2(30 METHODIST. 
journey to Germany, and proceeded to Hernhuth, the 
head-quarters of the United Brethren, where he refrejhed 
himfelf by communication with congenial fpirits. 
it was after his return, in September 1738, that his great 
labours in what he called “ the work of God” commenced 
in England. He began to exhort and preach, oftenthree 
or four times a-day, at the prifons and other places in the 
metropolis. He made frequent excurfions into the coun¬ 
try, where his converts were numerous ; and his zeal and 
activity rofe in proportion to the obloquy and oppofition 
he encountered. His dilcourfes were often attended with 
thofe demonftrations of the effect produced on the hear¬ 
ers, fwoonings, outcries, convulfions,&c. which have been 
frequently oblerved under the influence of violent emo¬ 
tions ; but, although he feems to have been flattered with 
thefe proofs of his powers, we are told that he was fuffi- 
ciently fenfible “ that every religious pang, every enthu- 
fiaftic conceit, muff not be taken for true converfion.” 
Whitefield, who had fome time before commenced the 
pradtice of fleld-preaching, ftrongly urging Wefley to join 
him at Briftol, he complied with the invitation, and fol¬ 
lowed his example of colle&ing great crowds in the open 
air. There was, however, in that city, as at that time in 
feveral other places, a regular fociety of Methodifts, who 
became defirous of building a room for their religious ex- 
ercifes. In May 1739 the firft ftone of fuch an edifice was 
laid at Briftol, which was a memorable event in the life 
. of Wefley, fince the part he took in the concern may be 
regarded as laying the foundation of the unlimited power 
he acquired over the whole body of his followers. The 
direction of the work was firft committed to eleven 
feoffees of his nomination; but, it becoming neceffary 
for him to engage for the payment of the workmen, for 
which purpofe he was to raife contributions in London, 
he was informed by Whitefield and others, that they 
would do nothing in the matter, unlefs he would dif- 
charge the feoffees, and do every thing in his own name. 
They gave various reafons for this determination ; “ but 
one (fays Wefley) was enough, viz. that fuch feoffees 
■would always have it in their power to controul me, and, 
if I preached not as they liked, to turn me out of the 
room I had built.” He therefore affembled the feoffees, 
and with their confent cancelled the inftruments made 
before, and took the whole management into his own 
hands; and this precedent he ever after followed, lb that 
all the numerous meeting-houfes of his clafs of Methodifts 
w r ere either vefted in him, or in truftees who were bound 
to give admiflion into the pulpits either to him or to fucn 
preachers as he Ihould appoint. 
From the year 1738 to 1747 Mr. Wefley and his itine¬ 
rants were employed in various parts of England. In 
1747 lie went over to Dublin, where a fociety had been 
formed by one Mr. Williams, a clergyman. Here they 
proved fo fuccefsful, notwithstanding the number of Pa- 
pifts, and the violence of their other opponents, that in 
1750 they had erebted meeting-houfes in every part of the 
kingdom, and had formed 29 circuits, which employed 67 
itinerants, bcfides a confiderable number of local preachers. 
An invitation was given to Mr. Wefley, in 1751, to vifit 
Scotland, by an officer in quarters at Muffelburgh. He 
accordingly took a journey thither the fame year ; but 
left the place, after preaching in it once or twice. In 
1753 he returned to Scotland, and vifited Glafgow. So¬ 
cieties were at length formed in that city, as well as at 
Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, and a few 
other places; but his fuccefs was by no means equal to 
what it had been in other parts; for in 1790 the number 
of circuits in Scotland was no more than eight, which 
were fupplied by 20 itinerants. 
