My Lord, I do by no means despise learning: I know the value of it too well. But what is this, particularly in a Christian Minister, compared to piety? What is it in a man that has no religion? "As a jewel in a swine's

snout."

Some time since, I recommended to your Lordship a plain man, whom I had known above twenty years, as a person of deep, genuine piety, and of unblamable conversation. But he neither understood Greek nor Latin; and he affirmed, in so many words, that he believed it was his duty to preach, whether he was ordained or no. I believe so too. What became of him since, I know not: but I suppose he received Presbyterian ordination; and I cannot blame him, if he did. He might think any ordination better than none.

I do not know that Mr. Hoskins had any favour to ask of the Society. He asked the favour of your Lordship to ordain him, that he might minister to a little flock in America. But your Lordship did not see good to ordain him: but your Lordship did see good to ordain, and send into America, other persons, who knew something of Greek and Latin; but who knew no more of saving souls, than of catching whales.

In this respect also, I mourn for poor America; for the sheep scattered up and down therein. Part of them have no shepherds at all, particularly in the northern colonies; and the case of the rest is little better, for their own shepherds pity them not. They cannot; for they have no pity on themselves. They take no thought or care about their own souls.

Wishing your Lordship every blessing from the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls,

I remain, my Lord,

Your Lordship's dutiful son and servant.

DCCCLXXXIX.-To the Bishop of ·

MY LORD,

I AM a dying man, having already one foot in the grave. Humanly speaking, I cannot long creep upon the earth, being now nearer ninety than eighty years of age. But I cannot die in peace, before I have discharged this office of Christian love to your Lordship. I write without ceremony, as neither hoping nor fearing anything from your

Lordship, or from any man living. And I ask, in the name and in the presence of Him to whom both you and I are shortly to give an account, why do you trouble those that are quiet in the land? those that fear God and work righteousness? Does your Lordship know what the Methodists are? that many thousands of them are zealous members of the Church of England, and strongly attached, not only to His Majesty, but to his present Ministry? Why should your Lordship, setting religion out of the question, throw away such a body of respectable friends? Is it for their religious sentiments? Alas, my Lord! is this a time to persecute any man for conscience' sake? I beseech you, my Lord, do as you would be done to. You are a man of sense; you are a man of learning; nay, I verily believe, (what is of infinitely more value,) you are a man of piety. Then think, and let think. I pray God to bless you with the choicest of his blessings.

MY LORD,

I am, my Lord, &c.

DCCCXC.-To the Bishop of

HULL, June 26, 1790. Ir may seem strange, that one who is not acquainted with your Lordship, should trouble you with a letter. But I am constrained to do it: I believe it is my duty both to God and your Lordship. And I must speak plain; having nothing to hope or fear in this world, which I am on the point of leaving.

Per

The Methodists, in general, my Lord, are members of the Church of England. They hold all her doctrines, attend her service, and partake of her sacraments. They do not willingly do harm to any one, but do what good they can to all. To encourage each other herein, they frequently spend an hour together in prayer and mutual exhortation. mit me then to ask, Cui bono? "For what reasonable end' would your Lordship drive these people out of the Church? Are they not as quiet, as inoffensive, nay, as pious, as any of their neighbours? except perhaps here and there a hairbrained man, who knows not what he is about. Do you ask, "Who drives them out of the Church?" Your Lordship does; and that in the most cruel manner; yea, and the most disingenuous manner. They desire a license to worship God after their own conscience. Your Lordship refuses it; and then punishes them for not having a license! So your Lordship leaves them only this alternative, "Leave

the Church, or starve." And is it a Christian, yea, a Protestant Bishop, that so persecutes his own flock? I say, persecutes; for it is persecution to all intents and purposes. You do not burn them indeed, but you starve them. And how small is the difference! And your Lordship does this under colour of a vile, execrable law, not a whit better than that de hæretico comburendo.* So persecution, which is banished out of France, is again countenanced in England!

O my Lord, for God's sake, for Christ's sake, for pity's sake, suffer the poor people to enjoy their religious, as well as civil, liberty! I am on the brink of eternity! Perhaps so is your Lordship too! How soon may you also be called to give an account of your stewardship, to the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls! May He enable both you and me to do it with joy! So prays,

My Lord,

Your Lordship's dutiful son and servant.

