. If there is - any difference, it consists in this: horses are indulged with a collar - to save their breasts; and these, as if theirs were not worth saving, - draw without one; the beasts tug in patient silence and mutual - harmony; but the men with loud contention and horrible imprecations. O - sin, what hast thou done? Is it not enough that these drudges should - toil like brutes? must they also curse one another like devils? - - “If you have gone beyond the hearing of their impious oaths, stop to - consider the sons of Vulcan confined to these forges and furnaces. Is - their lot much preferable? A sultry air and clouds of smoke and dust - are the elements in which they labour. The confused noise of water - falling, steam hissing, fire-engines working, wheels turning, files - creaking, hammers beating, ore bursting, and bellows roaring, form the - dismal concert that strikes the ears; while a continual eruption of - flames, ascending from the mouth of their artificial volcanoes, dazzle - their eyes with a horrible glare. Massy bars of hot iron are the heavy - tools they handle, cylinders of the first magnitude the enormous - weights they heave, vessels full of melted metal the dangerous loads - they carry, streams of the same burning fluid the fiery rivers which - they conduct into the deep cavities of their subterraneous moulds, and - millions of flying sparks with a thousand drops of liquid, hissing - iron, the horrible showers to which they are exposed. See them cast: - you would think them in a bath and not in a furnace; they bedew the - burning sand with their streaming sweat; nor are their wet garments - dried up, either by the fierce fires they attend, or the fiery streams - which they manage. Certainly, of all men, these have best reason to - remember the just sentence of an offended God: ‘In the sweat of thy - face shalt thou eat thy bread all the days of thy life.’” - -This long extract is given, not as a specimen of Fletcher’s style of -writing, for it is hardly that, but as a truthful description of a large -number of the poor creatures of whom he had the pastoral oversight. Many -a passage of the highest kind of eloquence might be cited; but the -reader is recommended to buy and peruse the book himself. The following -is presented, solely because it refers to growing evils, alarmingly -prevalent among people who think themselves religious:— - - “But all are not employed in sin and wickedness, for many go through a - constant round of _innocent diversions_; and these, at least, must be - _innocent_ and _happy_. Let us then consider the amusements of - mankind, and see how far _our own_ pleasures demonstrate our - _innocence_ and _happiness_. - - “How excessively foolish are the plays of children! How full of - mischief and cruelty the sports of boys! How vain, foppish, and frothy - the joys of young people! And how much below the dignity of upright, - pure creatures, the snares that persons of different sexes lay for - each other! When they are together, is not this their favourite - amusement, till they are deservedly caught in the net which they - imprudently spread? But see them asunder. - - “Here a circle of idle women, supping a decoction of Indian herbs, - talk or laugh all together, like so many chirping birds, or chattering - monkeys, and, scandal excepted, every way to as good a purpose. And - there, a club of graver men blow, by the hour, clouds of stinking - smoke out of their mouths, or wash it down their throats with repeated - draughts of intoxicating liquors. The strong fumes have already - reached their heads, and, while some stagger home, others triumphantly - keep the field of excess; though one is already stamped with the - heaviness of the ox, another worked up to the fierceness and roar of - the lion, and a third brought down to the filthiness of the vomiting - dog. - - “Leave them at their _manly_ sport, to follow those musical sounds, - mixed with a noise of stamping, and you will find others profusely - perspiring, and violently fatiguing themselves, in skipping up and - down a room for a whole night, and ridiculously turning their backs - and faces to each other a hundred different ways. Would not a man of - sense prefer running ten miles upon an _useful_ errand, to this - useless manner of losing his rest, heating his blood, exhausting his - spirits, unfitting himself for the duties of the following day, and - laying the foundation of a putrid fever or a consumption, by breathing - the midnight air corrupted by clouds of dust, by the unwholesome fumes - of candles, and by the more pernicious steam that issues from the - bodies of many persons, who use the strong exercise in a confined - place. - - “In the next room they are more quiet, but are they more rationally - employed? Why do they so earnestly rattle those ivory cubes; and so - anxiously study those packs of loose and spotted leaves? Is happiness - graven upon the one, or stamped upon the other? Answer, ye gamesters, - who curse your stars, as ye go home with an empty purse and a heart - full of rage. - - “‘We hope there is no harm in taking an innocent game at cards,’ reply - a ridiculous party of superannuated ladies; ‘gain is not our aim; we - only play to kill time.’ You are not then so well employed as the - foolish heathen emperor, who amused himself in killing troublesome - flies and wearisome time together. The delight of rational creatures, - much more of Christians on the brink of the grave, is to redeem, - improve, and solidly enjoy time; but yours, alas! consists in the bare - irreparable _loss_ of that invaluable treasure. Oh! what account will - you give of the souls you neglect, and the talents you bury? - - “And are _public_ diversions better evidence of our innocence and - happiness?” - -Fletcher then proceeds to descant, in the same style, on theatrical -performances, annual wakes, horse-racing, cock-fighting, man-fighting, -and dog-fighting; and then concludes his “Twenty-third Argument,” as -follows:— - - “These are thy favourite amusements, O England, thou centre of the - civilized world, where reformed Christianity, deep-thinking wisdom, - and polite learning, with all its refinements, have fixed their abode! - But, in the name of common sense, how can we clear them from the - imputation of absurdity, folly, and madness? And by what means can - they be reconciled, I will not say to the religion of the meek Jesus, - but to the philosophy of a Plato, or the calm reason of any thinking - man? How perverted must be the taste, how irrational and cruel the - diversions of barbarians, in other parts of the globe! And how - applicable to all the wise man’s observation: ‘Foolishness is bound up - in the heart of a child, and madness in the breasts of the sons of - men!’” - -Further extensive extracts from Fletcher’s invaluable book need not be -given here. What he calls his “Short Defence of the Oracles of God” -cannot be perused by any candid reader without the conviction being -produced that infidelity, in all its phases, is the most unreasonable -theory in existence. From his thirty-six arguments,—unanswerable -arguments,—he deduces ten inferences, namely:— - - “1. If we are by nature in a corrupt and lost estate, the grand - business of ministers is to warn us of our imminent danger. 2. If we - are naturally depraved and condemned creatures, self-righteousness and - pride are the most absurd and monstrous of all our sins. 3. If the - corruption of mankind is universal and inveterate, no mere creature - can deliver them from it. 4. If our guilt is immense, it cannot be - expiated without a sacrifice of an infinite dignity. 5. If our - spiritual maladies are both numerous and mortal, we cannot recover the - spiritual health that we enjoyed in our first parents, but by the - powerful help of our heavenly Physician, the second Adam. 6. If our - nature is so completely fallen and totally helpless, that, in - spiritual things, ‘we are not sufficient of ourselves to think any - thing’ truly good ‘as of ourselves,’ it is plain we stand in absolute - need of the Spirit’s assistance to enable us to pray, repent, believe, - love, and obey aright. 7. If we are really and truly born in sin, our - regeneration cannot be a mere metaphor, or a vain ceremony, but real - and positive. 8. If the fall of mankind in Adam does not consist in a - capricious imputation of his personal guilt, but in a real, present - participation of his depravity, impotence, and misery, the salvation - that believers have in Christ is not a capricious imputation of His - personal righteousness, but a real, present participation of His - purity, power, and blessedness, together with pardon and acceptance. - 9. If the corrupt nature, which sinners derive from Adam, - spontaneously produces all the wickedness that overspreads the earth, - the holy nature which believers receive from Christ is spontaneously - productive of all the fruits of righteousness described in the oracles - of God. 10. If corruption and sin work so powerfully and sensibly in - the hearts of the unregenerate, we may, without deserving the name of - enthusiasts, affirm that the regenerate are sensible of the powerful - effects of Divine grace in their souls; or, to use the words of our - Seventeenth Article, we may say, ‘They feel in themselves the workings - of the Spirit of Christ.’” - -When it is added that the doctrines, from which these inferences are -drawn, are plainly stated, and fully proved, a good general idea of -Fletcher’s book will be given. His “Concluding Address to the Serious -Reader, who inquires, What must I do to be saved?” has been read by -myriads, and cannot be read too much. The last two paragraphs of his -treatise must be quoted:— - - “_This_ book is chiefly recommended to disbelieving moralists, who - deride the doctrine of salvation by grace _through faith_ in the day - of conversion, merely because they are not properly acquainted with - our fallen and lost estate. And the _Checks_ are chiefly designed for - disbelieving Antinomians, who rise against the doctrine of a - believer’s salvation by grace _through the works_ of faith in the - great day, merely because they do not consider the indispensable - necessity of evangelical obedience, and the nature of the day of - judgment. - - “In the _Appeal_, the careless, self-conceited sinner is awakened and - humbled. In the _Address_, the serious, humbled sinner is raised up - and comforted. And in the _Checks_, the foolish virgin is re-awakened, - the Laodicean believer reproved, the prodigal son lashed back to his - father’s house, and the upright believer animated to mend his pace in - the way of _faith working by love_, and to _perfect holiness in the - fear of God_.” - -Such is Fletcher’s own accurate account of the important works he had -hitherto committed to the press. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - _WESLEY’S DESIGNATED SUCCESSOR: THE - PENITENT THIEF: A DREADFUL PHENOMENON, - ETC., ETC._ - - 1773. - - -TO preserve chronological order, another chapter must be interjected -before the history of the Calvinian controversy is resumed. - -In the month of January, 1773, Wesley sent to Fletcher the remarkable -letter with which the present work commences. He wished Fletcher to -relinquish his vicarage, and to put himself into training to become, -after Wesley’s death, the “ωροεστως” of the Methodists. Wesley’s health, -apparently, was failing. He was full of anxiety. “The body of the -preachers,” he wrote, “are not united: nor will any part of them submit -to the rest; so that either there must be one to preside over all, or -the work will indeed come to an end.” Subsequent events proved Wesley’s -fears to be unfounded; but, for the time being, they were real, and -disquieted him. He wished to train his successor, and to introduce him -to the people. He specified what he considered to be the necessary -qualifications of such a man, and regarded Fletcher as the only one of -his wide acquaintance as possessing them. “Without conferring, -therefore, with flesh and blood,” said he, “come and strengthen the -hands, comfort the heart, and share the labour of your affectionate -friend and brother, John Wesley.” - -Fletcher’s reply to Wesley’s most important proposal was as follows:— - - “MADELEY, - - . - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—I hope the Lord, who has so wonderfully stood by - you hitherto, will preserve you to see many of your sheep, and me - among them, enter into rest. Should Providence call you first, I shall - do my best, by the Lord’s assistance, to help your brother to gather - the wreck, and keep together those who are not absolutely bent to - throw away the Methodist doctrines and discipline, as soon as he that - now letteth is removed out of the way. Every help will then be - necessary, and I shall not be backward to throw in my mite. - - “In the meantime, you sometimes need an assistant to serve tables, and - occasionally to fill up a gap. Providence visibly appointed _me_ to - that office many years ago. And though it no less evidently called me - hither, yet I have not been without doubt, especially for some years - past, whether it would not be expedient that I should resume my office - as your deacon; not with any view of presiding over the Methodists - after you; but to ease you in your old age, and to be in the way of - recovering, and, perhaps, doing more good. I have sometimes thought - how shameful it was that no clergyman should join you, to keep in the - Church the work God has enabled you to carry on therein. And, as the - little estate I have in my own country is sufficient for my - maintenance, I have thought I would, one day or other, offer you and - the Methodists my free service. While my love of retirement made me - linger, I was providentially led to do something in Lady Huntingdon’s - plan; but, being shut out there, it appears to me I am again called to - my first work. - - “Nevertheless, I would not leave this place, without a fuller - persuasion that the time is _quite_ come. Not that God uses me much - here, but I have not yet sufficiently cleared my conscience from the - blood of all men. Meantime, I beg the Lord to guide me by His counsel, - and make me willing to go anywhere, or nowhere, to be anything, or - nothing. - - “Help by your prayers, till you can bless by word of mouth, Rev. and - dear Sir, your willing, though unprofitable servant in the Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[280] - -Footnote 280: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 66. - -Fletcher did not decline Wesley’s proposal; but he deferred coming to a -decision until “the time was quite come.” Whether the proposal was -afterwards _formally_ renewed, it is difficult to determine; but Dr. -Whitehead, who, from 1764 to 1769, had been one of the itinerant -preachers, and who was well acquainted with both Wesley and his friend -Fletcher, remarks concerning Wesley’s request:— - - “This warm and sincere invitation to a situation not only respected - but even reverenced by so large a body of people, must have been - highly flattering to Mr. Fletcher; especially as it came from a person - he most sincerely loved; whose superior abilities, learning, and - labours he admired; and to whose success in the ministry he wished to - give every assistance in his power. But he well knew the - embarrassments Mr. Wesley met with in the government of the preachers, - though he alone, under the providence of God, had given existence to - their present character, influence, and usefulness. He was also well - acquainted with the mutual jealousies the preachers had of each other, - and with their jarring interests: and, above all, with the general - determination which prevailed among them not to be under the control - of any one man after the death of Mr. Wesley. Under these - circumstances, he saw nothing before him but darkness, storms, and - tempests, with the most threatening dangers, especially if he should - live to be alone in the office. He therefore determined not to launch - his little bark on so tempestuous an ocean. - - “I cannot, however, but lament that he did not accept Mr. Wesley’s - invitation, as he would have done much good while he lived, and have - prevented many of the evils which have since taken place.”[281] - -Footnote 281: - - Whitehead’s “Life of Wesley,” vol. ii., p. 356. - -The evils which Dr. Whitehead deprecated were the resolutions enacted by -the Methodist Conferences, held after Wesley’s decease, respecting the -preachers being allowed to administer the sacraments to their Societies, -to hold services in Methodist chapels “in church hours,” and other -kindred matters. Of all this, Dr. Whitehead, an able and honest man, -strongly disapproved, and hence his regret that Fletcher, by declining -Wesley’s invitation, had not helped to, at least, postpone such serious -changes. - -Wesley foresaw the probability, and indeed the certainty, of such -changes being made, and he also lamented Fletcher’s decision. Thirteen -years afterwards, in commenting upon Fletcher’s letter to himself, he -wrote:— - - “‘Providence,’ says he, ‘visibly appointed me to that office’ - [Wesley’s assistant] ‘many years ago.’ Is it any wonder then that he - should now be _in doubt_ whether he did right in confining himself to - one spot? The more I reflect upon it, the more I am convinced he had - great reason to doubt this. I can never believe it was the will of God - that such a burning and shining light should be _hid under a bushel_. - No; instead of being confined to a country village, it ought to have - shone in every corner of our land. He was full as much called to sound - an alarm through all the nation as Mr. Whitefield himself. Nay, - abundantly more so; seeing he was far better qualified for that - important work. He had a more striking person, equally good breeding, - an equally winning address, together with a richer flow of fancy, a - stronger understanding; a far greater treasure of learning, both in - languages, philosophy, philology, and divinity; and, above all (which - I can speak with fuller assurance, because I had a thorough knowledge - both of one and the other), a more deep and constant communion with - the Father, and with the Son, Jesus Christ. - - “And yet let not any one imagine that I depreciate Mr. Whitefield, or - undervalue the grace of God and the extraordinary gifts which his - great Master vouchsafed unto him. I believe he was highly favoured of - God; yea, that he was one of the most eminent ministers that has - appeared in England, or perhaps in the world, during the present - century. Yet I must own I have known many fully equal to Mr. - Whitefield, both in holy tempers and holiness of conversation; but one - equal herein to Mr. Fletcher I have not known; no, not in a life of - fourscore years.”[282] - -Footnote 282: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 68. - -No wonder that Wesley lamented the course taken by his wished-for -successor; but it is rather difficult to say why Wesley should cast upon -him loving blame for confining his light “to a country village.” -Fletcher’s hands were full of literary works, by means of which he had -defended, and continued to defend, the doctrines which it was the object -of Wesley’s life to propagate. Besides, in about a year after Wesley -made his proposal, Fletcher’s health began to fail, and never after that -was his physical vigour such as to enable him to undertake the laborious -itinerancy which Wesley contemplated and desired. Upon the whole, it is -an open question whether Fletcher did not render greater service to -Wesley and the Methodists by continuing his literary defence of their -great and glorious doctrines than he would have done if he had accepted -Wesley’s invitation to go into training to become his successor. - -In other ways, however, besides his writings, he rendered great -assistance to his friend. It was just after the time when Wesley wrote -his important letter that an incident occurred which is worth relating. - -Samuel Bradburn, a soldier’s son, was born at Gibraltar in 1751. At -twelve years of age he was brought to England; at nineteen became a -Methodist; and at twenty-one began to preach. During his residence at -Gibraltar, he was sent to school at a penny a week; but, on the terms -being raised to three-halfpence, his mother took him away, finding it -inconvenient to be at such an expense for her son’s education. This was -all the schooling that he had; but he was taught to read at home, and -before he was eight years old had committed the histories of Joseph and -Samson to memory. On coming to England, his parents settled at Chester, -and he himself was apprenticed to a shoemaker. In the week preceding -Easter, in 1773, he set off to Madeley to have an interview with -Fletcher, whose “Checks” he had been reading. On approaching the -vicarage, he saw a man working in the garden, who, addressing the young -shoemaker, said, “You see, my brother, a fulfilment of the curse, ‘In -the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.’” Bradburn, stating who he -was, said he had not been at Madeley before, and wished to be introduced -to Mr. Fletcher. “I am John Fletcher,” replied the amateur gardener. -Bradburn, for the moment, was embarrassed; but on saying that he had -come to consult the vicar of Madeley respecting his being called to -engage in the Christian ministry, Fletcher, with his characteristic -generosity, led him into his house, and requested him to become his -guest. The invitation was gratefully accepted, and during his stay the -young shoemaker was treated with paternal kindness. Bradburn, like his -host, was an early riser, and every morning was employed in finding the -texts of Scripture which Fletcher wished to use in the “Check” he was -then writing, and in listening to Fletcher’s exposition of them. When -two or three hours had thus been spent, the students went into the -garden of the vicarage and had a spell at any kind of work that needed -attention. After this followed the plain gruel breakfast and domestic -devotion. Then several more hours were employed in the vicar’s study; -after which the master and the pupil set out to visit the parishioners. -Every night in the week young Bradburn preached in colliers’ cottages, -or in the Methodist meeting-house, Fletcher standing by his side, and -generally supplementing the sermon with additional remarks, delivered -with delicate tenderness, and always concluded by a prayer. To the end -of life, Bradburn thankfully acknowledged that he greatly owed his -subsequent eminence to this Madeley visit. When he was leaving, the -kind-hearted vicar said, “My little David, go! and if you preach forty -years, and save only a single soul, don’t think your time and labour -have been lost.” Bradburn always spoke of his early friend as “Saint -Fletcher;” and often said, that when he looked at the vicar of Madeley -he was almost ready to think the Lord Jesus Christ stood before him in -the person of His servant; and in hours of depression, when he found it -difficult to pray, he was wont to sigh and cry, “God of Mr. Fletcher, -bless me!”[283] - -Footnote 283: - - Miss Bradburn’s MSS., and MS. by Mr. Harrison, of Chester. - -The Methodist reader need not be told that Fletcher’s humble pupil rose -to great eminence. Unquestionably he was the greatest pulpit orator that -Wesley ever had. Dr. Adam Clarke, who knew him well, once said to a -young preacher, who wished his opinion concerning Bradburn, “I have -never heard his equal; I can furnish you with no adequate idea of his -powers as an orator; we have not a man among us that will support -anything like a comparison with him. Another Bradburn must be created, -and you must hear him for yourself, before you can receive a -satisfactory answer to your inquiry.” - -In 1817, all the sermons that Bradburn had published, whether separately -or in the _Methodist Magazine_, were collected, and published in a 12 -mo. volume of 332 pages; but, as Dr. Abel Stevens well observes, “The -eloquence of Bradburn, like that of Whitefield, could not be printed.” - -John Fletcher rendered no small service to John Wesley and the -Methodists by his brief training of the young shoemaker in 1773. - -While writing his “Checks,” Fletcher seems to have been obliged to -curtail his correspondence with his friends. At all events, his -published letters belonging to this period are few in number. The -following were written in 1773. The first was addressed to his friend -Mr. Vaughan, the officer of Excise at Atcham, with whom he became -acquainted while he had the charge of the sons of Mr. Hill:— - - “MADELEY, - - . - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—At the beginning of the week I received your - kind letter, and your kind present at the end of it. For both I - heartily thank you. Nevertheless, I could wish it were your last - present, for I find it more blessed to give than to receive; and in - point of the good things of this life my body does not want much, and - I can do with what is more common, and cheaper, than the rarities you - ply me with. - - “Your bounty upon bounty reminds me of the repeated mercies of our - God. They follow one another as wave does wave at sea; and all to waft - us to the pleasing shore of confidence and gratitude, where we can not - only cast anchor near, but calmly stand on the Rock of Ages, and defy - the rage of tempests. But you complain, you are not _there_; billows - of temptation drive you from the haven where you would be, and you cry - out still, ‘_Oh wretched man! who shall deliver me?_’ - - “Here I would ask, Are you willing, _really willing_, to be delivered? - Is your sin, is the prevalence of temptation, a burden too heavy for - you to bear? If it is, if your complaint is not a kind of religious - compliment, be of good cheer—only believe. Look up! for your - redemption draweth near. He is near that delivers, that justifies, - that sanctifies you. Cast your soul upon Him. An act of faith will - help you to a lift; but _one_ act of faith will not do. _Faith must be - our life_; I mean _in conjunction with its grand object_. You cannot - live by one breath; you must breathe on, and draw the electric, vital - fire into your lungs together with the air. So you must believe, and - draw the Divine power, the fire of Jesu’s love, together with the - truth of the Gospel, which is the blessed element in which believers - live. - - “My kind Christian love to Mrs. Vaughan. Tell her I am filled with joy - in thinking that, though we no more serve the same earthly - master,[284] yet we still serve the same heavenly one; who will, ere - long, admit us to sit with Abraham himself, if we hold fast our - confidence to the end. - - “Beware of the world. If you have losses, be not cast down, nor root - in the earth with more might and main to repair them. If prosperity - smiles upon you, you are in double danger. Think, my friend, that - earthly prosperity is like a coloured cloud, which passes away and is - soon lost in the shades of night and death. Beware of hurry. Martha, - Martha, one thing is needful! Choose it, stand to your choice, and the - good part shall not be taken from you by sickness or death. God bless - you and yours with all that makes for His glory and your peace. - - “I am, my dear friend, yours, etc., - “J. FLETCHER.”[285] - -Footnote 284: - - From this, it would appear that Mrs. Vaughan, previous to her - marriage, had been in the employ of Mr. Hill, of Tern Hall. - -Footnote 285: - - Letters, 1791, p. 216. - -The following extracts are taken from a letter addressed to James -Ireland, Esq., of Brislington, who had suggested to Fletcher the -expediency of publishing in the French language his “Appeal to Matter of -Fact and Common Sense.” - - “MADELEY, _September 21, 1773_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—I have considered what you say about the - translation of my ‘Appeal;’ and I think I might do it some day; nay, I - tried to turn a paragraph or two the day after I received your letter, - but found it would be a difficult, if not an impossible work for me. I - am sure I could not do it abroad. On a journey, I am just like a cask - of wine—I am good for nothing till I have some time to settle. - - “What you say about Mr. Wesley adds weight to your kind arguments. My - spiritual circumstances are what I must look at. I tremble lest - outward things should hurt me. The multiplicity of objects and - avocations, which attend travelling, is not suited to my case. I - think, all things considered, I should sin against my conscience in - going, unless I had a call from _necessity_, or from _clearer_ - providences. - - “My last ‘Check’ will be as much in behalf of free grace as of - holiness; so I hope, upon that plan, all the candid and moderate will - be able to shake hands. It will be of a reconciling nature; and I call - it an ‘Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism.’ - - “I see life so short, and time passes away with such rapidity, that I - should be very glad to spend it in solemn prayer; but it is necessary - that a man should have some exterior occupation. The chief thing is to - employ ourselves profitably. My throat is not formed for the labours - of preaching. When I have preached three or four times together, it - inflames and fills up; and the efforts, which I am then obliged to - make, heat my blood. Thus, I am, by nature, as well as by the - circumstances I am in, obliged to employ my time in writing a little. - O that I may be enabled to do it to the glory of God! - - “Let us love this good God, who hath ‘so loved the world, that He gave - His Only-begotten Son that we might not perish, but have everlasting - life.’ How sweet is it, on our knees, to receive this Jesus, this - heavenly gift, and to offer our praises and thanks to our heavenly - Father! The Lord teaches me four lessons; the first is to be thankful - that I am not in hell; the second, to become _nothing_ before Him; the - third, to _receive_ the gift of God; and the fourth is to feel my want - of the _Spirit_ of Jesus, and to wait for it. These four lessons are - very deep. O when shall I have learned them! Let us go together to the - school of Jesus, and learn to be meek and lowly in heart. Adieu! - - “J. FLETCHER.”[286] - -Footnote 286: - - Letters, 1791, p. 218. - -The above is the first time that Fletcher complains of his throat. This -affection, in itself, apart from the other reason he mentions, was quite -sufficient to justify his hesitancy in complying with Wesley’s request -to devote himself to the itinerancy, and to train himself to become -Wesley’s successor. - -Before returning to the Calvinian controversy, two other incidents, -belonging to the year 1773, must be mentioned. - - “John Wilkes,” says Fletcher, “was born at Darlaston. His father dying - when he was a child, his mother bound him an apprentice to a collier, - who delighted in cock-fighting, and who was killed by a quantity of - coals falling upon him in the pit. The collier’s widow, being unable - to manage Wilkes, released him from his apprenticeship for a trifling - sum of money. He began to steal fowls, that he might have the pleasure - of fighting those that would fight, and eating those that would not. - Two or three years ago he was committed to Stafford jail, and soon - after publicly whipped for that offence. From breaking into - hen-roosts, he proceeded to break into and to rob the dwelling-house - of a widow at Darlaston; and, going upon the highway, he robbed a man - of his watch and some money. He was taken, and recommitted to Stafford - jail. He took his trial at the last assizes; and, being found guilty - of the above-mentioned robberies, received sentence of death, with - another young man, who had set fire to some barns, and a stack of - hay.” - -John Wilkes’ eldest sister was Fletcher’s servant, and to her the -convict wrote the following:— - - “STAFFORD JAIL, _March 17, 1773_. - - “This informs you of my being a convict under sentence of death. I beg - you will endeavour to prevail on Mr. Fletcher to grant me his interest - for a reprieve, by getting me recommended to his majesty’s mercy. And - I tenderly beg you will come over and see me here in a few days, who - am your poor unfortunate brother, - - “JOHN WILKES.” - -Fletcher declined to interfere, but wrote a long letter to the convict, -dated “Madeley, _March 23, 1773_.” He says:— - - “JOHN WILKES,—Your sister desiring me to make application to some - person in power, to get you reprieved for transportation, I take this - first opportunity of informing you that I was once concerned in saving - a young man from the gallows, because he was condemned for his first - offence, which was robbing his master of money, and that I had no - thanks, but many upbraidings for my pains; the poor creature having - turned out very bad, done much mischief before he left England, and - being spared, I fear, only to hurt his fellow-creatures, and fill up - the measure of his iniquities. - - “Besides, you know, John, that your crimes are of the most capital - nature. You are not only a housebreaker, but a highwayman, and a very - notorious offender. You know you have committed crimes enough to hang - two or three men, perhaps half-a-dozen. And so far as I can gather - from a variety of circumstances, you are the very person that broke - open my house over the way, and robbed the poor widow who lives in it. - If you committed that robbery, I desire you to confess it before you - leave this world; for ‘he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall - obtain mercy;’ while he that tells lies to conceal them, pulls down - double vengeance upon his guilty head. - - “But whether you committed that robbery or not, I earnestly desire - that you will submit to your sentence. I neither can nor will meddle - in that affair; nor have I any probability of success if I did. Apply - then yourself, night and day, to the King of heaven for grace and - mercy. If you cry to Him from the bottom of your heart, as a condemned - dying man, who deserves hell as well as the gallows; if you sincerely - confess your crimes, and beg the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, to - intercede for you, it is not too late to get your soul reprieved. He - will speak for you to God Almighty; He will pardon all your sins; He - will wash you in His most precious blood; He will stand by you in your - extremity; He will deliver you out of the hands of the hellish - executioner; and, though you have lived the life of the wicked, He - will help you to die the death of the penitent. He can feel for poor - condemned thieves; for He himself was condemned to be hanged on a - tree; not indeed for His own sins, for He never transgressed, but for - your crimes and mine.” - - “On Saturday, March 27,” continues Fletcher in his narrative, “I gave - a few lines for the keeper of Stafford jail, to Sarah Wilkes, the - malefactor’s sister, and to Elizabeth Childs, a serious woman, whom - she had got to bear her company; and, when I had recommended in prayer - the condemned criminals to the Redeemer’s compassion, and their feeble - visitors to the protection of Him Who can give wisdom to the simple, - they set out to see John Wilkes, and administer some spiritual comfort - to him before he launched into eternity.” - -The poor women met with a rough reception at Stafford prison. The -jailer, a fair specimen of officials in other prisons, at that period, -said, “What do you want with John Wilkes? to preach him a sermon, and -sing psalms? I know very well what you are, a parcel of canting -hypocrites.” - -Sarah Wilkes and Elizabeth Childs showed themselves to be apt pupils of -the Vicar of Madeley. In the Journal of their nine days’ visit they -wrote:— - - “We were much discouraged at the jailer’s behaviour. So we agreed to - lay the matter before God in prayer, and beg of Him that He would - touch the jailer’s heart, and cause him to let us in. The next - morning, which was Sunday, after begging hard for grace, wisdom, and - courage, we went to the prison; and, to our great surprise, the - turnkey opened the door, and, without speaking a word, took us - straight to the condemned men, and let us be with them as long as we - thought proper; a liberty which we were allowed twice a day till they - suffered.” - -John Wilkes confessed to the two women that he had robbed the house at -Madeley, in which the poor widow lived. He became a penitent. The nine -days’ Journal of his sister and Elizabeth Childs concludes thus:— - - “Saturday, April 3, the day of his execution, John Wilkes was - exceeding happy, and employed in breathing out prayers and praises to - God. In the morning, we spent about two hours with him and his - fellow-prisoner, praying and praising together in their dungeon, with - much brokenness of heart, and many tears of joy and sorrow; for we - were both persuaded that John Wilkes had saving faith, and an unshaken - well-grounded confidence that God would take him to glory. - - “About two hours before the execution, which was between four and five - in the afternoon, his sister asked, ‘Dost thou find thyself happy in - the Lord?’ To which he answered, ‘Yes, I do, I do, more and more.’ - - “When they were come to the place of execution, John Wilkes’s - companion desired the spectators, especially young people, to take - warning by them; which was the more affecting, as he was supposed to - be only about twenty years old, and John Wilkes was not above - nineteen. They sang and prayed some time under the gallows; and the - last words John Wilkes was heard to speak were, ‘Lord, from this place - receive me into Thy heavenly kingdom!’” - -Some will condemn Fletcher’s action, or rather inaction, in the case of -John Wilkes; but, a hundred years ago, public opinion respecting crimes, -criminals, and criminal punishment was widely different from the public -opinion of the present day. It certainly seems to be a savage thing to -hang a youth of nineteen years of age for thieving; but the law of the -land authorized this; and Fletcher evidently had but little hope of any -good arising from reprievement in a case like that of Wilkes. Perhaps he -was right, or perhaps he was wrong. At all events, Wilkes became a -penitent thief, and, as such, his sister and his sister’s master had -reason to rejoice and to give thanks. Fletcher immediately published a -pamphlet on the occasion with the title, “The Penitent Thief; or, a -Narrative of Two Women, fearing God, who Visited in Prison a Highwayman, -executed at Stafford, April 3, 1773. With a Letter to a Condemned -Malefactor. And a Penitential Office, for either a true Churchman, or a -dying Criminal, extracted from the Scriptures and the Established -Liturgy.” - -Nothing more need be said, except that the “Penitential Office” was -compiled “entirely from the Scriptures and the Liturgy of the Church of -England;” that it was suitable for either a living sinner or a dying -thief; and that, to excite, exercise, and increase his own repentance, -Fletcher himself was accustomed to use it in his private devotions. - -A few weeks after the execution of John Wilkes another event occurred, -which must be noticed. The following is taken from _Lloyd’s Evening -Post_, of June 11, 1773:— - - “An authentic account of the earthquake at the Birches, about a mile - above the bottom of Coalbrookdale, Shropshire. - - “In the dead of the night, between Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the - 26th ult., Samuel Wilcocks’s wife, who lived in a small house at the - Birches, was sitting up in bed, to take care of one of her children, - who was ill, when she perceived the bed shake under her, and observed - some balm tea in a cup to be so agitated that it was spilled. - - “On Thursday morning, the 27th, Samuel Wilcocks and John Roberts (who - likewise lived in the house at the Birches) got up about four o’clock, - and, opening their window to see what the weather was, observed a - crack in the ground four or five inches wide, and a field sown with - oats heaving and rolling like waves of water. The trees moved as if - blown with wind, though the air was calm and serene. The Severn (in - which at that time was a considerable flood) was much agitated, and - seemed to run upwards. The house shook; and, in a great fright, - Wilcocks and Roberts roused the rest of the family, and ran out of - doors. Immediately, about thirty acres of land, with the hedges and - trees standing, moved with great force and swiftness towards the - Severn. Near the river was a small wood, in which grew twenty large - oaks. The wood was pushed with such velocity into the channel of the - Severn, that it drove the bed of the river on the opposite shore many - feet above the surface of the water, where it lodged, as did one side - of the wood. The current of the river was instantly stopped. This - occasioned a great inundation above, and so sudden a fall below, that - many fish were left on dry land. The river took its course over a - large meadow, and in three days wore a navigable channel. A turnpike - road was moved more than thirty yards. A barn was carried about the - same distance, and was left as a heap of rubbish in a large chasm. The - house” (in which Wilcocks lived) “received but little damage; but the - garden hedge was removed about fifty yards. Several long and deep - chasms are formed in the upper part of the land from fourteen to - upwards of thirty yards wide, in which are many pyramids of earth - standing, with the green turf remaining on the tops of some of them. - The land on both sides the river is the property of Walter Acton - Moseley, Esq., who, we hear, has sustained a damage of six or seven - hundred pounds. - - “On Friday, the 28th, the Rev. Mr. Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, - preached a sermon upon the ground, to an audience of more than one - thousand people. In a most pathetic discourse, he expatiated on the - works of Divine Providence; recommended his hearers to prepare for the - last great and awful day; and expressed the hope that the present - dreadful scene would prove a sufficient warning to them. - - “T. ADDENBROOKE. - - “Coalbrooke Dale, - June 4, 1773..png - ” - -So long an extract from a newspaper would hardly have been proper in a -“Life of Fletcher,” but for the fact that Fletcher himself immediately -published a bulky pamphlet of 104 pages, on the same event. Its long -title was the following: “A Dreadful Phenomenon described and improved. -Being a Particular Account of the Sudden Stoppage of the River Severn, -and of the Terrible Desolation that happened at the Birches, between -Coalbrook Dale and Buildwas Bridge, in Shropshire, on Thursday morning, -May 27, 1773. And the Substance of a Sermon, preached the next day, on -the ruins, to a vast concourse of spectators. By John Fletcher, Vicar of -Madeley, in Shropshire, and Chaplain to the Right Hon. the Earl of -Buchan. Shrewsbury, 1773. Price, One Shilling.” - -Thirty-three pages of Fletcher’s publication are filled with a -description of the “Dreadful Phenomenon.” This is dated “Madeley, July -6, 1773.” No useful purpose would be served by quoting Fletcher’s -account of what he heard and saw; but the following extract will show -how he was led to preach his sermon:— - - “Should the reader desire to know why I preached upon the ruins, I - will ingenuously tell him. The day the earth opened at the Birches, as - I considered one of the chasms, several of my parishioners gathered - around me. I observed to them, that, the sight before us was a - remarkable confirmation of the first argument of a book called, ‘An - Appeal to Matter of Fact, or a Rational Demonstration of Man’s Fallen - and Lost Estate,’ which I had just published, as a last effort to - awaken to a sense of the fear of God the careless gentlemen of my - parish, to whom it is dedicated. Having a few copies about me, which I - was going to present to some of them, I begged leave to read that - argument. - - “I concluded my reading and remarks by thanksgiving and prayer; and, - perceiving that seriousness sat upon all faces, I told the people, - that, if they would come again the next evening to the same place, I - would endeavour to improve the loud call to repentance, which God had - given us that day. - - “They readily consented; and when I came, at the time appointed, to my - great surprise, I found a vast concourse of people, and among them - several of my parishioners, who had never been at church in all their - life. After a prayer and thanksgiving suitable to the uncommon - circumstances, I preached a sermon, of which, so far as I can - recollect, the reader may find the substance, with some additions, in - the following pages. May it have a better effect upon him than it had - upon some of the gentlemen who heard it! Instead of a prayer-book, - they pulled out their favourite companion, a bottle; and imparted the - strong contents to each other, as heartily as I did the awful contents - of my text to the _decent_ part of the congregation. Gentle reader, - receive them as cordially as they did their stupifying antidote, and I - ask no more.” - -This, certainly, was a disgraceful scene, but not so disgraceful as that -which occurred a few days afterwards, and which Fletcher, in a -foot-note, relates. Among the many thousands, who came to view the -results of the earthquake, were a company from Bridgnorth, headed by a -young clergyman, who “brought music along with them, and set a-dancing -upon the very place where the awful earthquake had happened.” - -The text of Fletcher’s almost impromptu sermon was Numb. xvi. 30—34. The -sermon itself occupies seventy pages. Addressing the irreverent -“gentlemen” before him, the bold preacher cried:— - - “O ye Christian Dathans, ye lofty Abirams, ye, who, like those proud - Israelites, are in your respective parishes ‘_princes of the assembly, - famous in the congregation, men of renown_,’ the eyes of this populous - neighbourhood are upon you, especially the eyes of poor illiterate - colliers, waggoners, and watermen. Do you not consider that they mind - your _examples_, rather than God’s precepts? Are you not aware that - they follow you as a bleating flock follows the first wandering sheep? - Because they cannot read the sacred pages, or even tell the first - letters of the alphabet, think you they cannot read _secret contempt - of Almighty God_ on the sleeves, in which they sometimes see you laugh - at godliness? And suppose ye, they cannot make out _open pollution of - His Sabbaths_ when they see the remarkable seats, which you so - frequently leave empty at church? Do you not know that the lessons of - practical atheism, which you thus give them in the free school of bad - example, they learn without delay, practise without remorse, and teach - others with unwearied diligence? Alas! the pattern of indevotion, - which you set in the house of God, carries, before you are aware, its - baneful influence through a hundred private houses. Oh! how many are - now numbered among the dead, who have taken to the ways of destruction - by following _you_! How many are yet unborn, upon whom a curse will be - entailed, in consequence of the spreading plague of irreligion, which - their parents have caught from _you_! And shall not their blood be, - more or less, required at your hands? ‘Shall not I visit for these - things, saith the Lord? Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation - as this?’” - -This was fearless speaking, and not likely to increase Fletcher’s -popularity among his rich, dissolute parishioners. The following extract -is struck upon another key:— - - “Although we cannot all ‘_sing the song of the Lamb_,’ yet, glory be - to God! we all consider the patience of our offended Creator, who, - upon these ruins, invites us to repent and live. The earth, in the - days of Moses, opened her mouth, and dreadfully swallowed up two - families. The earth yesterday opened her mouth, probably far wider, - and yet the only two families that lived here were suffered to make - their escape. Allelujah! Praise the Lord! Multitudes of fishes have - perished on dry ground, and myriads of land insects in the waters; and - yet we, sinful insects before God, have neither been drowned in - yesterday’s flood, nor buried in these chasms: Allelujah! God’s - tremendous axe has been lifted up; some of yonder green trees have - been struck; and we, who are dry trees, we, cumberers of the ground, - are graciously spared; Allelujah! The house of Dathan and Abiram, with - all that appertained unto them, descended into the pit of destruction; - and we, who are loaded with mountains of sins, stand yet upon firm - ground, with all our friends. Allelujah! God, who might have commanded - the earth to swallow up a thronged play-house, the royal exchange, a - crowded cathedral, the parliament house, or the king’s palace, has - graciously commanded an empty barn to sink, and give us the alarm. - Allelujah! He might have ordered such a tract of land as this, to - heave, move, and open in the centre of our populous cities; but mercy - has inclined Him to fix upon this solitary place. Allelujah! He might - have suffered the road and the river to be overthrown, when cursing - drivers passed with their horses, and blaspheming watermen with their - barges; but His compassion made Him strike the warning blow with all - possible tenderness. ‘O that men would therefore praise the Lord for - His goodness, and declare the wonders that He does for the children of - men!’” - -These two extracts from the sermon preached on this remarkable occasion -must suffice; but one of Fletcher’s foot-notes may be added:— - - “A woman, thirty-five years of age, passing before a looking-glass the - day after she heard this sermon, was surprised to see an unusual - paleness upon her face. She called her husband, told him she was a - dying woman, and actually died in a quarter of an hour. She heard me - on the Friday, and I buried her the Monday following. Another - middle-aged person, who was also among my hearers, was buried the next - day in the next parish. How soon may we be called to give an account - of what we speak or hear, write or _read_!” - -The anti-evangelical _Monthly Review_ of November, 1773, in noticing -Fletcher’s publication, remarked:— - - “Mr. Fletcher, who is a man of learning and considerable abilities, - has given us a curious account of this phenomenon, which has been so - frequently mentioned in our newspapers. He has minutely, but in very - flowery language, described the awful appearances left by this - extraordinary convulsion of the earth; and he fairly states the - different opinions which were formed in regard to the cause of so - wonderful an event. Mr. Fletcher tells us that he piously chose to - take advantage of the seriousness stamped, by this alarming - occurrence, on the minds of the country people, in order to press upon - them a proper sense of the _first_ or _moral_ cause of so tremendous a - dispensation; and this he has done in a manner as rational as could be - well expected from the peculiarity of the occasion and the known - enthusiastic spirit of the preacher.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - _“THE FINISHING STROKE,” “THE CHRISTIAN - WORLD UNMASKED,” “MR. RICHARD HILL’S - THREE LETTERS.”_ - - 1773. - - -AFTER this long and awkward interruption, there must now be a return to -the wearisome Calvinian controversy. - -Early in the year 1773, Mr. Richard Hill published an 8vo. pamphlet of -57 pages, with the title, “The Finishing Stroke: containing some -Strictures on the Rev. Mr. Fletcher’s Pamphlet, entitled Logica -Genevensis, or a Fourth Check to Antinomianism.” - - “The Finishing Stroke!” remarked the _Monthly Review_ for March, 1773. - “No—we are afraid not! We shall certainly have _more last words_ from - Shropshire. Here is a fresh attack on the Vicar of Madeley. Mr. Hill - does not seem at all inclined to let Mr. Fletcher remain master of the - field, for want of an opponent, ‘notwithstanding the resolution he had - formed of being silent.’—_Vide advert._ prefixed to the ‘Finishing - Stroke.’” - -Mr. Hill’s pamphlet is dated January 2, 1773, and addressed to Fletcher. -He begins by saying:— - - “Last Saturday, and not before, I received your _Logica Genevensis_, - or _Fourth Check to Antinomianism_; and am truly sorry to find that - neither the spirit of the piece, nor the doctrine it contains, is a - jot better than what appeared in the former Checks.” - -Mr. Richard Hill was angrier than ever. Want of space renders it -impossible to examine his theology; and to quote his calumnious -accusations is unsavoury work; and yet the latter must be done, for the -employment of these slanders was, at least, one of the reasons why the -controversy was continued. Perhaps, Fletcher was not averse to fighting. -He liked an honourable contest, especially if it was likely to repress -evil, or to promote good. To do this had been his chief, almost his only -object during the last two years; but now his own reputation was at -stake, and he was bound to defend himself, as well as to defend the -doctrines he had expounded and enforced. - - “The purest treasure mortal times afford, - Is spotless reputation; that away, - Men are but gilded loam, or painted clay.” - -On the ninth page of his pamphlet, Richard Hill politely asks poor -Fletcher, “Can you wonder, Sir, that we look upon you as a spiritual -calumniator, and that we accuse you of vile falsehood and gross -perversion?” - -On the next page, Mr. Hill remarks:— - - “I know, Sir, that it was a warm attachment to your friend, which - occasioned you to run the lengths you have done. But dear as that - friend is to you, truth ought to be dearer still; yet the maxim, which - you seem all along to pursue, is, that Mr. Wesley _must be - vindicated_; yea, though all the ministers in the kingdom, yourself - not excepted, should fall to the ground. But what makes us still more - sensibly feel the power of your pen is that our tenets are most - shamefully (would I could say unintentionally) misrepresented, in - order to prejudice the world against us, and to make them believe we - hold sentiments which from our inmost souls we most cordially detest; - particularly with regard to the doctrines of election and - perseverance, which you have made to stand upon a pillory as high as - Haman’s gallows, dressed up in a frightful garb of your own invention, - and then pelted them till all your mud and dirt was exhausted. - - “Mr. Wesley has nothing to do but hold up his finger in order to - prevent thousands of his followers from ever looking into anything - that is written against his own faction, and to make them believe that - the _Four Checks_ (as they are called) contain the _medulla_ of the - Christian religion. Be this as it will, the unfair quotations you have - made, and the shocking misrepresentations and calumnies you have been - guilty of, will, for the future, prevent me from looking into any of - your books, if you should write a thousand volumes. So here the - controversy must end; at least it shall end for me.” - - “I cannot, however, conclude without again acknowledging that, in the - sight of men, your life is exemplary, and your walk outwardly - blameless” (p. 41). - -Mr. Richard Hill added a “Postscript” of ten pages to his long letter, -the postscript chiefly consisting of extracts from one of Fletcher’s -sermons, preached in Madeley Church, eleven years before, and of which -Mr. Hill happened to possess a manuscript copy. The text was Rom. xi. 5, -6. Mr. Hill says he regards this sermon as “the best confutation” of -Wesley’s “Minutes,” and of Fletcher’s “Checks;” and that, because he so -regarded it, he had actually sent it to press; but, doubting the -fairness and uprightness of such a proceeding without obtaining the -preacher’s permission, he had “stopped the publication.” Mr. Hill, -however, now published _extracts_ from the sermon, without Fletcher’s -permission; and this induced Fletcher to _re-preach_ his sermon with -additions and explanations. This was done in Madeley Church, on May 23, -1773, and the sermon, thus revised, was published in the First Part of -Fletcher’s “Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism,” in 1774. - -It would be easy to pick out of Mr. Hill’s “Finishing Stroke” not a few -most shameful opprobriums. Fletcher is accused of “descending to the -poor illiberal arts of forgery and defamation, in order to _blacken_ his -opponents, and to establish his own pernicious principles.” “He had used -high-flown sarcastic declamation, base forgeries, and gross -misrepresentations.” - -Such were some of the acerbities of Richard Hill. He was the slanderer; -not Fletcher. The latter was too much a gentleman, to say nothing of his -being a Christian, to indulge in such scurrilous vituperation. The two -men had been engaged in a theological combat; Hill had been utterly -vanquished; and, instead of meekly acknowledging his defeat, he -dishonourably abused his victorious opponent. With respect to his -conversion, he was more indebted to Fletcher than to any other man; but -this was now forgotten. The Vicar of Madeley, whom he had so greatly -loved, had become the object of his scorn. - -Immediately after the publication of his “Finishing Stroke,” Mr. Richard -Hill committed to the press another 8vo pamphlet, of 63 pages, entitled, -“Logica Wesleiensis; or, The Farrago Double Distilled. With an Heroic -Poem in Praise of Mr. John Wesley.” Mr. Hill, in addressing Wesley, -says:— - - “I have never seen you above four or five times in my whole life; once - in the pulpit at West Street Chapel; once at a friend’s house; and - once or twice, at my request, you were so kind as to drink a - _forbidden dish of tea_ with me, when I lodged in Vine Street, St. - James’s, as I wanted to speak to you concerning a poor man in your - connections.“ - -By his own confession, it is evident that Mr. Hill’s personal knowledge -of Wesley was very slight, and yet, in his “Logica Wesleiensis,” he -abuses him more ferociously than he had abused Fletcher in his -“Finishing Stroke.” Of the contumely hurled at Wesley, nothing will be -said here, but two or three extracts concerning Fletcher must be -introduced:— - - “Mr. Fletcher affirms that all the Protestant Churches, the old - Calvinist ministers, and Puritan divines, are on the side of the - ‘Minutes.’ Mr. Hill makes it appear, as clear as the sun, that this is - a point-blank falsehood as ever was written” (p. 7). - - “Mr. Wesley revised, corrected, and gave his own _imprimatur_ to all - Mr. Fletcher’s _Checks_, throughout which, Mr. John is the Alpha and - the Omega” (p. 53).[287] - - “Since the foregoing pages were finished in manuscript, I have seen - Mr. Fletcher’s ‘_Logica Genevensis_, or _Fourth Check to - Antinomianism_.’ Though I fully intended to have been silent, the many - perversions and misrepresentations which I have detected under the - cover of much professed candour, will oblige me once more to enter the - lists with my able antagonist; but, despairing of my own skill, I must - beg leave to call in the Vicar of Madeley, to be my second; and - happily for this purpose I have preserved a sermon of his, which was - preached by him only a few years ago, in his own parish church, from - Rom. xi. 5, 6. I think it is by far the best refutation of the - unscriptural doctrine contained in the ‘Minutes,’ and in all the - ‘Checks,’ which I have yet seen. As this sermon was publicly delivered - before a very numerous congregation, and copies of it handed about, by - the preacher’s own permission; and as he tells us that he is - determined, _God being his helper, to preach the doctrine therein - contained, till his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth_,—no - reasonable person can think that there is the least unfairness in my - availing myself of so powerful an ally; and I solemnly declare, upon - the word of a Christian, that, in the few extracts I may make from it, - I will not alter the least jot or tittle from the manuscript, and only - make some marginal notes and observations upon it” (p. 59). - -Footnote 287: - - This was not true, at all events, so far as the “Fourth Check” was - concerned. See Wesley’s Works, vol. x., p. 400. - -Mr. Richard Hill might think there was nothing unfair in publishing -another man’s manuscript without his permission; but men of honour will -disagree with him. Even if the manuscript had contained doctrines at -variance with some propounded in Fletcher’s “Checks,” what then? Eleven -years had elapsed since the sermon was composed and preached; and surely -Fletcher was not to be blamed and lashed if, during such a lengthened -period, he had modified some of his theological opinions. Fletcher had -no choice left to him but to re-examine his old sermon, and ascertain if -it contained anything contrary to the doctrines advocated in his -“Checks.” - -Meanwhile, another opponent had entered the battle-field. Just at this -juncture, honest, and good, though eccentric, John Berridge, Vicar of -Everton, published his well-known book, entitled, “The Christian World -Unmasked. Pray Come and Peep.” 12mo, 229 pp. The doctrines so quaintly -taught by Berridge were the doctrines of Richard Hill and his -Calvinistic friends; but Berridge was too loving a Christian to display -Richard Hill’s acrimonious spirit. The names of Wesley and Fletcher were -not once mentioned in the whole of his performance; though, of course, -their tenets were attacked. No one could find fault with this; but -Fletcher felt it his duty to answer his dear old friend at Everton. -Writing to John Thornton, Esq., on August 18, 1773, Berridge remarked:— - - “In a letter, just received from Mr. Fletcher, he says, ‘What you have - said about sincere obedience has touched the apple of God’s eye, and - is the very core of Antinomianism.[288] You have done your best to - disparage sincere obedience, and, in a pamphlet ready for the press, I - have freely exposed what you have written.’ Then he cries out, in a - declamatory style, ‘For God’s sake, let us only speak against - insincere and Pharisaical obedience.’ Indeed, I thought I had been - writing against insincere obedience throughout the pamphlet; and that - every one, who has eyes, must see it clearly; but I suppose Mr. - Fletcher’s spectacles invert objects, and make people walk with their - heads downwards.”[289] - -Footnote 288: - - In a letter to the Rev. John Newton, of Olney, dated September 20, - 1773, Berridge said, in his own quaint style, “The Vicar of Madeley - has sent me word that my prattle, in my pamphlet of ‘Sincere - Obedience,’ ‘is the core of Antinomianism, has exposed St. James, and - touched the apple of God’s eye,’ and that he intends to put my head in - the pillory, and my nose in the barnacles for so doing.” (“Works of - Berridge; and Life by Whittingham,” p. 386.) - -Footnote 289: - - “Works of Berridge; and Life by Whittingham,” p. 382. - -In another letter to the same gentleman, dated thirteen days afterwards, -Berridge observed:— - - ”I thank you for the friendly admonition you gave me respecting Mr. - Fletcher. It made me look into my heart, and I found some resentment - there. What a lurking devil this pride is! How soon he takes fire, and - yet hides his head so demurely in the embers, that we do not easily - discover him! I think it is advisable to write to Mr. Fletcher, though - despairing of success. His pamphlet will certainly be published now it - is finished. Indeed, I have written to him aforetime more than once, - and besought him to drop all controversy; but he seems to regard such - entreaties as flowing rather from a fear of his pen than a desire of - peace. His heart is somewhat exalted by his writings, and no wonder. - He is also endowed with great acuteness, which, though much admired by - the world, is a great obstacle to a quiet childlike spirit. And he is - at present eagerly seeking after legal perfection, which naturally - produceth controversial heat. As Gospel and peace, so law and - controversy go hand in hand together. How can lawyers live without - strife? In such a situation, I know, from my own former sad - experience, he will take the Scotch thistle for his motto, _Noli me - tangere_. But his heart seemeth very upright, and his labours are - abundant; and I trust the Master will serve him, by-and-by, as he has - served me,—put him into a pickling tub, and drench him there soundly. - When he comes out, dripping all over, he will be glad to cry, ‘Grace, - grace,’ and ‘a little child may lead him.’ We learn nothing truly of - ourselves, or of grace, but in a furnace. - - “Whatever Mr. Fletcher may write against my pamphlet, I am determined - to make no reply. I dare not trust my own wicked heart in a - controversy. If my pamphlet is faulty, let it be overthrown; if sound, - it will rise above any learned rubbish that is cast upon it. Indeed, - what signifies my pamphlet, or its author? While it was publishing, I - was heartily weary of it; and have really been sick of it since, and - concluded it had done no good because it had met with no - opposition.”[290] - -Footnote 290: - - “Works of Berridge; and Life by Whittingham,” p. 384. - -Berridge did write to Fletcher. Hence, in another letter to Mr. -Thornton, he said:— - - “Everton, September 25, 1773. I have written to Mr. Fletcher, and told - him what was my intention in speaking against sincere obedience, and - that my intention was manifest enough from the whole drift of my - pamphlet. I have also acquainted him that I am an enemy to - controversy, and that if his tract is published, I shall not rise up - to fight with him, but will be a dead man before he kills me. I - further told him I was afraid that Mr. Toplady[291] and himself were - setting the Christian world on fire, and the carnal world in laughter, - and wished they could both desist from controversy. A letter seemed - needful, yet I wrote to him without any hope of success, and it - appears there is not any. Mr. Jones, an expelled Oxonian, has just - been with him, and called upon me last Saturday. Mr. Fletcher showed - him what he had written against my pamphlet. It has been revised by - Mr. Wesley, and is to be published shortly.”[292] - -Footnote 291: - - In the preceding year, Toplady had published his scurrilous pamphlet, - with the title, “More Work for Mr. John Wesley; or, A Vindication of - the Decrees and Providence of God from the Defamations of a late - printed paper, entitled, ‘The Consequence Proved.’” - -Footnote 292: - - “Works of Berridge; and Life by Whittingham,” p. 387. - -Strangely enough, while Berridge was requesting peace from Everton, -Richard Hill was doing the same from Hawkstone. Berridge’s three letters -to Mr. Thornton cover the space between August 13, 1773, and September -25, 1773; and Richard Hill’s three letters to Fletcher, now to be -introduced, cover the space between July 31, 1773, and December 23, -1773. Fletcher answered them privately; but his answers have never been -published. Mr. Hill’s letters, too important to be omitted, were as -follows:— - - “HAWKSTONE, _July 31, 1773_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—I am credibly informed that you wish to have done - with controversy, and that you are resolved to publish nothing more on - the subject of the late disputes. Upon the strength of this - information, as well as to maintain my own desire of promoting peace, - I shall write to my bookseller in London, to sell no more of any of my - pamphlets which relate to the ‘Minutes;’ and for whatever may have - savoured too much of my own spirit, either in my answers to you, or to - Mr. Wesley, I sincerely crave the forgiveness of you both, and should - be most heartily glad if no person whatever were to add another word - to what has been already said on either side. - - ”And permit me to hint, that if some restraint could be laid upon - several of Mr. Wesley’s preachers, particularly upon one Perronet (of - whose superlatively abusive and insolent little piece,[293] I believe, - Mr. Charles Wesley testified his abhorrence from the pulpit), I think, - under God, it might be a salutary means of preventing the poison of - vain janglings from spreading any further. But, though it is the - desire of my soul to live in harmony, love, and friendship with you, - dear Sir, yet, if God has ever shown me anything of my own heart, or - of the truths of His Word, I must, and still do think that your - principles are exceedingly erroneous; and of this, I ever cherish a - secret hope that God will convince you, in the course of His dealings - with your soul. - - “Wishing you abundance of grace, mercy, and peace, I beg leave to - subscribe myself, Rev. and dear Sir, your sincere friend in the Gospel - of Immanuel, - - “R. HILL. - - “P.S.—I wish, dear Sir, you would make Mr. Wesley acquainted with the - contents of this letter; and, if I stop the sale of my books, I hope - that of the four ‘Checks’ will be stopped also.” - -Footnote 293: - - Probably Edward Perronet’s “Small Collection in Verse: containing a - Hymn to the Holy Ghost; an Epigram from the Italian,” etc. Printed in - 1772. 12mo, 16 pp. - -This letter of Mr. Richard Hill, at the first reading, seems to be -peaceable and friendly; but there is reason to fear that the principle -that prompted it was cowardice rather than courtesy. Mr. Hill had been -vanquished more than once; and, naturally enough, he now wished to -retire from the arena. This, however, his opponents could not permit, -without sending a shaft after him. In his publications just issued, the -“Finishing Stroke,” and the “Farrago Double-Distilled,” to say nothing -of his previous ones, he had most uncharitably accused Fletcher and -Wesley not only of ignorances and mistakes, but of sins. He had called -Fletcher a “calumniator;” he had charged him with practising “forgery -and defamation,” and “gross misrepresentations,” and “slander.” In the -“Farrago Double Distilled,” he had accused Wesley of using “quirks, -quibbles, evasions, and false quotations;” and had designated him “a -chameleon.” His “Heroic Poem in Praise of Mr. John Wesley” was a -disgraceful production, too coarse and vulgar to be quoted. Was it -reasonable to wish or expect that no answer should be made to such -imputations? Reputation was as dear in the case of John Fletcher and -John Wesley as in that of Richard Hill; and, so far as the work of God -and the interests of the Church of Christ were concerned, vastly more -important. Besides, when Mr. Hill says he was “credibly informed” that -Fletcher was “resolved to publish nothing more on the subject of the -late disputes,” he was the victim of a delusion, for Fletcher was -already preparing his “Fifth Check to Antinomianism.” - -Fletcher’s reply to Mr. Hill’s first letter has never been published, -but its import may be gathered from Mr. Hill’s second letter to -Fletcher, which was as follows:— - - “_August, 1773._ - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—Attendance at the assizes, and multiplicity of - business in my office as a Justice of the Peace, have prevented my - returning a more speedy answer to your letter, in which I find you - complain of my having treated you with severity. - - ”This obliges me to request you to call to mind the four ‘Checks,’ and - then to say what right the author of them has to complain of severity. - Read the sneering mock proclamation given by the four secretaries of - state of the predestinarian department; read the charges brought - against our celebrated pulpits; and, if you can still justify what you - have advanced, you may then with better reason accuse me of severity. - It pains me to bring these things to your remembrance, as I was - determined, when I wrote last, to avoid every shadow of any accusation - against you for what had passed; and I think you must acknowledge that - my letter was friendly; but your introduction of the subject obliges - me to say what I have. I wish I had any grounds to recall what I have - said concerning your having laid very great misrepresentations before - the public, in your quotations from Mr. Wesley’s ‘Minutes,’ and in the - harmony you would make your readers believe there is between the - Reformers and Puritans, and Mr. Wesley and yourself; for it is most - sure that your principles and theirs are as wide as east from west. - - ”How far it may be fair to alter the title of your sermon[294] from - what it stands in the manuscript, must be left to yourself; I have no - objection to it as you propose to print it. As to your explanatory - notes and additions in brackets, you know, Sir, that by these you may - easily make the sermon itself speak what language you see proper. - Clarke and Priestly, by explanatory notes and additions in brackets, - can explain away the divinity of Christ; Socinus, His atonement; and - Taylor, the corruption of human nature. - - ”As you intend to introduce my worthless name into your next - publication, I must beg to decline the obliging offer you make of my - perusing your MSS. I am, Rev. and dear Sir, - - “Your sincere friend for Christ’s sake, - “RICHARD HILL.” - -Footnote 294: - - The sermon preached in Madeley Church, on May 23, 1773, and afterwards - published in the “Fifth Check to Antinomianism.” - -Mr. Hill’s last letter is the best of the three. It was written soon -after his mother’s death, and a short time before Fletcher’s “First Part -of the Fifth Check to Antinomianism” was published. Fletcher offered to -allow Mr. Hill to read the work in manuscript, but, as Mr. Hill himself -states, the offer was declined. - - “HAWKSTONE, _December 23, 1773_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—I take the liberty of requesting you to distribute - among the poor of Madeley the enclosed two guineas, in such way and - manner as you shall judge fit and proper. - - “I sent your last letter to my brother Rowland, who is now at - Tottenham Court chapel, and suppose he received it. However, I waive - saying anything of the subject of it, as it is my design to have - totally done with the controversy, which I am firmly persuaded has not - done me any good. Excuse me if I say, I wish you to examine closely - whether it has done you any. For my own part, I desire to be humbled - before God, as well as to ask your forgiveness and Mr. Wesley’s (to - whom I purpose making a visit of peace and love when I go to London), - for everything that has savoured of wrong or of my own spirit, in what - I have written relative to his ‘Minutes;’ and, though I believe your - sentiments to be erroneous, yet I esteem and honour you for all you - have said against sin; and for the stand you have made for practical - religion in this Laodicean, Antinomian age; and truly concerned should - I be, if any expressions have dropped from my pen, which might make - the readers think lightly of sin, under the notion of honouring the - Saviour from sin. But as God can bear me witness that I had no - intentions of this sort, so I am certain that whosoever makes Christ - all his salvation, can never at the same time make Him a minister of - sin; and I trust the hour will come when, under a deep sense of your - own sinfulness and nothingness, you will be glad to lay hold of some - of those comfortable Gospel truths, which now you look upon as - dangerous poison. - - “In consequence of my former letter to you, I wrote to my bookseller - in London, and told Mr. Eddowes in Shrewsbury, to stop the sale of all - my publications concerning the controversy between us; and, unless God - shows me that it is a matter of duty so to do, I shall not revoke this - order; it being my earnest desire for the time to come, if it be - possible, to live peaceably with all men; and, though I cannot approve - some of Mr. Wesley’s doctrines, because I believe them to be contrary - to Scripture, and am sure they are contrary to my own experience, yet, - as I am persuaded that many who are the excellent of the earth are in - his connexion, I wish to confirm my love towards them on account of - the grace that is in them; and, whilst I reject their errors, still to - esteem their persons; and never to say or do anything that may hurt - that common cause for which we all ought to be contending, or which - may grieve the weakest or meanest of Christ’s people. - - “These, dear Sir, are my present sentiments and intentions, and you - have my free permission to declare them upon the house-top. - - “An afflictive breach, which God has lately been pleased to make in - our family, by depriving me of a most tender and affectionate mother, - calls upon me to beg your prayers, that the sudden stroke may be - sanctified to me and to us all. It loudly bids me remember that I am - but a stranger and pilgrim here below. May the Lord give me a - pilgrim’s spirit! and may He give us both a right judgment in all - things! - - “Permit me to subscribe myself, Rev. and dear Sir, your sincere friend - and servant in Christ, - - “RICHARD HILL.” - -The Christian spirit of this letter cannot be excelled. What a contrast -to that of the “Finishing Stroke,” published at the beginning of the -year! Mr. Hill gave Fletcher full permission to make known the facts -that the controversy had done him no good; that he desired to be humbled -before God, and to ask forgiveness of Fletcher and Wesley for everything -that had “savoured of wrong,” or of his “own spirit,” in his writings; -that he had stopped the sale of his publications; and that he regarded -many of Wesley’s people as “the excellent of the earth.” - -There can be no doubt that Fletcher availed himself of Mr. Hill’s -permission. The facts did honour to Mr. Hill; but, as is often the case, -in the course of circulation, the facts were perverted. By no fault of -Fletcher, it was reported that Mr. Hill had recanted the _doctrines_ he -had so stoutly maintained. This was utterly untrue; and led Mr. Hill to -send his three letters to the press.[295] No one could have found fault -with this; but, unfortunately, Mr. Hill prefixed a preface to his -letters, and appended an appendix. - -Footnote 295: - - The title was, “Three Letters, written by Richard Hill, Esq., to the - Rev. J. Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, in the year 1773; setting forth - Mr. Hill’s Reasons for declining any further controversy relative to - Mr. Wesley’s Principles. Shrewsbury.” 8vo., 30 pp. - -In his preface, he remarks, that when Wesley heard from Fletcher that he -(Mr. Hill) had suppressed the sale of his publications, he wrote Mr. -Hill “a short and civil letter,” in which he said, he himself intended -to write nothing more on the controversy between them, and expressed the -hope that all, in the future, would be love and peace. This -communication gratified Mr. Hill, and soon afterwards, when he went to -London, he had an interview with Wesley at West-street chapel, and -assured him of his intentions to retire from the warfare, and said he -wished that nothing more should be said on the subject by any one. -Wesley took him by the hand; showed a loving, pacific disposition; and, -says Mr. Hill, “we parted very good friends.” - -Besides this personal narrative, however, the preface renewed the -slanderous attacks on Fletcher, accusing him of misrepresenting facts, -of using “artifices in his manner of making quotations;” and -“declamation, chicanery, evasion, false glosses, and pious frauds, to -throw dust into the eyes of his readers.” Not content with this, he made -an onslaught on Thomas Olivers, Wesley’s trenchant Itinerant, who (in -1774) had just published a 12mo book of 168 pages, entitled “A Scourge -to Calumny. In Two Parts. Inscribed to Richard Hill, Esq.” He sneeringly -calls him “one Thomas Oliver, alias Olivers, a journeyman cordwainer, -who had written a pamphlet against him (Mr. Hill), which, though in -itself _black in the grain_, was afterwards _lacquered up_, _new soled_, -and _heel-tapped_ by his master before it was exposed for sale.” - - “I shall not,” continues Mr. Hill, “take the least notice of him, or - read a line of his composition,[296] any more than, if I was - travelling on the road, I would stop to lash, or even order my footman - to lash, every impertinent little quadruped in a village, that should - come out and bark at me; but would willingly let the contemptible - animal have the satisfaction of thinking he had driven me out of - sight.” - -Footnote 296: - - If Mr. Hill had not read Thomas Oliver’s little book, how is it that - he can so graphically describe it? - -This was despicable bombast; for the Welsh shoemaker, as a controversial -writer, was quite equal to him who, in due time, became a Shropshire -baronet. Mr. Hill proceeds to say that he cannot read any more of -Fletcher’s books, and, therefore, cannot write any more answers to them; -but, because it was now currently reported that he had recanted the -doctrines which he had defended, he had revoked his orders to stop the -sale of his publications, and that his “Five Letters to Fletcher,” his -“Review of Wesley’s Doctrines,” his “Farrago Double Distilled,” his -“Paris Conversation,” and his “Finishing Stroke,” might now be bought as -heretofore. - -The Appendix to Mr. Hill’s Three Letters suggests a proposed title to -Fletcher’s works, and sets forth “A Creed for Arminians and -Perfectionists,” as follows:— - - “ARTICLE I. - - “I believe that Jesus Christ died for the whole human race, and that - He had no more love towards those who now are, or hereafter shall be, - in glory, than for those who now are, or hereafter shall be, lifting - up their eyes in torments; and that the one are no more indebted to - His grace than the other. - - “ARTICLE II. - - “I believe that Divine grace is indiscriminately given to all men; and - that God, foreseeing that by far the greater part of the world would - reject this grace, doth, nevertheless, bestow it upon them in order to - heighten their torments and to increase their damnation in hell. - - “ARTICLE III. - - “I believe it depends wholly on the will of the creature whether he - shall or shall not receive any benefit from Divine grace. - - “ARTICLE IV. - - “Though the Scripture tells me that the carnal mind is enmity against - God, yet I believe there is something in the heart of every natural - man that can nourish and cherish the grace of God; and that the sole - reason why this grace is effectual in some and not in others, is - entirely owing to themselves and to their own faithfulness, and not to - the distinguishing love and favour of God. - - “ARTICLE V. - - “I believe that God sincerely wishes for the salvation of many who - never will be saved; consequently, that it is entirely owing to want - of ability in God that what He so earnestly willeth is not - accomplished. - - “ARTICLE VI. - - “I believe that the Redeemer not only shed His precious blood, but - prayed for the salvation of many souls who are now in hell; - consequently, that His blood was shed in vain, and His prayer rejected - of His Father; and that, therefore, He told a great untruth when He - said, ‘I know that Thou hearest me always.’ - - “ARTICLE VII. - - “I believe that God, foreseeing some men’s nature will improve the - grace which is given them, and that they will repent, believe, and be - very good, elects them unto salvation. - - “ARTICLE VIII. - - “I believe that the love and favour of Him with whom is no - variableness and shadow of turning, and whose gifts and callings are - without repentance, may vary, change, and turn every hour and every - moment, according to the behaviour of the creature. - - “ARTICLE IX. - - “I believe that the seed of the Word, by which God’s children are born - again, is a corruptible seed; and that, so far from enduring for ever - (as that mistaken apostle Peter rashly affirms), it is frequently - rooted out of the hearts of those in whom it was sown. - - “ARTICLE X. - - “I believe that Christ does not always give unto His sheep eternal - life; but that they often perish, and are, by the power of Satan, - frequently plucked out of His hand. - - “ARTICLE XI. - - “Though I have solemnly subscribed to the Thirty-Nine Articles of the - Church of England, and have affirmed that I believe them from my - heart, yet I think our Reformers were profoundly ignorant of true - Christianity, when they declared, in the Ninth Article, that ‘the - infection of nature doth remain in them which are regenerate;’ and, in - the Fifteenth, that ‘all we, the rest (Christ only excepted), although - baptized and born again in Christ, yet offend in many things; and _if - we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in - us_.’ This I totally deny, because it cuts up, root and branch, my - favourite doctrine of _Perfection_; and, therefore, let Peter, Paul, - James, or John, say what they will; and let reformers and martyrs join - their syren song, their eyes were at best but half opened, for want of - a little _Foundery_ eye-salve; therefore, I cannot look upon them as - adult believers, and fathers in Christ.” - -The Eleven Articles were subscribed, “J. F.,” “J. W.,” and “W. S.;” -which may be taken as the initial letters of the names of John Fletcher, -John Wesley, and Walter Sellon. - - “What! more _finishing strokes_!” remarked the _Monthly Review_ of - January, 1775, in its notice of Mr. Hill’s new pamphlet. “This - retiring champion, however, like the Parthians of old, is not less - formidable in his retreat than in a direct attack. He here lets fly at - the _Arminians_ and _Perfectionists_ one of his sharpest pointed - arrows. He styles it ‘_their creed_.’ He says he has ‘composed it from - their sentiments;’ and he adds that he ‘can scarcely read it without - horror.’ Yet he thinks himself justified in publishing it, as Mr. - Fletcher still continued the controversy with so much warmth.” - -All this is deeply to be regretted. Mr. Hill had declared his -determination to abandon this painful warfare, and yet here he provokes -a continuance of it. It is true that, meanwhile, Fletcher had published -his “Answer to the Finishing Stroke” of Mr. Hill; but Fletcher had done -this, not because he desired the controversy to be prolonged, but -because “The Finishing Stroke” contained so many grave attacks on -Fletcher’s moral character, that Fletcher’s honour could not be -maintained without an “Answer” being written. At this point the war -might have ended; but, by appending the “Creed for Arminians and -Perfectionists” to his Three Letters, Mr. Hill re-opened the sluice, and -“the waters of strife” flowed as fiercely as ever. - -From a Calvinian point of view, the “Creed” is drawn up with great -ability; but Mr. Hill was well aware that it was a misrepresentation of -the sentiments of Fletcher and Wesley. Besides, the thing itself was in -bad taste. It must be acknowledged that Fletcher had published his -“Gospel Proclamation: Given at _Geneva_, and signed by four of his -Majesty’s principal Secretaries of State for the Predestinarian -Department!” but there was no need that Mr. Richard Hill should copy -Fletcher’s objectionable example. - -It is now time, however, to turn to Fletcher’s masterly replies. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - “_FIFTH CHECK TO ANTINOMIANISM._” - - 1774. - - -IN a characteristic letter addressed to Ambrose Serle, Esq., and dated -“January 11, 1774,” Augustus Toplady observed:— - - “Mr. Fletcher may fire off as soon as he pleases. The weapons of his - warfare can never wound the truths of God, any more than a handful of - feathers can batter down my church tower. I shall, however, be glad to - see his performance when it appears. Mr. Shirley told me, when I was - last at Bath, that Fletcher is to succeed Pope Wesley, as - commander-in-chief of the Societies, if he should survive his - holiness. No wonder, therefore, that the Cardinal of Madeley is such a - zealous stickler for the cause. One would think that the Swiss were - universally fated to fight for pay.”[297] - -Footnote 297: - - “Complete Works of Toplady.” - -Toplady’s mendacious sneer that Fletcher was fighting “for pay” may be -scornfully passed over. This letter might refer to Fletcher’s “Answer to -the Rev. Mr. Toplady’s Vindication of the Decrees,” which Fletcher -finished in the month of October, 1775; or it might refer to the -expected publication of the “Fifth Check to Antinomianism.” The “First -Part” of this was completed at Madeley, September 13, 1773; but was not -published until the beginning of 1774. The following was its title: -“_Logica Genevensis_ continued: or the First Part of the Fifth Check to -Antinomianism, containing an Answer to ‘_The Finishing Stroke_’ of -Richard Hill, Esq. In which some remarks upon _Mr. Fulsome’s_ Antinomian -Creed, published by the Rev. Mr. Berridge, are occasionally introduced. -With an Appendix upon the remaining difference between the Calvinists -and the Anti-Calvinists, with respect to our Lord’s doctrine of -_Justification by words_, and St. James’s doctrine of _Justification by -works, and not by faith only_. London: 1774.” 12mo., 48 pp. - -Fletcher’s “Answer” to Richard Hill’s “Finishing Stroke,” and his -“Remarks upon _Mr. Fulsome’s_ Antinomian Creed,” are able, and -characteristic of the writer; but contain no biographical facts worth -mentioning. Two extracts, however, from the “Appendix,” upon the -remaining differences between the Calvinists and the anti-Calvinists, -may be useful; inasmuch as, in a condensed form, they exhibit the point -to which, in Fletcher’s opinion, the controversy had brought both -parties with respect to the principal of Wesley’s “Minutes” of 1770. -Fletcher writes:— - - “On both sides, we agree to maintain, in opposition to Socinians and - Deists, that the grand, the primary, and properly meritorious cause of - our justification, from first to last, both in the day of conversion - and in the day of judgment, is only the precious atonement and the - infinite merits of our Lord Jesus Christ. We all agree likewise that - in the day of conversion faith is the _instrumental cause_ of our - justification before God. Nay, if I mistake not, we come one step - nearer each other, for we equally hold that, after conversion, the - works of faith are in this world, and will be in the day of judgment, - the _evidencing cause_ of our justification; that is, the works of - faith (under the above-mentioned primary cause of our salvation, and - in subordination to the faith that gives them birth), are now, and - will be in the great day, the _evidence_ that shall instrumentally - _cause_ our justification as believers. Thus Mr. Hill says [_Review_, - p. 149], ‘Neither Mr. Shirley, nor I, nor any Calvinist that I ever - heard of, denies that, though a sinner be _justified in the sight of - God by Christ alone_, he is _declaratively justified by works, both - here and at the day of judgment_.’ And the Rev. Mr. Madan, in his - sermon on ‘_justification by works stated, explained, and reconciled - with justification by faith_,’ says [p. 29], ‘By Christ only are we - _meritoriously_ justified, and by faith only are we _instrumentally_ - justified _in the sight of God_; but by works, and not by faith only, - are we _declaratively justified before men and angels_.’ From these - two quotations, which could easily be multiplied to twenty, it is - evident that pious Calvinists hold the doctrine of a _justification_ - by the works of faith; or, as Mr. Madan expresses it, after St. James, - _by works, and not by faith only_. - - “It remains now to show wherein we disagree. At first sight, the - difference seems trifling; but, upon close examination, it appears - that the whole antinomian gulf still remains fixed between us. Read - the preceding quotations, weigh the clauses which I have put in - capitals, compare them with what the Rev. Mr. Berridge says in his - ‘_Christian World Unmasked_’ (p. 26), of ‘_an absolute impossibility - of being justified in any manner_ by our works,’ namely, _before God_; - and you will see that though pious Calvinists allow we are justified - by works _before men and angels_, yet they deny our being _ever_ - justified by works _before God_, in whose sight they suppose we are - for ever justified by _Christ alone_,’ _i.e._, only by Christ’s good - works and sufferings, absolutely imputed to us from the very first - moment in which we make a single act of true faith, if not from all - eternity. Thus works are entirely excluded from having any hand either - in our intermediate or final justification _before God_; and thus they - are still represented as _totally needless_ to our _eternal_ - salvation. Now, in direct opposition to the above-mentioned - distinction, we anti-Calvinists believe that adult persons cannot be - saved without being justified _by faith_ as _sinners_, according to - the light of their dispensation; and _by works_ as _believers_, - according to the time and opportunities they have of working. We - assert that the _works_ of faith are not less necessary to our - justification _before God_ as believers, than _faith_ itself is - necessary to our justification _before Him_ as sinners. And we - maintain that when faith does not produce good works (much more when - it produces the worst works, such as adultery, hypocrisy, treachery, - murder, etc.), it dies, and justifies no more; seeing it is a _living_ - and not a _dead_ faith that justifies us as sinners; even as they are - _living_ and not dead works that justify us as believers.” - -Thus did these good men quarrel. Berridge was a man of eminent piety and -of great wit, but he could scarcely be considered a great theologian; -and it may be fairly doubted whether he ever held the doctrines which -Fletcher, perhaps somewhat hardly, deduces from a few of his unguarded -words. - -In his next pamphlet, which was published March 1, 1774,[298] Fletcher -treats poor Berridge with yet greater severity. The whole work was -devoted to an exposure of the objectionable and the weak points in -Berridge’s “Christian World Unmasked.” Its title was “_Logica -Genevensis_ continued. Or the Second Part of the Fifth Check to -Antinomianism; containing a Defence of ‘Jack o’ lanthorn,’ and ‘the -Paper-kite,’ _i.e._, Sincere Obedience;—of the ‘Cobweb,’ _i.e._, The -evangelical law of liberty; and of the ‘Valiant Sergeant I. F.,’ _i.e._, -The conditionality of Perseverance, attacked by the Rev. Mr. Berridge, -M.A., Vicar of Everton, and late Fellow of Clare-hall, Cambridge, in his -book called ‘The Christian World Unmasked.’ London: 1774.” 12 mo., 44 -pp. - -Footnote 298: - - _Lloyd’s Evening Post_, March 2, 1774. - -Berridge was well aware of Fletcher’s intention to attack his book, for -Fletcher himself, seven months before, had told him that what he had -“said about sincere obedience was the very core of Antinomianism,” and -that he must freely expose what he had written. Berridge, in letters to -John Thornton, Esq., and the Rev. John Newton, complained of this, and -said Fletcher had misapprehended his meaning. He also wrote to Fletcher -to the same effect, and told him that, if he published his attack, he -(Berridge) would not answer it. There can be no doubt that Berridge -never _intended_ to “disparage sincere obedience” to the law of God; but -his similes, allegories, figures, and loose language, might be construed -by Antinomian readers in such a sense. Fletcher believed Berridge to be -a sincere, earnest, obedient Christian; but he also believed that -Berridge’s well-meant book might be turned to a bad account by men with -whose Antinomian sentiments Berridge had no sympathy. In the -introduction to his pamphlet, Fletcher writes:— - - “Before I mention Mr. Berridge’s mistakes, I must do justice to his - person. It is by no means my design to represent him as a divine, who - either leads a loose life, or _intends_ to hurt the Redeemer’s - interest. His conduct as a Christian is exemplary; his labours as a - minister are great; and I am persuaded that the wrong touches which he - gives to the ark of godliness are not only undesigned, but _intended_ - to do God service. - - “There are so many things commendable in the pious vicar of Everton, - and so much truth in his ‘Christian World Unmasked,’ that I find it a - hardship to expose the unguarded parts of that performance. But the - cause of this hardship is the ground of my apology. Mr. Berridge is a - good, an excellent man; therefore the Antinomian errors which go - abroad into the world with his letters of recommendation, speak in his - evangelical strain, and are armed with the poignancy of his wit, - cannot be too soon pointed out and too carefully guarded against. I - flatter myself that this consideration will procure me his pardon for - taking the liberty of dispatching his ‘valiant sergeant’ with some - doses of rational and Scriptural antidote for those who have drunk - into the pleasing mistakes of his book, and want his piety to hinder - them from carrying speculative into practical Antinomianism.” - -It would weary the reader to follow Fletcher in his minute, sometimes -pungent, and always irrefutable criticisms on Berridge’s well-known -book. There is often plain speaking, but there is no acidity. Berridge -is routed, but he is invariably treated as a Christian and a gentleman. -Fletcher’s “Conclusion” is as follows:— - - “Were I to conclude these strictures upon the dangerous tenets, - inadvertently advanced and happily contradicted, in ‘The Christian - World Unmasked,’ without professing my brotherly love and sincere - respect for the ingenious and pious author, I should wrong him, - myself, and the cause which I defend. I only do him justice when I say - that few, very few, of our elders equal him in devotedness to Christ, - zeal, diligence, and ministerial success. His indefatigable labours in - the word and doctrine entitle him to a double share of honour; and I - invite all my readers to esteem him highly in love for his Master’s - and his work’s sake; entreating them not to undervalue his vital piety - on account of his Antinomian opinions; and beseeching them to consider - that his errors are so much the more excusable as they do not - influence his moral conduct, and that he refutes them himself far more - than his favourite scheme of doctrine allows him to do. Add to this - that those very errors spring, in a great degree, from the idea that - he honours Christ by receiving, and does God service by propagating - them. - - “The desire of catching the attention of his readers has made him - choose a witty, facetious manner of writing, for which he has a - peculiar turn; and the necessity I am under of standing his _indirect_ - attack[299] obliges me to meet him upon his own ground, and to - encounter him with his own weapons. I beg that what passes for - evangelical humour in him may not be called indecent levity in me. A - sharp pen may be guided by a kind heart; and such, I am persuaded, is - that of my much-esteemed antagonist, whom I publicly invite to my - pulpit; protesting that I should be edified and overjoyed to hear him - enforce there the _guarded_ substance of his book, which, - notwithstanding the vein of solifidianism I have taken the liberty to - open, contains many great and glorious truths.” - -Footnote 299: - - As previously stated, Fletcher’s name was not mentioned in Berridge’s - book, but the book was intended to ridicule and denounce the doctrines - which Fletcher, in his “_Checks_,” had defended. - -In all his publications, Fletcher had not only Wesley’s approval, but -his high commendation. In three several letters, written during the -present year, 1774, Wesley thus expressed his opinion of Fletcher:— - - “March 1, 1774.—He” [James Perfect], “preaches salvation by faith in - the same manner that my brother and I have done; and as Mr. Fletcher - (one of the finest writers of the age) has beautifully explained it. - None of us talk of being accepted for our works; that is the Calvinist - slander. But we all maintain we are not saved without works; that - works are a condition (though not the meritorious cause) of final - salvation. It is by faith in the righteousness and blood of Christ - that we are enabled to do all good works; and it is for the sake of - these that all who fear God and work righteousness are accepted of - Him.”[300] - - “May 2, 1774. Until Mr.” (Richard) “Hill and his associates puzzled - the cause, it was as plain as plain could be. The Methodists always - held, and have declared a thousand times, that the death of Christ is - the meritorious cause of our salvation, that is, of pardon, holiness, - and glory; loving, obedient faith is the condition of glory. This Mr. - Fletcher has so illustrated and confirmed, as, I think, scarcely any - one has done before since the Apostles.”[301] - - “December 28, 1774. If we could once bring all our preachers, - itinerant and local, uniformly and steadily to insist on those two - points, ‘Christ dying for us,’ and ‘Christ reigning in us,’ we should - shake the trembling gates of hell. I think most of them are now - exceeding clear herein, and the rest come nearer and nearer; - especially since they have read Mr. Fletcher’s ‘Checks,’ which have - removed many difficulties out of the way.”[302] - -Footnote 300: - - Wesley’s Works, vol xii., p. 372. - -Footnote 301: - - _Ibid_, p. 373. - -Footnote 302: - - _Ibid_, p. 430. - -Such was one of the services which Fletcher, “one of the finest writers -of the age,” had rendered to Wesley’s preachers and people as early as -the year 1774. They had been in danger of departing from the truth, or, -at least, stumbling at it: by Fletcher’s help, they were confirmed in -the Christian faith, and henceforth earnestly contended for it. - -As already seen, in 1773 Mr. Richard Hill had extended to Fletcher the -olive branch of peace; and now the Countess of Huntingdon seems to have -done the same. Three years before, she had virtually dismissed him from -her Calvinistic College at Trevecca, because he would not renounce what -were called the “_horrible and abominable_” doctrinal “Minutes” of -Wesley’s Conference in 1770. Since then, he had been incessantly -employed in explaining and defending these “Minutes;” and, in every -instance, had vanquished his opponents. Her ladyship, with her -strong-mindedness, seemed to perceive this, and wished to have an -interview with her disbanded president. She was staying at Bath, and -through James Ireland, Esq., of Bristol, the intimate friend of both, -her wish appears to have been conveyed to Fletcher; who, in reply, wrote -to Mr. Ireland as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _February 6, 1774_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—In the present circumstances, it was a great piece of - condescension in dear Lady Huntingdon to be willing to see me - privately: but for her to permit me to wait upon her _openly_ denotes - such generosity, such courage, and a mind so much superior to the - narrowness that clogs the charity of most professors, that it would - have amazed me, if everything that is noble and magnanimous were not - to be expected from her ladyship. It is well for her that spirits are - imprisoned in flesh and blood, or I might by this time (and it is but - an hour since I received your letter) have troubled her ten times with - my apparition, to wish her joy of being above the dangerous snare of - professors—the smiles and frowns of the religious world; and to thank - her a thousand times for not being ashamed of her old servant, and for - cordially forgiving him all that is past, upon the score of the Lord’s - love, and of my honest meaning. - - “But though, on reading your letter, my mind has travelled so fast to - Bath, yet an embargo is laid upon my body—‘I must not go yet.’ I am - the more inclined to take the hint, for two reasons. I will tell you - all my heart about it. The more I see her ladyship’s generosity, and - admire the faithfulness of the friendship that she has for many years - honoured me with, the more I ought to take care not to bring burdens - upon her. It might lessen her influence with those she is connected - with; and might grieve some of her friends, who possibly would look - upon her condescension as an affront to them. This is the first - reason. - - “The second respects myself. _I must follow my light._ A necessity is - laid upon me to clear my conscience with respect to the _Antinomian - world_, and to point out the stumbling-block that keeps many serious - people from embracing the real doctrines of free grace. I cannot do - this without advancing some truths, which I know her ladyship receives - as well as myself, but which, by my manner of unfolding them, will, at - first sight, appear dreadful touches to the Gospel of the day. I am - just sending to the press ‘A Scriptural Essay upon the Astonishing - Rewardableness of the Works of Faith.’ Though it consists only of - plain Scriptures, and plain arguments, without anything personal, I - think it will raise more dust of prejudice against me than my - preceding publications. With respect to myself, I do not mind it; but - I am bound in love to mind it with respect to her ladyship. My respect - for her ladyship, therefore, together with the preceding reason, - determine me to defer paying my respects _personally_ to her, till - after the publication of my ‘Essay,’ and ‘Scripture Scales;’ and, if - she does not then revoke the kind leave she gives me, I shall most - gladly make the best of my way to assure her in person, as I do now by - this indirect means, that I am, and shall for ever be her dutiful - servant in what appears to me the plain Gospel of our common Lord. - - “With love to yourself, and dutiful love to our noble friend, I am, - etc., - - “J. FLETCHER.”[303] - -Footnote 303: - - Letters, 1791, p. 221. - -Nothing need be said respecting Fletcher’s considerate kindness in -declining, for the present, an interview with the Countess of -Huntingdon, lest he should become the means of bringing upon her -undeserved reproach from some of her bigoted and narrow-hearted friends. -It was like the man, and worthy of him. - -In another letter to Mr. Ireland, Fletcher further refers to the -returning friendliness of the Countess, and to his controversial and -exhausting labours, of which he was becoming weary:— - - “MADELEY, _March 27, 1774_. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—I think I wrote my last two days before I received your - bounty—a large hogshead of rice and two cheeses. Accept the thanks of - myself and of my poor flock. I distributed it on Shrove-Tuesday, and - preached to a numerous congregation on ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of - God and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto - you.’ We prayed for our benefactor, that God would give him a - hundredfold in this life, and eternal life, where life eternal will be - no burden. I saw then, what I have not often seen on such occasions, - gladness without the appearance of envying or grudging. - - “I get very slowly out of the mire of my controversy, and yet I hope - to get over it, if God spares my life, in two or three pieces more. - Since I wrote last, I have added to my ‘Equal Check’ a piece which I - call ‘An Essay on Truth; or, a Rational Vindication of the Doctrine of - Salvation by Faith,’ which I have taken the liberty to dedicate to - Lady Huntingdon, to have an opportunity of clearing her ladyship from - the charge of Antinomianism. I have taken this step in the simplicity - of my heart, and as due from me, in my circumstances, to the character - of her ladyship. - - “I have just spirit enough to enjoy my solitude, and to bless God that - I am out of the hurry of the world—even the spiritual world. I tarry - gladly in my Jerusalem, till the kingdom of God comes with power. Till - then, it matters not where I am: only as my chief call is here, here I - gladly stay, till God fits me for the pulpit or the _grave_. I still - spend my mornings in scribbling. Though I grudge so much time in - writing, yet a man must do something; and I may as well investigate - truth as do anything else, except solemn praying and visiting my - flock. I shall be glad to have done with my present avocation, that I - may give myself up more to those two things. - - “O how life goes! I walked, now I gallop into eternity. The bowl of - life goes rapidly down the steep hill of time. Let us be wise: embrace - we Jesus and the resurrection. Let us trim our lamps, and give - ourselves afresh to Him that bought us, till we can do it without - reserve. Adieu! - - “J. FLETCHER.”[304] - -Footnote 304: - - Letters, 1791, p 223. - - - CHAPTER XVI. - _FURTHER PUBLICATIONS IN THE YEAR_ - - 1774. - - -IN _Lloyd’s Evening Post_ for March 2, 1774, there appeared the -following advertisement:— - - “_In the Press._ An Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism; and - the Scripture Scales to weigh Gospel Truth; both by the Rev. Mr. John - Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire.” - -“_The Scripture Scales_,” however, were published separately, and not -until the year was ending. First of all, Fletcher issued a 12mo. volume -of 264 pages, entitled, “The First Part of an Equal Check to Pharisaism -and Antinomianism, containing, I. An Historical Essay on the Danger of -parting Faith and Works. II. Salvation by the Covenant of Grace, A -Discourse preached in the Parish Church of Madeley, April 18, and May 9, -1773. III. A Scriptural Essay on the astonishing Rewardableness of -Works, according to the Covenant of Grace. IV. An Essay on Truth, or, A -rational Vindication of the Doctrine of Salvation by Faith, with a -dedicatory Epistle to the Right Hon. the Countess of Huntingdon. By the -Author of the Checks to Antinomianism. Shrewsbury: Printed by J. -Eddowes: and sold at the Foundery; and by J. Buckland, in Paternoster -Row, London; by T. Mills in Bath; and S. Aris in Birmingham. 1774.” - -Fletcher’s Preface is dated, Madeley, May 21, 1774. The following -extracts from it convey an idea of the scope of his book:— - - “I. The first piece of this Check was designed for a preface to the - Discourse that follows it; but as it swelled far beyond my intention, - I present it to the reader under the name of _An Historical Essay_, - which makes way for the tracts that follow. - - “II. With respect to the Discourse, I must mention what engages me to - publish it. In 1771, I saw the propositions called the ‘_Minutes_.’ - Their author invited me to ‘_review the whole affair_.’ I did so; and - soon found that I had ‘leaned too much toward Calvinism,’ which, after - mature consideration, appeared to me exactly to coincide with - _speculative_ Antinomianism; and the same year I publicly acknowledged - my error.[305] - - “When I had thus openly confessed that I was involved in the guilt of - _many of my brethren_, and that I had so leaned towards _speculative_ - as not to have made a proper stand against _practical_ Antinomianism, - who could have thought that one of my most formidable opponents[306] - would have attempted to screen his mistakes behind some passages of a - manuscript sermon which I preached twelve years ago, and of which, by - some means or other, he has got a copy? - - “I am very far from recanting that old discourse. I still think the - doctrine it contains excellent, in the main, and very proper to be - enforced, though in a more guarded manner, in a congregation of - hearers violently prejudiced against the first gospel axiom.[307] - Therefore, out of regard for the grand, leading truth of Christianity, - and in compliance with Mr. Hill’s _earnest entreaty_ (‘Finishing - Stroke,’ p. 45), I send my sermon into the world upon the following - reasonable conditions: 1. That I shall be allowed to publish it, as I - preached it a year ago in my church, namely, with _additions in - brackets_, to make it at once a _fuller_ Check to Pharisaism, and a - _finishing_ Check to Antinomianism. 2. That the largest addition shall - be in favour of _free grace_. 3. That nobody shall accuse me of - _forgery_, for thus adding my present light to that which I had - formerly; and for thus bringing out of my little treasure of - experience _things new and old_. 4. That the press shall not groan - with the charge of _disingenuity_, if I throw into Notes some - unguarded expressions, which I formerly used without scruple, and - which my more enlightened conscience does not suffer me to use at - present. 5. That my opponent’s call to print my sermon will procure me - the pardon of the public, for presenting them with a plain, _blunt_, - discourse, composed for an audience chiefly made up of colliers and - rustics. And, lastly, that, as I understand English a little better - than I did twelve years ago, I shall be permitted to rectify a few - French idioms, which I find in my old manuscript; and to _connect_ my - thoughts a little more like an Englishman, where I can do it without - the least misrepresentation of the sense. - - “III. With regard to the ‘_Scriptural Essay_’ upon the rewardableness - or evangelical worthiness of works, I shall just observe that it - attacks the grand mistake of Solifidians countenanced by three or four - words of my old sermon. I pour a flood of Scriptures upon it; and, - after receiving the fire of my objector, I return it in a variety of - scriptural and rational answers, about the solidity of which the - public must decide. - - “IV. The ‘_Essay on Truth_’ will, I hope, reconcile judicious - moralists to the doctrine of salvation _by faith_, and considerate - Solifidians to the doctrine of salvation _by_ the _works_ of faith; - reason and Scripture concurring to show the constant dependence of - works upon faith; and the wonderful agreement of the doctrine of - present salvation by TRUE _faith_, with the doctrine of eternal - salvation by GOOD _works_. - - “I hope that I do not dissent, in my observations upon _faith_, either - from our Church, or approved Gospel ministers. In their _highest_ - definitions of that grace, they consider it _only_ according to the - fulness of the _Christian_ dispensation; but my subject has obliged me - to consider it also according to the dispensations of John the - Baptist, Moses, and Noah. Believers under these _inferior_ - dispensations have not always _assurance_, nor is the assurance they - sometimes have so bright as that of adult Christians, Matt. xi. 11. - But, undoubtedly, assurance is inseparably connected with the faith of - the _Christian_ dispensation, which was not _fully_ opened till Christ - opened _His_ glorious baptism on the Day of Pentecost, and till His - spiritual kingdom was set up with power in the hearts of His people. - Nobody, therefore, can truly believe, according to _this_ - dispensation, without being _immediately_ conscious both of the - forgiveness of sins, and of peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. This is a - most important truth, derided indeed by fallen Churchmen, and denied - by Laodicean Dissenters; but, of late years gloriously revived by Mr. - Wesley and the Ministers connected with him.” - -Footnote 305: - - In the “Second Check to Antinomianism.” - -Footnote 306: - - Mr. Richard Hill. - -Footnote 307: - - Thus defined by Fletcher in his “Doctrines of Grace and Justice:” “Our - salvation is of God; or, There is free grace in God; which, through - Christ, freely places all men in a state of temporary redemption, - justification, or salvation, according to the various Gospel - dispensations, and crowns those who are faithful unto death with an - eternal redemption, justification, or salvation.” - - His definition of the second Gospel axiom is, “Our damnation is of - ourselves: or, There is a free-will in man; by which he may, through - the grace freely imparted to him in the day of temporary salvation, - work out his own eternal salvation; or he may, through the natural - power which angels had to sin in heaven, and our first parents in - paradise, choose to sin away the day of temporary salvation. And by - thus working out his damnation, he may provoke just wrath, which is - the same as despised free grace, to punish him with eternal - destruction.” - -From these extracts, the reader may gather the difficult and important -doctrines discussed by Fletcher in his book of pamphlets. In a work like -this it is impossible to follow him in his careful statements of truth, -in the arguments by which he proves them, and in his answers to -objections raised against them; but a few remarks respecting some of -these publications must be attempted. - -In a prelude to his sermon first delivered in 1762, and now amended, -Fletcher gives a doleful picture of what he himself had witnessed during -the interval. He says:— - - “The substance of the following Discourse was committed to paper many - years ago, to convince the Pharisees and papists of my parish that - there is no salvation by the faithless works of the law, but by a - living faith in Jesus Christ. With shame I confess that I did not - _then_ see the need of guarding the doctrine of _faith_ against the - despisers of _works_. I was chiefly bent upon pulling up the tares of - Pharisaism: those of Antinomianism were not yet sprung up in the - field, which I began to cultivate: or my want of experience hindered - me from discerning them. But since, what a crop of them have I - perceived and bewailed! - - “Alas! they have, in a great degree, ruined the success of my - ministry. I have seen numbers of lazy seekers, enjoying the dull - pleasure of sloth on the couch of wilful unbelief, under pretence that - God was to do all in them without them. I have seen some lie flat in - the mire of sin, absurdly boasting that they could not fall; and - others make the means of grace means of idle gossiping or sly - courtship. I have seen some turn their religious profession into a way - of gratifying covetousness or indolence; and others, their skill in - church music, their knowledge, and their zeal, into various nets to - catch esteem, admiration, and praise. Some I have seen making - _yesterday’s_ faith a reason to laugh at the cross _to-day_; and - others drawing, from their misapprehensions of the atonement, - arguments to be less importunate in secret prayer, and more - conformable to this evil world than once they were. Nay, I have seen - some professing believers backward to do those works of mercy, which I - have sometimes found persons, who made no profession of godliness, - quite ready to perform. And—oh! tell it in Sion, that watchfulness may - not be neglected by believers, that fearfulness may seize upon - backsliders, and that trembling may break the bones of hypocrites and - apostates—I have seen those who had equally shined by their gifts and - graces strike the moral world with horror by the grossest - Antinomianism, and disgrace the doctrine of _salvation through faith_ - by the deepest plunges into scandalous sins.” - -As already stated, Fletcher’s “Essay on Truth; or, Rational Vindication -of the Doctrine of Salvation by Faith,” was dedicated to his quondam -friend and patroness, the Countess of Huntingdon, who again desired his -friendship, his counsel, and his prayers. In his “Dedicatory Epistle” he -says:— - - “MY LADY,—Because I think it my duty to defend the _works of faith_ - against the triumphant errors of the Solifidians, some of your - ladyship’s friends conclude that I am an enemy to the doctrine of - _salvation by faith_, and their conclusion amounts to such - exclamations as these: ‘How could a lady, so zealous for God’s glory - and the Redeemer’s grace, commit the superintendency of a seminary of - pious learning to a man that opposes the _fundamental_ doctrine of - Protestantism! How could she put her sheep under the care of such a - wolf in sheep’s clothing!’ This conclusion, my lady, has grieved me - for your sake; and, to remove the blot that it indirectly fixes upon - you, as well as to balance my ‘Scriptural Essay on the Rewardableness’ - of the works of faith, I publish, and humbly dedicate to your - ladyship, this last piece of my ’_Equal Check to Pharisaism and - Antinomianism_.’ May the kindness which enabled you to bear for years - with the coarseness of my ministrations incline you favourably to - receive this little token of my unfeigned attachment to Protestantism, - and of my lasting respect for your ladyship! - - “Your aversion to all that looks like controversy can never make you - think that an _Equal Check_ to the two grand delusions, which have - crept into the Church, is needless in our days. I flatter myself, - therefore, that though you may blame my _performance_, you will - approve of my _design_. And indeed what true Christian can be - absolutely neuter in this controversy? If _God has a controversy_ with - all _Pharisees_ and _Antinomians_, have not all God’s children a - controversy with _Pharisaism_ and _Antinomianism_? Have you not, for - one, my lady? Do you not check in private what I attempt to check in - public? Does not the religious world know that you abhor, attack, and - pursue _Pharisaism_ in its most artful disguises? And have I not - frequently heard you express, in the strongest terms, your detestation - of _Antinomianism_, and lament the number of sleeping professors, whom - that Delilah robs of their strength? Nor would you, I am persuaded, my - lady, have countenanced the opposition which was made against the - ‘Minutes,’ if your commendable, though (as it appears to me) at that - time, too precipitate zeal against Pharisaism had not prevented your - seeing that they contain the Scripture truths, which are fittest to - stop the rapid progress of Antinomianism. - - “However, if you still think, my lady, that I mistake with respect to - the importance of those propositions, you know I am not mistaken when - I declare, before the world, that a _powerful, practical, actually - saving_ faith is the only faith I ever heard your ladyship recommend, - as worthy to be contended for. And so long as you plead only for such - a faith, so long as you abhor the winter-faith that saves the - Solifidians, in their own conceit, while they commit adultery, murder, - and incest, if they choose to carry Antinomianism to such a dreadful - length; so long as you are afraid to maintain, either directly or - indirectly, that the _evidence_ and _comfort_ of justifying faith may - be suspended by sin, but that the _righteousness_ of faith, and the - _justification_ which it instrumentally procures, can never be lost, - no, not by the most enormous and complicated crimes,—whatever - diversity there may be between your ladyship’s sentiments and mine, it - can never be fundamental. I preach salvation by a faith that - _actually_ works by obedient love, and your ladyship witnesses - salvation by an _actually_ operative faith; nor can I, to this day, - see any material difference between those phrases in the present - controversy. I remain, with my former respect and devotedness, my - lady, your ladyship’s most obliged and obedient servant in the Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER. - - “Madeley, _March 12, 1774_.” - -Fletcher’s “Essay on Truth” is one of his ablest and most important -works. It is full of his own peculiar genius, and—what cannot be said -concerning all his writings—it is very readable. The following brief -extracts from it may be acceptable and useful:— - - _Saving faith._ “What is _saving_ faith?[308] I dare not say that it - is ‘believing heartily’ my sins are forgiven me for Christ’s sake; - for, if I live in sin, that belief is a _destructive_ conceit, and - not _saving_ faith. Neither dare I say, that ‘saving faith is _only_ - a sure trust and confidence that Christ loved me, and gave Himself - for me;’[309] for, if I did, I should almost damn all mankind for - four thousand years. Such definitions of saving faith are, I fear, - too _narrow_ to be just, and too _unguarded_ to keep out - Solifidianism.[310] To avoid such mistakes; to contradict no - Scriptures; to put no black mark of _damnation_ upon any man, that - in any nation fears God and works of righteousness; to leave no room - for Solifidianism, and to present the reader with a definition of - faith adequate to _the everlasting Gospel_, I would choose to say, - that justifying or saving faith is _believing_ the saving truth - _with the heart unto_ internal, and (as we have opportunity) _unto_ - external _righteousness_, according to our light and dispensation. - To St. Paul’s words, Rom. x. 10, I add the epithets _internal_ and - _external_, in order to exclude, according to 1 John iii. 7, 8, the - filthy imputation, under which fallen believers may, if we credit - the Antinomians, commit internal and external adultery, mental and - bodily murder, without the least reasonable fear of endangering - their faith, their interest in God’s favour, and their inamissable - title to a throne of glory.” - - _Faith the gift of God, and the act of man._ “How is faith the gift of - God? Some persons think that faith is as much out of our power as the - lightning that shoots from a distant cloud; they suppose that God - drives sinners to the fountain of Christ’s blood, as irresistibly as - the infernal _legion_ drove the herd of swine into the sea of - Galilee.” - -Footnote 308: - - As usual, these extracts are made from the _original_ edition, and the - _italics_ are Fletcher’s own. - -Footnote 309: - - In a foot-note, Fletcher remarks, “When the Church of England and Mr. - Wesley give us particular definitions of faith, it is plain that they - consider it according to the _Christian_ dispensation; the privileges - of which must be principally insisted upon among Christians.” - -Footnote 310: - - Solifidianism, now a favourite word with Fletcher, is thus defined by - him, in his “Fifth Check to Antinomianism:”—“Solifidianism is the - doctrine of Solifidians; and the Solifidians are men who, because - sinners are justified _sola fide_, ‘by sole faith,’ in the day of - conversion, infer, as Mr. Berridge, that ‘believing is the total term - of all salvation,’ and conclude, as Mr. Hill, that the doctrine of - final justification by the works of faith in the great day is ‘full of - rottenness and deadly poison.’ It is a softer word for Antinomianism.” - -After amply refuting this “_absurd_” idea, Fletcher proceeds:— - - “Having thus exposed the erroneous sense in which some people suppose - that _faith is the gift of God_, I beg leave to mention in what sense - it appears to me to be so. _Believing_ is the gift of the _God of - Grace_, as _breathing_, _moving_, and _eating_ are the gifts of _the - God of Nature_. He gives me lungs and air, that I may breathe; He - gives me life and muscles, that I may move; He bestows upon me food - and a mouth, that I may eat; but He neither _breathes_, _moves_, nor - _eats_ for me. Nay, when I think proper, I can accelerate my - breathing, motion, and eating: and, if I please, I may _fast_, _lie - down_, or _hang myself_, and, by that means, put an end to my - _eating_, _moving_, and _breathing_. _Faith_ is the gift of God to - believers, as _sight_ is to you. The parent of good freely gives you - the light of the sun, and organs proper to receive it. Everything - around you bids you use your eyes and see; nevertheless, you may not - only drop your curtains, but close your eyes also. This is exactly the - case with regard to faith. Free grace removes, in part, the total - blindness which Adam’s fall brought upon us; free grace gently sends - us some beams of truth, which is the light of _the sun of - righteousness_; it disposes the eye of our understanding to see those - beams; it excites us, in various ways, to welcome them; it blesses us - with many, perhaps with all the means of faith, such as opportunities - to hear, read, enquire, and power to consider, assent, consent, - resolve, and re-resolve to believe the truth. But, after all, - _believing_ is as much our own act as _seeing_. We may in general do, - suspend, or omit the _act_ of faith. Nay, we may do by the eye of our - faith, what some report Democritus did by his bodily eyes. Being tired - of seeing the follies of mankind, to rid himself of that disagreeable - sight, he put his eyes out. We may be so averse from _the light, which - enlightens every man_ that _comes into the world_; we may so dread it - because our works are evil, as to exemplify, like the Pharisees, such - awful declarations as these: _Their eyes have they closed, lest they - should see: wherefore God gave them up to a reprobate mind_, and, - _they were blinded_.” - -It need not be added, that Fletcher abundantly sustains these figurative -arguments by scriptural quotations. - -Two extracts more. In his description of “_saving faith_,” Fletcher -refuses to put the “black mark of damnation upon any man, that in any -nation fears God and works righteousness.” In his “Appendix to Prevent -Objections,” he explains his meaning, as follows:— - - “I make no more difference between the faith of a righteous heathen, - and the faith of a father in Christ, than I do between daybreak and - meridian light:—That the light of a sincere Jew is as much one with - the light of a sincere Christian, as the light of the sun in a cold, - cloudy day in March is one with the light of the sun in a fine day in - May:—And that the difference between the saving faith peculiar to the - sincere disciples of Noah, Moses, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ, - consists in a variety of _degrees_, and not in a diversity of - _species_; saving faith, under all the dispensations, agreeing in the - following essentials: 1. It is begotten by the revelation of some - saving truth presented by free grace, impressed by the Spirit, and - received by the believer’s prevented free agency. 2. It has the same - original cause in all, that is, the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. 3. - It _actually_ saves all, though in various degrees. 4. It sets all - upon _working righteousness; some bearing fruit thirty, some sixty, - and some a hundredfold_. And 5. Through Christ, it will bring all that - do not make shipwreck of it to one or another of the ‘_many - mansions_,’ which our Lord is gone to prepare in heaven for His - _believing_, _obedient_ people. - - “And here honesty obliges me to lay before the public an objection, - which I had for some time against the _appendages_ of the Athanasian - Creed. I admire the scriptural manner in which it sets forth the - Divine Unity in Trinity, and the Divine Trinity in Unity; but I can no - longer use its damnatory clauses. It abruptly takes us to the very top - of the _Christian_ dispensation, considered in a doctrinal light. This - dispensation it calls _the Catholic faith_; and, without mentioning - the faith of the inferior dispensations, as our other Creeds do, it - makes us declare, that ‘_except everyone keep that faith_’ (the faith - of the highest dispensation) ‘_whole_ and _undefiled, he cannot be - saved; without doubt, he shall perish everlastingly_.’ This dreadful - denunciation is true with regard to proud, ungodly infidels, who, in - the midst of all the means of _Christian_ faith, obstinately, - maliciously, and finally set their hearts against the doctrine of - Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; equally despising the Son’s atonement, - and the Spirit’s inspiration. But I will no more invade Christ’s - tribunal, and pronounce that the fearful punishment of damnation shall - ‘_without doubt_’ be inflicted upon ‘_every_’ Unitarian, Arian, Jew, - Turk, and heathen, _that fears God and works righteousness_, though he - does not _hold the faith_ of the Athanasian Creed _whole_. For, if you - except the last Article, thousands, yea, millions, are never called to - hold it _at all_; and therefore shall never perish for not _holding it - whole_. At all hazards, then, I hope I shall never use again those - damnatory clauses, without taking the liberty of guarding them - agreeably to the doctrine of the dispensations. And if Zelotes presses - me with my subscriptions, I reply beforehand, that the same Church, - who required me to subscribe to St. Athanasius’s Creed, enjoins me - also to believe this clause of St. Peter’s Creed, ‘_In every nation, - he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him_.’ - And, if those two creeds are irreconcilable, I think it more - reasonable that Athanasius should bow to Peter, warmed by the Spirit - of love, than that Peter should bow to Athanasius, heated by - controversial opposition.” - -Some will object to Fletcher’s teaching. Be it so: the writer’s business -is neither to defend nor to condemn; but simply to show, as far as -possible, what Fletcher’s opinions were. John Wesley approved them. “Mr. -Fletcher,” says he, in a letter dated January 17, 1775, “has given us a -wonderful view of the different dispensations. I believe that difficult -subject was never placed in so clear a light before. It seems God has -raised him up for this very thing— - - “‘To vindicate eternal Providence, - And justify the ways of God to man.’”[311] - -Footnote 311: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xiii., p. 52. - -Fletcher himself, evidently, felt great interest in his “Essay on -Truth.” In a letter, dated March 20, 1774, and addressed to the Rev. -Joseph Benson, he observed:— - - “I do not repent having engaged in the present controversy, for, - though I think my little publications cannot reclaim those who are - given up to believe the lie of the day, yet, they may here and there - stop one from swallowing it at all, or from swallowing it so deeply as - otherwise he might have done. In preaching, I do not meddle with the - points discussed, unless my text leads me to it, and then I think them - important enough not to be ashamed of them before my people. - - “I am just finishing an ‘Essay on Truth,’ which I dedicate to Lady - Huntingdon, wherein you will see my latest views of that important - subject. My apprehensions of things have not changed since I saw you - last; save that in one thing I have seen my error. An over-eager - attention to the doctrine of the Spirit has made me, in some degree, - overlook the medium by which the Spirit works—I mean the _Word of - Truth_, which is the word by which the heavenly fire warms us. I - rather expected lightning, than a steady fire by means of fuel. I - mention my error to you lest you should be involved therein. - - “My controversy weighs upon my hands; but I must go through with it; - which I hope will be done in two or three pieces more: one of which, - ‘Scripture Scales to Weigh the Gold of Gospel Truth,’ may be more - useful than the Checks, as being more literally scriptural. - - “I have exchanged a couple of friendly letters with Lady Huntingdon, - who gives me leave to see her publicly; but I think it best to - postpone that honour till I have cleared my mind.”[312] - -Footnote 312: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Charles Wesley read and criticized the “Essay on Truth,” upon which -Fletcher wrote him as follows:— - - “I am glad you did not altogether disapprove my ‘_Essay on Truth_.’ - The letter, I grant, profiteth little, until the Spirit animate it. I - had, some weeks ago, one of those touches which realize, or rather - spiritualize the letter; and it convinced me more than ever that what - I say in that tract, of the _Spirit_ and of _faith_, is _truth_. I am - also persuaded that the _faith_ and _Spirit_, which belong to - _perfect_ Christianity, are at a very low ebb, even among believers. - When the Son of Man cometh to set up His kingdom, shall He find - _Christian_ faith upon the earth? Yes; but, I fear, as little as He - found of Jewish faith, when He came in the flesh. I believe you cannot - rest with the easy Antinomian, or the busy Pharisee. You and I have - nothing to do but to die to all that is of a sinful nature, and to - pray for the power of an endless life. God make us faithful to our - convictions, and keep us from the snares of outward things. You are in - danger from music, children, poetry; and I from speculation, - controversy, sloth, etc. Let us _watch_ against the deceitfulness of - self and sin in all their appearances. - - “What power of the Spirit do you find among the believers in London? - What openings of the kingdom? Is the well springing up in many hearts? - Are many souls dissatisfied, and looking for the kingdom of God in - power? Watchman! what of the night? What of the day? What of the dawn? - - “I feel the force of what you say about the danger of so encouraging - the inferior dispensations, as to make people rest short of the faith - which belongs to perfect Christianity. I have tried to obviate it in - some parts of the ‘_Equal Check_,’ and hope to do it more effectually - in my reply to Mr. Hill’s _Creed for Perfectionists_. Probably, I - shall get nothing by my polemic labours, but loss of friends, and - charges of ‘novel chimeras’ on _both_ sides. I expect a letter from - you on the subject. Write with openness, and do not fear to discourage - me by speaking your disapprobation of what you dislike. My aim is to - be found at the feet of all, bearing and forbearing until truth and - love bring better days. - - “I am, rev. and dear Sir, your most affectionate brother and son in - the Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[313] - -Footnote 313: - - Letters, 1791, p. 224. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - _PUBLICATIONS IN THE YEAR_ - - 1775. - - -ON November 12, 1774, Fletcher wrote:— - - “The author of the ‘_Checks_’ has promised to his readers an answer to - the Rev. Mr. Toplady’s piece, entitled, ‘_More Work for Mr. - Wesley_.’[314] His reason for postponing the finishing of _that part_ - of his ‘_Logica Genevensis_’ was the importance of the ‘_Equal - Check_,’ which closes the controversy with Mr. Hill. He saw life so - uncertain, that, of two things which he was obliged to do, he thought - it his duty to set about that which appeared to him the more useful. - He considered also that it was proper to have quite done with Mr. - Hill, before he faced so able a writer as Mr. Toplady. And he hoped, - that, to lay before the judicious a complete system of truth, which, - like the sun, recommends itself by its own lustre, was perhaps the - best method to prove that error, which shines only as a meteor, is - nothing but a mock-sun. However, he fully designs to perform his - engagement in a short time, if his life is spared.” - -Footnote 314: - - This was published in 1772, and will be noticed shortly. - -This was prefixed to the _first_ edition of the following work, which, -at that time, was in the press: “Zelotes and Honestus[315] Reconciled; -or, an Equal Check to Pharisaism and Antinomianism Continued: Being the -First Part of the Scripture Scales to weigh the Gold of Gospel Truth,—to -balance a multitude of opposite Scriptures,—to prove the Gospel-Marriage -of _Free-Grace_ and _Free-will_,—and to restore primitive harmony to the -Gospel of the day. With a Preface, containing some Strictures upon the -Three Letters of Richard Hill, Esq.; which have been lately published.” - -Footnote 315: - - “Zelotes,” says Fletcher, “represents any zealous Solifidian, who - looks upon the doctrine of free-will as heretical: Honestus, any - zealous moralist, who looks upon the doctrine of free grace as - enthusiastical.” - -This was Fletcher’s largest work. It was published in two parts, but it -was continuously paged, the whole making a 12 mo. vol. of 444 pages. - -Mr. Hill’s “Three Letters” were published in 1773, just after the -publication of his “Finishing Stroke.” The letters have been given in a -previous chapter. Fletcher had answered them privately; and now, in a -preface to his present work, he replied publicly. After stating that Mr. -Hill’s pamphlet “had been hawked about the parish of Madeley” by the -newsman, he proceeds to say:— - - “Mr. Hill quits the field; but it is like a brave Parthian. He not - only shoots his own arrows as he retires, but borrows those also of - two persons, whom he calls ‘_a very eminent minister in the Church of - England_’ and ‘_a lay gentleman of great learning and abilities_.’ As - I see neither argument nor Scripture in the performances of those two - new auxiliaries, I shall take no notice of their ingrafted - productions. - - “With respect to Mr. Hill’s arguments, they are the same which he - advanced in his ‘_Finishing Stroke_;’ nor need we wonder at his not - scrupling to produce them _over again_, just as if they had been - overlooked by his opponent, for in the first page of his book he says, - ‘_I have not read a single page which treats on the subject since I - wrote_ my FINISHING STROKE.’ - - “As Mr. Hill’s arguments are the same, so are also his personal - charges. After passing some compliments upon me as an ‘_able defender_ - of Mr. Wesley’s principles,’ he continues to represent me as - ‘_prostituting noble endowments to the advancing of a party_.’ He - affirms, without shadow of proof, that he has ‘_detected many - misrepresentations of facts throughout_’ my ‘_publications_.’ He - accuses me of using ‘_unbecoming artifices, much declamation, - chicanery, and evasion_;’ and says, ‘_upon these accounts I really - cannot, with any degree of satisfaction, read the works of one who, I - am in continual suspicion_, is _endeavouring to mislead me by false - glosses and pious frauds_.’ - - “I cannot but still love and honour Mr. Hill on _many_, _very_ many, - accounts. Though his warm attachment to what _he_ calls ‘the doctrines - of grace,’ and what _we_ call ‘the doctrines of _limited_ grace and - _free wrath_,’ robs him from time to time of _part_ of the moderation, - patience, and meekness of wisdom which adorn the _complete_ Christian - character, I cannot but consider him as a very valuable person. I do - not doubt but when the paroxysm of his Calvinistic zeal shall be over, - he will be as great an ornament to the Church of England in the - capacity of a gentleman, as he is to civil society in the capacity of - a magistrate. And justice, as well as love, obliges me to say that in - the mean time he is, in several respects, a pattern for all gentlemen - of fortune; few equalling him in devoting a large fortune to the - relief of the poor, and their leisure hours to the support of what - they esteem the truth. Happy would it be for him, and for the peace of - the Church, if to all his good qualities he always added _the ornament - of a meek and quiet spirit_; and if he so far suspected his orthodoxy - as to condescend to weigh himself in the ‘_Scripture Scales_.’” - -Fletcher’s preface to his “Scripture Scales” is “humbly addressed to the -true Protestants in Great Britain and Ireland.” - - “The Reformers,” says he, “_protested_ three things in general:—1. - That right reason has an important place in matters of faith. 2. That - all matters of faith may and must be decided by Scripture, understood - reasonably and consistently with the context. 3. That antiquity and - fathers, traditions and councils, canons and the Church, lose their - authority when they depart from sober reason and plain Scripture. - These three general _protests_ are the very ground of our religion - when it is contradistinguished from Popery. They who stand to them - deserve, in my humble opinion, the title of _true Protestants_. - - “If the preceding account is just, _true_ Protestants are all - _candid_; Christian candour being nothing but a readiness to hear - right _reason_ and plain _Scripture_. Of all the tempers which true - Protestants abhor, none seems to them more detestable than that of - those _gnostics_, those pretenders to superior illumination, who, - under the common pretence of _orthodoxy_ or _infallibility_, shut - their eyes against the light, think plain Scripture beneath their - notice, enter their protest against reason, and steel their breasts - against conviction. Alas! how many professors there are who, like St. - Stephen’s opponents, judges, and executioners, are neither able to - resist nor willing to admit the truth; who make their defence by - _stopping their ears, and crying out, ‘The temple of the Lord, the - temple of the Lord are we!’_ who thrust the supposed heretic out of - their sanhedrim; who, from the press, the pulpit, or the doctor’s - chair, send volleys of hard insinuations or soft assertions, in hope - that they will pass for solid arguments; and who, when they have no - more stones or snowballs to throw at the supposed Philistine, - prudently avoid drawing ‘_the sword of the Spirit_,’ retire behind the - walls of their fancied orthodoxy, raise a rampart of slanderous - contempt against the truth that besieges them, and obstinately refuse - either candidly to give up, or manfully contend for, the unscriptural - tenets which they will impose upon others as pure Gospel. - - “Whether some of my opponents, good men as they are, have not a little - inclined to the error of those sons of prejudice, I leave the candid - reader to decide. They have neither answered nor yielded to the - arguments of my ‘Checks.’ They are shut up in their own city. Strong - and high are thy walls, O mystical Jericho! Thy battlements reach into - the clouds, but _truth_, the spiritual ark of God, is stronger, and - shall prevail. The bearing of it patiently around thy ramparts, and - the blowing of rams’ horns in the name of the Lord, will yet shake the - very foundations of thy towers. Oh that I had the honour of - successfully mixing my feeble voice with the blasts of the champions - who encompass the devoted city! Oh that the irresistible shout, - _Reason and Scripture—Christ and the Truth_—were universal! If this - were the case, how soon would Jericho and Babylon—Antinomianism and - Pharisaism—fall together. - - “These two anti-Christian fortresses are equally attacked in the - following pages. - - “The controversy is one of the most important which was ever set on - foot. The GRAND inquiry, ‘_What shall I do to be saved?_’ is entirely - suspended on this GREATER question, ‘_Have I anything_ TO DO _to be - eternally saved?_’ A question this which admits of three answers:—1. - That of the _mere Solifidian_, who says, If we are _elect_, we have - nothing to do in order to eternal salvation, unless it be to believe - that Christ has done all for us, and then to sing _finished - salvation_; and if we are not _elect_, whether we do nothing, little, - or much, eternal ruin is our _inevitable_ portion. 2. That of the - _mere moralist_, who is as great a stranger to the doctrine of _free - grace_ as to that of free wrath; and tells you that there is no free, - initial salvation for us, and that we must work ourselves into a state - of initial salvation by dint of care, diligence, and faithfulness. And - 3. That of their _reconciler_, whom I consider as a rational Bible - Christian, and who asserts (1) that Christ has done the part of a - Sacrificing Priest and teaching Prophet upon earth, and does still - that of an Interceding and Royal Priest in heaven, whence He sends His - Holy Spirit to act as an enlightener, sanctifier, comforter, and - helper in our hearts; (2) that _the free gift_ of initial salvation, - and of one or more talents of saving grace, ‘_is come upon all_’ - through the God-man Christ, who ‘_is the Saviour of all men, - especially of them that believe_;’ and (3) that our free will, - assisted by that saving grace imparted to us in the free gift, is - enabled to work with God in a subordinate manner, so that we may - freely (_without necessity_) do the part of penitent, obedient, and - persevering believers, according to the Gospel dispensation we are - under. - - “This is the plan of this work, in which I equally fight for faith and - works, for gratuitous mercy and impartial justice; reconciling all - along Christ our _Saviour_ with Christ our _Judge_, heated Augustin - with heated Pelagius, free grace with free will, Divine goodness with - human obedience, the faithfulness of God’s promises with the veracity - of His threatenings, _first_ with _second_ causes, the original merits - of Christ with the derived worthiness of His members, and God’s - foreknowledge with our free agency. - - “The plan, I think, is generous; standing at the utmost distance from - the extremes of bigots. It is deep and extensive; taking in the most - interesting subjects, such as the origin of evil, liberty, and - necessity, the law of Moses and the Gospel of Christ, general and - particular redemption, the apostacy and perseverance of the saints, - and the election and reprobation maintained by St. Paul. I entirely - rest the cause upon _Protestant_ ground; that is, upon _Reason_ and - _Scripture_. Nevertheless, to show our antagonists that we are not - afraid to meet them upon any ground, I prove, by sufficient - testimonies from the fathers and the Reformers, that the most eminent - divines in the primitive Church and our own, have passed the straits - which I point out; especially when they weighed the heavy anchor of - prejudice, had a good gale of Divine wisdom, and steered by the - Christian mariner’s compass, ‘_the Word of God_,’ more than by the - _false lights_ hung out by party men.” - -It is hoped that these quotations from the preface of Fletcher’s book -will induce the reader to peruse and study the book itself. To analyse -it here is impracticable; and if one extract were given, hundreds ought -to follow. In this frothy age, the book to many will seem dry and -tedious; but to a man sincerely and earnestly in search of sacred truth -it will prove a mine full of invaluable treasures. - -At the end of the _first_ edition, the following was printed:— - - “Advertisement. - - “The key to the controversy, which is designed to be ended by the - ‘_Scripture Scales_,’ proving too long for this place, the publication - of it is postponed. It _may_ one day open the way for _An Essay on the - XVIIth Article_, under the following title: ‘The Doctrines of Grace - Reconciled to the Doctrines of Justice. Being an Essay on Election and - Reprobation, in which the defects of _Pelagianism_, _Calvinism_, and - _Arminianism_ are impartially pointed out, and primitive, scriptural - harmony is more fully restored to the Gospel of the day.’” - -This was not published until the year 1777; but it is mentioned here to -show that, in substance, it was already written, and, thereby, to show -the activity of Fletcher’s mind, and the accumulated labours which soon -broke down his health. - -No sooner was the publication of his “Scripture Scales,” or “Equal Check -to Pharisaism and Antinomianism,” completed, than he committed to the -press the following: “The Fictitious and the Genuine Creed: Being ‘A -Creed for Arminians,’ composed by Richard Hill, Esq.; to which is -opposed ‘A Creed for those who believe that _Christ tasted death for -every man_.’ By the author of the ‘Checks to Antinomianism.’ London, -1775.” 12mo, 52 pp. - -The reader will remember that, in bad taste, Fletcher, in 1772, had -published, in his “Fourth Check to Antinomianism,” a “sweet gospel -proclamation: Given at Geneva, and signed by four of His Majesty’s -principal Secretaries of State for the Predestination Department—John -Calvin, Dr. Crisp, The Author of P.O.” (Richard Hill), “and Rowland -Hill.” This provoked Richard Hill; and, when he published his “Three -Letters written to the Rev. J. Fletcher, in the year 1773,” he, in -equally bad taste, attached an “Appendix” to his Letters, entitled, “A -Creed for Arminians and Perfectionists.” Now, in 1775, Fletcher felt it -his duty to examine the Creed so ingeniously drawn up by Mr. Hill, and -to expose its fallacies. The following is an extract from Fletcher’s -preface:— - - “With regard to our extensive views of Christ’s redemption by price, - Mr. Hill calls us _Arminians_: and with respect to our believing that - there is no perfect faith, no perfect repentance in the grave; that - the _Christian_ graces of repentance, faith, hope, patience, etc., - must be perfected _here_ or never; and with respect to our - _confidence_ that Christ’s blood, fully applied by His Spirit, and - apprehended by faith, can cleanse our hearts from all unrighteousness - before we go into the purgatory of the _Calvinists_, or into that of - the _papists_, that is, before we go into the valley of the shadow of - death, or into the suburbs of hell—with respect to this _belief_ and - _confidence_, I say, Mr. Hill calls us _Perfectionists_; and, - appearing once more upon the stage of our controversy, he has lately - presented the public with what he calls, ‘_A Creed for Arminians and - Perfectionists_’, which he introduces in these words: ‘_The following - confession of faith, however shocking, not to say blasphemous, it may - appear to the humble Christian, must inevitably be adopted, if not in - express words_, yet, _in substance, by every Arminian_ and - _Perfectionist whatsoever; though the last article of it chiefly - concerns such as are ordained ministers in the Church of England_.’ - And, as among such ministers, Mr. J. Wesley, Mr. W. Sellon, and myself - peculiarly oppose Mr. Hill’s Calvinian doctrines of _absolute - election_ and _reprobation_, and of a _death-purgatory_, he has put - the initial letters of our names to his Creed; hoping, no doubt, to - make us peculiarly ashamed of our principles. And, indeed, so should - we be, if any ‘_blasphemous_’ or ‘_shocking_’ consequence - ‘_inevitably_’ flowed from them.” - -Probably, by this time, the reader is tired of Creeds. He has had -Fletcher’s Creed for an Antinomian; Mr. Richard Hill’s Creed for -Arminians and Perfectionists; and now he has, in “The Fictitious and the -Genuine Creed,” Fletcher’s Creed for Methodists. The last may be dry -reading, but it contains truths of the utmost importance,—truths which -Fletcher spent the greatest part of his literary life in endeavouring to -explain and to defend; and, speaking generally, truths which Wesley -himself endorsed, embraced, and taught. Fletcher concludes his pamphlet -with the following scrap of autobiography:— - - “I shall close this answer to the Creed, which Mr. Hill has composed - _for Arminians_, by an observation which is not foreign to our - controversy. In one of the ‘Three Letters’ which introduce the - Fictitious Creed, Mr. Hill says, ‘_Controversy, I am persuaded, has - not done me any good_;’ and he exhorts me to examine myself closely - whether I cannot make the same confession. I own that it would have - done me harm, if I had blindly contended for my opinions. Nay, if I - had shut my eyes against the light of truth;—if I had set the plainest - Scriptures aside, as if they were not worth my notice;—if I had - overlooked the strongest arguments of my opponents;—if I had advanced - groundless charges against them;—if I had refused to do justice to - their good meaning or piety;—and, above all, if I had taken my leave - of them by injuring their moral character, by publishing over and over - again arguments, which they have properly answered, without taking the - least notice of their answers;—if I had made a solemn promise not to - read one of their books, though they should publish a thousand - volumes;—if, continuing to write against them, I had fixed upon them - (as ‘_unavoidable_’ consequences) absurd tenets, which have no more - necessary connexion with their principles than the doctrine of general - redemption has with Calvinian reprobation. If I had done this, I say, - controversy would have wounded my conscience or my reason; and, - without adding anything to my light, it would have immovably fixed me - in my prejudices, and perhaps branded me before the world for an - _Arminian bigot_. But, as matters are, I hope I may make the following - acknowledgments without betraying the impertinence of proud boasting. - - “Although I have often been sorry that controversy should take up so - much of the time which I might, with much more satisfaction to myself, - have employed in devotional exercises; and although I have lamented, - and do still lament, my low attainments in the _meekness of wisdom_, - which should constantly guide the pen of every controversial writer; - yet, I rejoice that I have been enabled to persist in my resolution, - either to wipe off, or to share the reproach of those who have - hazarded their reputation in defence of pure and undefiled religion. - And, if I am not mistaken, my repeated attempts have been attended - with these happy effects:— - - “In vindicating the _moral_ doctrines of grace, I hope that, as a - _man_, I have learned to think more closely, and to investigate truth - more ardently, than I did before. - - “As a _divine_, I see more clearly the gaps and stiles, at which - mistaken good men have turned out of the narrow way of truth, to the - right hand and to the left. - - “As a _Protestant_, I hope I have much more esteem for the Scriptures - in general, and in particular for those practical parts of them, which - the Calvinists had insensibly taught me to overlook, or despise. And - this increasing esteem is, I trust, accompanied with a deeper - conviction of the truth of Christianity, and with a greater readiness - to defend the Gospel against infidels, Pharisees, and Antinomians. - - “As a _Preacher_, I hope I can now do more justice to a text by - reconciling it with seemingly contrary Scriptures. - - “As an _Anti-Calvinist_, I have learned to do the Calvinists justice, - in granting that there is an _election of distinguishing grace_ for - God’s peculiar people, and a _particular redemption_ for all believers - who are faithful unto death. I can more easily excuse pious - Calvinists, who, through prejudice, mistake _that_ Scriptural election - for _their_ Antinomian election; and who consider _that_ particular - redemption as the only redemption mentioned in the Scriptures. Nay, I - can, without scruple, allow Mr. Hill that his doctrines of _finished - salvation_ and _irresistible_ grace are _true_ with respect to all - those who die in their infancy. - - “As one who is called an _Arminian_, I have found out some flaws in - _Arminianism_, and evidenced my impartiality in pointing them out, as - well as the flaws of Calvinism. - - “As a _Witness_ for the truth of the Gospel, I hope I have learned to - bear reproach from all sorts of people with more undaunted courage. - And I humbly trust, that, were I called to seal with my blood the - truth of the _doctrines of grace_ and _of justice_, against the - _Pharisees_ and _Antinomians_, I could (Divine grace supporting me to - the last) do it more rationally, and of consequence with greater - steadiness. - - “As a _Follower of Christ_, I hope I have learned to disregard my - dearest friends for my Heavenly Prophet; or, to speak the language of - our Lord, I hope I have learned to _forsake father, mother, and - brothers for Christ’s sake, and the Gospel’s_. - - “As a _Disputant_, I have learned that solid arguments, and plain - Scriptures, make no more impression upon bigotry, than the charmer’s - voice does upon the deaf adder; and, by that means, I hope, I depend - less upon the powers of reason, the letter of the Scriptures, and the - candour of professors, than I formerly did. - - “As a _Believer_, I have been brought to see and feel that the power - of the Spirit of truth, which teaches men to be _of one heart, and of - one mind_, and makes them _think and speak the same_, is at a very low - ebb in the religious world. - - “As a _Member of the Church of England_, I have learned to be pleased - with our holy Mother, for giving us floods of pure morality to wash - away the few remaining Calvinian freckles that remain upon her face. - - “As a _Christian_, I hope I have learned, in some degree, to exercise - that charity, which teaches us boldly to oppose a dangerous error - without ceasing to honour and love its abettors, so far as they - resemble our Lord. - - “And, lastly, as a _Writer_, I have learned to feel the truth of - Solomon’s observation, ‘_Of making many books there is no end, and - much study is a weariness of the flesh: Let us hear the conclusion of - the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the - whole duty of man_;’ and the sum of the _Anti-Solifidian_ truth, which - I endeavour to vindicate. - - “I do not say that I have learned any of these lessons as I should - have done; but I hope I have learned so much of them as to say that, - in these respects, my controversial toil has not been altogether in - vain in the Lord.” - -The reader must excuse these long extracts; for there seems to be no -better way of giving a correct and full idea of Fletcher’s views and -character. - -At the end of the first edition of his pamphlet, Fletcher inserted the -following “Advertisement”:— - - “Mr. Hill’s ‘_Creed for Arminians_’ is followed by his plea for the - _inbred man of sin_. This indirect and witty plea he calls, ‘_A Creed - for Perfectionists_.’ But, as that part of his performance has no - immediate connection with the doctrines vindicated in the preceding - pages, I design to make my remarks upon it in a separate Tract.” - -This “Tract,” as Fletcher calls it, seems to have been already written, -for it was forthwith published, and entitled, “The Last Check to -Antinomianism. A Polemical Essay on the Twin Doctrines of Christian -Imperfection and a Death Purgatory,” By the Author of the Checks. -London: 1775. 12mo., 328 pp. - -At this time, the Rev. Thomas Reader, a Dissenting Minister, at Taunton, -held a position similar to that which had been held by Doddridge, at -Northampton. He was the President of a College for training Independent -Ministers, and was a zealous Calvinist. When Fletcher’s new book was -published, Mr. Reader read it, and was so angry with its contents that -he started off to Madeley, a long journey, to rebuke the author for his -heresy. Arriving at his destination, he hastened to the vicarage, -knocked loudly at the door, told the servant who he was, and requested -an interview with the Vicar. Fletcher, knowing him by name, ran from his -study to receive his visitor, and spreading out his hands, exclaimed, -“Come in, come in, thou blessed of the Lord! Am I so honoured as to -receive a visit from so esteemed a servant of my Master? Let us have a -little prayer, while refreshments are getting ready.” Mr. Reader was -puzzled. He remained three days, but was utterly unable to muster -sufficient courage to even intimate the object of his visit. Afterwards -he stated that he never enjoyed three days of such spiritual and -profitable intercourse in all his life.[316] - -Footnote 316: - - “Methodism in North Devon,” p. 115. - -Fletcher’s books, prayers, conversations, and tempers were a glorious -manifestation of the truths he taught in his elaborate and able treatise -on Christian Perfection,—a treatise never equalled, except by the -treatise and the sermons of Wesley on the same subject. Wesley and -Fletcher are easily understood; modern writers on this all-important -doctrine are too often mystics, or, rather, mystifiers. The former -expounded Scripture, the latter disastrously obscure Scripture by what -they consider to be philosophy. The Methodists need no new exposition of -this old Methodist truth. Never can it be more plainly stated and more -indisputably proved, than it is in the “Plain Account” of Wesley, and -the “Polemical Essay” of his friend Fletcher. Well would it be if the -present race of Methodists would read these, in preference to the -bewildering trash so injuriously read in the stead of them. Truth never -changes! and changes of society can never justify the _new_ settings -forth of truth, nowadays so ignorantly demanded. - -A brief analysis of Fletcher’s invaluable book, and a few extracts from -it, must be given. - -In reference to the word “Perfection,” which occasioned so much offence, -Fletcher writes:— - - “_Christian Perfection!_ Why should the harmless phrase offend us? - _Perfection!_ Why should that lovely word frighten us? The word - _predestinate_ occurs but four times in all the Scriptures; and the - word _predestination_ not once; and yet Mr. Hill would justly exclaim - against us, if we showed our wit, by calling out for ‘_a little - Foundery_’ (or Tabernacle) ‘eye-salve’ to help us to see the word - _predestination once_ in _all_ the Bible. Not so the word - _perfection_. It occurs, with its derivatives, as frequently as most - words in the Scripture; and not seldom in the very same sense in which - we take it; nevertheless, we do not lay an undue stress upon the - expression; and, if we thought that our condescension would answer any - good end, we would give up that harmless and significant word.” - -In reply to the unfair and untrue taunt that Wesley and Fletcher taught -the doctrine of _sinless_ perfection, Fletcher makes an admirable -quotation from Wesley:— - - “To explain myself a little farther on this head: 1. Not only SIN, - _properly so called_, that is, a _voluntary_ transgression of a known - law, but _sin_ IMPROPERLY so called, that is, an _involuntary_ - transgression of a divine law, known or unknown, needs the atoning - blood. 2. I believe there is no such perfection in this life, as - excludes these _involuntary_ transgressions, which I apprehend to be - naturally consequent on the ignorance and mistakes inseparable from - mortality. 3. Therefore, SINLESS _perfection_ is a phrase I never use, - lest I should seem to contradict myself. 4. I believe a person filled - with the love of God is still liable to these involuntary - transgressions. 5. Such transgressions you may call _sins_ if you - please; I do not, for the reasons above-mentioned.” - -Fletcher then proceeds to prove that “Pious Calvinists have had, _at -times_, nearly the same views of Christian Perfection” that he and -Wesley had. - - “They dissent from us,” says he, “because they confound the - anti-evangelical law of innocence and the evangelical law of - liberty—peccability and sin—Adamic and Christian Perfection; and - because they do not consider that Christian Perfection, falling - infinitely short of God’s _absolute_ perfection, admits of a daily - _growth_.” - -The third section of Fletcher’s work is occupied with answers to popular -objections; and the fourth amply proves that the doctrine for which he -is contending is a doctrine taught in the formularies of the Church of -England. - -Mr. Hill, in the Eleventh Article of his “Fictitious Creed,” had made -Fletcher, Wesley, and Walter Sellon, not only deny “The Thirty-nine -Articles of the Church of England,” which they had “solemnly -subscribed,” but also the _truthful_ teaching of four Apostolical -writers in the New Testament. With excessively bad taste, he had -represented them as saying, “Let Peter, Paul, James, and John say what -they will, and let the Reformers and Martyrs join their syren-song, -their eyes were at best but half opened, for want of a little Foundery -eye-salve.” Accordingly, the fifth and five following sections of -Fletcher’s book are devoted to a refutation of this scandalous and -almost profane slander. A large number of texts, from the Epistles of -these four inspired writers, are most ably examined and explained,—texts -incontestably proving that the doctrine of Christian Perfection was a -doctrine taught by “Peter, Paul, James, and John.” - -In the eleventh section of his book, Fletcher triumphantly answers the -objections, founded upon certain texts in the writings of Solomon, -Isaiah, and Job; and in the twelfth he adduces “a variety of arguments -to prove the _absurdity_ of the twin doctrines of _Christian -Imperfection_ and a _Death-Purgatory_.” In this, he furnishes a -definition of Christian Perfection worthy of being quoted, namely:— - - “_Christian Perfection_ is nothing but the _depth_ of evangelical - repentance, the _full_ assurance of faith, and the _pure_ love of God - and man shed abroad in a _faithful_ believer’s heart, by the Holy - Ghost given unto him, to cleanse him, and to keep him clean, _from all - filthiness of the flesh and Spirit_; and to enable him to _fulfil the - law of Christ_ according to the talents he is entrusted with, and the - circumstances in which he is placed in _this_ world.” - -In the next section (the thirteenth) Fletcher dwells upon “the -_mischievousness_ of the doctrines of _Christian Imperfection, and a -Death Purgatory_.” He concludes his scathing arguments on this subject -as follows:— - - “The modish doctrine of Christian imperfection and death-purgatory is - so contrived that carnal men will always prefer the purgatory of the - Calvinists to that of the Papists. For the Papists prescribe I know - not how many cups of divine wrath and dire vengeance, which are to be - drunk by the souls of believers who die _half_-purged, or _three - parts_ cleansed. These _half-damned_, or a _quarter-damned_ creatures - must go through a severe discipline, and fiery salvation in the very - suburbs of hell, before they can be perfectly purified. But our - opponents have found out a way to deliver _half-hearted_ believers out - of all fear in this respect. Such believers need not _utterly abolish - the body of sin_ in this world. The inbred man of sin not only _may_, - but he _shall_ live as long as we do. You will possibly ask: ‘What is - to become of this sinful guest? Shall he take us to hell, or shall we - take him to heaven? If he cannot die in this world, will Christ - destroy him in the next?’ No: here Christ is almost left out of the - question. Our indwelling adversary is not to be destroyed by the - brightness of the Redeemer’s spiritual appearing, but by the gloom of - the appearance of death. The king of terrors comes to the assistance - of Jesus’s sanctifying grace, and instantaneously delivers the carnal - believer from indwelling pride, unbelief, covetousness, peevishness, - uncharitableness, love of the world, and inordinate affection. The - dying sinner’s breath does the capital work of the Spirit of holiness. - By the most astonishing of all miracles, the faint, infectious, last - gasp of a sinful believer blows away, in the twinkling of an eye, the - great mountain of inward corruption, which all the means of grace, all - the faith, prayers, and sacraments of twenty, perhaps of forty years, - were never able to remove. If this doctrine is true, how greatly was - St. Paul mistaken when he said, ‘_The sting of death is sin_.’ Should - he not have said, _Death is the cure of sin_, instead of saying, ‘_Sin - is the sting_ of death’? And should not his praises flow - thus,—‘_Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through death_; our - great and only deliverer from our greatest and fiercest enemy, - _indwelling sin_’?” - -The fourteenth section of Fletcher’s book is employed in answering the -false and pernicious statements contained in Toplady’s “Caveat against -Unsound Doctrine,” and Martin Madan’s “Essay on Galatians v. 17.” In the -two following sections, Fletcher proves that his doctrine of Christian -perfection “cannot be justly reproached as Popish, and Pelagian; and -shows the distinction which exists” between _sins_ and _innocent -infirmities_. Then he concludes his invaluable book with four Addresses: -1. “To perfect Christian Pharisees; 2. To prejudiced Imperfectionists; -3. To imperfect Perfectionists; and 4. To perfect Christians.” These -addresses will always rank among the most powerful productions of -Fletcher’s pen; but, for want of space, only one extract from them can -be given here; and even that is, to a large extent, an extract from -Wesley’s Sermon on “The Scripture Way of Salvation.” It is, however, of -the highest importance, as containing an answer to the question, How are -we to be “sanctified, saved from sin, and perfected in love?” Fletcher -writes:— - - “I have already pointed out the close connexion there is between an - act of _faith_ which _fully_ apprehends the sanctifying promise of the - Father, and the power of the Spirit of Christ which makes an end of - moral corruption by forcing the lingering man of sin _instantaneously_ - to breathe out his last. Mr. Wesley, in the above quoted sermon, - touches upon this delicate subject in so clear and concise a manner, - that, while his discourse is before me, for the sake of those who have - it not in hand, I shall transcribe the whole passage, and, by this - means, put the seal of that eminent divine to what I have advanced, in - the preceding pages, about sanctifying faith, and the quick - destruction of sin. - - “‘Does God work this great work in the soul _gradually_ or - _instantaneously_? Perhaps it may be gradually wrought in some, I mean - in this sense: They do not advert to the particular moment, wherein - sin ceases to be. But it is infinitely desirable, were it the will of - God, that it should be done instantaneously; that the Lord should - destroy sin by the _breath of His mouth_, in a moment, in the - twinkling of an eye. And so He generally does,—a plain fact, of which - there is evidence enough to satisfy any unprejudiced person. _Thou_ - therefore look for it every moment. Look for it in the way above - described;[317] in all those _good works_, whereunto thou art created - anew in Christ Jesus. There is then no danger; you can be no worse, if - you are no better for that expectation. For were you to be - disappointed of your hope, still you lose nothing. But you shall not - be disappointed of your hope; it will come, and will not tarry. Look - for it then every day, every hour, every moment. Why not this hour, - this moment? Certainly you may look for it _now_, if you believe it is - by faith. And by this token you may surely know whether you seek it by - faith or works. If by works, you want something to be done _first_, - _before_ you are sanctified. You think, ‘I must first _be_ or do thus - or thus.’ Then you are seeking it by works unto this day. If you seek - it by faith, you may expect it _as you are_; and, if as you are, then - expect it _now_. It is of importance to observe that there is an - inseparable connexion between these three points, expect it by - _faith_, expect it _as you are_, and expect it _now_. To deny one of - them is to deny them all; to allow one is to allow them all. Do _you_ - believe we are sanctified _by faith_? Be true then to your principle; - and look for this blessing just as you are, neither better, nor worse; - as a poor sinner, that has still nothing to pay, nothing to plead, - but—_Christ died_. And if you look for it _as you are_, then expect it - _now_. Stay for nothing, why should you? Christ is ready, and He is - all you want. He is waiting for you; He is at the door! Let your - inmost soul cry out,— - - “‘Come in, come in, Thou heavenly guest! - Nor hence again remove: - But sup with me, and let the feast - Be everlasting love.’” (p. 288). - -Footnote 317: - - After most ably arguing the matter, Wesley, in the sermon here - referred to, concludes “that faith is the only condition which is - _immediately_ and _proximately_ necessary to sanctification;” and that - the “faith whereby we are sanctified—saved from sin, and perfected in - love, is a divine evidence and conviction, first, that God hath - promised it in the Holy Scripture; secondly, that what God hath - promised, He is able to perform; thirdly, that He is able and willing - to do it now; and, fourthly, a divine evidence and conviction that He - doeth it. In that hour,” continues Wesley, “it is done; God says to - the inmost soul, ‘According to thy faith, be it unto thee!’ Then the - soul is pure from every spot of sin; it is clean ‘from all - unrighteousness.’ The believer then experiences the deep meaning of - those solemn words, ‘If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we - have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His - Son cleanseth us from all sin.’” - -Well would it be, for the Church and the world, if these views of Wesley -and his friend Fletcher were held by all the Methodists of the present -age, or even by a thousandth part of them. How often are they preached -in Methodist pulpits? Not so often as they ought to be! “Where Christian -perfection is not strongly and explicitly preached,” said Wesley, “there -is seldom any remarkable blessing from God; and, consequently, little -addition to the Society, and little life in the members of it.”[318] - -Footnote 318: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xii., p. 252. - -The year 1775 was to Fletcher one of the busiest in his life. He was -steeped in controversy; but he rose in piety. In a letter to his friend -Joseph Benson, he wrote:— - - “I have had two printers at my heels, besides my common business, and - this is enough to make me trespass upon the patience of my friends. I - have published the first part of my ‘_Scales_,’ which has gone through - a second edition in London, before I could get the second part printed - in Salop, where it will be published in about six weeks. I have also - published a creed for the Arminians, where you will see that, if I - have not answered your critical remarks upon my Essay on Truth, I have - improved by them, yea publicly recanted the two expressions you - mentioned as improper. - - “I am so tied up here, both by my parish duty and controversial - writings, that I cannot hope to see you unless you come into these - parts.[319] In the meantime, let us meet at the throne of grace. In - Jesus, time and distance are lost. He is an universal, eternal life of - righteousness, peace, and joy. I am glad you have some encouragement - in Scotland. The Lord grant you more and more! Use yourself, however, - to go against wind and tide, as I do; and take care that our wise - dogmatical friends in the north do not rob you of your childlike - simplicity. Remember that the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are - revealed to babes. You may be afraid of being a fool, without being - afraid of being a babe. You may be childlike without being childish. - Simplicity of intention and purity of affection will go through the - world, through hell itself. In the meantime, let us see that we do not - so look at our little publications, or to other people, as to forget - that Christ is our Object, our Sun, our Shield. To His inspiration, - comfort, and protection, I earnestly recommend your soul; and the - labours of your _heart_, tongue, and pen to His blessing.”[320] - -Footnote 319: - - Joseph Benson was appointed to the Edinburgh Circuit at the Conference - of 1774; and to the Newcastle Circuit at the Conference of 1775. - -Footnote 320: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -At this period, Wesley was dangerously ill in Ireland. Charles Wesley -had no hope of his brother’s recovery. The Methodists throughout the -kingdom were in consternation. In a letter to Joseph Bradford, Wesley’s -faithful companion, Charles Wesley wrote:— - - “Bristol, June 29, 1775. Your letter has cut off all hope of my - brother’s recovery. The people here, and in London, and every place, - are swallowed up in sorrow. But sorrow and death will soon be - swallowed up in life everlasting. You will be careful of my brother’s - papers, etc., till you see his executors. God shall reward your - fidelity and love. I seem scarce separated from him whom I shall so - very soon overtake. We were united in our lives, and in our death not - divided.”[321] - -Footnote 321: - - Tyerman’s “Life and Times of Wesley,” vol. iii. p. 204. - -In his deep distress, Charles Wesley wrote to Fletcher, who replied as -follows:— - - “MADELEY, _July 2, 1775_. - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,—The same post which brought me yours, brought - me a letter from Ireland, informing me of the danger of your dear - brother, my dear father, and of his being very happy in, and resigned - to, the will of God. What can you and I do? What, but stand still, and - see the salvation of God? The nations are before Him but as the dust - that cleaves to a balance; and the greatest instruments have been - removed. Abraham is dead; the fathers are dead; and if John come first - to the sepulchre, you and I will soon descend into it. The brightest, - the most burning and shining lights, like the Baptist, Mr. Whitefield, - and your brother, were kindled to make the people rejoice in them, - ‘for a season,’ says our Lord. ‘For a season.’ The expression is worth - our notice. It is just as if our Lord had said, ‘I give you inferior - lights, that ye may rejoice in them for a season. But I reserve to - myself the glory of shining for ever. The most burning lights shall - fail on earth; but I, your Sun, will shine to all eternity.’ - - “Come, my dear brother, let the danger of our lights make us look to - our Sun more steadily; and should God quench the light of our - Jerusalem below, let us rejoice that it is to make it burn brighter in - the Jerusalem which is above; and let us triumph in the - inextinguishable light of our Sun, in the impenetrable strength of our - Shield, and in the immovableness of our Rock. - - “Amidst my concern for the Church in general, and for Mr. Wesley’s - Societies in particular, I cannot but acknowledge the goodness of God - in so wonderfully keeping him for so many years, and in preserving him - to undergo such labours as would have killed you and me ten times - over. The Lord may yet hear prayer and add a span to his useful life. - But forasmuch as the immortality of the body does not belong to this - state, and he has fulfilled the ordinary term of human life, in hoping - the best, we must prepare ourselves for the worst. The God of all - grace and power will strengthen you on the occasion. - - “Should your brother fail on earth, you are called not only to bear up - under the loss of so near a relative, but, for the sake of your common - children in the Lord, you should endeavour to fill up the gap - according to your strength. The Methodists will not expect from you - your brother’s labours; but they have, I think, a right to expect that - you will preside over them while God spares you in the land of the - living. A committee of the oldest and steadiest preachers may help you - to bear the burden and to keep up a proper discipline both among the - people and the rest of the preachers; and if at any time you should - want my mite of assistance, I hope I shall throw it into the treasury - with the simplicity and readiness of the poor widow, who cheerfully - offered her next to nothing. Do not faint. The Lord God of Israel will - give you additional strength for the day; and His angels, yea, His - praying people, will bear you up in their hands, that you hurt not - your foot against a stone; yea, that if need be, you may leap over a - wall. - - “I am by this time grey-headed as well as you, and some of my - parishioners tell me that the inroads of time are uncommonly visible - upon my face. Indeed, I feel as well as see it myself, and learn what - only time, trials, and experience can teach. Should your brother be - called to his reward, I would not be free to go to London till you and - the preachers had settled all matters. My going just at such a time” - [as this] “would carry the appearance of vanity, which I abhor. It - would seem as if I wanted to be somebody among the Methodists. - - “We here heartily join the prayers of the brethren for your brother, - for you, and the Societies. Paper fails, not love. Be careful for - nothing. Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you. - Farewell in Christ.”[322] - -Footnote 322: - - Jackson’s “Life of C. Wesley,” vol. ii., p. 302. - -Two and a half years before this dangerous illness, Wesley had requested -Fletcher to be his successor in presiding over the Methodists. Perhaps -Charles Wesley was aware of this. At all events, he appears to have -wished Fletcher to come to London in the great crisis which had now -occurred. Fletcher modestly declined; and, fortunately for both, no -successor of Wesley was needed until several years after both were dead. - -Fletcher’s “Checks to Antinomianism” were ended. For four years, he had -taxed his energies to the utmost; but the work he undertook in 1771 was -now nearly concluded. The doctrines of Wesley’s “Minutes” had been -carefully explained, minutely defended, and lovingly enforced. - - “In his ‘Checks to Antinomianism,’” wrote Wesley, “one knows not which - to admire most—the _purity_ of the language, the _strength_ and - _clearness_ of the argument, or the _mildness_ and _sweetness_ of the - spirit that breathes throughout the whole. Insomuch that I nothing - wonder at a serious clergyman, who being resolved to live and die in - his own opinion, when he was pressed to read them replied, ‘No, I will - never read Mr. Fletcher’s “Checks,” for if I did, I should be of his - mind.’”[323] - -Footnote 323: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Of course, contrary opinions have been expressed. The author of “The -Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon” tells his readers that,— - - “Fletcher dazzled with eloquence instead of reasoning, and substituted - tropes for arguments. He was too loquacious for a deep reasoner, and - too impassioned to investigate duly the most profound and awful themes - which can occupy the human understanding.” - -Isaac Taylor, also, in his “Wesley and Methodism,” takes the same -position. He acknowledges that,— - - “In a genuine sense, Fletcher was a saint; a saint such as the Church - of every age has produced a few samples. Sanctity and purity of - manners were his distinctive characteristics. He was as unearthly a - being as could tread the earth at all; and his Methodism was - Christianity as little lowered by admixture of human infirmity as we - may hope to find it anywhere on earth.” But while “as a theologian he - possessed acquaintance enough with doctrinal literature and with the - Scriptures to give him always a point or two of advantage in relation - to his antagonists, he was no such reasoner, he was no such master of - Biblical criticism, as might have made it possible for him to overstep - the limits of his appointed task, or, as a theological writer, to - survive his day.”[324] - -Footnote 324: - - Robert Southey wrote, “Mr. Fletcher’s manner is diffuse, and the - florid parts and the unction betray their French origin; but the - reasoning is acute and clear, the spirit of his writings is beautiful, - and he was a master of the subject in all its bearings.” - -The first of these critics was too much of a Calvinist to do justice to -Fletcher, an Arminian; and it is not rash to say respecting the second, -that it is extremely doubtful whether he had carefully perused the -writings he condemns. At all events, his assertion that “as a -theological writer” Fletcher did not “survive his day,” is utterly -untrue. Fletcher’s “Checks” are as much read today as they were a -hundred years ago. The demand for them increases almost every year, both -in England and in America; and they are found in every land where -Methodism has been founded. At the time when they were first published, -they occasioned exasperation among the Calvinian Methodists, but that -was not the fault of their distinguished author. What was called -“bitterness” in Fletcher was not bitterness of temper, but “of unwelcome -doctrine, set forth with all the advantages of language, confidence, and -argument.” Soon after they were completed, a Dissenting minister at -Bristol called upon Fletcher, when, to all human appearance, he was -dying, and rudely said, “You had better have been confined to your bed -by palsy than have written so many bitter things against the dear -children of God.” “My brother,” replied the invalid, “I hope I have not -been bitter. Certainly I did not mean to be so; but I wanted more love -then, and I feel I want more now.”[325] Fletcher’s soft answer silenced -his sour assailant, and sent him away, it is to be hoped, a wiser and -better man. - -Footnote 325: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1823, p. 107. - -It is a pleasant fact to put on record that Fletcher and his opponents -in the Calvinian controversy lived long enough to be affectionately -reconciled to each other. Shirley, the first in the field, had, at -least, one brotherly interview with Fletcher, in Ireland.[326] In the -Methodist Museum at the Centenary Hall, London, there is an -unpublished letter, which Mr. Richard Hill wrote to Fletcher in 1784, -full of Christian affection. Rowland Hill, with admirable candour, -said of his own writings, “A softer style and spirit would better have -become me;” and he also suppressed the sale of one of his severest -publications.[327] Then as it respects dear old Berridge at Everton, -it will be seen, in a succeeding chapter, that he and Fletcher were -more than reconciled to each other. Their meeting at Everton, in the -month of December, 1776, is one of the most charming incidents -recorded in Methodistic annals. - -Footnote 326: - - Stevens’s “History of Methodism.” - -Footnote 327: - - Sidney’s “Life of Rev. Rowland Hill.” - -Another name must be introduced. Dr. Thomas Coke was now twenty-eight -years of age. He had taken his degrees at Oxford, had received episcopal -ordination, and was now curate at South Petherton. As yet, he had not -been introduced to Wesley; but he had read his sermons and journals, and -also the “Checks” of Fletcher,—all kindly lent to him by the Rev. Mr. -Brown, a clergyman residing in the neighbourhood of Taunton. A year -elapsed before Wesley met him, but in the meantime, the young curate -wrote the following letter[328] to Fletcher:— - - “SOUTH PETHERTON, NEAR CREWKERNE, SOMERSET, - “_August 28, 1775_. - - “REV. SIR,—I take the liberty, though unknown to you, but not - unacquainted with your admirable publications, of writing you a letter - of sincerest thanks for the spiritual instruction, as well as - entertainment, they have afforded me; and for the spirit of candour - and Christian charity which breathes throughout your writings. The - charming character which my best of earthly friends (the Rev. Mr. - Brown, of Kingston, near Taunton), has given me of you, emboldens me - to hope that, though my situation in life be only that of a poor - curate of a parish, you will excuse this liberty I have taken of - addressing you in the fulness of my heart. - - “You are indubitably, Sir, a sincere friend of the Gospel of Jesus - Christ. I also am an humble admirer of the blessed Jesus, and it is on - that foundation only I would wish, and it is on that only I am sure I - can recommend myself to you. - - “Your excellent ‘Checks to Antinomianism’ have riveted me in an - abhorrence and detestation of the peculiar tenets of Calvin, and the - monstrous errors into which those great and good men, Bishops Hopkins - and Beveridge, have run, have frequently filled me with wonder. - - “Your ‘Essay on Truth’ has been more particularly blessed to me. Your - ‘Scripture Scales’ I am just going to read with great attention. Many - thanks to you for your treatise on the ‘Fallen State of Man.’ It has - been of service to me, and of much more, I have reason to think, to - many of my congregation. - - “O, Sir, I have frequently prayed to my God that He will make you a - great pillar of His Church. In return, I do humbly beg that you will - pray for me. I am sure you will grant me the favour when I inform you - that (as nearly as I can guess) a thousand or more immortal souls come - to me on every Lord’s Day, in the afternoon, to receive their portion - of the manna of the Word, the bread of everlasting life. - - “I will so far transgress against the public and your dear flock as to - request an answer. I am almost afraid to hope for more. May the God - who loves you, and whom you love, make you a great instrument of His - glory in this life, and grant you the height of your ambition in the - next. - - “I am, Rev. Sir, with great respect, your much obliged and very humble - servant, - - “THOMAS COKE.” - -Footnote 328: - - The letter is copied, verbatim, from the _original_, in the Wesleyan - Mission House collection, Bishopsgate Street, London. - -Little, at this time, did the obscure Dr. Coke imagine that, eight years -afterwards, Fletcher would be one of the first twenty-six subscribers to -the Methodist “Society for the Establishment of Missions among the -Heathen,” which Coke and a few of his friends then instituted. - -One more fact respecting the “Checks to Antinomianism” must be added. -The Rev. Thomas Jackson, a good authority, remarks:— - - “Mr. Charles Wesley took a lively interest in the rise and progress of - this” [the Calvinian] “controversy, though his name has rarely been - connected with it. He corresponded with his friend, the Vicar of - Madeley, and encouraged him in his arduous undertaking. Mr. Fletcher - transmitted his manuscripts to him for revision, begging of him to - expunge every expression that was calculated to give unnecessary pain, - and to pay especial attention to the grammar and theology of the - whole. He also confided to Mr. Charles Wesley the task of conducting - them through the press, the correction of which was inconvenient to - himself, because of his distance from London. The fact is, that nearly - everything that Mr. Fletcher published, not even excepting his - political tracts and his treatise on original sin, passed under the - eye and hand of Mr. Charles Wesley before it was given to the world. - Not that the compositions of his friend needed much emendation, but - his criticisms gave Mr. Fletcher confidence, and were highly valued. - In 1775, Mr. Fletcher said to him, ‘Nobody helps me but you; and you - know how little you do it. Deprive me not of that little. Your every - hint is a blessing to me.’”[329] - -Footnote 329: - - Jackson’s “Life of C. Wesley,” vol. ii., p. 294. - -A letter to Charles Wesley will fitly close the present chapter. - - “MADELEY, _December 4, 1775_. - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,—I see the end of my controversial race, and I - have such courage to finish it, that I think it my _bounden_ duty to - run and strike my blow, and fire my gun, before the water of - discouragement has quite wetted the powder of my activity. This makes - me seem to neglect my dearest correspondents. - - “Old age comes faster upon me than upon you. I am already so - grey-headed, that I wrote to my brother to know if I am not fifty-six - instead of forty-six. The wheel of time moves so rapidly, that I seem - to be in a new element; and yet, praised be God! my strength is - preserved far better than I could expect. I came home last night at - eleven o’clock tolerably well, after reading prayers and preaching - twice and giving the sacrament in my own church, and preaching again - and meeting a few people in Society at the next market-town. - - “The Lord is wonderfully gracious to me, and, what is more to me than - many favours, He helps me to see His mercies in a clearer light. In - years past, I did not dare to be thankful for mercies, which now make - me _shout for joy_. I had been taught to call them _common mercies_, - and I made as little of them as apostates do of the blood of Christ, - when they call it a _common thing_. But now the veil begins to rend, - and I invite you and all the world to praise God for His patience, - truth, and lovingkindness, which have followed me all my days. O how I - hate the delusion, which has robbed me of so many comforts! - - “Farewell! I am, etc., - “J. FLETCHER.”[330] - -Footnote 330: - - Letters, 1791, p. 226. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - _PUBLICATIONS IN THE YEAR_ - - 1776. - - -EXCEPT his posthumous works, the remainder of Fletcher’s writings were -issued during the next two years, 1776 and 1777. These will be briefly -noticed in the present chapter. During the last four years, his -antagonists had been Walter Shirley, Richard Hill, Rowland Hill, and -John Berridge. Now he encountered three others—Augustus Montague -Toplady, the well-known Vicar of Broad Hembury, in Devonshire; Caleb -Evans, an eminent Baptist minister at Bristol; and, in connection with -Mr. Evans, the celebrated Rev. Richard Price, D.D., an Arian minister, -at Hackney, London. - -Methodist readers are so familiar with the life and character of -Toplady, as to render it unnecessary to refer to them in the present -pages. Suffice it to say, that this remarkable and strangely constituted -man seems to have been almost as much prejudiced against Fletcher as he -was against Wesley. “I was lately asked,” said he, “what my opinion is -of Mr. John Fletcher’s writings. My answer was, that, in the very few -pages I had perused, the _serious_ passages were dulness double -condensed; and the _lighter_ passages, impudence double distilled.”[331] - -Footnote 331: - - Toplady’s “Posthumous Works,” 1780, p. 234. - -In 1770, Wesley published his tract, entitled, “The Doctrine of Absolute -Predestination Stated and Asserted.” This was a faithful abridgment of -Toplady’s translation of Zanchius’s once famous book,[332] and concluded -with the well-known paragraph:— - - “The sum of all is this: one in twenty (suppose) of mankind are - elected; nineteen in twenty are reprobated. The elect shall be saved, - do what they will; the reprobate shall be damned, do what they can. - Reader, believe this, or be damned. Witness my hand, - - “A—— T——.” - -Footnote 332: - - Toplady’s Translation was published at the end of the year 1769. - -Toplady was terribly enraged, and immediately published “A Letter to the -Rev. Mr. John Wesley: relative to his pretended Abridgment of Zanchius -on Predestination.” In 1771, Wesley replied to this, in his tract -entitled, “The Consequence Proved,”—the object of which was to establish -the paragraph which had occasioned Toplady such huge offence. A year -later, Toplady published his “More Work for Mr. John Wesley; or, A -Vindication of the Decrees and Providence of God from the Defamation of -a late printed paper, entitled, ‘The Consequence Proved.’” Wesley had no -time and no inclination to continue the controversy; but handed over the -angry Vicar of Broad Hembury to the tender mercies of Thomas Olivers and -Fletcher. Olivers’ tart pamphlet need not be further mentioned; but, in -reference to Fletcher, it may be added, that, in a letter to Mr. Richard -Hill, dated “March 12, 1773,” Toplady wrote:— - - “I am told that Mr. Fletcher has it in contemplation to make an attack - on _me_ too. He is welcome. I am ready for him. Nor shall I, in that - case, altogether imitate the examples of yourself and your brother; - unless Mr. Fletcher should treat me with more decency than he has, - hitherto, observed towards others. Tenderness, ’tis very evident, has - no effect on Mr. Wesley and his pretended _family of love_. Witness - the rancour with which Mr. Hervey’s[333] memory and works are treated - by that lovely family. For my own part, I shall never attempt to hew - such millstones with a feather. They must be served as nettles; press - them close, and they cannot sting. Yet have they my prayers and my - best wishes for their present and future salvation. But not one hair’s - breadth of the Gospel will I ever offer at their shrine, or sacrifice - to their idol.”[334] - -Footnote 333: - - The well-known Rev. James Hervey. - -Footnote 334: - - Toplady’s “Posthumous Works,” 1780, p. 343. - -Toplady’s information that Fletcher intended to “attack” him was quite -correct; but, for the present, Fletcher was so occupied with his “Checks -to Antinomianism,” that two years elapsed before he could devote -attention to his new antagonist. - -Toplady had no need to tell Mr. Richard Hill, in 1773, that, in any -future replies he might make to the attacks of Wesley, Fletcher, or -their friends, he would not be sparing in the language that he used; -for, in his “Letter” to Wesley in 1770, and his “More Work for Wesley” -in 1772, he had employed abuse which is, perhaps, unparalleled in -religious literature, and for which it is difficult to account. Wesley -was charged, by this young man of thirty years, with using “all the -sophistry of a Jesuit, and the dictatorial authority of a pope.” He had -descended to his “customary resource of false quotations, despicable -invective, and unsupported dogmatisms.” His “phraseology” was “as -pregnant with craft as his conduct” was “destitute of honour.” “By his -deep-laid, but soon detected, cunning,—by his avowed vacuity of candour, -truth, and shame, he has, in the general estimation of all unprejudiced -people, gotten a wound and dishonour and reproach which all his whining -and winding sophistry will never be able to wipe away.” “Perversion and -falsification are essential figures in this man’s rhetoric.” “Unless God -give Mr. Wesley repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, the -unparalleled perverseness with which he labours to blacken some -doctrines of Christianity will be the burden of his soul in the hour of -death and in the day of judgment.” - -These are really mild—_very mild_—specimens of Toplady’s unaccountable -abuse of Wesley. How the same man could write, “Rock of ages, cleft for -me,” and other hymns quite as exquisite, it is difficult to conceive. - -Fletcher’s long-expected reply was published in 1776, with the following -title-page, “An Answer to the Rev. Mr. Toplady’s ‘Vindication of the -Decrees,’ etc. By the Author of the Checks. London: Printed in the year -1776.” 12mo, 133 pp. - -Fletcher disposes of Toplady’s abusive language in his “Introduction.” -He writes:— - - “If Mr. Toplady, in his controversial heat, has forgotten what he owed - to Mr. Wesley and to himself, this is no reason why I should forget - the title of my book, which calls me to point out the bad arguments of - our opponents, and not their ill humour. If I absurdly spent my time - in passing a censure upon Mr. Toplady’s spirit, he would, with reason, - say, as he does in the introduction to his ‘Historical Proof,’[335] - page 35, ‘What has my pride or my humility to do with the argument in - hand? Whether I am haughty or meek, is of no more consequence either - to that, or to the public, than whether I am tall or short.’ Besides, - having, again and again, myself requested our opponents not to - wiredraw the controversy by personal reflections, but to weigh with - candour the arguments which are offered, I should be inexcusable if I - did not set them the example. Should it be said that Mr. Wesley’s - character, which Mr. Toplady has so severely attacked, is at stake, - and that I ought purposely to stand up in his defence; I reply, that - the personal charges which Mr. Toplady interweaves with his arguments - have been already fully answered by Mr. Olivers;[336] and that these - charges being chiefly founded upon Mr. Toplady’s logical mistakes, - they will, of their own accord, fall to the ground, as soon as the - mistakes on which they rest shall be exposed. May the God of truth and - love grant, that, if Mr. Toplady has the honour of producing the best - arguments, I, for one, may have the advantage of yielding to them! To - be conquered by truth and love, is to prove conqueror over our two - greatest enemies,—error and sin.” - -Footnote 335: - - Toplady’s “Historic Proof of the Doctrinal Calvinism of the Church of - England;” published, in two volumes, in 1774. - -Footnote 336: - - In “A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Toplady, occasioned by his late Letter to - Mr. Wesley. By Thomas Olivers, 1771.” 12mo, 60 pp. - -What a contrast between Fletcher and Toplady! Both were men of genius; -both were scholars; both were clergymen of the Church of England; both -were polemics; but one was meek in heart—the other just the opposite; -one was a gentleman—the other, notwithstanding his ability and -eloquence, was a traducer. - -As already stated, the short paragraph which Wesley appended to his -abridgment of Toplady’s translation of Zanchius’s “Doctrine of Absolute -Predestination Stated and Asserted” infuriated the Vicar of Broad -Hembury to an almost incredible degree. Toplady employed, what Fletcher -calls, seventy-three “_arguments_,” but which might more correctly be -called _dogmatisms_, in replying to Wesley’s exposure of Calvinian -predestination. Fletcher, in his “_Answer_,” deals with these, one by -one, seriatim. Toplady was overmatched, and his “arguments” were shown -to be fallacies. Throughout his able book, Fletcher never loses his -temper, and never indulges in vituperation. The strongest language he -uses is found in his concluding paragraphs, as follows:— - - “I humbly hope that I have, in the preceding pages, contended for the - truth of the Gospel, and the honour of God’s perfections. My - conscience bears me witness, that I have endeavoured to do it with the - sincerity of a candid inquirer after truth; and that I have not, - knowingly, leaped over one material difficulty which Mr. Toplady has - thrown in the way of the laborious divine whose evangelical principles - I vindicate. And now, judicious reader, if I have done my part as a - detecter of the fallacies by which the modern doctrines of grace are - ‘kept upon their legs,’ let me prevail upon thee to do thy part as a - judge, and to say if the right leg of Calvinism, that is, the lawless - election of an unscriptural grace, so draws thy admiration as to make - thee overlook the deformity of the left leg, that is, the absurd, - unholy, sin-ensuring, hell-procuring, merciless, and unjust - reprobation which Mr. Toplady has attempted to vindicate. Shall thy - reason, thy conscience, thy feelings, thy Bible, and, what is more - than this, shall all the perfections of thy God, and the veracity of - thy Saviour, be sacrificed on the altar of a reprobation which none of - the prophets, apostles, and early fathers ever heard of?—a barbarous - reprobation which heated Augustine drew from the horrible error of - Manichean necessity, and clothed with some Scripture expressions - detached from the context, and wrested from their original meaning?—a - Pharisaic reprobation, which the Church of Rome took from him, and - which some of our reformers unhappily brought from that corrupted - Society into the Protestant Churches?—in a word, a reprobation which - disgraces Christianity, when that holy religion is considered as a - system of evangelical doctrine, as much as our most enormous crimes - disgrace it, when it is considered as a system of pure morality? Shall - such a reprobation, I say, find a place in thy creed? yea, among thy - doctrines of grace? God forbid! - - “I hope better things of thy candour, good sense, and piety. If - prejudice, human authority, and voluntary humility, seduce many good - men into a profound reverence for that stupendous dogma, be not - carried away by their number, or biassed by their shouts. Be not - afraid to ‘be pilloried in a preface, flogged at a pamphlet’s tail,’ - and treated as a knave, a felon, or a blasphemer through the whole of - the next vindication of the deified[337] decrees, which are commonly - called ‘Calvinism.’ This may be thy lot, if thou darest to bear thy - plain testimony against the Antinomian idol of the day.” - -Footnote 337: - - “Mr. Toplady calls them ‘the decrees of God;’ and it is an axiom among - Calvinists, that ‘God’s decrees are God Himself.’” - -Fletcher’s conflict with Toplady was continued. Hence the following -“Advertisement,” affixed to the _first edition_ of the book just -dismissed:— - - “Since these sheets have been prepared for the press, I have seen a - new performance of Mr. Toplady, in defence of the doctrine which is - exposed in the preceding pages. As there are, in that piece, some - _new_ arguments, the plausibility of which may puzzle many readers; - and as I think it my duty _fully_ to vindicate the truth, and - _completely_ to detect error; I design to answer that book also, in a - little tract, which will be a supplement to this, and which will - probably see the light under the following title, ‘A Reply to the - Principal Arguments by which the Calvinists and the Fatalists Support - the Spreading Doctrine of _Absolute Necessity_. In some Remarks on the - Rev. Mr. Toplady’s ‘Scheme of Philosophical Necessity.’” - -To understand this, it must be stated, that, in 1774, Wesley published a -12mo pamphlet of 33 pages, entitled, “Thoughts upon Necessity.” This was -one of Wesley’s ablest publications, and, to use Wesley’s own words, in -his address “to the Reader,” it was meant to rebut the teaching of an -“Essay on Liberty and Necessity,”[338] which he had lately read. “I -would fain,” says he, “place mankind in a fairer point of view than that -writer” (the author) “has done: as I cannot believe the noblest creature -in the visible world to be only a fine piece of clock-work.” Toplady was -not once mentioned in Wesley’s tract; but he immediately set to work to -answer it, and, in the following year, his strange production was issued -with the following title: “The Scheme of Christian and Philosophical -Necessity Asserted. In Opposition to Mr. John Wesley’s Tract on that -Subject. With a Dissertation concerning the Sensible Qualitys of Matter: -and the Doctrine of Color in particular. By Augustus Toplady, Vicar of -Broad Hembury. London, 1775.” 8vo, 216 pp. - -Footnote 338: - - This Essay had been published, in Edinburgh, some years before. - -Wesley, as already stated, had not even named Toplady in his -publication, much less abused him; but the opportunity of again reviling -Wesley was too tempting to be neglected. In his preface, he gives an -extract from a letter, written by a London clergyman, who had sent him -Wesley’s tract:— - - “I went last night to the Foundery, expecting to hear Pope _John_; but - was disappointed. After hearing a Welshman,[339] for an hour and - twenty minutes, on Psalm lxxxiv. 