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mere jest of going to church or to the sacrament, and that many of the sisters were shaken, and grievously torn by reasonings, and that there seemed to be a design of dividing the society. Accordingly he repaired to London with a heavy heart. "Here," says he, "I found every day the dreadful effects of our brethren's reasoning and disputing with each other. Scarce one in ten retained his first love, and most of the rest were in the utmost confusion, biting and devouring one another. I pray God ye be not consumed one of another!-One came to me by whom I used to profit much, but her conversation was now too high for me. It was far above, out of my sight. My soul is sick of this sublime divinity! Let me think and speak as a little child! Let my religion be plain, artless, simple! Meekness, temperance, patience, faith and love, be these my highest gifts; and let the highest words wherein I teach them be those I learn from the Book of God." He had a long and patient conference with Molther, by which the only advantage gained was that they distinctly understood each other; and he earnestly besought the brethren to "stand in the old paths, and no longer to subvert one another's souls by idle controversies and strife of words." They seemed to be all convinced, but it was rather by the effect of his presence than of his reasoning; and he fancied that in answer to their prayers a spirit of peace was sent among them to which they had for many months

been strangers.

This was of short continuance. Complaints were made to Wesley that those brethren who adhered to the Moravian opinions and had left off the ordinances, were continually troubling the others and forcing them to dispute. This occasioned an expostulation on his part: he entreated them not to perplex their brethren any more, but at least to excuse those who still waited for God in the ways of his appointment, Toleration of this kind is little compatible with hearty zeal, and if Wesley on this occasion supplicated for a truce, it was because his people

were the weaker party. He left London, however, for Bristol, whither this disunion had not extended. Charles arrived from a circuit during his absence, and supported the same cause with equal ardour. But the difference became more marked, and the reciprocal feeling more acrimonious, and he perceived that a separation must be the natural result. "Their practice," said he, "is agreeable to their principles; lazy and proud themselves, bitter and censorious toward others, they trample upon the ordinances and despise the commands of Christ. I see no middle point wherein we can meet.". Some of his opponents imagined that John was less hostile to their opinions, or more tolerant of them than his brother; and for this reason they summoned him from Bristol that he might interfere once more, and put an end to their jarrings. He arrived in no cheerful mood, and in no charitable one; for Molther happened to be taken ill, and he affirmed that it was the hand of God that was upon him!" Our society met," he says, "but cold, weary, heartless, dead. I found nothing of brotherly love among them now, but a harsh, dry, heavy, stupid spirit. For two hours they looked one at another, when they looked up at all, as if one half of them was afraid of the other." The Moravian opinion upon the matter in dispute had the great advantage of being convenient; it exempted all persons from the ordinances,-those who were without faith because they ought not to use them, those who had faith because they were not required to do it. It prevailed with many, and it staggered more. Wherever Wesley went he was

* In Wesley's Answer to Mr. Church's Remarks, this circumstance is thus noticed: "You describe heaven (quoting from Mr. Church) as executing judgments, immediate punishments, on those who oppose you. You say Mr. Molther was taken ill this day. I believe it was the hand of God that was upon him.' I do. But I do not say as a judgment from God for opposing me. That you say for me. This is very discreditable to Wesley. If he did not expressly say this, it is plain that he implied it, that his followers would understand it so, and that he intended it so to be understood.

besieged by those who, having once been "full of peace and love, were now again plunged into doubts and fears, and driven even to their wit's ends."

He

was utterly at a loss what course to take; these vain janglings, as he calls them, pursued him everywhere. He endeavoured, by explaining in public those texts which had been perverted, and by private conversation, to reclaim those who had been led astray, and confirm those who were wavering; and after a few days of this unsatisfactory and ungrateful work, he again left London, baving, he says, delivered his own soul.