MY LORD,

66

DCCCXCI.-To the Bishop of

SEVERAL years ago, the Churchwardens of St. Bartholomew's informed Dr. Gibson, then Lord Bishop of London, My Lord, Mr. Bateman, our Rector, invites Mr. Wesley very frequently to preach in his church." The Bishop replied, "And what would you have me do? I have no right to hinder him. Mr. Wesley is a Clergyman, regularly ordained, and under no ecclesiastical censure." I am, my Lord,

Your Lordship's obedient servant.

DCCCXCII.-To Sir Harry Trelawney.

FOR a long time I have had a desire to see you, but could not find an opportunity: and indeed I had reason to believe my company would not be agreeable; as you were intimate with those who think they do God service by painting me in the most frightful colours. It gives me much satisfaction to find that you have escaped out of the hands of those warm men. It is not at all surprising that they should speak a little unkindly of you too in their turn.

"Concerning the burning of heretics."-EDIг.

It gave me no small satisfaction to learn, from your own lips, the falsehood of their allegation. I believed it false before, but could not affirm it so positively as I can now.

Indeed, it would not have been without precedent, if from one extreme you had run into another. This was the case with that great man, Dr. Taylor, of Norwich. For some years he was an earnest Calvinist; but afterwards, judging he could not get far enough from that melancholy system, he ran, not only into Arianism, but into the very dregs of Socinianism. I have reason, indeed, to believe he was convinced of his mistake some years before he died. But to acknowledge this publicly was too hard a task for one who had lived above eighty years.

You have need to be thankful on another account likewise; that is, that your prejudices against the Church of England are removing. Having had an opportunity of seeing several of the Churches abroad, and having deeply considered the several sorts of Dissenters at home, I am fully convinced that our own Church, with all her blemishes, is nearer the scriptural plan than any other in Europe.

I sincerely wish you may retain your former zeal for God; only, that it may be a "zeal according to knowledge." But there certainly will be a danger of your sinking into a careless, lukewarm state, without any zeal or spirit at all. As you were surfeited with an irrational, unscriptural religion, you may easily slide into no religion at all; or into a dead form, that will never make you happy, either in this world, or in that which is to come. Wishing every scriptural blessing, both to Lady Trelawney and you,

I am, dear Sir,

Your affectionate servant.

DCCCXCIII.-To Mr.

You give five reasons why the Rev. Mr. P. will come no more amongst us: 1. Because we despise the Ministers of the Church of England.-This I flatly deny. I am answering letters, this very post, which bitterly blame me for just the contrary. 2. Because so much backbiting and evil-speaking is suffered amongst our people. It is not suffered all possible means are used, both to prevent and remove it. 3. Because I, who have written so much against hoarding up money, have put out seven hundred pounds to interest.-I never put sixpence out to interest since I

was born; nor had I ever one hundred pounds together, my own, since I came into the world. 4. Because our lay-Preachers have told many stories of my brother and me. If they did, I am sorry for them: when I hear the particulars, I can answer, and, perhaps, make those ashamed who believed them. 5. Because we did not help a friend in distress.-We did help him as far as we were able.— But we might have made his case known to Mr. G., Lady H., &c.-So we did, more than once; but we could not pull money from them, whether they would or no. Therefore, these reasons are of no weight. You conclude with praying that God would remove pride and malice from amongst us. Of pride, I have too much; of malice, I have none: however, the prayer is good, and I thank you for it.

DCCCXCIV.-To Mr.

SOME time since I was considering what you said, concerning the want of a plan in our societies. There is a good deal of truth in this remark. For though we have a plan, as to our spiritual economy, (the several branches of which are particularly recited in the "Plain Account of the People called Methodists,") yet it is certain, we have barely the first outlines of a plan with regard to our temporal concerns. The reason is, I had no design for several years to concern myself with temporals at all; and when I began to do this, it was wholly and solely with a view to relieve, not employ, the poor; except now and then, with respect to a small number; and even this I found was too great a burden for me, as requiring more money, more time, and more thought, than I could possibly spare. I say "than I could possibly spare; for the whole weight lay on me. others, it surely came to nothing. They wanted either understanding, or industry, or love, or patience, to bring anything to perfection.

"

If I left it to

Thus far I thought it needful to explain myself, with regard to the economy of our society. I am still to speak of your case, of my own, and of some who are dependent upon me.

I do not recollect, for I kept no copy of my last, that I charged you with want of humility or meekness. Doubtless, these may be found in the most splendid palaces. But did they ever move a man to build a splendid palace?