11, preach up all the heresies - (_sic_) of the place, a man, who sat in the pulpit, told him to ‘_Give - over_:’ for he seemed to bid fair for another half hour, at least. But - he came to a conclusion, as desired. Then this man, who seemed to be a - local preacher,[340] stood up with a pamphlet in his hand, and - addressed the auditory in the following manner:— - - “‘I am desired to publish a pamphlet upon _Necessity_ and - _Free-Will_,—the best I know of in the English tongue,—by _Mr. John - Wesley_, price _threepence_. I had purposed to say a _good deal_ upon - it; but the _time_ is elapsed. But, in this threepenny pamphlet, you - have _all_ the disputes that have been bandy’d about so lately; and - you will get your minds more established by _this threepenny_ - pamphlet, than by reading _all_ the books that have been written for - and against. It is to be had at both doors, as you go out.’” - -Footnote 339: - - Query? Thomas Olivers, corrector of the press for Wesley. - -Footnote 340: - - Query? John Atlay, the book-steward. - -It is not unlikely that this narration is true; for, in those days, -Methodist preachers preached long sermons, and, from the pulpit, -recommended the people to purchase Methodist publications. Toplady takes -occasion to call the occurrence “a droll sort of mountebank scene,” and -pretends to bewail “the unreasonable and unseasonable prolixity of the -long-winded holder-forth, which cruelly, injudiciously, and despitefully -prevented poor _Zany_ from puffing off, with the amplitude he intended, -the multiplex virtues of the doctor’s threepenny free-will powder.” He -continues:— - - “‘_Never do that by delegation_,’ says an old proverb, ‘_which you can - as well do in propria persona_. Had Doctor John himself got upon the - stage, and sung— - - ‘Come, buy my fine powders; come buy dem of me; - Hare be de best powders dat ever you see:’ - - who knows, but the threepenny doses might have gone off _at both - doors_,’ as rapidly as peas from a pop-gun?” - -Toplady, in a bantering tone, proceeds to give the “_chief ingredients -of the famous Moorfields powder_,” namely:— - - “An equal portion of gross _Heathenism_, _Mahometism_, _Popery_, - _Manichaeism_, _Ranterism_, and _Antinomianism_; cull’d, dry’d, and - pulveriz’d, _secundem artem_: and, above all, mingled with as much - palpable _Atheism_ as you can possibly scrape together from every - quarter.” (Preface.) - -In Chapter I., Toplady continues this unworthy, dishonourable abuse. He -writes:— - - “_Aliquis in omnibus, nullus in singulis._ The man, who concerns - himself in everything, bids fair not to make a figure in anything. Mr. - John Wesley is, precisely, this _aliquis in omnibus_; for, is there a - single subject in which he has not endeavoured to shine? He is also, - as precisely, a _nullus in singulis_; for, has he shone in any one - subject which he ever attempted to handle? Upon what principle can - these two circumstances be accounted for? Only upon that very - principle, at which he so dolefully shakes his head, viz., the - principle of _necessity_. The poor gentleman is, _necessarily_, an - universal meddler; and, as _necessarily_, an universal miscarryer. Can - he _avoid_ being either the one or the other? No.” (p. 10.) - -In a subsequent page, Toplady asserts:— - - “Mr. Wesley, in one respect, is _as much_, and, in another respect, - _abundantly more_ a _Manichae_, than either Scythian, Budda, or Manes. - By a very singular mixture of _Manichaeism_, _Pelagianism_, _Popery_, - _Socinianism_, _Ranterism_, and _Atheism_, he has, I believe, now got - to his ultimatum. Probably, he would go still further, if he could. - But, I really think, he has no farther to go. Happy settlement, after - forty years’ infinity of shiftings and flittings hither and thither! - - “‘Thus weathercocks, which, for awhile, - Have turn’d about with every blast,— - Grown old, and destitute of oil, - Rust to a point, and fix at last!’” (p. 131.) - -Again, on page 168, Toplady’s reader is told that— - - “Mr. Wesley is the lamest, the blindest, and the most - self-contradictory waster of ink and paper, that ever pretended to the - name of reasoner. ’Tis almost a disgrace to refute him.” - -Again, on p. 172, Toplady writes:— - - “Mr. Wesley’s heat and prophaneness are such, that he dares to scold - his Maker with as little ceremony, and with as much scurrility, as an - enraged fish-woman would be-din the ears of a ’prentice wench.” - -Was Toplady a _Christian_? It is difficult to answer that question. A -more monstrous combination of opposing qualities has seldom figured on -the stage of human life. He was now thirty-four years of age.[341] Three -years and a-half later he was dead. - -Footnote 341: - - Wesley was more than seventy! - -It is needless to furnish an outline of Toplady’s bold book. What he -attempted to expound and prove will be found in the following extracts:— - - “I own myself very fond of _definitions_. I therefore præmise[342] - _what_ the _necessity_ is, whose cause I have undertaken to plead. I - would define necessity to be _that, by which, whatever comes to pass - cannot but_ come _to pass_ (all circumstances taken into the account); - _and can come to pass_ in _no other way or manner_ than it does” (p. - 12). - -Footnote 342: - - In this, and in all the foregoing extracts, the spelling of words is - _literally_ given.—L. T. - -Again, on page 157, he writes:— - - “For my own part, I solemnly profess, before God, angels, and men, - that I am _not conscious_ of my being endued with that - self-determining power, which Arminianism ascribes to me as an - individual of the human species. Nay, I am _clearly certain_ that I - have it not. I am also equally certain that I _do not wish_ to have - it; and that, were it possible for my Creator to make me an offer of - transferring the determination of any one event, from His own will to - mine, it would be both my duty and my wisdom to entreat that the - sceptre might still remain with Himself, and that I might have nothing - to do in the direction of a single incident, or of so much as a single - circumstance.” - -The principles wrapped up in the definition and the confession of -Toplady are what he tries to vindicate; and to refute them was the task -Fletcher undertook. Fletcher’s pamphlet was published in 1777, with the -following title: “A Reply to the Principal Arguments by which the -Calvinists and Fatalists support the Doctrine of Absolute Necessity: -being Remarks on the Rev. Mr. Toplady’s ‘Scheme of Christian and -Philosophical Necessity.’ By John Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Salop. -London, 1777.” 12mo, 80 pp. - -Fletcher, with his talent of quiet cutting irony, might have rebuked the -slang of Toplady; but, like a Christian and a gentleman, he, with -indignant silence, allows it to pass unnoticed. The task of vanquishing -Toplady was not difficult, for seldom has a more absurd theological work -than “The Scheme of Christian and Philosophical Necessity” been -committed to the press. Fletcher’s “reply” was perfectly unanswerable: -poor Toplady was silenced. - -It would tire the reader to analyse Fletcher’s work; and two extracts -from it must suffice, the first showing with what ease Fletcher dealt -with the absurdities of Toplady’s philosophy; and the second exhibiting -his desire to live in peace and love with even the rabid Calvinists. - -In Chapter III. of his book, Toplady wrote as follows:— - - “It seems most agreeable to the radical simplicity, which God has - observed in all His works, to suppose, that, _in themselves_, all - human souls are _equal_. I can easily believe, that the soul of an - oyster-woman has, naturally, the unexpanded powers of Grotius, or of - Sir Isaac Newton; and that what conduces to raise the philosopher, the - poet, the politician, or the linguist, so much above the ignorant and - stupid of mankind, is, not only the circumstance of intellectual - cultivation, but, still more than that, his having the happiness to - occupy a better house, _i.e._ a _body_ more commodiously _organized_ - than they. The soul of a _Monthly Reviewer_, if imprisoned within the - same mud walls which are tenanted by the soul of _Mr. John Wesley_, - would, similarly circumstanced, reason and act, I verily think, - exactly like the Bishop of Moorfields. And I know some very sensible - people, who even go so far as to suppose, that, were a human soul shut - up in the skull of a _cat_, puss would, notwithstanding, move prone on - all fours, purr when stroked, spit when pinched, and birds and mice - would be her darling objects of pursuit. Though I cannot carry matters - to so extreme a length as this, yet, I repeat my opinion, very much - depends on corporeal organization. - - “I just now hinted the conjecture of some that a human spirit, - incarcerated in the brain of a cat, would, probably, both think and - behave as that animal now does. But how would the soul of a cat acquit - itself, if enclosed in the brain of a man? We cannot resolve this - question with _certainty_, any more than the other. We may, however, - even on _this_ occasion, address every one of our human brethren in - the words of that great philosophic necessitarian, St. Paul, and ask, - _Who maketh thee to differ_ from the lowest of the brute creation? Thy - _Maker’s_ free will, not thine. _And what_ pre-eminence _hast thou, - which thou didst_ not _receive_ from Him? Not the least, nor the - shadow of any.” - - “Admirable divinity!” wrote Fletcher. “So Mr. Toplady leaves the - orthodox in doubt,—1. Whether, when their souls and the souls of cats - shall be let out of their respective brains or prisons, the souls of - cats will not be equal to the souls of men. 2. Whether, supposing the - soul of a cat had been put in the brain of St. Paul, or of a Monthly - Reviewer, the soul of puss would not have made as great an Apostle as - the soul of Saul of Tarsus; as good a critic as the soul of the most - sensible Reviewer. And, 3. Whether, in case the ‘human spirit’ of - Isaiah ‘was shut up in the skull of a cat, puss would not, - notwithstanding, move prone on all fours, purr when stroked, spit when - pinched, and birds and mice be her darling objects of pursuit.’ Is not - this a pretty large stride, for the first, towards the doctrine of the - sameness of the souls of men with the souls of cats and frogs? - Wretched Calvinism, new-fangled doctrines of grace, where are you - leading your deluded admirers, your principal vindicators? Is it not - enough, that you have spoiled the fountain of living waters, by - turning into it the muddy streams of _Zeno’s_ errors? Are ye also - going to poison it by the absurdities of _Pythagoras’s_ philosophy? - What a side-stroke is here inadvertently given to these capital - doctrines, ‘God breathed into’ Adam ‘the breath of life, and he became - a living soul;’ a soul made ‘in the image of God,’ and not in the - image of a cat! ‘The spirit of the beast goeth downward to the earth; - but the spirit of man goeth upward; it returns to God who gave it,’ - with an intention to judge and reward it according to its moral works. - - “But I must do Mr. Toplady justice; he does not yet recommend this - doctrine as absolutely certain. However, from his capital doctrine, - that human souls have no free-will, no inward principle of - self-determination; and from his avowed opinion, that the soul of one - man, placed in the body of another man, ‘would, similarly - circumstanced, reason and act exactly like’ the man in whose _mud - walls_ it is lodged; it evidently follows, 1. That, had the human soul - of Christ been placed in the body and circumstances of _Nero_, it - would have been exactly as wicked and atrocious as the soul of that - bloody monster was. And 2. That if Nero’s soul had been placed in - Christ’s body, and in His trying circumstances, it would have been - exactly as virtuous and immaculate as that of the Redeemer; the - consequence is undeniable. Thus, the merit of the man Christ did not, - in the least, spring from His righteous soul, but from His ‘_mud - walls_’ and from the happiness which His soul had of being lodged in a - ‘_brain peculiarly modified_.’ Nor did the demerit of Nero flow from - his free agency and self-perversion, but only from his ‘_mud walls_,’ - and from the infelicity which his necessitated soul had of being - lodged in ‘_an ill-constructed vehicle_,’ and placed on that throne on - which Titus soon after deserved to be called ‘the darling of mankind.’ - See, O ye engrossers of orthodoxy, to what absurd lengths your - aversion to the liberty of the will, and to evangelical worthiness, - leads your unwary souls! And yet, if we believe Mr. Toplady, your - scheme, which is big with these inevitable consequences, is ‘Christian - philosophy,’ and our doctrine of free will is ‘philosophy run mad,’ p. - 30.” - -Did cat ever play with mouse more perfectly and amusingly than did the -Vicar of Madeley with the Vicar of Broad Hembury? - -The next extract, which is the conclusion of Fletcher’s triumphant -“Reply” to Toplady, shows his intense desire to live in love and peace -with his opponents:— - - “Mr. Wesley and I are ready to testify upon oath, that we humbly - submit to God’s sovereignty, and joyfully glory in the freeness of - Gospel grace, which has mercifully distinguished us from countless - myriads of our fellow-creatures, by gratuitously bestowing upon us - numberless favours, of a spiritual and temporal nature, which he has - thought proper absolutely to withhold from our fellow-creatures. To - meet the Calvinists on their own ground, we go so far as to allow - there is a partial, gratuitous election and reprobation. By this - election, Christians are admitted to the enjoyment of privileges far - superior to those of the Jews; and, according to this reprobation, - myriads of heathen are absolutely cut off from all the prerogatives - which accompany God’s covenants of peculiar grace. In a word, we grant - to the Calvinists everything they contend for, except the doctrine of - _absolute necessity_; nay, we even grant the necessary, unavoidable - salvation of all that die in their infancy. And our love of peace - would make us go farther to meet Mr. Toplady, if we could do it - without giving up the justice, mercy, truth, and wisdom of God, - together with the truth of the Scriptures, the equity of God’s - paradisaical and mediatorial laws, the propriety of the day of - judgment, and the reasonableness of the sentences of absolution and - condemnation, which the Righteous Judge will then pronounce. We hope, - therefore, that the prejudices of our Calvinian brethren will subside; - and that, instead of accounting us inveterate enemies to truth, they - will do us the justice to say, that we have done our best to hinder - them from inadvertently betraying some of the greatest truths of - Christianity into the hands of the Manichees, Materialists, Infidels, - and Antinomians of the age. May the Lord hasten the happy day in which - we shall no more waste our precious time in attacking or defending the - truths of our holy religion; but bestow every moment in the sweet - exercises of Divine and brotherly love!” - -During the last six years, Fletcher had most laboriously devoted the -whole of the time he could conscientiously spare from the faithful -discharge of his parochial duties, to an earnest and elaborate -explanation and defence of the Anti-Calvinian doctrines, formally -announced by his friend Wesley, at the Conference of 1770. Wesley was -without leisure for this. If he had attempted it, he would have been -obliged to content himself with the publication of brief, sententious -tracts; and this would have been insufficient. Most of the Methodist -clergymen of the day, including Whitefield, Hervey, Romaine, Berridge, -Shirley, Toplady, and many others, had become sincere and laborious -Calvinists. Their publications were widely spread, and their views -extensively embraced. Wesley saw and felt that an antidote was needed; -and especially as the Countess of Huntingdon had recently opened her -college at Trevecca to multiply the number of such ministers. Hence, -the declaration of his “Minutes,” and hence, the fierce controversial -war that immediately followed. Fletcher had been educated at Geneva, -where Calvin had propounded his creed, and his form of Church -government. Fletcher was not, professedly, a theological student at -Geneva; but he was a regular attendant at Divine services, as well as -a diligent reader of the Holy Scriptures, and there can be no doubt -that he was, to a considerable extent, even in his youth, acquainted -with the Calvinian theology. At all events, when the controversy -commenced, in 1770, there was no one, among Wesley’s helpers, so -competent to enter the arena, on his behalf, as his friend Fletcher. -Hitherto, Fletcher had been accustomed to make little evangelistic -tours, to London, to Wales, and to other places; but now, for six -years, he confined himself within his own parish, that he might have -time to defend Wesley. Up to the present, his letters to his friends -had been somewhat numerous; now, to write a letter was one of his rare -exercises. He was committed to a great work; and everything, excepting -the pastoral duties of his parish, must give way to it. Of the style -of his writings, the reader has had numerous specimens. It is always -perspicuous, lively, chaste, though occasionally prolix. Many of his -figures are apt, striking, convincing; but others would have been more -impressive had they been less elaborate. His arguments are fair, -legitimate, and generally unanswerable. His spirit, without exception, -is saintly. He never becomes personal; never deals in invective; never -assails character; never impugns motives. Among the Wesleyan -Methodists, he settled for ever all the questions of the Calvinian -controversy. For many a long year, Methodist preachers—itinerant and -local—drew their arguments and illustrations from his invaluable -“Checks;” and, perhaps, it is not too much to say, that not a few of -the Calvinists themselves were led by his immortal productions to -explain, and modify, and, to some extent, to change their -unwarrantable doctrines. To his memory, the Methodist Churches owe -undying veneration; for he did for Wesley’s theology what no other man -than himself, at that period, could have done. John Wesley travelled, -formed Societies, and governed them. Charles Wesley composed -unequalled hymns for the Methodists to sing; and John Fletcher, a -native of Calvinian Switzerland, explained, elaborated, and defended -the doctrines they heartily believed. - -Hitherto, his opponents had been Walter Shirley, Richard Hill and his -brother Rowland, honest Berridge, and clever but censorious Toplady. The -last, for invective, was the worst. Twenty years before, he had heard -James Morris, one of Wesley’s itinerants, preach in a barn at Codymain, -and soon afterwards was converted. Two years later, while a student in -Trinity College, Dublin, he wrote an admirable letter to Wesley, -thanking him for his “kind” cautions and advices. When and why he became -the bitter foe of Wesley it is difficult to determine. He died on August -11, 1778, in the thirty-eighth year of his age, and was buried in a -grave, thirteen feet deep, under the gallery of Whitefield’s chapel, in -Tottenham Court Road. - -Fletcher’s next antagonist was the Rev. Caleb Evans, a Baptist minister -at Bristol; a man of good sense, a diligent student, a faithful pastor, -and now thirty-seven years of age. At this period, the English colonists -in America were in rebellion. On May 10, 1775, a Congress of the -thirteen States met at Philadelphia, and appointed George Washington as -their Commander-in-Chief. He took command of the army before Boston, -where the English had ten thousand men. A few days after his arrival, -the terrible battle at Bunker’s Hill was fought; and a bloody war soon -spread over the whole seaboard, and even into Canada, where the American -colonists besieged Quebec. In the year 1775, Wesley abridged Dr. -Johnson’s famous pamphlet, entitled, “Taxation no Tyranny,” and -published it as his own, without the least reference as to its origin. -Mr. Evans warmly sympathized with the colonists, and published “A Letter -to the Rev. John Wesley, occasioned by his ‘Calm Address.’” Wesley’s -reply to this was the republication of his pirated pamphlet, with a -preface prefixed, in which he said, “All the arguments” [of Evans] -“might be contained in a nutshell.” Political as well as theological -controversy is always irritating. Angry tracts and pamphlets, almost -without number, were committed to the press; but all of them, except -those in which Fletcher was concerned, must here be passed in silence. -Fletcher now, strangely enough, turned politician. Early in the year -1776, he published the following: “A Vindication of the Rev. Mr. -Wesley’s ‘Calm Address to our American Colonists:’ In some Letters to -Mr. Caleb Evans: By John Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Salop. London: -Printed and sold at the Foundery.” 12mo, 70 pp.[343] - -Footnote 343: - - In the same year, another edition was published in “Dublin: Printed - for W. Whitestone, No. 33, Skinner Row.” - -In a letter to Joseph Benson, he said:— - - “I have unaccountably launched into Christian politics; a branch of - divinity too much neglected by some and too much attended to by - others. If you have seen my ‘Vindication of Mr. Wesley’s Calm - Address,’ and can make sense of that badly printed piece, I shall be - thankful for your very dispraise.” - -To James Ireland, Esq., he wrote on February 3, 1776:— - - “My little political piece is published in London. You thank me for it - beforehand; I believe they are the only thanks I shall have. It is - well you sent them before you read the book; and yet, whatever - contempt it brings upon me, I still think I have written the truth. If - I have been wrong in writing, I hope I shall not be so excessively - wrong as not to be thankful for any reproof candidly levelled at what - I have written. I prepare myself to be like my Lord in my little - measure; I mean, to be ‘_Despised and rejected of men; a man of - sorrows, and acquainted with griefs_,’—most reviled for what I mean - best.” - -Evidence will soon be adduced that Fletcher’s apprehensions of coming -reproach were realized. - -It may fairly be doubted whether Wesley and Fletcher acted wisely in -rushing into the fierce political strife that then existed. Their -motives were pure; and, perhaps, Mr. Benson, living at the time, and a -competent observer of men and things, was correct when he said,— - - “Mr. Fletcher’s publications upon the question which divided Great - Britain and her Colonies, as well as Mr. Wesley’s ‘Calm Address,’ - certainly were of great use; not indeed to prevent the continuation - and further progress of the war, and stop the effusion of blood - abroad, but to allay the spirits of disloyalty and insurrection which - were beginning to show themselves at home.” - -Still, it must be admitted, that the high and holy vocation of Wesley -and Fletcher was not to rebuke and correct political errors, but to -revive, spread, and defend the great Gospel truths which had been so -long neglected and forgotten. - -No useful end would be answered by giving an outline of Fletcher’s -arguments in his “Vindication of Wesley’s ‘Calm Address.’” Many of them -may be more easily sneered at than answered. They show the versatility -of Fletcher’s genius; and, remembering the fewness of the newspapers -then published, they create surprise at the extent of Fletcher’s -political information. He often uses strong language, but he is never -ungentlemanly or abusive. He was loyal to the throne and government of -England, but he was not a blind opponent of civil liberty, or that -exemption from the arbitrary will of others which is secured by -equitable and established laws. In concluding his first letter to Mr. -Evans he wrote:— - - “I declare that I am as much in love with _liberty_ as with _loyalty_; - and that I write a heartfelt truth when I subscribe myself, Rev. Sir, - your affectionate fellow-labourer in the Gospel, a republican by birth - and education, and a subject of Great Britain by love of liberty and - free choice.” - -As soon as Fletcher’s pamphlet appeared, Mr. Evans hastened to answer -it, and employed Wesley’s old friend, William Pine, of Bristol, as his -printer and publisher. The title of his new production was “A Reply to -the Rev. Mr. Fletcher’s ‘Vindication’ of Mr. Wesley’s ‘Calm Address to -our American Colonists.’ By Caleb Evans, M.A.” 12mo, 103 pp. - -Mr. Evans’s reply was full of bad temper. The first twenty-three pages -were devoted to abusive remarks on the change which had taken place in -Wesley’s political opinions, and to a mistake which Wesley honestly -confessed he had made in denying that he had seen a book on “the -exclusive right of the Colonies to tax themselves.” He acknowledges that -he had seen the book, but adds: “I had so entirely forgotten it, that -even when I saw it again I recollected nothing of it till I had read -several pages.” Mr. Evans, in an angry spirit, uses this lapse of memory -to the utmost in an endeavour to brand Wesley as a liar, and concludes -his first letter to Fletcher thus:— - - “Having thus given you, Sir, a faithful narrative of the rise, - progress, and conclusion of the dispute betwixt me and Mr. Wesley, you - are welcome to re-enter on the vindication of _your friend_, as you - style him, as soon as you please. And should you find yourself unequal - to the _Herculean_ task, you may call in the assistance of the amazing - Mr. _Thomas Olivers_, that mirror of Christian meekness and modesty, - and with his logic and your oratory, aided by scraps of mutilated - letters, you will perform wonders.” - -Mr. Evans begins his second letter by politely telling Fletcher that in -reading his “Vindication of Wesley’s ‘Calm Address’” he had been greatly -disappointed. - - “For,” says he, “instead of argument, I met with nothing but - declamation; instead of precision, artful colouring; instead of proof, - presumption; instead of consistency, contradiction; instead of - reasoning, a string of sophistries. Your letters abound, Sir, as every - intelligent reader will easily discover, with the _petitio principii_, - the _fallacia accidentis_, the _non causa pro causa_, and those many - other pretty inventions by which, as the Schoolmen very well know, a - question may be embarrassed when it cannot be answered.” - -In succeeding pages, Mr. Evans charges Fletcher with using “loose, -inconsistent, vague declamation;” and adds:— - - “This may confound the ignorant and superficial; but you cannot - yourself suppose it ever can convince the intelligent and impartial. - Your chief aim seems to be _spargere voces in vulgam ambiguas_, and - thereby artfully to persuade them that all those who are enemies to - the measures of the ministry respecting America are Republicans, - king-haters, Calvinists, Anabaptists, Antinomians, and everything that - is bad.” - -Poor Fletcher! He was indeed realizing the reproach he had apprehended; -and yet he was not satisfied. Hence his publication of the following: -“American Patriotism: Farther confronted with Reason, Scripture, and the -Constitution: Being Observations on the Dangerous Politicks taught by -the Rev. Mr. Evans, M.A., and the Rev. Dr. Price.[344] With a Scriptural -Plea for the Revolted Colonies. By J. Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley.” 1776. -12mo, 138 pp. - -Footnote 344: - - Mr. Evans, in his “Reply,” had made several quotations from what he - calls “Dr. Price’s most excellent pamphlet, just published,” and - entitled, “Observations on the Nature of Civil Liberty.” - - “The author,” writes Fletcher in his preface, “dares not flatter - himself to have the knowledge of logic and divinity, which are - requisite to do his subject the justice it deserves; but, having for - some years opposed _false orthodoxy_, he may have acquired a little - skill to oppose _false patriotism_; and, having defended _evangelical - obedience to God_ against the indirect attacks of some ministers of - the Church of England, he humbly hopes that he may step forth a second - time and defend _constiutional obedience to the king_ against some - ministers who dissent from the Established Church. Those whom he - encounters in these sheets are the leading ecclesiastical patriots of - the two greatest cities in the kingdom; Mr. Evans being the champion - of the minority in Bristol, as Dr. Price is in London.” - -Of course, Fletcher’s book is able; but, excepting so far as it teaches -that loyalty is a Christian duty, it is, to a great extent, out of date. - -On October 30, 1776, a royal proclamation was issued, ordering “a public -fast and humiliation to be observed throughout England and the kingdom -of Ireland, upon Friday the 13th of December next, for the purpose of -imploring the Almighty speedily to deliver the King’s loyal subjects -within his colonies and provinces in North America, from the violence, -injustice, and tyranny of those daring rebels who had assumed to -themselves the exercise of arbitrary power; to open the eyes of those -who had been deluded, by specious falsehoods, into acts of treason and -rebellion; to turn the hearts of the authors of these calamities; and to -restore his people in those distracted provinces and colonies to the -happy condition of being free subjects in a free state, under which -heretofore they had flourished so long, and prospered so much.”[345] - -Footnote 345: - - Annual Register, 1776. - -This had Fletcher’s hearty approbation, and he at once wrote and -published a 12mo pamphlet of 22 pages, dated “London, December 6, 1776,” -with the title, “The Bible and the Sword; or, The Appointment of the -General Fast Vindicated: In an Address to the Common People, concerning -the Propriety of Repressing obstinate Licentiousness with the Sword, and -of Fasting when the Sword is drawn for that Purpose. London: Printed by -R. Hawes, and sold at the Foundery, in Moorfields, and at the Rev. Mr. -Wesley’s Preaching Houses in Town and Country. 1776.”[346] One half of -this pamphlet, however, was simply a reprint of extracts from his -“American Patriotism;” the other half is devoted to the task of proving, -from Scripture, that, under certain circumstances, war is lawful. - -Footnote 346: - - Almost without exception, all Fletcher’s publications had on their - title-pages the advertisement, “Sold at the Foundery, in Moorfields, - and at the Rev. Mr. Wesley’s preaching-houses in town and country.” - -As he expected, Fletcher, by his political publications, brought upon -himself political wrath and censure, of which the following extracts, -taken from the _Monthly Review_, are specimens:— - - “Mr. Fletcher has been distinguished in the late theological - controversies between Mr. Wesley and his followers, on the one part, - and the Antinomians, or Calvinists, on the other. In these disputes, - the Shropshire vicar made no inconsiderable figure; and we have freely - and impartially done justice to his abilities. In _politics_, however, - we have nothing to say in his favour. We are, indeed, sorry to observe - that he is a mere Sacheverell; a preacher of those slavish and justly - exploded Jacobitical doctrines, for which the memory of Sacheverell - and his abettors will ever be held in equal contempt and abhorrence by - every true friend to the liberties of mankind.”[347] - - “Mr. Fletcher’s present performance” (_American Patriotism_) “is, like - his former piece on this subject, wordy, specious, and artful. He - alternately attacks the champions on the other side of the question, - Dr. Price and Mr. Evans; and he evidently thinks himself a match for - them both. We are almost tired of the fruitless contest; but one word - with Mr. Fletcher before we part. He is a little chagrined at our - styling him a _mere Sacheverell_; and he takes pains, in this - publication, to show his equal abhorrence of _regal_ or of _mobbish_ - tyranny. We are glad to find this rev. gentleman thus disclaiming - those principles, to which many of his positions and arguments - obviously lead; and we charitably hope that he was not aware of the - full extent and tendency of their operation. Mr. Fletcher is, by all - report, a good man; but he will never, we suspect, obtain a _good - report_ merely for his _politics_, except with those who have already - embraced the same system; for mankind are too much guided by Swift’s - rule of pronouncing those _right_ who think as we do, and every one - _wrong_ who differs from us. Poor encouragement, by the way, for our - author to expend his ink, and wear out his pens, in order to convert - those political heretics, the advocates for America.”[348] - -Footnote 347: - - _Monthly Review_, 1776, vol. liv., p. 325. - -Footnote 348: - - _Ibid_, 1776, vol. lv, p. 155. - -The sneers of the Monthly Reviewers were unjust. Fletcher, in reply to -their unmerited taunt, remarked:— - - “I am no more ‘_a mere Sacheverell_’ than I am a _mere Price_. Dr. - Sacheverell ran as fiercely into the _high monarchical_ extreme as Dr. - Price does into the _high republican_ extreme. I have endeavoured to - keep at an equal distance from their opposite mistakes, by contending - only for the just medium, which the Holy Scriptures and our excellent - constitution point out. If Dr. Sacheverell were alive, and his - erroneous, enthusiastical, mobbing politics endangered the public - tranquillity, as the patriotism of Mr. Evans and Dr. Price does at - present, I would oppose the _high churchman_ as much as I now do the - two _high dissenters_.”[349] - -Footnote 349: - - “American Patriotism,” p. 130. - -Notwithstanding the depreciatory opinions of Mr. Evans, Dr. Price, and -the Monthly Reviewers, the government of King George III. desired to -reward Fletcher for the service he had rendered them. His old friend, -Mr. Vaughan, informed Wesley that he took one of Fletcher’s political -pamphlets to the Earl of Dartmouth, at that time Secretary of State for -the Colonies. Lord Dartmouth carried it to the Lord Chancellor, who -handed it to King George. The result was an official was immediately -commissioned to ask Fletcher whether any preferment in the Church would -be acceptable to him? or whether the Lord Chancellor could do him any -service? Fletcher replied, no doubt to the amazement of all concerned, -“I want nothing, but more grace.”[350] - -Footnote 350: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -This was characteristic of the man. “The love of money, the root of all -evil,” was a sin from which Fletcher was entirely exempt. - - “On the 10th of May, 1774,” says Mr. Vaughan, “Mr. Fletcher wrote me - thus: ‘My brother has sent me the rent of the little place I have - abroad, £80, which I was to receive from Mr. Chauvet and Co., in - London. But, instead of sending the draught for the money, I have sent - it back to Switzerland, with orders to distribute it among the poor. - As money is rather higher there than here, that mite will go farther - abroad than it would in my parish.’”[351] - -Footnote 351: - - _Ibid._ - -Mr. Vaughan continues:— - - “In 1776, he deposited with me a bill of £105, being, as I understood, - the yearly produce of his estate in Switzerland. This was his fund for - charitable uses; but it lasted only a few months, when he drew upon me - for the balance, which was £24, to complete the preaching-house in - Madeley Wood.”[352] - -Men, said Cicero, resemble the gods in nothing so much as in doing good -to their fellow-creatures. - -Footnote 352: - - _Ibid._ - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - _CORRESPONDENCE IN 1776._ - - -FLETCHER’S health was failing; and no wonder. Wesley writes:— - - “He was more and more abundant in his ministerial labours, both in - public and private; not contenting himself with preaching, but - visiting his flock in every corner of his parish. And this work he - attended to early and late, whether the weather was fair or foul; - regarding neither heat nor cold, rain nor snow, whether he was on - horseback or on foot. But this further weakened his constitution; - which was still more effectually done by his intense and uninterrupted - studies, in which he frequently continued, without scarce any - intermission, fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen hours a day. But still he - did not allow himself such food as was necessary to sustain nature. He - seldom took any regular meals except he had company; otherwise, twice - or thrice in four-and-twenty hours he ate some bread and cheese, or - fruit. Instead of this, he sometimes took a draught of milk, and then - wrote on again. When one reproved him for not affording himself a - sufficiency of necessary food, he replied, ‘Not allow myself food! Why - our food seldom costs my housekeeper and me less than two shillings a - week.’”[353] - -Footnote 353: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -During the Calvinian controversy, Fletcher’s letters to his friends seem -to have been comparatively few. At all events, few have been preserved. -Now he resumed his epistolary correspondence; and the present chapter -will mainly consist of these outpourings of his heart to those whom he -dearly loved. - -In a letter, dated January 9, 1776, and published in the “Life and Times -of Wesley,” Fletcher refers to a renewed proposal to become Wesley’s -successor. To prepare him for this, Wesley requested that he would -accompany him in his evangelistic tours, so that he might be commended -to the Methodist Societies they visited. Fletcher replied that he was -willing to accompany Wesley as a travelling assistant; but he strongly -objected to being nominated Wesley’s _successor_. Besides other reasons, -which he adduced, he remarked, that such a nomination would lead people -to suspect, and say, that what he had written, “for truth and -conscience’ sake,” in defence of Wesley’s doctrines, had all been done -for the purpose of becoming, what Toplady had called, “the Bishop of -Moorfields.” There is no need to quote this letter at full length; but -it is an important one, as showing that the proposal which Wesley had -made to Fletcher, three years before, was not a passing whim, but a -fixed idea, on the realization of which he had set his heart.[354] - -Footnote 354: - - Others, besides Wesley, had fixed upon Fletcher as Wesley’s successor. - Joseph Benson, in 1775, shortly after Wesley’s dangerous illness in - Ireland, wrote to him, saying, “In case of Mr. Wesley’s death, your - help would be wanted, in the government of the Societies, and in - conducting the work of God.” To this, Fletcher replied, “God has - lately shaken Mr. Wesley over the grave; but, I believe, from the - strength of his constitution and the weakness of mine, he will survive - me; so that I do not scheme about helping to make up the gap, when - that great tree shall fall. Sufficient for the day will that trouble - be; nor will the Divine power be then insufficient to help the people - in time of need.” (Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.”) - -It may be added, that Fletcher, in the same letter, informs Wesley, -that, by the last post, he had sent him a manuscript, entitled, “A -Second Check to Civil Antinomianism;” being an extract from the Church -of England Homily on Rebellion; and he expresses the opinion that it -might be well to print and circulate it, not only for the general good, -but, also, “to shame Mr. Roquet,” one of the first masters of Wesley’s -school, at Kingswood, but now a clergyman of the Church of England, who, -in the controversy respecting the American rebellion, had turned against -his old friend Wesley, and had rendered assistance to Wesley’s -dissenting opponent, Caleb Evans. Wesley seems to have had more regard -for Mr. Roquet’s reputation, than even gentle-minded Fletcher had, for -Fletcher’s manuscript was not published. - -Fletcher refused to be commended as Wesley’s successor; but he evidently -thought of travelling. Hence, in a letter to his friend James Ireland, -Esq., he wrote:— - - “Madeley, February 3, 1776. Upon the news of your illness, I and many - more prayed that you might be supported under your pressures, and that - they might yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. We shall now - turn our prayers into praises for your happy recovery, and for the - support the Lord has granted you under your trial. There are lessons - which we can never learn but under the cross: we must suffer with - Christ if we will be glorified with Him. I hope you will take care - that it may not be said of you, as it was of Hezekiah, ‘He rendered - not unto the Lord, according to the benefit’ of his recovery. May we - see the propriety and profit of rendering Him our bodies and our - souls,—the sacrifices of humble, praising, obedient love,—and warm, - active, cheerful thanksgiving! - - “A young clergyman offers to assist me: if he does, I may make an - excursion somewhere this spring; where it will be, I don’t know. It - may be into _eternity_, for I dare not depend upon to-morrow; but - should it be your way, I shall inform you of a variety of family - trials, which the Lord has sent me—all for _good_, to break my will in - every possible respect.”[355] - -Footnote 355: - - Letters, 1791, p. 227. - -In reference to this excursion, Wesley writes:— - - “His health being more than ever impaired by a violent cough, - accompanied with spitting of blood, I told him, nothing was so likely - to restore his health as a long journey. I, therefore, proposed his - taking a journey of some months with me, through various parts of - England and Scotland; telling him, ‘When you are tired, or like it - best, you may come into my carriage; but, remember, that riding on - horseback is the best of all exercises for _you_, so far as your - strength will permit.’ He looked upon this as a call from Providence, - and very willingly accepted of the proposal. We set out, as I am - accustomed to do, early in the spring, and travelled by moderate - journeys, suited to his strength, eleven or twelve hundred miles.[356] - When we returned to London, in the latter end of the year, he was - considerably better; and I verily believe, if he had travelled with - me, partly in the chaise and partly on horseback, only a few months - longer, he would have quite recovered his health.”[357] - -Footnote 356: - - I cannot trace this journey.—L.T. - -Footnote 357: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -At this period, the end of 1775, or the beginning of 1776, Joseph Benson -was stationed in the circuit of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and to him Fletcher -wrote as follows:— - - “Though I am pretty well in body, I break fast. I have been put into - such pinching, grinding circumstances for near a year, by a series of - providential and domestic trials, as have given me some deadly blows. - Mr. Wesley kindly invited me some weeks ago to travel with him and - visit some of his Societies. The controversy is partly over, and I - feel an inclination to break one of my chains,—parochial - retirement,—which may be a nest for self. A young minister, in - deacon’s orders, has offered to be my curate; and, if he can live in - this wilderness, I shall have some liberty to leave it. I commit the - matter entirely to the Lord. - - “The few professors I see in these parts are so far from what I could - wish them and myself to be, that I cannot but cry out, ‘Lord, how long - wilt Thou give Thine heritage to desolation or barrenness? How long - shall the heathen say, where is now their indwelling God?’ I hope it - is better with you in the north. What are your heart, your pen, your - tongue doing? Are they receiving, sealing, spreading the truth - everywhere within your sphere? Are you dead to praise or dispraise? - Could you quietly pass for a mere fool, and have gross nonsense - fathered upon you without any uneasy reflection of self? The Lord - bless you! Beware of your grand enemy, earthly wisdom, and unbelieving - reasonings. You will never overcome but by childlike, loving - simplicity.”[358] - -Footnote 358: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Wesley set out, on his “_long journey_,” from London, on Sunday evening, -March 3, 1776, and reached Bristol two days afterwards. On Wednesday, -March 6, he went to Taunton, and “opened the new preaching-house.” On -Thursday, he returned to Bristol; and, on the Monday following, started -for the north, visiting his Societies at Stroud, Painswick, Tewkesbury, -Worcester, and other places, until, on March 25, he arrived at -Birmingham.[359] Mr. Benson says Fletcher joined Wesley “at London, or -more probably at Bristol, and accompanied him on his journeys through -Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire, and a part of Warwickshire, -Staffordshire, and Shropshire. He did not, however, proceed further -north with Mr. Wesley, at that time, but stopped at Madeley, for reasons -which he mentioned to me in the following letter, written soon after:— - - “‘MY DEAR BROTHER,—I would have answered your letter before now, had I - not been overdone with writing. I have just concluded an answer to Mr. - Evans and Dr. Price; a work which I have undertaken with a desire to - serve the cause of religion, as well as that of loyalty. This work has - prevented me from following Mr. Wesley. Besides, as the clergyman who - is here with me (a student from Edmund Hall[360]), has just accepted a - place near Manchester, I shall still be without a curate. - - “‘I see so little fruit in these parts that I am almost disheartened, - both with respect to the power of the Word, and the experience of the - professors I converse with. I am closely followed with the thought - that the kingdom in the Holy Ghost is almost lost; and that faith in - the dispensation of the Spirit is at a very low ebb. But it may be, I - think so on account of my little experience, and the weakness of the - faith of those whom I meet. It may be better in all other places. I - shall be glad to travel a little to see the goodness of the land. God - deliver us from all extremes, and make and keep us humble, loving, - disinterested, and zealous! I preached, before Mr. Greaves came, as - much as my strength could well admit, although to little purpose; but - I must not complain. If one person receive a good desire in ten years, - by my instrumentality, it is a greater honour than I deserve—an honour - for which I could not be too thankful. Let us bless the Lord for all - things. We have reasons innumerable to do it. Bless Him on my account, - as well as your own; and the God of peace be with you.’”[361] - -Footnote 359: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Footnote 360: - - The College, at Oxford, to which the Countess of Huntingdon had been - accustomed to send godly young men, to prepare them for Orders, and - from which six of her students had been expelled, in 1768. - -Footnote 361: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Before proceeding further, it may be added, that Joseph Benson doubted -the propriety of Wesley and Fletcher turning their attention to -politics. In an unpublished letter, dated “Newcastle, May 21, 1776,” he -wrote:— - - “These are ‘perilous times’ indeed, and threaten to be more perilous - still. You see what a famous politician our friend Fletcher is become. - Though I exceedingly approve both of the ‘Calm Address’ and its - ‘Vindication,’ I fear these subjects only detain the authors from more - valuable and important work. We expected Mr. Fletcher here along with - Mr. Wesley; but I understand, by a letter from him yesterday, that he - has been prevented, by his having to answer Dr. Price and Mr. Evans. - And there is more work for him still. A friend of ours, in London, has - sent Mr. Cownley and me a pamphlet, which, in some important points, - takes Mr. Fletcher’s ‘Vindication’ thoroughly to pieces. I fear he - will find it no easy thing to reply to some of its arguments. As for - Price, his ideas of liberty are beyond measure extravagant; and Mr. - Fletcher and Mr. Wesley will find it no very difficult matter to reply - to _him_. But, the principal thing to be thought, talked, and wrote - about, is the _baptism of the Spirit_, or the _inward kingdom of God_. - Oh! my friend, this is but little known among us!” - -To his old friend, Mr. Vaughan, Fletcher wrote:— - - “MADELEY, _March 21, 1776_. - - “DEAR SIR,—Your barrel of cider came safe to hand. How could you think - to make me such a present? But I must rather thank you for your love - and generosity, than scold you for your excessive profusion. You - should have stayed till cider was ten shillings a hogshead, but in - such a year as this—! However, the Lord reward you, and return it to - you, in streams of living water, and plenty of the wine of His - kingdom! - - “I thought I should soon have done with controversy; but now I give up - the hope of having done with it before I die. There are three sorts of - people I must continually attack, or defend myself against—Gallios, - Pharisees, and Antinomians. I hope I shall die in harness fighting - against some of them. I do not, however, forget, that the Gallio, the - Simon, and the Nicholas _within_, are far more dangerous to me than - those without. In my own heart, that immense field, I must _first_ - fight the Lord’s battles and my own. Help me here; join me in this - field. All Christians are here militia-men, if they are not professed - soldiers. O, my friend, I need wisdom—_meekness of wisdom_! A heart - full of it is better than all your cider vault full of the most - generous liquors; and it is in Christ for us. O! go and ask for you - and me; and I shall ask for me and you. May we not be ashamed, nor - afraid to come, and beg every moment for wine and milk—grace and - wisdom! - - “Beware, my friend, of the world. Let not its cares, nor the - deceitfulness of its riches, keep or draw you from Jesus. Before you - handle the birdlime, be sure you dip your heart and hand in the oil of - grace. Time flies. Years of plenty and of scarcity, of peace and war, - disappear before the eternity to which we are all hastening. - - “Remember me kindly to Mrs. Vaughan. That the Lord would abundantly - bless you both, in your souls, bodies, concerns, and children, is the - sincere wish of your affectionate friend, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[362] - -Footnote 362: - - Letters, 1791, p. 229. - -The following letter, to Charles Wesley, refers, among other things, to -another of Fletcher’s publications, which has yet to be noticed:— - - “MADELEY, _May 11, 1776_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—What are you doing in London? Are you ripening as - fast for the grave as I am? How should we lay out every moment for - God! For some days, I have had the symptoms of an inward consumptive - decay—spitting of blood, etc. Thank God! I look at our last enemy with - great calmness. I hope, however, that the Lord will spare me to - publish my end of the controversy, which is _A Double Dissertation - upon the Doctrines of Grace and Justice_. This piece will, I flatter - myself, reconcile all the _candid_ Calvinists and _candid_ Arminians, - and be a means of pointing out the way in which peace and harmony may - be restored to the Church. - - “I still look for an outpouring of the Spirit, inwardly and outwardly. - Should I die before that great day, I shall have the consolation to - see it from afar. Thank God! I enjoy uninterrupted peace in the midst - of my trials, which are, sometimes, not a few. Joy also I possess; but - I look for joy of a superior nature. I feel myself, in a good degree, - dead to praise and dispraise: I hope, at least, that it is so; because - I do not feel that the one lifts me up, or that the other dejects me. - I want to see a Pentecost Christian Church; and, if it is not to be - seen at this time upon earth, I am willing to go and see that glorious - wonder in heaven. How is it with you? Are you ready to seize the crown - in the name of the Redeemer _reigning_ in your heart? We run a race - towards the grave. John is likely to outrun you, unless you have a - swift foot. - - “I had lately a letter from one of the preachers, who finds great - fault with me, for having published, in my book on Perfection, your - hymn called _The Last Wish_. He calls it dangerous mysticism. My - _private_ thoughts are, that the truth lies between _driving_ - Methodism and _still_ mysticism. What think you? Read the addresses - which I have added to that piece, and tell me your thoughts. - - “Let us pray that God would renew our youth, as that of the eagle, - that we may bear fruit in our old age. I hope I shall see you _before_ - my death: if not, let us rejoice at the thought of meeting in - heaven.”[363] - -Footnote 363: - - Letters, 1791, p. 231. - -The censured hymn was the following— - - “To do, or not to do; to have, - Or not to have, I leave to Thee: - To be, or not to be, I leave: - Thy only will be done in me. - All my requests are lost in one: - Father, Thy only will be done. - - “Suffice that, for the season past, - Myself in things Divine I sought, - For comforts cried with eager haste, - And murmur’d that I found them not: - I leave it now to Thee alone, - Father, Thy only will be done. - - “Thy gifts I clamour for no more, - Or selfishly Thy grace require, - An evil heart to varnish o’er; - Jesus, the Giver, I desire; - After the flesh no longer known: - Father, Thy only will be done. - - “Welcome alike the crown or cross; - Trouble I cannot ask, nor peace, - Nor toil, nor rest, nor gain, nor loss, - Nor joy, nor grief, nor pain, nor ease, - Nor life, nor death; but ever groan, - Father, Thy only will be done.” - -This was what Wesley’s Itinerant Preacher called “_dangerous_ -mysticism,” and Fletcher, “_still_ mysticism.” Whether Fletcher himself -experienced this “destruction of self-will,” and “absolute resignation, -which characterises a perfect believer,” it is difficult to determine; -but it may safely be affirmed that he was struggling to attain to such a -state of holiness. “This hymn,” said he, “suits all the believers who -are at the bottom of Mount Sion, and begin to join the spirits of just -men made perfect.” And then, as a specimen of what he calls “_driving_ -Methodism,” he adds:— - - “But when the triumphal chariot of perfect love _gloriously_ carries - you to the top of perfection’s hill;—when you are raised far above the - _common_ heights of the perfect,—when you are almost translated into - glory like Elijah, _then_ you may sing another hymn of the same - Christian poet” (Charles Wesley) “with the Rev. Mr. Madan, and the - numerous body of imperfectionists who use his collection of Psalms, - etc.” - -This, of course, was a quiet satire on Martin Madan and his Calvinistic -congregation; but, passing that, the “_driving_ hymn was as follows:— - - “Who in Jesus confide, - They are bold to outride - The storms of affliction beneath: - With the prophet they soar - To that heavenly shore, - And out-fly all the arrows of death. - - “By faith _we are come_ - To our _permanent home_; - By hope we _the rapture improve_: - By love we _still rise_, - And _look down_ on the skies— - For the _heaven of heavens is love_! - - “Who on earth can conceive - How happy _we live_ - In the city of God the great King! - What a concert of praise, - When our Jesus’s grace - The whole heavenly company sing! - - “What a rapturous song, - When the glorified throng - In the spirit of harmony join! - Join all the glad choirs, - Hearts, voices, and lyres, - And the burden is mercy divine!”[364] - -Footnote 364: - - Fletcher’s “Last Check to Antinomianism,” p. 323. - -Why these long quotations? Simply to show that real Christian Perfection -is, according to the “_private_ thoughts” of Fletcher, one of the -holiest of the old Methodists, a something that “lies between” the -“driving Methodism and _still_ mysticism” embodied in the two remarkable -hymns just cited. - -Soon after the date of the last letter (May 11, 1776) Fletcher’s health -so entirely failed, that he was compelled to leave his parish and repair -to the hot wells at Bristol. His friend, Charles Wesley, on June 30, -embodied the feelings of his full heart in the following touching hymn:— - - “Jesus, Thy feeble servant see! - Sick is the man beloved by Thee: - Thy name to magnify, - To spread Thy Gospel-truths again, - His precious soul in life detain, - Nor suffer him to die. - - “The fervent prayer Thou oft hast heard, - Thy glorious arm in mercy bared; - Thy wonder-working power - Appear’d in all Thy people’s sight, - And stopp’d the Spirit in its flight, - Or bade the grave restore. - - “In faith we ask a fresh reprieve: - Frequent in deaths he still shall live, - If Thou pronounce the word; - Shall spend for Thee, his strength renew’d, - Witness of the all-cleansing blood, - Forerunner of his Lord. - - “The Spirit that raised Thee from the dead, - Be in its quick’ning virtue shed, - His mortal flesh to raise, - To consecrate Thy human shrine, - And fill with energy divine - Thy minister of grace. - - “Body and soul at once revive; - The prayer of faith in which we strive, - So shall we all proclaim, - According to Thy gracious will, - Omnipotent the sick to heal, - From age to age the same.”[365] - -Footnote 365: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1835, p. 576. - -Fifteen years ago (soon after he came to Madeley), at Christmas time, in -a dark night, Fletcher, on the top of Lincoln-hill woods, was at a loss -which way to take to reach his vicarage at Madeley. Providentially, he -met a working man of Coalbrookdale, Michael Onions by name, who was on -his way to Broseley to fetch a fiddler for a dancing party in Michael’s -house. Fletcher told him he had lost his road to Madeley, and asked him -to put him right. Good-tempered Michael went half-a-mile out of his way -to render the muffled stranger the necessary guidance. Conversation -ensued; Michael explained the object of his journey to Broseley; -Fletcher warned him of his sin and danger; Michael became alarmed, and, -instead of proceeding to Broseley to secure the services of the fiddler, -returned to his dwelling at Coalbrookdale. On his entering, the -assembled dancers asked, “Have you brought the fiddler?” “No,” said -Michael. “Is he not at home?” “I don’t know.” “Have you not been to -Broseley?” “No.” “Why? What’s the matter? You look ill, and are all of a -tremble.” Michael then stated that he had met some one on the top of -Lincoln-hill woods; but whether man or angel he knew not; and, after -relating the conversation between them, added, “I dare not go to -Broseley—I would not for the world.” Next Sunday morning, Michael and -some of his dancing friends went to Madeley church; and there, in the -voice of Fletcher, he recognized the mysterious traveller he had met -with on Lincoln-hill. Michael was converted, and became one of the first -Methodists in Coalbrookdale.[366] To this humble, but faithful Christian -friend, and to his fellow Methodists, Fletcher now wrote as follows:— - - “BRISTOL, _July 11, 1776_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—Having just seen, at the Wells, Mr. Darby, who is - going back to the Dale, I gladly seize the opportunity of letting you - know what the Lord is doing for my soul and body. - - “With respect to my soul, I feel a degree of righteousness, peace, and - joy, and wait for the establishment of His internal kingdom in the - Holy Ghost. The hope of my being rooted and grounded in the love, that - casts out slavish fear, grows more lively every day. I am not afraid - of any evil tidings, and my heart stands calm, believing in the Lord, - and desiring Him to do with me whatsoever He pleaseth. - - “With respect to my body, I know not what to say; but the physician - says he hopes I shall do well; and so I hope, and believe too, whether - I recover my strength or not. Health and sickness, life and death, are - best when the Lord sends them. All things work together for good to - those that love God. - - “I am forbid preaching; but, blessed be God! I am not forbid, by my - heavenly Physician, to pray, believe, and love. This is a sweet work, - which heals, delights, and strengthens. - - “I hope you bear me on your hearts, as I do you on mine. My wish for - you is that you may be possessors of an inward kingdom of grace; that - you may so hunger and thirst after righteousness as to be filled. Oh! - be hearty in the cause of religion. Be _humbly_ zealous for your own - salvation, and for God’s glory; nor forget to care for the salvation - of each other. Keep yourselves in the love of God; and keep one - another by _example_, _reproof_, _exhortation_, _encouragement_, - _social prayer_, and _a faithful use of all the means of grace_. Use - yourselves to bow at the feet of Christ. Go to Him continually for the - holy anointing of His Spirit, who will be a Teacher always near, - always with you and in you. If you have that _inward_ Instructor, you - will suffer no material loss when your outward teachers are removed. - Make the most of dear Mr. Greaves[367] while you have him. While you - have the light of God’s word, believe in the light, that you may be - children of the light, fitted for the kingdom of eternal light, where - I charge you to meet your affectionate brother and minister, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[368] - -Footnote 366: - - _Wesleyan Times_, March 3, 1856, p. 138. - -Footnote 367: - - Who had again become Fletcher’s curate. - -Footnote 368: - - Letters, 1791, p. 14. - -To Charles Perronet, son of the venerable Vicar of Shoreham, Fletcher -wrote:— - - “BRISTOL, _July 12, 1776_. - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,—I gladly thank you for your last favour. The - Lord keeps me hanging by a thread. He weighs me in the balance for - life and death; I trust Him for the choice. He knows, far better than - I, what is best; and I leave all to His unerring wisdom. I am calm, - and wait, with submission, for what the Lord will say concerning me. I - wait to be baptized into _all His fulness_, and trust the word—_the - word of His grace_.”[369] - -Footnote 369: - - _Ibid_, p. 231. - -Exactly a month after the date of this letter, holy Charles Perronet -himself fell asleep in Jesus. “My dear Charles,” wrote his venerable -father, “after wearing out a weakly constitution in the most unwearied -endeavours to bring many to Christ, breathed out his pious soul in the -remarkable words of his dear Lord, ‘Father, into Thy hands I commend my -spirit.’” “I have uninterrupted fellowship with God,” cried the dying -saint; “and Christ is all in all to me.”[370] As soon as Fletcher heard -of the death of this godly man, he wrote to the bereaved father as -follows:— - - “Methinks I see you, right honoured Sir, mounted, as another Moses, on - the top of Pisgah, and through the telescope of faith descrying the - promised land; or, rather, in the present instance, I observe you, - like another Joshua, on the banks of Jordan, viewing all Israel, with - your son among them, passing over the river to their great - possessions. Permit me, therefore, in consideration of your years and - office, to exclaim, in the language of young Elisha to his ancient - seer, ‘My father! My father! The chariots of Israel and the horsemen - thereof.’ - - “‘There, there they are, and there is your son! - Whom faith pursues, and eager hope discerns, - In yon bright chariot, as a cherub borne - On wings of love, to uncreated realms - Of deathless joy, and everlasting peace.’”[371] - -Footnote 370: - - Atmore’s “Methodist Memorial.” - -Footnote 371: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -On the day Charles Perronet died, Wesley was in Bristol, and wrote:— - - “1776. August 12.—I found Mr. Fletcher a little better, and proposed - his taking a journey with me to Cornwall; nothing being so likely to - restore his health as a journey of four or five hundred miles. But his - physician would in no wise consent, so I gave up the point.”[372] - -Footnote 372: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Instead of going to Cornwall Fletcher returned to Madeley, where he -wrote two letters to his friend, James Ireland, Esq., from which the -following are extracts:— - - “Madeley, August 18, 1776. My breast is very weak, but, if it please - God, it will in time recover strength. Mr. Greaves will take all the - duty upon himself, and I shall continue to take rest, exercise, and - the food which was recommended to me. The Lord grant me to rest myself - on Christ, to exercise myself in charity, and to feed upon the bread - of life, which God has given us in Jesus Christ. - - “I thank you, my dear friend, for all your favours and all your - attention to me. What returns shall I make? I will drink the cup of - thanksgiving, and I will bless the name of the Lord. I will thank my - dear friend and wish him all the temporal blessings he conferred upon - me, and all those spiritual ones which were not in his power to - bestow. Live in health; live piously; live content; live in Christ; - live for eternity; live to make your wife, your children, your - servants, your neighbours happy. And may the God of all grace give - back a hundredfold to you and your dear wife all the kindnesses with - which you have loaded me.”[373] - - “Madeley, August 24, 1776. My dear friend, I have received the news of - your _loss_, and of the _gain_ of your younger daughter. She has - entered into port, and has left you on a tempestuous sea. I recommend - to Mrs. Ireland the resignation of David when he lost his son; and do - you give her the example. The day of death is preferable to that of - our birth; with respect to infants, the maxim of Solomon is - indubitable. 0 what an honour is it to be the father and mother of a - little cherub who hovers round the throne of God in heavenly glory! - - “Roquet[374] dead and buried! The jolly man who last summer shook his - head at me as at a dying man! How frail are we! God help us to live - _to-day_! to-morrow is the fool’s day. - - “I have not, at present, the least idea that I am called to quit my - post here. I see no probability of being useful in Switzerland. My - call is here; I am sure of it. If I undertook the journey, it would be - merely to accompany you. I dare not gratify friendship by taking such - a step. I have no faith in the prescriptions of your physician; and I - think if health be better for us than sickness, we may enjoy it as - well here as in France or Italy. If sickness be best for us, why shun - it? Everything is good when it comes from God. Nothing but a baptism - of fire and the most evident openings of Providence can engage me in - such a journey. If I reject your obliging offer to procure me a - substitute, attribute it to my fear of taking a false step, of - quitting my post without command, and of engaging in a warfare to - which the Lord does not call me.”[375] - -Footnote 373: - - Letters, 1791, p. 232. - -Footnote 374: - - The Rev. James Roquet, who, in 1775, had turned against his old friend - Wesley respecting the rebellion in America. - -Footnote 375: - - Letters, 1791, p. 234. - -A fortnight later, Fletcher wrote again to Mr. Ireland:— - - “Madeley, September 7, 1776. My dear friend, my health is better than - when I wrote last. I have not yet preached; rather from a sense of - duty to my friends, and high thoughts of the labours of Mr. Greaves - (who does the work of an evangelist to better purpose than I), than to - spare myself; for, if I am not mistaken, I am as able to do my work - now as I was a year ago. - - “A fortnight ago, I paid a visit to West Bromwich. I ran away from the - kindness of my parishioners, who oppressed me with tokens of their - love. To me there is nothing so extremely trying as excessive - kindness. I am of the king’s mind when the people showed their love to - him on his journey to Portsmouth: ‘I can bear,’ he said, ‘the hissings - of a London mob, but these shouts of joy are too much for me.’ You, my - dear friend, Mrs. Ireland, Mrs. Norman, and all your family, have put - me to that severe trial, to which all trials caused by the hard words - that have been spoken against me are nothing. - - “At our age, a recovery can be but a short reprieve. Let us then give - up ourselves daily to the Lord, as people who have no confidence in - the flesh, and do not trust to to-morrow. I find my weakness, - unprofitableness, and wretchedness daily more and more; and the more I - find them, the more help I have to sink into self-abhorrence. Nor do I - despair to sink so in it as to die to self and revive in my God.”[376] - -Footnote 376: - - Letters, 1791, p. 236. - -Fletcher began to hope that he would soon be able to resume his work. To -Charles Wesley he wrote as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _September 15, 1776_. - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,—I lately consulted a pious gentleman, near - Lichfield, famous for his skill in the disorders of the breast. He - assured me I am in no immediate danger of a consumption of the lungs; - and that my disorder is upon the nerves, in consequence of too close - thinking. He permitted me to write and preach in moderation; and gave - me medicines, which, I think, are of service in taking off my feverish - heats. My spitting of blood is stopped, and I may yet be spared to - travel with you as an invalid. - - “If God adds one inch to my span I see my calling. I desire to know - nothing but Christ, and Him crucified, revealed in the Spirit. I long - to feel the _utmost power_ of the Spirit’s dispensation, and I will - endeavour to bear my testimony to the glory of that dispensation both - with my pen and tongue. Some of our injudicious or inattentive friends - will probably charge me with _novelty_ for it; but, be that as it - will, let us meekly stand for the truth as it is in Jesus, and trust - the Lord for everything. I thank God I feel so dead to popular - applause that, I trust, I should not be afraid to maintain a truth - against all the world; and yet I dread to dissent from any child of - God, and feel ready to condescend to every one. O what depths of - humble love, and what heights of Gospel truth, do I sometimes see! I - want to sink into the former and rise into the latter. Help me by your - example, letters, and prayers.”[377] - -Footnote 377: - - _Ibid_, p. 237. - -At the same period of time, Fletcher wrote to Joseph Benson, giving him -an account of the state of his health and of his literary projects. - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,—Your kind letter has followed me from Bristol - to Madeley, where I have been for some weeks. My health is better than - it was in August, but it is far from being established. Close thinking - and writing had brought upon me a slow fever, with a cough and - spitting of blood, which a physician took for symptoms of a - consumption of the lungs; whereas they were only symptoms of a - consumption of the nerves and solids. He put me accordingly upon the - lowest diet, and had me blooded four times, which made much against - me. I am, however, greatly recovered since I have begun to eat meat - again. My cough and spitting of blood have left me, but want of sleep - and a slow fever keep me still very low. If the Lord pleases, He can - in a moment restore my strength; but He needs not a worm. I thank Him - for having kept me perfectly resigned to His will, and calm in the - awful scene which I have passed through. - - “I design to conclude my last controversial piece as I shall be able, - and hope it will give my friends some satisfaction; because it will - show the cause of all our doctrinal errors, and will place the - doctrine of election and reprobation upon its proper basis. I finish - also my essay on the ‘Dispensation of the Spirit,’[378] which is the - thing I want most to see your thoughts upon. Pray for light and power, - truth and love; and impart to me a share of your experiences, to - quicken my dulness of apprehension and feeling. If God spare me a - little, it will be to bear my testimony to the doctrine of perfect - spiritual Christianity. May we be personal witnesses of this glorious - dispensation, and be so inflamed with love as to kindle all around us. - - “Give my kind love and thanks to all enquiring friends. If I live over - the winter, I shall, should Providence open the way, visit you all” - [at Newcastle-on-Tyne], “and assure you that I am in Christ your - affectionate brother and servant.”[379] - -Footnote 378: - - This essay was not published separately, but was probably embodied in - the “Portrait of St. Paul,” to be noticed anon. - -Footnote 379: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Three weeks after the date of these letters, poor Fletcher’s hope of -recovery was terribly shaken. On October 5, 1776, his disorder -unexpectedly and violently returned, and his friends around him thought -he was about to die. Some one, perhaps his curate, Mr. Greaves, -immediately improvised a beautiful hymn, which was sung, by a distressed -congregation, in Madeley church, on the following day, Friday, October -6. The hymn is too full of affection and piety to be omitted. It was as -follows:— - - “O Thou, before whose gracious throne - We bow our suppliant spirits down, - View the sad breast and streaming eye, - And let our sorrows pierce the sky. - - “Thou know’st the anxious cares we feel, - And all our trembling lips would tell; - Thou only canst assuage our grief, - And yield our woe-fraught hearts relief. - - “Though we have sinned, and justly dread - The vengeance hovering o’er our head, - Yet, Power benign! Thy servant spare, - Nor turn aside Thy people’s prayer. - - “Avert the swift-descending stroke, - Nor smite the shepherd of the flock; - Lest o’er the barren waste we stray, - To prowling wolves an easy prey. - - “Restore him, sinking to the grave; - Stretch out Thy arm, make haste to save; - Back to our hopes and wishes give, - And bid our friend and father live. - - “Bound to each soul with sacred ties, - In every breast his image lies; - Thy pitying aid, O God, impart, - Nor rend him from each bleeding heart. - - “Yet, if our supplications fail, - And prayers and tears cannot prevail, - Condemned, on this dark desert coast, - To mourn our much-loved leader lost,— - - “Be Thou his strength, be Thou his stay, - Support him through the gloomy way; - Comfort his soul, surround his bed, - And guide him through the dreary shade. - - “Around him may Thy angels wait, - Deck’d with their robes of heavenly state, - To teach his happy soul to rise, - And waft him to his native skies.”[380] - -Footnote 380: - - _The Local Preacher’s Magazine_, 1852, p. 113. - -As soon as possible, Wesley made his way to Madeley, and escorted -Fletcher to London. On November 13, they set out for Norwich, and nine -days afterwards Wesley wrote, “I brought Mr. Fletcher back to London -considerably better than when he set out.” Among other places, they -visited Lowestoft, where Wesley opened the new Preaching-house, and -where Fletcher preached on Wednesday morning, November 20.[381] Whilst -here, he wrote the following to Mr. Benson:— - - “LOWESTOFT, _November 21, 1776_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—Mr. Wesley having invited me to travel with him, to - see if change of air and motion will be a means of restoring me to a - share of my former health, I have accompanied him through Oxfordshire, - Northamptonshire, and Norfolk; and I hope I am rather better than - worse. I find it good to be with this extraordinary servant of God. I - think his diligence and wisdom are matchless. It is a good school for - me, only I am too old a scholar to make proficiency. However, let us - live to God to-day, and trust Him for to-morrow; so that, whether we - are laid up in a sick bed or a damp grave, or whether we are yet able - to act, we may be able to say, - - “‘God is the sea of love, - Where all my pleasures roll, - The circle where my passions move, - And centre of my soul.’”[382] - -Footnote 381: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Footnote 382: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Another characteristic letter must be introduced. Certain good -Methodists at Hull and York having invited him, when able, to visit the -great Methodist county, Fletcher wrote to them as follows:— - - “To Messrs. Hare, Terry, Fox, and Good, at Hull;—and Messrs. Preston, - Simpson, and Ramsden, at York. - - “LONDON, _November 12, 1776_. - - “MY DEAR BRETHREN,—I thank you for your kind letters and invitations - to visit you, and the brethren about you. I have often found an - attraction in Yorkshire. My desire was indeed a little selfish; I - wanted to improve by the conversation of my unknown brethren. If God - bids me be strong again, I shall be glad to try if He will be pleased - to comfort us by the mutual faith both of you and me. My desire is, - that Christ may be glorified both in my life and death. If I have any - desire to live at any time, it is principally to be a witness, in word - and deed, of the dispensation of _power from on high_; and to point - out that kingdom which does not consist in word, but in _power_, even - in _righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost_, the _Spirit of - power_. I am writing an Essay upon that important part of the - Christian doctrine. - - “Should I be spared to visit you, the keep of a horse, and the poor - rider, will be all the burden I should lay on you; and that will be - more than my Heavenly Master indulged Himself in. I am just setting - out for Norwich with Mr. Wesley, whose renewed strength and immense - labours astonish me. What a pattern for preachers! His redeeming the - time is, if I mistake not, matchless. - - “Should I never have the pleasure of thanking you in person for your - brotherly regard, I beg you will endeavour to meet me in the kingdom - of our Father, where distance of time and place is lost in the fulness - of Him who is _all in all_. The way ye know,—the penitential way of a - heart-felt faith working by obedient love.”[383] - -Footnote 383: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1801, p. 43. - -Early in the month of December, Fletcher visited Mr. Gorham, at St. -Neots. One of his inducements to undertake this journey was to have an -opportunity of conversing with Berridge, Vicar of Everton, and with -Henry Venn, who, a few years before, had left Huddersfield, and settled -in a small country village, as Rector of Yelling. Mr. Gorham’s son -accompanied Fletcher to Everton. Sixteen years had elapsed since -Fletcher’s former visit there; and, during that interval, Berridge had -published his “Christian World Unmasked;” and Fletcher had severely -handled its Calvinian doctrines in his “Fifth Check to Antinomianism;” -but there was no room for malice in Christian hearts like theirs. The -instant Fletcher entered the parsonage at Everton, Berridge rose up, ran -to meet him, embraced him with folded arms, and cried, “My dear brother, -how could we write against each other, when we both aim at the same -thing—the glory of God, and the good of souls! My book lies quietly on -the shelf,—and there let it lie.” For two hours, the loving polemics had -an unbroken conversation; when Berridge said, “We must not part without -praying.” Down they fell upon their knees. Full of the great truth then -occupying his mind, and which probably had been the chief subject of -conversation with his friend, Fletcher began to pray for an effusion of -the Spirit, and for greater degrees of sanctification and usefulness. -Berridge followed, with a prayer full of love and faith. The two seemed -as if it were impossible to separate; and Fletcher had to be _torn_ -away, to keep an appointment, at St. Neots, with the Rector of Yelling. -Venn was charmed with Fletcher, and became so absorbed in the -conversation, that Fletcher had to remind him, playfully, of the meal -before him. A year afterwards, they met again, at Bristol, lodged -together for six weeks in the same house, and Venn, on his return to -Yelling, declared, from his pulpit, that Fletcher was “like an angel on -earth.” - -Notwithstanding considerable opposition, Fletcher was permitted to -preach once in St. Neots Church, and took, as his text, “We love Him, -because He first loved us.” Many hung upon the lips of the preacher; but -three or four of his hearers, in great dudgeon, left before his sermon -was ended. “I will not be tedious,” cried Fletcher, as the discontented -were retreating, “but oh that I might persuade you to love Him, who -first loved us!” About thirty of his congregation followed him to his -lodgings, where, at their request, he preached again, most of those that -were present being powerfully affected. - -Considering the state of his health, this preaching exercise was hardly -prudent; but Fletcher had less regard for his health than for what he -conceived to be his duty. The season was the depth of winter; but he -maintained his accustomed early rising. One morning, before four -o’clock, Mr. Gorham stole gently into his chamber, and kindled his fire. -The crackling of the wood awoke him; and, instantly, showing the frame -of mind in which he habitually lived, whether awake or asleep, he cried, -“Is it you, my kind host, with your candle and fire? May the Lord light -the candle of faith and the fire of love in our hearts!” When nearly -fifty years had elapsed, Mr. Gorham said, “I have never forgotten this -salutation; and often do I step into the room, and look at the spot -where I received the dear saint’s thanks, and heard his prayer.”[384] - -Footnote 384: - - Appendix to Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -At this time, there resided at the suburban village of Stoke Newington a -gentleman who must have a brief notice. His father, James Greenwood, was -one of the earliest members of the Methodist Society, at the Foundery, -London; and he himself was one of the first trustees of Wesley’s chapel, -in City Road. He had a lucrative business, as an upholsterer, in Rood -Lane and Fenchurch Street; and died, at the age of fifty-six, in 1783, -his remains being put into one of the early-dug graves in the burial -ground of City Road Chapel.[385] Wesley’s mention of his death is worth -quoting:— - - “_1783, February 21._—To-day Charles Greenwood went to rest. He had - been a melancholy man all his days, full of doubts and fears, and - continually writing bitter things against himself. When he was first - taken ill, he said he should die, and was miserable through fear of - death; but, two days before he died, the clouds dispersed, and he was - unspeakably happy, telling his friends, ‘God has revealed to me things - which it is impossible for man to utter.’ Just when he died, such - glory filled the room, that it seemed to be a little heaven; none - could grieve or shed a tear, but all present appeared to be partakers - of his joy.”[386] - -Footnote 385: - - Stevenson’s “City Road Chapel.” - -Footnote 386: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -In the necrology of the Methodists, there are but few brighter death-bed -scenes than that of Charles Greenwood, of Stoke Newington.[387] - -Footnote 387: - - See an account of it in the _Arminian Magazine_ for 1783. - -On his return from St. Neots, on December 16, Fletcher took up his -residence in the house of this worthy man. Wesley disapproved of this, -and wrote:— - - “I verily believe, if Mr. Fletcher had travelled with me, partly in - the chaise, and partly on horseback, only a few months longer, he - would quite have recovered his health. But this those about him would - not permit: so being detained in London by his kind but injudicious - friends, while I pursued my journeys, his spitting of blood, with all - the other symptoms, returned, and rapidly increased, till the - physicians pronounced him to be far advanced in a true, pulmonary - consumption.”[388] - -Footnote 388: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher continued to reside with Mr. Greenwood till about the beginning -of the month of May, 1777; but, before proceeding to that year, extracts -must be given from a remarkable letter, which he wrote “to the -parishioners of Madeley.” This was one of his last efforts in the year -1776:— - - “NEWINGTON, _December 28, 1776_. - - “MY DEAR PARISHIONERS,—I hoped to have spent the Christmas holidays - with you, and to have ministered to you in holy things; but the - weakness of my body confining me here, I humbly submit to the Divine - dispensation. I ease the trouble of my absence by reflecting on the - pleasure I have felt, in years past, while singing with you, ‘Unto us - a child is born, unto us a Son is given.’ This truth is as true now as - it was then. Let us receive it with all readiness, and it will unite - us. - - “In order to this, may the eye of your understanding be more and more - opened to see your need of a Redeemer; and to behold the suitableness, - freeness, and fulness of the redemption, which was wrought out by the - Son of God, and which is applied by the Spirit through faith! The wish - which glows in my soul is so ardent and powerful, that it brings me - down on my knees, while I write, and, in that supplicating posture, I - entreat you all to consider and improve the day of your visitation, - and to prepare, in good earnest, to meet, with joy, your God and your - unworthy pastor in another world. I beseech you, by all the - ministerial and providential calls you have had for these seventeen - years, harden not your hearts. Let the longsuffering of God towards - us, who survive the hundreds I have buried, lead us all to repentance. - Dismiss your sins, and embrace Jesus Christ, who wept for you in the - manger, bled for you in Gethsemane, hung for you on the cross, and now - pleads for you on His mediatorial throne. By all that is dear to you, - meet me not on the great day in your sins, enemies to Christ by - _unbelief_, and to God by _wicked works_. - - “The sum of all I have preached to you is contained in four - propositions. First, heartily repent of your sins, original and - actual. Secondly, believe the Gospel of Christ in sincerity and truth. - Thirdly, in the power which true faith gives, run the way of God’s - commandments before God and men. Fourthly, by continuing to take up - your cross, and to receive the pure milk of God’s word, grow in grace, - and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. - - “Should God bid me stay on earth a little longer, and should He renew - my strength to do among you the work of a pastor, I hope I shall prove - a more humble, zealous, and diligent minister than I have hitherto - been. Some of you have supposed that I made more ado about eternity - and your precious souls than they were worth; but how great was your - mistake. Alas! it is my grief and shame that I have not been, both in - public and private, a thousand times more earnest and importunate with - you about your spiritual concerns. Pardon me, my dear friends,—pardon - me my ignorances and negligences in this respect. And as I most humbly - ask your forgiveness, so I most heartily forgive any of you, who may, - at any time, have made no account of my little labours. - - “The more nearly I consider death and the grave, judgment and - eternity, the more I feel that I have preached to you the truth, and - that the truth is solid as the rock of ages. Although I hope to see - much more of the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living than I - do see, yet, blessed be the Divine mercy! I see enough to keep my mind - at all times unruffled, and to make me willing calmly to resign my - soul into the hands of my faithful Creator, my loving Redeemer, and my - sanctifying Comforter, _this moment_, or _the next_, if He calls for - it. I desire your public thanks for all the favours He showeth me - continually, with respect to both my soul and body. Help me to be - thankful; for it is a _pleasant thing_ to be thankful. Permit me also - to bespeak an interest in your prayers. Ask that my faith may be - willing to receive _all_ that God’s grace is willing to bestow. Ask - that I may _meekly_ suffer, and _zealously_ do all the will of God; - and that, living or dying, I may say, with the witness of God’s - Spirit, ‘For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ - - “If God calls me from earth, I beg He may appoint a more faithful - shepherd over you. You need not fear that He will not: you see that, - for these many months, you have not only had no famine of the word, - but the richest plenty; and what God has done for months, He can do - for years; yea, for all the years of your life. Only pray; ‘ask and - you shall receive.’ Meet me at the throne of grace, and you shall meet - at the throne of glory your affectionate, obliged, and unworthy - minister, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[389] - -Footnote 389: - - Letters, 1791, p. 21. - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - _PUBLICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE IN - 1777._ - - -IN the year 1777, Fletcher terminated his controversy with the -Calvinists. He wrote:— - - “To the best of my knowledge, I have not fixed one consequence upon - the principles of my opponents, which does not fairly and necessarily - flow from their doctrine. And I have endeavoured to do justice to - their piety, declaring, again and again, my full persuasion that they - abhor such consequences.” - -His publications, in 1777, were the following:— - -1. “The Doctrines of Grace and Justice equally essential to the pure -Gospel: Being some Remarks on the mischievous divisions caused among -Christians, by parting those doctrines. Being an Introduction to a Plan -of Reconciliation between the Defenders of the Doctrines of _Partial -Grace_, commonly called _Calvinists_; and the Defenders of the Doctrines -of _Impartial Justice_, commonly called _Arminians_. By John Fletcher, -Vicar of Madeley, Salop. London: Printed by R. Hawes, 1777.” 12mo, 39 -pp. - -It is needless to furnish an outline of this able pamphlet, inasmuch as -the doctrines it enforces and the doctrines it condemns are -substantially the same as have been repeatedly introduced to the -reader’s notice. There is one statement, however, which Fletcher’s -admirers have generally overlooked, but which proves, beyond -controversy, that Fletcher was, what is now-a-days called, a -Millenarian. After dwelling on what he designates the “four -dispensations,” namely, “Gentilism,” “Judaism,” “the Gospel of John the -Baptist,” and “the perfect Gospel of Christ,” which “is Gentilism, -Judaism, and the Baptism of John, arrived at their full maturity,” he -proceeds to argue that “another Gospel dispensation” is yet to come. -Hence the following:— - - “In the Psalms, Prophets, Acts, Epistles, and especially in the - Revelation, we have a variety of promises, that, ‘in the day of His’ - displayed ‘power,’ Christ will ‘come in His glory, to judge among the - heathen, to wound even kings in the day of His wrath, to root up the - wicked, to fill the places with their dead bodies, to smite in sunder’ - antichrist, and ‘the heads over divers countries,’ and to ‘lift up - His’ triumphant ‘head’ on this very earth, where He once ‘bowed His’ - wounded ‘head, and gave up the ghost.’ Compare Psalm cx. with Acts i. - 11, 2 Thess. i. 10, Rev. xix., etc. In that great day, another Gospel - dispensation shall take place. We have it now in prophecy, as the Jews - had the Gospel of Christ’s first advent; but when Christ shall ‘come - to destroy the wicked, to be’ actually ‘glorified in His saints, and - admired in all them that believe,—in that day,’ ministers of the - Gospel shall no more prophesy, but, speaking a plain historical truth, - they shall lift up their voices as ‘the voice of many waters and - mighty thunderings, saying, Allelujah! for the Lord God Omnipotent - reigneth; the marriage of the Lamb is come; His wife, the church of - the first-born, has made herself ready; blessed and holy is he that - hath part in the first resurrection; he reigns with Christ a thousand - years’ (Rev. xix. 20). ‘Blessed are the meek, for they do inherit the - earth’ (Matt. x. 5). ‘The times of refreshing are come; and He has - sent Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you, whom the heavens - did receive’ till this solemn season; but now are come ‘the times of - restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all - His holy prophets since the world began’ (Acts iii. 19, etc.) May the - Lord hasten this Gospel dispensation! and, till it take place, may, - ‘the Spirit and the bride say, Come!’” - -It must be granted that this is but remotely related to the Calvinian -controversy; but, in a Life of Fletcher, it is too interesting to be -omitted. - -2. Fletcher’s second publication, in 1777, was a composite one, and -embraced, First, “Bible Arminianism and Bible Calvinism: A two-fold -Essay,—Part the First displaying the doctrines of Partial Grace, Part -the Second, those of Impartial Justice.” 12mo., 84 pp. Secondly, “The -Reconciliation; or, an Easy Method to unite the professing People of -God, by placing the Doctrines of Grace and Justice in such a light as to -make candid _Arminians_ Bible-Calvinists; and the candid Calvinists, -Bible-Arminians.” 12mo, 85 pp. Thirdly, to these was appended, “The -_Plan_ of Reconciliation,” the whole making a small 12mo volume of 187 -pages. The pamphlets were dedicated to his friend “James Ireland, Esq., -of Brislington, near Bristol,” as follows:— - - “DEAR SIR,—To whom could a plan of reconciliation between the - Calvinists and Arminians be more properly dedicated, than to a son of - peace, whose heart, hand, and house are open to Calvinists, Arminians, - and neuters? You kindly receive the divines who contend for the - doctrines of grace; and I want words to describe the Christian - courtesy which you show me and other ministers who make a stand for - the doctrines of justice. To you I am indebted for the honour of a - friendly interview with the author[390] of the ‘Circular Letter,’ - which I thought myself obliged to oppose; and, as you succeeded in - that labour of love, it is natural for me to hope that by your - influence, and by the patronage of such candid, generous peacemakers - as the gentleman” (John Thornton, Esq.) “to whom I have often compared - you, these reconciling sheets will be perused by some with more - attention than if they had no name prefixed to them but that of your - most obliged, affectionate friend and servant, - - J. FLETCHER. - - “NEWINGTON, _April 16, 1777_.” - -Footnote 390: - - The Rev. Walter Shirley. - -It is a well-known fact that men like Romaine were often the guests of -Mr. Ireland; and that Berridge, Venn, and others of the same way of -thinking were always welcome guests in the mansion of Mr. Thornton. -Both, however, were large-hearted men, and wherever they met with -undoubted piety, whether in a Calvinist or an Arminian brother, they -were thankful and glad. - -No record of the “friendly interview” between Fletcher and Walter -Shirley now exists; but, bearing in mind the position which Mr. Shirley -occupied, there cannot be a doubt that the result of their “interview” -would be considerable, and in harmony with the object at which Fletcher -was now strenuously aiming. - -The task which Fletcher undertook was arduous, and he knew it. He -writes:— - - “Some persons will urge that truth should never be sacrificed to love - and peace; that the Calvinists and the Arminians holding doctrines - diametrically opposite, one party, at least, must be totally in the - wrong; and, as the other party ought not to be reconciled to error, - the agreement, I propose, is impossible: it will never take place, - unless the Calvinists can be prevailed upon to give up unconditional - election, and their favourite doctrines of partial grace; or the - Arminians can be persuaded to part with conditional election, and - their favourite doctrines of impartial justice; and as this is too - great a sacrifice to be expected from either party, it is in vain to - attempt bringing about a reconciliation between them. - - “This objection is weighty; but, far from discouraging me, it affords - me an opportunity of laying before my readers the ground of the hope I - entertain, to reconcile the Calvinists and the Arminians. I should, - indeed, utterly despair of effecting it, were I obliged to prove that - either party is entirely in the wrong; but I expect some success, - because my grand design is to demonstrate that both parties have an - important truth on their side.” - -Fletcher proceeds to give his own view on the Calvinian side of the -question, as follows:— - - “The partial election and reprobation of free grace is the gracious - and wise choice which God, as a sovereign and arbitrary Benefactor, - makes or refuses to make of some persons, churches, cities, and - nations, to bestow upon them, for His own mercy’s sake, more favours - than He does upon others. It is the partiality with which He imparts - His talents of nature, providence, and grace, to His creatures or - servants; giving five talents to some, two to others, and one to - others; not only without respect to their works, or acquired - worthiness of any sort, but frequently in opposition to all personal - demerit.” - -This admirable definition of a sound doctrine is sustained by references -to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and other Old Testament personages; -also to the cities of Jerusalem, Chorazin, and Bethsaida; to the -countries of Egypt, Judea, Syria, and England, etc. - -Then, turning to the Arminian side of the controversy, Fletcher gives -the following equally correct definition:— - - “The impartial election and reprobation of justice is the righteous - and wise choice which God, as an equitable and unbribed Judge, makes, - or refuses to make, of some persons, churches, cities, and nations, - judicially to bestow upon them, for Christ’s sake, gracious rewards, - according to His evangelical promises; or judicially to inflict upon - them, for righteousness’ sake, condign punishments, according to His - reasonable threatenings.” - -This definition is also supported by a large number of Scripture -examples, showing Fletcher’s perfect knowledge of the holy books. He -then writes:— - - “Rigid Calvinists and rigid Arminians are both in the wrong; the - former in obscuring the doctrines of impartial justice, and the latter - in clouding the doctrines of partial grace. But moderate Calvinists - and candid Arminians are very near each other, and very near the - truth; the difference there is between them being more owing to - confusion, want of proper explanation, and misapprehension of each - other’s sentiments, than to any real, inimical opposition to the - truth, or to one another.” - -Fletcher next propounds his “Plan of Reconciliation.” - -First of all, he adduces the well-known plan of union, which Wesley, -thirteen years before, had ineffectually proposed to the evangelical -clergymen of the Church of England, including Romaine, Shirley, Newton, -Venn, and Berridge; after which he proceeds to observe:— - - “I do not see why such a plan might not be, in some degree, admitted - by all the ministers of the Gospel, whether they belong to or dissent - from the Establishment. I would extend my brotherly love to all - Christians in general, but more particularly to all Protestants, and - most particularly to all the Protestants of the Established Church; - but God forbid that I should exclude from my brotherly affection, and - occasional assistance, any true minister of Christ, because he casts - the Gospel net among the Presbyterians, the Independents, the Quakers, - or the Baptists! So far as they cordially aim at the conversion of - sinners, I will offer them the right hand of fellowship, and - communicate with them in spirit. Might not good men and sincere - ministers form themselves into a Society of reconcilers, whatever be - their denomination and mode of worship? There is a Society for - promoting religious knowledge among the poor; some of its members are - Churchmen and others Dissenters; some are Calvinists and others - Arminians; and yet it flourishes, and the design of it is happily - answered. Might not such a Society be formed for promoting peace and - love among professors? Is not charity preferable to knowledge? There - is another respectable Society for promoting the Christian faith among - the heathen; and why should there not be a Society for promoting - unanimity and toleration among Christians? Ought not the welfare of - our fellow-Christians to lie as near our hearts as that of the - heathen? - - “Many gentlemen, some laymen and others clergymen, some Churchmen and - others Dissenters, wanted lately to procure the repeal of our articles - of religion. Notwithstanding the diversity of their employments, - principles, and denominations, they united, wrote circular letters, - drew up petitions, and used all their interest with men in power to - bring about their design. Again, some warm men thought it proper to - blow up the fire of discontent in the breasts of our American - fellow-subjects. How did they go about the dangerous work? With what - ardour did they speak and write, preach and print, fast and pray, - publish manifestoes and make them circulate, associate and strengthen - their associations, and at last venture their fortunes, reputations, - and lives, in the execution of their warlike project! Go, ye men of - peace, and do at least half as much to carry on your friendly design. - Associate, pray, preach, and print for the furtherance of peace. - - “Might not moderate Calvinists send, with success, circular letters to - their rigid Calvinian brethren; and moderate Arminians to their rigid - Arminian brethren, to check rashness and recommend meekness, - moderation, and love? Might not the Calvinist ministers who patronise - the doctrines of grace display also the doctrines of justice, and open - their pulpits to those Arminian ministers who do it with caution? And - might not the Arminian ministers, who patronise the doctrines of - justice, make more of the doctrines of grace, preach as nearly as they - can like the judicious Calvinists, admit them into their pulpits, and - rejoice at every opportunity of showing them their esteem and - confidence? Might not such moderate Calvinists and Arminians as live - in the same towns, have from time to time a general sacrament, and - invite one another to it, to cement brotherly love by publicly - confessing the same Christ, by jointly taking Him for their common - head, and by acknowledging one another as fellow-members of His - mystical body? - - “The sin of the want of union with our pious Calvinian or Arminian - brethren is attended with peculiar aggravations. We are not only - fellow-creatures, but fellow-subjects, fellow-Christians, - fellow-Protestants, and fellow-sufferers, in reputation at least, for - maintaining the capital doctrines of salvation by faith in Christ, and - of regeneration by the Spirit of God. How absurd is it for persons, - who thus share in the reproach, patience, and kingdom of Christ, to - embitter each other’s comforts, and add to the load of contempt, which - the men of the world cast upon them! Let Pagans, Mahometans, Jews, - Papists, and Deists do this work. We may reasonably expect it from - them. But for such Calvinists and Arminians as the world lumps - together under the name of Methodists, on account of their peculiar - profession of godliness,—for such companions in tribulation to ‘bite - and devour’ each other is highly unreasonable and peculiarly - scandalous.” - -In such a spirit did the Arminian polemic address his Calvinian -opponents. The following is extracted from his concluding remarks:— - - “God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of - Jesus Christ, in whom there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither bond nor - free, neither Calvinist nor Arminian, but Christ is all in all. Grant - me my humble, perhaps my dying request, reject not my plea for peace. - If it be not strong, it is earnest; for, considering my bodily - weakness, I write it at the hazard of my life: _animamque in vulnere - pono_. - - “But why should I drop a hint about so insignificant a life, when I - can move you to accept of terms of reconciliation by the life and - death, by the resurrection and ascension, of our Lord Jesus Christ. I - recall the frivolous hint; and, by the unknown agonies of Him whom you - love, by His second coming, and by our gathering together unto Him, I - beseech you, put on, as the Protestant ‘elect of God, bowels of - mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, - forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; even as Christ - loved and forgave you, so do ye.’ Instead of absurdly charging one - another with heresy, embrace one another, and triumph together in - Christ. Bless God, ye Arminians, for raising such men as the pious - Calvinists, to make a firm stand against Pharisaic delusions, and to - maintain, with you, the doctrine of man’s fallen state, and of God’s - partial grace, which the Pelagians attack with all their might. And, - ye Calvinists, rejoice that heaven has raised you such allies as the - godly Arminians, to oppose Manichean delusions, and to contend for the - doctrines of holiness and justice, which the Antinomians seem sworn to - destroy. Pharisaism will never yield but to the power of - Bible-Calvinism and the doctrines of grace. Nor can Antinomianism be - conquered without the help of Bible-Arminianism and the doctrines of - justice. When Pharisaism and Antinomianism shall be destroyed, the - Church will be sanctified, and ready to be presented to Christ a - glorious Church, ‘not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.’ - Then shall we sing with truth what we now sing without propriety,— - - “‘Love, like death, has all destroy’d, - Render’d all distinctions void; - Names, and sects, and parties fall, - Thou, O Christ, art all in all.’” - -Nothing more need be said respecting Fletcher’s praiseworthy effort to -put an end to the contentions then so rampant. No doubt, his object, to -some extent, was realized; but, for many a long year afterwards, not a -few of the Calvinists and Arminians bore a striking resemblance to the -ancient Jews and Samaritans. They worshipped the same God, but did not -love each other. - -Fletcher spent four months, from December 16, 1776, to April 16, 1777, -in the hospitable home of his Methodist friends, Mr. and Mrs. Charles -Greenwood, at Stoke Newington; and never did he forget their remarkable -kindness to him. Here he wrote a long pastoral letter to his -parishioners on December 28, 1776; and, sixteen days afterwards, -another, from which the following extracts are taken:— - - “NEWINGTON, _January 13, 1777_. - - “MY DEAR COMPANIONS IN TRIBULATION,—All the children of God I love; - but, of all the children of God, none have so great a right to my love - as you. Your stated or occasional attendance on my poor ministry, as - well as the bonds of neighbourhood, and the many happy hours I have - spent with you before the throne of grace, endear you peculiarly to - me. - - “With tears of grateful joy, I recollect the awful moments when we - have bound ourselves to stand to our baptismal vow: to renounce all - sin, to believe all the articles of the Christian faith, and to keep - God’s commandments to the end of our life. Asking pardon of God for - not keeping that vow better, I determine, with new courage and - delight, to love our _Covenant God_,[391] Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, - with all my mind, heart, and strength; with all the powers of my - understanding, will, and affections. - - “In my weak state of health, I find much comfort from my relation to - my _Covenant God_: I mean (1) My clear, explicit knowledge of the - Father as my Creator and Father; who so loved the world, you and me, - as to give His only-begotten Son, that we should not perish, but have - everlasting life. (2) I mean my relation to the adorable Person, who, - with the strength of His Godhead, and the strength of His pure - manhood, took away my sin. O how my soul exults in that dear Mediator! - O the comfort of cleaving to Christ by faith, and of finding Christ is - our all in all! - - “I sometimes feel a desire of being buried where you are buried, and - of having my bones lie in a common earthen bed with yours; but I soon - resign that wish, and exult in thinking that, whatever distance there - may be between our graves, we can now bury our sins, cares, doubts, - and fears, in the one grave of our divine Saviour. If I, your poor - unworthy shepherd, am smitten, be not scattered; but rather be more - closely gathered unto Christ, and keep near each other in faith and - love, till you all receive our second Comforter and Advocate, the Holy - Ghost, the third Person in our _Covenant God_. He is with you; but, if - you plead the promise of the Father, ‘which,’ says Christ, ‘you have - heard of me, He will be _in_ you.’ He will fill your souls with His - light, love, and glory, according to that verse, which we have so - often sung together,— - - “‘Refining fire, go through my heart, - Illuminate my soul, - Scatter thy life through every part, - And sanctify the whole.’ - - “This indwelling of the Comforter perfects the mystery of - sanctification in the believer’s soul. This is the highest blessing of - the Christian covenant on earth. Rejoicing in God our Creator, in God - our Redeemer, let us look for the full comfort of God our Sanctifier. - So shall we live and die in the faith, going on from faith to faith, - from strength to strength, from comfort to comfort, till Christ is all - in all to us all. - - “I earnestly recommend to you my dear brother Greaves. Show him all - the love you have shown to me, and, if possible, show him more, who is - so much more deserving.”[392] - -Footnote 391: - - Wesley had held, in London, the usual “Covenant Service,” on - Wednesday, January 1st. Probably, Fletcher had attended it, and, - perhaps, taken part in it. - -Footnote 392: - - Letters, 1791, p. 30. - -The letter from which these extracts are taken was forwarded to the care -of Mr. Wase, who, probably, was a Methodist Local Preacher. Mr. Wase -wished to be employed by the Church of England in America. Fletcher -disapproved of this. Hence the following to Mr. Wase, written on the -same day as the pastoral letter to the parishioners of Madeley. In fact, -the pastoral letter was appended to it. - - “NEWINGTON, _January 13, 1777_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—I am two letters in your debt. I would have answered - them before now, but, venturing to ride out in the frost, the air was - too sharp for my weak lungs, and opened my wounds, which has thrown me - back again. - - “I am glad to see, by your last, that you take up your shield again. - You will never prove a gainer by casting it away. Voluntary humility, - despondency, or even a defeat, should never make you give up your - confidence. - - “Take no hasty steps about removing. Your family and estate seem to me - to tie you where you are, unless you have a very striking call to - remove. You must not be above being employed in a little way. The - great Mr. Grimshaw” (of Haworth) “was not above walking some miles to - preach to seven or eight persons; and what are we when compared to - him? Our neighbours will want you more when Mr. Greaves and I are - gone. In the meantime, grow in meek, humble, patient, and resigned - love; and your temper, person, and labours will be more acceptable to - all around you. I saw last week a gentleman from America, who said, - all the church-livings there are in the gift of the Governor; and - those who get them are brought up at the American Colleges, and come - over for ordination to the Bishop of London. Supposing the peace were - made, and missionaries were wanted, you might be employed in America; - but of the latter I see little prospect; and you need not seek trials - beyond the seas, seeing yours at home are as much as you can stand - under. - - “I have many things to say to you about your soul; but you will find - the substance of them in two of Mr. Wesley’s sermons, the one - entitled, ‘The Devices of Satan,’ and the other, ‘The Repentance of - Believers.’ I wish you would read one of them every day, till you have - reaped all the benefit that can be got from them. Nor eat your morsel - alone, but let all be benefited by the contents. - - “When you meet with our serious friends at Broseley, Madeley, Madeley - Wood, the Dale, Dawley-Green, Wheater, Aston, Sheriff-Hales, and the - two Banks, give my kindest love to them, and read them the following - scrawl.[393] - - “My kind love to Mrs. Wase, and all your and my friends by name. Thank - Michael Onions, and I. Owen; I shall answer their letters when I can, - if God spare me. - - “Your affectionate brother, - “J. FLETCHER.”[394] - -Footnote 393: - - The Pastoral letter already mentioned. The places here named were, - probably, Fletcher’s _Methodist_ Circuit, in each of which Methodist - Societies had been formed. - -Footnote 394: - - Letters, 1791, p. 23; and _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1846, p. 141. - -The good “Archbishop of Methodism,” the Rev. Vincent Perronet, Vicar of -Shoreham, Kent, and his noble daughter, invited Fletcher to visit them; -to whom Fletcher replied in the two following letters:— - - “NEWINGTON, _January 19, 1777_. - - “DEAR FATHER IN CHRIST,—I beg you to accept my multiplied thanks for - your repeated favours. You have twice entertained me, a worthless - stranger; and, not yet tired of the burden, you again kindly invite me - to share in the comforts of your house and family. Kind Providence - leaves me no room, at present, to hang a third burden upon you. The - good air and accommodations here, and the nearness to a variety of - helps, joined to the kindness of my friends and the weakness of my - body, forbid me to remove at present. God reward your labour of love - and fatherly offers! Should the Lord raise me up, I shall be better - able to reap the benefit of your instructions, a pleasure which I - promise myself some time, if the Lord pleases. - - “I have of late thought much upon a method of reconciling the - Calvinists and Arminians. I have seen some Calvinian ministers, who - seem inclined to a plan of pacification. I wish I had strength enough - to draw the sketch of it for you. I think the thing is by no means - impracticable, if we would but look one another in the face, and pull - together at the feet of Him ‘who makes men to be of one mind in a - house,’ and who once made all believers to be of one soul in the - Church. Let us pray, hope, wait, and be ready to promote the blessing - of reconciliation; in which none could be more glad to second you, - than, honoured and dear Sir, your affectionate, obliged son in the - Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[395] - -Footnote 395: - - Letters, 1791, p. 239. - -In another letter, soon to be introduced, it will be seen that, among -the “Calvinian ministers,” whom Fletcher had seen, were the Rev. Walter -Shirley, the Rev. Rowland Hill, and the Rev. Dr. Peckwell. - -In his letter to Miss Perronet, Fletcher dwells upon the great truth -which then filled his mind and heart, and which was the chief topic of -his conversation with his friends,—the mission of the Spirit, and His -sanctifying work. It was written on the same day as the letter to her -father:— - - “NEWINGTON, _January 19, 1777_. - - “DEAR MADAM,—I thank you for your care and kind nursing of me when at - Shoreham; and, especially, for the few lines with which you have - favoured me. They are so much the more agreeable to me, as they treat - of the one thing needful for the recovery of our souls,—‘the spirit of - power, of love, and of a sound mind;’ together with our need of it, - and the grand promise that this need shall be abundantly - supplied,—supplied by an outpouring of that ‘Spirit of life in Christ - Jesus, which makes us free from the law of sin and death.’ May we - hunger and thirst after righteousness in the Holy Ghost, and we shall - be filled! May we so come to our first Paraclete, Advocate, and - Comforter, as to receive the Second, as an _indwelling and overflowing - fountain_ of light, life, and love! - - “I trust my view of this mystery is scriptural. The Father so loved - the world as to give us the first Advocate, Paraclete, and Comforter, - whom we love and receive as our Redeemer. The first Advocate has told - us, it was expedient that He should leave us, because, in that case, - He would send another Advocate, Paraclete, or Comforter, to _abide - with us_, and be _in us_ for ever, as our _Sanctifier_, our Urim and - Thummim, _our lights and perfections_, our oracle and guide. This is - the grand promise to Christians,—called _the promise of the Father_, - and brought by the Son. O may it be sealed on our hearts by _the - Spirit of promise_! May we ever cry— - - “‘Seal thou our breasts, and let us wear - That pledge of love for ever there!’ - - “Then shall we be filled with pure, perfect love; for the love of the - Spirit perfects that of the Father and Son, and accomplishes the - mystery of God in the believing soul. - - “Come then, let us look for it; this great salvation draws nigh. Let - us thank God more thankfully, more joyfully, more humbly, more - penitently, for Christ our first Comforter; and, hanging on His word, - let us ardently pray for the _fulness_ of His Spirit,—for the - indwelling of our second Comforter, who will lead us into all truth, - all love, all power. Let us join the few who _besiege_ the throne of - grace, and not cease putting the Lord in remembrance, till He has - again raised Himself a _Pentecostal Church_ in the earth,—I mean a - church of such believers as are all of one heart and one soul.”[396] - -Footnote 396: - - Letters, 1791, p. 240. - -Fletcher’s friends were most ardently attached to him; and no wonder -that they were. The man seemed to be an incarnation of humble, loving -piety. All, in his serious illness, were eager to help him. Ten days -after the date of his letters to Mr. and Miss Perronet, he wrote, as -follows, to Mr. Ireland:— - - “NEWINGTON, _January 29, 1777_. - - “Thanks be to God, and to my dear friend, for favours upon favours, - for undeserved love and the most endearing tokens of it! - - “I have received your obliging letters, full of kind offers; and your - jar, full of excellent grapes. May God open to you the book of life, - and seal upon your heart all the offers and promises it contains! May - the treasures of Christ’s love, and all the fruits of the Spirit, be - open to my dear friend, and unwearied benefactor! - - “Last Sunday, Providence sent me Dr. Turner, who, under God, saved my - life, twenty-three years ago, in a dangerous illness; and I am - inclined to try what _his_ method will do. He orders me asses’ milk, - chicken, etc.; forbids me riding, and recommends the greatest - quietness. He prohibits the use of Bristol water; advises some water - of a purgative nature; and tries to promote expectoration by a method - that so far answers, though I spit by it more blood than before. - - “With respect to my soul, I find it good to be in the balance,—awfully - weighed every day for life or death. I thank God, the latter has lost - its sting, and endears to me the Prince of Life. But O! I want Christ, - my resurrection, to be a thousand times more dear to me; and I doubt - not He will be so, when I am _filled_ with the Spirit of wisdom and - revelation in the knowledge of Him. Let us wait for that glory, - praising God for all we have received, and trusting Him for all we - have not yet received. Let our faith do justice to His veracity; our - hope to His goodness; and our love to all His perfections. It is good - to trust in the Lord; and His saints like well to hope in Him. - - “I am provided here with every necessary and convenient blessing for - my state. The great have done me the honour of calling,—Mr. Shirley, - Mr. Rowland Hill, Mr. Peckwell, etc.[397] I exhort them to promote - peace in the Church, which they take kindly. Lady Huntingdon also has - written me a kind letter. This world to me is now become a _world of - love_.”[398] - -Footnote 397: - - Berridge, of Everton, also came to Fletcher at Stoke Newington. - - “They met and parted in the spirit of Christian love; and I believe - saw each other no more in the body.” (The Works of the Rev. John - Berridge, A.M.; with a Memoir of his Life, by Rev. R. Whittingham, p. - 63.) - - Another, who visited him, was Dr. Price, who, afterwards, said, “I was - introduced to the company of a man, whose air and countenance bespoke - him fitted rather for the society of angels, than for the conversation - of men.” (Cox’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 114.) - -Footnote 398: - - Letters, 1791, p. 242. - -Madeley was the centre of a kind of Methodist circuit, which, however, -had no Methodist meeting-house. Services were held in cottages; chapels -did not exist. In the midst of his affliction, Fletcher and his friends -projected the building of one in Madeley Wood.[399] As will be seen in -subsequent letters, the execution of the scheme brought upon him -considerable anxiety. Robert Palmer was the builder, and the entire cost -was £296 17_s._ 5_d._, including £1 4_s._ 2_d._ “paid for drink for the -men with the teams,” and £3 12_s._ paid for “sixteen stones of malt, for -drink for the workmen.”[400] The following letter, addressed to Mr. -Wase, refers to this humble edifice:— - - “NEWINGTON, _February 18, 1777_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—My dear friend Ireland brought me, last week, Sir - John Elliott, who is esteemed the greatest physician in London, in - consumptive cases. He gave hopes of my recovery, upon using proper - diet and means. I was bled yesterday for the third time. I calmly - leave all to God, and use the means without trusting in them. Death - has lost its sting. I know not what hurry of spirit is, or unbelieving - fears, under my most terrifying symptoms. Glory be to God, for this - unspeakable mercy! Help me to praise Him for it. - - “With respect to our intended room, I beg Mr. Palmer, Mr. Lloyd, and - yourself to consult about it, and that Mr. Palmer would contract for - the whole. I shall contribute £100, including £10 I have had for it - from Mr. Ireland, and £10 from Mr. Thornton.”[401] - -Footnote 399: - - The chapel was enlarged a short time before Fletcher’s death in 1785. - On the morning of the day when his friends began to hew the stones for - the enlargement, he went to the quarry, and said, “First of all, let - us pray.” The workers knelt upon the rock; Fletcher prayed in a way - that few besides himself could pray; and then, till duty called him - elsewhere, assisted in shaping the stones for the extension of the - building. (Crowther’s “Portraiture of Methodism,” p. 96.) - -Footnote 400: - - MS. in Fletcher’s own handwriting. - -Footnote 401: - - Letters, 1791, p. 24. - -In other ways, Fletcher evinced his profound interest in the welfare of -his Madeley friends. Mr. Greaves occupied his pulpit, and preached, with -great acceptance, to his parishioners; but Mr. Greaves was not a priest, -and, therefore, was not qualified to administer the holy sacraments. To -meet the case, Fletcher wrote as follows to the Bishop of Hereford:— - - “STOKE NEWINGTON, _March 22, 1777_. - - “My LORD,—It is near a year since I was taken ill with a cough, - spitting of blood, and hectic fever. This complication of disorders - obliged me to go to Bristol last summer, for the benefit of the - waters; and it now detains me here, where I stay on account of the - greater mildness of the climate, and the help I can have from the - London physicians, who, as well as those of Bristol, absolutely forbid - me doing duty. - - “It is with great difficulty that I have got my church properly - served. My chief assistant has been Mr. Greaves, a young clergyman of - the next diocese, who is only in deacon’s orders, and who, considering - my weak state of health, has kindly left his curacy to oblige and help - me. I give him a title, and do humbly recommend him to your lordship, - begging you would admit him to the holy order of priest; without which - he cannot properly supply my church, my parishioners having always - been used to a monthly sacrament, and dying people, in so populous a - part of the diocese, frequently wanting to have the ordinance - administered to them. - - “I am sorry to be obliged to trouble your lordship on this occasion; - but hope, my lord, you will not deny me a favour which few clergymen - in your lordship’s diocese can want as much as your lordship’s dutiful - son and obedient servant, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[402] - -Footnote 402: - - Unpublished MS. - -With this letter, Fletcher sent the following certificate:— - - “To the Right Reverend Father in God, James Lord Bishop of Hereford. - - “These are to certify to your lordship that I, John Fletcher, Vicar of - Madeley, in the county of Salop and your lordship’s diocese of - Hereford, do hereby nominate and appoint Alexander Benjamin Greaves, - late Curate of Glossop, in Derbyshire, to perform the office of a - Curate in my church of Madeley aforesaid; and do promise to allow him - the yearly sum of £42 for his maintenance in the same; and to continue - him to officiate in my said church until he shall be otherwise - provided of some ecclesiastical preferment, unless, by fault by him - committed, he shall be lawfully removed from the same. And I hereby - solemnly declare that I do not fraudulently give this certificate to - entitle the said Alexander Benjamin Greaves to receive Holy Orders, - but with a real intention to employ him in my said church, according - to what is before expressed. - - “Witness my hand this twenty-second day of March, in the year of our - Lord 1777, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[403] - -Footnote 403: - - _Ibid._ - -The Perronet family at Shoreham dearly loved poor Fletcher. He had been -their guest, and they had seen his spirit. Damaris Perronet was -occasionally one of his correspondents; and William Perronet was now his -loving medical attendant. The saintly Charles Perronet had died in the -month of August, 1776, but was most tenderly remembered by all who knew -him. To Miss Perronet, Fletcher now wrote as follows:— - - “NEWINGTON, _April 21, 1777_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—A thousand thanks to you for your kind, comfortable - lines. The prospect of going to see Jesus and His glorified members, - and among them your dear departed brother, my now _everliving friend_, - is enough to make me quietly and joyfully submit to leave all my - Shoreham friends, and all the excellent ones of the earth. But why do - I talk of leaving any of Christ’s members by going to be more - intimately united to the Head? - - “‘We all are one who Him receive, - And each with each agree; - In Him the _One_, the _truth_ we live, - Blest _point_ of unity!’ - - “A point this which fills heaven and earth, which runs through time - and eternity. In it sickness is lost in health, and death in life. - There let us ever meet. - - “I cannot tell you how much I am obliged to your dear brother for all - his kind brotherly attendance as a physician. He has given me his - time, his long walks, his remedies. He has brought me Dr. Turner - several times, and will not allow me to reimburse his expenses. Help - me to thank him for all his profusion of love, for I cannot - sufficiently do it myself. - - “My duty to your father; I throw myself in spirit at his feet and ask - his blessing, and an interest in his prayers. Tell him that the Lord - is gracious to me; does not suffer the enemy to disturb my peace; and - gives me, in prospect, the victory over death. _Absolute resignation_ - to the Divine will baffles a thousand temptations, and _confidence_ in - our Saviour carries us sweetly through a thousand trials.”[404] - -Footnote 404: - - Letters, 1791, p. 246. - -The time of Fletcher’s happy sojourn with Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood at -Stoke Newington was now ended. One of the family wrote:— - - “When he first came, he was, by Dr. Fothergill’s advice, under the - strictest observance of two things—rest and silence. These, together - with a milk diet, were supposed to be the only probable means of his - recovery. In consequence of these directions, he spoke exceeding - little. If ever he spoke more than usual, it did not fail to increase - his spitting of blood, of which indeed he was seldom quite clear, - although it was not violent. Therefore, a great part of his time was - spent in being read to; but it was not possible to restrain him - altogether from speaking. His natural vivacity, with his intense love - of Jesus, impelled him to speak; but on being reminded of his rule, - with a cheerful smile he was all submission, consenting by signs only - to stir up those about him to pray and praise. Those who had the - privilege of observing his spirit and conduct, will not scruple to say - that he was a living comment on his own account of Christian - perfection. When he was able to converse, his favourite subject was, - _the promise of the Father, the gift of the Holy Ghost_, including the - rich peculiar blessing of union with the Father and the Son, mentioned - in the prayer of our Lord, recorded in John xvii. ‘We must not be - content,’ said he, ‘to be only cleansed from sin; we must be filled - with the Spirit.’ One asking him, What was to be experienced in the - full accomplishment of _the promise_ of the Father? ‘O,’ said he, - ‘what shall I say? All the sweetness of the drawings of the Father, - all the love of the Son, all the rich effusions of peace and joy in - the Holy Ghost, more than ever can be expressed are comprehended here! - To attain it, the Spirit maketh intercession in the soul, like a God - wrestling with a God.’ - - “In some of these favoured moments of converse, he mentioned several - circumstances, which, as none knew them but himself, would otherwise - have been buried in oblivion. ‘In the beginning,’ said he, ‘of my - spiritual course, I heard the voice of God in an articulate, but - inexpressibly awful sound, go through my soul in those words, _If any - man will be My disciple, let him deny himself._ At a later date, I was - favoured, like Moses, with a supernatural discovery of the glory of - God, in an ineffable converse with Him, face to face; so that whether - I was then in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell.’ - - “On another occasion he said, ‘About the time of my entering into the - ministry, I one evening wandered into a wood, musing on the importance - of the office I was going to undertake. I then began to pour out my - soul in prayer; when such a sense of the justice of God fell upon me, - and such a sense of His displeasure at sin, as absorbed all my powers, - and filled me with the agony of prayer for poor lost sinners. I - continued therein till the dawn of day; and I considered this as - designed of God, to impress upon me more deeply the meaning of those - solemn words, _Therefore, knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade - men._’ - - “One end of his retiring to Newington was that he might hide himself - from company; but this design was in nowise answered, for company came - from every side. He was continually visited by high and low, and by - persons of various denominations; one of whom being asked, when he - went away, what he thought of Mr. Fletcher, said, ‘I went to see a man - who had one foot in the grave; but I found a man who had one foot in - heaven.’ Among them who now visited him were several of his beloved - and honoured opponents, to whom he confirmed his love by the most - respectful and affectionate behaviour; but he did not give up any part - of the truth for which he had publicly contended; although some, from - whom one would have expected better things, did not scruple to affirm - the contrary. - - “It was not without some difficulty that Mr. Ireland prevailed upon - him to sit for his picture. While the limner was drawing the outlines - of it he was exhorting both him and all that were in the room not only - to get the outlines drawn, but the colourings also of the image of - Jesus on their hearts. He had a very remarkable facility in making - allusions of this kind. To give an instance. Being ordered to be let - blood, while his blood was running into the cup he took occasion to - expatiate on the precious blood-shedding of the Lamb of God. And even - when he did not speak at all, the seraphic spirit which beamed from - his languid face, during those months of pain and weakness, was— - - “‘A lecture silent, yet of sovereign use.’” - -To this interesting account, probably written by Mr. Greenwood himself, -Wesley adds:— - - “It is necessary to be observed that this facility of raising useful - observations from the most trifling incidents, was one of those - peculiarities in Mr. Fletcher which cannot be proposed to our - imitation. In him, it partly resulted from nature, and was partly a - supernatural gift. But what was becoming and graceful in Mr. Fletcher, - would be disgustful almost in any other.”[405] - -Footnote 405: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -In the month of May, 1777, Fletcher left the hospitable home of Mr. -Greenwood, at Stoke Newington, and went to his kind friend Mr. Ireland, -at Brislington, near Bristol. In a letter dated “May 28, 1777,” and -addressed to his “very dear friends and benefactors Charles and Mary -Greenwood,” he wrote:— - - “I thought myself a little better last Sunday, but I have since spit - more blood than I had done for weeks before. Glory be to God for every - providence! His will be done in me by health or sickness, by life or - death! All from Him is, and I trust will always be, welcome to your - obliged pensioner, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[406] - -Footnote 406: - - Letters, 1791, p. 248. - -To Michael Onions, one of the poor Methodists at Coalbrookdale, Fletcher -wrote:— - - “BATH, _July 8, 1777_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—I heartily thank you for your kind letter; and, by - you, I desire to give my best thanks to the dear companions in - tribulation whom you meet, and who so kindly remember me. If I should - be spared to minister to you again, my desire is to do it with more - humility, zeal, diligence, and love. I hope to see you before the - summer is ended, if it please God to give me strength for the journey. - I am, in some respects, better than when I came here, and was enabled - to bury a corpse last Sunday to oblige the minister of the parish; - but, whether occasioned by that little exertion or something else, bad - symptoms have returned since. Be that as it may, all is well; for He, - who does all things well, rules and over-rules all. - - “I have stood the heats we have had these two days better than I - expected. I desire you will help me to bless the Author of all good - for this and every other blessing of this life; but above all for the - lively hope of the next, and for Christ, our common hope, peace, joy, - wisdom, righteousness, salvation, and all. Don’t let me want the - reviving cordial of hearing that you stand together firm in the faith. - Look much at Jesus. Be much in private prayer. Forsake not the - assembling of yourselves together in little companies, as well as in - public. Walk in the sight of death and eternity, and ever pray for - your affectionate, but unworthy minister, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[407] - - “P.S.—Let none of your little companies want. If any do, you are - welcome to my house. Take any part of the furniture there, and make - use of it for their relief. And this shall be your full title for so - doing, - - “Witness my hand, JOHN FLETCHER.”[408] - -Footnote 407: - - Letters, 1791, p. 26. - -Footnote 408: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -At this time, the Rev. Henry Venn was preaching in the chapel of the -Countess of Huntingdon at Bath; and Fletcher attended his ministry. Her -ladyship wrote:— - - “Dear Mr. Venn has been preaching most successfully at Bath to - overflowing congregations. Captain Scott and Mr. Fletcher have been - there, and heard him preach in the chapel. The latter is far gone in a - consumptive disorder, but is alive to God, and ripening fast for - glory. We have exchanged several letters lately. As a last resource, - he is to accompany Mr. Ireland to the south of France.”[409] - -Footnote 409: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., p. 71. - -When Mr. Venn had completed his services at Bath, he removed to the -house of Mr. Ireland, at Brislington, where Fletcher was an honoured -guest. Speaking of this visit, after Fletcher’s death, to a brother -clergyman, Venn remarked:— - - “Sir, Mr. Fletcher was a luminary—a _luminary_ did I say? He was a - _sun_! I have known all the great men for these fifty years, but I - have known none like him. I was intimately acquainted with him, and - was under the same roof with him once for six weeks; during which time - I never heard him say a single word which was not proper to be spoken, - and which had not a tendency to minister grace to the hearers. One - time, meeting him when he was very ill, I said, ‘I am sorry to find - you so ill.’ Mr. Fletcher answered, with the greatest sweetness, - ‘Sorry, Sir, why are you sorry? It is the chastisement of our heavenly - Father, and I rejoice in it. I love the rod of my God, and rejoice - therein as an expression of His love towards me.’ Never,” continued - Mr. Venn, “did I hear Mr. Fletcher speak ill of any one. He would pray - for those who walked disorderly, but he would not publish their - faults.”[410] - -Footnote 410: - - “Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. ii., p. 72. - -In a letter to the Rev. J. Stillingfleet, Mr. Venn remarked:— - - “I have been six weeks with the extraordinary and very excellent Mr. - Fletcher. Oh that I might be like him! I strictly observed him, but, I - assure you, I never heard him speak anything but what was becoming a - pastor of Christ’s Church;—not a single unbecoming word of himself, or - of his antagonists, or of his friends. All his conversation tended to - excite to greater love and thankfulness, for the benefits of - redemption; whilst his whole deportment breathed humility and love. We - had many conversations. I told him, most freely, that I was shocked at - many things in his ‘Checks;’ and pointed them out to him. We widely - differ about the efficacy of Christ’s death, the nature of - justification, and the perfection of the saints; but I believe we - could live years together, as we did, in great love. He heard me - twice; and I was chaplain both morning and evening in the family, as - his lungs would not suffer him to speak long or loud. He desired his - love, by me, to all his Calvinistic brethren; and begged their pardon - for the asperity with which he had written. I am persuaded, as I told - him, that, if he were to live with some of those whom he has been - taught to conceive of as Antinomians, and hear them preach, he would - be much more reconciled to them.”[411] - -Footnote 411: - - “Life of Rev. Henry Venn, M.A.,” p. 240. - -Mr. Venn’s last remarks were quite unneeded, for Fletcher always readily -allowed that the hearts and lives of his opponents were far better than -their creed. - -At the close of the month of July, Wesley came to Bristol, to hold his -annual conference with his preachers, and wrote:— - - “Wednesday, July 30. I spent an hour or two with Mr. Fletcher, - restored to life in answer to many prayers. How many providential ends - have been answered by his illness! And perhaps still greater will be - answered by his recovery.”[412] - -Footnote 412: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -The “providential ends” meant by Wesley were, probably, the steps taken -by Fletcher to bring to an end the Calvinian controversy, which had so -greatly disturbed the Methodist movement during the last six years. - -Wesley’s conference began on Tuesday, August 5, and ended on Friday, -August 8.[413] It was short, but important. Its most interesting event, -however, was the attendance of Fletcher. Thomas Taylor remarked, in his -unpublished diary,— - - “On August 7, that great and good man Mr. Fletcher came into the - conference. My eyes flowed with tears at the sight of him. He spoke to - us in a very respectful manner, and took a solemn farewell. Dear, good - man! I never saw so many tears shed in my life.” - -Footnote 413: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Fletcher’s valued friend, Joseph Benson, wrote:— - - “August 8. We have had an edifying conference. Mr. Fletcher’s visit - to-day and yesterday has been attended with a blessing. His - appearance, his exhortations, and his prayers, broke most of our - hearts, and filled us with shame and self-abasement, for our little - improvement.”[414] - -Footnote 414: - - Macdonald’s “Life of Benson,” p. 62. - -In his “Life of Fletcher,” Benson says:— - - “Mr. Fletcher happened to be passing by the door of the stable, - belonging to our chapel in Broadmead, when I was lighting from my - horse, ‘on my arrival in Bristol.’ I shall never forget with what a - heavenly air, and sweet countenance, he instantly came to me in the - stable, and, in a most solemn manner, put his hands upon my head, as - if he had been ordaining me for the sacred office of the ministry, and - prayed most fervently for and blessed me in the name of the Lord.” - -By far the best account, however, of Fletcher in connection with the -Bristol Conference, was written, not by one of Wesley’s sturdy -Itinerants, but by a young Welshman, who was present, for the purpose of -offering himself for the Itinerant work. On account of his delicate -health and feeble voice, the offer of David Lloyd was not accepted; but, -some years afterwards, he was ordained by Bishop Horsley, who gave him -the living of Llanbister, which, even now, is not worth more than £150 a -year. The parsonage was a plain stone building, the door of which opened -into the main room of the house,—its floor consisting of stone slabs, -its fireplace wide, with benches in the corners, and the fire on the -hearth made principally of turf. On the same floor was another -apartment, which served as kitchen, and above were two humble bed-rooms. -“Such,” wrote the late Rev. James Dixon, D.D., who, at the commencement -of his ministry, was often the delighted guest of Mr. Lloyd,—“Such was -the residence of a philosopher, a poet, and a divine, who seemed to -enjoy, with unmixed contentment, the inheritance given him by -Providence.” Mr. Lloyd’s wife was a good old Methodist; their house was -the home of Methodist itinerant preachers; out of his small income, Mr. -Lloyd subscribed £10 a year to the Methodist and Church Missionary -Societies; presented to each a donation of £500; by his will, directed -that the residue of his property should be equally divided between these -two Societies; and built a Methodist chapel in his parish, secured it to -the Connexion by deed, and gave to it an endowment, “that Methodist -preaching,” as he said, “might continue in the parish as long as water -should run.”[415] - -Footnote 415: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine._ Sixpenny Edition, 1863, pp. 1–8. - -This remarkable man, for whom Dr. Dixon had the highest admiration, -wrote as follows to the Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke:— - - “LLANBISTER, NEAR KNIGHTON, RADNORSHIRE, - - “_November 7, 1821_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—At the conference of the Methodist preachers, held - at Bristol in the year 1777, an interview took place between the Rev. - Mr. Wesley and the Rev. John Fletcher, of Madeley. I was both an eye- - and ear-witness to the facts I here relate. The Rev. Mr. Fletcher had - for a long time laboured under the effects of a deep-rooted - consumption, which was then adjudged to be rapidly advancing to its - final crisis. He was advised by the faculty to make the tour of the - Continent, and to breathe his native air. He resided, at that time, - with Mr. Ireland, a gentleman of known celebrity for the exercise of - catholic love towards all such as possessed the essential attributes - of great and good men. On the forenoon of a day, when the sitting of - the Conference was drawing to a close, tidings announced the approach - of Mr. Fletcher. As he entered the vestibule of the New Room, - supported by Mr. Ireland, I can never forget the visible impulse of - esteem which his venerable presence excited in the house. The whole - assembly stood up, as if moved by an electric shock. Mr. Wesley rose, - _ex cathedrâ_, and advanced a few paces to receive his highly - respected friend and reverend brother, whose visage seemed strongly to - bode that he stood on the verge of the grave; while his eyes, - sparkling with seraphic love, indicated that he dwelt in the suburbs - of heaven. In this his languid but happy state, he addressed the - Conference, on their work and his own views, in a strain of holy and - pathetic eloquence, which no language of mine can adequately express. - The influence of his spirit and pathos seemed to bear down all before - it. I never saw such an instantaneous effect produced in a religious - assembly, either before or since. He had scarcely pronounced a dozen - sentences before a hundred preachers, to speak in round numbers, were - immersed in tears. Time can never efface from my mind the recollection - and image of what I then felt and saw. Such a scene I never expect to - witness again on this side eternity. Mr. Wesley, in order to relieve - his languid friend from the fatigue and injury which might arise from - a too long and arduous exertion of the lungs through much speaking, - abruptly kneeled down at his side, the whole congress of preachers - doing the same, while, in a concise and energetic manner, he prayed - for Mr. Fletcher’s restoration to health and a longer exercise of his - ministerial labours. Mr. Wesley closed his prayer with the following - prophetic promise, pronounced in his peculiar manner, and with a - confidence and emphasis which seemed to thrill through every heart, - ‘HE SHALL NOT DIE, BUT LIVE, AND DECLARE THE WORKS OF THE LORD.’ The - event verified the prediction. Mr. Fletcher lived for eight succeeding - years, exerting all the zeal of a primitive missionary, and enjoying - all the esteem of a holy patriarch. - - “I am, dear Sir, with high regard and esteem, your sincere friend and - humble servant, - - “DAVID LLOYD.”[416] - -Footnote 416: - - “Life of Adam Clarke, LL.D.,” by Rev. Samuel Dunn, p. 127. - -Remembering the position which Fletcher had occupied, during the last -six years, as the valiant and greatly abused expounder and defender of -Wesley’s Anti-Calvinian doctrines, and also bearing in mind the -heavenly-mindedness in which Fletcher was now living, and, apparently, -dying, there is no room to wonder at Mr. Lloyd’s account, or to doubt of -its being strictly accurate. Who can adequately conceive the influence -of Fletcher’s visit on the piety and usefulness of Wesley’s conclave of -Itinerant Preachers? This is one of the secrets to be revealed -hereafter. - -Another incident, belonging to this period, must be introduced. James -Rogers was now a young Itinerant of five years’ standing, but already -possessed the confidence and esteem of Wesley, and afterwards had the -honour of seeing Wesley die. No doubt, all of Wesley’s Preachers, at -this time assembled in Bristol, would have been delighted to be -introduced to poor Fletcher at Brislington; but, on account of his state -of health, this was a privilege not many were permitted to enjoy. James -Rogers was one of the favoured few, and he shall be allowed, in his own -artless way, to tell the story of his interview, and of an open-air -sacramental service. During the previous year, he had been stationed in -Edinburgh; now he was appointed to Cornwall. He writes:— - - “In the year 1777, I was appointed to labour in the east of Cornwall. - A journey of between four and five hundred miles was no small fatigue, - in my then weak state of body; but the Lord was with me. I took my - appointment as from God, and set out in His name, and found sweet - communion with Him in the way. - - “I had long desired to see that most eminently pious man of God, Mr. - Fletcher; and now an opportunity offered. Stopping at Bristol a few - days, to rest myself and horse, I heard of his being at Mr. Ireland’s, - about three miles off, and, with two of my brethren, took a ride to - see him. When we came there, he was returning from a ride, which he - was advised by his physician to take every day. Dismounting from his - horse, he came to us with arms spread open, and eyes lifted up to - heaven. His apostolic appearance, with the whole of his deportment, - greatly affected me. The first words he spoke, while yet standing in - the stable by his horse, were a part of the sixteenth chapter of St. - John’s Gospel. He pointed out from thence the descent of the Holy - Ghost, as the great promise of the Father, and the privilege of all - New Testament believers, in a manner I had never heard before. My soul - was dissolved into tenderness, and became as melting wax before the - fire. - - “As an invidious report had been spread, that he had renounced what he - had lately written against Calvinism, I took the liberty to mention - the report, and asked him what he thought had given rise to it? He - replied, he could not tell, except that he had refrained from speaking - on controverted points since he came to Mr. Ireland’s: partly, by - reason of the poor state of his health; and partly, because he did not - wish to grieve his kind friend, by making his house a field of - controversy; but he assured us, he had not seen cause to repent of - what he had written in defence of the Rev. Mr. Wesley’s ‘Minutes.’ - And, though he believed his close application to study had been the - means of reducing his body to the state in which we then saw it, yet, - he said, if he fell a victim, it was in a good cause. - - “After a little conversation upon his darling topic, the _universal - love of God in Christ Jesus_, we were about to take our leave, when - Mr. Ireland sent his footman into the yard with a bottle of red wine, - and some slices of bread upon a waiter. We all uncovered our heads, - while Mr. Fletcher craved a blessing upon the same; which he had no - sooner done, than he handed first the bread to each, and, lifting up - his eyes to heaven, pronounced these words, ‘The body of our Lord - Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soul - unto everlasting life.’ Afterwards, handing the wine, he repeated in - like manner, ‘The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ etc. Such a - sacrament I never had before. A sense of the Divine presence rested - upon us all; and we were melted into floods of tears. His worthy - friend, Mr. Ireland, grieved to see him exhaust his little strength by - so much speaking, took him by the arm, and almost forced him into the - house; while he kept looking wistfully, and speaking to us, as long as - we could see him. We then mounted our horses, and rode away. That hour - more than repaid me for my whole journey from Edinburgh to - Cornwall.”[417] - -Footnote 417: - - “Experience and Labours of James Rogers,” written by himself, 1796, p. - 22. - -The scene so simply described is worthy of being painted by an artistic -Methodist. - -About the same time, Fletcher wrote as follows to the venerable Vicar of -Shoreham, the Rev. Vincent Perronet. - - “1777, September 6. My very dear father,—I humbly thank you for the - honour and consolation of your two kind letters. Your vouchsafing to - remember a poor, unprofitable worm, is to me a sure token that my - heavenly Father remembers me. He is God, and therefore I am not - consumed. He is a _merciful, all-gracious God_, and therefore I am - blessed with sympathizing friends and gracious helpers on all sides. O - Sir! if in this disordered, imperfect state of the Church, I meet with - so much kindness, what shall I not meet with, when the millennium you - pray for shall begin? O that the happy thought, the glorious hope may - animate me to perfect holiness in the fear of God; that I may be - accounted worthy to escape the terrible judgments, which will make way - for that happy state of things, and that I may have a part in the - first resurrection, if I am numbered among the dead before that happy - period begin! - - “‘Oh! for a firm and lasting faith, - To credit all the Almighty saith! - To embrace the promise of His Son, - And call that glorious rest our own!’ - - “We are saved by hope at this time; but hope that is seen is not hope. - Let us abound, then, in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost: so - shall we antedate the millennium, take the kingdom, and enjoy - beforehand the rest, which remains for the people of God. - - “One of my parishioners brought a horse, last week, to carry me home; - and desired to walk by my side all the way. By the advice of your dear - son, Mr. William Perronet, who still continues to bestow upon me all - the help I could expect from the most loving brother, I sent the man - back. I thank God, I am a little stronger than when I came here. I - kiss the rod, lean on the staff, and wait the end. I yesterday saw a - physician, who told me my case is not yet an absolutely lost case. But - the prospect of languishing two or three years longer, a burden to - everybody, a help to none, would be very painful, if the will of God - and the covenant of life in Christ Jesus did not sanctify all - circumstances, and dispel every gloom. I remember, with grateful joy, - the happy days I spent at Shoreham: _Tecum vivere amem; tecum obeam - lubens_. But, what is better still, I shall live with the Lord and - with you for ever and ever. - - “Your obliged servant and affectionate son, - “J. FLETCHER.”[418] - -Footnote 418: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -The next letter has not before been published. It was addressed to the -lady who afterwards became his wife:— - - “BRISTOL, _October 20, 1777_. - - “DEAR MADAM,—The hope of thanking you in person for the favour of your - friendly directions, as well as bodily weakness, has prevented me - sending you a letter full of grateful acknowledgments. But, as - Providence may postpone your intended journey to Bath, and hasten mine - into Spain, or into eternity, I trouble you with these lines to - testify how indebted I am to you for thinking of admitting me into the - number of your patients. I have not tried your remedy yet, because the - gentlemen of the faculty, who have attended me here, say, that, though - it might be very good for persons of a cold, phlegmatic habit of body, - it is improper for those who are, like myself, of a dry, bilious - habit. I have taken the bark and rhubarb for some days, and I thought - yesterday that the former medicine had removed the spitting of blood; - but to-night it has again made its appearance. However, I think I can - speak a little better, though I cannot bear the motion of a horse so - well as I could two months ago. - - “All is well that comes from our heavenly Friend and Physician. Shall - we receive the sweet at His hands, and not the bitter? Is not His - every dispensation of providence and grace to be received with - thankfulness? I would not get well against His will for all the world, - and for what I esteem more than all the world,—the pleasure of seeing - those whom He has chosen out of the world. If Providence parts us on - earth, we shall meet in heaven. - - “I have had it, however, in my thoughts to antedate that pleasure with - respect to you and your devoted family:[419] I was once going to take - the pen to ask your leave to enter and die under your friendly roof; - but the fear of troubling you and taking a step contrary to the - leadings of Providence, made me decline. If you have not a poor - Lazarus at your door to trouble you, you have Lazarus’s Friend in your - sight and heart, to comfort and save you. May He, every day, appear - more glorious in your sight, and may you, every hour, drink deeper - into His Spirit! - - “My Christian love waits upon Mrs. Crosby, Miss Hurrel, and Miss - Ritchie.[420] I hope the Lord binds you each day closer to Himself and - to each other, and enables you to see and experience the glory of the - promise made to the daughters and handmaids, as well as to the sons - and servants of the Lord. Oh, what a day when we shall all be so - filled with power from on high, as to go forth and prophesy, and water - the Lord’s drooping plants and barren parched garden with _rivers of - living water flowing from our own souls_; and when an ardent fire of - Divine love will make us put our candle to the chaff of sin, and fire - all the harvests and tents of the Laodiceans! As Abraham saw the day - of _Christ_, our _first Comforter_, and was glad, so I see the day of - the _Spirit_, our _other Comforter_, and rejoice. May you live to - enjoy it! May you and yours hasten it by the pleadings of mighty - prayer! To thank the _Father_ for the unspeakable gift of His Son; and - to look to both for the fulness of that other _gift of God_, for that - _well of living water_ which Christ offered to the woman of Samaria, - is a blessed work, in which I beg you would assist your obliged - brother, - - “J. FLETCHER. - - “Miss Bosanquet, - “At Cross Hall, - “Near _Leads_, - “Yorkshire, by Manchester.” - Bristol postmark. - -Footnote 419: - - Miss Bosanquet kept an orphanage, wholly at her own expense. - -Footnote 420: - - Three grand old Methodists, and, at least, one of them a preacheress. - -In another letter to Miss Bosanquet, written about the same time, he -remarked:— - - “I calmly wait, in unshaken resignation, for the full salvation of - God: ready to trust Him, to venture on His faithful love and on the - sure mercies of David, either at midnight, noonday, or cock-crowing: - for my time is in His hand, and His time is best, and shall be my - time. Death has lost his sting; and I know not what hurry of spirits - is, or what are unbelieving fears, under the most trying - circumstances. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.”[421] - -Footnote 421: - - Mrs. Fletcher’s “Letter to Mons. H. L. De la Flechere,” 1786, p. 35. - -At the same period, Fletcher commenced a correspondence with another -distinguished lady, the Right Hon. Lady Mary Fitzgerald, daughter of the -Earl of Bristol, and aunt of Lord Liverpool. She had been married to -George Fitzgerald, Esq., and, for about twelve years past, had been an -exemplary member of the Methodist Society. The friendship between her -and Wesley was great, and Wesley visited her only nine days before his -death. In 1815, at the age of ninety, her clothing caught fire, and she -died, her last words being, “Come, Lord Jesus, my blessed Redeemer, come -and receive my spirit!” In conformity with a clause in her will, her -remains were interred in the burial ground at the front of City Road -Chapel; and, in memory of her, there is a plain white marble tablet in -that sacred edifice.[422] The following is an extract from Fletcher’s -letter to this Methodist lady:— - - “_October 21, 1777._ - - “HONOURED AND DEAR MADAM,—The honour of your Christian letter humbles - me; and the idea of your taking half-a-dozen steps, much more that of - your taking a journey, to consult so mean a creature as myself, lays - me in the dust. My brothers and sisters invite me once more to breathe - my native air, and the physicians recommend to me a journey to the - continent. If I go, I shall probably pass through London, and, in that - case, I could have the honour of waiting upon you. I say, probably, - because I shall have to accompany my friend and a serious family, who - intend to spend the winter in the south of France, or in Spain; and I - do not yet know whether they design to embark at Dover, or at some - port in the west of England. - - “You have been afflicted as well as myself. May our maladies yield the - peaceable fruits of righteousness, complete deadness to the world, and - increased faith in the mercy, love, and power of Him, who supports - under the greatest trials, and can make our extremity of weakness an - opportunity of displaying the greatness of His power! - - “I have taken the bark for some days, and it seems to have been - blessed to the removal of my spitting of blood. Time will decide - whether it be a real removal, or only a suspension of that symptom. - Either will prove a blessing, as His will is our health. To live - singly to God, the best method is to desire it in _meekness_; to - spread the desire in _quietness_ before Him who inspires it; to offer - Him _now_ all we have and are, _as we can_; and to open our mouth of - expectation wide, that He may fill it with all His fulness, or that He - may _try our patience_, and teach us to know our _total helplessness_. - With respect to the weeping frame of repentance, and the joyous one of - faith, they are both good alternately; but the latter is the better of - the two, because it enables us to do, and suffer, and praise, which - honours Christ more. Both are happily mixed. May they be so in you, - Madam, and in your unworthy and obliged servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[423] - -Footnote 422: - - Stevenson’s “City Road Chapel.” - -Footnote 423: - - Letters, 1791, p. 256. - -To another lady, Mrs. Thornton, Fletcher wrote:— - - “I spend more time in giving my friends an account of my health, than - the matter is worth. You will see by the enclosed, which I beg you to - send to the post, when you have shown it to Mr. John and Charles - Wesley, how their poor servant does. I am kept in sweet peace, and am - looking for the triumphant joy of my Lord, and for the fulness - expressed in these words, which sweetly filled the sleepless hours of - last night,— - - “‘Drawn—and redeem’d—and seal’d, - I bless the One and Three; - With Father, Son, and Spirit fill’d - To all eternity.’ - - “With respect to my body, I sleep less, and spit more blood than I did - when you were here, nor can I bear the least trot of an easy horse. If - this continues many days, instead of thinking to go and see my friends - on the continent, I shall turn my steps to my earthly home, to be - ready to lay my bones in my churchyard. Two of my parishioners came to - convey me safe home, and had persuaded me to go with them in a - post-chaise; but I had so bad a night before the day that I was to set - out, that I gave it up. I have nothing to look at but Jesus and the - grave. May I so look at them, as to live in my Resurrection and my - life; and die in all the meekness and holiness of my Lord and my - all.”[424] - -Footnote 424: - - Letters, 1791, pp. 249, 253. - -Fletcher having decided to go to the continent, it became necessary to -arrange monetary and other matters before he started. To two of his -friends at Madeley, Mr. Thomas York and Mr. Daniel Edmunds, he wrote as -follows:— - - “BRISTOL, _November, 1777_. - - “MY DEAR FRIENDS,—The debt of gratitude I owe to a dying sister, who - once took a long journey to see me, when I was ill in Germany, and - whom I just stopped from coming, last winter, to Newington to nurse - me,—the unanimous advice of the physicians whom I have consulted,—and - the opportunity of travelling with serious friends,—have at last - determined me to remove to a warmer climate. As it is very doubtful - whether I shall be able to stand the journey; and, if I do, whether I - shall be able to come back to England; and, if I come back, whether I - shall be able to serve my church, it is right to make what provision I - can to have it properly served while I live, and to secure some - spiritual assistance to my serious parishioners when I shall die. - - “I have attempted to build a house in Madeley Wood, about the centre - of my parish, where I should be glad the children might be taught to - read and write in the day, and the grown-up people might hear the Word - of God in the evening, when they can get an Evangelist to preach it to - them; and where the serious people might assemble for social worship - when they have no teacher. The expense of that building, and paying - for the ground it stands upon, have involved me in some difficulties; - especially as my ill health has put on me the additional expense of an - assistant. - - “If I had strength, I would serve my church alone, board as cheaply as - I could, and save what I was able to do from the produce of the living - to clear the debt, and leave that little token of my love, free from - encumbrances, to my parishioners. - - “But, as Providence orders things otherwise, I have another object, - which is to secure a faithful minister to serve the church while I - live. Providence has sent me dear Mr. Greaves, who loves the people, - and is loved by them. I should be glad to make him comfortable; and, - as all the care of my flock, by my illness, devolves upon him, I would - not hesitate for a moment to let him have all the profit of the - living, if it were not for the debt contracted about the room. My - difficulty lies, then, between what I owe to my fellow-labourer, and - what I owe to my parishioners, whom I should be sorry to have burdened - with a debt contracted for the room. - - “My agreement with Mr. Greaves was to allow him forty guineas a year, - out of which I was to deduct twelve for his board; but, as I cannot - board him when I go abroad, I design to allow him, during my absence, - £50 a-year, together with the use of my house, furniture, garden, and - my horse, if he chooses to keep one; reserving the use of a room, and - a stall in the stable, to entertain the preachers who help us in their - Round: not doubting but that the serious people will gladly find them - and their horses proper necessaries. - - “But I know so little what my income may be, that I am not sure it - will yield Mr. Greaves £50, after paying all the expenses of the - living. Now I beg you will consult together, and see whether the - Vicar’s income, _i.e._, tithes, etc., etc., will discharge all the - expenses of the living, and leave a residue sufficient to pay a - stipend of £50. I except the royalty, which I have appropriated to the - expense of the Room. If it be, well; if there be any surplus, let it - be applied to the Room; if there be anything short, then Mr. Greaves - may have the whole, and take his chance in that respect, as it will be - only taking the Vicar’s chance; for I doubt if sometimes, after - necessary charges defrayed, the Vicars have had a clear £50. - - “I beg you will let me know how the balance of my account stands, - that, some way or other, I may order it to be paid immediately; for, - if the balance is against me, I could not leave England comfortably - without having settled the payment. A letter will settle this business - as well as if twenty friends were at the trouble of taking a journey; - and talking is far worse for me than reading or writing. - - “Ten thousand pardons, my dear friends, for troubling you with this - scrawl about worldly matters. I am quite tired with writing, but I - cannot lay by my pen without desiring my best Christian love to all my - dear companions in tribulation, and neighbours in Shropshire; - especially to Mrs. York, Miss Simpson, Mrs. Harper, Mr. Scott, Winny - Edmunds, and all enquiring friends. Thank Molly for her good - management, and tell her I recommend her to our common Heavenly - Master. If she wants to go to London, or to come to Bristol, I shall - give her such a character as will help her to some good place. I - heartily thank Daniel, both as churchwarden and as receiver and - house-steward; and I beg Mr. York to pay him a proper salary. - - “I am, in the best bonds, your affectionate neighbour, friend, and - minister, - - J. FLETCHER.”[425] - -Footnote 425: - - Letters, 1791, p. 34. - -A letter on small matters, so far as the reader is concerned; but a -letter unveiling Fletcher’s heart, and exhibiting his perfect -unworldliness. The following, extracted from a letter to Mr. William -Wase, reveals other characteristics:— - - “BRISTOL, _November, 1777_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—Go to Mrs. Cound, and tell her, I charge her, in the - name of God, to give up the world, to set out with all speed for - heaven, and to join the few about her who fear God. If she refuses, - call again; call weekly, if not daily, and warn her from me till she - is ripe for glory. Tell the brethren at Broseley that I did my body an - injury the last time I preached to them on the Green; but, if they - took the warning, I do not repine. Give my love to George Crannage; - tell him to make haste to Christ, and not to doze away his last days. - - “The physician has not yet given me up; but, I bless God, I do not - wait for his farewell, to give myself up to my God and Saviour. I - write by stealth, as my friends here would have me forbear writing, - and even talking; but I will never part with my privilege of writing - and shouting, _‘Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory’ over sin, - death, and the grave ‘through Jesus Christ.’_ To Him be glory for ever - and ever! Amen!”[426] - -Footnote 426: - - _Ibid_, p. 36. - -To his congregation in Madeley Church, Fletcher wrote as follows:— - - “BRISTOL, _November 26, 1777_. - - “To the Brethren who hear the Word of God in the parish church of - Madeley. - - “MY DEAR BRETHREN,—I thank you for the declaration of your - affectionate remembrance, which you sent me by John Owen, the - messenger of your brotherly love. - - “As various reasons prevent my coming to take leave of you in “erson, - permit me to do it by letter. The hope of recovering a little - strength, to serve you again in the Gospel, makes me take the advice - of the physicians, who say that removing to a drier air and warmer - climate may be of great service to my health. - - “I am more and more persuaded that I have not declared unto you - cunningly devised fables, and that the Gospel I have had the honour of - preaching, though feebly, among you, is the power of God to salvation, - to every one who believes it. - - “Want of time does not permit me to give you more than the following - directions. Have, every day, lower thoughts of yourselves, higher - thoughts of Christ, kinder thoughts of your brethren, and more hopeful - thoughts of all around you. Love to assemble in the great - congregation; but, above all, love to pray to your Father in secret; - consider your Saviour; and listen for your Sanctifier. Wait all day - long for His glorious appearing within you; and, when you are - together, by suitable prayers, proper hymns, and enlivening - exhortations, keep up your earnest expectation of His pardoning and - sanctifying love. Let not a drop satisfy you; desire an ocean. Do not - eat your morsel by yourselves, like selfish, niggardly people, but be - ready to share it with all. Let every one with whom you converse be - the better for your conversation. Be burning and shining lights - wherever you are. Set the fire of divine love to the hellish stubble - of sin. Be valiant for the truth. Be champions for love. Be sons of - thunder against sin; and sons of consolation towards humbled sinners. - Be faithful to your God, your king, and your masters. Let not the good - ways of God be blasphemed through any of you. - - “You have need of patience, as well as of faith and power. You must - learn to _suffer_, as well as _do_ the will of God. Think it not - strange to pass through fiery trials. Let your faith be firm in a - tempest. Let your hope in Christ be as a sure anchor cast within the - veil; and your patient love will soon outride the storm. God is the - same merciful and faithful God, ‘_yesterday, to-day, and for ever_.’ - Believe in His threefold name. Rejoice in every degree of His great - salvation. Triumph in hope of the glory which shall be revealed. Do - not forget to be thankful for a cup of water; much less for being out - of hell, for the means of grace, the forgiveness of sins, the blood of - Jesus, the communion of saints on earth, and the future glorification - of saints in heaven. Strongly, heartily believe every Gospel truth, - especially the latter part of the Apostles’ Creed. Believe it till - your faith becomes the substance of the eternal life you hope for; and - then, come life, come death, either or both will be welcome to you, - as, through grace, I find they are to me. - - “If I am no more permitted to minister to you in the land of the - living, I rejoice at the thought that I shall, perhaps, be allowed to - accompany the angels, who, if you continue in the faith, will be - commissioned to carry your souls into Abraham’s bosom. If our bodies - do not moulder away in the same grave, our spirits shall be sweetly - lost in the same sea of divine and brotherly love. I hope to see you - again in the flesh; but my sweetest and firmest hope is to meet you - where there are no parting seas, no interposing mountains, no - sickness, no death, no fear of loving too much, no shame for loving - too little. - - “I earnestly recommend you to the pastoral care of the great Shepherd - and Bishop of souls, to the brotherly care of one another, and to the - ministerial care of my substitute. Should I be spared to come back, - let me have the joy of finding you all of one heart and one soul; - continuing steadfast in the Apostles’ doctrine, in fellowship one with - another, and in communion with our sin-pardoning and sin-abhorring - God.”[427] - -Footnote 427: - - Letters, 1791, p. 40. - -Immediately after the date of this pastoral epistle, in company with Mr. -Ireland, two of his daughters, and another family, Fletcher left -Brislington for the south of France. During a halt at Reading, he wrote -the following to the Rev. Vincent Perronet, the venerable vicar of -Shoreham:— - - “READING, _December 2, 1777_. - - “HONOURED AND DEAR SIR,—I acknowledge, though late, the favour of your - letter. I have given up the thought of going to my parish, and am now - on the road to a warmer climate. The Lord may bless as much the change - of air, as He has blessed the last remedy your son prescribed for me—I - mean the bark. If I should mend a little, I would begin to have faith - in your prophecy. In the meantime, let us have faith in Christ, more - faith day by day, till all the sayings of Christ are verified to us - and in us. Should I go to Geneva, I shall enquire after the Swiss - friends of my dear benefactors at Shoreham, to whose prayers I humbly - recommend myself and my dear fellow-travellers, one of whom, my little - god-daughter, is but eight weeks old.”[428] - -Footnote 428: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -At the same time, and on the same sheet, he wrote as follows to Miss -Damaris Perronet:— - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I snatch a moment upon the road to acknowledge the - favour of your letter, and to wish you joy in seeing the Lord is - faithful in rewarding as well as punishing. I once met a gentleman, an - infidel, abroad, who said, ‘Men have no faith: if they believed that - by forsaking houses, lands, and friends, they should receive a - hundredfold, they would instantly renounce all: for who would not - carry all his money to the bank of heaven, to receive a hundredfold - interest?’ The Papists have made so bad a use of the doctrine of the - rewardableness of works, that we dare neither preach it, nor hold it - in a scriptural manner. For my part, I think that if it were properly - received, it would make a great alteration in the professing world. - _You_ dare receive it; try the mighty use of it; and when you have - fully experienced it, do not keep your light to yourself, but impart - it to all within the reach of your tongue and pen. I am glad you see - that every reward, bestowed upon a reprieved sinner, has free-grace - for its foundation, and the blood of Christ for its mark. May the - richest rewards of Divine grace be yours in consequence of the most - exalted faithfulness; and let me beseech you to pray that I may follow - you, as you follow Christ, till our reward be full.”[429] - -Footnote 429: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1804, p. 520. - -Thus did Fletcher leave England, reiterating one of the great truths -that he had been explaining and defending during the last six years. On -the next day after the date of his letter, he arrived at Stoke -Newington. Wesley writes:— - - “Wednesday, _December 3, 1777_. I visited as many of the sick as I - could in the north-east part of the town; and spent the evening at - Newington, with Mr. Fletcher, almost miraculously recovering from his - consumption. On Thursday, December 4, he set out, with Mr. Ireland, - for the south of France.”[430] - -Footnote 430: - - Wesley’s Journal. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - _A LONG RETIREMENT._ - - 778–1781. - - -WHEN the travellers arrived at Dover, Fletcher wrote as follows to his -hospitable friends at Stoke Newington:— - - “Ten thousand blessings light upon the heads and hearts of my dear - benefactors, Charles and Mary Greenwood! May their quiet retreat at - Newington become a Bethel to them! Their poor pensioner travels on, - though slowly, towards the grave. His journey to the sea seems to him - to have hastened, rather than retarded, his progress to his old - mother—Earth. May every Providential blast blow him nearer to the - heavenly haven of his Saviour’s breast; where he hopes to meet all his - benefactors! O, my dear friends, what shall I render? What to Jesus? - what to you? May He, who invites the heavy-laden, take upon Him all - the burdens of kindness you have heaped on your Lazarus! And may - angels, when you die, find me in Abraham’s bosom, and bring you into - _mine_, that by all the kindness which may be shown in heaven, I may - try to requite that you have shown to your obliged brother, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[431] - -Footnote 431: - - Letters, 1791, p. 249. - -Leaving Calais on December 12, 1777, the travellers pursued their way to -the South of France. Mr. Ireland thus described the journey:— - - “When we departed from Calais, the north wind was very high, and - penetrated us even in the chaise. We put up at Bretuil, and the next - day got to Abbeville, whence we were forced, by the miserable - accommodation we met with, to set out, though it was Sunday. Hitherto - Mr. Fletcher and I had led the way, but now the other chaises got - before us. Nine miles from Abbeville our axletree gave way through the - hard frost, and we were left to the piercing cold on the side of a - hill, without shelter. After waiting an hour and a half, we sent the - axletree and wheels back to be repaired; and, leaving the body of the - chaise under a guard, procured another to carry us to the next town. - On the 15th, our chaise arrived in good repair. The country was - covered with snow, but travelling steadily forward, we reached Dijon - on the 27th. During the whole journey, Mr. Fletcher showed marks of - recovery. He bore both the fatigue and cold as well as the best of us. - On the 31st, we put up at Lyons, and solemnly closed the year, bowing - our knees before the throne, which indeed we did all together every - day. January 4, 1778, we left Lyons, and came on the 9th to Aix. Here - we rest, the weather being exceedingly fine and warm. Mr. Fletcher - walks out daily. He is now able to read and pray with us every morning - and evening. He has no remains of his cough nor of the weakness in his - breast. His natural colour is restored, and the sallowness quite gone. - His appetite is good, and he takes a little wine.” - -In another letter Mr. Ireland wrote:— - - “Soon after our arrival here, I rode out most days with my dear and - valued friend. Now and then he complained of the uneasiness of the - horse, and there were some remains of soreness in his breast; but this - soon went off. The beginning of February was warm, and the warmth, - when he walked in the fields, relaxed him; but when the wind got north - or east, he was braced again. His appetite is good; his complexion as - healthy as it was eleven years ago. As his strength increases, he - increases the length of his rides. Last Tuesday, he set out on a - journey of a hundred and twelve miles. The first day he travelled - forty miles without feeling any fatigue; and the third day fifty-five. - He bore the journey as well as I did; and was as well and as active at - the end of it as at the beginning. During the day, he cried out, ‘Help - me to praise the Lord for His goodness; I never expected to see this - day.’ He accepted a pressing invitation to preach to the Protestants - here; and he fulfilled his engagement on Sunday morning, taking as his - text, ‘Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.’ Both the - French and English were greatly affected; the word went to the hearts - of both saints and sinners. His voice is now as good as ever it was; - and he has an earnest invitation to preach near Montpelier, where we - are going. You would be astonished at the entreaties of pastors as - well as people. He has received a letter from a minister in the Levine - Mountains, who intends to come to Montpelier, sixty miles, to press - him to go and preach to his flock. He purposes to spend the next - summer in his own country, and the following winter in these - parts.”[432] - -Footnote 432: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -It was probably at this time that Fletcher and Mr. Ireland made a tour -through Italy, and visited Rome, concerning which visit Wesley writes:— - - “While he was at Rome, as Mr. Ireland and he were one day going - through the streets in a coach, they were informed the Pope was - coming, and it would be required of them to kneel while he went by, as - all the people did; if they did not, in all probability the mob would - knock them on the head. But this they flatly refused to do; judging - the paying such honour to a man was idolatry. The coachman was - terrified, but turned aside into a narrow way. The Pope was in an open - landau, waved his hands, and frequently repeated, ‘God bless you all!’ - Mr. Fletcher’s spirit was greatly stirred, and he longed to bear a - public testimony against anti-Christ; and he would have done it had he - been able to speak Italian. He could hardly refrain from doing it in - Latin, till he considered that only the priests could understand - him.”[433] - -Footnote 433: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -While in the south of France, Fletcher wrote to Miss Bosanquet the -following letter, which is now for the first time published:— - - “MARSEILLES, _March 7, 1778_. - - “DEAR MADAM,—Your letter did not reach me till after it had lain here, - at the post office, several days. - - “I cannot be answerable for what the person you mention thinks of Mr. - Wesley or me, or our sentiments. Nothing is more common than to see - people drawing rash inferences from premises which are partly false - and partly true. I can only answer for myself, and for what I deem to - be the truth. - - “If you ask me what I think to be the truth with respect to Christian - perfection, I reply, my sentiments are exposed to the world in my - essay on ‘Christian Perfection,’ and in my essay on ‘Truth,’ where I - lay the stress of the doctrine on the great _promise of the Father_, - and on the _Christian fulness of the Spirit_. This I have done more - particularly in a treatise on the ‘Birth of the Spirit;’ which - treatise is not yet published. I do not rest the doctrine of Christian - perfection on the _absence of sin_,—that is the perfection of a dove - or a lamb; nor on the _loving God with all one’s power_, for I believe - all perfect Gentiles and Jews have done so; but on the _fulness_ of - that superior, nobler, warmer, and _more powerful_ love, which the - Apostle calls the _love of the Spirit_, or _the love of God shed - abroad by the Holy Ghost_, given to the Christian believers, who, - since the Day of Pentecost, go on to the perfection of the Christian - dispensation. - - “You will find my views of this matter in Mr. Wesley’s sermons on - Christian Perfection and on Spiritual Christianity; with this - difference, that I would distinguish more exactly between the - believers baptized with the Pentecostal power of the Holy Ghost, and - the believer who, like the Apostles after our Lord’s ascension, is not - yet filled with that power. - - “I own to you, Madam, that I have been much surprised to see the gross - inattention to, and unbelief of, the promise of the Father among - believers of various classes. It is the sun among the stars, and yet - some can hardly distinguish it. When I preached it to the Calvinists - in Wales, they called it Mr. Wesley’s _whim_. When I have spoken of it - to our brethren, some have called it Lady Huntingdon’s _whim_; and - others have looked upon it as a _new thing_; which to me is the - strongest proof that this capital Gospel doctrine is as much under a - cloud now as the doctrine of justification by faith was at the time of - the Reformation. - - “Should you go back by way of London, my essay on the Birth by which - we enter into the Kingdom in the Holy Ghost is in the hands of Miss - Thornton, Mrs. Greenwood’s sister, who will give it you if you think - worth while to look into it. I build my faith not on my experience, - though this increases it, but upon the revealed truth of God. Go, - Madam, and do the same, and pray for your affectionate brother and - servant, - - “J. FLETCHER. - - “Miss Bosanquet, - “at Mrs. Southcot’s, - “Broad Mead, - “Bristol.” - -The “treatise,” or rather sermon, referred to in this letter, was -written in French, and was not published during the lifetime of -Fletcher; but in 1794, Henry Moore, one of Wesley’s first biographers, -translated and printed it, with the title, “The New Birth. A Discourse -written in French, by the Rev. John Fletcher, late Vicar of Madeley, -Salop.” 8vo, 39 pp. This was one of the most remarkable productions of -Fletcher’s pen; and great would be the service rendered to the cause of -Christ if, in this day of loose thinking and carnal living, it were -reprinted in a separate form, and read by the myriads who call -themselves Methodists. Though mere quotations from it cannot do justice -to it, yet two or three may be acceptable. - - _Regeneration._—“What is the state of a soul that is born again; and - in what does regeneration consist? In general, we may say, it is that - great change by which man passes from a state of nature to a state of - grace. He was an animal man; in being born again he becomes a - spiritual man. His natural birth had made him like to fallen Adam—to - the old man, against whom God had pronounced the sentence of death, - seeing it is the wages of sin; but his spiritual birth makes him like - to Jesus Christ—to the new man—which is created according to God in - righteousness and true holiness. He was before born a child of - wrath—proud, sensual, and unbelieving, full of the love of the world - and of self-love, a lover of money and of earthly glory and pleasure, - rather than a lover of God; but, by regeneration, he is become a child - and an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ. The humility, the - purity, the love of Jesus, is shed abroad in his heart by the Holy - Spirit which is given to him, making him bear the image of the _Second - Adam_. He is in Christ a new creature; old things are passed away, all - things are become new. All the powers and faculties of his soul are - renovated. His understanding, heretofore covered with darkness, is - illuminated by the experimental knowledge which he has of God and of - His Son Jesus Christ. His conscience, asleep and insensible, awakes - and speaks with a fidelity irreproachable. His hard heart is softened - and broken. His will, stubborn and perverse, yields, and becomes - conformable to the will of God. His passions, unruly, and earthly, and - sensual, submit to the conduct of grace, and turn of themselves to - objects invisible and heavenly. And the members of his body, servants - more or less to iniquity, are now employed in the service of - righteousness unto holiness.” - - _Why regeneration is necessary._—“To rejoice in the pleasures that are - at God’s right hand, it is needful to have senses and a taste that - correspond thereto. The swine trample pearls under their feet. The - elevated discourse of a philosopher is insupportable to a stupid - mechanic; and an ignorant peasant, introduced into a circle of men of - learning and taste, is disgusted, sighs after his village, and - declares no hour ever appeared to him so long. It would be the same to - a man who is not regenerated, if we could suppose that God would so - far forget His truth as to open to him the gate of heaven. He would be - incapable of those transports of love which make the happiness of the - glorified saints. It would be insupportable for him now to meditate - one hour on the perfections of God; what then shall He do among the - _cherubim_ and _seraphim_, and _the spirits of just men made perfect_, - who draw from thence their ravishing delights? He loves the pleasures - and comforts of an animal life; but are these the same with the - exercises of the spiritual life? His conversations, his readings, his - amusements, as void of edification as of usefulness, rarely fatigue - him; but an hour of meditation or prayer is insufferable. If he be not - born again, not only he cannot be in a state to rejoice in the - pleasures of Paradise, any more than a deaf man to receive with - transport the most exquisite music; but the ravishing delights of - angels would cause in him an insupportable distaste. Yes, he would - banish himself from the presence of God, rather than pass an eternity - in prostrating himself before the throne, and crying day and night, - _Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, who is, and who was, and who - is to come!_ We conclude that the gate of heaven must be opened upon - earth by regeneration, and by the love of God, or that it will remain - shut for ever; and that a local paradise would be only a sorrowful - prison, to a man not regenerated, because, carrying nothing thither - but depraved and earthly appetites and passions, and finding nothing - there but spiritual and celestial objects, disgust and dissatisfaction - would be the consequence; and, like Satan, his own mind would be his - hell.” - -Perorations are too often rhetorical flourishes, and nothing more; but, -in the case of Fletcher, they were the outpourings of a heart -overcharged with feeling. The following is the last paragraph in the -remarkable “Treatise” from which the foregoing extracts are taken:— - - “I conjure you by the majesty of that God before whom angels rejoice - with trembling;—by the terror of the Lord, who may speak to you in - thunder, and this instant require your soul of you;—by the tender - mercies, the bowels of compassion of your heavenly Father, which are - moved in your favour, all ungrateful as you are!—I conjure you by the - incarnation of the Eternal Word, by whom you were created;—by the - humiliation, the pains, the temptations, the tears, the bloody sweat, - the agony, the cries of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ!—I - conjure you by the bonds, the insults, the scourgings, the robes of - derision, the crown of thorns, the ponderous cross, the nails, the - instruments of death which pierced His torn body; by the arrows of the - Almighty, the poison of which drank up His spirit; by that mysterious - stroke of Divine wrath, and by those unknown terrors which forced Him - to exclaim, ‘My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me!’—I conjure you - by the interests of your immortal soul, and by the unseen accidents - which may precipitate you into eternity;—by the bed of death, upon - which you will soon be stretched, and by the useless sighs which you - will then pour out, if your peace be not made with God!—I conjure you - by the sword of Divine justice, and by the sceptre of grace;—by the - sound of the last trumpet, and by the sudden appearance of the Lord - Jesus Christ, with ten thousand of His holy angels;—by that august - tribunal, at which you will appear with me, and which shall decide our - lot for ever;—by the vain despair of hardened sinners, and by the - unknown transports of regenerate souls!—I conjure you from this - instant work out your salvation with fear and trembling! Enter by the - door into the sheepfold. Sell all to purchase the pearl of great - price. Count all things dung and dross in comparison of the excellency - of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Let Him not go till He blesses you - with that faith which justifies, and that sanctification without which - no man shall see the Lord. And, soon transported from this vale of - tears into the mansions of the just made perfect, you shall cast your - crown of immortal glory at the feet of Him that sitteth upon the - throne, and before the Lamb who has redeemed us by His blood: to whom - be the blessing, and the honour, and the glory, and the power for ever - and ever! Amen.” - -It is time to return to Fletcher in the south of France. At the close of -his sojourn here, he wrote as follows to his curate, Mr. Greaves:— - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,—I received a letter yesterday from my second - brother, who acquaints me, that he was to set out the 23rd of last - month, to come hither” (Montpelier), “and take me to my native - country, where my sick sister wants greatly to see me; so that, if it - please God, I shall, next week, leave this place. The winter has been - uncommonly rainy and windy; and even last week we had half an inch of - snow. The climate has, nevertheless, agreed with me better than - England, and, as a proof of it, I need only tell you, that I rode last - Friday, from Hieres, the orange gardens of France, hither, which is - nearly fifty miles, and was well enough to preach last Sunday in - French at the Protestant Church. Two English clergymen came to hear - me, and one of them takes these lines to England, where I hope they - will find you in health of body and soul, growing in strength of - faith, in firmness of hope, and in fervency of love to God and man, - and especially to those whom you are tempted to think hardly of, if - any such there be. O my dear brother, no religion will do us or our - people any good, but that which ‘works by love,’—humble, childlike, - obedient love. May that religion fill our souls, and influence all our - tempers, words, and actions, and may the leaven leaven the whole lump! - May St. James’s peaceable religion spread through all our parish! - - “I hope you are settled to your satisfaction; and I shall be glad to - do what is in my power to make your stay at Madeley agreeable. I wish - you may have as much success as we desire; but, whatever success we - have, we must cast our bread upon the waters, though we should see as - little fruit as he that said of old, ‘I have laboured in vain:’ for - our reward will be with the Lord, if not with men.”[434] - -Footnote 434: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -In company with his brother, Fletcher left Montpelier, and arrived at -Nyon, the place of his nativity, where, in the house once occupied by -his father, he received the utmost attention from his affectionate -relatives, and had medical advice equal to any to be obtained in Europe. -One of his first acts was to write “to the Societies in and about -Madeley.” He addressed them as “My dear, very dear brethren;” charged -them all to meet him in heaven, “with all the mind that was in Christ;” -and sent his “love and thanks to Mr. Murlin and Mr. Roberts,” the two -Methodist preachers stationed at Chester, showing that Madeley, at this -period, was a part of the Chester circuit.[435] - -Footnote 435: - - Letters, 1791, p. 43. - -Soon afterwards, he wrote to his beloved medical adviser, in England, -Mr. William Perronet, as follows:— - - “NYON, _May 15, 1778_. - - “The climate, and prospect, and fine roads, and pure air I enjoy here, - had contributed to strengthen me a little; when, about a month ago, - something I was chewing got into my windpipe, and caused a fit of - coughing which lasted half-an-hour. I then began to spit blood again, - and ever since I have had a bad cough, which has sometimes exercised - me violently for an hour after my first sleep. My cough, however, has - been better the last two days, and I hope it will go off. I have - bought a quiet horse, whose easy pace I can bear; and I ride much. I - have not ventured upon preaching since I came hither: it would be - impossible for me now to go through it. If the weather should grow - hot, I may, at any time, go to the hills, the foot of which is five or - six miles distant. I drink goats’ milk, and have left off meat since - the cough came on, but design eating a little again at dinner.”[436] - -Footnote 436: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Two days after the date of this letter, Fletcher was at Macon, whither -he had gone to meet his friend Mr. Ireland, on his return from -Montpelier to England. Whilst he was here, he wrote two letters, which -must be quoted. The first, addressed to “The Rev. Messrs. John and -Charles Wesley,” was as follows:— - - “MACON, IN BURGUNDY, _May 17, 1778_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIRS,—I hope while I lie by, the Lord continues to - renew your vigour, and sends you to water His vineyard, and to stand - in the gap against error and vice. - - “I preached twice at Marseilles, but was not permitted to follow the - blow. There are few noble, inquisitive Bereans in these parts. The - ministers in the town of my nativity have been very civil. They have - offered me the pulpit; but, I fear, if I could accept the offer, it - would soon be recalled. I am loath to quit this part of the field - without casting a stone at that giant, sin, who stalks about with - uncommon boldness. I shall, therefore, stay some months longer, to see - if the Lord will give me strength to venture an attack. - - “Gambling and dress, sinful pleasure and love of money, unbelief and - false philosophy, lightness of spirit, fear of man, and love of the - world, are the principal sins by which Satan binds his captives in - these parts. Materialism is not rare; Deism and Socinianism are very - common; and a set of Free-thinkers, great admirers of Voltaire[437] - and Rosseau, Bayle and Mirabeau, seem bent upon destroying - Christianity and government. If we believe them, the world is the dupe - of kings and priests. Religion is fanaticism and superstition. - Subordination is slavery. Christian morality is absurd, unnatural, and - impracticable; and Christianity the most bloody religion that ever - was. And here it is certain, that, by the example of Christians _so - called_, and by our continual disputes, they have a great advantage, - and do the truth immense mischief. _Popery will certainly fall in - France, in this or the next century_; and I have no doubt God will use - those vain men to bring about a reformation here, as he used Henry the - Eighth to do that work in England; so the madness of His enemies - shall, at last, turn to His praise, and to the futherance of His - kingdom. - - “In the meantime, it becomes all lovers of the truth to make their - heavenly tempers, and humble, peaceful love to shine before all men, - that those mighty adversaries, seeing the good works of professors, - may glorify their Father who is in heaven, and no more blaspheme that - worthy name, by which we are all called Christians. - - “If you ask, what system these men adopt? I answer, some build on - Deism a morality founded on _self-preservation_, _self-interest_, and - _self-honour_. Others laugh at all morality, except that which being - neglected _violently_ disturbs society. And external order is the - decent covering of Fatalism, while Materialism is their system. - - “Oh, dear Sirs, let me entreat you, in these dangerous days, to use - your wide influence, with unabated zeal, against the scheme of these - modern Celsuses, Porphyries, and Julians, by calling all professors to - think and speak the same things, to love and embrace one another, and - to firmly resist those daring men; many of whom are already in - England, headed by the admirers of Mr. Hume and Mr. Hobbes. But it is - needless to say this to those who have made, and continue to make, - such a stand for vital Christianity; so that I have nothing to do but - pray that the Lord may abundantly support and strengthen you, and make - you a continued comfort to His enlightened people, loving reprovers of - those who mix light with darkness, and a terror to the perverse. - - “I need not tell you, Sirs, that the hour in which Providence shall - make my way plain to return to England, to unite with those who feel - or seek the power of Christian godliness, will be welcome to me. O - favoured Britons! Happy would it be for them, if they knew their - Gospel privileges! - - “My relations in Adam are all very kind to me; but the spiritual - relations, whom God has raised me in England, exceed them yet. Thanks - be to Christ, and to His blasphemed religion! - - “I am, Rev. Sirs, your affectionate son, and obliged servant in the - Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[438] - -Footnote 437: - - Thirteen days after the date of this letter, Voltaire, in Paris, took - a large dose of opium, without the advice of his physicians, and died. - -Footnote 438: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1788, p. 384. - -On the day after the date of this letter, Fletcher wrote the following -to the Rev. Dr. Conyers, another Methodist Clergyman, to whom he had -sent his “_Reconciliation; or, an easy Method to unite the people of -God_,” published in 1777:— - - “MACON, IN BURGUNDY, _May 18, 1778_. - - “HON. AND DEAR SIR,—I left orders, with a friend, to send you a little - book called ‘_The Reconciliation_,’ in which I endeavour to bring - nearer the children of God, who are divided about their _partial_ - views of divine truths. I know not whether that tract has, in any - degree, answered its design; but I believe truth can be reconciled - with itself, and the candid children of God one with another. O that - some _abler_ hand, and _more loving_ heart, would undertake to mend my - plan, or draw one more agreeable to the Word of God! My eyes are upon - _you_, dear Sir, and those who are like-minded with you, for this - work. Disappoint not my hope. Stand forth, and make way for - reconciling love, by removing, so far as lies in you, what is in the - way of brotherly union. - - “O Sir! the work is worthy of you. If you saw with what boldness the - false philosophers of the continent, who are the apostles of the age, - attack Christianity, and represent it as one of the worst religions in - the world, and fit only to make the professors of it murder one - another, or at least to contend among themselves, and how they urge - our disputes to make the Gospel of Christ the jest of nations, and the - abhorrence of all flesh, you would break through your natural - timidity, and invite all our brethren in the ministry to unite and - form a close battalion, and face the common enemy. - - “O dear Sir! take courage. Be bold for reconciling truth. Be bold for - peace. You can do all things through Christ strengthening you; and, as - _Doctor Conyers_, you can do many things, a great many more than you - think. What if you go, Sir, in Christ’s name, to all the Gospel - ministers of your acquaintance, exhort them as a father, entreat them - as a brother, and bring them, or as many of them as you can, together? - Think you that your labour would be in vain in the Lord? Impossible, - Sir! O despair not. If you want a coach, or a friend to accompany you, - when you go upon this errand of love, remember there is a _Thornton_ - in London, and an _Ireland_ in Bristol, who will wish you God speed; - and God will raise many more to concur in the peaceful work. - - “Let me humbly entreat you to go to work, and to persevere in it. I - wish I had strength to be, at least, your postilion when you go. I - would drive, if not like Jehu, at least with some degree of cheerful - swiftness, while Christ smiled on the Christian attempt. But I am - confident you can do all in the absence of him, who is, with brotherly - love, and dutiful respect, Hon. and dear Sir, your obedient servant in - the Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[439] - -Footnote 439: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1788, p. 386. - -Dr. Conyers, to whom this letter was addressed, was a notable man. Born -at Helmsley, Yorkshire, in 1725, he, in due time, became the Vicar of -that extensive parish. His conversion there, and his labours, were -remarkable. In 1765, he married Mrs. Knipe, a rich and pious widow, the -sister of the well-known John Thornton, Esq., of Clapham. Three years -before the foregoing letter was written, Mr. Thornton presented him to -the living of St. Paul’s, Deptford; and here he died in 1786, eight -months after the death of Fletcher.[440] At the beginning of his -evangelical career, he was warmly attached to Wesley, and a firm -believer in the doctrines of the Arminians. Afterwards, he was, to some -extent, influenced by certain of the Calvinian Ministers, with whom he -held converse; but, like his brother-in-law, John Thornton, he was a -lover of all good men; and, occupying a kind of neutral position between -the contending parties, Fletcher deemed him well qualified to bring -about the reconciliation of the two. - -Footnote 440: - - _Evangelical Magazine_, 1794. - -At this period, the venerable Vicar of Shoreham had been recently -informed that he was entitled to a valuable estate in Switzerland, and -William Perronet, Fletcher’s medical adviser in England, had undertaken -to visit Switzerland to enforce his father’s rights. Before doing so, -however, he wrote to Fletcher, requesting his advice; and Fletcher’s -reply was as follows:— - - “NYON, _June 2, 1778_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—When I wrote to you last, I mentioned two ladies of - your family who have married two brothers, Messrs. Monod. Since then, - they have requested me to send your father the enclosed memorial, - which I hope will prove of use to your family. As the bad writing and - the language may make the understanding of it difficult, I forward you - the substance of it, and of the letter of the ladies’ lawyer. - - “While I invite you to make your title clear to a precarious estate on - earth, permit me, my dear Sir, to remind you of the heavenly - inheritance entailed on believers. The will, the New Testament by - which we can recover it, is proved. The Court is just and equitable; - the Judge is gracious and loving. To enter into possession of a part - of the estate here, and of the whole hereafter, we need only believe - and prove _evangelically_ that we are believers. Let us then set about - it _now_, with earnestness, with perseverance, and with a full - assurance that, through grace, we shall carry our cause. Alas! what - are estates and crowns to grace and glory? - - “I have had a pull back since I wrote last. After I left Mr. Ireland - at Macon, to shorten my journey and enjoy new prospects, I ventured to - cross the mountains which separate France from this country. On the - third day of the journey, I found a large hill, whose winding roads - were so steep that, though we fed the horses with bread and wine, they - could scarcely draw the chaise, and I was obliged to walk in all the - steepest places. The climbing lasted several hours; the sun was hot; I - perspired violently; and the next day I spit blood again. I have - chiefly kept to goat’s milk ever since; I find myself better; and my - cough is neither frequent nor violent. - - “This is a delightful country. If you come to see it, and to claim the - estate, bring all the papers and memorials you can collect; and share - a pleasant apartment, and one of the finest prospects in the world, in - the house where I was born. I design to try this fine air some months - longer. We have a fine shady wood near the lake, where I can ride in - the cool all the day, and enjoy the singing of a multitude of birds. - But this, though sweet, does not come up to the singing of my dear - friends in England. There I meet them in spirit several hours in the - day.”