That expression implies a full persuasion on his part that a separation must ensue. Indeed, he had already contemplated such an event. In one of their conferences, Molther had maintained the jesuitical opinion that pious frauds might lawfully be used. This he had resolutely opposed; but when others of the Moravian persuasion to whom he was more amicably inclined, pleaded for a certain "reservedness and closeness of conversation," though it neither accorded with his judgment nor his temper, nor with his interpretation of St. Paul's direction, he felt some hesitation upon the subject, considering that they had the practice of the Moravian church on their side and recurring, according to his custom, to the Testament for a chance text, he opened upon these words, What is that to thee? Follow thou me. Four months before this bibliomancy came in aid of his meditated purpose, he had taken a large building in Moorfields which had been the foundry for cannon during the civil wars, and for some time after the Restoration; he felt himself in a minority in Fetter-lane which had hitherto been their chief place of meeting; and foreseeing that it would ere long be necessary for him to secede, unless he waited to be expelled, he thus provided for the alternative in time.

After a short stay at Bristol, therefore, he returned to London, fully prepared for the decisive step. The first measure was to muster his own adherents, by new modelling the bands, and thus relieving them

from that perpetual disputation by which they were wavered if not weakened. In this the Wesleys were assisted by Ingham. "We gathered up our wreck," say Charles, "rari nantes in gurgite vasto, floating here and there on the vast abyss; for nine out of ten were swallowed up in the dead sea of stillness. Oh why was not this done six months ago! How fatal was our delay and false moderation!" Molther was too ill for any more conferences, if any amicable result could have been expected from such measures, always more likely to widen differences than to adjust them. But though Molther was thus disabled from bearing a part, Wesley could make no impression upon the "poor, confused, shattered society," when he plainly told them wherein they had erred from the faith. "It was as I feared," says he. "They could not receive my saying. However I am clear from the blood of these men:" and "finding there was no time to delay without utterly destroying the cause of God, I began to execute what I had long designed, to strike at the root of the grand delusion." Accordingly, every day for a week in succession he preached in the strongest language against the tenets by which the majority of his former followers were now weaned from him. But easy as he had found it to subdue the hearts and imaginations of men, he found them invincible when they were attacked in the strong-hold of their self-conceit. They told him that he was preaching up the works of the law, which as believers they were no more bound to obey than the subjects of the King of England were bound to obey the laws of the King of France.

One of the spurious treatises ascribed to Dionysius the Areopagite was a favourite book among the Moravianized members. Some extracts were annexed to it in a style of what Wesley calls the same super-essential darkness. Wesley took the volume to Fetter-lane, and read these words before the jarring society, "The Scriptures are good; prayer is good; communicating is good; relieving our neigh

bours is good but to one who is not born of God none of these are good, but all very evil. For him to read the Scriptures, or to pray, or to communicate, or to do any outward work, is deadly poison. First let him be born of God. Till then let him not do any of these things. For if he does, he destroys himself." Having twice read these words, distinctly, that all might hear and understand, he asked, "My brethren, is this right, or is it wrong?" One of them replied, "It is right: it is all right. It is the truth; it is the very truth; it is the inward truth. And to this we must all come, or we never can come to Christ." Another said, "I used the ordinances twenty years, yet I found not Christ. But I left them off only for a few weeks and I found Him then: and I am now as close united to Him as my arm is to my body." Many voices were now raised against Wesley; it was asked whether they would any longer suffer him to preach at Fetter-lane; and after a short debate it was answered, "No, this place is taken for the Germans." But Wesley knew how important it was that the separation should appear to be an act of his own authority and will; and going to their love-feast on the Sunday following, at the close of the meeting he stood up, and read from a written paper a brief statement of the doctrines which he condemned. It concluded with these words: "You have often affirmed that to search the Scriptures, to pray, or to communicate before we have Faith, is to seek salvation by works, and that till these works are laid aside no man can have Faith. I believe these assertions to be flatly contrary to the Word of God. I have warned you hereof again and again, and besought you to turn back to the Law and the Testimony. I have borne with you long, hoping you would turn. But as I find you more and more confirmed in the error of your ways, nothing now remains but that I should give you up to God. You that are of the same judgment, follow me!"

A few persons, and but a few, withdrew with him. When they met at the Foundry for the first time af

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