destroyed what they could, they loaded themselves with clothes and meat, and went their way. The same day public notice was given at Walsal, by a paper fixed up there, "That all who designed to assist in breaking the windows, and plundering the houses of the Methodists at Wednesbury, should be ready at ten o'clock, the next morning, on the Church-Hill."

11. The next morning, Feb. 7, (being Shrove-Tuesday) about half an hour after ten, great numbers of men were gathered on the Church-Hill. Thence they marched down, some armed with swords, some with clubs, and some with axes. They first fell upon Benja min Watson's house, and broke many of the tiles, and all the windows. Next they came to Mr. Addinbrook's, broke a fine clock, with many of his goods, and stole all the things they could carry away. The next house was Jane Smith's, whose windows they broke, with what little goods she had. The next was Mr. Bird's, where they destroyed every thing they found, except what they carried away; cutting the beds in picces, as they did all the beds which they could any where find. Thence they went to Mr. Edge's house: he was ill of a fever; so, for a sum of money, they passed it over. The next house was Mr. Hand's. They broke all his counters, boxes, and drawers, and all (except some bedsteads) that axe or hammer could break. They spilt all his drugs and chemical medicines, and stole every thing they could carry, even all his and his wife's wearing apparel, beside what they had on.

12. Mr. Eaton's house was next. They broke all his windows, and all his inside doors in pieces, cut the lead off his house, destroyed or stole whatever they could lay their hands on. Some Gentlemen offered to stop them, if he would sign a paper, implying, "That he would never hear these Parsons more." But he told them, "He had felt already what a wounded conscience was; and by the grace of God he would wound his conscience no more." After they had done at Mr. Eaton's, they plundered several other houses in Wednesbury and West-Bromwich. It is scarce possible to describe the outrages they committed. Only they left them they plundered alive. While they were plundering John Turner's house, he waded through the brook, to try if he could save some of his goods, which one David Garrington was carrying away. Upon which Garrington told him, "It would be the same here as it was in Ireland, for there would be a massacre very quickly. And he wished it was now."

13. About eleven o'clock, Sarah the wife of John Sheldon, being told the mob was coming to her house, went and met them at the gate. She asked John Baker, their Captain, "What they were come for?" He answered, "If she would have nothing more to do with those people, not a pennyworth of her goods should be hurt." She made no reply. Then they broke the door open, and began breaking and plundering the goods. One coming out with a fireshovel, she begged him, "not to take that away." He swore, if she spoke another word, he would beat her brains out.

John Sheldon was this while helping Thomas Parkes to hide his goods, though he knew by the noise they were breaking his own to

pieces. Between two and three he came to his house with William Sitch. William asked Sarah, how she did? Saying, "For his part, he took joyfully the spoiling of his goods." She answered, that "seeing so much wickedness, she could not rejoice; but she blessed God, she could bear it patiently, and found not the least anger in her." John Sheldon seeing the spoil they had made, smiled and said, "Here is strange work." His wife told him, "if she had complied with their terms, not one pennyworth would have been hurt." He replied, "That if she had complied to deny the truth, and he had found his goods whole on that account, he should never have been easy as long as he lived; but he blessed God that she had rather chosen to suffer wrong." The mob continued to rise for six days together. The damage they did in and about Wednesbury, at the very lowest computation, amounted to five hundred and four pounds, seventeen shillings.

war.

Wednesday, October 19, 1743, I came to Birmingham, in my way to Newcastle. Thursday, October 20, several persons from Wednesbury earnestly desired me to call there. I yielded to their importunity, and went. I was sitting and writing at Francis Ward's, in the afternoon; when the cry arose, "That the Darlaston mob had beset the house." I called together those that were in the house, and prayed, that God would scatter the people that delight in And it was so one went one way, and one another; so that in half an hour the house was clear on every side. But, before five, they returned with greater numbers. The cry of all was, "Bring out the Minister!" I desired one to bring the Captain of the mob into the house. After a few words interchanged, the lion was as a lamb. I then desired him to bring in one or two more of the most angry of his companions. He did so; and in two minutes, their minds were changed too. I then bade them who were in the room make way, that I might go out among the people. As soon as I was in the midst of them I said, "Here I am: what do you want with me?" Many cried out, "We want you to go with us to the Justice." I told them, "That I will with all my heart." So I walked before, and two or three hundred of them followed to Bently-Hall, two miles from Wednesbury. But a servant came out and told them, "Justice Lane was not to be spoken with." Here they were at a stand, till one advised to go to Justice Persehouse, at Walsal. About seven we came to his house; but he also sent word, "That he was in bed and could not be spoken with." All the company were now pretty well agreed, to make the best of their way home; but we had not gone a hundred yards, when the mob of Walsal came pouring in like a flood. The Darlaston mob stood against them for awhile; but in a short time, some being knocked down, and others much hurt, the rest ran away, and left me in their hands. To attempt to speak was vain, the noise being like that of taking a city by storm: so they dragged me along till they came to the town, at a few hundred yards distance; where, seeing the door of a large house open, I endeavoured to go in: but a man, catching me by the hair, (my

hat having been caught away at the beginning) pulled me back into the middle of the mob; who were as so many ramping and roaring lions. They hurried me from thence, through the main streets, from one end of the town to the other. I continued speaking all the time to those within hearing, feeling no pain or weariness.

At the west end of the town, seeing a door half open, I made towards it, and would have gone in, but a gentleman in the shop would not suffer me, saying "They would pull the house down, if I did." However, here I stood, and asked, "Are you willing to hear me speak?" Many cried out, "No, no; knock his brains out." Others said, "Nay; but we will hear him speak first." I began asking, "What hurt have I done you? Whom among you have I wronged in word or deed?" And continued speaking till my voice failed. Then the floods lifted up their voice again; many crying out, "Bring him away, bring him away!"