[441] - -Footnote 441: - - Letters, 1791, p. 263, and Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -The ensuing letter, kindly lent by the Rev. Dr. Knowles, of Tunbridge -Wells, has not before been published. It was addressed to “Mr. Power, -Druggist, in Broadmead, Bristol, Angleterre.” - - “NYON, _June 20, 1778_. - - “DEAR SIR,—A journey and my constant rides have hindered me - acknowledging sooner the favour of your observations and criticisms, - which I received some time ago. If I had my little publications here, - to turn to the pages you quote, I would immediately make notes, and - alter or rectify what you object to, as a preparation for a more - correct edition, should the work be ever reprinted. I wish all my - friends had taken as much pains about my works as you have, Sir; they - would by this time be more correct. Accept my sincere thanks for the - favour; and, if I live to see England again, we shall (please God) - talk the matter over fully. - - “I am obliged to you for your caution about preaching. I have followed - it, and have not yet preached in this country, though I believe I - shall soon venture again upon it, but with care and in a sparing - manner. I hope at least the Lord will give me grace so to do. - - “I heartily rejoice that Mrs. Power has been carried safely, a second - time, through the danger of child-bearing. May she and the two fruits - of her body live to the glory of God, and to your comfort! Remember me - kindly to her; and give my blessing to my god-son, whose will, I hope, - you continue to break with the wisdom, patience, and steadiness which - become a parent. - - “I sent your mother a few lines by Mr. Ireland. I hope she received - them; but I shall never get an answer, if what he writes me is true. - Is she dead indeed? Sometimes I hope it is a rumour without - foundation; and yet his account that she died at Bath, where your - letter mentions she was gone, makes me fear he was well-informed. If - she is no more, you have lost a tender mother, and I a kind friend; - but the Lord will make up all our losses, and has already made them up - by giving us His Son. May we receive Him, and with Him all that is - excellent among the living and the dead! As she has been for many - years a woman of sorrow,—a true Hannah—wading almost constantly - through a sea of temptations, they may have followed her to the last, - and she may have escaped out of many tribulations, as the saints - mentioned in the Revelation. A line about it, and about your welfare, - and that of my god-son, will greatly oblige, dear Sir, your obedient - and already obliged servant, - - J. FLETCHER. - - “My love to your brother, when you see him.” - -The next letter, written to Mr. Ireland, contains a sylvan scene worthy -of being painted:— - - “NYON, _July 15, 1778_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I have ventured to preach once, and to expound once - in the church. Our ministers are very kind, and preach to the purpose. - A young one of this town gave us lately a very excellent gospel - sermon. - - “Grown-up people stand fast in their stupidity, or in their - self-righteousness. The day I preached, I met some children in my wood - gathering strawberries. I spoke to them about our _common_ Father. We - felt a touch of brotherly affection. They said they would sing to - their Father, as well as the birds; and followed me, attempting to - make such melody as you know is commonly made in these parts. I - outrode them, but some of them had the patience to follow me home; and - said they would speak with me. The people of the house stopped them, - saying, I would not be troubled with children. They cried, and said, - _they were sure I would not say so, for I was their good brother_. The - next day, when I heard this, I enquired after them, and invited them - to come and see me; which they have done every day since. I make them - little hymns, which they sing. Some of them are unde, sweet drawings. - Yesterday, I wept for joy on hearing one of them speak, as an - experienced believer in Bristol would have done, of conviction of sin, - and of the joy unspeakable in Christ that followed. Last Sunday, I met - them in the wood; there were a hundred of them, and as many adults. - Our first pastor has since desired me to desist from preaching in the - wood (for I had exhorted), for fear of giving umbrage; and I have - complied, from a concurrence of circumstances which are not worth - mentioning; I therefore now meet them in my father’s yard.”[442] - -Footnote 442: - - Letters, 1791, p. 264. - -What a contrast to this scene of gentleness among children is the -following! - -Fletcher had a nephew, who had been in the Sardinian army, where his -ungentlemanly and profligate conduct had given such general offence to -his brother officers that they determined to compel him to leave their -corps, or to fight them all in succession. After engaging in two or -three duels, with various success, the young bravo left the service, and -now, during Fletcher’s present visit, he returned to Switzerland. His -resources were soon spent in profligacy; and, gaining access to his -uncle, General De Gons, he presented a loaded pistol, and said, “Uncle -De Gons, if you do not give me a draft on your banker for five hundred -crowns, I will shoot you.” The General was a brave man, but, seeing -himself in the power of a desperado capable of any mischief, he wrote -the draft. “Uncle,” said the young fellow, “you must do another thing; -you must promise me, on your honour, to use no means to recover the -draft, or to bring me to justice.” The General promised, and the bandit -rode away triumphantly. Passing the door of his uncle Fletcher, he -called upon him, and told him General De Gons had generously given him -five hundred crowns. Fletcher doubted the truthfulness of this -statement. The draft was produced. “Let me see it,” said Fletcher. It -was handed to him. Fletcher examined it, and remarked, “It is indeed my -brother’s writing, and it astonishes me; because my brother is not -wealthy, and I know that he justly disapproves your conduct, and that -you are the last in the family to whom he would make such a present.” -Then, folding the draft and putting it into his pocket, Fletcher added, -“It strikes me, young man, that you have obtained this draft improperly; -and, in honesty, I cannot return it without my brother’s approbation.” -Out came the pistol, and was levelled at Fletcher’s breast. “Return it,” -cried the young scoundrel, “or I will take your life.” “My life,” calmly -replied Fletcher, “is secure in the protection of the Almighty Power who -guards it; nor will He suffer it to be the forfeit of your rashness, or -my integrity. Do you think that I, who have been a minister of God for -five-and-twenty years, am afraid of death? It is for you to fear death, -who have every reason to fear it. You are a gamester and a cheat, yet -call yourself a gentleman! You are the seducer of female innocence, and -still you say that you are a gentleman! You are a duellist and your hand -is red with blood, and for this you call yourself a man of honour! Look -there, Sir! look there! See, the broad eye of heaven is upon us. Tremble -in the presence of your Maker, who can in a moment kill your body, and -for ever damn your soul!” The culprit turned pale; then he argued, -threatened, and entreated. Sometimes, taking out his pistol, he fixed -himself against the door to prevent egress; and, at other times, closed -on frail Fletcher, menacing him with instantaneous death. All was of no -avail. The poor country parson was as valorous as the most heroic -soldier. He gave no alarm to the family; he sought no weapon; he -attempted no escape; he simply conversed with the calmness of a hero and -a saint. At length, the young fellow began to be affected; and now, -having gained the victory, Fletcher addressed him in another strain: “I -cannot return my brother’s draft,” said he; “yet I feel for your -distress, and will endeavour to relieve it. My brother Gons, at my -request, I am sure will give you a hundred crowns; I will do the same; -perhaps my brother Henry will do as much; and I hope your own family -will make up the five hundred crowns among them.” Fletcher then fell -upon his knees, and began to pray; uncle and nephew parted, and the -family, by Fletcher’s mediation, furnished the young scapegrace with the -five hundred crowns he had feloniously attempted to extort.[443] - -Footnote 443: - - Cox’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 129. - -Amidst such scenes, Fletcher did not forget his friends at Madeley. On -July 18, he wrote three messages:— - - _To his curate, the Rev. Mr. Greaves._—“I trust you lay yourself out - for the good of the flock committed to your care. I shall be glad to - hear that they grow in grace, and humble love.” - - _To the congregation in Madeley church._—“John Fletcher begs a farther - interest in the prayers of the congregation of Madeley; and desires - those, who assemble to serve God in the church, to help him to return - public thanks to Almighty God for many mercies received; especially, - for being able to do a little ministerial duty. He humbly beseeches - them to serve God as Christians, and to love one another as brethren; - neglecting no means of grace, and rejoicing in all the hopes of - glory.” - - _To the Methodist Societies “in Madeley, Dawley, and the Banks.”_—“We - are all called to grow in grace, and, consequently, in love, which is - the greatest of all Christian graces. Your prayers for my soul and my - body have not been without answer. Blessed be God! Glory be to His - rich mercy in Christ, I live yet _the life of faith_; as to my body, I - recover some strength. God bless you all, with all the blessings - brought to the Church by Christ Jesus, and by the other Comforter! My - love to the preachers” (John Murlin and Robert Roberts), “whom I beg - you will thank in my name.”[444] - -Footnote 444: - - Letters, 1791, p. 45. - -Two months later (September 15), he wrote to his friend Thomas York:— - - “Blessed be the God of all consolation, though I have still very - trying and feverish nights, I am kept in peace of mind; resigned to - His will, who afflicts me for my good, and justly sets me aside for my - unprofitableness. His grace within, and His people without, turn my - trying circumstances into matter of praise. Give my love to all your - dear family; to the two or three who may yet remember me at Shiffnal; - and, also, to Daniel, and desire him, when he gathers the Easter dues, - to give my love and thanks to _all_ my parishioners.“[445] - -Footnote 445: - - _Ibid_, p. 45. - -No doubt Fletcher’s statement to Mr. York, respecting himself, was -strictly true; but, still, there must have been a considerable -improvement in his health since he left England. Hence the following -interesting letter, written to Mr. Ireland only ten days later:— - - “NYON, _September 25, 1778_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I am just returned from an excursion I have made with - my brother, through the fine vale in the midst of the high hills which - divide France from this country. In that vale we found three lakes, - one on French ground, and two on Swiss: the largest is six miles long - and two wide. It is the part of the country where industry is most - apparent, and where population thrives best. The inhabitants are - chiefly woodmen, coopers, watchmakers, and jewellers. They told me, - they had the best singing, and the best preacher, in the country. I - asked, if any sinners were converted under his ministry? They stared, - and asked, what I meant by conversion? When I had explained myself, - they said, ‘We do not live in the time of miracles.’ - - “I was better satisfied in passing through a part of the vale which - belongs to the King of France. I saw a prodigious concourse of people, - and supposed they kept a fair, but was agreeably surprised to find - three missionaries in the midst of them, who went about as itinerant - preachers to help the regular clergy. They had been there some days, - and were three brothers, and preached morning and evening. The evening - service opened with what they called _a conference_. One of the - missionaries took the pulpit, and the parish priest proposed questions - to him, which he answered at full length and in a very edifying - manner. The subject was the unlawfulness and the mischief of those - methods by which persons of different sexes lay snares for each other, - and corrupt each other’s morals. The subject was treated with - delicacy, propriety, and truth. The method was admirably well - calculated to draw and fix the attention of a mixed multitude. This - _conference_ being ended, another missionary took the pulpit. His text - was our Lord’s description of the day of judgment. Before the sermon, - all those who, for the press, could kneel, did, and sang a French hymn - to beg a blessing on the word; and indeed it was blessed. An awful - attention was visible upon most, and, during a good part of the - discourse, the voice of the preacher was almost lost in the cries and - bitter wailings of the audience. When the outcry began, the preacher - was describing the departure of the wicked into eternal fire. They - urged that God was merciful, and that Jesus Christ had shed His blood - for them. ‘But that mercy you have slighted, and now is the time of - justice. That blood you have trodden under foot, and now it cries for - vengeance. Know your day. Slight the Father’s mercy and the Son’s - blood no longer.’ I have seen but once or twice congregations as much - affected in England. - - “One of our ministers being ill, I ventured, a second time, into the - pulpit last Sunday; and, the Sunday before, I preached, six miles off, - to two thousand people in the yard of a jail, where they were come to - see a murderer before his execution. I was a little abused by the - bailiff on the occasion, and was refused the liberty of attending the - poor man to the scaffold, where he was to be broken on the wheel. I - hope he died penitent. The day before he suffered, he said he had - broken his irons, and that, as he deserved to die, he desired new ones - to be put on, lest he should be tempted to make his escape. - - “You ask, what I design to do? I propose, if it be the Lord’s will, to - spend the winter here. In the spring, I shall, if nothing prevents, - return to England with you, or with Mr. Perronet, if his affairs are - settled, or alone, if other ways fail. In the meanwhile, I rejoice - with you in Jesus, and in the glorious hope of that complete salvation - His faithfulness has promised, and His power can never be at a loss to - bestow. We must be saved by faith and hope till we are saved by - perfect love, and made partakers of heavenly glory. I am truly a - _stranger_ here. As strangers let us go where we shall meet the - assembly of the righteous gathered in Jesus.“[446] - -Footnote 446: - - Letters, 1791, p. 268. - -Mr. William Perronet arrived at Nyon in the month of December, and, in -letters to his father, related:— - - “However engaged Mr. Fletcher is the greater part of the day, he is - generally so kind as to spend a little time with me in the evening in - prayer and conversation. His chief delight seems to be in meeting his - little society of children. He is exceedingly fond of them, and they - appear to be as fond of him. He seldom walks abroad or rides out, but - some of them follow him, singing the hymns they have learned, and - conversing with him by the way. But you must not suppose that he is - permitted to enjoy this happiness unmolested. Not only do the - drunkards make songs on him and his little companions, but many of the - clergy loudly complain of such irregular proceedings. However, he is - upon good terms with three ministers of the place; all of whom are - serious men, and desirous of promoting true religion. - - “He is better, I think, than when he left England; but he frequently - puts his strength to too severe a trial, by meeting his Society of - children, and some grown persons; and other exercises of a like - nature. When he ventures to preach, his spitting of blood returns; and - whenever this happens, his strength and spirits decay - surprisingly.”[447] - -Footnote 447: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher”. - -Fletcher and his brother translated all the papers of William Perronet -into French, and, in other ways, assisted him, in reference to the -estate which he had gone to Switzerland to obtain. Notwithstanding the -delicate state of Fletcher’s health, the three set out, in the wintry -weather of that December month, to visit Chateau d’Oex, where the -property was situated. The distance from Nyon was fifty-seven miles. -When they had made about a quarter of the journey, “the horses were -tired out, the coachman refused to proceed further,” and they were -obliged to return home again.[448] A few days later, they made another -attempt, and arrived at their destination on January 10, 1779. Five days -afterwards, they were again at Nyon. - -Footnote 448: - - _Ibid._ - -In Fletcher’s state of health, such a journey was perilous; but his love -to the Perronet family was such that, to him, no labour and risk, on -their behalf, were too great. In letters to his venerable father, at -Shoreham, William Perronet states, that none of them having been to -Chateau d’Oex before, they were obliged to employ a guide, and that “on -account of the badness of the ways,” they had “to go some leagues -about,” which made their journey about eighty miles. Their coach had to -pass “over mountains of snow and rocks of ice.” When nine miles from -Chateau d’Oex, they were obliged to exchange their coach for “an open -sledge;” and now they “travelled through narrow passes, cut through the -snow, which, on both sides, was many feet above their heads; on the -sides of mountains, whose summits the eye could scarcely reach; and -frequently on the brink of precipices, at the bottoms of which they -could hear the waters roar like thunder.” In one place, Fletcher and -William Perronet, being obliged to walk, their feet slipped: Fletcher -“received a violent blow on the back part of the head;” and William -Perronet “sprained” his “wrist.” In crossing the Alps, they had to lie -“two nights in beds that were not only damp, but musty and without -curtains;” and, “being in a Popish canton, and Friday and Saturday being -meagre days,” they “were almost starved with hunger as well as cold.” -“The weather was extremely severe, and it was scarce in the power of -clothes, or even of fire, to keep” them “warm.” William Perronet -concludes his narrative of their adventures as follows:— - - “Whether I succeed in my temporal business or not, I shall ever - remember, with pleasure and thankfulness, the opportunities I have - been blessed with in spending so much time in company with our - inestimable friend; who, wherever he goes, preaches the Gospel, both - by his words and example; nay, by his very looks, not only to his - friends, but to all whom he meets: so that, on the top of the frozen - Alps, and in the dreary vale of Chateau d’Oex, good seed has been - sown. At Chateau d’Oex, he was visited by some of the principal - inhabitants, who stood around him, in deep attention, for almost an - hour, while he exhorted and prayed.”[449] - -Footnote 449: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -In a postscript to this letter, Fletcher wrote:— - - “I have had the pleasure of accompanying your son to your father’s - birthplace. It is a charming country for those who have a taste for - highland prospects; but what is it to our heavenly Father’s _Hill of - Sion_? Thither may we all travel, summer and winter, and there may we - all have a happy meeting, and find an eternal inheritance!” - -Three weeks later, Fletcher wrote the following to Mr. Ireland:— - - “NYON, _February 2, 1779_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I am sorry to hear that you are still tried by - illness; but our good, heavenly Father is wise; His will be done; His - name be praised! - - “I am better, thank God! and ride out every day, when the slippery - roads will permit me to venture without the risk of breaking my - horse’s legs and my own neck. You will ask me how I spend my time? I - pray, have patience, rejoice, and write, when I can; I saw wood in the - house when I cannot go out; and eat grapes, of which I have always a - basket by me. - - “Our little Lord-Lieutenant has forbidden the ministers to let me - exhort in the parsonage, because it is the _sovereign’s house_. My - second brother has addressed a memorial to him, in which he informs - him that he will give up neither his religious nor civil liberty, and - will open his house for the Word of God. According, we have since met - at his house. - - “On Sunday, we met at the young clergyman’s who writes against the - conduct of the clergy; but I fear we fence against a wall of brass. - However, I am quite persuaded that Providence calls me to leave a - testimony to my French brethren, and it may be of some use when I - shall be no more. I have been comforted by the apology of a minister - at Yverdon, who was persecuted at the beginning of this century under - the name of Pietist; and I have become acquainted with a faithful - minister of Geneva, but he dares no more offer me his pulpit than my - brother-in-law at Lausanne. - - “Several young women seem to have received the Word in the love of it, - and four or five grown-up ones; but not one man, except the young - hopeful clergyman I mention, who helps me at my little meetings, and - begins to preach extempore. The truths I chiefly insist upon, when I - talk to the people who will hear me, are those which I feed upon - myself as my daily bread. ‘God, our Maker and Preserver, though - invisible, is _here_ and _everywhere_. He is our chief good, because - all beauty and all goodness centre in and flow from Him. He is - especially _love_; and love in us, being His image, is the sum and - substance of all moral and spiritual excellence—of all true and - lasting bliss. In Adam we are all estranged from love and from God; - but the Second Adam—Jesus, Emanuel, God with us,—is come to make us - know and enjoy again our God as the God of love and the chief good. - All who receive Jesus receive power to become the sons of God,’ etc., - etc. - - “I hope I shall be able to set out for England with Mr. Perronet, in - April or May. O that I may find that dear island in peace within and - without![450] Well, I hope you make peace in the Church if you cannot - make peace with the patriots. - - “The coats and shoes you gave me have lasted _all this while_, and are - yet good; so that I need not draw upon your banker. Thank God, and - you, for a thousand favours! God bless and comfort you, my dear - friend! We are poor creatures, but we have a good God to cast all our - burdens upon, and who often burdens us that we may have constant and - free recourse to His bounty, power, and faithfulness. Stand fast in - the faith. Believe _lovingly_, and all will be well.”[451] - -Footnote 450: - - The war with the American Colonists was now raging, and England was - greatly excited. - -Footnote 451: - - Letters, 1791, p. 271. - -To his friend and Methodist helper among the Madeley Societies, William -Wase, Fletcher wrote as follows:— - - “NYON, _February 11, 1779_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I have just received yours of January 24, and rejoice - to hear of the welfare of your friends, whom I long much to see; but - there is no blessing _here_ without some alloy of grief, and such was - to me the account of the poor state of health of dear Mrs. Wase. Tell - her I should be glad to hold up her hands in her fight of affliction; - but, if the poor, unprofitable, weak servant is afar off, the Master, - who is rich in mercy, who fills the whole world with His goodness and - patience, is near to her and to all His afflicted ones. I recommend to - her two remedies. One is a cheerful resignation to the will of God, - whereby her animal spirits will be greatly raised or sweetly - refreshed. The other is, four lumps of heavenly sugar, to be taken - every half hour, day and night, when she does not sleep. I make a - constant use of them, to my great comfort. They have quickened my soul - when I was dying, and I doubt not they will have the same effect upon - hers. They are: ‘God so loved the world,’ etc. ‘If any man sin,’ etc. - ‘It is a faithful saying,’ etc. ‘Come unto Me, all ye that are weary,’ - etc. - - “Tell my little god-daughter, Patty Cartwright, she is big enough and - bad enough to take these heavenly pills. Tell her mother to take them - regularly with her. What a shame it is to have such a remedy and not - to make more use of it! - - “Remember me in much love to dear Mr. Hatton. Thank brother Costerdine - and his fellow-labourer[452] for their occasional help. May the Lord - vouchsafe to consecrate our little Zoar[453] by calling one sinner and - establishing another saint! How abundantly shall we be repaid for our - little expense and trouble! Thank the brethren you have mentioned; - salute them kindly from me, not forgetting John Tranter and our - friends at the Fore Bank—Thomas Pool and Thomas Banks, and our friends - at Dawley Green. You may see in the enclosed that I am not without - hopes of telling you in May how much I am yours, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[454] - -Footnote 452: - - James Barry and Robert Costerdine, the two Methodist itinerant - preachers stationed in the Chester circuit, of which Madeley and its - neighbourhood were a part. - -Footnote 453: - - The meeting-house Fletcher had recently erected in Madeley Wood, and - which is now a part of the Wesleyan Chapel there. - -Footnote 454: - - Letters, 1791, p. 47, and the _Christian Miscellany_, 1877, p. 333. - -“The enclosed” communication bore the same date as this letter to -William Wase, of Broseley, and was addressed “To the Brethren in and -about Madeley;” _i.e._, the Methodists:— - - “MY DEAR COMPANIONS IN TRIBULATION,—Peace and mercy, faith, hope, and - love be multiplied to you all from the Father of mercies through the - Lord Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of grace! I thank you for your kind - remembrance of me in your prayers. I am yet spared to pray for you. O - that I had more power with God! I would bring down heaven into all - your hearts. Strive together in love for the living faith, the - glorious hope, the sanctifying love once delivered to the saints. Look - to Jesus. Move on; run yourselves in the heavenly race, and let each - sweetly draw his brother along, till the whole company appears before - the redeeming God in Sion. - - “I hope God will, in His mercy, spare me to see you in the flesh; and - if I cannot labour for you, I shall gladly suffer with you. If you - will put health into my flesh, joy into my heart, and life into my - whole frame, be of _one heart_ and of _one soul_. Count nothing your - _own_ but your _sin_ and _shame_; and bury that dreadful property in - the grave of our Saviour. Let all you are and have be His who bought - you. Dig hard in the _Gospel_ mines for hidden treasure. Blow hard the - furnace of prayer with the bellows of faith until you are melted into - love, and the dross of sin is purged out of every heart. Get together - into Jesus, the heavenly ark, and sweetly sail into the ocean of - eternity; so shall you be true miners, furnacemen, and bargemen. - Farewell, in Jesus! Tell Mrs. Cound I shall greatly rejoice if she - remembers Lot’s wife.”[455] - -Footnote 455: - - Letters, p. 48, and _ibid_, p. 334. - -Six weeks after the date of this letter to the Madeley Methodists, -Wesley visited them, and wrote:— - - “1779. March 25, _Thursday_. I preached in the new house which Mr. - Fletcher has built in Madeley Wood. The people here exactly resemble - those at Kingswood, only they are more simple and teachable. But, for - want of discipline, the immense pains which he has taken with them has - not done them the good which might have been expected. I preached at - Shrewsbury in the evening, and next day, about noon, in the - assembly-room at Broseley. It was well we were in the shade, for the - sun shone as hot as it usually does at midsummer. We walked from - thence to Coalbrook Dale, and took a view of the bridge which is - shortly to be thrown over the Severn. It is one arch, a hundred feet - long, fifty-two high, and eighteen wide; all of cast-iron, weighing - many hundred tons. I doubt whether the Colossus at Rhodes weighed much - more.”[456] - -Footnote 456: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Fletcher’s health was still feeble, but he longed to be back to his -parishioners and to the Methodists surrounding Madeley. Hence the -following to the Vicar of Shoreham:— - - “1779, March 29. I am still weak in body, but able to ride out and - exhort some children. Well, the time shall come when, in a better - state, we shall be able to glorify our heavenly Father. In the - meantime, let us do it either in the stocks of weakness or in the - fires of tribulation; and on our death-bed may we sing, with hearts - overflowing with humble love, ‘The Resurrection and the Life, the - Friend and Saviour of sinners, loved me and gave Himself for me; and I - am going to see Him and to thank Him, face to face, for His matchless - love!’ - - “I hope the prospect respecting the inheritance of your fathers in - this country clears up a little, and I trust the matter will be - decided without a lawsuit. As soon as the affair is brought to some - conclusion, we design to set out for England. The will of the Lord be - done in all things!”[457] - -Footnote 457: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -This was written in the week before Easter. The Puritanical Calvinists -of Switzerland of course denounced the observance of holy days, and -hence, at Nyon, there was no service on Good Friday, April 2; but -Fletcher and William Perronet, who all their life had been accustomed to -commemorate the death of the incarnate Son of God, crossed the lake into -Savoy, to hear a celebrated Capuchin. - - “He made,” says Mr. Perronet, “a very good discourse, and he and his - brethren invited us to dine with them. This we declined; but, after - dinner, we paid our respects to them, when Mr. Fletcher spent two or - three hours with them in serious and friendly conversation.”[458] - -Footnote 458: - - _Ibid._ - -Fletcher had expressed a hope that he would be able to return to his -flock at Madeley in April or May, but his hope was not realized. The -reasons for this will be found in the following extracts from his -letters. To his curate, the Rev. Mr. Greaves, he said:— - - “Nyon, May 18, 1779. My dear fellow-labourer,—My departure being - delayed some weeks gives me much concern, although, from the - confidence I have in your pastoral diligence, I am easy about the - flock you feed. Last week, a Visitation was held here, and the clergy - of the town took my part against the Visitor and others, who said I - was of a sect everywhere spoken against. The conversation about it - held so long, and was so trying to my grain of humility, that I went - out. The matter, however, ended peaceably by a vote that they should - invite me to dinner. God ever save us from jealous and persecuting - zeal. - - “I hope, my dear friend, you go on comfortably, doing more and more - the work of an evangelist. Remember my love to as many of my - parishioners as you meet with, and especially to all our good - neighbours and to the Society.”[459] - -Footnote 459: - - Letters, 1791, p. 49. - -On the same day, he wrote to Michael Onions as follows:— - - “I have complied with the request of my friends to stay a little - longer among them, as it was backed by a small Society of pious people - gathered here. Three weeks ago, they got about me, and on their knees, - with many tears, besought me to stay till they were a little stronger - and able to stand alone; nor would they rise till they had got me to - comply. However, yesterday, I spoke with a carrier, from Geneva, to - take me to London, who said he would take us at a fortnight’s notice. - - “My love to your fellow-leaders, and, by them, to the companies you - meet in prayer; also to the preachers who help in the - Round[460].”[461] - -Footnote 460: - - The name often given by the old Methodists to a Methodist Circuit. - -Footnote 461: - - Letters, 1791, p. 51. - -On May 22, William Perronet, in a letter to his father, observed:— - - “On the 9th of this month, Mr. Fletcher preached in the church, on 2 - Cor. v. 20—‘We are ambassadors for Christ,’ etc. He spoke with a - strong and clear voice for more than three-quarters of an hour, and - did not find himself hurt by it. He has preached four times in the - church since I have been here, and might have preached much oftener if - his health would have allowed him; for, by his friendly and prudent - conduct towards the three ministers of the place, he is upon good - terms with them now, although, at his first coming hither, they were - afraid to own him, on account of his _irregular conduct_; for such - they deemed his exhorting the children, and holding meetings in - private houses.”[462] - -Footnote 462: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -On the same day, Fletcher remarked to the same venerable minister:— - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER, AND HONOURED FATHER,—I rejoice that you are yet - preserved to be a witness of the grace and saving health of Jesus. Let - us rejoice that when _our_ strength shall decay, _His_ will remain - entire for ever, and, in His strength, we, who take Him for our life, - shall be strong. Our Redeemer liveth; and, when sickness and death - shall have brought down our flesh to the earth, we shall, by His - resurrection’s power, rise and live for ever with Him in heavenly - places; for the new earth will be a heaven, or a glorious province in - the kingdom of heaven. The meek shall inherit it; and that inheritance - will be fairer than yours at Chateau d’Oex, and surer too. - - “I hope to accompany your son soon to England.”[463] - -Footnote 463: - - _Ibid._ - -The following, also, was written at the same time, and was addressed to -his honoured host and friend, Mr. Charles Greenwood, of Stoke -Newington:— - - “NYON, _May 22, 1779_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—“I am yet alive, able to ride out, and now and then - to instruct a few children. I hope Mr. Perronet will soon have settled - his affairs, and then, please God, I shall inform you, by word of - mouth, how much I am indebted to you, Mrs. Greenwood and Mrs. - Thornton. Thank and salute, on my behalf, Mr. John and Mr. Charles - Wesley, Dr. Coke, and Mr. Atlay.[464] Thanks be to God for His - unspeakable gifts,—His Son, His Spirit, and His Word! And thanks be to - His people, for their kindness towards the poor, the sick, the - stranger, and especially towards me! But, at this time, a sleepless - night and a constant toothache unfit me for almost everything but - lying down under the cross, kissing the rod, and rejoicing in hope of - a better state, in this world or in the next. Perhaps weakness and - pain are the best for me in this world. Well, the Lord will choose for - me, and I fully set my heart and seal to His choice. Let us not faint - in the day of adversity. The Lord tries us, that our faith may be - purged of all the dross of self-will, and may work by that love, which - beareth all things, and thinketh evil of nothing. Our calling is to - follow the crucified, and we must be crucified with Him, until body - and soul know the power of His resurrection, and pain and death are - done away. - - “I hope my dear friend will make, with me, a constant choice of the - following mottoes of St. Paul,—_Christ is gain in life and death—Our - life is hid with Christ in God—If we suffer with Him, we shall also - reign with Him—We glory in tribulation—God will give us rest with - Christ in that day—We are saved by hope._ To the Lord our God, - Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, let us give glory _in the fires_. - Amen.”[465] - -Footnote 464: - - Wesley’s Book Steward, who, nine years afterwards, seceded from the - Methodists, and took possession of a chapel which they had built at - Dewsbury. - -Footnote 465: - - Letters, 1791, p. 272. - -Besides his own physical weakness and suffering, Fletcher had other -trials in Switzerland. In a letter, written about the same time as the -foregoing, he remarked:— - - “Let us bear with patience the decays of nature; let us see, without - fear, the approach of death. We must put off this sickly, corruptible - body, in order to put on the immortal and glorious one. I have some - hopes that my poor sister will yet be my sister in Christ. Her - self-righteousness, I hope, breaks as fast as her body. I am come - hither to see death make havoc among my friends. I wear mourning for - my father’s brother, and for my brother’s son. The same mourning will - serve for my dying sister, if I do not go before her. She lies on the - same bed where my father and mother died, and where she and I were - born. How near is life to death! But, blessed be God, Christ, the - Resurrection, is nearer to the weak, dying believer!”[466] - -Footnote 466: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher, notwithstanding his longing to get back to his flock at -Madeley, was still detained in Switzerland. Hence the following, -addressed to Mr. Thomas York:— - - “NYON, _Ibid._. - - “MY DEAR SIR,—Providence is still gracious to me, and raises me - friends on all sides. May God reward them all, and may you have _a - double reward_ for all your kindness! I hope I am getting a little - strength. The Lord has blessed to me a species of black cherry, which - I have eaten in large quantities. I have had a return of my spitting - blood; but, for a fortnight past, I have catechized the children of - the town every day; and I do not find much inconvenience from that - exercise. Some of them seem to be under sweet drawings of the Father, - and a few of their mothers begin to come, and desire me with tears in - their eyes to stay in this country. They urge much my being born here, - and I reply, that I was _born again_ in England; that is, _of course_, - the country which, to me, is the dearer of the two. - - “My friends have prevailed on me to publish ‘A Poem on the Praises of - God,’ which I wrote many years ago. The revising it for the press is - at once a business and a pleasure, which I go through on horseback. - Help me, by your prayers, to ask a blessing on this little attempt. - - “I wish I could procure you an estate in this fine country, as I hope - to do Mr. Perronet, one of the physicians who showed me so much love - when I lay sick at Newington. His grandfather was a Swiss, who was - naturalized in the reign of Queen Anne. By calling upon some of his - relations, I have found that he is entitled to an estate of some - £1000, of which he is come to take possession. So Providence prepares - for me a friend, a kind physician, and a fellow-traveller, to - accompany me back to England; where one of my chief pleasures will be - to embrace you, and to assure you, how much I am, my dear friend, your - obliged servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[467] - -Footnote 467: - - Letters, 1791, p. 53. - -Alas! little did Fletcher think that William Perronet would not return -to England. - -“Providence,” said Fletcher, in the letter just quoted, “raises me -friends on all sides.” He soon had need of them. In the month of -September, William Perronet wrote:— - - “Mr. Fletcher has been wont to preach, now and then, in the church - here (Nyon), at the request of one or other of the ministers; but, - some time ago, he was summoned before the Seigneur Bailiff, who - sharply reprehended him for preaching against Sabbath-breaking and - stage plays. The former, he said, implied a censure on the magistrates - in general, as if they neglected their duty. And the latter he - considered as a personal reflection on himself, he having just then - sent for a company of French Comedians to come to Nyon. Accordingly, - he forbade Mr. Fletcher to exercise, any more, any of the functions of - a minister in this country. However, one of the Ministers here has - given him a room in his own house to preach in; and here Mr. Fletcher - meets a few serious persons, particularly a number of children, two or - three times a week. Hitherto, his lordship has not interfered with - respect to this mode of exhortation; and both the number and the - seriousness of the congregation increase daily.”[468] - -Footnote 468: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Referring to the same incident, Fletcher wrote:— - - “Our Lord Lieutenant, being stirred up by some of the clergy, and - believing firmly that I am banished from England, took the alarm, and - forbade the ministers to let me exhort in their houses; threatening - them with the power of the Senate if they did. They all yielded, but - are now ashamed of it. A young clergyman, a true Timothy, has opened - me his house, where I exhort twice a week; and the other clergymen, - encouraged by his boldness, come to our meetings.” - -William Perronet completes this story by relating that the minister, who -began this discreditable opposition, died suddenly, as he was dressing -to go to church; and that his successor continued the same intolerant -behaviour towards poor, well-meaning Fletcher. Mr. Perronet adds:— - - “Mr. Fletcher now thinks himself obliged, before he leaves his native - country, to bear a public testimony to the truth. When his writing - will be finished, I cannot say, for it multiplies under his fertile - pen; so that, I fear, we shall be obliged to spend another winter in - this severe climate.”[469] - -Footnote 469: - - _Ibid._ - -There can be little doubt that the “public testimony,” which Fletcher -was now composing was his “Portrait of St. Paul,” to be noticed anon. - -Soon after this, Fletcher had an attack of rheumatism, and wrote as -follows to William Perronet, who had gone to Lausanne. After relating -that the pain in his left shoulder had deprived him of sleep, and almost -crippled him, he added:— - - “I have partly recovered the use of my shoulder; but it is still very - weak. I drink a decoction of pine-apple, which is as warm as guaiacum. - My writing does not go on; but the will of the Lord is done, and that - is enough. I would press you to come back soon, if I were not - persuaded you are better where you are. I have been afraid that our - bad meat here would make you lose your flesh; and, for the honour of - Switzerland, I should be glad you had some to carry back to England, - if we live to go and see our friends there. I had last Sunday - (December 19), a great trial in my family. I see the Lord will not use - me in this country for good, and, when we shall have finished our - little matters, I shall be glad to go to my spiritual friends, and to - my flock; so much the more, as Mr. Ireland mentions my curate’s danger - of being in a consumption. My compliments and thanks wait on Miss - Perronet. She was very obliging to share her drops with me. May we all - share the springs of grace and glory together! If you will come a few - leagues southward, and try the weather here, your room waits for you, - and I shall be glad to see you. In the meantime, keep yourself warm by - the Word of God within, and a good fire without. The Lord direct us in - all things! Oh for quietness and English friends!”[470] - -Footnote 470: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher;” and _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1825, - p. 744. - -Two days after writing this, Fletcher addressed his curate, Mr. Greaves, -as follows:— - - “NYON, _December 25, 1779_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—Glory be to God for His unspeakable gift! May that - Jesus, that eternal, all-creating, all-supporting, all-atoning, - all-comforting Word, which was with God, and is God, and came, in the - likeness of sinful flesh, to dwell among men, and to be our Emmanuel, - God with us,—may He, by a lively faith, be formed in our hearts; and, - by a warm love, lie and grow in the manger of our emptiness, filling - it always with the bread that comes down from heaven! - - “Though absent in body, I am with you and the flock in spirit. You are - now at the Lord’s table. O may all the dear people, you have just now - preached to, receive Jesus in the pledge of His dying love, and go - home with this lively conviction, ‘God has given _me_ eternal life, - and this life is _in His Son_!’ - - “Glory be to God in heaven! Peace on earth! Love and good-will - everywhere! Especially in the place where Providence has called us to - cry, ‘_Behold! what manner of love the Father has testified to us, in - Jesus, that we, children of wrath, should be made children of God_, by - that only-begotten Son of the Most High, who was born for our - regeneration, crucified for our atonement, raised for our - justification, and who now triumphs in heaven for our sanctification, - for our full redemption, and for our eternal glorification. To Him be - glory for ever and ever;’ and may all, who fear and love Him about - you, say, for ever, Amen! Hallelujah! - - “Out of the fulness of my heart, I invite them to do so; but how - shallow is my fulness to His! What a drop, compared to an ocean - without bottom or shore! Let us, then, receive continually from Him, - who is the overflowing and ever-present source of pardoning, - sanctifying, and exhilarating grace; and, from the foot of the Wrekin, - where you are, to the foot of the Alps, where I am, let us echo back - to each other the joyful, thankful cry of the primitive Christians, - which was the text here this morning, ‘_Out of His fulness, we have - all received grace for grace._’ - - “I long to hear from you and the flock. How do you go on? Let me know - that you cast _joyfully_ all your burdens on the Lord. Mr. Ireland - sends me word, that Mr. Romaine told him you are not very well. Take - care of yourself. Lay nothing to heart. Should your breast be weak, - preach but once on Sundays; for you know the evening sermon is not a - part of our _stated_ duty. I say this, that you may not _over-do_, and - lie by, as I do. God direct, sustain, and comfort you in all things! - - “Give my pastoral love to all my flock. May all see, and see more - abundantly, the salvation of God! May national distress be sanctified - unto them; and may they all be loyal subjects of the King of kings, - and of His Anointed, our King! May the approaching new year be to them - a year of peace and Gospel grace! I hope Molly takes good care of you. - God bless her!”[471] - -Footnote 471: - - Letters, 1791, p. 56. - -Fletcher refers to the “national distress.” This was great. Parliament -was excited. Ireland was in a state of veiled rebellion. England rang -with reports of threatened invasion. The war with the American colonists -had already added sixty-three millions to the national debt. Trade was -paralysed, and taxes were intolerable. Popery had been established in -Canada, and had received encouragement in England. The Protestant -Association had sprung into existence, and the Gordon riots were at -hand. In the midst of this state of things, Fletcher wrote to a -nobleman, whose name is not given, but who, probably, was Lord North, as -follows:— - - “NYON, _December 15, 1779_. - - “MY LORD,—If the American Colonies and the West India Islands are rent - from the Crown, there will not grow one ear of corn the less in Great - Britain. We shall still have the necessaries of life, and, what is - more, the Gospel, and liberty to hear it. If the great springs of - trade and wealth are cut off, good men will bear that loss without - much sorrow; for springs of wealth are always springs of luxury, - which, sooner or later, destroy the empires corrupted by wealth. Moral - good may come out of our losses. I wish you may see it in England. - People on the Continent imagine they see it already in the English on - their travels, who are said to behave with more wisdom and less - haughtiness than they used to do.”[472] - -Footnote 472: - - Letters, 1791, p. 273. - -Lord North, King George the Third’s Prime Minister, was, at this time, -harassed by the American rebellion, incessantly assailed by the -Opposition, and frequently threatened with impeachment. Probably, -Fletcher’s letter, of which the above is only a part, was intended to -help him in his troubles. Though a foreigner by birth, John de la -Flechere was a most loyal and devoted subject of King George. Hence, -also, the following, taken from a letter to his curate, Mr. Greaves:— - - “March 7, 1780. I long to hear from you. I hope you are well, and grow - in the love of Christ, and of the souls bought with His blood, and - committed to your care. I recommend to you the most helpless of the - flock,—I mean the _children_ and the _sick_. They most want your help, - and they are the most likely to benefit by it; for affliction softens - the heart, and children are not yet quite hardened through the - deceitfulness of sin. - - “I beg you will not fail, when you have opportunity, to recommend to - our flock, to honour the King, to study to be quiet, and to hold up - the hands of the Government by which we are protected.”[473] - -Footnote 473: - - _Ibid._, p. 57. - -On the same day, Fletcher wrote to his friend and helper, Mr. William -Wase, on another matter which was causing him considerable anxiety. His -Methodist meeting-house in Madeley Wood had cost much more than he -expected. The letter to Mr. Wase needs no further explanation, except -that the work, ready to be printed, was, probably, his poem, in French, -entitled, “La Louange.” - - “NYON, _March 7, 1780_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—I am sorry the building has cost so much more than I - intended; but, as the mischief is done, it is a matter to exercise - patience, resignation, and self-denial; and it will be a caution in - the future. I am going to sell part of my little estate here to - discharge the debt. I had laid by £50, to print a small work, which I - wanted to distribute here; but, as I must be just, before I presume to - offer that mite to _the God of truth_, I abandon the design, and send - that sum to Mr. York. - - “Money is so scarce here, at this time, that I shall sell at a very - great loss; but necessity and justice are two great laws, which must - be obeyed. As I design, on my return to England, to pinch until I have - got rid of this debt, I may go and live in one of the cottages - belonging to the vicar, if we could let the vicarage for a few pounds; - and, in that case, I dare say Mr. Greaves would be so good as to take - the other little house. - - “My dear friend, let us die to sin. Hold fast Jesus, the way, the - truth, and the life. Walk by faith in Him; and not by the sight and - passions of the old Adam. I hope the sun of affliction, which burns - poor England and us, will ripen us all for glory. Give my best love to - all our friends in Christ, and tell them that the hope of seeing them - does me good.”[474] - -Footnote 474: - - Letters, 1791, p. 58. - -Fletcher was hard at work; the weather was cold; and, for the present, -exercise out of doors was impracticable. The following, taken from an -unpublished letter written by William Perronet, contains an amusing -scene:— - - “Nyon, March 1, 1780. As this is Mr. Fletcher’s native village, no - wonder that it agrees with him; otherwise, it must be very trying to - so tender a constitution as his; for the weather here is much hotter - in summer, and much colder in winter, than in England; and the - transitions from intense heat to extreme cold are often very sudden. - - “Mr. Fletcher was once told by two physicians (somewhere), that the - benefit of exercise, for consumptive persons, must be estimated by the - violence of it; consequently, that riding on horseback was better than - going in a carriage, that walking was better than riding, running than - walking, and jumping better than all of them put together. Our worthy - friend has scrupulously followed this maxim; so that, whenever he does - not take his little hasty rides (which by-the-bye frequently occurs), - he allows himself, for exercise, not more than three minutes, from his - studies, just as dinner is being served, and then, like harlequin, he - takes about half a score such violent leaps and plunges across the - room, that I am _sometimes_ in pain for the floor, and _always_ for - his bones.” - -During the year 1779, Fletcher and William Perronet had lodged in the -same house in Nyon; now, as might be expected from the foregoing -extract, William Perronet’s state of health obliged him to seek a more -salubrious situation. He went to Lausanne; Fletcher remained at Nyon; -and was thus pictured by his friend in the month of July next ensuing:— - - “About half a year ago, we broke up housekeeping at Nyon. Poor dear - Mr. Fletcher, with difficulty, procured a miserable lodging in the - neighbourhood; and I was obliged to go to Lausanne, which is seven - leagues from Nyon. I submitted the more willingly to this, because he - talked of spending some time at Lausanne. I have been disappointed in - this respect; but, once or twice, I have had the pleasure of seeing - him at Nyon. I found him to-day sitting in his small apartment, - surrounded with books and papers, writing, or, as he expressed it, - ‘finishing the _first part_’ of one of his pieces. When the _whole_ is - likely to be finished, one cannot pretend to say.”[475] - -Footnote 475: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher intended to return to England in the month of September, but -two occurrences prevented him. First of all, he mislaid a portion of the -manuscript which he wished to publish before he left Switzerland, and -had to re-write what was missing. - - “The misfortune I hinted at,” said he to William Perronet, “was the - mislaying of a considerable part of my manuscript. After giving it up - as lost, I fell to work again; went through the double toil; and, when - I had done, last night, I accidentally found what I had mislaid. This - has thrown me back a great deal. The Lord’s will be done in all - things! I thank God, I have been kept from fretting on the occasion; - though I would not for a great deal have such another trial.”[476] - -Footnote 476: - - _Ibid._ - -Added to this, and, perhaps, partly in consequence of it, his health -relapsed. These, and other matters, are referred to in the following -letter, addressed to his curate, Mr. Greaves:— - - “NYON, _September 15, 1780_. - - “MY DEAR FELLOW-LABOURER,—I had fixed the time of my departure for - this month; but now two hindrances stand in my way. When I came to - collect the parts of my manuscript, I found the most considerable part - wanting; and, after a thousand searches, I was obliged to write it - over again. This accident compelled me to put off my journey; and now - the change of weather has brought back some symptoms of my disorder. I - speak, or rather whisper, with difficulty; but I hope the quantity of - grapes I begin to eat will have as good an effect upon me as in the - last two autumns. - - “Have patience then a little while. If things are not as you could - wish, you can do but as I have done for many years,—_learn patience by - the things which you suffer_. Crossing our will, getting the better of - our inclinations, and growing in experience, are no mean advantages, - and they may all be yours. - - “Mr. Ireland writes me word that if I return to England now, the - winter will undo all I have been doing for my health for many years. - However, I have not quite laid aside the design of spending the winter - with you; but don’t expect me till you see me. I am, nevertheless, - firmly purposed that, if I do not set out this autumn, I shall do so - next spring, as early as I can. - - “Till I had this relapse, I was able to exhort, in a private room, - three times a week; but the Lord Lieutenant will not allow me to get - into a pulpit, though they permit the schoolmasters, who are laymen, - to put on a band and read the Church prayers; so high runs the - prejudice. The clergy, however, tell me that if I will renounce my - ordination, and get Presbyterian Orders among them, they will allow me - to preach, and on these terms one of the ministers of this town offers - me his curacy. A young clergyman of Geneva, tutor to my nephew, - appears to me a truly converted man; and he is so pleased when I tell - him there are converted souls in England, that he will go with me to - learn English, and converse with the British Christians. He wrote last - summer, with such force, to some of the clergy, who are stirring up - the fire of persecution, that he made them ashamed, and we have since - had peace from that quarter. - - “There is little genuine piety in these parts; nevertheless, there is - yet some of _the form_ of it; so far as to go to the Lord’s table - regularly four times a year. There meet the adulterers, the drunkards, - the swearers, the infidels, and even the materialists. They have no - idea of the double damnation that awaits hypocrites. They look upon - the partaking of that sacrament as a ceremony enjoined by the - magistrate. At Zurich, the first town of this country, they have - lately beheaded a clergyman who wanted to betray his country to the - Emperor, to whom it chiefly belonged. It is the town of the great - reformer, Zuinglius; yet there they poisoned the sacramental wine a - few years ago. I mention this to show you there is great need to bear - a testimony against the faults of the clergy here; and, if I cannot do - it from the pulpit, I must try to do it from the press. Their canons, - which were composed by two hundred and thirty pastors, at the time of - the Reformation, are so spiritual and apostolic that I design to - translate them into English, if I am spared. - - “Farewell, my dear brother. Take care, _good, constant, care_ of the - flock committed to your charge; especially _the sick_ and _the young_. - Salute all our dear parishioners. Let me still have a part in your - prayers, public and private; and rejoice in the Lord, as, through - grace, I am enabled to do in all my little tribulations.”[477] - -Footnote 477: - - Letters, 1791, p. 60. - -On the same day, Fletcher wrote to Mr. Thomas York:— - - “I have been so well, that my friends here thought of giving me a - wife; but what should I do with a _Swiss wife_ at Madeley? I want - rather an English nurse; but more still a mighty Saviour, and, thanks - be to God! that I have. Help me to rejoice in that never-dying, - never-moving Friend. - - “Having heard that my dear friend Ireland has discharged the greatest - part of my debt, I have not sent the money; but I hope to bring with - me £100, to reimburse my friends in part, till I can do it altogether. - But I shall never be able to pay you the debt of kindness I have - contracted with you. I look to Jesus, my Surety, for that. May He - repay you a thousand-fold!”[478] - -Footnote 478: - - Letters, 1791, p. 62. - -To William Wase, the good old Methodist, Fletcher wrote, at the same -time:— - - “Give my love and thanks to the preachers” (William Boothby and - Jonathan Hern) “who come to help us. Enforce my exhortation to the - Societies in much love. Go and comfort, from me, Mrs. Palmer and Mrs. - Cartwright; and, since God has placed you all in a widowed state, - agree to take Jesus for a never-dying Friend and Bridegroom. Your - Maker is your husband. He is all in all. What, then, have you lost? - Christ is _yours_ and _all things with Him_. The resurrection day will - soon come. Prepare yourselves for the marriage feast of the Lamb; and - till then, rejoice in the _expectation_ of that day. I sympathize with - our sickly friends, widow Matthews, M. Blummer, E. Whittaker, I. York, - and S. Aston. Salute them kindly from me. Help them to trim their - lamps, and to wait for the Bridegroom. Thank Thomas and Nelly Fennel - for their love to the” (Methodist) “preachers, and give them mine, and - also give it to the little companies they meet with, to call for - strength, comfort, and help, in time of need. Fare ye all well in - Jesus! I say, again, farewell!”[479] - -Footnote 479: - - _Ibid._, p. 61. - -Fletcher’s “Exhortation” to the Methodist Societies was as follows:— - - “To the Societies in and about Madeley. - - “Grace and peace, truth and love, be multiplied to you all. Stand fast - in the Lord, my dear brethren. Stand fast in Jesus; stand fast to one - another; stand fast to the vow we have so often renewed together, upon - our knees, and at the Lord’s table. Don’t be _so unloving, so - cowardly_, as to let one of your little company fall into the hands of - the world and the devil; and agree to crucify the body of sin - altogether. - - “I am still in a strait between the work which Providence cuts out for - me here, and the love which draws me to you. When I shall have the - pleasure of seeing you, let it not be embittered by the sorrow of - finding any of you half-hearted and lukewarm. Let me find you all - strong in the Lord, and increased in humble love. Salute from me all - who followed with us fifteen years ago. Care still for your old - brethren. Let there be no Cain among you, no Esau, no Lot’s wife. Let - the love of David and Jonathan, heightened by that of Martha, Mary, - Lazarus, and our Lord, shine in all your _thoughts_, your _tempers_, - your _words_, your _looks_, and your _actions_. If you love one - another, your little meetings will be a renewed feast; and the God of - love, who is peculiarly present where two or three are gathered - together in the name of Jesus, will abundantly bless you. Bear me - still upon your breasts in prayer, as I do you upon mine; and rejoice - with me that the Lord, who made, redeemed, and comforts us, _bears us - all upon His_. I am yours in Him, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[480] - -Footnote 480: - - Letters, 1791, p. 63. - -For some time after his arrival in Switzerland, Fletcher lived in the -house where he was born, a respectable old building, erected on an -elevated site at the extremity of the town. Close at hand was the shady -wood, where he used to read, meditate, and pray, and meet his flock of -little children. Near the house was a terrace, from which the whole of -the glorious lake of Geneva was visible; and, in the distance, might be -seen the city itself. Towering above all, there was the unutterably -grand Mont Blanc. No wonder Fletcher spoke of the “pleasant apartment” -where he was born, as having “one of the finest prospects in the world.” -For some reason, however, he now exchanged the house of his nativity for -another not so enchanting. Hence the following letter to William -Perronet, who was residing at Lausanne:— - - “NYON, _October 3, 1780_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—I thank you for your letters. They have given me - much pleasure, as I see that you will at last end your business, and - get ready to set out in the spring with Mr. Ireland, who comes with - his family, I know not where; but I think he will spend the winter at - or about Avignon. If you will go and join him, I shall be glad to go - also, for the _stream under this house_ does not make it very - wholesome. - - “My brother thinks, as well as myself, that you may conclude upon the - terms you mention. ‘Better a dinner of herbs with peace, than a - stalled ox and noise therewith.’ - - “I hope to go to Lausanne, directly after vintage, to offer a - manuscript to the censors, to see if they will allow its being - published; so I do not invite you to share my _damp bed_. My sister - was so kind as to look for another house, but we find none to let - under a year. We are here travellers, so we must expect some - difficulties and a good many inconveniences. - - “If Mr. Ireland goes to Marseilles, you might go and see your cousin - there. Lift up your heart, and see by faith our Lord and Saviour, our - heavenly Kinsman and Brother; and when you rise there, take by the - hand of prayer your affectionate friend, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[481] - -Footnote 481: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1830, p. 831. - -Soon after this, William Perronet was seized with mortal illness. In a -letter to the Vicar of Shoreham, Fletcher wrote:— - - “December 5, 1780. Our wise and good God sees fit to try my dear - friend, your son, with a want of appetite and uneasiness in his - bowels. He also often returns the little food he takes. Some time ago, - he came to Nyon, from Lausanne, and we went together to Geneva, where - we settled your affair with three of the Geneva co-heirs, upon the - same footing as he had settled with those of Chateau d’Oex. He bears - his weakness with much patience and resignation.”[482] - -Footnote 482: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Fletcher was now employed in finishing the poem, which he wished to -publish before he left Switzerland; but he delighted in spending as much -time with his dying friend as possible. - - “Every night,” says William Perronet, in a letter dated January 22, - 1781, “after praying with me, he sings this verse at parting:— - - “‘Then let our humble faith address - His mercy and His power; - We shall obtain delivering grace - In the distressing hour.’”[483] - -Footnote 483: - - _Ibid._ - -Within three weeks after this, Fletcher’s book was finished, and the -business of William Perronet was ended. Fletcher wished to set out for -England, but was still detained in Switzerland. Hence the following, -addressed to Mr. Wase:— - - “NYON, _February 14, 1781_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I thank you for your kind remembrance of me. I need - not be urged to return; brotherly love draws me to Madeley, and - circumstances drive me hence. - - “I am exceeding glad that there is a revival on your side the water” - [the river Severn], “and that you are obliged to enlarge your - Room.[484] I wish I could contribute to shake the dry bones in my - parish, but I have no confidence in the flesh. What I could not do - when I was in my strength, I have little prospect of doing now that my - strength is broken. However, I don’t despair, for the work is not - _mine_ but the _Lord’s_. If the few who love the Gospel would be - simple and zealous, God would again hear their prayers for those who - are content to go on in the broad way. I thank you for your view of - the iron bridge.[485] - - “My friend Ireland invites me to join him in the South of France; and - I long to see whether I could not have more liberty to preach the Word - among Papists than among Protestants. But it is so little that I can - do, that I doubt much whether it is worth while going so far upon so - little a chance. If I were stronger, and had more time, the fear of - _being hanged_ should not detain me. I trust to set out next month, - and to be in England in May; it won’t be my fault if it is not in - April. - - “I am here in the midst of rumours of war. The burghers of Geneva have - disarmed the garrison, and taken possession of one of the gates. I - had, however, the luck to get in, and to bring away my nephew, who is - a student there. Troops are preparing to block them up. The Lord may, - at this time, punish the repeated backslidings of those Laodicean - Christians, most of whom have become infidels. This event may a little - retard my journey, as I must pass through Geneva. It also puts off the - printing of my manuscript, for there is nothing going on in that - unhappy town but disputes, and fights, and mounting of guards. - - “Remember me in much love to Mr. Greaves, Mr. Gilpin, and the” - [Methodist] “preachers who labour with us.”[486] - -Footnote 484: - - The Methodist meeting-house. - -Footnote 485: - - The bridge across the Severn at Coalbrookdale, the first iron bridge - erected in England; cast in 1779, under the direction of Mr. Abraham - Darby. - -Footnote 486: - - Letters, 1791, p. 67. - -At the same date, Fletcher wrote to Mr. John Owen, his schoolmaster at -Madeley, as follows:— - - “Nyon, February 14, 1781. I thank you, my dear brother, for your kind - lines. I hope you help both Mr. Greaves and the” [Methodist] - “preachers to stir up the people in my parish. Be _much_ in prayer. - Take counsel with Michael Onions, Mrs. Palmer, and Molly Cartwright - about the most effectual means to recover the backsliders, and to keep - together to Christ and to each other those who still hold their - shield. Salute them kindly from me, and tell them that I hope they - will give me a good account of their little companies” [Methodist - classes] “and of themselves. - - “If I were not a minister, I would be a _schoolmaster_, to have the - pleasure of bringing up children in the fear of the Lord. That - pleasure is yours; relish it, and it will comfort and strengthen you - in your work. The joy of the Lord and of charity is our strength. - Salute the children from me, and tell them I long to show them the way - to happiness and heaven. Have you mastered the stiffness and shyness - of your temper? Charity gives _a meekness, an affability, a child-like - simplicity and openness_, which nature has denied you. Let me find you - shining by these virtues, and you will revive me much. God bless your - labour about the sheep and the lambs! - - “Read the following note to all who fear God and love Jesus and each - other, assembling in Madeley church:— - - “MY DEAR BRETHREN,—My heart leaps with joy at the thought of coming to - see you and bless the Lord with you. Let us not stay to praise Him - till we see each other. Let us see Him in His Son, in His works, and - in all the members of Christ. How slow will post-horses go in - comparison of love! Meet me, as I do you, in _spirit_; and we shall - not stay till April or May to bless God together. _Now_ will be the - time of union and love.”[487] - -Footnote 487: - - Letters, 1791, p. 65. - -For another month Fletcher was detained at Nyon, when he wrote to -Michael Onions the following:— - - “NYON, _March 1781_. - - “I thank you, my dear brother, for your kind remembrance of me, and - for your letters. I hope to bring my fuller thanks to you in person. - - “Hold up your hands. Confirm the feeble knees. Set up an Ebenezer - every hour of the day. In everything give thanks; and, in order to - this, pray without ceasing, and rejoice evermore. My heart sympathizes - with poor Molly Cartwright. Tell her, from me, that her husband lives - in Him who is the Resurrection. In Christ there is no death, but the - victory over death. O! let us live in Him, to Him, for Him, who more - than repairs all our losses. My love to your wife. Tell her she - promised me to be Jesus’s, as well as yours. My love to John Owen and - all our other” [Methodist] “leaders, and by them to the few who do not - tire by the way. With regard to the others, despair of none. Charity - hopeth all things, and brings many things to pass. All things are - _possible_ to him that believeth; all things are _easy_ to him that - loveth. God be with you, and make you faithful unto death! This is my - prayer for you, and all the Society, and all my dear parishioners, to - whom I beg to be remembered. I have no place to write their names, but - I pray they may all be written _in the book of life_. God is merciful, - gracious, and faithful. I set my seal to His lovingkindness. Witness - my heart and hand, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[488] - -Footnote 488: - - _Ibid_, p. 68. - -Fletcher had promised to join Mr. Ireland at Montpelier; but, meanwhile, -William Perronet, who had returned to Lausanne, was so much worse in -health, that it was impossible for him to accompany his friend. Two days -before leaving Switzerland, Fletcher visited him, and, in a letter to -the aged Vicar of Shoreham, wrote:— - - “Miss Perronet and her mother[489] are as kind to him as my dear - friends at Stoke Newington were to me when I lay sick there. His mind - is quite easy; he is sweetly resigned to the will of God.”[490] - -Footnote 489: - - Probably William Perronet’s aunt and cousin; certainly not his mother - and sister. - -Footnote 490: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -At Montpelier, Fletcher overtaxed his strength; and at Lyons, on his way -to England, wrote as follows to his sick and dying friend, whom he had -been obliged to leave behind him:— - - “LYONS, _April 6, 1781_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—We are both weak, both afflicted; but Jesus careth - for us. He is everywhere, and here He has all power to deliver us; and - He may do it by ways we little think of: ‘As Thou wilt, when Thou - wilt, and where Thou wilt,’ said Baxter: let us say the same. It was - of the Lord you did not come with me: you would have been sick as I - am. I am overdone with riding and preaching. I preached twice in the - fields. I carry home with me much weakness and a pain in the back, - which I fear will end in the gravel. The Lord’s will be done! I know I - am called to suffer and die. The journey tires me; but, through mercy, - I bear it. Let us believe and rejoice in the Lord Jesus.”[491] - -Footnote 491: - - _Ibid._ - -Three weeks after this, Fletcher preached in City Road Chapel, London, -and, the next day (April 28), set out to the hospitable home of his -friend, Mr. Ireland, at Brislington. At this time, one of the Methodist -preachers, stationed in the Bristol circuit, was Thomas Rankin, who had -spent nearly five years in America, and who, in 1778, had been driven -home by the American rebellion. Hearing of Fletcher’s arrival at -Brislington, Rankin went to visit him, and wrote:— - - “I had such an interview with him as I shall never forget. I had not - seen him for upwards of ten years. His looks, his salutation, and his - address, struck me with wonder, solemnity, and joy. We retired into - Mr. Ireland’s garden; and he began to inquire concerning the work of - God in America. I gave him a full account of everything that he wished - to know. During this relation, he stopped me six times, and, in the - shadow of the trees, poured out his soul to God, for the prosperity of - the work, and for our brethren there. He several times called upon me, - also, to commend them to God in prayer. This was an hour never to be - forgotten. Before we parted, I engaged him to come to Bristol, on the - Monday following, to meet the select band in the forenoon, and to - preach in the evening. During the hour he spent with the select band, - the room appeared as ‘the house of God, and the gate of heaven.’ At - night, he preached from, ‘We are bound to give thanks alway to God for - you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning - chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and - belief of the truth.’ The whole congregation was in tears. He spoke - like one who had but just left the converse of God and angels. The - different conversations I had with him, and his prayers and preaching, - during the few days he stayed at Bristol and Brislington, were - attended with such effects upon me, that, for some months afterwards, - not a cloud intervened between God and my soul, no, not for one hour. - Of all the men I ever knew, I never saw such love to God and man, such - deadness to the world, such entire consecratedness to Jesus, as in - him. It often appeared to me that his every breath was prayer and - praise. He lived more like a disembodied spirit than a human - being.”[492] - -Footnote 492: - - Thomas Rankin’s MS. Journal. - -When at Marseilles, on his way to Switzerland, in March, 1778, Fletcher -wrote a long letter,[493] to Miss Bosanquet, on Christian Perfection, -and respecting his unpublished Essay on the New Birth. Miss Bosanquet -replied to that, in a letter dated August 30, 1778. Strange to say, this -letter was not put into Fletcher’s hands until nearly three years -afterwards. During this interval, there seems to have been no -correspondence between him and the lady who was speedily to become his -wife. On his return from Switzerland, he wrote her the following, which -is now for the first time published:— - - “BRISLINGTON, NEAR BRISTOL, _May 1, 1781_. - - “DEAR MADAM,—Your kind favour dated August 30, 1778, having been - mislaid in a drawer and forgotten, did not come into my hands till - this morning. I hope my speedy taking of the pen, to acknowledge so - unexpected a favour, will atone for the forgetfulness of my friend. - - “You speak, Madam, of a _letter from Bath_; I do not recollect, at - present, your having favoured me with one from that place. Is it my - lot to be tried, or disappointed in this respect? Well, the hairs of - our heads, and the letters of our friends, are all numbered: not one - of the former falls, not one of the latter miscarries, without the - will of Him, to whose orders we have long since fully and cheerfully - subscribed. - - “I have sincerely aimed at truth in writing the Essay you have been so - kind as to peruse.[494] If I am not mistaken, Dr. Coke told me, when I - passed through London, that he had it; but I went out of town in such - a hurry that I had not time to take it with me. I feel the propriety - of your remarks, and shall make the alterations you mention, as soon - as I shall have the manuscript. - - “I had thought of what you name, respecting a _less plan_ of the - doctrine of the New Birth,—a plan calculated to make way for the - larger essay, and to guide into the truth those who have never taken - one step without the leading strings of prejudice, and who cannot - judge of a doctrine if it be not brought within the narrow compass and - focus of their understanding. I shall be glad of an opportunity of - consulting you about that sketch, if I live to make it. I love - _truth_, because I love _Jesus_; but I am, every way, too feeble an - instrument to defend and hold it forth with success. Your thought - about it makes me pray with earnestness that I may, in some degree, - answer your too favourable opinion of the importance of my little - attempts to vindicate, or clear up, some part of the Gospel truths. - - “Alas! what am I? A cracked voice crying in the wilderness;—a blunted - pen scribbling in a village. Thanks be to grace, however, I sincerely - desire to be a living shadow of the Divine Man, who is truth and love - incarnate. I sincerely desire to embrace those great and precious - promises given unto us, whereby we may become partakers of the Divine - nature. I will not rest in the first Comforter, so as to slight that - _other Comforter_, who is to abide with us for ever. I want not only - to see Jesus _altogether lovely_, but to feel Him _altogether powerful - and wise_, both in myself and in all my fellow-Christians. Restless, - resigned for this, I wait for this. My vehement soul is on the - stretch. Some tell me I carry my views too high; but how can that be, - if God can do in us exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or - think? Is not the soul joined completely to the Lord, _one spirit with - Him_? Are we not called to come to the measure of the stature of the - fulness of Christ? Is a dwarf’s state of grace the full prize of our - high calling? If this hope preys upon my feeble frame, I dare not cast - it off: let me rather die a martyr to it than lose it. Why should - there not be true martyrs for the hope, as well as for the faith of - the Gospel? At all events, let us wait for the great salvation of God - the Spirit. Against hope, let us believe in hope that we shall see - _the royal priesthood_ clothed with Divine righteousness, and all - God’s saints rejoice and sing. - - “The openness with which you mention what some _might_ call _your - enthusiasm_, makes me reveal to you, Madam, what some call _mine_. I - own I do not believe that Scripture repealed, ‘Your young men shall - see visions; your old men shall dream dreams.’ ‘These signs shall - follow them that believe,’ etc. (See Mark xvi. 17, 18). ‘My sons and - my daughters shall prophesy.’ ‘Desire spiritual gifts, but rather that - ye may prophesy’ (1 Cor. xiv. 2). Shall I offend you, if I ask you in - simplicity the following questions? Do you know any soul filled with - all the fulness of God? Anyone walking as Christ also walked, and able - to say, in truth, ‘As He was, so are we in this world?’ Do you know - any knit together in love, sharing all the riches of _the full - assurance of understanding_, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of - God, and of Christ in us the hope of glory (Col. i. 27; ii. 2)? Or, - are the professors about you (far from having the full assurance of - understanding with respect to this mystery) ready to say, when one - speaks of this mystery, ‘Thou bringest strange things to our ears’? - - “If you condescend to favour me with an answer, please to direct it to - me at Madeley, Salop. There I hope to be next week. In the meantime, I - pray the Lord to give us an understanding, that we may know more of - Him, and be completely in His Son Jesus Christ, that is, in the true, - Divine, and eternal life. May the living unction be and abide with - you! I ask it ardently for you; condescend to ask it also for, dear - Madam, your obliged friend and servant in the Gospel, - - “J. FLETCHER. - - “P.S.—The third part, which I designed to add[495] to the ‘Essay on - the New Birth,’ was an application to the disciples of Moses, of John, - and of Jesus glorified; to those who have the fear of God, the faith - of the Son, and the love of the Spirit. My health is mended, thanks be - to God! but my lungs remain weak. Please to remember me in Christian - love to Sister Crosby. - - “Miss Bosanquet, - “At Cross Hall, - “Near _Leads (sic)_, - “Yorkshire.” - -Footnote 493: - - See the letter dated “March 7, 1778.” - -Footnote 494: - - His “Essay on the New Birth.” - -Footnote 495: - - This was not added. - -A few days after the date of this letter, Fletcher, accompanied by Mr. -Ireland, returned to Madeley, having been absent from his flock since -November 1776,—four years and a-half. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - _LITERARY WORK DONE IN RETIREMENT._ - - -FLETCHER’S long seclusion from public life is well described in two -lines of the poet Thompson: - - “_Retirement_, rural quiet, friendship, books, - Progressive virtue, and approving Heaven.” - -The four and a-half years, during which he was away from Madeley, were -spent in great weakness, but not in idleness. To say nothing of the -works he published, while he remained in England, namely, his “Answer to -the Rev. Mr. Toplady’s ‘Vindication of the Divine Decrees;’” his -“Vindication of the Rev. Mr. Wesley’s ‘Calm Address to our American -Colonies;’” his “American Patriotism;” his “Doctrines of Grace and -Justice;” and his “Plan of Reconciliation;” he was employed, whilst in -Switzerland, upon two of the most remarkable productions of his fertile -genius. - -The first was a poem, in the French language, and was published in -Geneva, with the title “La Louange;”—a paraphrastic expansion of Psalm -cxlviii. The work was conceived in England, but was written in -Switzerland. Fletcher says he “was favoured with the critical remarks of -many persons distinguished for their learning, taste, and the works with -which they had enriched the Church, and the Republic of Letters. At the -end of certain Cantos, are Notes, or small Dissertations, serving to -explain, or illustrate, some of the truths inserted in the body of the -work.” According to the custom of the country and the age, before the -book could be published, it had to be submitted to an official appointed -to read manuscripts, previous to their being printed; and the following -was the approbation given to Fletcher’s Poem:— - - “I have read this work, which, in my judgment, everywhere breathes - Piety, Faith, and Christian Charity. - - “DE BONS, _Censeur_.” - -After his return to England, Fletcher enlarged the work, and, in 1785, -published an edition, still in the French language, with the title:—“La -Grace et la Nature, Poëme—Seconde Edition plus compléte. A Londre. De -l’Imprimerie de R. Hindmarsh, Clerkenwell Close; Chez T. Longman, dans -Paternoster Row; à Dublin Chez J. Charrnier, dans Kapel Street; et près -du Pont de fer, in Shropshire, 1785,” 8vo 442 pp. By permission, the -book was dedicated, “A la Reine de la Grande Bretagne.” The dedication, -dated “à Madeley près de Coalbrook-dale, dans la Comté de Salop, le 6 de -Sept. 1784,” was characteristic, and as follows:— - - “MADAM,—The parish, which, in the centre of your kingdom, produced an - iron bridge,[496] being always fruitful in singularities, has now - produced a French poem: His Majesty gave a favourable reception to the - model of our bridge, and will Your Majesty refuse the dedication of - our poem? The solidity of an iron bridge sustained by two rocks - renders useless the support of a Royal hand; but a work on devotion - has not the same solidity. - - “A French Poem in England will always require support; but, if the - subject be religious, a powerful protection becomes doubly necessary; - and where can I find, among mortals, a more firm security than your - august name? Your court, Madam, admits the French language; your - generous heart cherishes moral virtues; your exalted mind is pleased - to encourage the cultivation of the fine Arts, among which poetry - occupies the first rank. And, if a Queen of England permitted Voltaire - to dedicate to her the praises of a French Monarch,[497] your piety, - Madam, will not refuse those of the King of kings, celebrated in a - poem, which has for its argument the divine song of a Sovereign, and - the third Canto of which regards Kings and Princes. - - “May your Majesty, constantly surrounded with the most precious - benedictions, never stand in need of the consolations offered to the - afflicted in the ninth Canto! And, when you have long beheld that - happy and sweet peace flourish, which is celebrated in this poem,[498] - may you, without sorrow, exchange your heavy crown for one of those - brilliant diamonds reserved for princes, who serve God, and cause - righteousness to flourish in the earth! These are the ardent prayers - of him who has the honour to be, with that profound respect, which - virtue truly merits when united to greatness, - - “Madam, your majesty’s most humble and devoted servant, - “J. W. FLETCHER.” - -Footnote 496: - - The bridge across the Severn, at Coalbrook Dale, regarded as one of - the wonders of the age. - -Footnote 497: - - Voltaire’s “Henriade,” printed in London in 1726, was dedicated to the - Queen of George I. - -Footnote 498: - - “An Essay on the Peace of 1783,” also written in French, and now - incorporated with “La Grace et la Nature.” - -In his preface, Fletcher says:— - - “A former edition of this poem was entitled ‘_Praise_,’[499] because - the writer’s principal design was to impress his readers with the - force of these words, ‘_Offer to the Lord the sacrifice of praise._’ - It is now presented to the public with alterations, and the addition - of ten new Cantos, under the title of ‘_Grace and Nature_;’ or a - descant on creation, as productive of the praise due to the great - Creator.” - -Footnote 499: - - The title, in French, was “La Louange.” - -The book is a remarkable one. Every creature of God, animate and -inanimate, except devils and damned men in hell, seems to be called upon -to unite in offering praise to God. That Fletcher throbbed with the -poetic fire cannot, in fairness, be denied. Perhaps some of his thoughts -are fanciful; and his work, in other respects, may be imperfect; but -many of his conceptions and utterances are worthy not only of being -read, but of being remembered. The following quotations, taken from a -translation of it by the Rev. Miles Martindale, may furnish a faint idea -of its style and merits. - -Like other poets, Fletcher begins with prayer for supernatural -inspiration:— - - “Thou Glorious Power, whom thrones supernal praise, - Eternal source of life, of love, and grace; - While joyful throngs surround Thy shining seat, - Behold a worm low-bending at Thy feet! - His darkness chase with Thy all-cheering ray; - On his weak reason shed celestial day; - His breast transform with renovating fire, - With harmony divine his soul inspire.” - -It has been already stated that a wood adjoined the house where Fletcher -resided at Nyon, and that this was one of his favourite resorts for -prayer, reading, and meditation, and that here he was accustomed to -instruct his congregation of little children. There can be no doubt that -the ensuing lines are descriptive of Fletcher’s enjoyments in this -sylvan cathedral:— - - “Ye solemn woods, where music loves to dwell, - Whose zephyrs breathe the sweet balsamic smell; - Here kindles piety divinely bright, - The heart replete with love and joyous light. - To crown the lay, the feather’d nations raise - Their notes with mine, to sound the Eternal’s praise; - While innocence inspires the sacred song, - Ten thousand throats the swelling theme prolong. - Amid these happy groves, see Eden shine, - Than Bourbons’ pompous gardens, more divine. - Fly the vile orchestra, where impious tongues - Soft warble vice in loose lascivious songs. - ’Tis here, ’mid zephyrs’ mild and melting strains, - Lost Paradise her pristine bliss regains.” - -One more quotation must suffice. It is taken from a long description of -the Lake of Geneva. After apostrophizing the divine Creator, who has “in -heaven” His “dwelling-place,” Fletcher proceeds:— - - “Thy bless’d serenity, Thy palace fair, - The sleeping waters of this lake declare. - To give mankind an emblem of Thy might, - An image of Thy skill supremely bright, - Thy plastic hand drew the rough rocks around, - And scoop’d the wondrous vale, a gulf profound; - Where winding Rhone his active force resigns, - And, in wild fields of ice, resplendent shines. - To shadow heaven, and the fair scene unfold, - This lake with azure glows, and burnished gold; - What brilliant rays, what awful glories stand, - To show the wonders of Thy mighty hand!” - -To several of the cantos of his poem, Fletcher attaches lengthened -notes, in prose; most of them levelled against the infidelity of -Voltaire, Rosseau, and the Unitarians. - -Leaving the poem, “La Grace et la Nature,” another of Fletcher’s works -in Switzerland must be briefly noticed. This also was written in the -French language; and after Fletcher’s death was translated, and -published with the following title: “The Portrait of St. Paul; or, the -true Model for Christians and Pastors: translated from the French -Manuscript of the late Rev. John William de la Flechere, Vicar of -Madeley. To which is added, Some Account of the Author, by the Rev. -Joshua Gilpin, Vicar of Rockwardine, in the County of Salop. In two -volumes. Shrewsbury. 1790.” 12mo, pp. 377 and 330. - -Mr. Gilpin was an ardent admirer of Fletcher, as his biographical -“Notes” amply show. He had been a resident in Fletcher’s vicarage, and -had enjoyed the unspeakable benefit of his example, prayers, and -instruction. He writes:— - - “Before I was of sufficient age to take holy orders, I thankfully - embraced the offered privilege of spending a few months beneath the - roof of this exemplary man; and I well remember how solemn an - impression was made upon my heart by the manner in which he received - me. He met me at his door with a look of inexpressible benignity; and, - conducting me by the hand into his house, intimated a desire of - leading me immediately into the presence of that God to whom the - government of his little family was ultimately submitted. Instantly he - fell upon his knees and poured out an earnest prayer that my present - visit might be rendered both advantageous and comfortable, and that - our society might be crowned by an intimate fellowship with Christ. - This may serve as a specimen of the manner in which he was accustomed - to receive his guests. - - “In his social prayers, he paid but little attention to those rules - which have been laid down with respect to the composition and order of - such devotional exercises. His words flowed spontaneously, and without - premeditation, though always wonderfully adapted to the occasion. - Nothing impertinent, artificial, or superfluous appeared in his - addresses to the Deity. His prayers were the prayers of faith; always - fervent, often effectual, and invariably a mingled flow of - supplication and gratitude, humility and confidence, resignation and - fervour, adoration and love. - - “Of his secret supplications, He alone can judge ‘who seeth in - secret.’ His closet was his favourite retirement, to which he - constantly retreated whenever his public duties allowed him a season - of leisure. Here, in times of uncommon distress, he continued during - whole nights in prayer before God; and that part of the wall, against - which he was accustomed to kneel, appeared deeply stained with the - breath he had spent in fervent worship.” - -In the preface to his translation, Mr. Gilpin remarks:— - - “The following work was begun, and nearly completed, in the course of - Mr. Fletcher’s last residence at Nyon; where it formed a valuable part - of his private labours during a long and painful confinement from - public duty.[500] On his return to England, he suffered the manuscript - to lie by him, intending, at his leisure, to translate and prepare it - for the press. After his decease, Mrs. Fletcher discovered it, and the - translator, finding it a work of no common importance, was readily - induced to render it into English. _The Portrait of St. Paul_ was - originally intended for publication in the author’s native country, to - which its arguments and quotations apply with peculiar propriety. It - contains Mr. Fletcher’s last and best thoughts upon some of the most - important subjects that can occupy the human mind.” - -Footnote 500: - - Mrs. Fletcher says, her husband told her the manuscript “was a rough - draft, written in his illness when abroad, and which he intended to - re-write and to improve.” (“Mrs. Fletcher’s Life,” by H. Moore, p. - 395.) - -Unfortunately, Fletcher’s “Portrait of St. Paul” has, at the present -day, but few readers. At the beginning of the century, it was one of the -text-books of the Methodist itinerant preachers; and, even within the -last forty years, the _Methodist Magazine_ spoke of it as an “admirable -work” and an “inestimable volume.”[501] Methodists, now-a-days, too -often prefer ornament to truth. - -Footnote 501: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1845, p. 74. - -The traits of St. Paul upon which Fletcher descants are the following: -his early piety; his Christian piety; his intimate union with Christ -by faith; his extraordinary vocation to the holy ministry, and in what -that ministry chiefly consists; his entire devotion to Jesus Christ; -his strength and his arms; his power to bind, to loose, and to bless -in the name of the Lord; the earnestness with which he began and -continued to fill up the duties of his vocation; the manner in which -he divided his time between prayer, preaching, and thanksgiving; the -fidelity with which he announced the severe threatenings and -consolatory promises of the Gospel; his profound humility; the -ingenuous manner in which he acknowledged and repaired his errors; his -detestation of party spirit and divisions; his rejection of praise; -his universal love; his particular love to the faithful; his love to -those whose faith was wavering; his love to his countrymen and his -enemies; his love to those whom he knew only by report; his charity -towards the poor; his charity towards sinners; the condescension of -his humble charity; his courage in defence of truth; his prudence in -frustrating the designs of his enemies; his tenderness toward others, -and his severity toward himself; his love never degenerated into -cowardice; his perfect disinterestedness; his condescension in -labouring with his own hands; his respect for the holy estate of -matrimony; the ardour of his love; his generous fears and succeeding -consolation; the grand subject of his glorying; his patience and -fortitude; his firmness before magistrates; his courage in consoling -his persecuted brethren; his humble confidence in producing the seals -of his ministry; his readiness to seal with his blood the truths of -the Gospel; the sweet suspense of his choice between life and death; -the constancy of his zeal and diligence to the end of his course; his -triumphs over the evils of life and the terrors of death. - -After this follows “The Portrait of Lukewarm Ministers and False -Apostles;” then Fletcher answers “Objections” to the “Portrait of St. -Paul;” and next, with consummate ability, states “The Doctrines of an -Evangelical Pastor;” and concludes with “An Essay on the Connexion of -Doctrines with Morality,” in answer to the infidel philosophy of -Voltaire and Rosseau, recently deceased. The last two sections are -invaluable, and exhibit Fletcher in all the strength of his sanctified -genius. - -To make selections from so comprehensive a work as this is difficult, -but the following specimens may be acceptable and useful:— - - _The faithful pastor._—“The disposition of a faithful pastor is, in - every respect, diametrically opposed to that of a worldly minister. If - you observe the conversation of an ecclesiastic who is influenced by - the spirit of the world, you will hear him intimating either that he - has, or that he would not be sorry to have, the precedency among his - brethren; to live in a state of affluence and splendour, and to secure - to himself such distinguished appointments as would increase both his - dignity and his income, without making any extraordinary addition to - his pastoral labours. You will find him anxious to be admitted into - the best companies, and occasionally forming parties for the chase, or - some other vain amusement. While the true pastor cries out, in the - self-renouncing language of the great Apostle, ‘God forbid that I - should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the - world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.’ Oh! ye, who preside - over the household of God, learn of the Apostle Paul to manifest your - real superiority. Surpass your inferiors in humility, in charity, in - zeal, in your painful labours for the salvation of sinners, in your - invincible courage to encounter those dangers which threaten your - brethren, and by your unwearied patience in bearing those persecutions - which the faithful disciples of Christ are perpetually called to - endure from a corrupt world. Thus shall you honourably replace the - first Christian prelates, and happily restore the Church to its - primitive dignity.” - - _Writing sermons, and reading or delivering them._—“He, who spake as - never man spake, rejected the arts of our modern orators, delivering - His discourses in a style of easy simplicity, and unaffected zeal. We - do not find that St. Paul and the other Apostles imposed upon - themselves the troublesome servitude of penning down their discourses. - And we are well assured that, when the Seventy and the Twelve were - commissioned to publish the Gospel, no directions of this nature were - given in either case.” - - “What advantage has accrued to the Church, by renouncing the apostolic - method of publishing the Gospel? We have indolence and artifice, in - the place of sincerity and vigilance. Those public discourses, which - were anciently the effects of conviction and zeal, are now become the - weakly exercises of learning and art. ‘_We believe, and therefore - speak_,’ is an expression, that has grown entirely obsolete among - modern pastors. Nothing is more common among us than to say, ‘As we - have sermons prepared upon a variety of subjects, we are ready to - deliver them, as opportunity offers.’ - - “Many inconveniences arise from this method of preaching. While the - physician of souls is labouring to compose a learned dissertation upon - some plain passage of Scripture, he has but little leisure to visit - those languishing patients, who need his immediate assistance. He - thinks it sufficient to attend upon them every Sabbath-day, in the - place appointed for public duty: but he recollects not, that those, to - whom his counsel is peculiarly necessary, are the very persons who - refuse to meet him there. His unprofitable employments at home leave - him no opportunity to go in pursuit of his wandering sheep. He meets - them, it is true, at stated periods, in the common fold; but it is - equally true that, during every successive interval, he discovers the - coldest indifference with respect to their spiritual welfare. From - this unbecoming conduct of many a minister, one would naturally - imagine, that the flock were rather called to seek out their indolent - pastor, than that he was purposely hired to pursue every straying - sheep. - - “Since the orator’s art has taken the place of the energy of faith, - what happy effects has it produced upon the minds of men? Have we - discovered more frequent conversions among us? Are formal professors - more generally seized with a religious fear? Do the wicked depart from - the Church, to bewail their transgressions in private; and believers - to visit the mourners in their affliction? Is it not rather to be - lamented that we are, at this day, equally distant from Christian - charity, and primitive simplicity? - - “Reading approved sermons is generally supposed to be preaching the - Gospel. If this were really so, we need but look out some schoolboy of - tolerable capacity; and, after instructing him to read, with proper - emphasis and gesture, the sermons of Tillotson, Sherlock, or Saurin, - we shall have made him an excellent minister of the Word of God. But, - if preaching the Gospel is to publish among sinners that repentance - and salvation, which we have experienced in ourselves, it is evident - that experience and sympathy are more necessary to the due performance - of this work, than all the accuracy and elocution that can possibly be - acquired. - - “When this sacred experience and this generous sympathy began to lose - their prevalence in the Church, their place was gradually supplied by - the trifling substitutes of study and affectation. Carnal prudence has - now for many ages solicitously endeavoured to adapt itself to the - taste of the wise and the learned. But, while ‘_the offence of the - cross_’ is avoided, neither the wise nor the ignorant are effectually - converted. - - “In consequence of the same error, the ornaments of theatrical - eloquence have been sought after, with a shameful solicitude. And what - has been the fruit of so much useless toil? _Preachers_, after all, - have played their part with much less applause than _comedians_; and - their curious auditories are still running from the pulpit to the - stage, for the purpose of hearing fables repeated with a degree of - sensibility, which the messengers of truth can neither _feel_, nor - _feign_.” - -For want of space, further extracts from Fletcher’s invaluable, but -neglected, book cannot be given here. Those, however, already presented -deserve attention. Though written a hundred years ago, they are sadly -appropriate to the state of things at the present day. - -As already stated, both “La Grace et la Nature,” and the “Portrait of -St. Paul,” were written in the French language, a strong presumptive -proof that he intended to publish _both_ of them in his native country. -So far as the “Portrait of St. Paul” is concerned, that intention was -not fulfilled. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - _THE FIRST THREE MONTHS AFTER FLETCHER’S - RETURN TO MADELEY._ - - 1781. - - -FLETCHER recommenced his ministry at Madeley on Sunday, May 27, -1781.[502] During his absence of four years and a-half, religion, in his -parish, had not prospered. In a letter to his hospitable friend, Charles -Greenwood, at Stoke Newington, he wrote:— - - “Madeley, June 12, 1781. I stayed longer at Brislington than I - designed. Mr. Ireland was ill, and would nevertheless come hither with - me; so that I was obliged to stay till he was better. And, indeed, it - was well I did not come without him; for he has helped me to regulate - my outward affairs, which were in great confusion. Mr. Greaves leaves - me; and I will either leave Madeley, or have an assistant able to stir - among the people: for I had much rather be gone than stay here, to see - the dead bury their dead. A cloud is over my poor parish; but, alas! - it is not the luminous cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night. - Even the few remaining professors stared at me the other day, when I - preached to them on these words, ‘Ye shall receive the Holy Ghost; for - the promise is unto you.’ Well, the promise is unto _us_: if others - despise it, still let us believe and hope. Nothing enlarges the heart - and awakens the soul more than that believing, loving - expectation.”[503] - -Footnote 502: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1811, p. 312. - -Footnote 503: - - Fletcher’s “Life,” by Wesley. - -The following, addressed to Wesley, refers to the same subject, and also -to other matters:— - - “MADELEY, _June 6, 1781_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—I rejoice to hear that your spiritual bow abides - in strength. I would have wished you joy about it since my arrival, if - I knew where a letter could overtake you.[504] I heartily thank you - for the directions you give me to hinder my bow, so far split, from - breaking quite. Now I must imitate your prudence, or the opportunity - of doing it will soon be lost for good. - - “I would do something in the Lord’s vineyard, but I have not strength. - I can hardly, without over-doing myself, visit the sick of my parish. - I was better when I left Switzerland than I am now. I had a great pull - back, in venturing to preach in the fields, in the Cevennes, to about - two thousand French Protestants. I rode thirty miles to that place, - from Montpelier, on horseback, but was obliged to be brought back in a - carriage. And now that I am here, I can neither serve my church, nor - get it properly served. Mr. Greaves owns, the place is not fit for - him, nor he for it. He will go when I can get somebody to help me. - Could you spare me Brother Bayley?