rifh in Kingfwood!--I fpake of the everlafting love of Chrift with fweet power.---But now brother Charles is fuffered to open his mouth again ft this truth, while the frighted fheep gaze and fly, as if no fhepherd was among them.It is just as though Satan was now making war with the faints, in a more than common way. 0 pray for the diftreffed lambs yet left in this place, that they faint not. Surely they would, if preaching would do it. For they have nothing whereon to reft (who now attend on the fermons) but their own faithfulness. -

"With univerfal redemption brother Charles, pleases the world----brother John follows him in every thing. I believe no Atheist can more preach against predeftination than they. And all who believe election, are counted enemics to God, and called fo.

"Fly, dear brother. I am as alone.---I am in the midft of the plague,----If God give thee leave, make hafte."

Mr. C food up and faid, "That letter is mine. I fent it to Mr. Whitefield. And I do not retract any thing in it, nor blame myself for fending it."

Perceiving fome of our brethren began to fpeak with warmth, I defired he would meet me at Kingfwood on Saturday, where each of us could fpeak more freely, and that all things might fleep 'till then.

Tuel. 24. The bands meeting at Briftol, I read over the names of the united Society, being determined that no diforderly walker fhould remain therein. Accordingly, I took an account of every perfon, 1. To whom any reafonable objection was made. 2. Who was not known to and recommended by fome, on whofe veracity I could depend. To thofe who were fufficiently recommended, tickets were given on the following days. Most of the reft I had face to face with their accufers, and fuch as either appeared to be innocent, or confeft their faults and promifed a better behaviour, were then received into the Society. The others were put upon trial again, unlefs they voluntarily expelled. themfelves. About forty were by this means feparated from us; I trust, only for a season.

Sat. 28. I met the Kingswood bands again, and heard all who defired it, at large: After which I read the fol; lowing paper:

"By

By many witneffes it appears, that feveral members of the Band Society in Kingfwood, have made it their common practice, to fcoff at the preaching of Mr. John and Charles Wesley: That they have cenfured and spoken evil of them behind their backs, at the very time they profeffed love and efteem to their faces: That they have studioufly endeavoured to prejudice other members of that fociety against them; and in order thereto, have belied and flandered them in divers inftances.

"Therefore, not for their opinions, nor for any of them (whether they be right or wrong) but for the caufes above-mentioned, viz. For their fcoffing at the word and minifters of God, for their tale-bearing, backbiting and evil-fpeaking, for their diffembling, lying and flandering,

"I John Wesley, by the confent and approbation of the Band Society in Kingswood, do declare the persons above-mentioned, to be no longer members thereof. Neither will they be fo accounted until they fhall openly confefs their fault, and thereby do what in them lies, to remove the fcandal they have given."

At this they feemed a little fhocked at firft; but Mr. C-, T--- B---, and A--- A---, foon recovered, and faid, "They had heard both my brother and me, many times preach Popery. However, they would join with us if we would. But that they would not own they had done any thing amifs."

I defired them, to confider of it yet again, and give us their answer the next evening.

The next evening, March 1, they gave the fame an fwer as before. However, I could not tell how to part: But exhorted them to wait yet a little longer, and wrestle with God, that they might know his will concerning them.

Friday 6. Being ftill fearful of doing any thing rafhly, or contrary to the great law of love, I confulted again with many of our brethren, concerning the farther fteps I should take. In confequence of which, on Sat. 7, all who could of the fociety being met together, I told them "Open dealing was best; " and I would therefore tell them plainly, what I thought (fetting all opinions afide) had been wrong in many of them, viz.

1. "Their defpifing the minifters of God and flighting his ordinances. 2. Their not speaking or praying when

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met

met together, 'till they were fenfibly moved thereto, and 3. Their dividing themselves from their brethren, and forming a feparate fociety:

"That we could not approve of delaying this matter, because the confufion that was already increased daily:

"That, upon the whole, we believed the only way to put a stop to thefe growing evils, was for every one now to take his choice, and quit one Society, or the other."

TB replied, "It is our holding election, is the true caufe of your feparating from us." I answered, "You know in your own confcience it is not. are feveral Predeftinarians in our focieties both at Lon

There

don and Bristol: Nor did I ever put any one out of either, because he held that opnion."

He faid, "Well, we will break up our fociety, on condition you will receive and employ Mr. C- as you did before."

I replied, "My brother has wronged me much. But he doth not fay, "I repent."

M. C- faid, "Unless in not fpeaking in your defence, I do not know that I have wronged you at all."

I rejoined, "It feems then nothing remains, but for cach to chufe which fociety he pleafes."