Mr. Whitefield, the other great labourer in the vine¬ 
yard, was equally indefatigable, and probably more fiuc- 
cefsful than Mr. Wefley. Before entering into orders, he 
had formed a fociety of religious perfons at Gloucefter ; 
here he preached his firft f'ermon On the Neceffity and 
Benefit of Religious Society; here he became extremely 
popular, as well as at Briftol and London, while preparing 
to fet fail for Georgia for the firfc time ; and in all places 
to which he came, large collections were made for the 
poor. In the various intervals of his voyages to America, 
he employed himfelf with the very fame affiduity in Bri¬ 
tain and in Ireland, which we have already taken notice 
of in the weftern continent. His fuccefs was every-wnere 
prodigious. In 1741 he was invited to Scotland, and 
preached his firft fermon there at Dunfermline. From 
thence he went to Edinburgh, and preached in feveral of 
the eftabliflied churches, but differed with Meffrs. Ralph 
and Ebenezer Erlkine ; fo that he, as well as Mr. Wefley, 
proved unluccefsful in forming a coalition with any other 
religious party. In the private way, however, his fuc¬ 
cefs was very confiderable, at Edinburgh, Glafgow, Aber¬ 
deen, Dundee, and other places. In 1742 he paid a fe- 
cond vifit to Scotland, and a third in 1748. In 1751 
he vifited Ireland for the firft time ; and preached to great 
multitudes, without being molefted, even in places where 
others had been mobbed. From thence he returned to 
Scotland the fame year, and fpeaks in very favourable 
terms of the attention the people there paid to their Bibles. 
In 1752 and 1753 he again vifited the fame kingdom, and 
the laft time diilinguiftied himfelf by preaching againlt the 
playhoufe in Glafgow. In 1756 he returned ; and, by his 
animated difcourfes at Edinburgh againft popery and ar¬ 
bitrary power, was owned to have contributed very much 
to the increafe of courage and loyalty in that country. 
Next year he again vifited the Scottifli capital during the 
time that the General Affembly 1 st; and his fermons were 
attended by feveral of the members. At Glafgow he 
made a large collection for the poor of that city; and from 
thence took a voyage to Ireland. He was received with 
the ufual afteCtion by the lower claffes of Proteftants ; but 
the Popiffi rabble, exafperated at his fuccefs, almoft mur¬ 
dered him with ftones. After palling through a great part 
of Ireland, viliting England and Wales, he paid another 
vifit to Scotland, where four clergymen now lent him their 
pulpits. His laft vifit was in the fummer of 1758, when 
liis congregations were as large as ever ; and it is to his 
endeavours principally that we are to afcribe the great 
number of Methodift focieties now exifting in Scotland. 
Although, to avoid breaking the thread of our narra¬ 
tive, we have thus far fpoken of the Methodifts as one 
flock, yet this was by no means the cafe. As long ago as 
March 1741, a circumftance had occurred, which, though 
at firft it appeared inaufpicious to the caufe of Methodifm, 
yet eventually perhaps contributed to its extenfion, and 
certainly had the eft’eCt of placing Wefley without a rival 
as the head of his own body. Whitefield had imbibed, 
from his communication with the minifters in the north¬ 
ern ftates of America, a ftrong predilection for the doc¬ 
trines of the puritan divines, who were in general ftriCl 
Calvinifts. The opinions of Wefley being derived from 
the Arminian theology, a difference broke out between 
them which it was impoffible to heal. They turned upon 
the three points, unconditional eleftion, irrefiltible 
grace, and final perfeverance; concerning which topics 
their notions varied fo much, that, Whitefield plainly 
told his brother-reformer, “ that they preached two dif¬ 
ferent gofpels ; and that he would not only refufe to give 
him the right hand of fellowfhip, but was rcfolved pub¬ 
licly to preach againft him and his brother wherefoever 
he preached at all.” This heat was afterwards fomewhat 
allayed, and they fpoke with efteem of each other; but 
an entire and lading leparation took place between the 
two as to the focieties over which they refpeCtively pre- 
fided. 
Mr. Whitefield died in the year 1770. Mr. Wefley 
lived more than twenty years longer; nor did the ap¬ 
proach of old age in the leaft abate the zeal and dili¬ 
gence of this extraordinary man. By early and con¬ 
tinued habit he had rendered Ids body lubfervient to all 
the. 