[507] It would be a charity. Unless - I can get a curate zealous enough to stir among the people, I will - give up the place: it would be little comfort to me to stay here to - see the dead bury the dead. I thank God, however, for resignation to - His will. As soon as I shall discern it clearly, I shall follow it; - for, I trust, I have learned in what state soever I am, therewith to - be content. - - “What a blessing is Christ to the soul, and health to the body! When - you go to, or come from the Conference, be so good as to remember that - you have now a pilgrim’s house in the way from Shrewsbury to Broseley; - and do not climb our hills without baiting. At our first interview, I - shall ask your thoughts about a French work or two I have upon the - anvil; but which I fear I shall not have time to finish. Be that as it - will, God needs not the hand of Uzzah, nor my finger, to keep up His - ark. - - “I read, with pleasure and edification, your _Arminian Magazine_.[506] - Your storehouse is inexhaustible. The Lord strengthen you to - _Nestor’s_ years, or rather to the useful length of St. John’s life! - It is worth living to serve the Church, and to teach Christians to - love one another. - - “I am, rev. and dear Sir, your affectionate, though unprofitable - servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[505] - -Footnote 504: - - The veteran evangelist was now visiting the Isle of Man, “east, south, - north, and west,” and said, “I was thoroughly convinced that we have - no such circuit as this, either in England, Scotland, or Ireland.” - (Wesley’s Journal.) - -Footnote 505: - - The Rev. Cornelius Bayley, at this time one of the Masters of Wesley’s - School at Kingswood. Cornelius Bailey was born near Whitchurch, in - Shropshire, about the year 1752. He was an excellent Hebrew scholar, - and published a Hebrew grammar, which procured him a doctor’s degree - from a foreign university. Afterwards, when he took the same degree, - D.D., at Cambridge, he delivered a Latin sermon, which was much - applauded. As will soon be seen, he became Fletcher’s curate. On - leaving Madeley, he went to Manchester, where he became the founder - and the minister of St. James’s Church. This is not the place to give - a detailed account of this remarkable man. Suffice it to say, he died, - in Manchester, on April 2, 1812, his last words being, “O my Saviour! - The Lord is with me!” His remains were interred in a vault of his own - church; more than forty clergymen attended his funeral; the church was - crowded, and more than a thousand of his friends had to stand outside. - The Rev. John Crosse, afterwards so well-known in Bradford, preached - the funeral sermon. (_Christian Observer_, 1812, p. 477.) - -Footnote 506: - - Wesley began to publish this magazine during Fletcher’s absence on the - continent. - -Footnote 507: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1782, p. 48. - -Wesley’s approaching Conference was to be held at Leeds, and to Joseph -Benson, who had recently been married, Fletcher wrote as follows:— - - “I am, at present, without an assistant here, but hope soon to have - Mr. Bayley, one of the masters of Kingswood School. If he come, I - shall be at liberty to go to Leeds, and I hope God will strengthen me - for the journey. A godly wife is a peculiar blessing from the Lord. I - wish you joy for such a loan. Possess it with godly fear and holy joy; - and the God who gave her you help you both to see your doubled piety - take root in the heart of the child that crowns your union. So prays, - my dear brother, your affectionate friend, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[508] - -Footnote 508: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Meanwhile, Fletcher had begun a correspondence with a lady hitherto -unknown to him; or rather she had begun a correspondence with him. Miss -Ann Loxdale, daughter of Joseph Loxdale, Esq., of Shrewsbury, was now -about twenty-six years of age. Two years before the date of her letter -to Fletcher, she had been converted. In reply to her communication, he -said:— - - “MADELEY, _May 24, 1781_. - - “DEAR MADAM,—I embrace the first opportunity of thanking my unknown - _friend_ for her kind Christian letter. As I believe you are sincere, - and mean what your pen has traced upon paper, I may rejoice over a - greater treasure than that of the Indies—I mean, the _treasure of a - Christian friend_; for nothing but Christianity could give you courage - to express any degree of friendship for so contemptible a neighbour. I - shall preach here next Sunday, please God. If you can, and if you are - not afraid of dining upon a bit of cold meat, come and dine with your - new and yet _old friend_, who, though he cannot converse long with his - friends, on account of his weakness, will find a quarter of an hour to - assure you, that, in the faith, hope, and love of the Gospel, he is, - - “Madam, your obliged friend and obedient servant, - “J. FLETCHER.”[509] - -Footnote 509: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1811, p.312. - -There cannot be a doubt respecting Miss Loxdale’s ardent piety; but she -was in danger of falling into some of the errors of the mystics. She had -written to Wesley, asking his advice respecting the works of Madam -Bourignon, which she had been reading. Wesley, in his reply, dated “June -10, 1781,” told her that Madam Bourignon’s “new and peculiar -expressions” were “only shadows,” not “an excellence, but a capital -defect.” Wesley continued,— - - “As I apprehend your mind must be a little confused by reading those - uncommon treatises, I wish you would give another deliberate reading - to the ‘Plain Account of Christian Perfection.’ You may be assured - there is no religion under heaven higher or deeper than that which is - there described. I desire nothing, I will accept of nothing, but the - common faith and common salvation; and I want you to be only just such - a common Christian as Jenny Cooper was.”[510] - -Footnote 510: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xiii., p. 121. - -Meantime, Miss Loxdale and Fletcher had met and conversed with each -other; for, in a long letter to her, dated twelve days after Wesley’s, -he gave her what he considered suitable advice, and said, “I never -doubted your sincerity, my dear friend; and can, without wavering, -confess you _a member of my Lord, a child of my heavenly Father, and a -fellow-heir of the kingdom of heaven_, purchased for penitent -believers.”[511] - -Footnote 511: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1811, p. 312. - -This epistolary and _vivâ voce_ intercourse grew into a sincere -friendship, but nothing more than that. Miss Loxdale became one of the -most holy and devoted Methodists of the last century; and, in 1811, at -the age of fifty-six, married the Rev. Dr. Coke. A year afterwards, she -died at York, and was buried in Dr. Coke’s family vault at Brecon.[512] - -Footnote 512: - - Drew’s “Life of Coke,” p. 346. - -Just at the time when Fletcher was writing his letters to Miss Loxdale, -and giving her, most sincerely, the best advice he could, his heart was -full of Miss Bosanquet, and, as will soon be seen, at the beginning of -the month of June, he proposed to marry her. The reply was not -unfavourable, and Fletcher at once decided to attend Wesley’s Conference -at Leeds, in the neighbourhood of which Miss Bosanquet resided. The -following letter, addressed to Wesley, announces this decision, and -refers to the case of Miss Loxdale, and to an interesting incident in -Switzerland:— - - “MADELEY, _June 24, 1781_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—As to Miss Loxdale, I believe her to be a simple, - holy follower of the Lord. Nothing throws _unscriptural_ mysticism - down like holding out the promise of the Father, and the fulness of - the Spirit, to be received _now_, _by faith_ in the two Promisers, the - _Father_ and the _Son_. Ah! what is the _penal fire_ of the mystics, - to the _burning love_ of the _Spirit_, revealing the glorious power of - the _Father_ and the _Son_, according to John xiv. 26, and filling us - with all the fulness of God? Plain Scripture is better than all mystic - refinements. - - “When I was at Nyon, near Geneva, three ministers received the Word, - and preached the Truth. When persecution arose because of the Word, - the two pastors were afraid; but the curate of the first pastor, a - burgess of the town, stood by me. This Timothy opened his house, when - the pastors shut both their pulpits and houses; and I heard him preach - a discourse before I came away, worthy of _you_, Sir, upon the heights - and depths of holiness. He wrote an apology for me, which I sent to - the head of the persecuting Clergy, and so stopped the torrent of - wrath. He made observations upon the mischief done to Christianity by - bad Clergy, such as George Fox and you, Sir, would not disown. When I - told him of you and the Methodists, he expressed a great desire to - come to England, to hear you, to see the English brethren, and to - learn the English language, that he might read your works, and, - perhaps, translate some of them. He can have no living in his own - country, because he will not _swear to prosecute all who propagate - Arminian tenets_; which is more honest than many of the Clergy, many - of whom are _Arians_, _Socinians_, or _Deists_, and do not scruple to - take the _Calvinian Oaths_. - - “I shall endeavour to wait upon you at Leeds, at the time of the - Conference: in the meantime, I am, Rev. and dear Sir, your obedient - Servant, and affectionate Son in the Gospel, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[513] - -Footnote 513: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1782, p. 49. - -Another of Fletcher’s letters, belonging to this period, is too valuable -to be omitted. His interview with Thomas Rankin, at Brislington, has -been related. He now wrote to Rankin, as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _June 25, 1781_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—I thank you for your kind letter to me. I found - myself of _one heart_ with you, both as a preacher and believer, - before I left Bristol, and I am glad you find freedom to speak to me - as your friend in Christ. - - “By what you mention of your experience, I am confirmed in the - thought, 1. That it is often harder to keep in the way of faith and - light than to get into it. 2. That speculation and reasoning hinder us - to get into that way, and lead us out of it when we are in it. 3. The - only business of those who come to God, as a Redeemer or Sanctifier, - must be to feel their want of redemption and sanctifying ‘power from - on high,’ and to come for it by simple, cordial, working faith. - Easily, the heart gets into a false rest before our last enemy is - overcome. Hence arises a relapsing, in an imperceptible degree, into - indolence and carnal security; hence a dreaming that we are rich and - increased in goods. - - “This is one of the causes of the declension you perceive among some - of the Methodists. Another is the _outward rest_ they have. Another - may be the judging of the greatness of the work by the numbers in - Society. Be the consequence what it will, those who see the evil - should honestly bear their testimony against it, first in their own - souls, next by their life, and thirdly by their plain and constant - reproofs and exhortations. - - “The work of justification seems stopped, in some degree, because the - glory and necessity of the pardon of sins, to be _received_ and - _enjoyed now by faith_, is not pressed enough upon _sinners_; and the - need of _retaining it_ upon _believers_. The work of sanctification is - hindered, if I am not mistaken, by the same reason, and by holding out - the being _delivered from sin_ as the mark to be aimed at, instead of - being _rooted in Christ_, and _filled with the fulness of God_, and - with _power from on high_. The dispensation of the Spirit is - confounded with that of the Son, and the former not being held forth - clearly enough, formal and lukewarm believers in Jesus Christ suppose - they have the gift of the Holy Ghost. Hence the increase of _carnal_ - professors, see Acts viii. 16. And hence so few _spiritual_ men. - - “Let us pray, hope, love, believe for ourselves, and call for the - display of the Lord’s arm. My love to your dear fellow-labourer, Mr. - Pawson. Pray for your affectionate brother, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[514] - -Footnote 514: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -The sentiments expressed in this valuable letter were important a -hundred years ago; and are far more important now. Methodists, and -especially Methodist Preachers, ought to lay them seriously to heart. -Holding them, Fletcher proceeded to the Methodist Conference of 1781, -which began at Leeds on Tuesday, August 7, and concerning which Wesley -writes as follows:— - - “1781. Sunday, _August 5_. At the old church in Leeds, we had eighteen - clergymen, and about eleven hundred communicants. I preached there at - three; the church was thoroughly filled; and I believe most could - hear, while I explained the ‘new covenant’ which God has now made with - the Israel of God. - - “Monday, 6th. I desired Mr. Fletcher, Dr. Coke, and four more of our - brethren, to meet every evening, that we might consult together on any - difficulty that occurred. On _Tuesday_ our Conference began, at which - were present about seventy preachers, whom I had severally invited to - come and assist me with their advice, in carrying on the great work of - God. _Wednesday_, 8th. I desired Mr. Fletcher to preach. I do not - wonder he should be so popular; not only because he preaches with all - his might, but because the power of God attends both his preaching and - prayer. On _Monday_ and _Tuesday_ (August 13 and 14) we finished the - remaining business of the Conference, and ended it with solemn prayer - and thanksgiving.”[515] - -Footnote 515: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Notwithstanding the evils even then existing, and which were lamented by -Fletcher in the foregoing letter, these were glorious days, and their -conferences memorable “times of refreshing from the presence of the -Lord.” Mr. Gorham, of St. Neots, was at the Conference of 1781, and -wrote:— - - “Mr. Fletcher preached at five in the morning, from 2 Peter i. 4. - Notwithstanding the earliness of the hour, at least two thousand - persons were present, who appeared to listen to him with the deepest - attention.” - -Joseph Pescod, one of Wesley’s itinerant preachers, in a letter to his -wife, remarked:— - - “I arrived at Leeds on Saturday evening; and on Sunday morning, at - five o’clock, I had the happiness to hear that venerable servant of - God, Mr. Fletcher. Never did I see any man more like what I suppose - the ancient Apostles to have been. His text was 2 Peter i. 4: ‘Whereby - are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises.’ He spoke - particularly of the three great promises of God to man. The leading - promise of the Old Testament, he remarked, was, ‘The seed of the woman - shall bruise the serpent’s head.’ On this promise, he observed, the - saints lived four thousand years, and were saved through the Messiah - to come. The other two, he said, were New Testament promises. First, - the promise of the Holy Ghost, whom our Lord told His disciples He - would send after His ascension. The dispensation of the Spirit is to - renew us after the image of God; which implies light, and power, and - love. The third promise, on which he dwelt, was that of the - resurrection of the body. I think I never heard a sermon to be - compared with it. I wish I could tell you every word. I had, also, the - happiness to receive from his hand the bread in the sacrament of the - Lord’s Supper. The ordinance was administered in the old church, by - Mr. Wesley, Mr. Fletcher, and nine other clergymen. Mr. Wesley - preached in the afternoon, in the church, from Hebrews viii. - 10–12.”[516] - -Footnote 516: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1829, p. 528. - -Wesley’s Conference finished its business on August 14; but Fletcher, -the happy guest of Miss Bosanquet, at Cross Hall, continued in the -neighbourhood about three weeks longer, “preaching,” says his delighted -hostess, “in different places, with much power.”[517] A record of one of -the meetings that Fletcher attended fortunately exists, and is here -given almost without abridgment. - -Footnote 517: - - Moore’s “Life of Mrs. Fletcher,” p. 141. - -James Rogers was, at this time, stationed at Sheffield; but, no doubt, -both he and his far-famed wife, “Hester Ann,” attended the Conference at -Leeds. After its sittings were ended, she, like Fletcher, still -remained. On August 24, Fletcher came with Miss Bosanquet, and Mrs. -Crosby, to dine at Mr. Smith’s, in Park Row, and to meet the Select -Society. Mrs. Rogers writes:— - - “When I entered the room, where they were assembled, the heavenly man - was giving out the following verses, with such animation as I have - seldom witnessed— - - “‘Near us, assisting Jesus, stand; - Give us the op’ning heavens to see; - Thee to behold at God’s right hand, - And yield our parting souls to Thee. - - “‘My Father, O my Father, hear, - And send the fiery chariot down; - Let Israel’s flaming steeds appear, - And whirl us to the starry crown. - - “‘We, we would die for Jesus too; - Through tortures, fires, and seas of blood, - All triumphantly break through, - And plunge into the depths of God.’ - - “After this, Mr. Fletcher poured out his full soul in prayer to God. - Indeed, his every breath seemed to be prayer, or praise, or spiritual - instruction; and every word that fell from his lips appeared to be - accompanied by unction from above. - - “After dinner, I took an opportunity to beg him to explain an - expression he had used in a letter to Miss Loxdale;[518] namely, that, - on all who are renewed in love, God bestows the gift of prophecy. He - called for the Bible; then read and explained Acts ii.; observing, - that, to prophesy in the sense _he_ meant, was, to magnify God with - the _new heart_ of love, and the _new tongue_ of praise, as they did, - who, on the day of Pentecost, were filled with the Holy Ghost. He - insisted that believers now are called upon to prove the same - baptismal fire; that the day of Pentecost was the opening of the - dispensation of the Spirit,—the great promise of the Father; and that - the _latter day glory_, which he believed was near at hand, should far - exceed the first effusion of the Spirit. Seeing then that they, on the - day of Pentecost, bore witness to the grace of our Lord, so should - _we_; and, like them, spread the flame of love. - - “After singing a hymn, he cried, ‘O to be filled with the Holy Ghost! - I want to be filled! O, my friends, let us wrestle for a more abundant - outpouring of the Spirit!’ To me, he said, ‘Come, my sister, will - _you_ covenant with me this day, to pray for _the fulness of the - Spirit_? Will _you_ be a witness for Jesus?’ I answered, with flowing - tears, ‘In the strength of Jesus I will.’ He cried, ‘Glory, glory be - to God! Lord, strengthen Thy handmaid to keep this covenant, even unto - death!’ - - “He then said, ‘My dear brethren and sisters, God is here! I feel Him - in this place; but I would hide my face in the dust, because I have - been ashamed to declare what He has done for _me_. For many years, I - have grieved His Spirit; I am deeply humbled; and He has again - restored my soul.’ Last Wednesday evening, He spoke to me by these - words, ‘_Reckon yourselves, therefore, to be dead indeed unto sin; but - alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord._’ I obeyed the voice of - God: I now obey it; and tell you all, to the praise of His love,—_I am - freed from sin._ Yes, I rejoice to declare it, and to be a witness to - the glory of His grace, that _I am dead unto sin, and alive unto God, - through Jesus Christ_, who is my Lord and King! I received this - blessing four or five times before; but I lost it, by not observing - the order of God; who has told us, _With the heart man believeth unto - righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation._ - But the enemy offered his bait, under various colours, to keep me from - a public declaration of what God had wrought.’ - - “‘When I first received this grace, Satan bid me wait awhile, till I - saw more of the _fruits_: I resolved to do so; but I soon began to - doubt of the _witness_, which, before, I had felt in my heart; and, in - a little time, I was sensible I had lost both. A second time, after - receiving this salvation, I was kept from being a witness for my Lord, - by the suggestion, ‘Thou art a public character—the eyes of _all_ are - upon thee—and if, as before, by _any_ means thou lose the blessing, it - will be a dishonour to the doctrine of _heart-holiness_.’ I held my - peace, and again forfeited the gift of God. At another time, I was - prevailed upon to hide it, by reasoning, ‘How few, even of the - _children of God_, will receive this testimony; many of them supposing - every transgression of the Adamic law is sin; and, therefore, if I - profess to be _free_ from sin, _all_ these will give my profession the - lie; because I am _not_ free in _their_ sense: I am not free from - ignorance, mistakes, and various infirmities; I will, therefore, enjoy - what God has wrought in me; but I will not say, _I am perfect in - love._ Alas! I soon found again, _He that hideth his Lord’s talent, - and improveth it not, from that unprofitable servant shall be taken - away even that he hath._ - - “‘Now, my brethren, you see my folly. I have confessed it in your - presence; and _now_ I resolve before you all to confess my Master. I - will confess Him to all the world. And I declare unto you, in the - presence of God, the Holy Trinity, I am now _dead indeed unto sin_. I - do not say, _I am crucified with Christ_, because some of our - well-meaning brethren say, by _this_ can only be meant _a gradual - dying_; but I profess unto you, _I am dead unto sin, and alive unto - God_: and, remember, all this is _through Jesus Christ our Lord_. _He_ - is my Prophet, Priest, and King—my indwelling Holiness—my _all in - all_. I wait for the fulfilment of that prayer, _That they all may be - one, as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be - one in us: and that they may be one, even as we are one._ O for that - pure baptismal flame! O for the fulness of the dispensation of the - Holy Ghost! Pray, pray, pray for this! This shall make us all of one - heart, and of one soul. Pray for _gifts_—for the gift of utterance; - and confess your royal Master. A man without gifts is like a king in - disguise: he appears as a subject only. You are _kings and priests - unto God_! Put on, therefore, your robes, and wear on your _garter, - holiness to the Lord_.’ - - “A few days after this, I heard Mr. Fletcher preach upon the same - subject; inviting all, who felt their need of full redemption, to - believe _now_ for this great salvation. He observed, ‘As when you - reckon with your creditor, or with your host, and, as when you have - paid all, you reckon yourselves free, so now reckon with God. _Jesus_ - has paid all: He has paid for _thee_!—has purchased _thy pardon_ and - _holiness_; therefore, it is now God’s command, _Reckon thyself dead - indeed unto sin_; and thou art alive unto God from this hour! O, - begin, begin to reckon now! Fear not: believe, believe, believe! and - continue to believe every moment! So shalt thou continue _free_; for - it is retained, as it is received, by _faith alone_. And, whosoever - thou art that perseveringly believeth, it will be as fire in thy - bosom, and constrain thee to confess with thy mouth _thy Lord and - King, Jesus_. And, in spreading the sacred flame of love, thou shalt - be saved to the uttermost.’ - - “He also dwelt largely on those words, ‘Where sin abounded, grace did - much more abound.’ He asked, ‘How did sin abound? Had it not - overpowered your whole soul? Were not all your passions, tempers, - propensities, and affections, inordinate and evil? Did not pride, - anger, self-will, and unbelief, all reign over you? And, when the - Spirit of God strove with you, did you not repel all His convictions, - and put Him far from you? Well, my brethren, ye were _then_ the - servants of sin, and were free from righteousness; but now, being made - free from sin, ye become servants to God; and holiness shall - overspread your whole soul, so that all your tempers and passions - shall be henceforth regulated and governed by Him who now sitteth upon - the throne of your heart, making all things new. As you once resisted - the Holy Spirit, so now you shall have power to resist all the subtle - frauds or fierce attacks of Satan.’ - - “Mr. Fletcher then, with lifted hands, cried, ‘Who will thus be saved? - Who will believe the report? You are only in an improper sense called - believers who reject this. Who is a believer? One who believes a few - things which his God has spoken? Nay, but one who believes all that - ever proceeded out of His mouth. Here then is the word of the Lord: - _As sin abounded, grace shall much more abound_! As no _good thing_ - was in you by nature, so now _no evil_ thing shall remain. Do you - believe this? Or are you a _half_ believer only? Come! Jesus is - offered to thee as a _perfect Saviour_. Take Him, and He will make - thee a _perfect saint_. O ye _half_ believers, will you still plead - for the murderers of your Lord? Which of these will you hide as a - serpent in your bosom? Shall it be anger, pride, self-will, or - _accursed_ unbelief? O be no longer befooled! Bring these enemies to - thy Lord, and let Him slay them.’”[519] - -Footnote 518: - - The letter already referred to, and dated June 22, 1781. See it in - _Methodist Magazine_, 1811, p. 312. - -Footnote 519: - - Dr. Coke’s funeral sermon on the death of Mrs. H. A. Rogers, 1795; and - “Experience and Letters of Mrs. Hester Ann Rogers.” - -Mrs. Rogers was not a shorthand writer. She wrote from memory; and -though what she relates in the foregoing extracts is, no doubt, -_substantially_ correct, yet Fletcher must not be held accountable for -_every word_ she uses. The narrative, however, is very valuable, because -it exhibits Fletcher at a most important epoch of his life, and exhibits -him in his free-and-easy religious dishabille among his friends. Wesley -says:— - - “There is a peculiar difficulty in giving a full account of either the - life or character of Mr. Fletcher, because we have scarce any light - from himself. He was upon all occasions very uncommonly reserved in - speaking of himself, whether in writing or conversation. He hardly - ever said anything concerning himself, unless it slipped from him - unawares. And, among the great number of papers which he has left, - there is scarce a page (except the account of his conversion to God), - relative either to his own inward experience, or the transactions of - his life. So that the most of the information we have is gathered up, - either from short hints scattered up and down in his letters, from - what he had occasionally dropped among his friends, or from what one - and another remembered concerning him. - - “This defect was indeed, in some measure, supplied by the entire - intimacy which subsisted between him and Mrs. Fletcher. He did not - willingly, much less designedly, conceal anything from her. They had - no secrets with regard to each other, but had indeed one house, one - purse, and one heart. Before her, it was his invariable rule to _think - aloud_; always to open the window in his breast. And to this we are - indebted for the knowledge of many particulars which must otherwise - have been buried in oblivion.”[520] - -Footnote 520: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -No doubt this statement is perfectly accurate. Fletcher, like Wesley -himself, was never a talkative religious professor; and the outpourings -of his heart, related by Hester Ann Rogers, may be regarded as -exceptional. - -Nothing more need be added to the present chapter except the incident -that, both in going to Leeds and returning to Madeley, Fletcher preached -at Sheffield, where the husband of Hester Ann Rogers was at that time -Wesley’s “Assistant.” He was the guest of Mr. Thomas Holy. The following -is taken from an unpublished memoir of Mr. Holy, written by the late -Rev. James Everett:— - - “The sainted Fletcher was twice an inmate of Mr. Holy’s house. This - extraordinary man preached twice in Norfolk Street chapel, on going to - and returning from the Conference at Leeds, in 1781. One of of his - texts was, ‘The kingdom of God is within you;’ and the other, ‘Behold, - now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’ On - both occasions, the chapel was crowded, and several clergymen were - present. When he was introduced to Mr. Holy, his salutation was, - ‘Peace be to thee, my brother;’ and, on crossing Mr. Holy’s threshold, - he said, ‘Peace be to this house.’ Mrs. Brammah, the widow of an old - itinerant preacher, and one of Mr. Holy’s pensioners, was present, and - observed that Mr. Fletcher frequently repeated the latter text, as if - desirous to impress the company with its importance and its - blessedness. ‘Mr. Fletcher’s conversation,’ remarked Mr. Holy, ‘was - always instructive and impressive; and I felt while I was with him as - if I were in the presence of a superior being.’ During his stay in - Sheffield, Mr. Fletcher bathed every morning in a river, about half a - mile distant from Mr. Holy’s residence. His host always accompanied - him, and was much struck with his excellent swimming.” - -This is a trivial matter, but trifles concerning “mighty men, men of -renown,” are worth preserving. - -A journey from Madeley to Leeds, a hundred years ago, was a somewhat -serious affair. In an unpublished letter, addressed to Mr. Ireland, -Fletcher tells his friend that the journey occupied two days and a half, -and that his new saddle was so hard that, to save himself from -suffering, he was obliged to put the hair-skins, used for the protection -of his chest, into his “breeches.” In the same letter, he gives an -account of the suicide of his “atheistical nephew;” and concludes as -follows:— - - “If Mr. Romaine be still with you, please to remember me in much love - to him. I went yesterday to Salop, saw Mr. De Courcy,[521] and invited - Mr. Rowland Hill to preach here to cement love.” - -Footnote 521: - - At that time the incumbent of the parish of St. Alkmond, Shrewsbury. - (“Life of Rev. R. Hill,” by Sidney, p. 137.) - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - _FLETCHER’S MARRIAGE._ - - 1781. - - -FLETCHER spent a happy month among the “elect” ladies of Methodism in -the North of England; to wit, Miss Bosanquet, Hester Ann Rogers, Sarah -Crosby, and their friends; and, on his return to Madeley, he had to -correspond with two others in the south, Miss Perronet and Lady Mary -Fitzgerald. To the former he wrote as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _September 4, 1781_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—You want ‘some _thoughts_ on the love of God;’ and I - want the warmest _feelings_ of it. Let us believe His creating, feel - His preserving, admire His redeeming, and triumph in His sanctifying - love. _Loving_ is the best way to grow in love. Let us then look at - the love of our heavenly Father, shining in the face of our elder - Brother, and we shall be changed into love—His image and nature—from - one _glorious_ and _glorifying_ degree of _love_ to another. Love - always delights in the object loved. ‘Delight thou in the Lord,’ then, - and ‘thou shalt have thy heart’s desire;’ for we can desire nothing - more than the _supreme good_ and _infinite bliss_; both are in God. - When, therefore, we love God truly, we _delight_ in what _He is_; we - share in His infinite happiness; and, by divine sympathy, His throne - of glory becomes _ours_; for true love rejoices in all the joy of the - object to which it cleaves. - - “Add to this, that when we love God we have always our hearts’ desire; - for we love _His will_, His desires become ours, and ours are always - perfectly resigned to His. Now as God does whatsoever He pleases, both - in heaven and earth, His lovers have always their hearts’ desire, - forasmuch as they always have _His will_, which is theirs. Submitting - our private will to His is only preferring a greater good to a less, - and we are called to do it in afflictions. - - “Farewell, my dear friend, and excuse these reflections, which you - could make much better than your humble servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.”[522] - -Footnote 522: - - Letters, 1791, p. 277. - -An excellent love-letter, from one who was now the declared lover of -Mary Bosanquet. - -Lady Mary Fitzgerald wished to visit Fletcher at Madeley, and to her he -wrote the following:— - - “MADELEY, _September 3, 1781_. - - “MY MUCH-HONOURED LADY,—Two days ago I came here, after an absence of - above a month; and yesterday I received your letter, without date, - which has been, I am told, waiting here some time. - - “What a pity I did not rejoice sooner in the good news you send - me,—that you desire to be _entirely_ devoted to God. Indeed, - complaints follow; but _heaven_ is in that holy desire. If you - cultivate it, it will produce all that conformity to a holy God, which - love can bring to a human soul. As for your complaints, they are the - natural expressions of that repentance which precedes the coming of - the Comforter, who is to abide with us for ever. I am ready to - rejoice, or to mourn with my honoured friend; and I have abundant - cause to do both with respect to myself, my ministrations, the Church, - and my people. - - “And will you, indeed, find it in your heart to honour my house with - your presence, and perfume also with your prayers the plain apartment - occupied by your friend Johnson?[523] I wonder at nothing on earth, - when I consider the condescension with which Emmanuel came down from - heaven and filled a stable with His glory. Your time, my condescending - friend, will suit me best. You will be queen in my hermitage; the Lord - will rule in our hearts; and you will command, under Him, within our - walls. You smile, perhaps, at the vastness of your new empire; but if - you can be content and happy in God in my homely solitude, you will - make greater advances towards bliss than if you obtained the - Principality of Wales. But if you cannot be happy with Jesus, prayer, - praise, godly conversation, and retirement, expect a disappointment. - However, my honoured friend, if you come, come as the serious - Catholics go on a pilgrimage, as French noblemen go to the Carthusian - Convent at La Trappe, as the French king’s aunts went to the - Carmelites,—come and do _evangelical penance_. Our good friend Johnson - will tell you of an upper room where we crucify our old man, and have - had many a visit from the new. If you do not bring her with you, bring - her faith, which brought Him down, and then you shall not pine for the - company of earthly princes. The Prince of Peace Himself will keep His - court in our cottage, and your heart shall be one of His favourite - thrones.”[524] - -Footnote 523: - - Probably Ann Johnson, who was a member of the Methodist Society in - London sixty years; a class-leader, thirty-seven; who died at the age - of eighty in 1828, and whose remains were interred in the - burial-ground of City Road Chapel. See Stevenson’s “City Road Chapel,” - p. 458. - -Footnote 524: - - Letters, 1791, p. 276. - -From these Christian ladies, the reader’s attention must now be directed -to another. - -Mary Bosanquet, oddly enough, was born in the same month, and on the -same day of the month, as Fletcher; but there was this difference—she -was ten years younger than he. Her birth took place in 1739, the year in -which Methodism was cradled. Her father was “one of the chief merchants -in London,”[525] and “lord of the manor of Leytonstone, in Essex.”[526] -The place of her nativity was Forest House, a fine old mansion, three -stories high, still standing in its own beautiful and spacious grounds, -about a mile from Leyton, and still owned by a member of the Bosanquet -family (S. R. Bosanquet, Esq.), who has recently given a plot of ground -in the main street of the town on which to build the “Mary Fletcher -Memorial Chapel.” - -Footnote 525: - - “Life of Rev. H. Venn,” p. 376. - -Footnote 526: - - “Sermon on the death of Mrs. Fletcher,” by John Hodson, p. 47. - -By means of a Methodist servant, Mary Bosanquet found peace with God, -through faith in Jesus Christ, when she was only eight years old. At the -age of thirteen, she became acquainted with Mrs. Lefevre, whose -admirable “Letters on Religious Subjects” used to be one of the -favourite books of the early Methodists; and concerning which Wesley -himself testified: “The ‘Letters’ are patterns of truly polite -epistolary correspondence; expressing the noblest sentiments in the most -elegant manner, in the purest, yea, and finest language.”[527] At the -house of Mrs. Lefevre, Miss Bosanquet was introduced to a number of -godly people, many of them Methodists. When fourteen years of age, she -was confirmed in St. Paul’s Cathedral, and began to receive the -sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. - -Footnote 527: - - Preface to the Letters. - -Soon after this, her father and mother thought her “righteous over -much,” and great uneasiness, on both sides, followed. The parents were -members of the Church of England; but, like many other professedly -Christian people, they loved gaiety and worldly pleasure. Their daughter -grieved them, because she attired herself plainly, and objected to go to -balls and theatres. In the midst of this unpleasantness, she became -acquainted with Sarah Ryan and Sarah Crosby, and, at their humble -dwelling, in Christopher Alley, Moorfields, was accustomed to meet -companies of the Old Foundery Methodists. Meanwhile, the unhappiness at -home increased. - -At the age of twenty-one, Miss Bosanquet came into possession of “a -small fortune;” and, for her own comfort and that of her family, she -left the parental home, and rented two unfurnished rooms in the house of -Mrs. Gold, in Hoxton Square. She “hired a sober girl;” her mother gave -her two beds; and she was driven to her lodgings in her father’s coach. -She reached her new home about eight o’clock at night. She had no -candle. The people of the house she had never seen. She borrowed a -table; and the window seat served her as a chair. Her supper consisted -of bread, “rank salt butter, and water;” but she says, she “could truly -say, ‘_I eat my meat with gladness and singleness of heart_.’ The -bedstead was not, as yet, put up, and, therefore, she laid upon the -floor; “and the windows” of the bedless bedroom “having no shutters, and -it being a bright moonlight night,” she remarks, “the sweet solemnity -thereof well agreed with the tranquillity of my spirit.” - -Her “maid was dull and ignorant, though good;” and she herself “knew -little more of the world than” did her maid, “having been used to so -different a way of life.” Just at this juncture, ill-health obliged -Sarah Ryan to leave Wesley’s meeting-house in Bristol, and to return to -London, where she lodged with her sister. Here her illness became -serious; and Miss Bosanquet served, as her nurse, “night and day.” -“After a time,” writes Miss Bosanquet, “the Lord was pleased to restore -her to health; and, having one heart, one mind, and one purse, we agreed -that one habitation also would be most profitable;” and, accordingly, -the two now resided together at Hoxton. - -On March 24, 1763, Miss Bosanquet and Sarah Ryan removed from Hoxton to -Leytonstone, and occupied a house belonging to the former. Miss -Bosanquet told her father that she intended to have Methodist preaching -in her house; her father made no objection, but remarked, “If a mob -should pull your house about your ears, I cannot hinder them.” She and -Sarah Ryan began to hold meetings, on Thursday nights, at which they -“read a chapter, and sometimes spoke from it.” They also gathered a -Methodist class, of twenty-five members; and, in due time, Wesley sent -his Itinerant, John Murlin, to preach to them. Thus began Methodism at -Leytonstone. “Sometimes on Sundays, when the nights were dark, a mob -would collect at the gate” of Miss Bosanquet’s domestic cathedral, “and -throw dirt at the people as they went out; after which, they used to -come into the yard, and, putting their faces to a window, which was -without shutters, would roar and howl like wild beasts.” - -At the first, Miss Bosanquet’s family at Leytonstone consisted of -herself, her maid, Sarah Ryan, and “Sally Lawrence,[528] a child about -four years old, whom” she had “taken from the side of her mother’s -coffin.” In a little while, five other orphans were admitted; and it -became necessary to employ Ann Tripp[529] to serve as their governess. -Miss Bosanquet writes: “Some serious women also were added to our -household, and each had their duties and employments assigned them. In -the whole, we received thirty-five children, and thirty-four grown -persons, but not all at one time.” Thus did Miss Bosanquet turn her -dwelling into a chapel, an orphanage, and a poor-house. All in the -house, herself included, wore the same kind of dress, made of “a dark -purple cotton;” and all dined at the same table, which was “five yards -long,” and stood in the hall. Here also they all assembled “for morning -and evening devotion, and on several other occasions.” - -Footnote 528: - - Sarah Lawrence was the niece of Sarah Ryan. She lived with her - benefactress until her death, which occurred at Madeley, on December - 3, 1800. Like Mrs. Fletcher, for several years, she was a - _preacheress_, and very useful. - -Footnote 529: - - Ann Tripp was converted under the ministry of Wesley and Thomas - Maxfield. After the marriage of Miss Bosanquet and her removal to - Madeley, she settled at Leeds, and, at the time of her death, in 1823, - was one of the oldest leaders of the Leeds Society. (_Wesleyan - Methodist Magazine_, 1823, p. 706.) - -Miss Bosanquet soon found that her family was larger than her income -could maintain; but even this did not discourage her, as she was at -perfect liberty to spend her capital. - -Most of the children when admitted to her house “were naked, full of -vermin, and some of them were afflicted with disagreeable distempers. -The first thing was to clean and clothe them, and attend to their -health; which usually was followed with much success.” - - “The eldest of the children arose between four and five; the younger - not much later. At half-an-hour after six,” says Miss Bosanquet, “we - had family prayer; at seven, we breakfasted together on herb tea, or - milk porridge. The small children then went into the garden till - eight. At eight, the bell rang for school, which continued till - twelve. Then, after a few minutes spent in prayer, the children came - down to us, when we either walked out with them, or, if the weather - did not permit, we found them some employment in the house, - endeavouring, at the same time, to give them both instruction and - recreation. At one, we dined; about two, the bell rang again for - school; and, at five, they returned to us, and were employed as before - till supper time. Then, after family prayer, they were washed, and - were put to bed at eight. Four or five of the bigger girls were each - week kept out of the school, by turns, and employed in house-work, - cooking, etc., that they might be accustomed to every sort of - business; and there was work enough in so large a family. Several of - the children were very young, though I do not remember we had any - under two years, except one of about a month old, which was laid, very - neatly dressed, one night late at our door; but it lived only a - fortnight, being full of humours, probably derived from its parents. - - “We had, I think, never more than ten grown persons in the family at - one time, who were not invalids; nor do I remember above five or six - altogether in health. The children also, for the first few years, - suffered under various disorders; for we did not refuse either old or - young, on account of their being sick or helpless.” - -Miss Bosanquet, as might be expected, was soon involved in pecuniary -embarrassments. Just about this period, a young lady of fortune, Miss -Lewen, came to board and lodge with her, and also brought two children -of whom she had taken charge. After residing about half a year in this -unique retreat at Leytonstone,—chapel, orphanage, school, poor-house, -and infirmary all combined in one,—Miss Lewen wished to make a new will, -and to bequeath her hostess “a large sum of money.” Miss Bosanquet -objected, because Miss Lewen had already “left the bulk of her estate -(which was large) to charitable uses.” In 1766, Miss Lewen became -suddenly very ill; and, one night, while some of the inmates of the -house were watching at her side, she cried, “Give me pen and paper; I -cannot die easy, unless I write something of my mind concerning Sister -Bosanquet having £2,000.” Pen and paper were supplied, and the writing -was written; but, of course, it was illegal and worthless. Miss Lewen -died; but Miss Bosanquet, instead of receiving the £2,000, which Miss -Lewen wished her to have, received not a farthing, and was considerably -out of pocket on her dead friend’s account. - -About the beginning of 1765, Miss Bosanquet’s father died; and nine -months afterwards her mother. By his will, her father bequeathed her -£4,500, to be invested by her trustees for her benefit; and, when she -married with their approval and consent, this amount of money was to be -transferred to herself, and to be absolutely at her own disposal.[530] - -Footnote 530: - - “Probate of Mr. Bosanquet’s Will.” - -From a letter, written by S. Bosanquet, Esq., and dated “Forest House, -October 15, 1781,” it appears that Miss Bosanquet had altogether a -fortune of not less than £10,500,—a large sum, when it is remembered -that money then was about three or four times the value of money now. -Mr. Bosanquet’s letter was addressed to his sister, and in it he says:— - - £ - “You had Leytonstone estate, valued at 3,000 - You had from my grandmother 2,500 - You had the savings of Leyton estate till you came 500 - of age - You had by my father’s will 4,500 - —————— - £10,500” [531] - —————— - -Footnote 531: - - Unpublished letter. - -With the exception of her father’s bequest, the whole of this money was -at her own disposal, and, at the time of her marriage, was entirely -spent, not on herself, but solely on behalf of others. Added to this, -she was also, to a serious amount, in debt; but more of this anon. - -About three years after the death of Miss Bosanquet’s father, Richard -Taylor, a good and well-meaning man, “left his wife and young family” in -Yorkshire, “and came to London in hope of settling with his creditors.” -Sarah Crosby, who was now resident in Miss Bosanquet’s house, and John -Murlin, one of the itinerant preachers stationed in the London Circuit, -recommended Taylor, the improvident debtor, to Miss Bosanquet’s notice, -and, for some time, he also became a member of her motley household. -This unfortunate event created a world of trouble. By her father’s -bequest, Miss Bosanquet’s income was increased; but her income was not -equal to her expenses. Added to this, Sarah Ryan’s health entirely -failed; and, partly on her account, and also for other reasons, Miss -Bosanquet entertained the thought of removing her family to Yorkshire. -Accordingly, on June 7, 1768, she and her two friends, Sarah Ryan and -Sarah Crosby, set out, in a chaise, on this long and tiresome journey, -Richard Taylor accompanying them on horseback. For seven weeks, they -lived in the house of Taylor’s father-in-law, when they procured a house -for themselves at Gildersome, a village in the parish of Batley, and -about four miles and a half from Leeds. At the same time (on August 17, -1768), Sarah Ryan died; and this event augmented Miss Bosanquet’s -anxieties, and affected her health. She writes:— - - “My health began to fail. For three years, I had had much fatigue in - nursing my dear friend. I grew large, and had dropsical symptoms. My - soul, also, was in a low and cold state. My path was strewed with many - perplexities. My family consisted of thirty persons, some of whom were - rather unruly. I saw the need of taking the reins into my own hands, - and supplying the place of my friend Ryan. But this determination was - very difficult to execute; and I daily and hourly felt my - insufficiency. While she was alive, I considered her as a mother, and - desired her to allot me my employments, as she did in the case of the - young women. These were, 1. An attention to the spiritual affairs of - the family. 2. Taking care for their sustenance. 3. Instructing the - children. 4. Meeting each member of the family, one by one, at fixed - times. 5. Superintending, by turns, the more public meetings of the - Society. 6. Attending my friend in her frequent illnesses; with the - direction and management of the sick. But the care of the kitchen, - buying stores, managing the needlework, and many other things - belonging to housekeeping, I was quite unaccustomed to. While I lived - in my father’s house, I saw very little of domestic affairs, because - we lived rather high. - - “Beside, the manner of life in Yorkshire was entirely different from - what I had been used to about London. Here wheat was to be bought to - be made into flour; bread to be made; cows to be managed; and - men-servants to be directed. And when I had provided as well as I - could, some persons in my family would despisingly say, my victuals - were not worth eating, and that I knew not how to order anything. The - house was large, and there was land to it; but, one day, Richard - Taylor, whom I had employed in ordering the out-door affairs, brought - me word of a farm very cheap, on which were malt-kilns, a small house, - and many out-buildings. The farm was large, and he thought if, besides - the farm-house, we were to build one big enough for our family, it - would be cheaper than to rent a house. I went to Leeds to consult the - most judicious of my friends; in particular Mr. R——, a man well - acquainted with business, and the most intimate friend I had in - Yorkshire. He replied, ‘Had you waited a dozen years, you might not - have met with such an opportunity. Richard Taylor knows well how to - manage, if you do not; and I have no doubt the farm will clear you - £150 a year, which will be good interest for your money. - - “I prayed for light, bought the estate, formed the plan for the house, - and set about it. But I found building no cheaper in Yorkshire than in - the south, or but little so. It cost a good deal more than was at - first proposed. The farm took much money to stock it, and to bring it - into order; and, as I had not sufficient for all the expenses, I was - obliged to take up money on interest, which I hoped to pay off at the - rate of £50 a year. The malt-kilns seemed to answer well, and cleared - the first year £50, above all expenses. - - “I found my mind much united to Brother and Sister Taylor. I strove to - remove their burdens, and went in person to their creditors. After - meeting with some opposition, I got their affairs settled, at the - expense of between two and three hundred pounds. - - “My perplexities increased. The farm had sunk a very large sum to - bring it into order, and the kilns took much money to work them, a - great deal of which lay scattered up and down in debts, owing to me - from lesser maltsters. I also saw that Richard Taylor went too far; - that he was inclined to venture much; that he kept too many men; and - that he gave a great deal too much credit. - - “I lessened my family all I could, by putting out some of the bigger - children to trades, or servants’ places; but much expense attended it. - Richard Taylor also had several children, while with me, so that the - family still consisted of twenty-five persons; the majority of whom - were grown persons. Losses continually occurred. I consulted Mr. ——, - and other friends about my situation; but most of them were for some - further exertion in trade. That I knew would not do. Some said, ‘Turn - away all the members of your family: you have enough to live on alone - with a servant or two;’ but I could not see how that could be done, - for several of them were old, sickly, or helpless. Mr. —— said, ‘There - is but one way for you; put the farm into the hands of Richard Taylor, - entirely separate from yourself; let him have the stock just as it is, - and work the kilns as he can raise the money. Let him pay you £60 a - year, and take his family to the end of the house. I agreed to this, - and Richard Taylor paid his rent regularly: but, as he was to have the - farm free of debt, I found a good deal to pay which he had not brought - to account; so that, before all was settled, I had again to take up - money on interest, which was no small affliction to me. Could I have - sold the place, I would have chosen it rather. - - “We went on tolerably for three years. Mr. —— thought the farm - increased in heart; the stock also improved, and all was cheerful, - except in my own mind, which foreboded deep waters. This was soon - realized. In the beginning of the fourth year, Taylor was £600 in - debt. I thought, I am not obliged to pay his debt; let him break, and - bear his own burden; but I soon saw that I must either give up the - stock, which would be sold for half its value, or I must pay the - money. Besides, I was now informed, that, when he ceased to act as my - agent, I ought to have advertised it, that no one might trust him - through confidence in me.” - -Thus, through wretched Richard Taylor, Miss Bosanquet found herself in a -most serious entanglement. At the first, she felt she was not bound to -pay Taylor’s debt; but Taylor’s wife, big with child, came to her -wringing her hands, and entreating her to save her husband from being -sent to prison. The result was, Miss Bosanquet paid the debt, by -accepting the offer of a loan of £600 from Mr. ——, who became a partner -with her in the farm and malt-kilns, and took the management of the -whole. This, however, did not end her anxieties. She writes:— - - “In my deep troubles, a thought occurred to my mind. ‘Perhaps Mr. - Fletcher is to be my deliverer;’ but I started from the idea, lest it - should be a stratagem of Satan. We had not seen or heard from each - other for more than fifteen years. Besides, I was now (in August, - 1777), told that Mr. Fletcher was dying. As I was, one day, in prayer, - offering him up to the Lord, these words occurred to me,—‘The prayer - of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.’ I - thought if the Lord should raise him up, and should bring him back - from Switzerland to England, and he should propose to marry me, could - I doubt its being of God? I felt an unaccountable liberty to ask,—1. - That Mr. Fletcher might be raised up. 2. That he might be brought back - to England. 3. That he might write to me on the subject before he saw - me, though we had been so many years asunder, without so much as a - message passing on any subject. 4. That he might tell me, in his - letter, that (marrying me) had been the subject of his thoughts and - prayers for years. It also occurred to me, that, should this take - place in the end of 1781, it would be a still greater confirmation, as - Providence seemed to point me to that season as a time of hope.” - -Miss Bosanquet’s troubles were continued. Her new partnership was -disastrous, and Mr. ——’s management a failure. He had told her she would -receive £100 a-year towards paying off the debts she owed to himself and -others; but the farm, instead of yielding a profit, was worked at a -loss. The interest she had to pay so reduced her income, that it became -impossible to keep more than half her family with what remained. She -writes:— - - “As to the kilns, I had neither money nor courage to work them. I - strove, I worked hard, I prayed; and, at length, I proposed to the - members of my family to disperse, and learn some little business; and - I would allow to each of them what I could. It was a most painful - thing; but I saw there was no way but first to sell the place, and - then disperse. - - “Just at this time, a gentleman proposed to buy the place, stock, - lease, and everything. He was a man both of fortune and of honour, and - really wished to help me out of my difficulties; and the price he - offered would bring me through all, and leave me a good income. The - bargain was in part made; but, alas! he took a fever, and, in a few - days, died. I now saw but one way—to advertise Cross Hall, and sell it - for what I could; and, paying the purchase money away as far as it - would go, strive yearly to lessen the remaining part of the debt by my - income, reserving only £50 per year to live on, and to help my - friends. But I recollected that I might not live long enough thus to - pay the debt by my income. I then proposed to myself to keep only £20 - per year; nay, I thought, how can I have a right even to twenty? - Justice is before mercy. One day, as I was standing at a window, - musing on this subject, I saw a poor man driving asses laden with - sand, by which he gained his bread. As I looked on him, I thought, I - am perfectly willing to take up the business of that man. If I can - preserve unsold one of the freehold cottages, the asses might graze on - the common, and I could follow them with something to sell. There were - but few trades which my conscience would suffer me to follow; and my - abilities were equal to still fewer; but to anything in the world - would I turn, that was not sinful, rather than remain in debt.” - - “The 7th of June, 1781, was the day that began my fourteenth year in - Yorkshire. I saw difficulties, as mountains, rise all around me; but - the very next day, June the 8th, I received a letter from Mr. - Fletcher, in which he told me, that he had, for twenty-five years, - found a regard for me, which was still as sincere as ever; and, though - it might appear odd that he should write on such a subject, when but - just returned from abroad, and more so without seeing me first, he - could only say, that his mind was so strongly drawn to do it, he - believed it to be the order of Providence.”[532] - -Footnote 532: - - These statements are partly taken from “A Letter to the Rev. Mr. John - Wesley. By a Gentlewoman, 1764” (Miss Bosanquet); and partly from the - “Life of Mrs. Mary Fletcher. By Henry Moore, 1818.” - -Thus began Fletcher’s courtship, which ended five months afterwards in -his marrying Mary Bosanquet. - -The foregoing is a strange story. Of set purpose, nothing has been said -of Miss Bosanquet’s earnest piety, gospel labours, and spiritual -successes, both in the south of England and in Yorkshire. The object has -been to show to what straits a young lady of fortune was brought, by -injudicious generosity, by foolish advisers, and, perhaps, it may be -added, by crafty mendicants. Eighteen years before this, in a letter to -Charles Wesley, Fletcher confessed that he regarded Miss Bosanquet with -admiration;[533] and that Miss Bosanquet regarded Fletcher with equal -admiration the foregoing extracts amply prove; as does also a letter, -which she addressed to Wesley, nearly six years before her marriage, and -from which the following is taken:— - - “CROSS HALL, _February 7, 1776_. - - “REV. SIR,—I thank you for your kind favour of January 27. It yielded - us much satisfaction; for never before could we get any account to be - depended on. - - “I am exceedingly thankful Mr. Fletcher is with Mrs. Greenwood. She - will tenderly care for him: and, having a spiritual mind, will be - sensible of the honour God does her, in giving her such an - opportunity. - - “How wise are all the ways of God, in keeping His faithful servant in - that retired spot” (Stoke Newington), “while those precious works are - completed, by which he will yet speak to us, though in glory: and now - to enable him to bring them out, while his exemplary life and - conversation add a lustre to the truths he has so powerfully defended. - - “We could have liked to have seen him once more; but the will of the - Lord be done! Should it happen that this sickness is not unto death, - we shall rejoice in having an opportunity of assisting him in anything - which lies in our power. Should this favour be denied us, we must be - content; and beseech God to reward those who may supply our lack of - service. - - “The blessed account you give of the state of his mind filled my soul - with sacred joy, as also those of my friends. While I was reading it, - it was a solemn season of faith and love, and we could not help - saying, ‘Ah, Lord! Let not this shining light be so soon - extinguished!’ - - “A few weeks ago, I once more read the ‘_Equal Check_’ and felt an - unction in it above all I had ever found before. The ‘_Essay on - Truth_,’ with the Appendix, is as marrow and fatness to my soul. O may - all the height and depth of every Gospel promise be written on his - heart!”[534] - -Footnote 533: - - Letters, 1791, p. 143. - -Footnote 534: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1788, p. 48. - -Did Fletcher ever see this loving, admiring letter? Perhaps he did. At -all events, Wesley’s most intimate and confidential friendship with both -Fletcher and Miss Bosanquet was such as to justify utterances, which, -under other circumstances, would have been almost impertinent. In his -sermon on the death of Fletcher, Wesley remarked, “Miss Bosanquet was -the only person in England whom I judged to be worthy of Mr. Fletcher;” -and again, in a letter to Hester Ann Rogers, written a month after the -marriage took place, he observed, “I should not have been willing that -Miss Bosanquet should have been joined to any other person than Mr. -Fletcher.”[535] To some, such language may seem unusual, but, in -reality, it was natural; for Wesley had long been regarded as their -father in Christ, both by Fletcher and his wife; and, no doubt, both of -them had consulted him with respect to the step they proposed to take. - -Footnote 535: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xiii., p. 78. - -After all, Fletcher’s matrimonial offer was a curious incident. He was -now fifty-two years of age. For the last four years and a-half, he had -been absent from his parish, and so seriously ill, that, again and -again, his friends expected him to die. Some of his views, also, of -ministers marrying at all were rather peculiar, though rational and -sound. In his “Portrait of St. Paul,” composed in Switzerland, and -revised and finished after his return to Madeley, Fletcher wrote:— - - “When a man is perpetually called to travel from place to place, - prudence requires that he should not encumber himself with those - domestic cares, which must occasion many unavoidable delays in the - prosecution of his business: or, if he derives his maintenance from - the generosity of the poor, charity should constrain him to burden - them as little as possible. St. Paul could not prevail upon himself to - expose a woman and children to those innumerable dangers, which he was - constantly obliged to encounter. The first peril, from which he made - his escape, was that which compelled him to descend from the wall of - Damascus in a basket: now if a family had shared with him in the same - danger, what an addition would they have made to his affliction and - his care! Is it not evident, that, in such circumstances, every man, - who is not obliged to marry from reasons either physical or moral, is - called to imitate the example of this disinterested Apostle, from the - same motives of prudence and charity. This indefatigable preacher, - always on a mission, judged it advisable to continue in a single state - to the end of his days: but, had he been fixed in a particular church; - had he there felt how much it concerns a minister neither to tempt - others, nor to be tempted himself; and had he known how much - assistance a modest, provident, and pious woman is capable of - affording a pastor, by inspecting the women of his flock, he would - then probably have advised every resident pastor to enter into the - marriage state, provided they should fix upon regenerate persons, - capable of edifying the Church.” - -Probably, while writing this, Fletcher was thinking of Wesley and his -itinerant preachers, and also of the difference between them and -himself, as the Vicar of Madeley. Be that as it may, from the doctrine -he has laid down, he deduces the following principles:— - - “1. In times of great trouble and grievous persecutions, the followers - of Christ should abstain from marriage, unless obliged thereto by - particular and powerful reasons. 2. The faithful, who mean to embrace - the nuptial state, should be careful, on no account, to connect - themselves with any persons, except such as are remarkable for their - seriousness and piety. 3. Missionaries ought not to marry, unless - there is an absolute necessity. 4. A bishop, or resident pastor, is - usually called to the marriage state. 5. A minister of the Gospel, who - is able to live in a state of celibacy _for the kingdom of heaven’s - sake_, that he may have no other care except that of preaching the - Gospel and attending upon the members of Christ’s mystical body,—such - a one is undoubtedly called to continue in a single state.” - -Many will disapprove of some of Fletcher’s deductions; but it is easier -to disapprove than to refute. - -On the 8th of June, 1781, Miss Bosanquet received Fletcher’s offer of -marriage. They had long admired each other, but, when they first became -acquainted, Fletcher regarded Miss Bosanquet’s fortune as an insuperable -barrier to their union; and Miss Bosanquet was too much occupied with -her philanthropic schemes to think of being married. Now, Fletcher, to a -great extent, was an invalid, and, as much as any man alive, needed a -pious and loving nurse. Miss Bosanquet, also, was in a quagmire of -financial embarrassments, and greatly needed a tender, judicious friend. - -Fletcher’s letter, despatched early in the month of June, led to a -correspondence which lasted till August 1, when Fletcher arrived in -Yorkshire to attend Wesley’s Conference at Leeds. Miss Bosanquet -writes:— - - “Mr. Fletcher came to Cross Hall, and abode there a month; preaching - in different places with much power. Having opened our whole hearts to - each other, both on temporals and spirituals, we believed it to be the - order of God that we should become one, when He should make our way - plain.”[536] - -Footnote 536: - - “Mrs. Fletcher’s Life.” - -Properly enough, Fletcher wished, before marrying Miss Bosanquet, to -consult her family, and to obtain their approval. To this she consented; -and, three weeks after his return to Madeley, Fletcher wrote the -following, hitherto unpublished, letters. Some will condemn the printing -of this private correspondence; but as it contains nothing but what is -honourable to all the parties concerned, and as it exhibits the Vicar of -Madeley in a new position, most readers will be thankful for it. - -The first letter was addressed to Miss Bosanquet, and shows the ardour -of her wooer:— - - “MADELEY, _September 22, 1781_. - - “MY DEAREST FRIEND,—I have received thy dear letter, with the one - enclosed from thy brother. I shall send it back to thee by Mr. - Brisco,[537] who will call here on his way to Birstal. - - “O Polly! generous, faithful Polly! dost thou indeed permit me to - write to thy friends, and to ask the invaluable gift of thy hand? That - hand, that is _half_ mine, shall be wholly mine. I have, to-day, - written two letters,—one to thy uncle, the other to thy elder brother. - Correct them, and, when thou hast, forward them with much prayer and - love. Back them with some of thy sweet arguments. Thou knowest how to - come at thy friends. I don’t: I have only followed my instinct for - thee in this new business. - - “Polly! I read thy letter, and wondered at the expression in it,—‘_If - you think me worth writing for_.’ Ah! my holy, my loving, my lovely, - my precious friend, I think thee worth writing for _with my vital - blood_: I am only sorry that I had not thee beside me to write with - _thy wisdom_. However, I write by the _first_ post: direct the letters - properly; and excuse my _sending them by thee_, as I don’t remember - the names and streets. - - “‘Difficulties!’ If thou hast any, I shall gladly share them with - thee, and think myself well repaid with the pleasure of praying and - praising _with thee_, and _for thee_. Therefore, do not talk of - _struggling through alone_. I charge thee, by thy faithfulness, let me - be alone as little time as thou canst. - - “‘Three thousand pounds’ with thee! My dear, if thou art mine, and - canst live in our cottage here, praising and blessing God, I shall - rejoice more than Mephibosheth, when, through joy, he said, ‘Let Ziba - take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come back in peace’ (2 Sam. - xix. 30). Let not thy wisdom, Polly, make thee suspect and surmise - evil. Let thy charity make thee hope all things for thy friends. - - “I thank thee for that believing sentence,—‘But, all shall be right.’ - The worst thy friends can do is to keep thy money, which I look upon - as dung and dross in comparison of thee. Ah Polly! with the _treasure_ - of _thy_ friendship, and the _unsearchable_ riches of Christ, how rich - thinkest thou I am? Count—cast up—but thou wilt never make out the - amazing sum. - - “So thou wilt keep ‘two years’ from me to bring me some money! Oh, - Polly! that is a saying more worthy of Change Alley than of the - paradise of love. Let me comfort thee a little. If thou lovest me half - as much as I do thee, thou wilt think thyself rich. _Thou_ art worth - to me a _million_; and cannot _I_ be worth thy £5,000? - - “I embrace thee in spirit, and more than mix my soul with thine. - Farewell! - - “J. FLETCHER.” - -Footnote 537: - - Thomas Brisco, a fine old Methodist Itinerant Preacher, at that time - the Superintendent of the Birstal Circuit. - -The two letters referred to in this sweethearting epistle, and addressed -to Miss Bosanquet’s uncle, Claudius Bosanquet, Esq., and to her brother, -S. Bosanquet, Esq., were the following:— - - “To Claudius Bosanquet, Esq. - - “MADELEY, _September 22, 1781_. - - “SIR,—Permit a stranger to claim some moments of the time you - consecrate to your neighbours’ happiness and the welfare of your own - family. - - “I was born in the Pays de Vaud at Nyon, a town about fifteen miles - north of Geneva, on the borders of the lake. My father, in his youth, - was an officer in the French service, which he left to marry. He was - afterwards a colonel in the militia of his country, and a judge or - assessor to the lord-lieutenant of the town where he lived. I am the - youngest of his eight children. Having some desires to be a clergyman, - I was, for seven years, sent to Geneva to pursue my studies. But after - I had stayed there seven years, a fear of being unfit for the - Christian ministry, and the enticing offers of my father’s brother, - who was a lieutenant-colonel in the Dutch service, made me for a time - prefer the sword to the gown. I left the academy” [at Geneva] “and - went to Flanders to join my eldest brother, who was an officer in the - Dutch service; but, before I could enter the army, the peace was made, - and my uncle, on whom my hopes depended, left the service. - - “Seeing my way to military preferment blocked up by these two events, - I came to England, to get more perfect in the English tongue, which I - had begun to learn at Geneva. Some months after I was come over, Mr. - Des Champs, a French minister, to whom I had been recommended, - procured me the place of tutor to the son of Mr. Hill, member of - Parliament for Shrewsbury. In his family I lived some years, and - applied myself to the study of divinity; and, at his request, and by - his interest, I got into Orders; a calling which now suited my more - serious turn of mind. - - “It was soon after my ordination that I saw Miss Mary Bosanquet, your - pious niece. I had resolved not to marry, but the sweetness of her - temper, and her devotedness to God, made me think that if ever I broke - through my resolution, it would be to cast my lot with one like her. - - “Not long after, at Mr. Hill’s request, his nephew, Mr. Kinaston, - member for Montgomery, presented me to the living of Madeley, a little - market-town in the county of Salop, worth about £100 per annum; and - here I have chiefly lived, sequestered from the world, as your amiable - niece has done at Leyton and at Cross Hall. - - “After having corresponded some years with her on various subjects, - last spring, on my return from a journey to the continent, I ventured - to mention to her my first thoughts about a closer union with - her,—thoughts which I had kept to myself for nearly twenty-five years. - After maturely discussing the point, your pious niece has given me - room to hope she will give me her hand, if you, Sir, whom she honours - as a father, give your consent to our union. I earnestly ask it, Sir; - and beg you will share the pleasure of uniting two persons who, from a - remarkable agreement of taste, sentiments, and pursuits, as well as - from a particular sympathy, seem formed for each other by the God of - nature and of grace. - - “I wish, Sir, I had a fortune equal to Miss Bosanquet’s deserts; but I - hope I have one suitable to her piety, and to the moderate wishes of - that godliness which, together with contentment, is a great gain. I - have only about £1,500 worth of property in my native country, and - about £400 or £500 more in my parish, besides the income of my living, - and a house much better than those with which most country clergymen - are obliged to put up. - - “Whatever be your pious niece’s fortune, I assure you, Sir, I seek her - person, not her property; and to convince you of it, I request that - before she gives me her hand, her whole fortune may be secured to her - by a proper settlement. - - “With respect to my character, and the truth of what I have here - advanced, I beg leave to refer you, Sir, to four creditable persons. - With regard to my conduct, and what I affirm of myself as Vicar of - Madeley, you may get proper informations from Thomas Hill, Esq., now - in Salop, the old gentleman in whose house or neighbourhood I have - lived very near thirty years; and from his son, Noel Hill, Esq., - member for Shropshire, the gentleman to whom I was tutor. With respect - to what I have mentioned of myself as a native of Switzerland, you - may, Sir, procure proper informations from two clergymen now in that - country, Mr. De Bons and Mr. Tavan, whom I saw last Christmas at - Lausanne, and whom you have probably seen in London, when they served - French churches there. - - “I would, Sir, have waited upon you in person, in London, if some - journeys which my curate must take did not oblige me to stay here to - serve my own church. - - “I shall have the honour to write upon the same subject to Miss - Bosanquet’s brothers, and shall take the liberty of referring them to - this letter, for some account of him who aspires to the hand of their - pious sister; and who, with respect to temporal happiness, desires - nothing so ardently as to have your leave to add the name of nephew to - that of, Sir, your most humble and obedient servant, - - “JOHN DELAFLECHERE. - - “P.S.—Soon after I came to England, my English friends, complaining of - the length of my Swiss name, began to contract it by dropping the - French syllables of it. So they called me Fletcher; and by that name I - have been known among the English ever since. If you favour me with an - answer, Sir, it will find me if it is directed thus:— - - “Mr. Fletcher, - “Vicar of Madeley, - “Near Shiffnal, - “Shropshire.” - -The letter addressed to Miss Bosanquet’s brother was as follows:— - - “MADELEY, NEAR SHIFFNAL, SHROPSHIRE, - “_September 22, 1781_. - - “SIR,—Aspiring to the happiness of being united to your pious sister, - Miss Bosanquet, and to the honour of being, by her means, connected - with your family, I should be wanting both to my duty and my - inclination if I proceeded in my addresses to her without informing - you of my design, and asking your approbation of it. - - “By this post I send to Claudius Bosanquet, Esq., some account of - myself, which I hope he will communicate to you, Sir, and to your - brother. I shall only add two things. - - “Among the reasons which hindered me from making my addresses to your - amiable sister, when first I felt that sympathy which binds my soul to - hers, the superiority of her fortune was not the least. Since that - time, debts, which unforeseen circumstances led her to contract, have - considerably lessened that difficulty; and the prudent fear of - contracting new ones seems to make it expedient for her to get into a - state where she may, without difficulty and with propriety, bring her - expensive housekeeping within narrower bounds. That end will at once - be attained if she favours me with her hand. - - “Further, in extricating herself from some difficulties, she will - crown the wishes of the oldest and warmest of her friends; and - contribute not to my happiness only, but to that of my numerous flock. - You are too well acquainted with your pious sister’s turn of mind not - to know that Providence designed her for a clergyman’s partner and - fellow-helper. Her instructions, her employment, her very pleasures - from her childhood, have led her to assist her neighbours in temporal - as well as in spiritual matters. She has even been blamed for the - warmth of her zeal. But what seemed rather awkward and improper in a - single woman, will become highly expedient and highly commendable in a - clergyman’s wife. The _secondary_ inspection and care of the children - and women of a flock of two thousand souls will then naturally devolve - to her share, and in some sense become her duty. - - “I hope that if you, Sir, your worthy uncle, your brother, and Mrs. - Gassen[538] weigh these particulars you will consent to our union, and - by that means contribute more than I can express to the happiness, - Sir, of your most humble and most obedient servant, - - “J. FLETCHER.” - -Footnote 538: - - Miss Bosanquet’s married sister. The two sisters began their - _religious_ life together at a very early age. - -In due time, in a letter, dated “Forest House, October 2, 1781,” S. -Bosanquet, Esq., informed Fletcher that he approved of the proposed -marriage; but added:— - - “My sister’s fortune is so encumbered, that nothing but the sale of - all her landed estate can free her from her difficulties; and, if that - portion of her fortune, which came to her by my father’s will, had not - been tied up, she would have been ruined.”[539] - -Footnote 539: - - Unpublished letter. - -A fortnight later, Mr. S. Bosanquet wrote to his sister, and gave her an -account of her fortune, amounting in the aggregate to £10,500. He then -told her that she had already squandered the whole of this amount, with -the exception of £4,500 settled on trustees, for her benefit, by her -father’s will. He continued:— - - “One reason why my father secured this money, by leaving it on trust, - was, lest, by your placing too great confidence in those with whom you - were connected, and by your endeavouring to do more good than your - circumstances would afford, you might be left destitute.” - -He then added:— - - “I cannot conclude without remarking that, although you are encumbered - with debts, you must be, at least, an equal match for Mr. Fletcher. - Your two estates[540] have always been considered as fully equal to - your debts; but, suppose they should not turn out to be so, the - difference cannot be very great; and, as the remainder of your income - exceeds £200 a year, it at least equals Mr. Fletcher’s income, such as - it has been stated to me; besides the consideration that the greater - part of his income dies with him, and the capital of yours survives in - case there should be children, for their benefit.”[541] - -Footnote 540: - - The Leytonstone estate, valued at £3,000; and that bequeathed by her - grandmother, valued at £2,500. - -Footnote 541: - - Unpublished letter. - -At the same time, Miss Bosanquet’s brother William, in a letter dated -“Lime Street, London, October 16, 1781,” replied to her wail that she -could “carry Mr. Fletcher nothing but debts,” and stated that he was in -favour of her marrying Fletcher.[542] - -Footnote 542: - - _Ibid._ - -Before taking leave of the Bosanquet family, it may be added, that Mr. -S. Bosanquet sent his sister, as his wedding present, a pair of silver -candlesticks;[543] and that her brother William, in a letter dated -“November 27, 1781,” and addressed “Mrs. Fletcher, Cross Hall, Morley -Common, near Leeds,” wrote:— - - “I cannot but hope the greatest happiness will attend your union with - a gentleman to whom, by general report, the highest praise is due. - Permit me to wish you joy on this occasion, and to add my best - respects to Mr. Fletcher, assuring him that I shall be happy to - cultivate his acquaintance, and to show him every attention in my - power.”[544] - -Footnote 543: - - _Ibid._ - -Footnote 544: - - _Ibid._ - -With this loving letter, Mr. William Bosanquet forwarded to his sister a -nuptial present of £100. - -Another fact must be mentioned. William Bosanquet loved his sister, and, -not only now, but in aftertime, he showed the genuineness of his -affection by his deeds. The uncle, Claudius Bosanquet, in his last will -and testament, bequeathed to Miss Bosanquet’s two brothers £18,000 each; -but Miss Bosanquet and her sister Gassen were unnamed. At the uncle’s -death, their brother William, ever generous and open-handed, gave them -£500 each; when Fletcher died, he presented to the widow £40 a year to -relieve the wants of the poor of Madeley; and when he himself died, in -1813, he bequeathed her the sum of £2,000. - -These details have not been given without a reason. Some ill-informed -Methodists have a sort of floating idea that Fletcher’s marriage was an -unequal one—that is, they seem to think that the Bosanquet family was -much more respectable than that of Fletcher; and that Miss Bosanquet’s -fortune was much greater than the fortune of the man who became her -loving and devoted husband. Enough has been said to show the inaccuracy -of this. Fletcher’s family was quite equal, in point of respectability, -to the Bosanquet family, and, perhaps, superior; and his yearly income -was not less than that of the lady who rejoiced to become his wife. -Never was there a marriage more free from mercenariness than that of -John Fletcher, of Madeley, and Mary Bosanquet, of Cross Hall, Yorkshire. -It was, in the highest and purest sense, a love-match. The letters, just -given, exhibit Fletcher’s affection, disinterestedness, honour, and -respect for others. Miss Bosanquet had still a remnant of her fortune; -but he wished the whole of this to be settled upon herself. He wished to -marry her, but, before carrying out his wish, as a courteous gentleman, -he asked for the approbation of her family, thereby setting a good -example to his inferiors and juniors. She wished to marry him; but, -shrinking from the idea of involving him in her pecuniary -embarrassments, she proposed to postpone the marriage till her affairs -were in a more settled state. Her family were consulted by Fletcher; and -they responded in the most kind and straightforward manner. In genius, -talent, and learning, Fletcher was immensely Miss Bosanquet’s superior; -but, for pure, ardent, disinterested, unselfish love, it is impossible -to decide which of the two was entitled to bear the palm. - -Consent to the marriage having been obtained from the Bosanquet family, -Fletcher made an arrangement to spend the remainder of the year with his -affianced in Yorkshire. The well-known Rev. John Crosse,[545] Vicar of -Bradford, took Fletcher’s pulpit at Madeley, and Fletcher took Mr. -Crosse’s at Bradford.[546] To some, this may seem somewhat strange; but -it must be borne in mind that Miss Bosanquet’s temporal affairs were in -a most entangled state, and that it was of great importance that her -Cross Hall property should be sold, and all her business assets and -debts in Yorkshire satisfactorily settled before her removal to Madeley. -Fletcher went to help his intended bride, and did help her; for her -brother William, in a letter, written to her a fortnight after her -marriage, observed, “You have done very well in disposing of your -place.”[547] For months past, she had been longing and trying to turn -her troublesome property into money: now she succeeded in doing so. A -week after Fletcher’s arrival, “a gentleman came quite unexpectedly, and -bought” the Cross Hall[548] estate “for £1,620; and, three days -afterwards, another took the stock, etc.” Arrangements were also made -for the locating of her domestic dependants; and she was enabled to -write:— - - “All was now so far settled, that I did not need to sell Leytonstone - estate. My income would afford to allow my dispersed family £55 per - year; pay the interest of the money still owing; and yet leave me such - an annual sum as was about equal to my dear Mr. Fletcher’s; and, in - case of my death, there was in Leytonstone more than would pay all. - So, on Monday, the 12th of November, 1781, in Batley Church, we - covenanted in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy - Ghost, to bear each other’s burdens, and to become one for ever.”[549] - -Footnote 545: - - Mr. Crosse had been acquainted with Miss Bosanquet when she resided at - Leytonstone, and, from that time to this, a warm friendship had - existed between them. (“Life of Crosse,” by Morgan, p. 8.) - -Footnote 546: - - “Life of Rev. John Crosse,” by Morgan, p. 9. - -Footnote 547: - - Unpublished letter. - -Footnote 548: - - Cross Hall still exists; at all events, it did a few years ago, when - the present writer visited it—a square, substantial, two-story - edifice, built of stone, shaded with trees, and having a good garden - behind it. - -Footnote 549: - - “Mrs. Fletcher’s Life,” by H. Moore, p. 142. - -Fletcher reached Cross Hall towards the end of October, 1781, and -continued there till January 2, 1782, when he and his bride set out for -Madeley. A glimpse of this brief interval, and of his unique wedding, -may interest the reader. - -Of course, Fletcher had to preach every Sunday in Mr. Crosse’s church; -but, in addition to this, he also preached in Methodist chapels. Samuel -Bradburn, at that time Wesley’s “Assistant” in the Bradford Circuit, -wrote:— - - “Mr. Fletcher is married to Miss Bosanquet. Such a pair! I am inclined - to think there never was a holier, or a happier, couple, since Adam - ate the forbidden fruit. At all events, I can say, such a man and - woman I never knew married before. He has preached in two of our - houses at Halifax and Bradford; and I think that there never were two - better sermons preached in England.”[550] - -Footnote 550: - - Unpublished letter. - -This, from one of the greatest of Methodism’s pulpit orators, was no -ordinary praise. - -Mrs. Crosby was one of the members of Miss Bosanquet’s family, and -wrote:— - - “Mr. Fletcher’s general conversation, while at Cross Hall, was - praising God, and speaking of the love of our dear Redeemer. He took - opportunities of speaking to every one in the family, concerning the - state of their souls, and of giving them suitable directions. At other - times, he met us all together, and exhorted us. Our daily meals were - like sacraments. When he drank to any one, it was, ‘Heavenly health!’ - or ‘The cup of salvation!’ At, or after each meal, he generally began, - or called upon us to begin, to sing— - - “‘Still, O my soul, prolong - The never-ceasing song! - Christ my theme, my hope, my joy! - His be all my happy days! - Praise my every hour employ: - Every breath be spent in praise!’ - - “Thus did he walk with God, filled with the Spirit: confirming his - love to all the family, and caring for both their spiritual and - temporal concerns. He preached in many places while in Yorkshire, and - to numerous congregations. Many were blest thereby; some convinced of - sin; others comforted. Whenever he either preached or conversed, the - comforts of the Holy Ghost were multiplied. - - “Monday, _November 12_, was the day appointed for the marriage. On the - morning of this day, several friends met together. They reached Cross - Hall before family prayers. Mr. Fletcher was dressed in his - canonicals. After giving out one of Mr. Wesley’s marriage hymns, he - read Rev. xix. 7, 8, 9, ‘Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give honour - to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made - herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in - fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness - of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are - called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, - These are the true sayings of God.’ Mr. Fletcher then spoke from these - verses, in such a manner as greatly tended to spiritualize the - solemnities of the day. He said, ‘We invite you to our wedding; but - the Holy Ghost invites you to the marriage of the Lamb. The bride, the - Lamb’s wife, represents the whole Church, triumphant and militant - united together. You may all be the Bride, and Jesus will condescend - to be the Bridegroom. Make yourselves ready by being filled with the - Spirit.’ He then engaged in prayer, and said, ‘Lord, thou knowest we - would not take this step, if we had not eternity in view, and if we - were not as willing to be carried into the churchyard, as to go into - the church.’ At breakfast, he remarked, ‘The postilions are now ready - to carry us to the church; but death will soon be here to carry us to - the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ - - “On the way to Batley Church, which was nearly two miles distant, he - spoke much of the mystery represented by marriage, namely the union - between Christ and His Church. They were married in the face of the - congregation: the doors were opened, and everyone came in that would. - We then returned home, and spent a considerable time in singing and - prayer. There were nearly twenty of us. I then presented Mrs. Fletcher - with some wedding hymns. She looked over them, and gave them to Mr. - Fletcher. He read the Scripture text at the top, namely, ‘Husbands, - love your wives, as Christ loved the Church.’ Then turning to the - company, he said, ‘My God, what a task! Help me, my friends, by your - prayers, to fulfil it. As Christ loved the Church! He laid aside His - glory for the Church; He submitted to be born into our world; to be - clothed with a human body, subject to all our sinless infirmities; He - endured shame, contempt, pain, yea, death itself for His Church! O my - God, none is able to fulfil this task, without Thine Almighty aid! - Help me, O my God! Pray for me, O my friends!’ - - “He next read, ‘Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands.’ Mrs. - Fletcher added, ‘As unto the Lord.’ ‘Well, my dear,’ returned Mr. - Fletcher, ‘only in the Lord. And if ever I wish you to do anything - otherwise, resist me with all your might.’ - - “From dinner, which was a spiritual meal as well as a natural one, - until tea-time, our time was chiefly spent in prayer or singing. After - singing the covenant hymn, Mr. Fletcher went to Mrs. Fletcher, and - said to her, ‘Well, my dearest friend, will you unite with me in - joining ourselves in a perpetual covenant to the Lord? Will you with - me serve Him in His members? Will you help me to bring souls to the - Blessed Redeemer? And, in every possible way, this day lay yourself - under the strongest ties you can, to help me to glorify my gracious - Lord? She answered, ‘May my God help me so to do!’ - - “In the evening, Mr. Valton[551] preached in the hall, from, ‘What - shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits? I will take the cup - of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.’ His words did not - fall to the ground; many were greatly refreshed. After the preaching, - there was a sweet contest among us: every one thought, ‘I, in - particular, owe the greatest debt of praise;’ at length we agreed to - sing,— - - “‘I’ll praise my Maker, while I’ve breath, - And when my voice is lost in death, - Praise shall employ my nobler powers: - My days of praise shall ne’er be past, - While life, and thought, and being last, - Or immortality endures.’”[552] - -Footnote 551: - - John Valton, one of Wesley’s Preachers, then in the seventh year of - his itinerancy, and labouring in the Birstal Circuit. He wrote: “On - the 12th of November, 1781, Mr. Fletcher stole hallowed fire from my - people, by taking away Miss Bosanquet. I and a few friends accompanied - them to Batley Church. Surely, such a blessed wedding I never knew - before. By request, I improved the occasion in the evening, from these - words, ‘What shall we render to the Lord for all His benefits? I will - take the cup of salvation, and call upon His name.’ It was a - refreshing time; and many prayers were offered that eternal blessings - might crown the devoted pair.” (“Life of the Rev. John Valton,” p. - 104.) - -Footnote 552: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -Is there on record another wedding day such as this? To criticise the -account would spoil it. It may, however, interest the reader to give a -verbatim copy of the marriage certificate:— - - “No. 112. John William Fletcher, of the parish of Madeley, in the - county of Salop, Clerk, and Mary Bosanquet, of this parish, were - married in this church (Batley) by license, this twelfth day of - November, in the year 1781, by me, John Deighton, Curate. - - “This marriage was solemnized between us, John William Fletcher, or De - la Flechere, and Mary Bosanquet, in the presence of William Smith and - Ann Tripp.” - -Twelve days after the marriage, Wesley wrote to Fletcher the following -characteristic letter:— - - “LONDON, _November 24, 1781_. - - “DEAR SIR,—There is not a person to whom I would have wished Miss - Bosanquet joined besides you. But this union, I am thoroughly - persuaded, is of God; and so are all the children of God with whom I - have spoken. Mr. Bosanquet’s being so agreeable to it, I look upon as - a token for good; and so was the ready disposing of the house and - stock, which otherwise would have been a great encumbrance. - - “From the first day which you spend together at Madeley, I hope you - will lay down an exactly regular plan of living; something like that - of the happy family at Leytonstone. Let your light shine to all that - are round about you. And let Sister Fletcher do as much as she can for - God, and no more. To His care I commit you both, and am, my dear - friends, - - “Your very affectionate brother, - “JOHN WESLEY.”[553] - -Footnote 553: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xii., p. 154. - -A curious letter to be written to a man on his being married; but Wesley -and Fletcher were far too earnest, and were engaged in far too great a -work, to permit them to write commonplace and empty congratulations. - -One of the first acts of Fletcher, after his marriage, was to make a -settlement of his own monetary matters. The following is an exact copy -of his will, written by himself:— - - “This is the last Will and Testament of John William Fletcher, Vicar - of Madeley, in the County of Salop, whereby I give and bequeath to my - dear wife, Mary Fletcher, all my personal estate, of what nature or - kind soever, in the kingdom of Great Britain, for her own use and - benefit. - - “With regard to my personal estate in Switzerland, I give and bequeath - it all to my second brother, Henry de la Fletcher, assessor to the - Lord Bailie, at Nyon, in the Canton of Berne, on condition that he or - his heirs will take care to pay to my said dear wife, Mary Fletcher, - or order, the income or produce of that personal estate during the - term of her natural life; and, in case my said brother or his heirs do - not fulfil this condition, according to the tenour of this Will, then - my said wife shall sell, or cause to be sold, that my said personal - estate in Switzerland, for her own use and benefit; and get the money - over to England, on condition that she shall pay one hundred crowns to - the poor of Nyon, in the said Canton of Berne.[554] - - “And I do hereby appoint my said dear wife sole executrix of this my - last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my - hand and seal this 24th of December, 1781. - - “JOHN WILLIAM FLETCHER, OR DE LA FLECHERE. - - “Signed and sealed by the Testator, and by him declared to be his last - Will and Testament, in the presence of us, - - “JOHN VALTON. - “RICHARD TAYLOR. - “THOMAS - GARFORTH.”[555] - -Footnote 554: - - Fletcher’s relatives in Switzerland most faithfully fulfilled this - part of Fletcher’s Will. In an unpublished letter to Mrs. Crosby, - dated June 20, 1786, his widow wrote:— - - “My brother Henry possesses so much of the spirit of my dear husband, - that his care of me exceeds all imagination. The family have sent me a - bond, laying in their own estates as security to forward me the whole - produce every year. I do not yet know exactly what it will be; but it - is far better than I thought; and so is everything in which my dearest - Mr. Fletcher has been concerned.” - -Footnote 555: - - _The Wesley Banner_, 1850, p. 314. - -Fletcher’s marriage was, in all respects, a happy one. He was thankful -for his wife, and proud of her. Hence the following letter to “The Hon. -Mrs. C——:” - - “CROSS HALL, YORKSHIRE, _December 26, 1781_. - - “MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,—Your favour of the 4th instant did not reach me - until a considerable time after date, through my being still absent - from Madeley; a clergyman of this neighbourhood having made an - exchange with me, to facilitate my settling some temporal affairs in - this county. - - “The kind part you take in my happiness demands my warmest thanks; and - I beg you will accept them, multiplied by those which my dear partner - presents to you. Yes, my dear friend, I am married in my old age, and - have a new opportunity of considering a great mystery, in the most - perfect type of our Lord’s mystical union with His Church. I have now - a new call to pray for a fulness of Christ’s holy, gentle, meek, - loving Spirit, that I may love my wife, as He loved His spouse, the - Church. But the emblem is greatly deficient: the Lamb is worthy of His - spouse, and more than worthy; whereas I must acknowledge myself - unworthy of the yoke-fellow, whom heaven has reserved for me. She is a - person after my own heart; and, I make no doubt, we shall increase the - number of the happy marriages in the Church militant. - - “Indeed, they are not so many, but it may be worth a Christian’s while - to add one more to the number. God declared it was not good that man, - a social being, should live alone, and, therefore, He gave him a - help-meet for him. For the same reason, our Lord sent forth His - disciples two and two. Had I searched the three kingdoms, I could not - have found one brother willing to share gratis my weal, woe, and - labours, and complaisant enough to unite his fortunes to mine; but God - has found me a partner, _a sister, a wife_, to use St. Paul’s - language, who is not afraid to face with me the colliers and bargemen - of my parish, until death part us. - - “Buried together in our country village, we shall help one another to - trim our lamps, and wait for the coming of the heavenly - Bridegroom.”[556] - -Footnote 556: - - Letters, 1791, p. 281. - -Before leaving this memorable year, 1781, it must be added that, twenty -days after Fletcher’s marriage, his beloved friend and travelling -companion, William Perronet, died, on his way to England, at Douay. -Three months before this event took place, Fletcher remarked, in a -letter to William Perronet’s venerable father:— - - “Madeley, September 4, 1781. I have been for some weeks in Yorkshire, - chiefly at the house of an old friend of mine, Miss Bosanquet, whose - happy family put me in mind of yours. At my return home, I have found - a letter from my brother, who informs me that my dear friend, your - son, continues very weak. He is now at Gimel, a fine village between - Lausanne and Geneva, where Miss Perronet’s sister is settled. There he - rides, and drinks ass’s milk, and breathes the purest air. Mrs. - Perronet is there with her two daughters, so that if the illness of my - dear friend should grow more grievous, he will not want for good - attendance and the most tender nursing.”[557] - -Footnote 557: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1817, p. 864. - -Now, in another letter to the father of William Perronet, Fletcher -wrote:— - - “I condole with you, Rev. and dear Sir, about the death of my dear - friend and your dear son. We shall one day see why our heavenly Father - made your sons go before you, and my kind physician before me. About - the time he died, so far as I can find by your kind letter, a strong - concern about him fell upon me by day and by night, insomuch that I - could not help waking my wife to join me in praying for him; and at - once that concern ceased, nor have I since had any such spiritual - feeling, whence I concluded that the conflict I supposed my friend to - be in was ended. But how surprised was I to find it was _by death_! - Well, whether Paul or Apollos, or life or _death_, all things are ours - through Jesus, who knows how to bring good out of evil, and how to - blow us into the harbour by a cross wind, or even by a dreadful - storm.”[558] - -Footnote 558: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - _TWO YEARS OF MARRIED LIFE AT MADELEY._ - - 1782 AND 1783. - - - - -IN a letter to an aristocratic friend in London, Fletcher began the year -1782 as follows:— - - “January 1, 1782. I live, blessed be God, to devote myself again to - His blessed service in this world or in the next, and to wish my dear - friends all the blessings of a year of jubilee. Whatever this year - brings forth, may it bring us the fullest measures of salvation - attainable on earth, and the most complete preparation for heaven. - - “I have a solemn call to gird my loins and keep my lamp burning. - Strangely restored to health and strength (considering my years), I - have ventured to preach of late as often as I did formerly; and after - having read prayers and preached twice on Christmas-day, I did, last - Sunday, what I had never done,—I continued doing duty from ten o’clock - in the morning till after four in the afternoon. This was owing to - christenings, churchings, and the sacrament, which I administered to a - church full of people,[559] so that I was obliged to go from the - communion table to begin the evening service, and then to visit some - sick. This has brought back upon me one of my old, dangerous symptoms; - so I have flattered myself in vain that I should be able to do the - whole duty of my own parish. My dear wife is nursing me with the - tenderest care; gives me up to God with the greatest resignation; and - helps me to rejoice that life and death, health and sickness, work for - our good, and are all _ours_, as blessed means to forward us in our - journey to heaven. - - “We intend to set out for Madeley to-morrow. The prospect of a - winter’s journey is not sweet; but the prospect of meeting you, and - your dear sister, and Lady Mary Fitzgerald, and all our other - companions in tribulation in heaven, is delightful. If Lady Huntingdon - is in London, I beg you to present my duty to her, with my best - wishes.”[560] - -Footnote 559: - - No doubt this six hours’ continuous service took place in the parish - church, Bradford. - -Footnote 560: - - Letters, 1791, p. 283. - -Fletcher and his bride left Cross Hall on Wednesday, January 2, 1782. -Mrs. Fletcher wrote:— - - “1782, January 2. We set out for Madeley. Where shall I begin my song - of praise? What a turn is there in all my affairs! From what a depth - of sorrow, distress, and perplexity am I delivered! How shall I find - language to express the goodness of the Lord! I know no want but that - of more grace. I have a husband, in everything suited to me. He bears - with all my faults and failings in a manner that continually reminds - me of the text, ‘Love your wives, as Christ loved the Church.’ His - constant endeavour is to make me happy; his strongest desire is for my - spiritual growth. He is, in every sense of the word, the man my - highest reason chooses to obey. I am also happy in a servant[561] whom - I took from the side of her mother’s coffin when she was four years - old. She loves us as if we were her parents, and is also truly devoted - to God.”