Then after a short time spent in prayer, Mr. C went out, and about half of thofe who were prefent, with him.

Sund. 8. After preaching at Briftol, on the abuse and the right ufe of the Loid's fupper, I earneftly befought them at Kingfwood, to beware of offending in tongue, either against Juftice, Mercy, or Truth. After fermon, the remains of our fociety met, and found we had great reafon to blefs God, for that after fifty-two were withdrawn, we had ftill upwards of ninety left. O may thefe, at leaft, hold the unity of the Spirit, in the bonds of peace.

I will fhut up this melancholy fubject with part of a letter wrote by my brother about this time.

"If you think proper, you may fhew brother Cwhat follows." (N. B. I did not think it proper hen.)

"My deareft Brother John C-, in much love and tenderness I fpeak. You came to Kingswood, upon

my

my brother's fending for you. You ferved under him in the gofpel as a fon. I need not fay how well he loved you. You ufed the authority he gave you, to overthrow his doctrine. You every where contradicted it. (Whether true or falfe is not the queftion.) But you ought first to have fairly told him, "I preach contrary to you. Are you willing, notwithstanding, that I fhould continue in your houfe, gainfaying you? If you are not, I have no place in these regions. You have a right to this open dealing. I now give you fair warning. Shall I ftay here oppofing you, or shall I depart "

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My brother, have you dealt thus honeftly and openly with him? No. But you have ftolen away the people's heart from him. And when fome of them bafely treated their best friend, God only excepted, how patiently did you take it ? When did you ever vindicate us, as we have you? Why did you not plainly tell them, "You are eternally indebted to these men. Think not that I will ftay among you, to head a party against my deareft friend.-And brother, as he fuffers me to call him, having humbled himself for my fake, (no bishop, pricft, or deacon) the right hand of fellowfhip. If I hear that one word more is spoken against him, I will leave you that moment, and never see your face more."

"This had been juft and honeft, and not more than we have deferved at your hands. I fay we; for God is my witness, how condefcendingly loving I have been toward you. Yet did you fo forget yourself, as both openly and privately to contradict my doctrine, while in the mean time I was as a deaf man that heard not, neither anfwered a word, either in private or public.

"Ah my brother! I am diftreffed for you. I would but you will not receive my faying. Therefore I can-only commit you to Him who hath commanded us to forgive one another, even as God for Chrift's fake hath forgiven us."

Sund. 15. I preached twice at Kingfwood, and twice at Bristol, on those words of a troubled foul, “O that I had wings like a dove, for then would I flee away and be at reft."

One of the notes I received to-day was as follows. "A perfon whom God has vifited with a fever, and

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has

has wondrefully preferved feven days in a hay-mow, without any fuftenance but now and then a little water out of a ditch, defires to return God thanks. The perfon is present and ready to declare, what God has done both for his body and foul. For the three first days of his illness he felt nothing but the terrors of the Lord, greatly fearing left he should drop into hell; till after long and earneft prayer, he felt himfelf given up to the will of God, and equally content to live or die. Then he fell into a refreshing flumber, and awaked full of peace and the love of God.

Tuefd. 17. From these words, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right," I preached a fermon which I have not done before in Kingswood-School fince it was built) directly on predeflination. On Wednesday (and fo every Wednesday and Thurfday) I faw the fick in Briftol: many of whom I found were bleffing God for his feasonable vifitation. In the evening I put thofe of the women who were grown flack, into distinct bands by themfelves: and fharply reproved many, for their unfaithfulness to the grace of God: who bore witnefs to his word by pouring upon us all the fpirit of mourning and fupplication.

Thurf. 19. I vifited many of the fick, and among the reft, JW- who was in grievous pain both of body and mind. After a fhort time spent in prayer, we left her. But her pain was gone; her foul being in full peace, and her body alfo fo ftrengthened, that fhe immediately rofe, and the next day went abroad.

Sat. 21. I explained in the evening, the 33d chapter of Ezekiel: In applying which I was fuddenly feized with fuch a pain in my fide that I could not fpeak. I knew my remedy, and immediately kneeled down. In a moment the pain was gone and the voice of the Lord cried aloud to the finners, "Why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael!"

Monday 23. I vifited the fick in Kingfwood: one of whom furprized me much. Her husband died of the fever fome days before. She was feized immediately after his death; then her eldest daughter; then another and another of her children, fix of whom were now fick round about her, without either physic, money, food, or any visible means of procuring it. Who but a Chriftian can at fuch a time fay from the heart, Bleffed be the name of the Lord ? "

Finding