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

I believe every reasonable man will allow, that nothing can possibly excuse these proceedings: seeing they are open, bare-faced violations both of justice and mercy, and of all laws divine and human.

III. 1. I suppose no Protestant will undertake to defend such proecedings, even towards the vilest miscreants. But abundance of excuses have been made, if not for opposing it thus, yet for denying this work to be of God, and for not acknowledging the time of our visitation.

1. Some allege, that the doctrines of these men are false, erroneous, and enthusiastic: that they are new, and unheard of till of late: that they are Quakerism, fanaticism, Popery.

This whole pretence has been already cut up by the roots; it having been shown at large, that every branch of this doctrine, is the plain doctrine of Scripture, interpreted by our own Church. Therefore it cannot be either false or erroneous, provided the Scripture be true. Neither can it be enthusiastic, unless the same epithet belongs to our Articles, Homilies, and Liturgy. Nor yet can these doctrines be termed new: no newer at least than the reign of Queen

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Elizabeth; not even with regard to the way of expression, or the manner wherein they are proposed. And as to the substance, they are more ancient still; as ancient not only as the Gospel, as the times of Isaiah, or David, or Moses, but as the first Revelation of God to man. If therefore they were unheard of till of late, in any that is termed a Christian country, the greater guilt is on those, who, as ambassadors of Christ, ought to publish them day by day.

Fanaticism, if it mean any thing at all, means the same as enthusiasm, or religious madness, from which (as was observed before) these doctrines are distant as far as the East from the West. However, it is a convenient word to be thrown out, upon any thing we do not like; because scarce one reader in a thousand, has any idea of what it means. If any part of this doctrine be held by the Quakers, there is the more reason to rejoice. I would to God they held it all: though the doctrine itself, would be neither better nor worse for this. Popery in the mouth of many men means just nothing; or at most, "Something very horrid and bad." But Popery, properly speaking, is, the distinguishing doctrines of the Church of Rome. They are summed up in the twelve Articles which the Council of Trent added to the Nicene Creed. Now who can find the least connexion between any of these, and the doctrines whereof we are speaking?

2. Others allege, "Their doctrine is too strict. They make the way to heaven too narrow." And this is in truth the original objection, (as it was almost the only one for some time) and is secretly at the bottom of a thousand more, which appear in various forms. But do they make the way to heaven any narrower, than our Lord and his Apostles made it? Is their doctrine stricter than that of the Bible? Consider only a few plain texts. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength." "For every idle word which men shall speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgment." "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God." If their doctrine is stricter than this, they are to blame. But you know in your conscience, it is not. And who can be one jot less strict, without corrupting the word of God? Can any steward of the mysteries of God be found faithful, if he change any part of that sacred Depositum? No. He can abate nothing, he can soften nothing. He is constrained to declare to all men, "I may not bring down the Scripture to your taste. come up to it, or perish for ever."

You must

3. This is the real ground of that other popular cry, concerning "the uncharitableness of these men." Uncharitable are they? In what respect? Do they not feed the hungry and clothe the naked? "No, that is not the thing. They are not wanting in this. But they are so uncharitable in judging! They think none can be saved, but those of their own way. They damn all the world beside themselves."

What do you mean? "They think none can be saved, but those

of their own way." Most surely they do. For as there is but one heaven, so there is but one way to it; even the way of faith in Christ, (for we speak not of opinions, or outward modes of worship,) the way of love to God and man, the highway of holiness. And is it uncharitable, to think or say, that none can be saved, but those who walk in this way? Was he then uncharitable, who declared, "He that believeth not shall be damned?" Or he that said, "Follow holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord?" And again : "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, yet if I have not (ayann») charity, love, all this profiteth me nothing."

"But they damn all, you say, beside themselves." Damn all! What kind of word is this? They damn no man. None is able to damn any man, but the Lord and Judge of all. What you probably mean by that strange expression is, they declare that God condemns all, beside those who believe in Jesus Christ, and love him, and keep his commandments. And so must you also, or you sin against God, and your neighbour, and your own soul. But is there any uncharitableness in this? In warning sinners to flee from the wrath to come? On the contrary, not to warn a poor, blind, stupid wretch, that he is hanging over the mouth of hell, would be so inexcusable a want of charity, as would bring his blood upon our heads.

4. But there is no room for dispute, touching these doctrines in general, seeing our Lord gives you so plain a rule, by which you may easily and infallibly know, whether they be of God. "The tree is known by its fruit: either therefore make the tree good, and its fruit good or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt." (Matt. xii. 33.) Now what fruit does the tree before us bring forth? Look and see; believe your own eyes and ears. Sinners leave their sins. The servants of the Devil become the servants of God. Is this good or evil fruit? That vice loses ground, and virtue, practical religion, gains? O dispute no more. Know the tree by its fruit. Bow and own the finger of God.

5. But many who own these doctrines to be of God, yet cannot be reconciled to the instruments he hath made use of. A very common exception taken against these is (and was from the beginning) "that they are so young." Therefore (abundance of men have readily inferred) "this work cannot be of God."

Perhaps they are not so young as you conceive. Mr. Whitefield is now upwards of thirty: my brother is thirty-seven years of age. I have lived above forty-two years. And a gentleman in Cornwall, for whom I often preach, has the merit of having lived threescore and seventeen years.

But, supposing the antecedent true, what a consequence is this? What shadow of Scripture have you to support it? Doth not God send by whom he will send? And who shall say to him, What dost thou? What shadow of

"These are too young; send elder men." reason? Is it not possible, that a person of thirty or forty may have as true a judgment in the things of God, and as great a blessing at