[562] - -Footnote 561: - - Sarah Lawrence. - -Footnote 562: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -On January 6, Fletcher and his wife spent their first Sunday at Madeley. -Seventeen years afterwards, Mrs. Fletcher remarked:— - - “The first Sabbath after I came to Madeley my dear husband took me - into the kitchen, where his people were assembled to partake of - refreshment between the times of worship. He introduced me to them, - saying, ‘I have not married this wife for myself only, but for your - sakes also.’” - -And then the happy throng sang the hymn beginning with the verse— - - “Blow ye the trumpet, blow - The gladly solemn sound; - Let all the nations know, - To earth’s remotest bound; - The year of jubilee is come! - Return, ye ransomed sinners, home.” - -A few weeks after this, Wesley paid his friends a visit of one day and -two nights. He says:— - - “1782. Saturday, March 23. It was with a good deal of difficulty that - we got” [from Kidderminster] “to Bridgenorth, much of the road being - blocked up with snow. In the afternoon, we had another kind of - difficulty; the roads were so rough and so deep that we were in - danger, every now and then, of leaving our wheels behind us. But, by - adding two horses to my own, at length we got safe to Madeley. - - “Both Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher complained that, after all the pains they - had taken they could not prevail on the people to join in Society; no, - nor even to meet in class. Resolved to try, I preached to a crowded - audience on ‘I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.’ I followed the - blow in the afternoon by strongly applying those words, ‘Awake, thou - that sleepest;’ and then enforcing the necessity of Christian - fellowship on all who desired either to awake or keep awake. I then - desired those that were willing to join together for this purpose to - call upon me and Mr. Fletcher after service. Ninety-four or - ninety-five persons did so—about as many men as women. We explained to - them the nature of a Christian Society, and they willingly joined - therein.”[563] - -Footnote 563: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Methodist preachers, for some time past, had preached in Madeley Wood, -Coalbrookdale, and other adjacent places, and here Society Classes seem -to have been formed; but, up to the present, the Methodist people at -Madeley had refused to meet in class. Henceforth, it was different. This -altered state of things was owing partly to Wesley and to Fletcher, but -chiefly to Fletcher’s devoted wife. - -At the time of Wesley’s visit, there was living at Little Dawley, near -Madeley, a child nearly four years old, who, nineteen years afterwards, -became a Methodist Itinerant Preacher, and who, in 1879, died in the one -hundred and first year of his age—the tall, stalwart, grand old William -Tranter. Naturally, Mr. Tranter loved Madeley, and affectionately -cherished the memory of Fletcher and his wife. In an article published -forty-five years ago, he wrote:— - - “When Mr. Wesley’s preachers came to the neighbourhood of Madeley, Mr. - Fletcher hospitably received those laborious servants of God into his - house; the vicarage kitchen, before consecrated by his prayers, was - now further consecrated by their earnest and faithful preaching; the - Vicar of Madeley himself being one of their humblest and most - prayerful hearers. The kitchen becoming too small, a barn on the - premises was neatly fitted up for a preaching room. In this place, the - Methodist travelling preachers, and the curate of the parish, - regularly preached the Word of God. Here, also, Mrs. Fletcher, after - the removal of her holy husband to his heavenly rest, held her - meetings for exposition of the Scriptures, religious experience, and - prayer. Surviving her husband many years” (thirty), “she lived a widow - indeed, doing good to all around her, and winning the veneration and - love of rich and poor, not only in the village and parish of Madeley, - and in the adjoining parishes, but in all places where she was known, - and to which the fame of her piety and charity had extended. The - rector not only allowed her to remain in the vicarage-house, - undisturbed during life, but allowed her to choose the curate by whom - the duties of the living were to be performed; assigning as his - reason, that she knew better than himself what would suit and benefit - the parishioners. Besides exercising publicly, at stated times, in the - vicarage room, she occasionally visited Madeley Wood, Coalbrookdale, - Coalport, and other places more distant, at which times the chapels - were usually crowded with delighted and profited hearers. To her - house, the Itinerant Preachers continued to come to the end of her - earthly sojourn. Here they always found a hearty welcome, and a - delightful home. Several lovely Societies were formed, others were - augmented, hundreds of souls were converted, Christian believers were - edified and blessed, the fruit of Mr. Fletcher’s ministry was - preserved, and Madeley became the rendezvous for religious persons and - purposes—a privileged, honoured place,—a sort of Christian Jerusalem. - It was not uncommon to see two, three, or more clergymen, pious and - able men, from neighbouring and even distant parishes, among the - congregation at her week-night lectures. On the Sabbath, the pious - people, living at the distance of from one to four miles from Madeley, - usually arrived in time for her morning meeting, at nine o’clock; and, - from there, they went to the parish church close at hand. At noon, - respectable strangers, visiting Madeley for religious purposes, were - usually invited to dine with her at the vicarage; the poor, living too - far off to allow them to return from their own houses for the after - services of the day, partook, if so disposed, of her hospitalities in - the vicarage-kitchen; others, having brought their provisions with - them, were seen, in fine weather, in little companies in the fields, - engaged in heavenly conversation and prayer; and others of the - respectable portion of these pious people, had, in an apartment to - themselves, a cheap family dinner provided at the village inn. On the - ringing of a bell, at one o’clock, all assembled at Mrs. Fletcher’s - meeting, when she was accustomed to read the life of some eminently - holy man, and make remarks upon it; then they adjourned to the church, - for the afternoon service there, and sermon; after which they repaired - to their respective homes, and attended their own meeting-houses, at - one or other of which the Curate of Madeley officiated every Sabbath - evening, as well as occasionally on the week-days, always announcing - at the close of the afternoon service in the church, the chapel in - which he would preach that evening. This plan was adopted by Mr. - Fletcher, and was followed by his evangelical and pious successors, - for upwards of forty years.”[564] - -Footnote 564: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1837, p. 903. - -The godly reader will easily forgive this rich digression, and will be -inclined to sing, with Charles Wesley:— - - “Meek, simple followers of the Lamb, - They lived, and spake, and thought the same; - They joyfully conspired to raise - Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise. - - “With grace abundantly endued, - A pure, believing multitude, - They all were of one heart and soul, - And only love inspired the whole. - - “O what an age of golden days! - O what a choice, peculiar race! - Washed in the Lamb’s all-cleansing blood, - Anointed kings and priests to God!”[565] - -Footnote 565: - - Deep indentations in the stone pillars of the vicarage gate still - exist, occasioned by the Sunday visitors to Madeley sharpening their - knives to eat their dinners. (Randall’s “Lives and Usefulness of the - Rev. J. and Mary Fletcher,” p. 33.) - -Madeley will long continue to be a kind of Mecca to the Methodists. Many -years ago, the present writer, in company with the late Rev. Dr. Jobson, -visited it. They met with the utmost courtesy, the lady of the Vicar -showing them everything likely to interest a Methodist. She had a lock -of Fletcher’s silky hair, which she greatly prized. They were taken into -Fletcher’s study, about nine feet by twelve in size, and had pointed out -to them a portion of the wall, still stained with Fletcher’s breathings -while engaged in prayer. The old barn-chapel was no longer in existence, -but, near to its site, there was a small building, containing its -pulpit, brass lamps, and prayer-book, together with the small oaken -communion table at which Fletcher celebrated his last sacrament. The -vicarage, a respectable old edifice, had beautiful gardens and grounds -attached to it; and the parish church, built upon the site of the small -old church, in which Fletcher ministered to crowded congregations, -contained several mementoes to remind visitors of its memorable vicar. -The steps leading both to the reading-desk and pulpit were those which -Fletcher used to tread; and, in a small vestry, was preserved the -register of all the baptisms, marriages, and deaths during his -incumbency, and showing that his last baptism was on July 29, 1785, six -weeks before his death. The old church, in which Fletcher preached, -would hold five hundred; the present one, built in 1794, will seat about -a thousand; and, since its erection, two others have been built in other -parts of the parish. Besides these, the following Wesleyan Methodist -chapels have been built: one in Court Street, Madeley, holding eight -hundred; another, of the same size, in Madeley Wood; another, half the -size, in Coalbrookdale; and a fourth at Coalport, capable of containing -two hundred. And to these may be added two chapels, at Madeley and -Madeley Wood, belonging to the Methodist New Connexion; and another -belonging to the Primitive Methodists. - -It is time to return to Fletcher. Among the first Methodists in Ireland -were Henry and Robert Brooke, who, up to the year 1758, resided in the -neighbourhood of Rantavan. Henry became the far-famed author of “The -Fool of Quality; or, The History of Henry, Earl of Moreland;” published, -in five volumes, 1766–1770; and of other ably-written books, which -gained him the friendship of Pope, Swift, and several more of the -literati of his age. He married a young lady, to whom he was guardian, -when she was thirteen years of age, by whom he had seventeen children, -only two of whom survived him, when he died in 1783. His brother Robert -had three children: Henry, the eldest, who, for about forty years, was -one of the leading Methodists in Dublin; Robert, the second, a colonel -in the army; and Thomas Digby, the youngest, also connected with the -Dublin Methodist Society. In the year 1772, Henry wrote to Fletcher; -Fletcher mistook the nephew for the uncle, whose “Fool of Quality” had -recently been completed; and this amusing mistake led Fletcher to -address to the famous author the following valuable epistle:— - - “MADELEY, _September 6, 1772_. - - “DEAR SIR,—I cannot tell you how often I have thought of thanking you - for your kind letter. My controversy made me put it off some time, - and, when I was going one day to answer you, a clergyman called upon - me, read your letter, said you were a sensible author, and, if I would - let him have it, he would let me have your ‘Fool of Quality,’ of which - I had never heard. I forgot to take your address; but, after some - months, my friend has sent me back your unexpected and welcome favour; - and I now know in what street you live. A thousand thanks for your - letter. May this sheet convey them from my heart to yours; and thence - may they fall, like a thousand drops, into that immense ocean of - goodness, truth, and love, whence come all the streams, which gladden - the universe of God! - - “I thankfully accept the pleasure, profit, and honour of your - correspondence. But I must not deceive you; I have not yet learned the - blessed precept of our Lord in respect of writing and receiving - letters. I still find it more blessed to _receive_, than to _give_; - and, till I have got out of this selfishness, never depend on a letter - from me till you see it, and be persuaded, nevertheless, that one from - you will always be welcome. - - “I see, by your works, that you love truth, and that you will force - your way, through all the barriers of prejudice, to embrace it in its - meanest dress. That makes me love you. I hope to improve by your - example and your lessons. One thing I want truly to learn, that is, - that creatures and visible things are but _shadows_, and that God is - God, Jehovah, the true, eternal Substance. To live practically in this - truth is to live in the suburbs of heaven. Really to believe that in - God we live, move, and have our being, is to find and enjoy the root - of our existence: it is to slide from self into our original - principle; from the carnal into the spiritual; from the visible into - the invisible; from time into eternity. Give me, at your leisure, some - directions, how to cease from busying myself about the husks of - things, and how to break through the shell, so that I may come to the - kernel of resurrection, life, and power, that lies hidden from the - unbeliever’s sight. - - “About _feelings_. Pray, my dear Sir, are you possessed of all the - feelings of your Clinton, Clement, and Harry? Are they natural to you, - I mean, previous to what we generally call conversion? I have often - thought that some of the feelings you describe depend a good deal upon - the fineness of the nerves, and bodily organs; and, as I am rather of - a Stoic turn, I have, sometimes, comforted myself in thinking, that my - want of feelings might, in a degree, proceed from the dulness of Swiss - nerves. If I am not mistaken, Providence directs me to you to have - this important question solved. May not some persons have as much true - faith, love, humanity, and pity, as others who are ten times more - affected, at least for a season? And what directions would you give to - a Christian Stoic, if these two ideas are not absolutely incompatible? - - “My Stoicism helps me, I think, to weather out a storm of displeasure, - which my little pamphlets have raised against me. You see, I at once - consult you as an old friend and spiritual casuist; nor know I how to - testify better to you how unreservedly I begin to be, my very dear - friend, - - “Yours in the Lord, - “J. FLETCHER.”[566] - -Footnote 566: - - Letters, 1791, p. 214. - -Probably “The Fool of Quality” was the only novel Fletcher ever read; -but it taught him to respect its author. It is more than doubtful, -however, whether Fletcher’s letter ever reached the gentleman for whom -it was intended. At all events, there is no evidence whatever that any -correspondence took place between Henry Brooke, senior, and the Vicar of -Madeley. Of course, Fletcher’s communication reached the nephew of -Brooke, and, nearly ten years afterwards, he and others wrote to -Fletcher, requesting him and his newly-wedded wife to visit the -Methodists in Dublin. Fletcher replied:— - - “MADELEY, _April 20, 1782_. - - “DEAR SIR,—Last Saturday, I received your kind invitation to take a - journey to Dublin, with my wife; and we join in sincere thanks for the - kind and generous offer which accompanies that invitation. - - “Two reasons, at this time, concur to make me postpone the accepting - of it. Not to mention my state of health, I have been so long absent - from my parish, that my parishioners have a just claim to my stated - labours for some time; and Mr. Bayley, my curate, being wanted at - Kingswood School, I must serve my own church myself, and the duty is - so continual that I dare not go twenty miles from home, much less to a - neighbouring kingdom. Providence may, if it be for the glory of God, - make a way for me to go, and return my thanks in person. In the - meantime, I beg you, Sir, to present them to all our brethren, who set - their hands to your kind letter. - - “If I took you, Sir, for the author of ‘The Fool of Quality,’[567] I - thought I saw his style in the style of your letter; however, I was - not much mistaken. Your pen is nearly allied to his, as your blood is - to his. May one Spirit, the humble, loving Spirit of Jesus, make us - all of one heart and soul! May we, notwithstanding the channel which - separates our bodies, rejoice that one truth unites our souls, and - that the common faith and love make us join daily in Christ our Head! - So prays, dear Sir, your affectionate and obliged brother and servant, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[568] - -Footnote 567: - - Two years before this, Wesley had published his abridged edition of - “The Fool of Quality,” in two volumes, 12mo. - -Footnote 568: - - Original Letter. - -Fletcher and his wife remained at Madeley, and the latter wrote:— - - “May 30, 1782. I have the kindest and tenderest of husbands; of so - spiritual a man, and so spiritual a union, I had no adequate - conception. He is every way suited to me, all I could wish. The work - among souls increases.”[569] - -Footnote 569: - - “Mrs. Fletcher’s Life,” by H. Moore. - -A few weeks later, in a letter to Wesley, she said:— - - “MADELEY, _July 7, 1782_. - - “VERY DEAR SIR,—I find a desire of informing you how we go on. The - people you joined, when here, are, I trust, coming forward. I have not - conversed with the men; but the women are more in number than at that - time. Some have been clearly justified, I think five; and three or - four are restored to that communion with God, which they had for some - years lost. A few are athirst for a clean heart; and, on the whole, - there is a good increase of freedom and liberty in our class-meetings. - We have now also a band,[570] into which I gather the most lively; all - that are newly blest, or that have any light into sanctification; and - we have much of the presence of God with us. - - “My dear Mr. Fletcher spares no pains. I know not which is greater, - his earnest desire for souls, or his patience in bearing with their - infirmities and dulness. His preaching is exceeding lively; and our - sacraments are more like those in the chapels of London than any I - have seen since I left it. Yet, I find a great difference between the - people here and those in Yorkshire: however, the Lord has little ones - here also. - - “Last Friday, after riding two hours in the rain, we came to a good - congregation, where there was neither house nor church to cover us; - but I have not seen more of the Yorkshire attention since I left that - county, nor had a more solemn time; though we were under a wet cloud - all the while, and our poor servant waiting for us, who brought us - safe home by ten o’clock the same night. This is one of the old - congregations which my husband has visited for years; and where he - joined (in Society) sixty persons. Next Friday, we are to see them - again, and he purposes to enquire into the state of those which - remain. There are, in many parts about here, some serious hearers, and - we wish them all to be brought into a regular discipline. My husband - has been at near £500 expense in building a small Preaching-house, - that, if he should be removed, they may have a fold to prevent them - from being scattered. But were they joined (in Society) _now_, it - would be far more likely to answer the end. On this subject we wish to - have a little conversation with you. - - “I am your affectionate servant, - “MARY FLETCHER.“[571] - -Footnote 570: - - A term well understood by Methodists: a meeting of the most spiritual - people who met in class. - -Footnote 571: - - _Arminian Magazine_, 1790, p. 391. - -Two months after this, Fletcher was temporarily disabled by an accident, -mentioned in a long letter to Lady Mary Fitzgerald, from which the -following is extracted:— - - “MADELEY, _August 28, 1782_. - - “MY HONOURED FRIEND,—The Lord has peculiar favours in store for your - ladyship, and for me; the proof is, that we are _afflicted_. Have you - been in a weak state of health? I have had the honour to drink of your - cup. The influenza laid me down; and, when I was partly well, I broke - my shin against a bench, in consequence of which I am confined by a - bad leg to my bed, where I write this. - - “You still complain of _vile self_. Let vile self be reduced to order, - and, though he be a bad master, he will become _an excellent servant_. - Do this, by letting the Lord, the Maker, the Preserver, the Redeemer, - the Lover of your soul, ascend upon the throne of your thoughts, will, - and affections. Who deserves to engross them better than He does? Is - not He your first Lord, your best Husband, your most faithful Friend, - and your greatest Benefactor? Oh! allow Jehovah, the Supreme Being, to - be to you what He deserves to be, _All in all_. One lively act of - faith, one assent and consent to this delightful truth, that your - Father, who is in heaven, loves you a thousand times more than you - love your idol (for God’s love is, like Himself, _infinite_ and - boundless), will set your heart at liberty, and even make it dance for - joy. What, if to this ravishing consideration, you add the - transporting truth, that the Son of God, fairer than the sons of men - and brighter than the angels, has loved you unto death, to the death - of the cross, and loves you still more than all your friends do, were - their love collected into _one_ heart, could you help thinking, with a - degree of joyous gratitude, of such an instance of Divine - condescension? No, your _vile self_ would be _ennobled_, _raised_, - _expanded_, and set at liberty by this evangelical thought. Self would - be nobody; Emmanuel would be all in all. You would be so employed in - praising your Father’s mercy, and your Saviour’s love and tenderness, - that you would have but little time to speak either of _good or bad - self_. When self is forgotten, _as nothing_ before God, you put self - in its proper place; and you make room for the heavenly Being, whose - holy and happy existence you are to shadow out. If you have left off - attending on the Princess,[572] attend on the Prince of Peace with - double diligence. - - “Shall we ever have the honour of seeing you, my lady? My wife, who - joins in respectful love and thanks to your ladyship, for your - remembrance of her, says, she will do her best to render our cold - house safe for you, if not convenient. You would have had a repeated - invitation from us, if a concern for your health, heightened by the - bad weather, had not checked our desires to have an opportunity of - assuring you how much we are devoted to your service. But the roads - and weather beginning to mend, we venture to offer you the best - apartment in our hermitage. I wish it were large enough to take in - dear Mrs. G——,[573] and our dear friends in St. James’s Place; but we - have only two small rooms; to which, however, you would be received - with two enlarged hearts,—I mean those of your ladyship’s obedient, - devoted servants, - - “JOHN AND MARY FLETCHER.”[574] - -Footnote 572: - - Probably, Princess Elizabeth Caroline, the third daughter of George - the Second, one of the most excellent of women. She died, in St. - James’s Palace, in 1787. - -Footnote 573: - - Probably Mrs. Grinfield, “one of Cæsar’s household,” as Whitefield - called her, an attendant at St. James’s Palace. - -Footnote 574: - - Letters, 1791, p. 287. - -How long Fletcher was laid aside from his public work there is no -evidence to show. His position was somewhat trying, for the work was -heavy, and Mr. Bayley, his curate, had been obliged to return to -Wesley’s school at Kingswood. This and other matters are referred to in -the following letter to Charles Wesley:— - - “MADELEY, _December 19, 1782_. - - “REV. AND DEAR SIR,—I thank you for your hint about exemplifying the - love of Christ and His Church. I hope we do. I was afraid, at first, - to say much of the matter; but, having lived thirteen months in my new - state, I can tell you, Providence has reserved a _prize_ for me, and - that my wife is far better to me than the Church to Christ, so that if - the parallel fails, it will be on my side. - - “Be so good as to peruse the enclosed sheets. Mr. De Luc, to whom they - are addressed, is reader to the Queen, and the author of some volumes - of Letters to her: he is a true philosopher. I flatter myself, he will - present my letter to the Queen. Do you find anything improper in the - addition I have made to my poem? I wish I were near you for your - criticisms; you would direct me, both as a _poet_ and a _Frenchman_. - - “I have yet strength enough to do my parish duty without the help of a - curate. O that the Lord would help me to do it acceptably and - profitably! The colliers began to rise in this neighbourhood: happily - the cockatrice’s egg was crushed, before the serpent came out. - However, I got many a hearty curse from the colliers, for the plain - words I spoke on that occasion. I want to see days of power both - _within_ and _without_; but, meantime, I would follow closely my light - in the narrow path. - - “My wife joins me in respectful love to Mrs. Wesley and yourself; and, - requesting an interest in your prayers for us, I remain, my dear Sir, - your affectionate, obliged brother, servant, and son in the Gospel, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[575] - -Footnote 575: - - Letters, 1791, p. 288. - -The “poem,” mentioned in this letter, was “La Grace et la Nature,” which -Fletcher had composed in Switzerland, and published in Geneva. He had -now enlarged it, and wished to publish a second edition of it, and to -dedicate the book to the Queen of King George the Third. This was done a -few months before he died; but, previous to committing his sheets to the -press, he submitted them to the criticism of Charles Wesley, Methodism’s -unequalled hymnologist. - -This, however, was not the only poem on which Fletcher was now engaged. -On November 30, 1782, the preliminaries of the peace with America were -signed; and, on January 20, 1783, peace was concluded with France and -Spain. The termination of the long and disastrous war gave no one -greater joy than it did Fletcher. He celebrated it in another poem, -written also in French, and dedicated to the Archbishop of Paris.[576] -This was published, but is now extremely scarce. Fletcher enlarged it; -and, in 1785, Mr. Gilpin translated it into English, and intended to -dedicate his translation to the author; but, just as this English -edition was being printed, Fletcher died, and the dedication, dated -exactly a fortnight after Fletcher’s death, was, “To the Honoured Mrs. -Mary de la Flechere, of Madeley, in Shropshire.” The title of the poem -was, “An Essay upon the Peace of 1783. Dedicated to the Archbishop of -Paris. Translated from the French of the Rev. J. Fletcher, late Vicar of -Madeley. By the Rev. J. Gilpin, Vicar of Wrockwardine, Salop. London: -Printed by R. Hindmarsh, 1785.” 4to, 79 pp. - -Want of space renders it impossible to furnish extracts from this -poetical production. In rhyme and rhythm, Fletcher, or, more probably, -his translator, was far from perfect; but that the Vicar, bred among the -inspiring scenery of Switzerland, was possessed of real poetic genius, -there cannot be a doubt. His descriptions of a naval battle, and of a -fight on land, and of the bombarding of Gibraltar, are very graphic. So -also are his definitions of the passions which war too frequently -evokes. - -Though hardly worth mentioning, it may be stated, that the only thing -published by Fletcher, in the year 1782, was the following: “A Race for -Eternal Life: being an Extract from the Heavenly Footman. A Sermon on 1 -Cor. ix. 24: written by the Author of the ‘Pilgrim’s Progress.’ By the -Rev. Mr. Fletcher. London: printed by R. Hindmarsh.” 12mo, 16 pp. -Fletcher says:— - - “This extract is published,—1. To stir up lazy and inconsistent - Arminian professors, who assert that we should work out our own - salvation with all diligence, and yet neglect doing it. And, 2. To - convince of partiality the contentious Calvinists, who quarrel with - their brethren for preaching _consistently_ the very same doctrine, - which is _inconsistently_ maintained by their orthodox teachers, among - whom pious John Bunyan stands in the first rank.” - -Footnote 576: - - Fletcher’s dedication is dated, “Madeley, Salop, January 28, 1784.” - -About this time, two young men were introduced to Fletcher, whom he -helped to the utmost of his power, and who, soon afterwards, attained -distinction, as clergymen of the Church of England. - -One of these was Nathaniel Gilbert, the eldest son of Nathaniel Gilbert, -Esq., Speaker of the House of Assembly in Antigua, and who formed the -first Methodist Society in the West Indies. In 1759, he had requested -Fletcher to accompany him to the Western Archipelago; but Fletcher had -declined, on the ground that he had neither “sufficient zeal, nor grace, -nor talents” for such missionary work. His son, Nathaniel, was sent to -England at the age of seven (about the year 1761), and, three years -later, was placed under the care of the Rev. Mr. Hatton, of Water’s -Upton, in Shropshire, where he acquired a knowledge of the Latin and -Greek languages. On returning to Antigua, he found that the estate of -his father was overwhelmed with debt, and that the subsistence of the -family depended on a small jointure belonging to his mother. He came -back to England; settled in the parish of Madeley; enjoyed the -advantages of Fletcher’s ministry and counsels; and devoted himself to -God. On receiving episcopal ordination, the places of his ministerial -labours were Bristol, London, Budworth, Sierra Leone, Aveley, and -Bledlow. He was an eminently good and useful man; and peacefully fell -asleep in Jesus, in 1807, in the forty-sixth year of his age.[577] - -Footnote 577: - - _Christian Observer_, 1807, pp. 768–772. - -The other youth, who greatly benefited by Fletcher’s example and advice, -was Melville Horne, who, for a few years, was one of Wesley’s Itinerant -Preachers, and then was ordained for the ministry of the Church of -England. Melville Horne was a remarkable man, of whom it would be an -easy and pleasant task to write a more than ordinary biography. Suffice -it to say here, that, a year after Fletcher’s death, he became the -officiating minister in Fletcher’s church; that, in 1792, he and his -friend Gilbert went as missionaries to Sierra Leone; that, on his return -in 1794, he was appointed Chaplain of Magdalen Chapel, Bristol; and then -became Vicar of Olney.[578] This is not the place to record his -subsequent career of distinguished usefulness; but the testimony of such -a man, concerning Fletcher, is worthy of being quoted. Many years after -his first introduction to Fletcher, he wrote:— - - “On all my visits to Mr. Fletcher, I derived the highest pleasure and - edification. I not only had the opportunity of hearing many excellent - sermons, but of seeing him in the privacies of life; and I know not - which most to venerate,—his public or his private character. Grave and - dignified in his deportment and manners, he yet excelled in all the - courtesies of the accomplished gentleman. In every company, he - appeared as the least, the last, and the servant of all. From head to - foot, he was clothed with humility; while the heavenly-mindedness of - an angel shone from his countenance, and sparkled in his eyes. His - religion was without labour, and without effort; for Christianity was - not only his great business, but his very element and nature. As a - mortal man, he doubtless had his errors and failings; but what they - were, they who knew him best would find it difficult to say; for he - appeared as an instrument of heavenly minstrelsy always attuned to the - Master’s touch. - - “In every view, he was a great man, and entitled to rank in the very - first class of ministers; but it was his _goodness_ that raised him - above all the ministers of his day. - - “On my occasional visits to Madeley, I was struck with several things. - Once, when preaching on Noah as a type of Christ, he was in the midst - of a most animated description of the terrible day of the Lord, when - he suddenly paused. Every feature of his expressive countenance was - marked with painful feeling; and, striking his forehead with the palm - of his hand, he exclaimed, ‘Wretched man that I am! Beloved brethren, - it often cuts me to the soul, as it does at this moment, to reflect, - that, while I have been endeavouring, by the force of truth, by the - beauty of holiness, and even by the terrors of the Lord, to bring you - to walk in the peaceable paths of righteousness, I am, with respect to - many of you who reject the Gospel, only tying millstones round your - necks, to sink you deeper in perdition!’ The whole congregation was - electrified, and it was some time before he could resume his subject. - - “On another occasion, after the morning service, he asked if any of - the congregation could give him the address of a sick man whom he was - desired to visit. He was answered, ‘He is dead, Sir.’ ‘Dead! dead!’ he - exclaimed; ‘another soul launched into eternity! What can I do for him - now? Why, my friends, will you so frequently serve me in this manner? - I am not informed you are ill till I find you dying, or hear that you - are dead.’ Then sitting down, he covered his head with his gown, and, - when the congregation had retired, walked home crushed with sorrow. - - “One New Year’s Day, Gilbert and myself dined with him, as did also a - pious young man and his wife. After he had entertained us with much - pious and instructive conversation, as we all stood around the fire - and were ready to separate, he took Gilbert’s hand and mine and joined - them together, and said, ‘You two young men are united by blood, by - friendship, and by your destination to the blessed service of the - sanctuary.’ Then, turning to the young man and his wife, he remarked, - ‘Do you also, whom God has joined in the tenderest of earthly bonds, - join hands, and I will take that of my beloved wife.’ This being done, - he continued, ‘And now what shall we render unto the Lord for all His - benefits? What blessings have we received! What mercies have followed - us the last year! This is the first day of a new year. Let us give our - whole soul to God. Let us start afresh on the road to immortality. - Forgetting the things that are behind, let us press toward the mark - for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.’ And then, - lifting his eyes to heaven, he prayed for the whole of us most - fervently and affectionately.”[579] - -Footnote 578: - - Unpublished letters. - -Footnote 579: - - Cox’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 147. - -After this account of the covenant service in Fletcher’s vicarage, Mr. -Horne proceeds to relate other anecdotes which came within his own -personal knowledge. He writes:— - - “In the contests of humility, kindness, and affection, it was - impossible to surpass Mr. Fletcher. On one occasion, the Rev. Moseley - Cheek had been preaching in his parish; and, on their way home to - Madeley, in a dark night, and along a deep, dirty road, Mr. Fletcher - carefully held the lantern to Mr. Cheek, while he himself walked - through the mire. Mr. Cheek made fruitless attempts to take the - lantern from him; Mr. Fletcher replying to his protests, ‘What, my - brother, have you been holding up the glorious light of the Gospel, - and will you not permit me to hold this dim taper to your feet?’ - - “At another time, the Rev. Mr. Gilpin perceiving a funeral waiting at - the church gate, took the surplice and commenced the service; but he - had hardly got into the desk when Mr. Fletcher, who had been visiting - a sick person, came into the church, and gently drawing away a lad who - was officiating in the absence of the clerk, took his place. After the - service was ended, he observed that he could not bear to see the place - of an inferior servant of the Church improperly filled up without - attempting to supply it himself with a greater degree of decorum and - reverence. - - “Once, when my coat was dusty with riding, he insisted on brushing it, - but objected to let me perform the same office for himself. Mrs. - Fletcher, who perceived our contest, said, with a smile, ‘Then suffer - me to do it; for I assure you, my dear, you need it as much as Mr. - Horne.’ ‘If you please, my love,’ was the reply, ‘you shall do it, for - you are a part of myself.’”[580] - - “Some of these anecdotes,” says Mr. Cox, “may, at first sight, appear - too trivial for publication; but they are highly descriptive of Mr. - Fletcher’s general demeanour; and, as Rosseau observes, ‘The - physiognomy does not show itself in great features, nor the character - of a man in great actions. It is in trifles that the natural - disposition discovers itself.’”[581] - -Footnote 580: - - _Ibid._, p. 149. - -Footnote 581: - - Cox’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 150. - -While Fletcher was forming new friendships with young Nathaniel Gilbert -and Melville Horne, his old friends were rapidly dying. His generous -host, Mr. Charles Greenwood, of Stoke Newington, triumphantly exchanged -mortality for eternal life on February 21, 1783, on which occasion -Fletcher wrote the following to Mrs. Thornton:— - - “MADELEY, _March 3, 1783_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—Yesterday, I received your melancholy joyful letter - as I came from the sacrament, where the grace of God had armed me to - meet the news. And is my merciful host gone to reap the fruit of his - mercy to me? I thought I should have been permitted to go first, and - welcome him into everlasting habitations; but Providence has ordered - it otherwise, and I am left behind to say, with you and dear Mrs. - Greenwood, ‘The Lord gave and has taken away; blessed be the name of - the Lord.’ The glory with which Mr. Greenwood’s setting sun was - gilded, is the greatest comfort by which heaven could alleviate his - loss. Let me die as he died, and let my last end be like his! I was so - affected by your account that I could not help reading part of your - letter at church in the afternoon, and desiring all the congregation - to join me in thanksgiving for the late mercies God has vouchsafed to - my generous benefactor. On such occasions, let sighs be lost in - praise, and repining in humble submission and thankful acquiescence. I - hope dear Mrs. Greenwood mixes tears of joy with tears of sorrow. Who - would not be landed on the other side of the stream of time if he were - sure of such a passage? Who would wish his best friend back on the - shores of sorrow so triumphantly left by Mr. Greenwood? - - “So Mr. and Mrs. Perronet are no more; and Lazarus is still alive! - What scenes does this world afford! But the most amazing is that of - Emmanuel crucified, and offering us pardons and crowns of glory!”[582] - -Footnote 582: - - Letters, 1791, p. 290. - -Another letter, written three months after this, was addressed to John -Valton, the Methodist itinerant, who preached at Cross Hall to the -wedding party on the evening of Fletcher’s marriage. - - “MADELEY, _July, 1783_. - - “Our dear friend’s acceptable favour gave us much pleasure, though we - have been so long in thanking him for it. - - “Never did we imagine till lately how great your trial has been about - the house at Birstal.[583] But how gracious is the Lord! How has He - here paid you by the refreshing shower which has since distilled as - the dew on the grass. O what comfortable accounts have reached us of - the wonderful revival in your circuit.[584] In this my heart does - indeed rejoice. - - “God is good unto us also. He has not left us without encouragement. - For some time past, we have scarcely had a week in which one or more - has not been set at liberty. But we are called, I believe, to leave - them for a little while, and to spend a few weeks in Dublin. They - complain of this, but the will of the Lord must be done. When He - calls, even life itself must not be esteemed too dear. - - “You will be thankful to hear that my best earthly friend continues in - tolerable health, though neither of us is strong. We are more and more - sensible of the loving kindness of the Lord in casting our lot - together. Every day helps us to praise Him more and more for His - condescension and goodness to such unworthy worms. I speak thus freely - to you because you were a witness of the beginning of our pilgrimage - together. I see many professors, and many really in earnest; but, - alas! very seldom any who can warm one’s heart with the deep things of - God. O for a deeper baptism of the Spirit! I want that promise _more - fully_ accomplished, ‘I and my Father will come, and will make our - abode with you.’ - - “Praying that the Lord may be with you all at the ensuing Conference, - we remain, dear brother, your affectionate friends, - - “JOHN AND MARY FLETCHER.”[585][586] - -Footnote 583: - - The Methodist meeting-house, erected, under the auspices of John - Nelson, about the year 1751. The trouble, at this time, arose out of - the demand of the trustees to elect, after Wesley’s death, their own - preachers, and to order them to preach in Birstal chapel twice every - Sunday, every Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Good Friday, and also - every Thursday night. (See “Life and Times of Wesley,” vol. iii., pp. - 373–383.) - -Footnote 584: - - See an account of this remarkable work of God in the “Life and Labours - of the Rev. John Valton, edited by Joseph Sutcliffe, A.M., 1830,” pp. - 104–114. - -Footnote 585: - - _Methodist Magazine_, 1798, p. 598. - -Footnote 586: - - It is said that, after his marriage, Fletcher, when writing to his - _friends_, always subscribed his letters “_John and Mary Fletcher_.” - (See “Six Letters of the late Rev. J. Fletcher. Bath, 1788.” 12mo, 20 - pp.) - -The foregoing letter mentions an intended visit to Dublin. It has been -already stated that Fletcher received an invitation from the Dublin -Methodists to visit them in 1782; and that he was then obliged to -decline their invitation. Now his way to Ireland seemed open. Mrs. -Fletcher writes:— - - “1783, August 5. Since May 22” [the date of the last entry in her - journal], “a fever has been in the parish, which took off many whom we - saw it our duty to attend. It brought eternity very near, and that - always does me good. It came into our family, and Sally” [Lawrence] - “was attacked with it; but God raised her up again in a wonderful - manner. Soon after her recovery, Dr. Coke came, on his way from - Dublin, and brought letters to each of us. We went to church, where - the doctor preached. When we returned home, I followed my dear to his - study, and told him if he saw it his call to go to Dublin, I saw it - mine to go with him. Since that day, we have been preparing for our - journey. My dear husband’s health is not very good. What the Lord will - do with us I know not. We are, however, ready for setting off.” - -Five weeks after this, Mrs. Fletcher wrote again in her journal as -follows:— - - “1783, September 12, William Street, Dublin. This day of our birth - calls for solemn praise. I say OUR birth, because, as far as we can - learn, my dear Mr. Fletcher was born on the same day ten years before - me. - - “With the prayers and blessings of many of our friends, we set off - from Madeley on Tuesday, August 12. At night, we were affectionately - received by Mrs. Glynne, of Shrewsbury, whose love to the children of - God does not grow cold. My dear husband preached on the danger of - being _ashamed of the Gospel_. - - “The next day, we pursued our journey as far as Llangollen, in Wales, - where we abode all night. Enquiring, as we walked about the town, - whether they had any praying people among them, the poor things - answered us in the best manner they could, and said, ‘Yes, Sir, there - are some people who pray in houses at the other end of the town, but - we know not what they be. This very night a man is to preach in their - chapel.’ We went to the place, and found a few poor people gathered in - a building which, I believe, was part of an old house. The preacher - seemed very earnest, but we could not understand a word he said, - except _ogoniant_ and _gwaed_—glory and blood; which, with much - emphasis, he often repeated. After we were returned to our inn, a few, - who could understand English, came to us, and desired my dear to give - them a sermon in the morning, which he did, on these words, ‘This is - His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus - Christ, and love one another, as He hath given us commandment.’ It was - a good time, and several were present who understood English. - - “We then sent off for Conway, and, on Friday afternoon, reached - Holyhead. Mr. Fletcher was very poorly, and a swelling on his face now - broke, which gave him much inconvenience; but, on Saturday morning, we - embarked. Mr. Fletcher was not affected by the sea, but I was very - ill. About one o’clock on Sunday morning, we cast anchor three miles - from Dublin; and, at five, reached the Hotel on Dublin Quay. - - “We now abide with our hospitable friends, Mr. and Mrs. Smyth, in - William Street, and have seen much of the Lord’s hand in bringing us - hither. My dear husband has been favoured with much unction in - preaching the word. The present (Methodist) preachers in Dublin, - brothers Rutherford and Jackson, are simple, pious men, and respect - that command, ‘In honour preferring one another.’ They heartily - rejoice in the message my dear husband delivers among them. I feel - much liberty in meeting the classes. Here are a few truly athirst for - full salvation. Our kind and generous host and hostess allow us all - freedom in their house, for the glory of God, and the good of His - people; and, as their servants also are pious, upright persons, we can - here worship with them in calm and brotherly love.” - -Before referring to the testimonies of other persons, it may be best to -complete what Mrs. Fletcher has to say concerning this evangelistic -visit to the sister island. She writes:— - - “Madeley, _October 30_. On the 7th of this month, we left Dublin, and - embarked for Holyhead. In the night, the wind grew high. My husband, - myself, and also Sally, were so ill, we could scarce speak, or look - towards each other. Since our return, I have closely examined what I - have lost or got in these last three months. I praise the Lord that we - went to Dublin, and that for various reasons. There are some there - with whom I found much fellowship; at whose feet I sat, and, I trust, - learned many useful lessons. My dear Mr. Fletcher preached in several - places besides the (Methodist) Preaching-house in White-Friars-street, - both to the French and English, and we had some remarkable proofs that - he was called there by God. - - “Since our return, my dear husband has taken another journey of about - two hundred miles,[587] from which he has suffered a good deal. His - face is not yet well; but the unwearied patience, wherewith he goes - through all, is to me a continual lesson. - - “_November 12._ We see another anniversary of our blessed union, and - are yet more happy, and more tender towards each other; and, what is - better, our souls get nearer God. We are more spiritual, and live more - for eternity.”[588] - -Footnote 587: - - This was a journey to Bristol, whither he escorted his hostess, Mrs. - Smyth, Lady Mary Fitzgerald, and the eldest daughter of the Rev. - Edward Smyth. (“Life and Times of the Countess of Huntingdon,” vol. - ii., p. 195.) - -Footnote 588: - - “Mrs. Fletcher’s Life,” by H. Moore, p. 155. - -Henry Moore, Wesley’s sturdy Itinerant, was appointed to the Dublin -Circuit, three years after Fletcher’s visit, and, in 1818, wrote:— - - “Never did I see such deep impressions made on the people of Dublin as - by the truly evangelical labours of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher, except, - perhaps, in the very short visits of Mr. Wesley. A great revival of - pure religion followed in the Dublin Society. That Society had usually - consisted of about 500 persons, but it soon increased to upwards of - 1000, and has never since fallen below that number. Such longing after - entire conformity to the Son of God I never beheld. How wide this - sacred influence might have extended, who can tell, if a poor - sectarian spirit had not limited Mr. Fletcher’s labours. On his - arrival in Dublin, his host, Mr. Smyth, a distinguished and most - respectable gentleman, applied to the rector of St. Andrew’s Parish, - in which he lived, to allow Mr. Fletcher to preach in his church, and - this was immediately granted. The church was crowded to excess. Mr. - Fletcher’s text was, ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.’ - His earnestness and power astonished the congregation, some of whom - seemed to doubt if he were not more than human. But, alas! it was soon - known that he preached on the evening of that same day at the - Methodist Preaching-house; and the pulpits of the churches were - immediately closed against him, with the exception of that of the - French Church. The first time he preached there, his text was Hebrews - x. 32, when he brought before the congregation the faith of their - ancestors. When some of them were asked, ‘Why did you go to hear Mr. - Fletcher, when you could not understand a word he said?’ they - answered, ‘We went to look at him, for heaven seemed to beam from his - countenance.’”[589] - -Footnote 589: - - “Mrs. Fletcher’s Life,” by H. Moore, p. 154. - -Mr. Henry Brooke,[590] who took a leading part in inviting Fletcher to -visit Dublin, wrote:— - - “_1783, September 6._ The same grace and power which attend Mr. - Fletcher’s pulpit lectures, and gather innumerable crowds of - hungering, thirsting souls to flock to his ministry, also attend his - conversation in private. He seems never—no, never—for a moment, to - turn his eye from the one great object of our faith and love; and he - continually stirs up all around him to love and praise. He appears to - live and breathe nothing else.” - -Footnote 590: - - Mr. Brooke is described, in Wesley’s “Last Will and Testament,” as a - “Painter.” - -In another letter, to his father, Mr. Brooke observed:— - - “I wish it were in my power to convey to you the substance and energy - of those precious and excellent discourses, with which we are - frequently favoured from Mr. Fletcher. His words are living sparks, - rushing from the furnace of divine love glowing in his heart.” - -Mr. Brooke, in a letter to the Rev. J. Gilpin, the translator of -Fletcher’s “Portrait of St. Paul,” remarked:— - - “When Mr. Fletcher was about to leave us, knowing the scanty pittance - he received from his parish, we thought it but an act of common - honesty to refund him the expense he had been at in coming to Dublin, - and to bear his charges back again to Madeley. Accordingly, after he - had preached on the last evening of his stay among us, the stewards - and trustees united to press his acceptance of a small purse, not as a - present, but as a debt justly due to him. But he firmly and absolutely - refused it. At length, being very urgent with him and importunate to - an excess, he took the purse in his hand, and said, ‘Do you really - force it upon me? Must I accept it? Is it entirely mine? and may I do - what I please with it?’ ‘Yes, yes,’ we all replied. ‘God be praised - then! God be praised!’ cried he, raising his eyes towards heaven. - ‘What a mercy is here! I heard some of you complaining that your - Poor’s Fund was never so low before; take this purse; God has sent it - to you; raised it among yourselves; and bestowed it upon your poor. - You cannot deny me; it is sacred to them. God be praised! I thank you, - I heartily thank you, my dear kind brethren.’”[591] - -Footnote 591: - - “Life of Mr. Henry Brooke,” by Isaac D’Olier, LL.D., pp. 102–121. - -A number of other anecdotes respecting this memorable visit, all more or -less authentic, might be inserted; but enough has been said to show that -it must always be one of the great events in the history of Methodism in -Dublin. - -Soon after the return to Madeley of Fletcher and his wife, they received -the following, hitherto unpublished letter, signed by one hundred and -fifty-one members of the Dublin Methodist Society, the signature of -“Henry Brooke” standing first. - - “_1783, October._ - - “REV. AND VERY DEAR SIR AND MADAM,—Your kindness in accepting our - united invitation, your labour of love in crossing the sea to visit - us, and your spending body and soul for our profit while among us, - demand a return of acknowledgment and gratitude, which we find - ourselves, jointly and severally, as unable to express as to repay. - - “Confession of our debt is the utmost extent of our ability. As for - reward, we must call upon Him to answer for us, who has already paid - the mighty debt due by the whole world. May He, then, even that - Master, the sound of whose feet was heard behind you, and the power of - whose Spirit clothed your word in private and in public,—may He - abundantly reward both your bodies and souls, and, according to the - measure you have meted out, measure to you again a hundred-fold, - pressed down, shaken together, and running over into your own bosoms - in time and eternity. - - “Your liberality to the sick poor, in the generous donation of - twenty-five guineas, has gladdened the hearts of numbers, besides - those who are partakers of your alms; for you have nobly honoured the - Lord by your free ministry, and set your seal to His Word with your - substance. May you be watered again and again abundantly for it! - - “We can only pray for the prosperity of your labours where the - adorable providence of God has cast your lot in His vineyard; and hope - that the Lord may give the people to see and know (in mercy and not in - judgment) that a prophet has been among them. - - “Lastly, we entreat that, after the example of St. Paul, you will - remember us all in your daily and nightly addresses to the throne of - grace, that the precious seed, which has been sown, may bring forth - its hundred-fold increase, to our joint happiness in the kingdom of - God.” - -In the month of November, a reply was sent to this, from which the -following extract is taken:— - - “MADELEY, _November, 1783_. - - “To the Society in Dublin. - - “To all the dear Brethren, who, after kindly inviting John and Mary - Fletcher, patiently bearing with them and their infirmities, and - entertaining them in the most hospitable manner, have added, to all - their former favours, that of thanking them for their most pleasant - and profitable journey. - - “We had felt shame enough under the sense of your kindness and - patience towards us, and of our unprofitableness towards you, when at - Dublin. We owed you the letter of thanks you have gratuitously sent to - us. But in all things, you will have the pre-eminence, and we are glad - to drink the cup of humility at your feet. If your profuse liberality - toward _us_ abounded to the comfort of our poor brethren, we doubly - rejoice on _your_ account, and on _theirs_. - - “When we see so many of your dear names, we rejoice in hope that they - are enrolled on the list of the dear people, whom our great High - Priest bears, not on the breastplate as Aaron, but on His bleeding - hands, and in His very heart, which is the overflowing and - ever-flowing fountain of divine and brotherly love. Let our worthless - names still find a place in your memory, when you remember your - brethren distant in the flesh, but near in the Spirit. Among such, - vouchsafe to reckon your very affectionate and truly obliged servants - in Christ, - - “JOHN AND MARY FLETCHER.” - -To their Irish host, William Smyth, Esq., Fletcher wrote as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _November, 1783_. - - “DEAR SIR,—The many and great favours with which you loaded us, during - our long stay under your hospitable roof, have been, are now, and, we - trust, ever shall be deeply engraven on our hearts. You united, for - us, Irish hospitality, English cordiality, and French politeness. And - now, Sir, what shall we say? - - “You are our generous benefactor, and we are your affectionate, though - unprofitable servants. In one sense, we are on a level with those to - whom you show charity in the streets: we can do nothing but pray for - you and yours. You kindly received us for Christ’s sake; may God - receive you freely for His sake also! You bore with our infirmities; - the Lord bear with yours! You let your servant serve us; the Lord give - all His servants and His angels charge concerning you! You gave us a - most comfortable apartment, next your own chamber; the Lord grant you - eternal rest with Himself in His heavenly mansions! You fed us with - the richest food; may the Giver of every perfect gift fit you for a - place at His table, and may you rank there with Abraham, Isaac, and - Jacob! You gave us wines; may you drink, with Christ Himself, the - fruit of the vine, new in your Father’s kingdom!”[592] - -Footnote 592: - - Letters, 1791, p. 293. - -It has been asserted, that, “towards the close of his life,” Fletcher -“abstained entirely from wine and strong drink;”[593] but the evidence -in favour of this is dubious, and, certainly, the last sentence of the -foregoing letter seems to disprove it. Throughout the whole of his life, -he was exceedingly temperate in eating and drinking; but it may fairly -be doubted whether Fletcher was ever a “teetotaler.”[594] It is a -curious fact, however, that in this very year, 1783, he wrote a pamphlet -bearing upon the subject of drunkenness and other matters, which he -intended to be published, but which, I believe, never was. It was sent -to “Mr. Hindmarsh, printer, in Baker’s Court, Holborn Bars, London,” -together with a letter of instructions as to the printing of it, dated, -“Madeley, November 20, 1783.” When printed, Mr. Hindmarsh was requested -to send, as soon as possible, a copy to every member of Parliament. The -title was, “Three National Grievances,—the Increase of Taxes, the -Hardships of Unequal Taxation, and the Continual Rise of the Poor’s -Rates: with the Causes and Remedies of these Evils: Humbly Submitted to -the Consideration of the Legislature, in a Letter to the Right Honorable -Lord John Cavendish, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and one of the Lords -of the Treasury. London: November, 1783.” - -Footnote 593: - - _Local Preachers’ Magazine_, 1853, p. 172. - -Footnote 594: - - Jonathan Crowther, President of the Methodist Conference in 1819, - says, in his unpublished autobiography:— - - “Mr. Yates, of Madeley, told me that, one cold, snowy, frosty day, - when Mr. Fletcher called at his house, as he was sallying out to visit - his parishioners, he asked him to take a little punch, which was then - upon the table, after dinner. Mr. Fletcher consented, but said, - ‘First, let us ask a blessing: it makes it twice as good.’” - -The temptation is strong to insert this remarkable production _in -extenso_; but to do so, in a chapter like the present, would be an -inconvenient excrescence; besides, want of space makes it impossible. -Suffice it to say, that, under the heading of the first “Grievance,” -Fletcher argues, that, the decrease of the national revenue, and -consequent increase of the national taxation, were occasioned by “the -amazing progress of smuggling.” He says, “No one can deny that vast -quantities of foreign brandy, rum, gin, tobacco, snuff, tea, wines of -all sorts, and a variety of other articles, are fraudulently imported -and that these, on the sea-coast, are sold at “half the price which they -cost the conscientious merchant.” “Many thousands of lawless men are -perpetually forming or executing schemes, to defraud the Government, and -reduce us to beggary.” Fletcher says, it was once his opinion that -“smuggling might be prevented, by the combined services of the army and -navy; but,” he adds, “as most of the inferior Custom House officers on -the coast, with £50 a year, live in splendour, and as the evil is deeply -rooted, I am now convinced that the only way to check it is to take off -the duties, to lessen the number of officers in both Customs and Excise, -and to advance the salaries of those who are retained. If I prove that, -by lessening the duties, the revenue will be increased and smuggling -suppressed, there can be no objection to the adoption of the plan -proposed.” Fletcher enters into many details to establish his theory; -and thus, long before the days of Peel and Gladstone, took the part of -_free-traders_. - -His chapter on _unequal taxation_ must be passed; but some of his -statements, in the _third_, deserve notice. He insists that— - - “The continual increase of the Poor Rates is occasioned by the - corrupted morals of the lower classes of the people, who are seduced - into idleness and neglect of their families, in the public-houses to - be met with at every turn. There are also multitudes of _private_ - retailers of _smuggled_ spirits, who, by enticing their neighbours - into drunkenness, entail ruin on them and their families. In some - parishes, the number of these lawless retailers far exceeds that of - the publicans. But to speak only of _licensed_ houses, what multitudes - of these are found all over England! In some places, almost every - fifth house is one of those nurseries of vice.” - -Terrible is the picture which Fletcher draws, respecting the ruinous -consequences of drunkenness; and his arguments would help Sir Wilfrid -Lawson to make a most effective speech on “Local Option” in the House of -Commons. - - “If,” continues Fletcher, “these paltry public-houses are the bane of - the nation, let the legislative power interfere in England, as it has - done in Holland. Let two-thirds of these nuisances be suppressed; and - by raising the licenses of the others, so as to indemnify the revenue, - let the law put it out of the power of the _idle poor_ to set up these - petty schools of idleness and vice. Then people of character will no - longer be afraid to become publicans.” - -In a “postscript,” Fletcher refers to a pamphlet which states that— - - “Sixty thousand of the ablest young men in the kingdom, and one - hundred thousand horses, are employed in smuggling, whilst one hundred - thousand women and children make it their business to hawk about the - country the articles which the men have smuggled. If these one hundred - and sixty thousand people were employed in fishing, agriculture, - spinning, etc., their labour would amount annually to £2,464,000, to - which must be added the sum of £1,820,000, the cost of keeping the one - hundred thousand horses used by smugglers.... The Dutch catch fish, on - our coasts, to the yearly amount of one million sterling.... Fishing - and smuggling never flourish together.... In Scotland, there are - upwards of ten thousand private stills,” etc., etc. - -Thus Fletcher, the polemical divine, turned social reformer; and his -efforts to correct the crying evils of the age were not confined to the -employment of his pen. In his own parish, there were eighteen public -houses,—all of them “nurseries for sin, particularly on Sunday -evenings.” He had long desired to correct these abuses; but had seldom -been favoured with the services of a churchwarden willing to second his -endeavours. Now he had one, who was resolved to act according to the -oath he had taken. Fletcher visited several of these dens of iniquity -every Sunday, and all of them in their turn. In every one of them, he -bore a faithful testimony against their wickedness; and, in some -instances, his efforts were attended with much success.[595] - -Footnote 595: - - “Letter to Mons. H. L. De la Flechere,” 1786, p. 16. - -At this period, trade was bad, taxes were crushing, and corn was dear. -King George the Third, in his speech to “My Lords and Gentlemen,” the -members of the two Houses of Parliament, remarked, “The scarcity, and -consequent high price of corn, requires your instant interposition.” -Corn was scarce, and, in many instances, it was bought and hoarded by -execrable speculators, for the purpose of raising the price of it, and -increasing their own blood-soaked profits. Fletcher was indignant, and -proposed the formation of an association of persons of unblemished -character:— - - “1. To prosecute legally all engrossers and forestallers of the - necessaries of life. - - “2. If there be any laws against those who cause an artificial - scarcity, by monopolizing the necessaries of life,—to apply to the - magistrates to put such laws in force against the offenders,—and, if, - through fear or favour, the magistrates refuse, to apply for redress - to Quarter Sessions, or to the Court of King’s Bench. - - “3. That the members of the Association subscribe, according to their - ability, towards defraying the expense of detecting, and legally - prosecuting the offenders.” - -Fletcher added:— - - “If such a plan is entered upon, and carried on in this county” - (Salop), “I will gladly become a subscriber of a guinea, _provided no - illegal steps be taken by the associates_.” - -This is copied from an unpublished manuscript in Fletcher’s own -handwriting. The following also is taken from another original -manuscript, written by Fletcher:— - - “It is proposed— - - “1. That Sunday Schools be set up in this parish, for such children as - are employed all the week, and for those whose education has been - neglected. - - “2. That, in those schools, children shall be taught to read and - write, and shall be instructed in the principles of morality and - piety. - - “3. That, in the Dale, in Madeley, and in Madeley Wood, there shall be - a school for boys, and another for girls,—six schools in all. - - “4. That £20 be raised, by subscription, for this charity; namely, £14 - for the salaries of six teachers; which, at the rate of one shilling, - per time, for fifty-two Sunday afternoons, excepting Easter-Day and - Whit-Sunday, will amount to fifty shillings each teacher. The - remaining £6 shall be laid out in tables, benches, books, paper, pens, - and ink. - - “5. That, if the expenses incurred should run higher than is here - supposed, the subscribers shall be acquainted with it, and their - charity shall be again solicited. - - “6. That, whosoever shall subscribe a guinea towards this charity - shall be a director of it. - - “7. That, at a parish meeting, two treasurers shall be appointed to - ask and to receive the contributions of those who shall be willing to - encourage this charity. - - “8. That, three or four inspectors shall be appointed to visit these - schools, to see that the children attend regularly, and that the - masters do their duty by the children, and to make their report to the - directors. - - “9. That, a book shall be provided by the treasurers, in which they, - or a secretary whom they shall appoint, shall yearly enter the sums - subscribed, and the manner in which they are laid out; and that such - book shall be laid before the subscribers when they shall desire it. - - “10. That, another book shall be provided, in which the names of the - masters and the scholars, belonging to each school, shall be entered. - - “11. And lastly, that, to encourage emulation, at a solemn visitation - of these schools, once or twice a year, some premium shall be given to - the children who distinguish themselves by their assiduity and - improvement.” - -This was rather elaborate legislation for the administration of a -charity fund of £20 a year; but money, in 1783, was scarce, and the -Sunday School institution was then in its infancy. - -For some years, Fletcher had had a school at Madeley, which he himself -taught every day; and he had also established a similar school in -Madeley Wood. Now he commenced his Sunday Schools, being, in this -respect, almost contemporaneous with Raikes at Gloucester. - - “Three hundred children were soon gathered, whom he took every - opportunity of instructing, by regular meetings, for some time before - the schools were opened; and these meetings he attended to the very - last Thursday before his fatal illness. He gave the children little - hymn-books; and pointed them to some friend or neighbour, who would - teach them the hymns, and instruct them to sing. Many of the little - creatures would scarcely allow themselves time to eat or sleep, for - the desire they had of learning their lessons. In every meeting, after - inquiring who had made the greatest proficiency, he never forgot to - distinguish it by a little reward.” - - “His proposals to the parish were received with the greatest - unanimity. Many, both of the rich and trading people, lent their - helping hand, not only to defray the expense of teachers, but to raise - a very convenient school-house in Coalbrookdale.”[596] - -Footnote 596: - - “Letter to Mons. H. L. De la Flechere, 1786, pp. 17 and 18. - -The “Proposals” were prefaced with a statement of “the advantages likely -to arise from Sunday Schools,” which was as follows:— - - “Our parochial and national depravity turns upon two hinges,—the - _profanation_ of the Lord’s day, and the _immorality_ which flows from - neglecting the education of children. Till these two great inlets of - wickedness are stopped, we must expect to see our workhouses full of - aged parents forsaken by their prodigal children; of wives deserted by - their faithless husbands; or of the wretched offspring of lewd women, - and idle and drunken men. Nay, we may expect to see the jails, and - even the gallows, stocked with unhappy wretches, ready to fall a - sacrifice to the safety of their neighbours, and the penal laws of - their country. - - “Persons concerned for the welfare of the next generation, and - well-wishers to the Church and State, have already set us a fine - example in Stroud, Gloucester, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, - and in several country parishes. They have attempted to remedy these - evils by setting up Sunday Schools, which, by keeping children from - corrupting one another, by promoting their attendance on Divine - worship, and by laying the first principles of useful knowledge in - their minds, and of true piety in their hearts,—bid fair for a public - reformation of manners; and seem well calculated to nip in the bud the - vices of _ignorance and impiety_, so common among the lower and more - numerous classes of the people.”[597] - -Footnote 597: - - “Letter to Mons. H. L. De la Flechere,” 1786, p. 20. - -It may be added, that the last productions of Fletcher’s pen were an -unfinished catechism, to be used in his Sunday Schools; prayers to be -read by the children; and “Hints” to the teachers. Among the last -mentioned, were instructions respecting the correction of any child -“guilty of lying, swearing, Sabbath-breaking, stealing, fighting, or -disobedience;” and recommendations that the teachers should “attend the -scholars to Divine worship”; that they should “not break up too early in -the evening, _that_ being the time in which children are most likely to -run into temptation;” and that “pious persons” should be induced to -“visit and interrogate the children, in order that the whole might be -carried on as a business sanctified by the Word of God, by prayer, and -by Christian admonition.”[598] - -Footnote 598: - - _Ibid._, p. 63. - -It would not be difficult to enlarge on facts and principles such as -these; but the intelligent reader can do this himself. - -Before leaving the year 1783, one more incident must be introduced. At -the close of the year, the celebrated Rev. Henry Venn visited Fletcher, -at Madeley, and wrote:— - - “Mr. Fletcher is a genius, and a man of fire—all on the stretch to do - good—to lose not a day, not an hour. He is married to a lady worthy of - him, Miss Bosanquet, a lady with whom I was acquainted twenty-nine - years ago. She was then sixteen, and bred up in all the pride of life; - her father being one of the chief merchants of London. By the grace of - God, she, at that time, renounced the world, and gave up herself to - the Lord. Since then, she has bred up seventy-four destitute young - girls for service, and seen them placed out to her satisfaction; and, - instead of dressing, visiting, and conforming to all the vain and - expensive customs of the world, she has been wholly employed in doing - good. I left this happy house as Cecil, Secretary to Queen Elizabeth, - left Bernard Gilpin’s, saying, ‘There dwells as much happiness as can - be known on earth.’”[599] - -Footnote 599: - - “Life of Rev. Henry Venn,” p. 377. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - _LAST DAYS ON EARTH._ - - 1784–1785. - - -FLETCHER took a profound interest, not only in Sunday Schools, which -were being opened in various places, but in an institution which has -long been the greatest of which the Methodists can boast. In 1783, Dr. -Coke and a few of his friends drew up “A Plan of the Society for the -Establishment of Missions among the Heathen.” This curious and most -interesting document is too long to be inserted here. Suffice it to say, -there is reason to believe that Fletcher was one of Coke’s counsellors. -It has been already stated that, in the summer of 1783, the Doctor, on -his way from Dublin, called at Madeley, and preached in Fletcher’s -church. Soon after this, Fletcher and his wife went to Dublin; and now, -at the beginning of the year 1784, Coke forwarded to Fletcher the -aforesaid “Plan,” and a list of his missionary subscribers, twenty-six -in number, seven of whom resided in Dublin. Is it chimerical to suppose -that the formation of this Missionary Society was a subject of -conversation between Coke and Fletcher, when the former was at Madeley, -and that it was mainly through Fletcher’s influence that so many of its -first subscribers were Dublin Methodists? It is a curious fact that -neither of the Wesleys appeared in the list of contributors, the reason -perhaps of which might be that they had not been consulted in drawing up -the “Plan.” Fletcher, however, subscribed £2 2_s._ 0_d._ of the first -year’s income, which amounted to £66 3_s._ 0_d._, and to him Coke sent -the “Plan” and the report, and also the following letter appended:— - - “Near PLYMOUTH, _January 6, 1784_. - - - - “MY VERY DEAR SIR,—Lest _Mr. Parker_ should neglect to send you one of - our Plans for the establishing of foreign Missions, I take the liberty - of doing it. Ten subscribers more, of two guineas per annum, have - favoured me with their names. If _you_ can get a few subscribers more, - we shall be obliged to you. - - “We have now a very wonderful outpouring of the Spirit in the West of - Cornwall. I have been obliged to make a winter campaign of it, and - preach here and there out of doors. - - “I beg my affectionate respects to Mrs. Fletcher. I entreat you to - pray for - - “Your most affectionate Friend and Brother, - “THOMAS COKE.” - -At this period, Fletcher was engaged in the last of his literary works. -The following, hitherto unpublished letter, may serve as an introduction -to the essays Fletcher was now writing. It was addressed to the “Rev. -Mr. Bouverot, Geneva;” and, though without date, was evidently written a -few days before Fletcher’s memorable visit to Dublin:— - - “The Society of Christian Philosophers, which you mention, seems, in - this day, to be a useful Institution. The most redoubtable attacks - upon religion come from our modern Sadducees, who say there is neither - angel nor spirit; and the famous Dr. Priestly openly maintains that we - have no soul, or, at least, that it is no other than the animal - spirits. It may be, therefore, that God, who never leaves Himself - without witnesses, has permitted this Society for the maintenance of a - metaphysical doctrine so opposite to that of materialism. ‘Prove all - things; hold fast that which is good.’ - - “A Swedish gentleman, called Baron Swedenborg,[600] published many - pieces in England, and declared he had conversed with angels and - spirits for more than forty years, and that with as much familiarity - as with men. Some of his works have been translated into English. - There is one, of which I have the original Latin by me, entitled, - ‘Mirabilia Coeli et Inferni,’ and which I mean to send you as soon as - I shall find a convenient opportunity. It is certain, if believers - were more detached from earthly things, and more concentred in Christ - by faith, they would converse with angels and with the spirits of the - departed saints, as the Patriarchs and first Christians were - accustomed to do. There would, indeed, in this, be some danger of - following after piety, with a view to such an advantage, through a - species of curiosity, which, if it ought not to be called the _back - door_, yet would not deserve to be entitled the _front_, which - consists in an humble faith disengaged from sense and from all - self-seeking,” etc., etc. - - “I have not yet had leisure to cast my eyes over mys’ Next week, at - the invitation of many who love the Word of God, I mean to make a tour - into Ireland, from whence I propose returning before winter. Mr. - Wesley, who is eighty years of age, is now on a tour in the Low - Countries, where he preaches, even at Amsterdam. - - “Assist me to bless God, who has sustained me hitherto, and who is my - light and my salvation in Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and - ever! Remember me before God in your prayers, as I have a continual - remembrance of you in mine.” - -Footnote 600: - - Swedenborg died in 1772. - -Fletcher’s bold speculation, respecting the possibility of conversing -with angels and the spirits of departed saints, may be passed in -silence. The reader’s attention must now be asked to the famous Dr. -Priestley. - -This remarkable man was born at Fieldhead, near Leeds, in 1733. While a -student at the Dissenting Academy, kept by Dr. Ashworth, at Daventry, he -became an Arian. His subsequent career need not here be traced. It is -enough to say, that, about the year 1767, while he was the minister of a -large congregation of Dissenters at Leeds, he embraced Socinianism; and -that, about 1781, he wrote and published his “History of the Corruptions -of Christianity,”—some of the teachings of which work Fletcher felt it -his duty to refute. Dr. Priestley died at Philadelphia, in the United -States of America, in 1804. - -It has been already stated, that, early in the year 1785, Fletcher -published a second and enlarged edition of his poem, entitled, “La Grace -et la Nature.” At the end of that work, the following advertisement was -inserted: “Prêt à être publié en Anglois: A Rational Vindication of the -Catholic Faith, respecting the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: -being the First Part of a Scriptural Vindication of Christ’s Divinity. -Inscribed to the Rev. Dr. Priestley.” - -The Rev. Joseph Benson, the quondam tutor of Lady Huntingdon’s Trevecca -College, when Fletcher was its president, says this “Rational -Vindication” was left by Fletcher “not quite finished;” which assertion -seems to clash with Fletcher’s own advertisement just given. There can -be no doubt it was as finished as Fletcher meant it to be; though not as -complete as Mr. Benson thought it ought to be, and as he himself tried -to make it. In addition to this, however, Fletcher began a second essay, -entitled, “Socinianism Unscriptural; or, the Prophets and Apostles -vindicated from the Charge of holding the Doctrine of Christ’s mere -Humanity: being the Second Part of a Vindication of His Divinity. -Inscribed to the Rev. Dr. Priestley.” The first of these was intended to -be an answer to Priestley’s assertion that “the doctrine of the Trinity -is irrational;” and the second to refute his equally unfounded dogma, -that, the doctrine of Christ’s “divinity has no proper foundation in the -Old Testament,—the prophets speaking of the Messiah only as a man like -themselves;” nor in the “New Testament,—the Apostles never giving our -Lord any higher title than that of a man approved of God.” In Mr. -Benson’s opinion, both of the essays were left unfinished; and it is -certain that neither of them was published in Fletcher’s lifetime. -Rightly or wrongly, Mr. Benson—a very able theologian—undertook, after -Fletcher’s death, to write supplements to both, and then published them; -and these irrefutable productions of Mr. Benson’s pen have, ever since -1818, when he was the Methodist Connexional Editor, been improperly -incorporated in Fletcher’s “Collected Works.” Mr. Benson’s additions to -Fletcher’s essays are invaluable; but they ought, in fairness to both -authors, to be published separately. On this subject, however, nothing -more need be added. Fletcher’s replies to Priestley, which were printed -a few years subsequent to his death,[601] were revised by Wesley, who -writes, in his Journal:— - - “1784, Saturday, March 27. I went to Madeley; and, at Mr. Fletcher’s - desire, revised his letters to Dr. Priestley. I think there is hardly - another man in England so fit to encounter him.—Sunday, 28. - Notwithstanding the severe weather, the church was more than filled. I - preached on part of the Epistle (Heb. ix. 13, etc.); in the afternoon, - ons’ and I believe God applied it to many hearts.” - -Footnote 601: - - The titles were:—1. “A Rational Vindication of the Catholic Faith: - being the First Part of a Vindication of Christ’s Divinity; inscribed - to the Rev. Dr. Priestley, by J. Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Salop. - Left imperfect by the Author, and now _revised_ and _finished_, at - Mrs. Fletcher’s request, by Joseph Benson, Hull.” 12mo, 223 pp. No - date, but published in 1788 or 1789. The work consists of fourteen - chapters, only four of which were written by Fletcher. The remaining - ten were Mr. Benson’s productions. - - 2. “Socinianism Unscriptural; or, the Prophets and Apostles vindicated - from the Charge of holding the Doctrine of Christ’s _mere Humanity_: - being the Second Part of a Vindication of His Divinity: inscribed to - the Rev. Dr. Priestley, by the late Rev. John Fletcher, Vicar of - Madeley, Salop. To which is added, a Demonstration of the want of - Common Sense in the New Testament Writers, etc., etc., in a Series of - Letters to the Rev. Mr. Wesley, by Joseph Benson. Birmingham: 1791.” - 12mo, 239 pp. Fletcher’s part of the volume occupies 118 pages. - -Never has there been a time when there was more need of essays like -those of Fletcher than that which is now passing. Socinianism, in -various shapes, even among many who think themselves orthodox, is -rampant; and the Methodist Book Committee would render incalculable -service to the cause of Christian truth, by publishing in a separate -form, and at as cheap a price as possible, Fletcher’s two unanswerable -replies to the redoubtable Dr. Priestley. - -In his “Expostulatory Letter,” Fletcher writes:— - - “While you invite archdeacons and bishops to defend their church and - the divinity of their Saviour, may the voice of a poor country vicar - be heard amidst the groans of the press which repeats your challenges? - Will not your sense of honour feel too great a disappointment in - seeing so mean a person step forth to present you with an - expostulatory letter, and to break a spear with you, on the very - ground where you think yourself invincible,—philosophy, reason, and - common sense? - - “Conscious of the variety of your learning, and the greatness of your - reputation, I apologize for my boldness, by observing, that the Church - is my mother; that the feeblest child has a right to cry out when his - mother is stabbed to the heart; and that, when the Divine crown of our - Lord is publicly struck at, the least of believers may show his - astonishment at the antichristian deed. - - “When the Socinians of the last century said that it was impossible to - believe God and man were united in the person of our Lord, the - Catholics replied, it was as easy to believe that God and man make one - Christ, as to believe that the immortal soul and the mortal body are - one man. And Dr. Sherlock added, that the best way for the Socinians - to set aside this argument against the mystery of our Lord’s - incarnation, was to deny the union of soul and body, because they - could not understand it; and openly to maintain, that man is a body - without a soul, a compound of mere matter. - - “When that judicious divine dropped this hint, he little thought that - some philosophers of our day would be so desperately bent upon - divesting Christ of His Divine glory, that they would be content to - die like dogs, without leaving any surviving part of themselves, so - that they might win the day against the Catholic Church, and the - divinity of our Lord. - - “I am sorry to observe that you have the dangerous honour to be at the - head of these bold philosophers. Dr. Berkeley was so singular as to - deny the existence of matter. According to his doctrine, there is - nothing but spirit in the world, and matter exists only in our ideas. - As a rival of his singularity, you run into the opposite extreme; you - annihilate our souls; you turn us into mere machines; we are nothing - but matter; and if you allow us any spirit, it is only such as can be - distilled like spirits of wine. Thus, if we believe you both, being - ground not only to atoms but to absolute nonentity between the two - millstones of your preposterous and contrary mistakes, we have neither - form nor substance, neither body nor soul! - - “Glad am I, Sir, that when you made so free with the souls of men you - did not pass your philosophical sponge over the existence of the - Father of spirits, the great Soul which gives life and motion to the - universe. But, though you spare the Father’s dignity, you attack the - Son’s divinity; you deny the sanctifying influences of the Holy Ghost; - and, by hasty strides, you carry us back to a dwarf, mongrel - Christianity, made up of materialism, Judaism, and the baptism of - John. - - “To gain this inglorious end, in yours’ you collect the capital errors - invented by fallen Christians in the corrupt ages of Christianity; - then, taking some of the most precious Gospel truths, you blend them - with these errors, and rendering them all equally odious, you turn - them promiscuously out of the Church as the ‘Corruptions of - Christianity.’ Thus you cleanse the temple of truth as our Lord would - have cleansed that of Jerusalem, if he had thrown down the tables of - show-bread as well as the tables of the money changers, and if He had - turned out the cherubim of glory as He did the beasts which defiled - that holy place. In short, you treat our Lord’s divinity as the Jews - treated His humanity when they numbered Him with felons, that the mob - might cry with a show of piety, ‘Away with Him! Crucify Him!’ with the - thieves, His accursed companions!” - -On the mysterious and holy doctrine of the Trinity in unity, Fletcher -writes:— - - “That there is a Supreme, Infinite, and Eternal Mind by which the - world was made, is evident from the works of creation and providence. - Every leaf of the trees which cover a thousand hills, every spire of - the grass which clothes a thousand vales, echoes, ‘There is a God.’ - But the peculiar mode of His existence is far above our reach. Of this - we only know what He plainly reveals to us, and what we may infer from - what He hath plainly revealed; for sooner shall the vilest insect find - out the nature of man, than the brightest man shall of himself - discover the nature of God. - - “It is agreed on all hands that the Supreme Being, compared with all - other beings, is One,—one Creator over numberless creatures, one - Infinite Being over myriads of finite beings, one Eternal Intelligence - over millions of temporary intelligences. The distance between the - things made and Him that made them being boundless, the living God - must stand for ever far higher above all that lives, than the sun - stands superior to all the beams it emits, and to all the tapers - lighted at its fire. In this sense, true Christians are all - Unitarians: God having plainly revealed His unity by the prophets, by - the Apostles, and by our Lord Himself, there is no doubt about this - point. And may the hand which writes these sheets wither a thousand - times over rather than it should designedly write one word against - this glorious and ever-adorable unity! - - “But although the Supreme Being is One when He is compared to all - created beings, shall we quarrel with Him when He informs us that - notwithstanding he has no second in the universe of creatures, yet, in - Himself, He exists in a wonderful manner, insomuch that His own - eternal and perfect essence subsists, without division or separation, - under three adorable distinctions, which are called sometimes ‘the - Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;’ and sometimes ‘the Father, the - Word, and the Spirit’? ‘Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed - it, Why hast Thou made me thus?’ or, Why dost Thou exist after such a - manner?” - -Fletcher then proceeds to describe the different opponents of his -doctrine; namely,— - - “_Tritheists_, who so unscripturally distinguish the Divine Persons as - to divide and separate them into three deities; and who, by this - means, run into polytheism, or the belief of many gods. _Ditheists_, - generally called Arians, who worship two gods, a great god and a - little god; the former uncreate, the latter created; the former God by - nature, and the latter only by courtesy. _Deists_, who so - unscripturally maintain the unity of the Divine essence as to admit - but one Divine subsistence;” and who include Jews, Mahometans, - Infidels, and Socinians. - -Fletcher next undertakes to show and prove that God the Father has a -proper Son, by whom He made the world; that our Lord Jesus Christ -claimed the divine honour of being this Son; that He is the Redeemer and -Saviour of lost mankind; that He is to be the final and universal Judge; -and that divine worship was paid to Him by patriarchs, prophets, and -Apostles, and is His undoubted right. - -Fletcher’s second pamphlet, entitled “Socinianism Unscriptural,” -consists of eight letters, addressed to Dr. Priestley, in which he shows -that Socinians err when they assert that the prophets always spoke of -the Messiah as of a mere man like themselves. He proves that our first -parents expected a _Divine_ Messiah, and that the _Divine Person_ who -appeared to the patriarchs, and to Moses, was Jehovah, the Son, or -Christ in His pre-existent state; that the foundation of the proofs of -Christ’s divinity, in the writings of the prophets, is laid in the three -original prophecies (Gen. iii. 15, xxii. 16, etc., and xlix. 8–10), -recorded by Moses concerning the Messiah; that all the prophets bear -witness to His Godhead, as do also the Evangelists and Apostles. - -This is a meagre outline of Fletcher’s exceedingly able pamphlet, but -nothing more can be here attempted. Two brief extracts, however, may be -added, illustrative of his style:— - - “I have proved that the king of Israel who brought his people out of - Egypt was Christ, in His pre-existent nature. Moses was the prime - minister of this great King; Joshua, the general of His armies; the - tabernacle, His palace; the mercy-seat, His throne; the ark, His royal - standard; the priests, His officers; the Levites, His guards; and the - shekinah, the visible display of His presence.” - - “Read, dear Sir, the Scriptures without the veil of your system, and - you will see that the Messiah, the wonderful Person whom you so - constantly endeavour to degrade, was to be a mediating Prophet, like - Moses; an atoning Priest, like Aaron; a pacific King, like Solomon; a - royal Prophet, like David; a kingly Priest, like Melchisedec; the - Everlasting Father, as the Logos by whom all things were created; and - the Mighty God, as the proper Son of Him with whom He shares, in the - unity of the Divine Spirit, the supreme title of ‘Jehovah, Lord of - hosts.’” - -It has been already shown in a letter which Fletcher addressed to Wesley -in 1755, the year of his conversion, that he was what is commonly called -a Millenarian. Twenty-nine years had elapsed since then. During this -long interval, no man had been a more diligent and devout student of the -Holy Scriptures than himself, and yet his Millenarian belief remained -unchanged. Hence the following remarkable passage in his “Socinianism -Unscriptural.” After quoting and paraphrasing Isa. lxvi. 15–24, Fletcher -proceeds to say:— - - “Here ends Isaiah’s account of that glorious reign of Jehovah-Shiloh, - which the fathers called the ‘Millennium,’ as being to last a thousand - years, and during which it is probable our Lord will use these - extraordinary means to keep all the nations in the way of - obedience:—1. A constant display of His goodness over all the earth, - but particularly in and about Jerusalem, where the Lord will manifest - His glory, and bless His happy subjects with new manifestations of His - presence every Lord’s day and every new moon. 2. A distinguishing - interposition of Providence which will withhold the Messiah’s wonted - blessings from the disobedient (Zech. xiv. 17). 3. The constant - endeavours of the saints, martyrs, patriarchs, prophets, and Apostles, - raised from the dead and conversing with men, as Moses and Elijah did - with our Lord’s disciples upon the mount, where they were indulged - with a view of His glorified person, and of His ‘kingdom come with - power.’ These glorified high priests and kings, as ministers and - lieutenants of the Messiah, will rule all churches and states with - unerring wisdom and unwarped fidelity. 4. The care that the Lord - Himself will take to set apart for the ministry, under His glorified - saints, those who in every nation shall distinguish themselves by - their virtue and piety. This seems to be the meaning of His own words: - ‘And when they shall come out of all nations to My holy mountain, I - will take of them for priests and Levites, saith the Lord,’ Isaiah - lxvi. 20, 21. 5. A standing display of the ministration of - condemnation, as appears from Isaiah lxvi. 24, and from other parallel - Scriptures. 6. At the same time that the ministration of condemnation - will powerfully work upon the fears of mankind to keep men in the way - of duty, an occasional display of the ministration of righteous mercy - will work upon their hopes. How will those hopes be fired when they - shall ‘see the Lamb’ of God ‘standing on the Mount Sion, and with Him’ - His ‘hundred and forty-four thousand’ worthies, ‘having His Father’s - name,’ Divine Majesty, Irresistible Power, Ineffable Love, and Bliss - Inexpressible, ‘written on their foreheads!’ (Rev. xiv). But, 7. What - will peculiarly tend to keep men from lapsing into rebellion against - God will be the long life of the godly, and the untimely death of - those who shall offer to tread the paths of iniquity. The godly shall - attain to the years of antediluvian patriarchs, and the wicked shall - not live out half their days; they shall not live above a hundred - years; or, to speak after our manner, they shall die in their - childhood. This seems to be Isaiah’s meaning in Isaiah lxv. 17–25.” - -Leaving it to others to advocate or to attack these interpretations of -Scripture, the present writer will only add, that thus full of firm -unwavering faith in the Divine majesty and glorious kingship of his Lord -and Saviour Jesus Christ, the devout and reverent Fletcher drew near to -the mysterious spirit-world. - -In harmony with all this, Fletcher wrote to his friend, Mr. Henry -Brooke, of Dublin, as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _April 27, 1784_. - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—Mercy, peace, and perfect love attend you, and your - dear partner, and the dear friends who live under your roof; and with - whom I beg you may abide under the cross, till, with John, Mary, and - Salome, you _all_ can say, ‘We are crucified with Him, and the life we - now live, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, and - gave Himself for us.’ - - “With respect to the glory of the Lord, _it is at hand_; whatever - false wisdom and unbelief may whisper to our hearts. It can be no - farther off than the presence of Him, who _fills all in all_. - - “With respect to what you say of the kingdom not coming with the - outward pomp, which is observable by the men of the world, it is - strictly true; but that there is an _inward_ display of _power_ and - _glory_ under Pentecostal Christianity is undeniable, both from our - Lord’s _promises_ to His imperfect disciples, and from their - _experiences_ after the kingdom of God was come to them with power. To - wait in deep resignation, and with a constant attention to what the - Lord will please to do or say concerning us and His Church; and to - leave to Him _the times and seasons_, is what I am chiefly called to - do; taking care to avoid falling into either _speculation_ careless of - _action_, or into the _activity_ which is devoid of _spirituality_. I - _would_ not have a lamp without oil; and I _could_ not have oil - without a lamp, and a vessel to hold it in for myself, and to - communicate it to others. - - “Fare you all well in Christ! So prays - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[602] - -Footnote 602: - - “Thirteen Original Letters of the Rev. John Fletcher.” Bath, 1791, p. - 36. - -On the day that Fletcher penned the foregoing, his wife wrote as follows -to Mrs. Smyth, their hostess in Dublin. The letter, however, was signed, -“John and Mary Fletcher,” and has not before been published. It -furnishes a glimpse of the Madeley Methodists:— - - “_April 27, 1784._ - - “MY VERY DEAR MADAM,—If anything I said in my last was attended with a - blessing, I give glory to my adorable Father. I am ready to wonder - that He ever works by so poor a worm. - - “I wish you had been with us yesterday morning, in our upper chamber, - to hear the simple tales of our dear women. Do you remember a little - woman, who sat in the window of the room when you met the class, and - who expressed great desire for more of the life of God? It was she who - lived on horse-beans so many weeks, while suckling twins, for fear of - running into debt for bread. She has, since then, been greatly - exercised by poverty, temptation, and illness; but, in all, her desire - for the pure image of God seemed to rise above every other wish; and, - about a fortnight ago, the Lord poured out upon her such an abundance - of His Spirit, that nature almost sank beneath it. She told us - yesterday, that every moment she seems to be so surrounded with God, - and so penetrated with His love, that, said she, ‘I cannot help, many - times in the day, stopping in the midst of my work, when alone, to - shout aloud, Glory! Glory! Glory! My very heart is glad. Yes, my heart - is _so glad_, I could shout from morning till night; but, oh! I can - think of no words to tell what I see and feel of Jesus. I _can_ choose - nothing: I know _no will_—_no choice_: the will of God is my all.’ Had - you heard her speak, and also two others who have just found the Lord, - you would have wept tears of love and joy. - - “Our love to Dr. Coke; and thank him for his two letters, which we - have received. - - “Begging our tender regards to all our dear Christian friends, we - remain, with kindest remembrance and grateful acknowledgment to our - dear Mr. and Mrs. Smyth, their sincere though unworthy friends, - - “JOHN AND MARY FLETCHER.” - -The next is a letter which, I believe, has not before been published. It -was addressed to a sister of Lady Mary Fitzgerald, and is full of faith -in Christ:— - - “Christ Jesus is alone the desirable, the everlasting distinction and - honour of men. All other advantages are like the down on the thistle, - blown away in a moment. Riches are incapable of satisfying; friends - are changeable; dear relations are taken away with a stroke; but, amid - all the changes of life, Christ is a Rock. To see Him by faith, to lay - hold on Him, to rely on Him, to live upon Him, this—this is the refuge - from the storm, the shadow from the heat. - - “In order that you may obtain it, nothing more or less is required, on - your part, than a full and frequent confession of your own abominable - heart; and kneeling, as a true beggar, at the door of mercy, declaring - you come there only expecting notice and relief because God our - Saviour came to redeem incarnate devils and to convert them into - saints. - - “I think you take a sure method to perplex yourself if you look at - yourself for proof of faith. Others must see it in your works; but you - must feel it in your heart. The glory of Jesus is, by faith, realized - to the mind in some such manner as an infinitely grand and beauteous - object in the firmament of heaven arrests the spectator on itself. It - captivates him; and, by the pleasure it imparts, he is led on to view - it. So it is with Jesus, our peace, strength, righteousness, - salvation. - - “For my own part, I am often tempted to suspect whether I am not - speaking great swelling words of Christ, and yet am myself nothing - more than sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal; and I find that the - only successful way of answering this doubt is an immediate address to - Jesus Christ, and prayer to Him, to this effect: ‘Whosoever cometh - unto Thee, Thou wilt in no wise cast out. Lord, have I not come unto - Thee? Am I not depending on Thee for life, as a brand plucked out of - the fire? See if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in - the way everlasting!’ - - “My eyes look to the blessed Jesus; my heart longs to be more in His - service; I mourn my corruptions; they are many and great. When I look - at Him, and contemplate His finished salvation, I admire, I adore, in - some measure I love. When I look at myself, my heart rises at the - sight,—black and selfish, proud and carnal, covetous and unclean. I - want all things that are good; but, oh! I have a blessed Lord Christ, - in whom all fulness dwells for me, and for my dear friend to whom I am - writing,—a fulness of pardon, wisdom, holiness, strength, peace, - salvation, righteousness,—a fulness of mercy, goodness, truth,—all - this, and ten thousand times more, without condition, without - qualification, without workings, without servings, only for receiving. - O blessed free grace of God! What a gift! And for whom? My dear - friend, for you. What says the everlasting God? ‘Believe He gave His - Son for sinners.’ Can God lie? Impossible! Can we have a better - foundation to build upon than the promise and the oath of God? - - “My very dear friend, I know you will not be angry at my preachment. I - aim all I say at my own heart. I stand more in need of it than you; - and I always feel my heart refreshed when I am talking or thinking of - the blessed Jesus. But oh! how little I know of Him! O Thou light of - the world, enlighten me! Teach me to know more of Thy infinite, - unsearchable riches, that I may love Thee with an increasing love, and - serve Thee with an increasing zeal till Thou bring me to glory!” - -Gratitude was one of Fletcher’s characteristics. Hence, when the son of -his dead friend, Mr. Charles Greenwood, of Stoke Newington, visited him -at Madeley, he wrote to the loving widow:— - - “Madeley, June 20, 1784. The sight of Mr. Greenwood, in his son, has - brought some of my Newington scenes to my remembrance, and I beg leave - to convey my tribute of thanks by his hands. Thanks! Thanks! What, - nothing but words? There is my humbling case. I wish to requite your - manifold kindnesses, but I cannot. I must be satisfied to be ever your - insolvent debtor. Nature and grace do not love it. Proud nature lies - uneasy under great obligations; and thankful grace would be glad to - put something in the scale opposite to that which you have filled with - so many favours. But what shall I put? I wish I could send you all the - Bank of England, and all the Gospel of Christ; but the first is not - mine, and the second is already _yours_.”[603] - -Footnote 603: - - Letters, 1791, p. 300. - -Wesley’s annual Conference, in 1784, was held at Leeds. He writes, in -his Journal:— - - “1784, Tuesday, _July 27_. Our Conference began; at which four of our - brethren, after long debate (in which Mr. Fletcher[604] took much - pains), acknowledged their fault, and all that was past was forgotten. - Thursday, July 29, being the public Thanksgiving Day, as there was not - room for us in the old church, I read prayers, as well as preached, at - our Room. I admired the whole service for the day. The prayers, - Scriptures, and every part of it, pointed at one thing: ‘Beloved, if - God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.’ Having five - clergymen to assist me, we administered the Lord’s Supper, as was - supposed, to sixteen or seventeen hundred persons. Sunday, August 1. - We were fifteen clergymen at the old church. Tuesday, August 3. Our - Conference concluded in much love, to the great disappointment of - all.” - -Footnote 604: - - Before attending the Conference, Fletcher visited Miss Ritchie, who - wrote: “1784, July 16. Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher visited Otley. I was - truly blessed and edified by their society. Our house was full of - company.” (“Memoir of Mrs. Mortimer,” by Agnes Bulmer, p. 97.) - -Such is Wesley’s brief account of one of the most important Conferences -he ever held, and the last which Fletcher had the opportunity of -attending. During the year, Dr. Coke had begun the Methodist Foreign -Missionary Society; and Wesley had signed and sealed his famous “Deed of -Declaration,” constituting, for all time to come, the Legal Conference -of the Methodists, and defining the powers and duties of its members. -Charles Atmore, who was present, relates,[605] that, on the Sunday -evening before the Conference opened, the congregation, assembled to -hear Wesley, was four times greater than the chapel could contain, and, -therefore, Wesley “preached in a field adjoining, on the judgment of the -great day.” On Monday morning, Fletcher “preached an excellent sermon -from Matt. v. 13–16, ‘Ye are the salt of the earth,’” etc. At night, -Wesley took for his text, “Give the king Thy judgments, O God, and Thy -righteousness unto the king’s son.” On Tuesday morning, at five o’clock, -Henry Moore delivered a sermon founded upon “Casting all your care upon -Him; for He careth for you.” At the conclusion of the service, Wesley -“opened the Conference;” and, in the evening of the day, preached from, -“Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered,” etc. Next morning, -July 28, at five o’clock, the text of Thomas Taylor was, “What then? -notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is -preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” At night, -Wesley preached from, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy -heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Thursday, July 29, -“was a high day indeed.” At five a.m. Thomas Hanby discoursed on “My -grace is sufficient for thee,” etc. In the forenoon, Wesley expounded -and enforced 1 Cor. xiii. 1–4, “Though I speak with the tongues of men -and of angels, and have not charity,” etc. Then followed the sacramental -service, in which Wesley was assisted by Fletcher, Coke, Cornelius -Bayley, who had been Fletcher’s curate, Mr. Dillon, an ordained -clergyman from Ireland, and the well-known David Simpson, of -Macclesfield, the services of the day being concluded with another -sermon from Wesley, on the text, “This is the first and great -commandment.” At five a.m. on Friday, July 30, Joseph Pilmoor preached -from “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right -hand, I shall not be moved”; and, at night, Fletcher, from, “These all -having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: -God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us -should not be made perfect.”[606] At seven o’clock on Sunday morning, -August 1, Fletcher preached again, taking as his text 1 Kings xiii. 26, -selected from the first lesson for the day: “It is the man of God, who -was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath -delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, -according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.” Joseph -Benson, who was present, writes:— - - “Mr. Fletcher drew such a picture of the degradation and misery of a - backsliding minister, and of the corruption and injury he introduced - into the Church of Christ, as produced a general and deep sensation, - not easily to be forgotten.” - -Footnote 605: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1845, p. 12. - -Footnote 606: - - Respecting this sermon, John Beaumont, father of the celebrated Rev. - Dr. Joseph Beaumont, wrote: “Mr. Fletcher dwelt much on the context, - which speaks of the faith and works of the ancient worthies, and - strongly enforced what he termed a _working faith_. I was blessed - beyond description, and thought him certainly the most angelic man I - had ever heard.” (“The Experience and Travels of John Beaumont.”) - -And Henry Moore, another of Fletcher’s auditors, remarks:— - - “I was extremely impressed with the whole service: the shadow of the - Divine presence was seen among us, and His going forth was in our - sanctuary.” - -Next morning, Mr. Moore himself had to preach. He writes:— - - “I went to the chapel at the hour appointed, and, to my dismay, found - the venerable Mr. Fletcher in the pulpit, leaning upon his staff. My - first impression was to run away; but a moment’s reflection changed my - purpose. I ascended the pulpit and gave out the hymn; while I did so, - my knees smote one against the other: I knelt down to pray, and indeed - lifted my heart with my voice, that I might be endued with power and - wisdom from on high: my soul was calmed, and I took my text, and - continued the service, fully set free from fear, and strengthened in - my resolution ever to obey the voice of duty.”[607] - -Footnote 607: - - “Life of Henry Moore,” by Mrs. Smith, p. 321. - -At five o’clock on the following morning, Wesley, eighty-one years of -age, again preached, selecting a text admirably adapted to be a sequel -to that chosen by Fletcher on the previous Sunday; and also peculiarly -suited to what had taken place in the Conference: “And Jeremiah said -unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God -of Israel: Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your -father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he -hath commanded you; therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of -Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before -me for ever” (Jer. xxxv. 18, 19). The Conference was concluded on -Tuesday, August 3; and next morning, at five o’clock, Wesley delivered -another sermon, and immediately afterwards took the coach for Wales. His -last text, at this remarkable Conference, was, “Take heed unto thyself, -and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt -both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”[608] - -Footnote 608: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1845, p. 14. - -A purpose is intended to be served by these minute statements, namely, -to convey an idea of what Methodist Conferences were in the olden times, -and to indicate the chief preachers, and the _kind_ of texts they took. - -It is a well-known fact that the great event of the Conference of 1784 -was the rebellion raised in Wesley’s camp of preachers. In his “Deed of -Declaration,” he had appointed his brother Charles, Dr. Coke, James -Creighton, and ninety-seven of his itinerants to be, after his decease, -his legalized successors, and to exercise the powers he had exercised -from the beginning. By confining the number of the members of the legal -Conference to a hundred, he necessarily excluded not fewer than -ninety-two, whom he had employed in circuit work; and, among these, -there were several who had claims quite equal to many of the elected -ones, as, to wit, Thomas Lee, John Atlay, John Pritchard, John Pool, -John Hampson, sen., John Hampson, jun., William Eells, and Joseph -Pillmoor. Previous to the Conference being held, certain of the -non-elected preachers published a protest against Wesley’s partiality. -The crisis was a serious one. Fletcher was not included in the hundred, -probably because he desired to be left out; but he was intensely anxious -respecting apprehended results. Mrs. Fletcher wrote:— - - “O how deeply was he affected for the welfare of his brethren, when we - were at Leeds, in the year 1784! When disputes arose among them, his - soul groaned beneath the burden. By two or three o’clock in the - morning, I was sure to hear him breathing out prayers for the peace - and prosperity of Sion; and when I said to him, I was afraid this - would hurt his health, and that I wished him to sleep more, he would - answer, ‘O Polly, the cause of God lies near my heart.’” - -At the opening of the Conference, on July 27, Wesley mentioned the “Deed -of Declaration,” and the “Appeal” which had been published against it:— - - “He showed that, from the commencement of Methodism, the annual - Conferences had always consisted of persons whom he had desired to - meet for the purpose of conferring with him. He insisted, that he had - a right to name the members of the Legal Conference, and to fix their - number. The ‘Appeal,’” he said, “represented him as unjust, - oppressive, and tyrannical, which he was not; the authors of it had - betrayed him; and, by doing so, had hurt the minds of many, and - kindled a flame throughout the kingdom. Hence, he required that they - should acknowledge their fault, and be sorry for it, or he could have - no further connection with them.”[609] - -Footnote 609: - - Benson’s “Life,” by Macdonald, p. 160. - -For seven days, the dispute remained unsettled. Fletcher acted as -mediator. - - “Never,” says Charles Atmore, “shall I forget the ardour and - earnestness with which Mr. Fletcher expostulated, even on his knees, - both with Mr. Wesley and the preachers. To the former, he said, ‘My - father! my father! they have offended, but they are your children!’ To - the latter, he exclaimed, ‘My brethren! my brethren! he is your - father!’ and then, portraying the work in which they were unitedly - engaged, he fell again on his knees, and with fervour and devotion - engaged in prayer. The Conference was bathed in tears; many sobbed - aloud.”[610] - -Footnote 610: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1845, p. 15. - -This appears to have been on the last day but one that the Conference -sat. Hence Joseph Benson writes:— - - “August 2. Our brethren, who had been concerned in the ‘Appeal,’ - rejoiced our hearts, by acknowledging their fault, and making - submission. In consequence of their doing so, they were admitted among - their brethren, and appointed to Circuits.”[611] - -Footnote 611: - - Benson’s “Life,” by Macdonald, p. 160. - -It may be added, that, the principal appellants—John Hampson, sen., and -John Hampson, jun., Joseph Pillmoor, John Atlay, and William Eells—soon -afterwards left the Connexion. - -Two other incidents, concerning the Conference, must be mentioned. - -It is a well-known fact, that, one of the most important questions asked -at Wesley’s Conferences was, “Are there any objections to any of our -preachers?” Upon the question being put, the names of all (Wesley’s name -included), were read seriatim. When this part of the business of the -Conference, in 1784, was reached, Fletcher rose from his seat, to -withdraw from the chapel. - - “He was eagerly recalled, and asked why he would leave them? - ‘Because,’ said he, ‘it is improper, and painful to my feelings, for - me to hear the minute failings of my brethren canvassed, unless my own - character be submitted to the same scrutiny.’ They promised, if he - would stay, that his character should be investigated. On these terms, - he consented to remain; and, when his name was read, an aged preacher - rose, bowed to him, and said, ‘I have but one thing to object to Mr. - Fletcher; God has given him a richer talent than his humility will - suffer him duly to appreciate. In confining himself to Madeley, he - puts his light, comparatively, under a bushel; whereas, if he would - come out more among us, he would draw immense congregations, and would - do much more good.’ In answer to this, Mr. Fletcher stated the tender - and sacred ties which bound him to his parish; its numerous - population; the daily calls for his services; the difficulty of - finding a proper substitute; his increasing infirmities, which - disqualified him for horse exercise; his unwillingness to leave Mrs. - Fletcher at home; and the expense of travelling in carriages. In reply - to his last argument, another preacher arose, and observed that the - expense of his journeys would be cheerfully paid; and that, though he - knew and highly approved Mr. Fletcher’s disinterestedness and delicacy - in pecuniary transactions, yet he feared there was a mixture of pride - in his objection; for that by no importunity could he be prevailed on - to accept a present to defray his expenses on his late visit to - Ireland. ‘A little explanation,’ replied Mr. Fletcher, ‘will set that - matter right. When I was invited to visit my friends at Dublin, I had - every desire to accept their invitation; but I wanted money for the - journey, and knew not how to obtain it. In this situation, I laid the - matter before the Lord, humbly requesting that, if the journey were a - providential opening to do good, I might have the means of performing - it. Shortly afterwards, I received an unexpected sum of money, and - took my journey. While in Dublin, I heard our friends commiserating - the distresses of the poor, and lamenting the inadequate means they - had to relieve them. When, therefore, they offered me a handsome - present, what could I do? The necessary expenses of my journey had - already been supplied; my general income was quite sufficient; I - needed nothing. Had I received the money, I should have given it away. - The poor of Dublin most needed, and were most worthy of, the money of - their generous countrymen. How then could I hesitate to beg that it - might be applied to their relief? You see, brethren, I could not in - conscience do otherwise than I did.’”[612] - -Footnote 612: - - Benson’s “Life of Fletcher.” - -After these explanations, the honest old Methodist preachers, of course, -recorded no objection to the “_character_” of John Fletcher; but Wesley, -nearly a year afterwards, wrote to his brother Charles:— - - “1785, June 2. About once a quarter, I hear from Mr. and Mrs. - Fletcher. I grudge his sitting still; but who can help it? I love ease - as well as he does; but I dare not take it while I believe there is - another world.”[613] - -Footnote 613: - - Wesley’s Works, vol. xii., p. 142. - -Fletcher’s examination, on this occasion, took place by special -arrangement: if he had lived, perhaps, it would afterwards have been a -matter of course; for, about the middle of the Conference, he rose, and, -addressing Wesley, said:— - - “I fear my successor will not be interested in the work of God, and my - flock may suffer. I have done what I could. I have built a chapel in - Madeley Wood, and I hope, Sir, you will continue to supply it, and - that Madeley may still be part of a Methodist Circuit. If you please, - I should be glad to be put down in the ‘Minutes’ as a supernumerary.” - -Wesley was not easily moved, but even he could hardly bear this, and the -preachers burst into tears.[614] - -Footnote 614: - - Mrs. Fletcher’s “Life,” by H. Moore, p. 183. - -The other incident, to be mentioned, was of a different kind, and is a -good illustration of the remarkable allegorical talent which Fletcher -possessed, and often exercised, not only in his published works, but in -his correspondence, and in conversation among his friends. - -On March 31, 1784, Wesley visited Burslem, where Mr. Enoch Wood resided, -a Methodist, and an artist of great ability. Mr. Wood prevailed on -Wesley to permit him to model a bust from his person; and a considerable -number of copies were executed. The likeness was so striking, that, when -Wesley looked at the bust, he said to Mr. Wood, “If you touch it again, -you will mar it.” Every wrinkle, dimple, and vein of the face and -forehead were marked with perfect accuracy. Four months afterwards, Mr. -Wood went to the Conference at Leeds, and soon became one of the most -popular men there. Samuel Bardsley hoisted the artist on his shoulder; -at the moment, Fletcher was passing through the grave-yard, and was -told, by the applauding preachers, the name of the hero, so ludicrously -exhibited. Fletcher paused a moment, and then said, “Are you the young -man who made that beautiful likeness of Mr. Wesley?” Being answered in -the affirmative, and having been made acquainted with the whole process -of making the bust, he stood on a grave, and, putting his hand on the -artist’s shoulder, he began to spiritualize what he had heard, by using -it to illustrate the work of God, in the _new_ creation of the human -soul, by the power of the Holy Ghost. He spoke of the rough and -unpromising materials,—the corrupt nature derived from fallen Adam; he -showed how this, by the energy of the Holy Spirit, is softened and -melted down into godly sorrow; how it becomes _plastic_ in the hands of -the Divine Artist; how it is cast into a new mould: and how it is formed -after the likeness of Christ. His extemporaneous address lasted twenty -minutes, and was never forgotten by those who heard it.[615] - -Footnote 615: - - _Christian Miscellany_, 1848, p. 230. - -It may be added that, some years afterwards, Dr. Adam Clarke obtained -from Mr. Wood the loan of the original mould, and had a bust cast in -solid brass, which is now in the possession of Mr. G. J. Stevenson. This -was lent to the sculptor who chiselled the marble effigy of Wesley, now -placed in the entrance-hall of the Wesleyan Theological Institution, -Richmond. The face and head of the effigy were obtained from it.[616] - -Footnote 616: - - Stevenson’s “Memorials of the Wesley Family,” p. 349. - -On his return to Madeley, Fletcher wrote to his friend, Mr. Ireland, as -follows:— - - “MADELEY, _September 13, 1784_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—I keep in my sentry-box till Providence removes me. - My situation is _quite suited_ to my little strength. I may do as much - or as little as I please, according to my weakness; and I have an - advantage, which I can have nowhere else in such a degree,—my little - field of action is just at my own door, so that if I happen to overdo - myself, I have but to step from my pulpit to my bed, and from my bed - to my grave. If I had a body full of vigour, and a purse full of - money, I should like well enough to travel about as Mr. Wesley does; - but as Providence does not call me to it, I readily submit. The snail - does best in its shell; were it to aim at galloping, like the - racehorse, it would be ridiculous indeed. My wife is quite of my mind - with respect to the call we have to a sedentary life. We are two poor - invalids, who between us make _half_ a labourer. - - “We shall have tea cheap and light very dear;[617] I don’t admire the - change. Twenty thousand chambers walled up, and filled with foul air, - are converted into so many dungeons for the industrious artizan, who, - being compelled by this murderous tax, denies himself the benefit of - _light_ and _air_. Blessed be God! the light of heaven and the air of - the spiritual world are still free. - - “My dear partner sweetly helps me to drink the dregs of life, and to - carry with ease the daily cross. We are not long for this world—we - _see_ it, we _feel_ it; and, by looking at death and his conqueror, we - fight beforehand our last battle with that last enemy whom our dear - Lord has overcome for us. That we may triumph over him with an humble, - Christian courage is the prayer of, my dear friend, yours, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[618] - -Footnote 617: - - On June 21, Pitt moved several resolutions to put an end to smuggling - by reducing the duty upon tea from 50 to 12½ per cent.; and to - increase the window tax in proportion. These resolutions were passed, - though not without much debate. - -Footnote 618: - - Letters, 1791, p. 302. - -Fletcher’s apprehension of the nearness of death, so far as he was -concerned, was realized; but his wife did not die until thirty-one years -after this, not a year of which passed without her keeping the -anniversary of their wedding-day. In the present year she wrote:— - - “1784, November 12. We have been married three years this day. A good - day it has been to me! While reflecting on the wonderful goodness of - God in my providential union with my dear husband (so far, so very - far, beyond my warmest wishes), my heart was enlarged with desire to - render to my God a suitable return for all His mercies!”[619] - -Footnote 619: - - “Mrs. Fletcher’s Life,” by H. Moore, p. 158. - -On her birthday, two months previously, she had written in her journal:— - - “September 12. This day I am forty-five years old. I have had such a - sense of the goodness of God toward me as I cannot express. I am - filled with favours. I have the best of husbands, who daily grows more - and more spiritual, and I think more healthful, being far better than - when we first married. My call also is so clear, and I have such - liberty in the work, and such sweet encouragement among the people. My - servant, too, is much improved, and as faithful as if she were my own - child. An income quite comfortable, and a good deal to help the poor - with! O what shall I render to the Lord for all the mercies He hath - shown unto me!” - -In this happy home, Fletcher wrote the following happy letter to a -youth, his godson, by name John Fennel:— - - “MADELEY, _November 28, 1784_. - - “DEAR JOHN,—I rejoice to hear that you think of a better world; and of - that better part which Mary, and your mother—another Mary—chose before - you. May all her prayers, and, above all, may the dew of heaven, come - down upon your soul in solemn thoughts, heavenly desires, and strong - resolutions to be the Lord’s, cost what it will. Let the language of - your heart and lips be, ‘I will be a follower of Christ, a child of - God, an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.’ A noble promise this! of - which I have so peculiar a right to put you in mind. In order to be - this happy and holy soul, you must not forget that your Christian - name, your Christian vow, and ten thousand reasons beside, bind you to - turn your back upon the world, the flesh, and the devil; and to set - yourself to look steadfastly to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, your - Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. - - “Dear John, you have no time to lose. We have calls here to the young - without end. I lately buried, in our churchyard, two brothers and - sisters in the same grave. Be you also ready! I was praying for you - some nights ago on my bed, in my sleepless hours; and I asked for you - the faith of righteous Abel, the chastity of Joseph, the early piety - of Samuel, the right choice of young Solomon, the self-denial and - abstinence of Daniel, together with the early zeal and undaunted - courage of his three friends; but, above all, I asked that you might - follow John the Baptist and John the Apostle as they followed our - Lord. Back, earnestly back my prayers. So shall you be faithful, - diligent, godly; a blessing to all around you, and a comfort to your - affectionate old friend and minister, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[620] - -Footnote 620: - - _The Youth’s Instructor_, 1835, p. 305. - -At this period, the Rev. Charles Simeon, a young man of twenty-five, and -full of faith and zeal, was rising into great popularity among the -Methodist clergymen of the day. He was an intimate friend of Berridge -and of Henry Venn; and had recently visited Riland at Birmingham, -Cadogan at Reading, Pentycross at Wallingford, and Robinson at -Leicester;[621] and now, toward the end of 1784, he came to Fletcher at -Madeley. As soon as he entered the vicarage, Fletcher took him by the -hand and brought him into the parlour, where the two engaged in prayer. -That being ended, Fletcher asked Simeon to preach in the church. After -some hesitation, Simeon consented; and away went Fletcher, bell in hand, -through the village, and, ringing as loudly as he could, told the people -they must attend church, for a young clergyman from Cambridge had come -to preach to them. - -Footnote 621: - - “Simeon’s Memoirs,” by W. Carus, M.A. - -After the service in the church, Fletcher and his visitor went for a -walk, in the course of which they entered the ironworks. Simeon was -surprised at the aptitude of Fletcher to turn everything he saw to -spiritual profit. To one of the ironworkers, hammering on an anvil, he -remarked, “O, pray to God that He may hammer that hard heart of yours.” -To another, who was heating a bar of iron, “Ah! thus it is that God -tries His children in the furnace of affliction.” And to a third, who -was drawing a furnace, “See, Thomas! if _you_ can make such a furnace as -that, think what a furnace God can make for sinners.”[622] - -Footnote 622: - - _Christian Miscellany_, 1848, p. 326. - -Soon after this, Wesley wrote:— - - “1784, Monday, December 20. I went to Hinxworth, where I had the - satisfaction of meeting Mr. Simeon, Fellow of King’s College in - Cambridge. He has spent some time with Mr. Fletcher, at Madeley: two - kindred souls; much resembling each other both in fervour of spirit - and in the earnestness of their address. He gave me the pleasing - information that there are three parishes in Cambridge wherein true - Scriptural religion is preached, and several young gentlemen who are - happy partakers of it.”[623] - -Footnote 623: - - Wesley’s Journal. - -Fletcher, the Madeley revivalist, was closing his last year on earth; -Simeon, the Cambridge one, lived and laboured for more than half a -century afterwards; and who can say that in Simeon’s life and labours -the influence of Fletcher’s spirit and example was not an element? - -A few more extracts from Fletcher’s letters, and then the end will come. -Already he seemed to be waiting to “gather up his feet,” and die. In a -letter to Mrs. Thornton, a friend of the Greenwood family, at Stoke -Newington, he wrote:— - - “Madeley, _January 21, 1785_. I make just shift to fill up my little - sentry box, by the help of my dear partner. Had we more strength, we - should have opportunity enough to exert it. O that we were but truly - faithful in our little place! Your great stage of London is too high - for people of little ability and little strength; and, therefore, we - are afraid of venturing upon it. We should be glad to rise high in - usefulness; but God, who needs us not, calls us to sink in deep - resignation and humility. His will be done!”[624] - -Footnote 624: - - Letters, 1791, p. 303. - -Three weeks later, he wrote to the Right Hon. Lady Mary Fitzgerald, as -follows:— - - “Madeley, February 11, 1785. Who are we, my lady, that we should not - be swallowed up by the holy, loving, living Spirit, who fills heaven - and earth? Whether we consider it or not, there He is, a true, holy, - loving, merciful God. Assent to it, my lady, believe it; rejoice in - it. Let Him be God, _all in all_; your God in Christ Jesus. What an - ocean of love to swim in—to dive into!”[625] - -Footnote 625: - - _Ibid._, p. 304. - -From Fletcher’s letter to Wesley in 1755, and his “Socinianism -Unscriptural,” written during the last years of his life, it is -undeniably evident that Fletcher was a Millenarian. The following -letter, to Mr. Henry Brooke, of Dublin, refers to the same subject, but -shows that he was not so confident with respect to some of his views as -he had been heretofore— - - “MADELEY, _February 28, 1785_.[626] - - “MY DEAR BROTHER,—We are all shadows. Your mortal parent has passed - away; and we must pass away after him. A lesson I learn daily, is to - see things and persons in their _invisible root_, and in their - _eternal principle_; where they are not subject to change, decay, and - death; but where they blossom and shine in the primæval excellence - allotted them by their gracious Creator. By this means, I learn to - walk by faith, and not by sight. Tracing His image, in all the - footsteps of nature, and finding out that which is of God _in - ourselves_, is the true wisdom, genuine godliness. I hope you will - never be afraid, nor ashamed of it. I see no danger in these studies - and meditations, provided we still keep the end in view—the _all_ of - God, and the _shadowy nothingness_ of all that is visible. - - “With respect to the great Pentecostal display of the Spirit’s glory, - I still look for it within and without; and to look for it aright is - the lesson I am learning. I am now led to be afraid of that in my - nature, which would be for pomp, show, and visible glory. I am afraid - of falling, by such an expectation, into what I call a spiritual - Judaizing; into a looking for Christ’s coming in my own pompous - conceit, which might make me reject Him, if _His_ wisdom, to crucify - _mine_, chose to come in a meaner way: if, instead of coming in His - Father’s glory, He chose to come meek, riding, not on the cherubim, - but on the foal of an ass. Our Saviour said, with respect to His going - to the feast, ‘My time is not yet come:’ whether His time to come and - turn the thieves and buyers out of the outward church is yet come, I - know not. I doubt Jerusalem, and the holy place, are yet given to be - trodden under foot by the Gentiles. But _my_ Jerusalem! why it is not - swallowed up of that which comes down from heaven, is a question which - I wait to be solved by the teaching of the great Prophet, who is alone - possessed of Urim and Thummim. The mighty power to wrestle with Him is - all divine: and I often pray,— - - “‘That mighty faith on me bestow, - Which cannot ask in vain, - Which holds and will not let Thee go, - Till I my suit obtain: - - “‘Till Thou into my soul inspire - That perfect love unknown, - And tell my infinite desire, - Whate’er Thou wilt be done.’ - - “In short, the Lord crucifies my _wisdom_ and my _will_ every way; but - I must be crucified as the _thieves_. _All my bones must be broken_; - for there is still in me that impatience of wisdom, which would stir, - when the tempter says, ‘Come down from the cross.’ It is not for us to - know the times and seasons, the manner and mystical means of God’s - working; but only to hunger and thirst, and lie passive before the - great Potter. I begin to be content to be a vessel of _clay_ or of - _wood_, so that I may be emptied of self, and filled with my God, my - all. - - “I am exceeding glad that your dear partner goes on simply and - believingly. Such a companion is a great blessing; for when two shall - agree touching one thing in prayer, it shall be done. My wife and I - endeavour to fathom the meaning of that deep promise. Join us, and let - us search after that which exceeds _knowledge_—I mean the wisdom, and - the power, the love, and the faithfulness of God. - - “Adieu! _Be God’s_, as the French say, and see God is _yours_ in - Christ, for you,[627] for brothers Dugdale, Shannon, Pickering, Mrs. - Blashford, etc. - - “We are your obliged friends, - “JOHN AND MARY FLETCHER.”[628] - -Footnote 626: - - In an unpublished letter, dated, “Sunday Evening, _February 27, - 1785_,” and signed “John and Mary Fletcher,” but evidently written by - the latter, it is said:—“My dear Mr. Fletcher has had a bad cold; but - is better. He is all alive, and living for eternity.” - -Footnote 627: - - These names are in the _original_ letter. - -Footnote 628: - - Letters, 1791, p. 307. - -It must be confessed that there is a little mysticism in Fletcher’s -letter; but let it pass. The next was written a month later. The Rev. -Peard Dickenson was now in the twenty-sixth year of his age. He had been -ordained a deacon, on June 16, 1783, and, a few months afterwards, had -been ordained a priest by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He was now the -Curate of the venerable Vicar of Shoreham, the Rev. Vincent Perronet, -and wrote to Fletcher, asking his advice respecting pastoral visitation. -Fletcher replied, as follows:— - - “MADELEY, _March 29, 1785_. - - “DEAR SIR,—I did not answer your obliging letter, because I thought it - would be presumption in me to advise you, when you have my reverend - father, Mr. Perronet, to advise with. To send a line, in those - circumstances, appeared to me like ‘sending coals to Newcastle.’ - - “However, having now an opportunity to forward a letter to London, I - shall say what I have thought on the subject. It is exceeding well to - visit from house to house, even the Infidels, to feel their pulse, and - to see whether they do not begin to entertain more favourable thoughts - of ‘the pearl of great price’ than grunting ‘swine’ or snarling ‘dogs’ - generally do. Such visits, half upon the footing of Christian love, - and half upon the footing of human civility, may tend to remove - prejudices. In some cases, writing a letter with tenderness, or giving - a little tract suited to the circumstances of the person, may clear - our own conscience, though it should do him no good. - - “My love, respects, and duty, to your venerable Vicar, who, I am told, - is now your grandfather.[629] I hope the report is well grounded; and, - if it is, I wish you joy on entering into so respectable a family; and - I wish you and your partner all the help and comfort I find in mine; - who, as well as myself, desires to be kindly remembered to all the - dear family at Shoreham. - - “I am, dear Sir, your affectionate brother and servant in Christ, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[630] - -Footnote 629: - - This was a premature statement. Mr. Dickenson did not marry Miss - Briggs, Mr. Perronet’s grand-daughter, until three years later. - -Footnote 630: - - _Wesleyan Methodist Magazine_, 1825, p. 745. - -The Rev. Melville Horne was one of Fletcher’s protegees. At Wesley’s -Conference, in 1784, he had been “admitted on trial,” as a Methodist -Itinerant Preacher, and appointed to the Liverpool circuit. It is well -known that, after this, he obtained episcopal ordination, became curate -at Madeley, published a collection of Fletcher’s letters in 1791, went -as a missionary to Western Africa, and, on his return to England, rose -to considerable distinction. Fletcher had lent the young itinerant -certain books, and now wrote to him the following letter, which refers -to a practice which must have been of recent adoption. Romaine made it a -rule to read nothing but the Bible; wisely or unwisely, Fletcher had -begun, to some extent, to copy his example:— - - “MADELEY, _May 10, 1785_. - - “DEAR BROTHER,—I am sorry you should have been uneasy about the books. - I received them safely, after they had lain for some days at Salop. I - seldom look into any book but my Bible; not out of contempt, as if I - thought they cannot teach me what I do not know; but because, ‘_Vita - brevis, ars longa_,’ I may never look into them again. - - “Go on improving yourself by reading, but above all by _meditation_ - and _prayer_: and allow our Lord to refine you in the fire of - temptation. Where you see a want, at home or abroad, within or - without, look upon that want as a warning to avoid the cause of the - leanness you perceive, and a call to secure the blessings which are - ready to take their flight; for sometimes ‘_the true riches_,’ like - those of this world, make themselves wings and flee away. The heavenly - dove may be grieved, and take its flight to humbler and more peaceful - roofs. I am glad you do not want hard or violent measures: I hope you - will never countenance them, no, not against what you dislike. I - believe things will turn out very well at the Conference, and I shall - be a witness of it, if the Lord gives me a commission to be a - spectator of the order and quietness of those who shall be there. If - not, I shall help you by prayer to draw the blessing of love upon our - friends.[631] - - “In being moderate, humble, and truly desirous to be a Christian,—that - is, to be the _least_, the _last_, and the _servant_ of all, we avoid - running ourselves into difficulties; we escape many temptations, and - many mortifying disappointments. For my part, as I expect nothing from - men, they cannot disappoint me; and, as I expect all good things from - God, in the _time_, _way_, _measure_, and _manner_ it pleaseth Him to - bestow, here I cannot be disappointed; because He does, and will do, - all things well. - - “I trust you labour for God and souls, not for praise and self. When - the latter are our aim, God, in mercy, blesses us with barrenness, - that we may give up Barabbas, and release the humble Jesus, whom we - crucify afresh by setting the thief on the throne, and the Lord of - glory as our footstool: for so do those who preach Christ out of - contention, or that they may have the praise of men. - - “That God may bless you and your labours is the prayer of your old - brother, - - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[632] - -Footnote 631: - - Evidently, Fletcher hoped to attend Wesley’s Conference, begun in - London on July 26, 1785, but his hope was not fulfilled. - -Footnote 632: - - Letters, 1791, p. 309. - -A capital letter for a young Methodist preacher, like Melville Horne, -who, six years afterwards, published it for the benefit of all Methodist -probationers. - -At this time, fever was raging at Madeley. Mr. W. Bosanquet, in an -unpublished letter, addressed to his sister, Mrs. Fletcher, and dated -“Bishopsgate Street, May 16, 1785,” observed:— - - “I am very happy to hear that both you and Mr. Fletcher have escaped - the fevers, having been so much among them. The poor must feel - themselves greatly obliged for this; for it is of much more use to - visit them when sick than even to give them money.” - -The revered Vicar of Shoreham, the Rev. Vincent Perronet, died exactly a -week before the date of this letter, and was buried on May 14, by -Charles Wesley, who wrote to Mrs. Fletcher, as follows:— - - “MARYLEBONE, _May 24, 1785_. - - “MY DEAR SISTER,—If you love Mr. Fletcher, you ought to love the poor - Methodists; for to their prayers you owe him, and he you. I found - words, and the people faith, while we heard, at Bristol” (in 1776), - “that our friend was just departing.[633] You have been the instrument - of adding some years to his valuable life. Remember, for the short - time that I shall want your prayers, my dear friend, your old faithful - servant, - - “C. WESLEY.” - -Footnote 633: - - The reference is to the hymn quoted at page 362 of the present work. - -And then, on the same sheet, the poet of Methodism wrote to Fletcher -himself the following:— - - “MY VERY DEAR BROTHER,—You ought to have paid the last office, instead - of me, to our most venerable Archbishop at Shoreham. On Sunday, I - deposited the sacred ashes in his partner’s grave, and preached twice. - His death was such as his life promised. For many years, he breathed - the pure spirit of love. The survivor who follows him nearest is - _longo proximus intervallo_. - - “A fortnight ago, I preached the condemned sermon to above twenty - criminals. Every one of them, I have good grounds to believe, died - penitent. Twenty more must die next week. - - “Sally presents her duty and love: the rest join. Direct to me in - Marylebone, and help me to depart in peace.”[634] - -Footnote 634: - - “Memoir of Mrs. Mortimer,” p. 101. - -This, probably, was the last letter which Fletcher received from his old -and loving friend. Within three years afterwards, Charles Wesley did -“depart in peace.” Fletcher’s last letters, written eight weeks after -the date of the foregoing, were addressed to James Ireland, Esq., and to -Lady Mary Fitzgerald. It has been already stated that fever was fatally -prevalent at Madeley in the summer of 1785, and an extract from a letter -written by William Bosanquet, Esq., expressing his happiness that -Fletcher and his wife had escaped the pestilence, has been already -given. Soon after that, the sister of Mr. Bosanquet caught the -infection; and Fletcher wrote as follows to Mr. Ireland:— - - “MADELEY, _July 19, 1785_. - - “MY DEAR FRIEND,—Blessed be God, we are still alive, and, in the midst - of many infirmities, we enjoy a degree of health, spiritually and - bodily. O how good was the Lord, to come as Son of man to live here - for us, and to come in His Spirit to live in us for ever! This is a - mystery of godliness. The Lord make us _full_ witnesses of it! - - “A week ago, I was tried to the quick by a fever with which my dear - wife was afflicted. Two persons, whom she had visited, having been - carried off, within a pistol-shot of our house, I dreaded her being - the third. But the Lord has heard prayer, and she is spared. Oh, what - is life! ‘On what a slender thread hang everlasting things!’ My - comfort, however, is, that this _thread_ is as strong as the will of - God, and the word of His grace, which cannot be broken. - - “That grace and peace, love and thankful joy, may ever attend you is - the wish of your most obliged friends, - - “JOHN AND MARY FLETCHER.”[635] - -Footnote 635: - - Letters, 1791, p. 310. - -The day after this, he wrote the following to the Right Honorable Lady -Mary Fitzgerald:— - - “MADELEY, _July 20, 1785_. - - “HON. AND DEAR LADY,—We have received your kind letter, and have - mournfully acquiesced in the will of our heavenly Father, who, by - various infirmities and providences, weans us from ourselves and our - friends, that we may be His without reserve. It was, perhaps, a - peculiar mercy that Providence blocked up your way to this place this - summer. A bad putrid fever carries off several people in these parts. - Two of our neighbours died of it last week; and my wife, who had - visited them, was taken in so violent a manner, that I was obliged to - offer her up to God in good earnest, as an oblation worthy a son of - Abraham. I hope the worst is over; but her weakness will long preach - to me, as well as my own. - - “Dying people, we live in the midst of dying people. O let us live in - sight of a dying, rising Saviour; and the prospect of death will - become first tolerable, and then joyous! Or, if we weep, as our Lord, - at the grave of our friends, or at the side of their deathbeds, we - shall triumph in hope that all will be for the glory of God, and the - good of our souls. - - “I am, my dear lady, etc., - “JOHN FLETCHER.”[636] - -Footnote 636: - - Fletcher’s Works, vol. viii., p. 329. - -Twenty-five days after writing this, his last letter, Fletcher himself -was dead. His wife, who had so narrowly escaped becoming a victim to the -prevailing fever, shall tell the remainder of his earthly story. The day -after the funeral, she wrote a letter to Wesley, a copy of which she -immediately gave to Fletcher’s “old friend, Winifred Edmunds, whose -son,” says she, “prints it for the satisfaction of many who have made -applications for some account of God’s dealings with my beloved husband. -I consider this a debt I owe to his dear orphans at Madeley; and, as it -is probable I may be called away by the same fever, perhaps this may be -the last office of love I can yield them.” The title of the publication -was, “A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Wesley, on the Death of the Rev. Mr. -Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, in Shropshire. Madeley: Printed by J. -Edmunds.” 16mo, 16 pp. About the same time, however, Mrs. Fletcher -wrote a much longer account, which was printed with the following title: -“A Letter to Mons. H. L. de la Flechere, Assessor Ballival of Nyon, in -the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, on the Death of his Brother, the -Reverend John William De la Flechere, Twenty-five Years Vicar of -Madeley, Shropshire. London, 1786.” 12mo, 64 pp. From these two -publications, the following account is taken. Writing to Fletcher’s -brother, the mourning widow said:— - - “As there is no one to whom my dearest husband was more closely united - than yourself, so there is no one who can more tenderly sympathize - with me in a loss _so mutual_. You have expressed a desire to receive - from my own pen some account of a life the most angelic I have ever - known; and I will endeavour to comply with your request as far as my - weak state of body and torn nerves will permit. - - “From the beginning, he was a laborious workman in his Lord’s - vineyard, till he had spent himself in the best of services and was - ripening fast for glory. Those sinners who fled from him he pursued to - every corner of his parish by all sorts of ways, public and private, - early and late, in season and out of season, entreating and warning - them to flee from the wrath to come. Some made it an excuse for not - attending the service on Sunday _mornings_ that they did not awake - early enough to get their families ready. He promised to be their - watchman; and, taking a bell in his hand, was accustomed, at five in - the morning, to go round the more distant parts of the parish, - reminding the inhabitants of their invitation to the house of God. - - “But he did not confine his labours to this parish. For many years, he - regularly preached at places eight, ten, or sixteen miles distant, - returning home the same night, though he seldom reached it before one - or two in the morning. At a little Society, which he had gathered - about six miles from Madeley, he preached two or three times in a week - at five in the morning. As to visiting the sick, this was a duty for - which he was ever ready. If he heard the knocker in the middle of the - coldest winter night, his window was instantly thrown up, and the - uniform answer was, ‘_I will attend you immediately_.’ - - “His frequent journeys to Trevecca, where he superintended a college - of young men designed for the ministry, added much to his other - fatigues,—riding on bad roads and wading through waters. Very often, - in travelling through Wales, he was obliged to lie in damp and - unsuitable lodgings; which, I have heard him observe, gave a deep - stroke to his constitution. - - “With regard to the _success_ of his labours, it is a subject on which - he has so often stopped my mouth that I will only say, besides the - great reformation that has taken place in this parish, as to outward - behaviour, he has left behind him a goodly company of upright, earnest - people, whom he had gathered into little Societies, and who now mourn, - as sheep bereaved of their dear shepherd. - - “Never did I behold any one more dead to the things of the world. I - have heard him say he was never happier than when he had given away - the last penny he had in the house. If at any time I had gold in the - drawer, it seemed to afford him no comfort; but if he could find a - handful of small silver when going out to visit the sick, he would - express as much pleasure over it as a miser would in discovering a bag - of hidden treasure. He was never better pleased with my employment - than when he had set me to prepare food or physic for the poor. He - could hardly relish his dinner if some sick neighbour had not a part; - nor could I sometimes keep the linen in his drawers for the same - reason. On Sabbath days, he provided refreshments for numbers of - people who came from a distance to hear the Word, and his house was - devoted to their convenience. Once a poor widow, who feared God, being - brought into difficulties, he immediately took all his pewter from the - kitchen shelves, saying, ‘This I can do without; it will relieve your - want, and a wooden trencher serves me better.’ Sometimes, in epidemic - disorders, when the neighbours were afraid to nurse the sick, he has - gone from house to house seeking help for them; and, when none could - be found, has offered to sit up with the sick himself. In his younger - years, he was ready to weep when five or six letters were brought, at - threepence or fourpence a-piece, and he, perhaps, had only a shilling - in the house to distribute among the poor to whom he was going. - Frequently would he say to me, ‘O Mary, cannot we do without beer? Let - us drink water, and buy less meat, that our necessities may give way - to the extremities of the poor.’ But with all his charity, he was - careful to avoid debts. While he gave all he could, he made it a rule - to pay ready money for everything, believing this was the only way to - keep the mind free from cares. - - “He always had a steady, firm reliance upon the love and faithfulness - of God. Sometimes, when I have expressed a fear of trials, he would - answer, ‘The Lord orders all, and I leave everything to Him. I always - seem conscious He gives His angels charge concerning us, and therefore - think we are equally safe everywhere.’ He had many remarkable - deliverances. Sometimes, both himself and his horse, in dark nights, - have fallen down steep places, and yet both have been preserved. Once, - I believe in Wales, in passing over a wooden bridge it broke asunder, - and he and his mare sank into the river, but both got safe to land. - - “A little before his last illness, being on his knees in prayer for - light whether he should go to London or not,[637] the answer seemed to - him, ‘No, not to London, but to your grave.’ Acquainting me with this, - he said, with a heavenly smile, ‘Satan would represent this as - something awful, _the cold grave, the cold grave_!’ On the following - Sabbath (which I think was the next day), the anthem sung in the - church was the Twenty-third Psalm. On his return home, he observed how - the words of the Psalm had been blest to him; and from that time he - seemed to be without the least temptation. - - “Still, there was scarce a night but some part of it was spent in - groans for the souls and bodies of those committed to his care. I - really dreaded his hearing either of the sins or sufferings of any of - his people before he went to bed, knowing how strong the impression - would be upon his mind. - - “In the last years of his life, he never, except once, travelled far - from home without being in danger of a relapse into his consumption; - and after his return, he would be weeks before he recovered his usual - strength. He also sometimes said to me that, though he had been - engaged in the work of the Lord in various places and situations, the - seasons of his closest communion with God were always in his own house - and church. - - “With regard to his communion with God, he constantly endeavoured to - maintain an uninterrupted sense of the Divine presence. In order to - this, he was slow of speech, and had the greatest government of his - words. He acted, he spake, he thought, as under the immediate eye of - God. Thus setting God always before him, he remained unmoved, at all - times possessing internal recollection. I never saw him diverted - therefrom on any occasion whatever. I travelled with him above a - thousand miles, during which journeys neither change of company, - place, nor circumstances ever seemed to make the least difference in - his fixed attention to the presence of God. He was always striving to - raise his own and every other spirit into close and immediate - intercourse with God; and I can say, with truth, that all his union - with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment - and every meal were perfumed therewith. - - “Some time ago, when the fever began to rage among us, he preached a - sermon on visiting the sick; in which he seemed to be carried out of - himself, observing, ‘What do you fear? You are afraid of catching the - distemper, and of dying with those who have it. O fear no more! What - an honour to die in your Master’s service! If this were permitted to - me, I should esteem it a singular favour.’ - - “During the last few months, though his health and strength sensibly - increased, he was constantly crying out for dying grace. Often would - he say, ‘O Mary, I am afraid lest we should have our good things here. - Let us look up. Let us live above all. We have one foot in the grave.’ - He scarcely ever lay down or rose up without repeating— - - “I nothing have, I nothing am; - My treasure’s in the bleeding Lamb, - Both now and evermore. - - “There was scarce an hour in which he was not calling upon me to drop - every thought and every care, that we might attend to nothing but - drinking deeper into God. We spent much time in prayer for the fulness - of the Spirit, and were led to an act of _abandonment_ (as we called - it) of our whole selves into the hands of God, to do or to suffer - whatever was pleasing to Him. - - “On Thursday, August 4, he was occupied in the work of God from three - in the afternoon till nine at night; when he came home, and said, ‘I - have taken cold.’ On Friday and Saturday, he was poorly; but went out - part of each day, and seemed uncommonly drawn out in prayer. - - “On Saturday night, his fever first appeared very strong. I begged him - not to go to the church in the morning; but to let a pious - brother,[638] who was with us, preach in the yard; but he told me, it - was the will of the Lord that he should go. When I met a little - company of our pious women, on Sunday morning, I begged they would - pray that he might be strengthened. In reading the prayers, he almost - fainted. I got through the crowd, with a friend, and entreated him to - come out of the desk, as did some others; but, in his sweet manner, he - let us know we were not to interrupt the order of God. I then retired - to my pew. All around me were in tears. When he was a little - refreshed, by the windows being opened and a nosegay thrown into the - desk by a friend, he proceeded with the service. Going into the - pulpit, he preached with a strength and recollection which surprised - us all. In his first prayer, he said, ‘Lord, Thou wilt manifest Thy - strength in weakness. We confer not with flesh and blood; but put our - trust under the shadow of Thy wings.’ - - “His text was, ‘O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How excellent - is Thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their - trust under the shadow of Thy wings.’ After sermon, he went up the - aisle to the communion-table, with these words, ‘I am going to throw - myself under the wings of the cherubim, before the mercy-seat.’ The - congregation was large, and the service lasted till nearly two - o’clock. Sometimes he could scarcely stand, and was often obliged to - stop for want of power to speak. The people were deeply affected. - Weeping was on every side. Notwithstanding his extreme weakness, he - gave out several verses of hymns, and uttered various lively sentences - of exhortation. - - “As soon as the service was over, we hurried him away to bed, where he - immediately fainted. He then dropped into a sleep for some time; and, - when he awoke, he cried out, with a pleasant smile, ‘Now, my dear, - thou seest I am no worse for doing the Lord’s work. He never fails me - when I trust in Him.’ He dozed most of the evening, now and then - awaking full of the praises of God. At night, his fever returned, and - his strength decreased amazingly. - - “On Monday and Tuesday, he lay on a couch in the study, was at times - very restless, but often slept. When awake, he was delighted in - hearing me read hymns, and tracts on faith and love. His words were - animating, and his patience beyond expression. I asked, ‘Hast thou any - conviction that the Lord is about to take thee?’ He answered, ‘No, not - in particular; only I always see death so near, that we both seem to - stand on the verge of eternity.’ Sometimes he would say, ‘O Polly! - shall I ever see the day when thou must be carried out to be buried? I - shrink at giving my dear Polly to the worms.’ Awaking on one occasion, - he said, ‘It was Israel’s fault that they asked _for signs_. We will - not do so; but, abandoning our whole selves into the hands of God, we - will there lie patiently, assured that He will do all things well.’ - - “On Wednesday, August 10, he told me, he had received such a - manifestation of the full meaning of the words, ‘_God is love_,’ as he - could not tell. ‘It _fills me_,’ he said, ‘it _fills me_ every moment. - O Polly! my dear Polly! _God is love!_ Shout! Shout aloud! Oh! it so - fills me, that I want a gust of praise to go to the ends of the earth. - But it seems as if I could not speak much longer. Let us fix upon a - sign between ourselves’ (tapping me twice with his finger). ‘By this I - mean _God is love, and we will draw each other into God. Observe! by - this we will draw each other into God._’ Sally coming in, he cried, ‘O - Sally! _God is love!_ Shout, both of you! I want to hear you shout His - praise!’ All this time, his medical attendant hoped he was in no - danger. He knew his disease to be the fever; but, as he had no bad - headache, slept much without the least delirium, and had an almost - regular pulse, the symptoms were thought to be favourable. - - “On Thursday, August 11, his speech began to fail; but to his friendly - doctor he would not be silent while he had any power to speak, often - saying, ‘O Sir, you take much thought for my body; give me leave to - take thought for your soul.’ When I could scarcely understand anything - he said, I spoke the words, ‘_God is love!_’ Instantly he caught them, - and broke out in a rapture, ‘God is _love, love, love_! O for the gust - of praise I want to sound!’ Here his voice again failed. If I named - his sufferings, he would smile, and make the sign. - - “On Friday, August 12, finding his body covered with spots, I so far - understood them as to feel a sword pierce through my soul. As I knelt - by his bed, with my hand in his, intreating the Lord to be with us in - this tremendous hour, he strove to say many things, but could not. At - length, pressing my hand, and often repeating the sign, he breathed - out, ‘Head of the Church, be head to my wife!’ Sally said to him, ‘My - dear master, do you know _me_?’ He replied, ‘Sally, God will put His - right hand under you.’ She added, ‘O my dear master, should you be - taken away, what a disconsolate creature will my poor mistress be!’ He - answered, ‘God will be her all in all.’ He had always delighted in the - lines— - - “‘Jesu’s blood, through earth and skies, - Mercy, free, boundless mercy cries.’ - - “When I repeated them to him, he cried, ‘_Boundless, boundless!_’ and - added, though with great difficulty— - - “‘Mercy’s _full_ power _I soon_ shall prove, - Lov’d with an everlasting love.’ - - “On the afternoon of Saturday, August 13, while a few Christian - friends were standing near his bed, he stretched out his hand to each - of them, and, to a minister, remarked, ‘Are you ready to assist - to-morrow?’ One asked, ‘Do you think the Lord will raise you up?’ He - strove to answer, ‘Raise in resur... raise in resur....’ To another, - who put the same question, he replied, ‘I leave it all to God.’ I - said, ‘My dear creature, I ask not for myself, but for the sake of - others. If Jesus is very present with thee, lift thy right hand.’ He - did so. I added, ‘If the prospect of glory opens before thee, repeat - the sign.’ He raised his hand again; and, in half a minute, a second - time. After this, his dear hands moved no more; but, on my asking, - ‘Art thou in much pain?’ he answered, ‘No.’ - - “From this time, he entered into a kind of sleep, though with his eyes - open and fixed. Twenty-four hours, my dearly beloved breathed like a - person in common sleep; and then, at thirty-five minutes past ten on - Sunday night, August 14, his precious soul entered into the joy of his - Lord, in the fifty-sixth year of his age. I was scarce a minute at a - time from him, night or day, during his illness, and I can truly say— - - “‘No cloud did arise, to darken the skies, - Or hide for one moment his Lord from his eyes.’ - - “And here I break off my mournful story. On my bleeding heart, his - fair picture of heavenly excellence will be for ever drawn. When I - call to mind his ardent zeal, his laborious endeavours to seek and - save the lost, his diligence in the employment of his time, his - Christlike condescension towards me, and his uninterrupted converse - with heaven, I may well be allowed to add, my loss is beyond the power - of words to paint. - - “On August 17, his dear remains were deposited in Madeley churchyard; - amid the tears and lamentations of thousands, who flocked about the - bier of their dead pastor. Between the house and the church, they sung - these verses:— - - “‘With heavenly weapons he hath fought - The battles of the Lord: - Finish’d his course, and kept the faith, - And gain’d the great reward. - - “‘God hath laid up in heaven for him - A crown which cannot fade; - The righteous Judge, at that great day, - Shall place it on his head.’ - - “The service was performed by the Rev. Mr. Hatton, Rector of - Waters-Upton, whom the Lord moved, in a pathetic manner, to speak to - the weeping flock. At my request, he read the following paper:—[639] - - “‘It was the desire of my beloved husband to be buried in this plain - manner, and, out of tenderness, he begged that I might not be present. - In all things I would obey him. - - “‘Permit me, by the mouth of a friend, to bear my testimony, to the - glory of God, that I never knew anyone walk so closely with God as he - did. The Lord gave him a conscience tender as the apple of an eye. He - literally preferred the interest of every one to his own. He shared - _his all_ with the poor, who lay so close his heart, that, when his - speech was so gone that he could utter nothing without difficulty, he - cried out, “_O my Poor!_ What will become of my Poor?” He was blessed - with so great a degree of humility as is scarcely to be found. I am - witness, how often he has taken real pleasure in being treated with - contempt. It seemed the very food of his soul, to be little and - unknown. When he said to me, “Thou wilt write a line or two to my - brother in Switzerland, if I die,” I replied, “My dear, dear love, I - will write him all the Lord’s dealings with thee.” “No, no,” said he, - “write nothing about me. I only desire to be forgotten. _God is all._” - - “‘His diligent visitation of the sick laid the foundation of the - spotted fever of which he died; and his vehement desire to take his - last leave of _you_, with dying lips and hands, gave (it is supposed) - the finishing stroke, by preparing his blood for putrefaction. Thus - did he live and die your servant. - - “‘He walked with death always in sight. About two months ago, he came - to me and said, “My dear love, I know not how it is, but I have a - strange impression death is very near us, as if it would be a sudden - stroke upon one of us; and it draws out my soul in prayer that we may - be ready.” He then broke out, “Lord, prepare the soul Thou wilt call; - and, O stand by the poor disconsolate one who shall be left behind!” - - “‘Three years, nine months, and two days, I have possessed my - _heavenly-minded husband_; but now the sun of my earthly joy is _set - for ever_.’” - -Footnote 637: - - No doubt to attend Wesley’s Conference, which began on July 26. - -Footnote 638: - - No doubt, one of Wesley’s preachers. - -Footnote 639: - - Mr. Hatton also preached a funeral sermon, founded on Hebrews xiii. 7. - -This is a very artless story; but it is not less valuable because of -that. Mrs. Fletcher sent a copy to Charles Wesley, together with the -following note:— - - “MADELEY, _August 24, 1785_. - - “DEAR SIR,—Enclosed you have an account of my feelings when I thought - myself dying, as did most about me. I prayed for strength to do - justice to my dearest, dearest love. I wrote it in one day, but could - not go over it a second time. Take it, then, as it flowed from my full - heart, without a second thought, and pray for your deeply distressed - friend. I cannot find your brother. I wrote to him at first, but have - got no answer.”[640] - -Footnote 640: - - Jackson’s “Life of C. Wesley,” vol. ii., p. 432. - -Wesley, in his eighty-third year, was in the west of England, travelling -and preaching with surprising energy. On the day of Fletcher’s death, he -preached twice at Salisbury; then hastened to Shaftesbury, Castle-Carey, -Shepton-Mallet, Taunton, Collumpton, Exeter, and Plymouth; then went -right through Cornwall; and, on September 3, got to Bristol, in the -neighbourhood of which city he spent a month. On October 3, he came to -London; then made what he calls “a little excursion” into Hertfordshire, -another into Oxfordshire, and a third into Norfolk. Here, at Norwich, on -October 24, he found time to write a sermon on the death of Fletcher, -which he delivered in London on November 6. The sermon was published -immediately, with the following address “To the reader” prefixed[641]:— - - “A consciousness of my own inability to describe, in a manner worthy - of the subject, such a person as Mr. Fletcher, was one great reason of - my not writing this sooner. I judged, only an _Apelles_ was proper to - paint an _Alexander_. But I, at length, submitted to importunity, and - hastily put together some memorials of this great man: intending, if - God permit, when I have more leisure and more materials, to write a - fuller account of his life. - - “JOHN WESLEY. - - “London, _November 9, 1785_.” - -Footnote 641: - - The title was, “A Sermon preached on the Occasion of the Death of the - Rev. Mr. John Fletcher, Vicar of Madeley, Shropshire. By John Wesley, - A.M.” 12mo. 32 pp. - -The concluding paragraph of Wesley’s sermon must be quoted:— - - “For many years, I despaired of finding any inhabitant of Great - Britain that could stand in any degree of comparison with Gregory - Lopez, or Monsieur de Renty. But let any impartial person judge, if - Mr. Fletcher was at all inferior to them? Did he not experience as - deep communion with God, and as high a measure of inward holiness, as - was experienced either by one or the other of those burning and - shining lights? And it is certain his outward holiness shone before - men, with full as bright a lustre as theirs. But if any should attempt - to draw a parallel between them, there are two circumstances that - deserve consideration. One is, we are not assured that the writers of - _their_ Lives did not extenuate, if not suppress, what was amiss in - them. And some things amiss we are assured there were, namely, many - touches of superstition, and some of idolatry, in worshipping Saints, - the Virgin Mary in particular. But I have not suppressed or extenuated - anything in Mr. Fletcher’s character. For indeed I knew nothing that - was amiss, nothing that needed to be extenuated, much less suppressed. - A second circumstance is, that the Writers of _their_ Lives could not - have so full a knowledge of them, as both Mrs. Fletcher and I had of - Mr. Fletcher, being both eye and ear-witnesses of his whole conduct. - Consequently, we know that his life was not sullied with any mixture - of either idolatry or superstition. I was intimately acquainted with - him for above thirty years. I conversed with him morning, noon, and - night, without the least reserve, during a journey of many hundred - miles. And, in all that time, I never heard him speak one improper - word, nor saw him do an improper action.—To conclude. Many exemplary - men have I known, holy in heart and life, within fourscore years. But - one equal to him I have not known: one so inwardly and outwardly - devoted to God. So unblameable a character in every respect, I have - not found either in Europe or America. And I scarce expect to find - another such, on this side eternity.” - -Human praise could not be higher than this; and yet even the _Monthly -Review_, which had so often and so unjustly denounced the Methodists, in -its notice of Wesley’s sermon, remarked:— - - “Mr. Fletcher was one of the most considerable among the Methodist - ministers of the Wesleyan division. We have long been acquainted with - his good character; and we firmly believe that the high encomiums here - passed on him were justly merited in their fullest extent.”[642] - -Footnote 642: - - _Monthly Review_, 1786, p. 79. - -Scores of other eulogies have been written, but only four shall be added -here, and these by persons who were well acquainted with the man of whom -they speak. - -The Rev. Joshua Gilpin’s elaborate biographical “Notes,” interspersed in -Fletcher’s “Portrait of St. Paul,” are too numerous and lengthened to be -introduced, but an extract from the last of them (the twenty-ninth) must -be given:— - - “On the day of Mr. Fletcher’s departure, as I was preparing to attend - my own church, which was at the distance of nine miles from Madeley, I - received a message from Mrs. Fletcher, requesting my immediate - attendance at the vicarage. I instantly followed the messenger, and - found Mr. Fletcher with every symptom of approaching dissolution upon - him. I had ever looked up to this man of God with an extraordinary - degree of affection and reverence; and, on this afflicting occasion, - my heart was uncommonly affected and depressed. It was now in vain to - recollect that public duty required my presence in another place. - Unfitted for every duty, except that of silently watching the bed of - death, I found it impossible to withdraw from the solemn scene. I had - received from this evangelical teacher, in days that were past, many - excellent precepts with respect to _holy living_; and now I desired to - receive from him the last important lesson with respect to _holy - dying_. And truly this concluding lesson was of inestimable worth, - since so much patience and resignation, so much peace and composure, - were scarcely ever discovered in the same circumstances before. - - “While their pastor was breathing out his soul into the hands of a - faithful Creator, his people were offering up their joint - supplications on his behalf in the house of God. Little, however, was - seen among them but affliction and tears.[643] The whole village wore - an air of consternation and sadness, and not one joyful song was heard - among its inhabitants. Hasty messengers were passing to and fro with - anxious enquiries and confused reports; and the members of every - family sat together in silence that day, awaiting, with trembling - expectation, the issue of every hour. After the conclusion of the - evening service, several of the poor, who came from distant parts, and - who were usually entertained under Mr. Fletcher’s roof, still lingered - about the house, and seemed unable to tear themselves away from the - place without a sight of their expiring pastor. Secretly informed of - their desire, I obtained them the permission they wished; and the door - of the chamber being set open, immediately before which Mr. Fletcher - was sitting upright in his bed, with the curtains undrawn, they slowly - moved, one by one, along the gallery, severally pausing as they passed - by the door, and casting in a look of mingled supplication and - anguish. It was, indeed, an affecting sight. - - “And now the hour speedily approached that was to put a solemn - termination to our hopes and fears. His weakness very perceptibly - increased, but his countenance continued unaltered to the last. Mrs. - Fletcher was kneeling by the side other departing husband, the medical - attendant sat at his head, while I sorrowfully waited near his feet. - Uncertain whether or not he was totally separated from us, we pressed - nearer; but his warfare was accomplished, and the happy spirit had - taken its everlasting flight.” - -Footnote 643: - - Another writer, who was present, relates that the congregation sang, - or tried to sing, the affecting hymn which was composed and used at - the time of Fletcher’s dangerous illness in 1776 (see pp. 362 and - 368). He further says, “I never was witness to a scene so impressive - and pathetic. Every breast felt, every countenance expressed, one - common sentiment. Tears, sobs, and suppressed groans showed how - sincerely the people esteemed their venerable pastor. When the hymn - was sung, there was a general burst of sorrow. Even those who had - spurned his instructions, deprecated his death as a public loss, and - expressed their grief with uncommon agitation.” (_Methodist Magazine_, - 1802, p. 572.) - -James Ireland, Esq., was one of Fletcher’s most loving and well-beloved -friends. In an unpublished letter, addressed to Mrs. Fletcher, and dated -“Brislington, November 6, 1785,” he says, Wesley had informed him he was -about to write the “Life of Fletcher,” and had asked him to supply -materials. In his reply, he had said, “I cannot assist _you_ to write -the life of my dear friend, though I have ever respected and honoured -you.” Mr. Ireland adds, that whatever information he can furnish he will -send to Mrs. Fletcher, and leave it to her to use as she thinks best. He -then proceeds:— - - “I have often felt that I would have divided my last shilling with Mr. - Fletcher. We were once for months together, day and night; and when we - parted, we both wept. Such a soul I never knew; such a great man, in - every sense of the word. He was too great to bear the name of any - sect. Mr. Townsend, with whom I lately parted, speaks of him as the - greatest man that has lived in this century, and begs his life may not - be penned in haste.” - -In another unpublished letter, also addressed to Mrs. Fletcher, and -dated “October 6, 1786,” Mr. Ireland wrote:— - - “I never saw Mr. Fletcher’s equal. On him great grace was bestowed. - What deadness to the world! What spiritual mindedness! What zeal for - souls! What communion with God! What intercourse with heaven! What - humility at the feet of Jesus! What moderation towards all men! What - love for the poor! In short, he possessed the mind which was in Christ - Jesus.” - -“The Rev. Henry Venn, after reading Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher,” wrote -as follows to Lady Mary Fitzgerald:— - - “Yelling, March 3, 1787. Mr. Fletcher’s _humility_ was so unfeigned - and so deep, that when I thanked him for two sermons he had one day - preached to my people at Huddersfield, he answered as no man ever did - to me. With eyes and hands uplifted, he exclaimed, ‘Pardon, pardon, - pardon, O my God!’ The words went to my very soul. Great grace was - upon this blessed servant of Christ. - - “_Love to man_ and bowels of mercies displayed in him a noble - imitation of his Incarnate God. He indeed thought a day lost, and - could find no rest in his soul, unless he was doing good to the bodies - and souls of men. - - “_Love to the Lord._—How did it govern and flourish in dear Mr. - Fletcher! His admirable consort tells us, he scarcely was awake in the - night a moment without lifting up his soul to God in holy aspirations. - - “I have seen Mr. Fletcher, for six weeks together, under a hectic - fever, sometimes spitting blood, when night after night he could rest - very little—_well pleased to suffer_—never complaining, never but - cheerful. Once, when I asked him how he did, ‘Oh!’ said he, ‘how light - is the chastisement I suffer! How heavy the strokes I deserve! I love - the rod of my heavenly Father!’ Like his Saviour, he could continue in - prayer, in the wood, all night long; and, like Him, lie prostrate on - the ground, pleading for grace to fulfil his ministry.”[644] - -Footnote 644: - - “Life of Rev. H. Venn,” pp. 578–584. - -Between Fletcher and Joseph Benson there was a most intimate and -confidential friendship. Benson, in a letter to Wesley, wrote:— - - “As to _drawing_ the character of that great and good man, Mr. - Fletcher, it is what I will not attempt. I have been looking over many - of his letters, and observe in them all, what I have a thousand times - observed in his conversation and behaviour, the plainest marks of - every Christian grace and virtue. - - “Perhaps, if he followed his Master more closely in one thing than - another, it was in _humility_. He was constantly upon his guard lest - any expression should drop, either from his lips or pen, which tended - to make anyone think well of him; either on account of his family, or - learning, or parts, or usefulness. He took as much pains to _conceal - his_ excellences, as others do to _show theirs_. - - “He was a man of a _serious spirit_, one that stood at the utmost - distance from levity of every kind. Though he was constantly cheerful, - as rejoicing in hope of his heavenly inheritance, yet he had too deep - a sense of his own wants, and the wants of the Church of God, as also - of the sins and miseries of mankind, to be at any time light or - trifling. - - “In _hungering and thirsting after righteousness_, he was peculiarly - worthy of our imitation. He never rested in anything he had either - experienced or done in spiritual matters. He was a true Christian - racer, always on the stretch for higher and better things. Though his - attainments, both in experience and usefulness, were far above the - common standard, yet the language of his conversation and behaviour - always was, ‘Not as though I had already attained, either were already - perfected; but I follow after, if by any means I may apprehend that - for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.’ He had his eye upon a - full conformity to the Son of God; or what the Apostle terms, ‘the - measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.’ Nor could he be - satisfied with anything less. - - “He was _meek_, like his Master, as well as _lowly in heart_. Not that - he was so by nature, but of a fiery, passionate spirit; insomuch that - he has frequently thrown himself on the floor, and lain there most of - the night bathed in tears, imploring victory over his own temper. And - he did obtain the victory, in a very eminent degree. For twenty years - and upwards before his death, no one ever saw him out of temper, or - heard him utter a rash expression, on any provocation whatever.[645] - And he did not want provocation, and that sometimes in a high degree; - especially from those whose religious sentiments he thought it his - duty to oppose. But none of these things moved him: no, not in the - least degree. The keenest word he used was, ‘What a world, what a - religious world we live in!’ I have often thought the testimony, that - Bishop Burnet bears of Archbishop Leighton, might be borne of him with - equal propriety: ‘After an intimate acquaintance of many years, and - after being with him by night and by day, at home and abroad, in - public and in private, on sundry occasions and in various affairs,—I - must say, I never heard an idle word drop from his lips, nor any - conversation which was not to the use of edifying. I never saw him in - any temper, in which I myself would not have wished to be found at - death.’ Any one, who has been intimately acquainted with Mr. Fletcher, - will say the same of him: and they who knew him best will say it with - the most assurance. - - “Hence arose his readiness to bear with the weaknesses, and forgive - the faults of others: which was the more remarkable, considering his - flaming zeal against sin, and his concern for the glory of God. Such - hatred to sin, and such love to the sinner, I never saw joined - together before. - - “He never mentioned the faults of an absent person, unless absolute - duty required it. And then he spoke with the utmost tenderness, - extenuating, rather than aggravating. None could draw his picture more - exactly than St. Paul has done, in the thirteenth chapter of the first - Epistle to the Corinthians. ‘He suffered long and was kind; he envied - not; acted not rashly; was not puffed up; did not behave himself - unseemly; sought not his own; was not easily provoked; he thought no - evil; rejoiced not in iniquity, but rejoiced in the truth; he covered - all things; believed all things; hoped all things; and endured all - things.’ It would be easy to enlarge on all these particulars, and - show how they were exemplified in him; but, waiving this, I would only - observe, that, with regard to two of them, _kindness_ to others, and - _not seeking his own_, he had few equals. - - “His _kindness_ to others was such, that he bestowed his all upon - them: his time, his talents, his substance. His knowledge, his - eloquence, his health, his money, were employed, day by day, for the - good of mankind. He prayed, he wrote, he preached, he visited the sick - and well, he conversed, he gave, he laboured, he suffered, winter and - summer, night and day: he endangered, nay, destroyed his health, and - in the end gave his life also for the profit of his neighbours, that - they might be saved from everlasting death. He denied himself even of - such food as was necessary for him, that he might have to give to them - that had none. And when he was constrained to change his manner of - living, still his diet was plain and simple. And so were his clothing - and furniture, that he might save all that was possible for his poor - neighbours. - - “He _sought not his own_ in any sense: not his own honour, but the - honour of God, in all he said or did. He sought not his own interest, - but the interest of his Lord, spreading knowledge, holiness, and - happiness, as far as he possibly could. He sought not his own - pleasure, but studied to ‘please all men, for their good to - edification;’ and to please Him that had called him to His kingdom and - glory. - - “But I do not attempt his full character. I will only add, ‘_He was - blameless and harmless, a son of God, without rebuke, in the midst of - a crooked and perverse generation: shining among them as a light in - the world._’” - -Footnote 645: - - Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher,” p. 173. - -Both Wesley and Benson insert this eulogium in their lives of Fletcher; -but Wesley adds:— - - “I think one talent wherewith God had endued Mr. Fletcher has not been - sufficiently noted yet. I mean his _courtesy_; in which there was not - the least touch either of art or affectation. It was pure and genuine, - and sweetly constrained him to behave to everyone (although - particularly to inferiors), in a manner not to be described: with so - inexpressible a mixture of humility, love, and respect. This directed - his words, the tone of his voice, his looks, his whole attitude, his - every motion. - - “‘Grace was in all his steps, heaven in his eye, - In all his gestures sanctity and love.’” - -The entry of Fletcher’s death, in the register of Madeley parish church, -is a brief obituary:— - - “Memorandum. - - “John Fletcher, Clerk, died on Sunday evening, August 14, 1785. He was - one of the most apostolic men of the age in which he lived. His - abilities were extraordinary, and his labours were unparalleled. He - was a burning and shining light; and as his life had been a common - blessing to the inhabitants of this parish, so the death of this great - man was lamented by them as a common and irreparable loss. - - “This little testimony was inserted by one who sincerely loved and - honoured him. - - “JOSHUA GILPIN, VICAR OF ROCKWARDINE.” - -The inscription on his tombstone was written by his widow, and is as -follows[646]:— - - “HERE LIES THE BODY OF - THE REV. JOHN WILLIAM DE LA FLECHERE, - VICAR OF MADELEY, - WHO WAS BORN AT NYON, IN SWITZERLAND, - SEPTEMBER THE 12TH, 1729, - AND FINISHED HIS COURSE, AUGUST THE 14TH, 1785, - IN THIS VILLAGE; - WHERE HIS UNEXAMPLED LABOURS - WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED. - - HE EXERCISED HIS MINISTRY FOR THE SPACE OF - TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, - IN THIS PARISH, - WITH UNCOMMON ZEAL AND ABILITY. - - MANY BELIEVED HIS REPORT, AND BECAME - HIS JOY AND CROWN OF REJOICING; - WHILE OTHERS CONSTRAINED HIM TO TAKE UP - THE LAMENTATION OF THE PROPHET, - - ‘ALL THE DAY LONG HAVE I STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS - UNTO A DISOBEDIENT AND GAINSAYING PEOPLE: - YET SURELY MY JUDGMENT IS WITH THE LORD, - AND MY WORK WITH MY GOD.’ - - --- - - “‘_He being dead, yet speaketh._’” - -Footnote 646: - - The inscription, given at the end of Wesley’s “Life of Fletcher,” is - slightly different. In an unpublished letter, to Mrs. Crosby, dated - August 16, 1788, Mrs. Fletcher wrote: “What was written on my dear’s - tomb was different from my directions, though done with a good design - to mend my language. I saw it not to be as good as my own, and had it - altered” (then follows the inscription). “Compare this with that in - Mr. Wesley’s ‘Life,’ and give Mr. Downes a copy of the right one. - Every one was much pleased with the change; and, indeed, I was never - at ease till it was done; but there were so many anxious to have it - right that they spoiled it.” - -Another monument of Fletcher must be mentioned, erected in Methodism’s -“Westminster Abbey”—the sacred old chapel in City Road, London. It is -placed on the right-hand side of the communion table, immediately under -a monument of Wesley. The sculpture at the top of it is a representation -of the Ark of the Covenant. At one side are volumes, inscribed with the -words, “Checks,” and “Portrait of St. Paul.” At the other side is an -expanded scroll, with the motto, “With the meekness of wisdom.” At the -bottom is a dove, hovering over pens and a roll of paper. The -inscription on the tablet, composed by the Rev. Richard Watson,[647] is -as follows:— - - “SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF - THE REV. JOHN WILLIAM DE LA FLECHERE, - VICAR OF MADELEY IN SHROPSHIRE; - BORN AT NYON, IN SWITZERLAND, THE XII. OF SEPTEMBER, - A.D. MDCCXXIX; DIED THE XIV. OF AUGUST, MDCCLXXXV. - - A MAN EMINENT FOR GENIUS, ELOQUENCE, AND THEOLOGICAL LEARNING; - STILL MORE DISTINGUISHED FOR SANCTITY OF MANNERS, AND THE VIRTUES OF - PRIMITIVE - CHRISTIANITY. - ADORNED WITH ‘WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE PURE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY,’ - AND BRINGING FORTH ‘THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT,’ IN SINGULAR RICHNESS AND - MATURITY. - THE MEASURE OF EVERY OTHER GRACE IN HIM WAS EXCEEDED BY HIS DEEP AND - UNAFFECTED - HUMILITY. - OF ENLARGED VIEWS AS TO THE MERIT OF THE ATONEMENT, - AND OF THOSE GRACIOUS RIGHTS WITH WHICH IT INVESTS ALL WHO BELIEVE, - HE HAD ‘BOLDNESS TO ENTER INTO THE HOLIEST BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS,’ - AND IN REVERENT AND TRANSPORTING CONTEMPLATIONS,—THE HABIT OF HIS DEVOUT - AND - HALLOWED SPIRIT,— - THERE DWELT AS BENEATH THE WINGS OF THE CHERUBIM, - BEHOLDING ‘THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST,’ AND WAS - ‘CHANGED INTO - THE SAME IMAGE;’ - TEACHING BY HIS OWN ATTAINMENTS, MORE THAN EVEN BY HIS WRITINGS, THE - FULNESS OF - EVANGELICAL PROMISES, - AND WITH WHAT INTIMACY OF COMMUNION MAN MAY WALK WITH GOD. - - HE WAS THE FRIEND AND COADJUTOR OF THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, - WHOSE APOSTOLIC VIEWS OF THE DOCTRINES OF GENERAL REDEMPTION, - JUSTIFICATION BY - FAITH, AND CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, HE SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED, - LEAVING TO FUTURE AGES AN ABLE EXPOSITION OF ‘THE TRUTH WHICH IS - ACCORDING TO - GODLINESS,’ - AND ERECTING AN IMPREGNABLE RAMPART AGAINST PHARISAIC AND ANTINOMIAN - ERROR, - IN A SERIES OF WORKS, DISTINGUISHED BY THE BEAUTY OF THEIR STYLE, BY - FORCE OF - ARGUMENT, - AND BY A GENTLE AND CATHOLIC SPIRIT; AFFORDING AN EDIFYING EXAMPLE OF - ‘SPEAKING - THE TRUTH IN LOVE,’ - IN A LONG AND ARDENT CONTROVERSY. - - FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, THE PARISH OF MADELEY WAS THE SCENE OF HIS - UNEXAMPLED - PASTORAL LABOURS; - AND HE WAS THERE INTERRED, AMIDST THE TEARS AND LAMENTATIONS OF - THOUSANDS, - THE TESTIMONY OF THEIR HEARTS TO HIS EXALTED PIETY, AND TO HIS UNWEARIED - EXERTIONS - FOR THEIR SALVATION: - BUT HIS MEMORY TRIUMPHED OVER DEATH; - AND HIS SAINTLY EXAMPLE EXERTS INCREASING INFLUENCE IN THE CHURCHES OF - CHRIST, - THROUGH THE STUDY OF HIS WRITINGS, AND THE PUBLICATION OF HIS BIOGRAPHY. - - IN TOKEN OF THEIR VENERATION FOR HIS CHARACTER, - AND IN GRATITUDE FOR THE SERVICES RENDERED BY HIM TO THE CAUSE OF TRUTH, - THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY THE TRUSTEES OF THIS CHAPEL, A.D. - MDCCCXXII.” - -Footnote 647: - - Jackson’s “Centenary of Methodism,” p. 186. - -No wonder that Wesley desired and requested Fletcher to be his -successor; and no wonder that, while among his numerous publications -there is only _one biography written by himself_, that conspicuous -exception is “A Short Account of the Life and Death of the Rev. John -Fletcher.“ - -Fletcher was distinguished for his genius; his learning; and his -biblical and theological knowledge; but let all Methodists, throughout -the world and as long as Methodism lasts, remember, in all their -church-meetings and church-appointments, that “Wesley’s Designated -Successor” was _pre-eminently_,—“A GOOD MAN, AND FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST -AND OF FAITH.” - - - THE END - - - - - - Hazell, Watson, and Viney, Printers, London and Aylesbury. - - - INDEX. - - - NAMES OF PERSONS AND PLACES. - - Aberford, 119 - - Abergavenny, 184 - - Agutter, Rev. William, 144, 145 - - Appian Way, 162 - - Appleton, Mr., 22 - - Asbury, Francis, 3 - - Ashworth, Dr., 532 - - Atcham, 21, 22, 29, 31 - - Atlay, John, 340, 433, 545, 546 - - Atmore, Charles, 542, 545 - - Baratier, M., 145 - - Bardsley, Samuel, 548 - - Barnard, Mary, 74 - - Barry, James, 424 - - Bath, 102, 121, 172, 393, 420 - - Batley, 494, 496, 497 - - Bayley, Rev. Cornelius, 461, 462, 508, 542 - - Beaumont, John, 543 - - Beaumont, Dr. Joseph, 543 - - Bell, George, 84, 85, 90 - - Benson, Joseph, 3, 39, 157, 159, 166, 167, 175–177, 179, 182, 183, 209, - 216, 220, 254, 255, 310, 326, 348, 355–358, 367, 370, 395, 462, 532, - 533, 543, 546, 570–572 - - Bentley, Rev. Mr., 119 - - Berkeley, Dr., 534 - - Berridge, Rev. John, 51–53, 62, 172, 283–285, 294, 298, 307, 330, 334, - 345, 371, 387 - - Berwick, 111, 154 - - Birches, The, 274 - - Birstal, 487, 517 - - Boothby, William, 442 - - Bosanquet, Miss, 15, 28, 93, 126, 400, 401, 410, 448, 463, 467, - 479–497, 499, 529 - - Bosanquet, Claudius, Esq., 488, 492 - - Bosanquet, S., Esq., 479, 488, 490–492 - - Bosanquet, S. R., Esq., 475 - - Bosanquet, William, Esq., 492, 494, 556 - - Bourignon, Madam, 463 - - Bouverot, Rev. Mr., 531 - - Bradburn, Samuel, 266–268, 494 - - Bradford, 493, 494, 501 - - Bradford, Joseph, 327 - - Brammah, Mrs., 471 - - Brecknock, 181 - - Breedon, 100, 152 - - Brighton, 51, 111, 120 - - Brisco, Thomas, 487 - - Bristol, 31, 33, 34, 102, 131, 144, 158, 172, 180, 238, 242, 255, 330, - 357, 388, 394–397, 519 - - Bristol, Earl of, 401 - - Brooke, Robert, 506, 507 - - Brooke, Henry, 506, 507, 520, 521, 538, 552 - - Broseley, 363, 405, 430 - - Brown, Rev. Mr., 103, 107, 118, 331 - - Buchan, Earl of, 123, 275 - - Burchell, Mr., 10 - - Burnet, Rev. Mr., 119 - - Burslem, 548 - - Cartwright, Rev. Mr., 21 - - Cartwright, Molly, 442, 445, 446 - - Chambers, Rev. Mr., 47, 55 - - Chateau d’Oex, 426, 427 - - Cheek, Rev. Moseley, 515 - - Cheshunt College, 137 - - Chester, 267, 415, 429 - - Childs, Elizabeth, 272 - - Clarke, Dr. Adam, 268, 396, 548 - - Clarke, Mary, 33 - - Coalbrook Dale, 63, 64, 99, 363, 392, 430, 445, 527 - - Coke, Rev. Dr., 331–333, 433, 463, 466, 518, 530, 531, 542, 544 - - Coles, Elisha, 155 - - Conyers, Rev. Dr., 119, 417 - - Costerdine, Robert, 429 - - Cound, Mrs., 405, 430 - - Cownley, Joseph, 90, 358 - - Creighton, Rev. James, 544 - - Crisp, Rev. Dr., 194, 202, 214 - - Crosby, Sarah, 28, 33, 400, 467, 473, 475, 479, 480, 495, 573 - - Crosse, Rev. John, 461, 493 - - Cross Hall, 467, 486, 489, 494, 495, 502 - - Crowther, Jonathan, 82, 523 - - Dartmouth, Earl of, 353 - - Daventry, 532 - - Davies, Rev. Howell, 149–151 - - Dawley, 429, 503 - - De Bons, Mr., 489 - - De Champs, Mr., 11, 488 - - De Courcy, Rev. Mr., 472 - - Deighton, Rev. John, 497 - - De Luc, Mr., 511 - - Deptford, 418 - - Dewsbury, 433 - - Dickenson, Rev. Peard, 554 - - Dillon, Rev. Mr., 543 - - Dixon, Dr. James, 396 - - Dort, Synod of, 155 - - Downes, John, 90 - - Downs, Mr., 44 - - Downs, John, 44 - - Dublin, 221, 506, 508, 517–522, 530 - - Dunham, 54 - - Easterbrook, Rev. Joseph, 131–134, 144 - - Eddowes, Mr., 288 - - Edmondson, Jonathan, 152 - - Edmunds, Daniel, 403 - - Edmunds, Winifred, 558 - - Edwards, Richard, 14, 23, 31 - - Eells, William, 545, 546 - - Elliott, Sir John, 388 - - Elwall, Edward, 218, 219 - - Erskine, Lady Anne, 117, 120, 137, 149, 171, 174 - - Evans, Caleb, 334, 347–353, 357, 358 - - Everton, 51, 371 - - Fennel, John, 550 - - Ferrars, Earl of, 50 - - Fitzgerald, Lady Mary, 401, 473, 474, 501, 509, 540, 552, 558, 569 - - Fletcher, Henry, 11, 14, 18, 498, 559 - - Fletcher, Mrs., 502–504, 508, 512, 517–519, 521, 522, 539, 550, 553, - 556, 558–565, 568, 569, 573 - - Fothergill, Dr., 390 - - Fox, Mr., 370 - - Furley, Miss, 44, 46 - - Garforth, Thomas, 498 - - Geneva, 7, 445, 454 - - Genoa, 160 - - Gilbert, Nathaniel, Esq., 36, 513 - - Gilbert, Rev. Nathaniel, 513, 514 - - Gildersome, 480 - - Gilpin, Rev. Joshua, 81, 160, 445, 455, 512, 515, 520, 567, 572 - - Glascott, Rev. Cradock, 120, 121, 135, 136, 154, 189 - - Glazebrook, Rev. James, 122, 124 - - Glenorchy, Lady, 174, 175 - - Glossop, 389 - - Glynne, Mrs., 22, 518 - - Gold, Mrs., 476 - - Good, Mr., 370 - - Gorham, Mr., 371, 372, 466 - - Greaves, Rev. Alexander B., 365, 366, 368, 384, 388, 389, 404, 414, - 423, 431, 436, 438, 440, 445, 460, 461 - - Green, Rev. Mr., 14 - - Greenwood, Charles, 372, 373, 382, 390, 392, 409, 432, 433, 460, 516, - 541 - - Greenwood, James, 372 - - Grimshaw, Rev. William, 97, 119, 384 - - Halifax, 494 - - Hampson, John, senior, 545, 546 - - Hampson, John, junior, 545, 546 - - Hanby, Thomas, 3, 542 - - Hare, Mr., 370 - - Harris, Howell, 148–151, 171, 182–184 - - Harwich, 141 - - Hatfield, 10 - - Hatherleigh, 121 - - Hatton, Miss, 90, 91, 95, 106–108, 111, 115 - - Hatton, Rev. Mr., 80, 513, 564, 565 - - Hatton, Samuel, 90, 91, 188, 429 - - Haughton, Mr., 78 - - Haworth, 119 - - Hay, 182 - - Helmsley, 418 - - Henderson, John, 144–148 - - Henderson, Richard, 145–147, 149 - - Hereford, Bishop of, 58, 389 - - Hern, Jonathan, 442 - - Hervey, Rev. James, 345 - - Hicks, Rev. Mr., 52 - - Hill, Noel, Esq., 489 - - Hill, Sir Richard, 40, 111, 120, 154, 189, 215, 219, 223–237, 241, 244, - 248–252, 279–282, 285–295, 299, 303, 307, 311–313, 316–320, 322, - 330, 334, 335 - - Hill, Rev. Rowland, 178, 186, 237, 241, 244, 245, 248, 287, 330, 334, - 385, 387, 472 - - Hill, Thomas, Esq., 11, 14, 22, 25, 29, 32, 35, 37, 41, 47, 54, 55, 58, - 64, 488, 489 - - Hodson, John, 98 - - Holy, Thomas, 471 - - Hopper, Christopher, 3 - - Horne, Rev. Melville, 88, 126, 513–516, 555 - - Hotham, Sir Charles, 111 - - Hotham, Lady Gertrude, 49 - - Hoxton Square, 476 - - Huddersfield, 119, 121 - - Hull, 370 - - Hurrel, Miss, 400 - - Huntingdon, Countess of, 31, 32, 37, 44, 48–52, 56, 57, 59, 62, 64, - 102, 111, 116–122, 125, 131, 134, 136, 137, 143, 149, 151, 155, 157, - 164, 171, 172, 174, 175, 178–190, 192, 197, 209, 264, 299–302, 305, - 310, 345, 357, 387, 393, 501 - - Ingham, Rev. Benjamin, 119 - - Ireland, James, Esq., 103, 104, 109, 115, 118, 120, 121, 137, 138, 140, - 155, 156, 158, 160–162, 171, 189, 191, 192, 194, 197, 269, 299, 301, - 348, 355, 365, 366, 378, 387, 388, 392, 393, 399, 407, 409, 410, - 416–421, 424, 427, 436, 440, 444, 445, 447, 450, 460, 472, 549, 557, - 569 - - Ireland, Miss, 107, 108, 138, 139 - - Jackson, Daniel, 519 - - Jackson, Thomas, 332 - - Janes, Thomas, 242, 243 - - Jobson, Dr., 505 - - Johnson, Ann, 474 - - Johnson, Dr., 146, 347 - - Jones, Rev. John, 141–144 - - Jones, Sir William, 146 - - Keen, Mr., 117, 137 - - Kinaston, Mr., 489 - - Kingswood, 31, 64, 131, 144, 147, 152, 157, 462 - - Kippax, 118–120 - - Knipe, Mrs., 418 - - Knowles, Dr., 420 - - Kruse, Mrs., 39 - - Kruse, Peter, 39 - - Lausanne, 435, 439, 440, 443, 447, 489 - - Lawrence, Sarah, 477, 518, 563 - - Ledsham, 153 - - Lee, Mr., 111 - - Lee, Thomas, 545 - - Leeds, 121, 465–470, 477, 481, 532, 541, 545–549 - - Lefevre, Mrs., 475 - - Lentzburg, 7 - - Lewen, Miss, 478, 479 - - Ley, Rev. William, 85 - - Leytonstone, 475, 476, 479, 489, 491 - - Liverpool, Lord, 401 - - Llanbister, 395 - - Llangollen, 518 - - Lloyd, Rev. David, 395 - - Lloyd, John, 171, 188 - - London, 11, 36–39, 41, 47, 49, 50, 84, 111, 114, 180, 242, 447, 573 - - Lowestoft, 369 - - Loxdale, Miss Ann, 462–464, 468 - - Ludlow, 78 - - Lyons, 447 - - Macon, 416, 417, 419 - - Madan, Rev. Martin, 52, 79, 119, 134, 215, 246, 324, 361 - - Madeley, 47, 55, 57–62, 76, 89, 93, 158, 191, 255, 258, 369, 373, 382, - 389, 405, 415, 423, 429, 430, 450, 460, 489, 492, 502, 505, 526, - 527, 530, 539, 551 - - Madeley Wood, 63, 64, 74, 76, 79, 83, 118, 255, 388, 403, 429, 430, - 438, 526, 527, 547 - - Maidenhead, 152 - - Manchester, 461 - - Marseilles, 160, 416, 448 - - Mather, Alexander, 3, 99, 209 - - Matthews, Mary, 74, 76, 77 - - Maxfield, Rev. Thomas, 33, 39, 84, 85, 90, 91, 144, 180, 181 - - Maxwell, Lady, 220 - - Medhurst, Mrs., 119, 120 - - Minethorpe, William, 99 - - Montpelier, 155, 410, 414, 416, 447, 461 - - Moore, Henry, 412, 519, 542, 543 - - More, Miss Hannah, 146 - - Morris, James, 347 - - Murlin, John, 415, 477, 479 - - Nelson, John, 3, 517 - - Newcastle-on-Tyne, 356 - - Newton, Rev. John, 283 - - North, Lord, 437, 438 - - Norwich, 369 - - Nowell, Rev. Dr., 154, 206, 232 - - Nyon, 4, 7, 9, 156, 162, 415, 421, 424–427, 431, 434–436, 439, 443–446, - 453, 455, 464, 488, 498 - - Oathall, 111, 112, 117 - - Olivers, Thomas, 3, 190, 208, 209, 232, 290, 335, 337, 339 - - Onions, Michael, 363, 385, 392, 432, 445, 446 - - Orton, Miss, 117, 171 - - Otley, 541 - - Owen, Rev. Mr., 189 - - Owen, John, 445, 446 - - Palmer, Robert, 388 - - Pawson, John, 3, 153, 242 - - Peckwell, Rev. Dr., 385, 387 - - Perronet, Charles, 252, 364, 365, 390 - - Perronet, Miss Damaris, 385, 389, 390, 407, 473 - - Perronet, Edward, 285 - - Perronet, Henry, 97 - - Perronet, Rev. Vincent, 364, 365, 385, 390, 407, 419, 430, 432, 447, - 499, 500, 554, 556 - - Perronet, William, 389, 399, 415, 419, 425–428, 431–435, 439, 440, 444, - 447, 499, 500 - - Pescod, Joseph, 466 - - Pewsey, 119 - - Pilmoor, Joseph, 3, 543, 545, 546 - - Pine, William, 191, 192, 349 - - Pool, John, 545 - - Power, Mr., 420 - - Powley, Rev. Mr., 119 - - Powys, Thomas, Esq., 111, 115, 189, 215 - - Preston, Mr., 370 - - Price, Dr., 219, 334, 350–353, 357, 358, 387 - - Price, Owen, 38 - - Priestley, Dr., 531–537 - - Pritchard, John, 545 - - Prothero, Rev. Mr., 65 - - Ramsden, Mr., 370 - - Rankin, Thomas, 3, 447, 464 - - Reader, Thomas, 320 - - Reading, 407 - - Richardson, Rev. Mr., 119 - - Ritchie, Miss, 400, 541 - - Roberts, John, 274 - - Rock Church, 76, 79 - - Rogers, Hester Ann, 467–471, 473, 485 - - Rogers, James, 397, 467 - - Romaine, Rev. William, 111, 122, 154, 174, 345, 472 - - Rome, 410 - - Roquet, Rev. James, 242, 243, 355, 366 - - Rowlands, Rev. Daniel, 148, 149, 151, 171, 172 - - Rutherford, Thomas, 3, 519 - - Ryan, Sarah, 28, 33, 35, 43, 46, 475–477, 480 - - Ryland, Rev. Mr., 119 - - Scott, Captain, 116–118, 120 - - Sellon, Rev. Walter, 101, 151, 187, 206–208, 219, 232, 252, 292 - - Serle, Ambrose, 294 - - Shadford, George, 3 - - Sheffield, 467, 471 - - Sherlock, Bishop, 32, 534 - - Shirley, Lady Frances, 49 - - Shirley, Rev. Walter, 50, 149–151, 171, 172, 174, 177, 179, 183, 185, - 188–197, 201–204, 207, 209–215, 220–223, 229, 238, 239, 334, 345, - 378, 385, 387 - - Shoreham, 385, 407 - - Shrewsbury, 22, 29, 31, 34, 97, 120, 136, 191, 288, 430, 518 - - Simeon, Rev. Charles, 551, 552 - - Simpson, Mr., 370 - - Simpson, Rev. David, 168, 543 - - Smisby, 152 - - Smith, William, 467, 497 - - Smyth, Mrs., 518, 519, 539 - - Smyth, William, 518, 520, 522 - - South Mimms, 10 - - Southey, Robert, 329 - - St. Albans, 14 - - St. Neots, 371, 372, 466 - - Stevenson, G. J., 209, 549 - - Stillingfleet, Rev. Edward, 133, 394 - - Stoke Newington, 372, 373, 382, 391, 403, 408, 409, 484, 552 - - Story, George, 3 - - Swedenborg, Baron, 531 - - Taunton, 320, 357 - - Tavan, Mr., 489 - - Taylor, Isaac, 329 - - Taylor, Richard, 479–482, 498 - - Taylor, Thomas, 3, 395, 542 - - Terry, Mr., 370 - - Thompson, William, 3 - - Thornton, Mrs., 402, 433, 516, 552 - - Thornton, John, Esq., 283, 284, 378, 388, 418 - - Toplady, Rev. Augustus, 154, 203, 206, 208, 232, 284, 294, 312, 324, - 334–347, 451 - - Townsend, Rev. Joseph, 119, 132 - - Tranter, William, 503 - - Trevecca College, 116, 117, 121, 131, 134–137, 141, 144, 145, 148–151, - 157, 158, 164, 171, 175–186, 209, 559 - - Tripp, Ann, 28, 477, 497 - - Tunbridge, 31, 32 - - Turner, Dr., 387 - - Valton, John, 496, 498, 516 - - Vaughan, Mr., 22, 29, 42, 268, 269, 353, 358 - - Venn, Rev. Henry, 52, 111, 119, 122, 133, 171, 172, 174, 371, 393, 394, - 529, 569 - - Voltaire, 416, 452, 457 - - Walsh, Father, 215 - - Walsh, Thomas, 28, 30, 37, 38 - - Wandsworth, 36 - - Wase, William, 384, 388, 405, 429, 438, 442, 444 - - Washington, General George, 347 - - Watson, Richard, 574 - - Wellington, 99 - - Wem, 90, 95, 107, 177 - - Wenlock, 79 - - Wesley, Rev. Charles, 31, 32, 35–38, 41, 42, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50, 51, - 55, 57, 62–64, 66, 76, 78–80, 84, 89–91, 96, 97, 129, 132, 141, 142, - 152, 172, 180, 222, 285, 310, 327, 328, 346, 359–362, 367, 402, 433, - 484, 511, 544, 556, 557, 565 - - Wesley, Rev. John, 1–3, 9, 16, 20, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 36, 50, - 57, 59, 67, 82, 84, 90, 91, 96, 122, 129, 132–134, 136, 141, 148, - 150–154, 157, 169, 173–177, 180–209, 220, 222, 224, 225, 231, 232, - 234–238, 241–243, 256, 263–266, 270, 280–282, 285–289, 298, 304, - 307, 310, 321, 322, 324–329, 335, 336, 339–349, 351–358, 369, 370, - 372, 373, 380, 384, 392, 394, 395, 402, 408, 410, 411, 430, 433, - 451, 460, 463, 465, 477, 484, 485, 497, 502, 508, 532, 533, 541–549, - 551, 558, 566, 570, 572, 575 - - West Bromwich, 366 - - Whatcoat, Richard, 3 - - Whitefield, Rev. George, 31, 67, 114–116, 119, 121, 134–136, 148, 173, - 174, 180, 186, 187, 204, 265, 345 - - Whitehead, Dr. John, 264, 265 - - Wilberforce, William, Esq., 146 - - Wilcocks, Samuel, 274 - - Wilkes, John, 270–273 - - Wilkes, Sarah, 272 - - Williams, Rev. Peter, 149, 150, 171, 172 - - Williams, Rev. William, 148-150, 171, 172 - - Wood, Enoch, 548 - - Wroxeter, 29 - - Yates, Mr., 523 - - Yelling, 371 - - York, 120, 370 - - York, Thomas, 403, 405, 424, 434, 438, 441 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note - -The footnotes references in the text were erratic, frequently -misaligning with the notes on each page, or missing altogether. The -latter’s placement in the text is done here on a best-guess basis. - -Footnotes have been re-sequenced numerically to be unique across the -entire text. - -The third full paragraph on p. 246 has a confusion of quotation near its -end. It is unclear, by the context, where the last nested quotation -should end, and so the confusion remains. - -A similar confusion appears at the top of p. 296. A closing single quote -appears at “we are for ever justified by _Christ alone_,[’]”. Either it -is itself spurious, or the opening of that nested quotation is missing. - -Near the bottom of p. 467, an extra space precedes the words ‘here -given’ at the beginning of a line. The lengthy quotation that follows is -assumed to be the description referenced, and the extra space has been -removed. - -In the Index, the entries for Bouverot and Downes have been placed in -their proper alphabetic order. - -Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and -are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original. - - xiv.36 “_Driving_ Methodism and _Still_ Mysticism[”] Added. - 19.34 I endeavoured to conc[ ea/eal] Replaced. - 40.5 a distinguished and ancient family[.] Added. - 41.1 [“]After my conversation Added. - 41.39 [‘/“]I am here Replaced. - 42.9 and ask, ‘Where are our hearts now?[’]” Inserted. - 67.28 [“]He is our Creator Added. - 90.27 the ancient town of We[nn/m] Replaced. - 98.40 [“]‘Our life is a dream! Added. - 105.22 Opposition gradually died[.] Added. - 149.2 Howell Davies, rector of Prend[er]gast Inserted. - 151.11 [“]‘Captain of Thine enlisted host, Removed. - 155.9 [“]The Lord give you patience Added. - 158.35 so [pu]blicly pledged Restored. - 179.38 under the name of ‘Perfection.[’] Added. - 193.29 to the Hon[.] and Rev. Author Added. - 201.22 [“]One difficulty remains Added. - 224.6 and second[l]y Inserted. - 225.46 and mother Church[’/”] Replaced. - 245.37 so plentifully heaped upon my head?[’] Added. - 248.27 This d[r]eadful _sanbenito_ Inserted. - 254.2 [“]APPEAL TO MATTER OF FACT Added. - 287.15 quotations from Mr. Wesley’s ‘Minutes,[”/’] Replaced. - 307.33 their [inamissable] title _sic_ - 320.23 and a Death Purgatory,[”] Added. - 325.8 _good wo[r]ks_ Inserted. - 340.24 [“]‘Come, buy my fine powders; come buy dem of Removed. - me; - 354.20 two shillings a week.[’]” Inserted. - 377.19 His wife,[’] the church of the first-born, Removed. - 387.39 [“]They met and parted Added.” - 417.13 is the decen[t] covering Restored. - 423.38 [‘/“]We are all called Replaced. - 464.3 “MADELEY, _Ju[u/n]e 24, 1781_. Inverted. - 464.33 and affectionate Son in the Gospel[./,] Replaced. - 469.10 and is [ ]here given almost without Removed. - abridgment. - 476.20 the tranquillity of my spirit.[”] Added. - 478.43 concerning Sister Bosanquet having £2,000.[”] Added. - 482.7 sold for half it[s] value Added. - 484.35 “A few weeks ag[s/o], I once more read Replaced. - 496.18 O my God! Pray for me, O my friends![’] Added. - 522.25 drink the cup of humility at your feet[.] Added. - 525.23 horses use[s/d] by smugglers Replaced. - 543.8 I shall not be moved[”] Added. - 545.37 To the [ /l]atter, he exclaimed Restored. - 546.13 Joseph Pillmoor, John Atlay, and William Inserted. - Ee[l]ls - 577.29 B[a/u]rnet, Rev. Mr., 119 Replaced. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WESLEY'S DESIGNATED SUCCESSOR *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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